My Little Pony Monthly Issue 31 (October 1, 1999)


My Little Pony Monthly
Established June 1997
This Newsletter is Child-Friendly

E-mail Tabby (TabbyMLP@aol.com) to be removed from the mailing list.
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Issue 31
October 1999
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Letters to the Editor


Kiara66509@aol.com-- Hi, Tabby, thanks for the newsletter! Once again, you did a GREAT JOB!



stanb@ptbo.igs.net-- I think MLP Monthly is a COOL newsletter! I just lo-o-ove reading the stories-- and writing for it!

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My Little Soldier: Sailor Moon
by Moonstar-- alicorn_83@yahoo.com
Episode 1: A Rainbow Moon Star is Born


Author's Note: All jokes made here are in harmless fun. Comments on my story are always welcome. I hope you like it. :)



**From a far away time and space, Ponyland's greatest legend is about to begin...**



My Little Soldier, My Little Soldier,

Kicking evil by moonlight,

Winning love by starlight,

Never ready for a real fight,

She is the one with the TV show called My Little Soldier: Sailor Moon

She will always be there for a friend,

Though her twinkling horseshoes are kinda slippin',

She is the one to whom we come trotting...

She is named Sailo-o-o-or...

Sailor Venus!

Sailor Mercury!

Sailor Mars!

Sailor Jupiter!

With secret powers so new and peculiar,

She is the one named Sailor Moon,

Kicking evil by moonlight,

Winning love by starlight,

With the other ponies of the Sailor Soldiers to help fight...

She is the one named Sailor Moon!

She is the one, Sailor Moon!


Introduction:

A thousand years ago, our moon was home to a great pony civilization ruled by Queen Serenity. Everything was peaceful until the avail of the evil Queen Barrel.

(Queen Barrel, a dark pony, sits behind a green orb. "HA-HA-HA! First the moon stall be mine, then the universe!")

To conquer the moon, Queen Barrel unleashed the awesome power of the Negahorse! Although Queen Serenity's kingdom was destroyed, she still had a last hope-- the power of the Rainbow of Light and the Crescent Rainbow Wand.

(A white winged unicorn gazes weakly at the silver wand and red locket laying beside her. "This rainbow and wand are the only things that can combat the power-- and extreme weirdness--of the Negahorse; never let our enemies get them, or the universe is doomed! But most of all, you must protect our dear Princess Serenity, understand?"

Two baby dragons with marks on their foreheads that are standing next to her nod. "Yes.")

Frozen in rainbow beam crystals, the queen sent the princess and other foals off the moon to the future planet Earth. Their memories lost to all of them, the queen's baby dragon advisers-- Luna and Artemis-- must find the princess, so she will at last be safe...

* * *
The whole of Paradise Estate was quiet and serene in warm early sunlight... until...

"A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-AH!! I'M LATE AGAIN!!" ...that is, it was quiet and serene right up to this time each morning. A pink earth pony with a crescent moon and bunny symbol, her yellow mane done in two ringed buns, raced downstairs. She paid no notice to two of the Bushwoolies her family hired as maids, who had been trying to dress her in her blue school uniform, legwarmers, and tail ribbon.

This pony madly trotted this way and that once she reached the ground level. "Mother! Why didn't you wakeu mea won time?!" she attempted gurgled angrily as one of the frazzled Bushwoolies brushed her teeth for her.

"I did, Baby Bunny, honey! THREE times, and each time you said you were getting up!" her mother replied.

"And you BELIEVED ME? Mom, you gotta try harder!" the pony said, now identified as Baby Bunny. She looped her bookbag straps around her neck and headed for the door.

"Bunny!" her mom called

"I'm late!" Bunny yelled.

"Are-rn't wou forietting fomeving, honvey?" her mom said, holding out Bunny's lunch bag in her mouth.

"Oh... yeah..." Baby Bunny sweatdropped. She grabbed the lunch bag and shot outside.

Baby Bunny yawned as she galloped to school as fast as her hooves could carry her. "Why couldn't I have been born a pegasus?" she huffed. "Or better yet, a unicorn! I bet they never have to run..."

She turned a corner, only to see a small group of newborn twins crowded around something. The baby ponies looked a little too interested in whatever they were playing with to be up to any good...

"Stretch out its wings..." one of them suggested.

"No, how ‘bout its tail?" another added.

"I wanta feel its tongue!" a third demanded.

"Hey, you foals get away from that baby dragon!" Bunny yelled, rearing up. At the sight of this, the newborns ran off screaming.

Baby Bunny kneeled on the ground to check on the tiny black dragon with a leaf stuck on its forehead. "Did those soiled foals hurt you, draggy?"

"R-R-R-R, R-R-R, R-R-R!" the dragon growled, bearing its teeth and breathing a blast of fire at the unsuspecting pony.

Baby Bunny sweatdropped a second time that morning, the tip of one of her hairbuns flaming. "W-well, you seem okay... here, let's take that leaf off." She reached down and pulled the leaf off carefully with her teeth. A symbol glittered in the light as she did this, and little dragon did a backflip in the air away for her.

"A rainbow crescent moon?" she asked, gazing at the strange marking on the dragon's forehead... and then she remembered...

"A-A-A-A-A-AH! Now I'm even MORE late!!" Baby Bunny screamed, racing off at about the speed of light. "O-o-oh, I WISH I COULD WINK OUT!!!"

* * *
At the Sunshine Roads Junior High where she went to school, Baby Bunny had-- as usual-- been sent to stay out in the hall during both recesses for being late. And-- as usual-- being punished made her hungry.

"After all, I did miss breakfast," Baby Bunny whispered to herself. She slyly looked this way and that, and opened her lunch bag. Somehow, she had managed to stuff down four sandwiches, a soda, and half a cherry pie slice in less than two milliseconds when...

"BUNNY, NO EATING IN THE HALL!" her teacher, Ms. Hippity-Hop, scolded. She had been caught.

"But, Ms. H, I was hungary-y-y-y-y!!"

"Bunny, you should work on your schoolwork, not your stomach! There's no excuse for failing!" She held out Bunny's test paper with a big red "30%" written over the top.

"I failed?!?!"

* * *
"Aw, com'n, Bunny it's not the end of the world," Molly, a red pony with wavy hair and a daisy as her symbol, tried to cheer up her friend.

Baby Bunny didn't even look up from where she had laid down in the grass, covering her muzzle with her hooves in complete misery. "You don't get it, Molly. If my mom finds out I failed AGA-A-AIN, she'll ground me, cut my jangles, AND I wouldn't be able to go to the Perm Shoppe, and..."

"Hidy-ho!" A light blue pony with large bottle-cap glasses popped up out of nowhere and startled the two fillies. His symbol was a computer and computer mouse. "Hey, Bunny, how'd you do on your test?"

Bunny just groaned and started to cry.

"Oh, did I hurt you? I'm sorry. Anyway, don't worry; I didn't do that well, either!" the pony went on.

"Get a life, Melvin, Bunny doesn't want to talk about it!" Molly snapped.

"No, really! I studied and only got ninety-five percent; how am I ever going to explain this to my parents?!" Melvin worried.

Molly and Bunny sweatdropped. "Do we care?" Molly said half-heartedly.

"O-O-O-O-OH, she's gonna kill me..." Baby Bunny wailed, still fretting over what her mom would think.

"Bunny... did you hear about Sailor V last night?" Molly asked, changing the subject.

Baby Bunny looked up. "Huh? Who's Sailor V?"

Molly gasped. "You mean, you don't know? She's just a filly like us, and a yellow Twice-As-Fancy pegasus. She goes around and fights crime!"

"Wow! Really?" Baby Bunny said in envy.

"Yeah, and I heard that last night she caught a stallion robbing a bakery for jangles!" Melvin piped-up, interrupting what Molly was going to say.

Both fillies nodded. "Yeah, I can see why someone would want to rob a bakery; they're so popular. I love ‘em!" Bunny said, drooling.

Melvin just stood back and sweatdropped.

"Oh, that reminds me! My mom's having a discount sale at the Satin Slipper Sweet Shoppe today!" Molly said.

"Discount?" Baby Bunny asked, getting a little starry-eyed.

"Yup, she's got everything on sale-- cupcakes, candy, ice cream...!"

"ICE CREAM? I LOVE ICE CREAM!" Baby Bunny yelled, eyes totally starry now.

"She's got all types and flavors! You gotta see it!" Molly urged.

"Chocolate and strawberry?!"

"Oh, yeah!"

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go!"

Melvin sighed and sweatdropped as the two raced off. "Hee, hee, Bunny-- she's beautiful, but a huge ice cream addict..."

* * *
Somewhere, deep beneath the Volcano of Doom, in a place of lava, bones, and darkness, the evil queen sat on a coach-length throne. She was a tan-colored unicorn-pegasus mix with flame red hair. She had no symbol. Her orange twinkle eyes sparkled coldly over the green orb staff that hovered in front of her, suspended in the air by dark unicorn magic. "Has the Rainbow of Light been discovered yet, Jadeite?" she asked, her voice more a command than a question.

"No, my queen," a bodiless voice answered.

"That rainbow is the key to releasing the almighty Negahorse!"

"Yes! Yes!" other ghostly voices chorused.

"Really, it is," the queen went on. "If the rainbow is not found soon, I stall need energy-- a great deal of energy from the ponies of Earth!"

"Of course, Queen Barrel," the voice said again. A cloud of blue energy formed and a male pony appeared, kneeling before the throne. He was sky blue in color with blue twinkle eyes and a yellow mane. His symbol was dark flames. "As we speak, my servant is on the over side, collecting energy. The Little Ponies are weak and gullible and will soon submit to our will!"

Queen Barrel turned her attention back to gazing into the staff's orb. "Do not fail me, Jadeite; I need their energy!"

"Yes, my queen."

* * *
Meanwhile-- at the Satin Slipper Sweet Shoppe-- Molly's mom, Sherbet, seemed all gung-ho over the really big sale. "Come on in, everyone!" she yelled through a megaphone that four Bushwoolies were holding up for her. All over at the tables, ponies were stuffing their faces and drinking sodas, laughing and talking. There wasn't a couch or chair left empty in the whole shop.

"Wow, there're so many customers today," Molly said in awe as she and Baby Bunny trotted in.

"Boy, she sure is energetic," Baby Bunny noted, too, as Sherbet zipped from one place to another (much to the displeasure of the Bushwoolies).

Sherbet shouted again into the megaphone. "Today, everything is ninety-percent off! Please feel free to eat anything offered here!" However, somewhere in her evil thoughts far from the knowledge of all the ponies gathered there, the monster that was disguised as Sherbet chuckled. ...and surrender your energy to the great Negahorse! For I am Rocky Road and my delicious sweets will drain away all your energy! her inner being added.

Unseen to all but the monster, a slow wave of energy was being drawn out from all the eating ponies and being transferred into her "Sherbet's" ice cream symbol.

* * *
Back in an underground room of the Volcano of Doom, Jadeite stood in the darkness, muzzle held high toward the blue sphere of energy that hovered in the air.

He smiled cruelly and spoke telepathically. You have done well, Rocky Road. So much greed, so much energy! Queen Barrel will be most pleased. See that these ponies are prepared for the triumphant arrival of the Negahorse!

* * *
At the shop, "Sherbet" smiled after receiving this message. As you wish, Lord Jadeite.

"Mama?" Molly called.

The monster disguised as Sherbet turned. "Oh, Molly, you're off school!"

"This is my friend, Bunny," Molly said. "Remember her?"

Molly's "mother" smiled. "Welcome to my shop. It's a little crowded here, but have a good time."

"Okay!" Baby Bunny said, eyeing the ice cream.

"And since you're Molly's friend, I'll even give you a special bargain!" Sherbet laughed.

"Really? Cool!" Bunny skipped along besides Molly, her eyes going starry again. They came to a stop in front of something that looked like a mini skyscraper; but after looking up, up, and up to its highest level, Baby Bunny realized it was a giant chocolate cake!

"Here, Bunny, would you like this cake?" Sherbet grinned.

"WOW! Would I...!" Baby Bunny said in awe.

"It's ten layers; for you, four jangles."

"Ten layers, four jangles?!" Molly and Baby Bunny chorused in disbelief.

Suddenly, a big, fat hot pink pony pushed the two over and made a mad dive for (and into) the cake. "IT'S MINE!" All at once, a huge crowd of ponies galloped around the cake, each trying to get a piece.

Baby Bunny and Molly barely had time to crawl out from underneath the mass of bodies to safety. "Holy smokes..." Molly breathed, sweatdropping.

"Gee, too bad I couldn't afford it. Things are so unfair today," Baby Bunny whined.

"Yeah, I'm kinda worried over how crazy it is in here. Where are you going now, if you're not going to try to buy anything?" Molly asked.

"I guess I'll go home and take a nap before showing my parents my grade," Baby Bunny sighed.

"Okay, see you tomorrow, Bunny. Be strong," Molly said, putting her head down on her friend's shoulder.

Baby Bunny started walking home very slowly, looking down at her test in despair. "How can I tell Mom I flunked another English test? How can I show her this thing?!" she said, stomping on her test paper and finally giving it a good kick up into the air...

"OW! That hurt, meatball head," a voice said behind her.

"Sorry," Baby Bunny mumbled, half turning to see a black unicorn with a red rose symbol, whom she had apparently knocked in the face... and he was reading her test paper!

"Thirty percent?!" he mumbled.

"ARGH!" Baby Bunny screamed, both in outrage and embarrassment.

"You should study more, meatball head."

"O-o-oh... none of your business! Give me that!" Baby Bunny snapped, snatching away the paper. She moped as she walked away. Who does that guy think he is? Baby Bunny thought, and turned to get a last look at the unicorn. Such a weird stallion.

The black unicorn stared after Baby Bunny for a long moment as she walked away, as if trying to see something half forgotten...

* * *
The line of shops on the edge of the shopping district seemed as ordinary as always-- until Baby Bunny saw a new poster in a video arcade window. "Hey, it's Sailor V! She's got a video game, too?" she breathed.

The yellow pegasus stared back at Baby Bunny from the poster, and the chains of orange hearts that covered her body seem to glitter as she reared up; her red horseshoes, mask, and bow went along perfectly with her yellow hair.

"I wish I could be like Sailor V; she looks so smart and pretty. I bet she never has to take tests. Fighting bad ponies must be fun..." Baby Bunny said, rearing up against the glass, while unknown to her a black baby dragon watched from behind a street sign.

"Who am I kidding? I'll never be like her with grades like this! Mom's gonna be so mad! What am I going to do-o-o? WA-A-A-A-A-A-A-AH!!" Baby Bunny wailed, once again starting for home.

"Bunny... at last..." the baby dragon said to itself, its rainbow crescent moon mark shining...

* * *
"So, how did you do on your English test?" Baby Bunny's mom, Twinkler, asked as her daughter came in the front door.

"Test in English?" Baby Bunny mumbled nervously.

"Yes, you know, the one you took yesterday. Melvin got a ninety-five, I heard."

"Really? Awesome, isn't he?" Baby Bunny stomped her hoof threateningly. That stupid big mouth! He must have told everyone! she thought in annoyance to herself.

"Well, let me see it..."

"Um... well... you see, I... um..." Baby Bunny sighed. "Okay." She handed the paper over to her mom.

For a spilt second, Baby Bunny could have sworn her mom's eyes blazed like fire. "Thirty percent?!" Twinkler screamed. "You said you studied! Since you obviously didn't... GO STUDY NOW!" Before Baby Bunny knew what had happened, she was pushed out onto the porch, and the door closed with a determined SLAM!

"No, Mom, please...!" Baby Bunny pleaded tearfully, but she stopped crying when she heard someone come up behind her on the front walk and begin to giggle...

It was a little brown boy pony, about newborn size, with a blue teddy bear symbol. He eyed Baby Bunny, and started to laugh again. "Hehe, got kicked out of the house to go to the library AGAIN? Gee, I wish I had a smarter sister!"

Bunny growled dangerously at her little brother and took on an attack stance. "Hey, don't bug me, Sammy. Sailor V kick!"

"Wa-a-ah! Mom, let me in!" Sammy wailed. The door open, and he swiftly dashed inside.

"HUH? A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-AH!" Bunny exclaimed as her kick missed its mark, her front legs slipped, and she fell head-over-hooves down the porch steps. "OW-W-W! WA-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-AH!"

* * *
At the Satin Slipper Sweet Shoppe, ponies had stopped eating and were suddenly clinging to the tables for support, like slowly fading flowers.

"This weird... me feel dizzy," a Teeny Tiny baby pony said, collapsing to the floor.

"I feel weak..." an orange pegasus whispered, barely having the strength to talk.

"What's wrong with everybody, Mama?" Molly asked, looking at the fainting crowd with fearful eyes. No sound came from where her mom stood except for a slow, evil laugh...

"Mama?" Molly whispered.

Sherbet laughed louder still, her head spinning completely around on her neck to look at Molly. Her muzzle was horribly deformed and twisted, with patches of gray skin.

Molly screamed.

* * *
"Ah-h-h, studying is so boring; all those books and words can't be too good for a pony. How does Melvin do it?" Baby Bunny sighed, flopping down on her bed. "I don't feel like doing more homework tonight. I think I'll just have a little nap." She yawned. "At least I'm good at sleeping..." she murmured, dozing off. Baby Bunny was so sleepy, in fact, that the creaking of a window opening beside her didn't wake her until...

SLAM! It closed loudly, and Baby Bunny rolled over on her bed, startled. She came muzzle-to-snout with the baby dragon with the rainbow crescent moon on its forehead she had run into earlier that day. "ACK! You're that little black dragon from this morning! What are you doing here?" she gasped.

"I came to see you, Bunny," it said, in a clearly feminine voice.

"A talking dragon?! Oh, man, I thought Spike was the only one that could do that!" Baby Bunny exclaimed, creeping further over to the side of her bed in order to get closer to the dragon.

The little dragon cleared her throat seriously. "My name is Luna, and I have been searching for you for a very long time. First, I want to thank you for taking the leaf bandage off my forehead. With that thing on, I couldn't talk, and all my powers were weakened. I couldn't get it off by myself. But thanks to that incident, I finally found you; and now I'm certain that you are... the Sailor Soldier of the Moon!" Luna declared.

"I must be dreaming!" Baby Bunny said, putting her front hooves over her head and trying to will herself to sleep.

"Bunny, this isn't a dream! Wake up!" Luna said, pushing on Bunny's head. The little pony just tilted her head back and pretended to snore.

"Okay, then, I'll prove it to you!" Luna leaped into the air, doing a backflip and breathing fire that mysteriously disappeared all the way through her stunt. Suddenly, a gold locket inlaid with red, green, blue, and pink crescent moon gemstones on a silver necklace fell onto the bed.

"What's that?" Baby Bunny asked, opening one eye.

"It's a locket, just for you," Luna said

"Wow, it's so pretty!" Baby Bunny said, grabbing it up; and in less than two milliseconds had it around her neck and was posing in front of the mirror... and not paying any attention to Luna.

"There are many strange things happening in... Bunny, listen! There are strange things happening in Ponyland. The police can't do anything about them. Bunny, you have to beat these enemies!"

Baby Bunny's ears perked up at that and she smiled. "Yeah, just like Sailor V!"

Luna sighed. "You're the chosen one, and you must lead the other warriors to find the princess! It is your destiny!"

"My destiny?" Baby Bunny said, still smiling.

"You still don't believe me, do you?" Luna growled.

"Um, I do... sorta..." said Baby Bunny, not wanting to be burnt to a crisp again.

"Really? Then say this: ‘Moon Prism Power!' "

Baby Bunny gave the dragon a little salute with one hoof and toppled over onto the floor. "Okay!" After recovering her stance, she held the locket in her mouth and yelled, "MOON PRISM POWER!"

Pink light came down from the sky and centered in the locket. Hot pink ribbons wrapped around Baby Bunny's body as she spun in the air slowly. Some weaved along her neck, making a blue striped sailor collar. The ribbons glowed brighter, and in two great blasts of light, wings grew from Baby Bunny's back. She reared up, and her horseshoes, leg warmers, and tail ribbon turned red. A ruby glowed on her forehead from a silver background, and another flash formed silver crescent moon earrings. Last, two circular rubies flashed in her hairbuns. Baby Bunny posed outside, her windy wings outstretched against a golden moon.

"No way! I transformed?!" Bunny gasped, looking in the mirror and trying to turn around to see her wings and symbol, the bunny part of which had been replaced by a white star. "Cool, sparkly red horseshoes! And I'm a pegasus, too?!" She jumped into the air happily. "We-e-e! Look, I can fly! I can..." BAM! Baby Bunny groaned, sliding down the wall she had managed to crash into headfirst.

Suddenly, Baby Bunny's hairpieces flashed and a frightened voice yelled out, "Help... somebody! My mom is...!"

Baby Bunny cocked her head and listened. "That's Molly's voice. What's going on?"

"Your friend's in big trouble. Now do you believe me about your destiny?" Luna asked.

"Yeah, but I'm just a filly. Even if I am a pegasus now..." Baby Bunny said, unsure of herself.

"You're now Sailor Moon. You'll know what to do when you look into your heart. Believe in yourself!" Luna smiled.

Baby Bunny nodded. "Okay!"

* * *
"A-A-A-A-A-AH, help me! Somebody, help me!" Molly screamed, trying to wiggle out of the monster's grasp, whose front hooves had formed into a clawed hand that held her above the floor by the throat.

"There's no help for you now, little filly!" the monster gloated. "Your mother is locked up in the basement and the ponies of the shop are now ruled by the Negahorse!"

"Let go of her!" a new voice demanded.

Rocky Road turned to see a silhouetted little pegasus with blue eyes standing in the doorway of the shop. "And who are you?"

"Um... let's see..." the pegasus mumbled. "I am Sailor Moon champion of justice, and I say I shall right wrongs and triumph over evil! In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!" Posing with a fancy hoof motion that went with the speech, Sailor Moon lost her balance and fell over again. She sweatdropped.

Rocky Road laughed. "Sailor Moon? Never heard of you, and I never will again! Arise, my servants, and serve our great ruler!"

The giant mob of ponies rose up from the floor, eyes glowing, and lunged at Sailor Moon. "Ack!" she screamed, dodging a kick from one pony. "Wah!" A unicorn came close to ramming her, but pierced the wall instead. A flutter pony, catching Sailor Moon off guard, hit her with a gust of Utter Flutter, slamming the little pink pegasus up against a counter.

Sailor Moon groaned in pain. "O-o-o-ow-w-w! That hurt. Luna, I don't want to play this game anymore!"

"Come on, Sailor Moon. Get up and fight! If you don't, this universe could cease to exist!" Luna said, nearly breathing fire.

"But I don't want to be a warrior! I wanta go home! WA-A-A-A-A-AH!" Sailor Moon cried.

"Fine, this'll finish you off!" Rocky Road laughed again, dropping Molly to the ground and stretching a claw out toward Sailor Moon at hyper speed. Sailor Moon froze in the middle of her crying and screamed. Suddenly, like a red lightening bolt, a razor sharp rose flew though the air and dug into the floor between the monster and Sailor Moon.

"Who is that?" The monster turned to see a figure in a open window. It was a black unicorn wearing a mask, bowtie, and cape that whipped in the wind. His symbol was a mask and top hat.

"I am Tuxedo Mask. Crying will not solve anything, Sailor Moon. You must look inside yourself and find the warrior within. It is your destiny!" the unicorn declared.

"That's easy for you to say... WA-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-AH!" Sailor Moon wailed again. Her hair pieces lit up, making her wailing louder and shaking the whole building.

"AH! STOP THAT HIDEOUS CRYING!" Rocky Road yelled, holding her hooves over her ears.

"Now, Sailor Moon, while she's stunned!" Tuxedo Mask instructed. "Kick out your back hooves and say--"

"Moon Horseshoe magic!" Luna finished.

"But, Luna, what good will that do?" Sailor Moon sniffed.

"Just do it!" Luna commanded.

"MOON HORSESHOE MAGIC!" Sailor Moon turned around, kicking off two of her sparkling red horseshoes. They turned into boomerang discs of energy. Rocky Road screamed as the discs exploded in a flash of light.

Sailor Moon watched in wonder as the monster turned into dust that piled at her hooves. "No way..."

* * *
The ball of light that Jadeite held suddenly disappeared. "No! The energy... Rocky Road failed... the fool. But someone will pay for this..." he growled.

* * *
"Splendid work, Sailor Moon. Others will test you, but do not be afraid. I will fight with you," the black unicorn said.

Sailor Moon looked up at the sound of his voice. Tuxedo Mask grinned, and with a final fleeing image of his cape, winked out.

"Good job, Sailor Moon," Luna said proudly.

But Sailor Moon wasn't really listening, only staring at where the stallion had been, her eyes filled with hearts. "What a stallion..."

* * *
At school the next day, Molly and a few other ponies were talking around Baby Bunny's desk. "I had a really great dream. A super heroine named Sailor Moon appeared and saved me from an evil monster at the Satin Slipper Sweet Shoppe!" Molly said happily.

"I had a dream like that, too!" Baby Blossom exclaimed.

"Me, too!" said Baby Northstar.

"That's weird. Bunny, isn't that the weirdest? Bunny?" Molly nosed the pony curled-up in her desk seat.

Bunny opened her eyes sleepily. "Could you guys keep it down? I missed my nap yesterday, and just need a little more sleep." She yawned. "Goodnight."



~*~Next on Sailor Moon: "Unfeeling Fortune"~*~


"Luna, I'll read your fortune."

"Bunny, fortune telling is fine, but don't forget your mission."

"Don't be a nag, Luna. I AM doing my job as a super heroine!"

"Really?"

"Everybody who went to this psychic shop has been acting weird. This could be..."

"It's a case, Bunny!"



***The Rainbow of Light carries the message of love!***
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Windy's Twins
Part 1
by Windy


Windy was lolling about in the meadow when she noticed two Teeny Tiny Ponies standing in the grass. One was a boy, and was blue with purple and pink mane. His symbol was a yellow sun. The other was pink with blue and pink hair and a rain cloud symbol. The blue one had aqua eyes, and the pink one had blue eyes.

Windy trotted up to the two so she could investigate. "Hi!" she said to the two baby ponies.

The pink one ducked behind her brother. The blue one just grinned and gurgled. Of course, they still talk baby talk, Windy thought. Well, I'll take them to the nursery and find their mother. So, she scooped up the two baby ponies and galloped off to the Lullaby Nursery.

"Whose babies are these?" Windy asked Heart Throb, who was behind the front desk in the nursery. "I found them in the meadow, and they looked lost."

"Hmm... let me go ask around," said Heart Throb with a curious expression. She went off to ask of the mothers if anyone had lost their twins.

Heart Throb came back to the counter and shook her head. "Everyone says they've never seen these two babies before," she said. "But-- o-o-oh-- aren't they cute!" She tickled the blue baby's chin, and he giggled. "What's more, all the Baby Brothers are with their mothers; and you have a boy with you. Do you think I should take them to the orphanage?"

"No... I think I'll take care of them myself, if that's okay..." said Windy. The pink baby peeped out from behind her brother with one of her big, blue eyes.

Windy quickly winked herself and the babies back to her house. The baby brother was fascinated by the Pokèmon that Windy had loose in the house-- especially Tsunami. The baby was interested in pulling Tsunami's tail and whiskers. The little pink one was scared, so Windy held her on the couch and cuddled her for a few minutes.

The babies were hungry, so Windy got some crackers and softened them with milk. "Here you go," she said as she put a spoonful of the mushy mixture into the pink baby's mouth. She obviously liked it. As soon as Windy had finished feeding her, she began to feed the blue baby. He was a bit more reluctant, but ate it nevertheless.

Then Windy decided to pick out names for the twins. She decided to name the boy Little Outdoors, and the girl Little Raincloud. Little Outdoors was an unusual name, but it was the only one Windy could think of.

Shy Little Raincloud wanted to take a nap, so Windy set up her cot that she used for babysitting and put Little Raincloud in it. The baby quickly fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Little Outdoors was clambering over the chairs on his stubby little legs. Once or twice he fell off, but he ignored the bump and climbed back up again.



To be continued...

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Identify This Pony!
by Windy


What pony is white with blue mane and tail, and has a symbol of lollipops? After you answer that, tell me whether she is an earth pony, unicorn, or pegasus. You can e-mail your answers to me at stanb@ptbo.igs.net

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Invento Ponies


by Applejack:
Name: Sweetie

Breed: Unicorn

Color: Pink

Hair: Light Pink

Symbol: Candy



Name: Aphrodite

Breed: Pegasus

Color: Aqua

Hair: Purple

Symbol: Heart



Name: Penelope

Breed: Earth

Color: Sky Blue

Hair: Purple

Symbol: Bow



Name: Orange Spice

Breed: Earth

Color: Orange

Hair: Tan

Symbol: Pie



by Windy:
Name: Horoscope

Breed: Unicorn

Body: Light Pink

Hair: White

Symbol: Zodiac Cancer Sign

Personality: Horoscope can tell anyone's horoscope; she likes to loaf around outside at nighttime.



Name: Tropicana

Breed: Sweetheart Sister Unicorn

Body: Neon Yellow

Hair: Blue

Symbol: Palm Tree

Personality: Tropicana is always vacationing, and she is hooked on Hawaiian fashion!



by Merry Treat:
Name: Honeybee

Breed: Earth

Body Color: Yellow

Hair Color: Gold

Ribbon Color: Copper

Symbol: Honeybee



Name: Splasher

Breed: Sea Pony

Body Color: Sky Blue

Hair Color: Turquoise

Fin Color: Maroon

MLP Zodiac Series
Name: Aries

Type: Sweetheart Sister

Breed: Earth

Body Color: Black

Hair Color: White (crimped)

Eye Color: Ice Blue; White Eyeshadow

Earring: White Star in her Left Ear

Symbol: Zodiac Sign of Aries



Name: Taurus

Type: Big Brother Pony

Breed: Earth

Body Color: Black

Hair Color: White

Eye Color: Ice Blue

Bandanna Color: White

Symbol: Zodiac Sign of Taurus



Name: Gemini

Type: Adult Pony

Breed: Unicorn

Body Color: Black

Hair Color: White (straight)

Eye Color: Ice Blue

Symbol: Zodiac Sign of Gemini



Name: Cancer

Type: Adult Pony

Breed: Pegasus

Body Color: Black

Hair Color: White (straight)

Eye Color: Ice Blue

Symbol: Zodiac Sign of Cancer



Name: Leo

Type: Big Brother Pony

Breed: Earth

Body Color: Black

Hair Color: White

Eye Color: Ice Blue

Bandanna Color: White

Symbol: Zodiac Sign of Leo



Name: Virgo

Type: Sweetheart Sister

Breed: Earth

Body Color: Black

Hair Color: White (curly)

Eye Color: Ice Blue; White Eyeshadow

Ear Ring: White Star in her Right Ear

Symbol: Zodiac Sign of Virgo



Name: Liberia

Type: Adult Pony

Breed: Earth

Body Color: Black

Hair Color: White (straight)

Eye Color: Ice Blue

Symbol: Zodiac Sign of Liberia



Name: Scorpio

Type: Big Brother Pony

Breed: Earth

Body Color: Black

Hair Color: White

Eye Color: Ice Blue

Bandanna Color: White

Symbol: Zodiac Sign of Scorpio



Name: Sagittarius

Type: Adult Pony

Breed: Unicorn

Body Color: Black

Hair Color: White

Eye Color: Ice Blue

Symbol: Zodiac Sign of Sagittarius



Name: Capricorn

Type: Adult Pony

Breed: Earth

Body Color: Black

Hair Color: White

Eye Color: Ice Blue

Symbol: Zodiac Sign of Capricorn



Name: Aquarius

Type: Adult Pony

Breed: Pegasus

Body Color: Black

Hair Color: White (curly)

Eye Color: Ice Blue

Symbol: Zodiac Sign of Aquarius



Name: Pisces

Type: Adult Pony

Breed: Unicorn

Body Color: Black

Hair Color: White (crimped)

Eye Color: Ice Blue

Symbol: Zodiac Sign of Pisces



by Baby Windwhistler:
Name: Rainforest

Body Color: Green

Hair Color: Green, Dark Green, and Purple

Type: Twinkle-Eyed Unicorn

Hair Bow Color: Yellow

Symbol: Trees

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Moondancer's Sister
Part 3
By Windy


Previously in "Moondancer's Sister"-- A visit with Moondancer's friend, Berry Bright, is abruptly cut short as she saw her sister going back into her house. She winks back as quickly as she can, in order to make sure Sundancer isn't up to anything...



Moondancer winked back to her house. "Oh, I hope Sundancer didn't get back already!" she said to herself. Then she heard a scream-- coming from her room.

She raced upstairs and flung open the door to her bedroom. There was Sundancer, hiding underneath the covers of Moondancer's bed, and Peanuts (her pet guinea pig) was running around his cage, trying to get out. He scratched at his wheel and his food dish.

Moondancer surveyed the damage that Sundancer had done-- broken a mirror, spilled Moondancer's half-finished bottle of Coke, knocked over her wooden unicorn figure-- she was mad! "Sundancer!" she roared. "What have you been doing?! If I ever find you in my room again with Peanuts--"

She didn't finish the sentence. Sundancer screamed again. "T-th-the-there's a-a-a m-m-ons-ter I-in t-the c-c-age!" she stuttered.

"That's just Peanuts! Now, GET OUT!!!" Moondancer yelled. Sundancer was clearly afraid. She didn't budge-- she pretended to be dead.

But Moondancer ignored this, and repeated, "GET OUT, NOW!!!!!"

The other unicorn squealed in fright and darted past Moondancer in a trice. Moondancer then went over to Peanuts. She reached into the cage and patted him. "You're a good guinea pig. Sundancer is just scared of you. But you're actually very cute. Okay? Here's a treat," Moondancer said to her pet. She handed him a lettuce leaf, which he ate happily.

Then Moondancer set her Coke bottle upright on her dresser, along with the unicorn figure; and she took the broken mirror downstairs to the garbage. Sundancer was in her room, and Moondancer could hear her sulking.

"That room was so nice! If she'd only get rid of that stinking little monster in that cage.." Sundancer muttered loud enough for Moondancer to hear.

"Hey, Sunny," said Moondancer, poking her head into Sundancer's room. "Don't go in there again." Sundance was quiet as soon as that was said.

* * *
The next morning, after Sundancer had gone on a tour bus around Dream Valley, Moondancer phoned back home. Starry, her father, answered it. "Hi, Dad," said Moondancer.

"Hi, Moondancer," said Starry.

"Well, what's--" began Moondancer, but something happened on the phone line and she lost connection to Starry. "Darn!" she muttered. Then she put down the phone and dialed again. There was no reply, just a buzzing sound on the line.

Moondancer sighed angrily and put down the phone. "That was weird!" she said aloud. "The phone never does that! It's one-way, free, fast connection! Maybe the phone's old. Or what if Sundancer has been messing with it..." Then she remembered that Sundancer had been talking for a long time on the phone last night-- over three hours. "So that's it!" she realized. Then she went off to shop.

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The Merry Treat and Tabby Gossip Hour!
by Merry Treat and Tabby


Merry Treat: Hello!

Tabby: Merry Treat, why is the Sailor Moon theme song running through my head?

Merry Treat: Because you are becoming one with the show... ~says this like it's the most normal thing in the wold~ Oh, it feels good to moonerize you.

Tabby: Oh! *nods* Cool!

Merry Treat: Yup!

Tabby: So, what's been going on?

Merry Treat: Hmmm... Geocities messed up my webpage. ~sniffles~

Tabby: *pats her on your shoulder* But Baby Fox is helping you get it back, isn't she?

Merry Treat: Oh, yes! She's helped out lots! I am eternally grateful to her.

Tabby: Tiffany has her hopes up now that Toby is buying her cheap jewelry that he's saving up for a really expensive engagement ring.

Merry Treat: Hmm... well, Marcus did say he saw him in the jewelry store a few days back.

Tabby: Buying from the clearance section? *snickers*

Merry Treat: He told me that Toby was looking at the prettier ones. He was surprised that Toby wasn't cringing at the prices. ~giggles~

Tabby: Gosh. Wouldn't a Baby Tiffany be awful?

Merry Treat: Well, she would be terribly cute.

Tabby: But probably a terrible snob!

Merry Treat: Well, not if she didn't hang around her mother all day.

Tabby: *wracks brains* Hasn't anything happened?

Merry Treat: Hmmm... ~tries to think of something~ Hmmm... nope, nothing.

Tabby: I got locked in the cooler at the church picnic.

Merry Treat: Really? Oh, you must tell!

Tabby: It was rather cold. Freezing, too.

Merry Treat: I'd imagine you'd be very cold if you were stuck in a freezer. How long were you in there?

Tabby: Oh... half an hour or so.

Merry Treat: Yikes!

Tabby: However, Thomas and Sugarberry did come to rescue me from the cooler, anyway.

Merry Treat: That's good! I'd of just banged on the door until somebody came to let me out.

Tabby: That's what I did for awhile, but nobody came.

Merry Treat: Eek! I hope you didn't catch a cold while you were in there.

Tabby: No, not quite. Not that I know of.

Merry Treat: Good.

Tabby: Mom's been writing a lot of letters to me lately.

Merry Treat: What's she saying?

Tabby: Just the usual gossip from Italy... or wherever.

Merry Treat: Cool! She's not trying to marry you off, is she?

Tabby: *wrinkles noise* Weed-o does come up every once in awhile...

Merry Treat: The weed repellent guy?

Tabby: Yep, that one. He was such a snob, MT.

Merry Treat: Ugh! What did he look like?

Tabby: I think he was yellow, but I can't quite remember. Green hair. A weed symbol. It sure looked like a weed, at least.

Merry Treat: Weird...

Tabby: I sure hope she never invites me back to Italy.

Merry Treat: I'll go in your place! I've always wanted to go there.

Tabby: Okay, I'll keep that in mind if it ever comes up. Tamara is rumored to have been seen in Goodwill!

Merry Treat: Tammy? In Goodwill? No way!

Tabby: She says she went there to see if she could find any My Little People for me, but...

Merry Treat: Hmmmm... that sounds suspicious, too...

Tabby: I know what you mean. She did wear some jewelry the other night I'd never seen before.

Merry Treat: Odd...

Tabby: When is she gonna move out and get a place of her own... *mutters*

Merry Treat: I saw some ads in the paper advertising houses.

Tabby: Hmph! She never looks in that section of the paper! Besides, she keeps saying she wants a brand-new one built.

Merry Treat: But there were lotsa new ones built lately! There is a lovely one by the creek! I think she doesn't want to leave because she'd be lonely.

Tabby: Tamara? Lonely? She's got Persian.

Merry Treat: Actually, when you went to Italy, she stopped by the center every day for company. She kept making up excuses that Persian wasn't feeling well, but Persian was fine.

Tabby: Besides, Tarquin would have his room back if she moved out.

Merry Treat: Yes, he would.

Tabby: Tarquin is such a good Meowth.

Merry Treat: He is very sweet.

Tabby: Tess, too.

Merry Treat: They're sweet little things.

Tabby: What'll we do if they get married, MT?

Merry Treat: I dunno if that'll make us related or not...

Tabby: But they wouldn't be ours any more!

Merry Treat: No, they wouldn't... oh, that'll be so heart-breaking! ~sobs~

Tabby: *sobs along with her*

Merry Treat: ~still wailing~

Tabby: *regains her composure* Let's just not think about it right now.

Merry Treat: ~sighs shakily~ All right... I'll try...

Tabby: Well... well... well...

Merry Treat: What?

Tabby: I hear there's going to be a millennium My Little People doll.

Merry Treat: O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-oh! Do tell!

Tabby: Unfortunately, Pasbro hasn't released any pictures yet.

Merry Treat: O-o-oh, I want to see it! I hope they release it soon.

Tabby: Yeah, there haven't been many new ones lately.

Merry Treat: No, there haven't. I wonder why...

Tabby: ‘Cause Pasbro is lazy.

Merry Treat: Yup, that's probably correct. ~amuses herself by messing with her Jar Jar figure~ La de da... now I'm bored...

Tabby: Yah, me too.

Merry Treat: Hmmm... what to do... what to do...

Tabby: La... la...

Merry Treat: Ack! He keeps dropping his staff! ~bends to retrieve it after it fell on the floor~ O-o-oh, idea!

Tabby: What's that, MT?!

Merry Treat: Tabby, tell me about some strange dreams you have had.

Tabby: Oh, um... there's ones with giant squid...

Merry Treat: Do tell.

Tabby: I'm taking a shower, and all of a sudden a squid tentacle pops out of the drainhole.

Merry Treat: Yikes! Then what?

Tabby: And then it squirms all the way up the hole, and breaks my house into little tiny pieces. And then wreaks havoc across Dream Valley. And that's about it.

Merry Treat: O-o-o-oh, now I know why you hate them so much.

Tabby: Actually, I think it's because I hate them that I dream about them...

Merry Treat: Wanna hear about some of my bizarre dreams?

Tabby: ...but then there's those awful ones with my mother and Weed-o in... oh! What do you dream about?

Merry Treat: All right, I had this one right after I got back from that rendezvous in August.

Tabby: Yeah, I remember when you were gone for that.

Merry Treat: I was on a camping trip, and everybody was in a large tent. Everyone was going around looking at everyone's bed, because everyone had a different-shaped bed and we wanted to see what they all looked like.

Tabby: O-o-oh....

Merry Treat: I think mine was a boat-type thing, I don't remember. I know that everyone liked Jar Jar's the best. Why he was there, I haven't the foggiest idea. That's about all I remember...

Tabby: What did Jar Jar's bed look like?

Merry Treat: I don't remember. All I know was that I was proud of him for some reason, and then we were all outside... then I think I woke up.

Tabby: So, I keep dreaming that my mother is dragging me off to meet Weedo...

Merry Treat: Does she ever succeed in getting you out of the house?

Tabby: Yes. And then it skips to when the jerk is proposing to me. Only I'm unable to say anything!

Merry Treat: So do you end up marrying him, or what?

Tabby: Well, he's slipping this diamond ring towards me, and I'm immobile, and then I wake up...

Merry Treat: Weird... but not as weird as another one I had...

Tabby: What's that?

Merry Treat: There was the one where I was in this alligator pit; and the next thing I knew, I was a baby pony again and suddenly appeared at school. I was looking at my calender, and for some reason, I wake up thinking I am still in school and that it's my last week of summer vacation.

Tabby: *eyes open wide* Wow...

Merry Treat: And I wasn't sick at the time, either... I have my weirdest dreams when I'm healthy.

Tabby: Well, those are all the strange dreams I can think of.

Merry Treat: I also had one once with talking animals... I was the only one who could understand them... I screamed and scared two bunnies... then I believe I woke up...

Tabby: The best part of dreams is waking up.

Merry Treat: Not always... I had one where there were all the My Little People I could ever dream of in this store, and I woke up before I could buy any!

Tabby: Gosh, you're right; I hate ones like that. Those are the worst!

Merry Treat: Oh, yeah. All the dreams I remember have been strange and involve something from my obsessions. So... what else has been going on lately, Tab?

Tabby: Baby Noddins failed her test in science last week.

Merry Treat: That stinks.

Tabby: Supposedly, she didn't study because she had stayed up the previous night playing with her Furby.

Merry Treat: Ah, well, that's a good enough reason. ~winks~

Tabby: Gosh, I'd rather play with a Furby than study.

Merry Treat: Me, too.

Tabby: I don't believe Miss Hackney fairly judged her.

Merry Treat: Me neither. So... hmmm... what to talk about...

Tabby: La de da...

Merry Treat: Let's just call this to a close and go to the Satin Slipper Sweet Shoppe.

Tabby: That's exactly what I was just thinkin'!

Merry Treat: Oke-day! See ya later, everybody!! ~waves~

Tabby: Tune back in next month!

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Merry Treat's New Pokèmon
by Merry Treat


"Are you guys ready yet?!" Merry Treat called from inside the kitchen.

"Almost! We just gotta fold the blanket!" Tess called from the hallway.

Where is the blanket?! Spearow asked in his own special language.

The three of them-- Merry Treat, Tess, and Spearow-- were going on a picnic in the woods. Merry Treat was just finishing packing the basket. She placed one last apple in and latched the top. "The blanket should be in the hallway closet!" Merry Treat told her two Pokèmon.

A few moments later, the trio was on the way. "I know of the most beautiful place to have our picnic!" Tess bubbled with excitement as they headed off down the path.

Great! Where is it? Spearow chattered in the same excited tone.

"Near the river. Come on!" Tess exclaimed and hurried her two friends along.

"Race ya!" Merry Treat said mischievously, and took off down the dirt path.

"O-o-o-oh, you made a big mistake there, MT! I'm gonna get you!" Tess cried joyfully and raced after the white pony.

I'll beat you both! Spearow grinned and took to the air.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Merry Treat cried and galloped faster. She suddenly saw something pink right in her path...

Look out! There's an injured Mew there! Spearow screeched suddenly.

Merry Treat skidded to a stop about three inches away from the injured Pokèmon. "Thanks for the warning!" she called to her Pokèmon. Then she turned to examine the Mew.

Thank you for not stepping on me, the Mew said gratefully to the pony.

"It's all right. What happened?" Merry Treat asked. She had a special touch and could understand all the Pokèmon she met.

I was trying to practice my attacks, the Mew started explaining, when one of them backfired and bounced off the tree I was aiming at, and it hit me instead.

Merry Treat glanced over the small creature. "Hmmm... nothing seems to be severely damaged. Why don't we take you to the Pokèmon Center to get you looked at?"

The Mew nodded energetically. Oh, yes! Yes, please! That is, if you wouldn't mind...

"Of course not! You need a doctor!" Tess exclaimed as she and Spearow came up next to their trainer.

And don't worry about being bored when you get there. Merry Treat is very good friends with the nurse, Spearow added.

"Exactly! I'm sure Tabby will take good care of you," Merry Treat said with a grin and scooped up the small Pokèmon. "I'm Merry Treat. That's Spearow and Tess. What's your name?"

I'm Catalina, the Mew introduced herself. How far away is the Pokèmon Center?

"It's not far. We should be there in about twenty minutes," Tess answered.

Sooner than they expected, the four arrived at the center. "Let's get you inside," Merry Treat said and pushed the three Pokèmon through the front door. "Tabby? Are you here?" She glanced around the room and saw Tabby at her desk looking over Patch's Growlith.

"Hey, MT!" Tabby glanced up for a moment to greet her friend. Then she turned her gaze back to the Growlith.

"Hello, Merry Treat!" Patch exclaimed. "Growlith ate too much and got himself sick," she explained.

"Well, that isn't good! Is he all right?" Merry Treat came up to the counter and set Catalina next to the ill Growlith.

"He'll be fine. Just give him some of this juice every night for three days before you go to bed," Tabby instructed and handed a small vile of green medicine to the younger pony.

"Thanks, Tabby!" Patch grinned. "Growlith, return!" she said as she took out her PokèBall. The dog-like Pokèmon disappeared in a flash of light. "See you guys later!" she called as she exited the building.

Tabby turned to Merry Treat. "So, MT! When did you get a Mew?"

"She's not mine, actually. I don't know who she belongs to. I found her beside the road injured," Merry Treat explained.

Tabby glanced over the Mew. "She has some bruises. I'll give her some medicine." She hunted around in a drawer for a couple minutes. "Tarkie, did you see where I put that stuff?" she said in a muffled voice from inside the drawer.

"It's right here!" Tarquin, Tabby's Meowth, said and tossed the bottle to his trainer.

"Thanks!" Tabby nodded and turned back to the Mew. "Here, take some of this." she instructed and measured out a small amount into a paper cup.

Merry Treat took the cup and gave it to the cat-like Pokèmon. "Here, drink this."

Catalina took it and drained the cup. A few minutes later, she was feeling much better. Thank you! she exclaimed and jumped to her feet.

"You're welcome!" Tabby smiled. She had a Mew of her own, so she could easily understand this one.

"Does she have a trainer?" Tess asked hopefully.

Yeah, can she stay with us? Spearow questioned.

Merry Treat glanced at the Pokèmon. "Do you belong to anyone?"

Oh, no. I'm pretty much a loner. I just like to practice my attacks so I can defend myself, Catalina explained.

"Maybe she could stay with you, MT," Tabby suggested.

Oh! I'd love to! Catalina exclaimed excitedly. I don't mind staying in a PokèBall! I find them rather cozy!

"Alrighty! You may stay!" Merry Treat smiled and took out a PokèBall. "PokèBall, go!" Catalina disappeared in a flash of light into the PokèBall.

"Hooray! I got a Mew!" Merry Treat cried energetically and hugged her PokèBall.

"Congrats, MT! Is that a picnic basket I see..." Tabby trailed off and eyed the basket hungrily.

"Oh, yeah! We were going on a picnic when we stumbled across Catalina here," Merry Treat explained. "Wanna come with us? We got plenty to go around!"

"Sure!" Tarquin said happily.

"Definitely! I'm hungry and I haven't eaten lunch yet!" Tabby said excitedly and dashed out the door with her friends right behind her.



~*The End*~
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The Evil Dragon
Part Five
by The Princess of the Stars a.k.a. Starr


Sam the Hobbit woke with a jolt. Where am I? he thought, rubbing his eyes. "Oh, yes, this is the little ponies' woods." Suddenly, he gasped. He was surrounded by a big group of rats-- abnormally large rats-- and to add to the shock, there were stoats, weasels, pine martins, and toads as well. He turned his head toward the ponies and Care Bear Cousin he was journeying with; they were still unaware of the bad situation.

A rat larger then the rest stepped forward. "Allow me to introduce myself, prisoners! I... am Egan, and the rest of these numbskulls are members of my horde. Consider yourself lucky, Hobbit; I don't always give the ones I find their lives--"

"Hey, who do ya think you are!" Salty cried, fully waking up to find his dagger missing.

"Have you not heard, imbecile? I am Egan!" said the rat, motioning for two members of his horde to lead the group of Sam's friends, all of whom had just woken up, to a metal barred cage.

When the ponies, Care Bear Cousin, and Hobbit were locked up, Egan turned to his Horde. "If I catch any of you muckbrains messin' up those ponies or their friends you are in for it; these foreigners would be a great asset to my horde." With that, he strutted off to the new prisoners.

"Why, hello, my new horde members!" he said sarcastically to the ponies and company.

"Would you quit your fancy talk and horde member stuff?" Salty said, equally sarcastic.

"Now, who do you think you are talking to?" said Egan, jabbing Salty with his spear butt.

Suddenly, there came a terrible half roar, half yell. Egan turned around, his knees quivering, and ran as fast as you could ever have seen a rat of that size run. But you would agree that it was a smart thing to do if you had seen what had made the noise. It was a man that looked somewhat like a lion, but stood on two feet and did not have a tail.

"Quickly, come with me," the creature said in a deep hushed whisper, bending the cage bars. With one look at the thing, Sam fainted. The rest of the group rushed out to the creature; any who have seen it before have described it as a terrible angel. He stooped over, gently picked up Sam, and led everyone else to safety.



...send your comments and criticism to PansyPearl@aol.com

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The Insane Crossover Story
Chapter Five
by Tabby, Merry Treat, and Barnacle


Tabby, Merry Treat, their Pokèmon, and their new-found allies continue onward to seek revenge on an evil movie reviewer... or something like that...



Nobody was quite sure how they had gotten from the Dark Forest to a large city in California. He-Man surmised they had unknowingly stepped through a mystical portal. Tabby suspected Orko had conjured up a strange teleportation spell, but had no proof of this. Whimzee just thought the city was built on the edge of the forest. Eleanore figured that there would be more opportunities to show off her villainous nature in a city, anyway.

Whatever had happened, though, they were definitely in a large city in California. "Tarquin, get the map out," Tabby instructed.

"That's what we always do," Ursa Minor complained. "I like being lost."

"I wouldn't worry about the mystical portal thing," Sam commented. "We do this all the time."

"Yeah, and we still don't know how!" Max agreed.

Tarquin shrugged as he rolled out the large map of the universe in a grassy patch of a park they had stopped in. "We're in California. That's all I can see."

"Wherever we are, I just want a nice place to rest," Tess yawned.

"I've always dreamed of a vacation in California," Petunia Petal sighed happily.

"We mustn't stop!" He-Man urged. "We must catch up to those evil movie things."

"Have you remembered what they look like yet?" Tweeg asked. "I thought they were snake men when we first met up with you."

"I'd like to meet up with these things you keep talking about, He-Man, whatever they are," Eleanore added. "They sound like powerful allies."

"I could conjure up a powerful ally for you," Orko offered.

"Orko..." Tabby threw him a threatening glance.

"Does this have anything to do with that one rule on the list?" Whimzee whispered timidly.

"Spearow!" Spearow squawked.

"No monsters, methinks," Jar Jar added. "Orko, yousa be quiet."

Tabby had to wonder how none of the human inhabitants of the city took any notice of the group. They were quite a large variety of creatures-- Merry Treat and Tabby, the ponies; Tess and Tarquin, their Meowth Pokèmon; Merry Treat's Spearow; Tweeg, the green-skinned alchemist who desperately wanted to do something truly evil; Tweeg's mother, Eleanore, the very model of villainy; He-Man, the muscle-bound oaf, set on destroying all of King Grayskull's snake movies (or however that went); Orko, He-Man's magic-loving friend; Whimzee, one of the Moon Dreamers, who lived on the Milky Way; Ursa Minor, a small baby bear who came from the Milky Way, as well; Jar Jar, a rather clumsy Gungan amphibian-type creature from a planet called Naboo; Sam and Max, the freelance police; and Petunia Petal, a Tea Bunny who wanted dearly to make her relative, Max, a "proper Tea Bunny".

"It's getting cloudy," Merry Treat noted. "We should find a place to stay for the night."

Tabby cocked an eye up at the gray sky and the twilight air. "Hmm. I guess so."

"Wheresa we be stayin'?" Jar Jar questioned. "Meesa never been in a place like this."

"Row, spear!" Spearow chattered helpfully.

"A hotel," Merry Treat translated. "If we can find one."

"Will it be a really expensive one?" Ursa Minor questioned excitedly. "With room service and all that?"

"I'd like to curl up in a nice, soft place right now-- room service or not," Tess said tiredly.

"We'll find a place, don't worry," Tarquin assured her.

"I wonder how L.B. is keeping up the tower," Tweeg sighed.

"Probably better than you could," Eleanore snapped.

"Don't insult your son like that," He-Man chided her. "He deserves better."

"Does anyone need a spell cast?" Orko said eagerly. "I haven't cast a spell for so long."

"You'll have plenty of time for that later, Orko," He-Man said.

"Nice spells aren't bad," Whimzee said after a moment's pause. "It's just that monster thing I keep hearing about..."

"Well, let's not stand around talking all day," Petunia Petal piped-up. "Let's get going, or we'll never find a place for the night!"

So, the group set off through the unfamiliar streets, in search of a hotel or some-such place to get lodgings. "Eh, I believe people are beginning to look at us strangely," Tabby commented. "How're we going to find a place that accepts... umm... creatures like us?"

"I don't know," Merry Treat shook her head, and then stared up at the gray, industrial-looking buildings towering above them. "This doesn't look like the hotel-y part of town in the first place."

"Well, that looks like a somewhat decent establishment over there," Tabby finally said. She pointed to a large, square building a few blocks down. A bright, yellow neon sign above it read "ACME LABS".

"It's our last hope," Merry Treat gulped as she felt a drop of rain on her back.

"Ac-me Labs?" Jar Jar sounded out slowly. "Thatsa bein' a strange name."

Tess shivered. "At least it's somewhere to take cover. Let's go!"

Ursa Minor skipped around merrily. "Rain, rain, rain..." she said in a sing-song voice.

"Tess is right. Come on! Ursa Minor, don't fall behind!" Merry Treat took off running down the sidewalk, with everyone else trailing behind. The raindrops started coming down faster.

They paused for breath as they reached the entrance of the Acme Labs building, whatever Acme Labs was. They ducked in the doorway just as rain really started to deluge down; the doorway went rather deeply into the building, so everyone was able to stand around comfortably.

"I love a good rainstorm," Tabby said blissfully, staring out at the cold sheets of rain pouring down.

"I remember when I was stuck in a terrible storm while tracking an evil snake man," He-Man began.

"Oh, that must have been uncomfortable," Petunia Petal shivered. "What did you do?"

"No self-respecting villain would be stopped by a storm or two," Eleanore scoffed.

"Meesa be thinkin' that wouldn't apply to He-Man," Jar Jar pointed out.

"Meesa like yousa talkin', Jar Jar," Ursa Minor giggled, picking up his Gungan accent.

"I wish L.B. were here to transport me around," Tweeg mourned.

"I have a nice teleportation spell--" Orko began, but shut his mouth when he saw the glances from his companions.

"No more talk of spells," Whimzee pleaded.

"Are we going to see if anyone's home?" Tarquin prodded.

"Good idea," Tess nodded.

"Row!" Spearow agreed.

Merry Treat tried knocking on the heavy, steel door. "Hello! Is anyone in there?" she called in a loud voice.

"I don't think there is anyone home," Tabby said after a moment in silence. No one came to open the door.

"Well, we'll just have to stay in this doorway for the night, or until the rain stops," Merry Treat decided.

"There's a mouse looking at us out that window," Tarquin suddenly said.

"That's just an ordinary lab mouse," He-Man said, looking up at the slender white rodent Tarquin was staring at.

"He's cute, isn't he?" Petunia Petal commented.

"Nothing I've ever seen before in Grundo," Eleanore sniffed.

"Itsa rather tall for a mouse," Jar Jar noted.

The mouse stared out the window with a wide-eyed and happy look on his face. However, he abruptly turned and walked away down the counter that he was apparently standing on. "It's running away," Tarquin said.

"Do we look that forbidding?" Tabby said in disapproval. "Really!" She held an ear up to the window.

"I wonder why that mouse isn't in a cage," Tess mused. "Unless he's a wild mouse."

"What are you doing, Tabby?" Merry Treat asked, walking over to her friend at the window.

"Listening," Tabby whispered. "I think that mouse we just saw is talking in English. Listen!" She thrust Merry Treat's head up to the glass pane.

"What kind of a lab is this?" Merry Treat gasped. "I didn't know they had talking mice like this in California..."

The slim mouse they had seen was now talking to another white mouse, farther over on the counter under the window. This other lab rodent, however, was rather short with a strangely large head. "Pinky, don't bother me," they could just make out the short mouse saying in annoyance to his companion while scribbling something on a pad of paper with a human-sized pencil, which was enormously large in his tiny paw.

"But, Brain," the other mouse pleaded, "can't we let the fun-fun, silly-willy circus in? And--"

At that point, the two walked out of sight from the window. Tabby or Merry Treat couldn't hear what conversation was going on between them anymore. "Weird," Tabby breathed.

"Creepy," Merry Treat agreed.

"That's what I was going to say," Sam said.

"Me, too," Max agreed.

"What's going on here?" He-Man questioned.

"For once, I agree with him," Eleanore said.. "Are there thieves inside? I don't want anyone checking the place out before I get there!"

"Not thieves!" Whimzee squeaked.

"At least I don't have to worry about anyone stealing my gold recipe, since it's safe at home with L.B.," Tweeg said. "Oh, I hope it's okay!"

Sam and Max immediately whipped out their weapons at the mention of robbery.

"No, no break-ins," Tabby clarified. "We were witnessing a conversation in English between two lab mice."

Tarquin's eyes lit up. "Really? I never thought we'd run into anything like that in these parts." He jumped up into the windowpane to see for himself. "I can't seem them," he frowned.

"I wonder where they went..." Petunia Petal trailed off. "What would talking lab mice be up to?"

"Don't let them get me!" Whimzee shivered.

"Meesa wants to see talkin' mice," Jar Jar said curiously. "Meesa never seen a mice."

All of a sudden, the door began to open. Eleanore, who had been leaning up against it, jumped away quickly. "They don't make doors like they used to," she said in annoyance. "Or villains." She glanced at Tweeg.

Tabby peeked through the door as it opened a crack, and saw a very strange sight. The short, large-headed mouse was down on the ground, operating a strange machine with a rubber hand mounted on top of a long wire. This was apparently what he had used to turn the doorknob.

"Aw... lookit, Sam!" Max exclaimed. "A cute little white mouse with a grossly swollen head! Can I keep him?"

"Heck, no, Max," Sam rebuffed. "You don't know where it's been. And besides, remember what happened the last time you tried to hold an abominable freak of nature against its will?!"

"Actually, I'm still trying to forget," Max sighed.

"You see, Pinky," the mouse said to his slender companion, who had come up behind him, "there is no circus out --" But just then, he looked up, and beheld the strange group with surprise in his eyes.

"Hello-o-o-o," Tabby said cheerfully, sticking her head inside. "We're just looking for lodgings for the night."

"Na-a-a-rf," the thin mouse breathed. "A circus!" He began laughing hysterically. "But where's--"

"Don't tell me they've sent in new lab experiments," the other mouse said in exasperation after the initial shock of seeing such a group for the first time had worn off. "This will throw the whole night off--"

"Don't mind about lab experiments; we're just looking for snake kings," He-Man declared, interrupting the mouse's line of speech.

"Wow. Real, talking lab mice," Tarquin said in wonder. "We're not experiments. We're.. uh... from all different lands."

"So, do you have a place we could stay for the night, or not?" Merry Treat prodded, pushing past Tabby and forcing the heavy door open a little farther. The interior of the building looked like a typical science lab. All sorts of cages, microscopes, and other strange-looking devices covered the steel counters.

"Let them stay, Brain!" the thin mouse began pleading as soon as Merry Treat's head appeared in the doorway. "And then they can make balloon animals for us! Zort!" He let out another high-pitched laugh.

"We're not a circus," Tabby said threateningly. "I don't like circuses, because there're clowns at circuses, and I very highly dislike clowns, so don't you dare mix us up with a circus."

"No balloon animals?" The mouse's face fell, as well as his ears.

"Pinky, this is a waste of time," the short mouse said. "I have important plotting to do. They're not a circus and they're not new experiments. Although she does have the right idea about clowns." He made a motion towards his machine to close the door.

"Plotting? Did you mention plotting? I love plotting," Tabby said brightly.

"What are you two, anyway?" Orko asked. "Aliens? I could cast up some really cool aliens--"

"I think they're cute," Tess said sleepily.

"They're just lab mice, Orko," Eleanore said impatiently. "And definitely nothing worth stealing and taking back to M.A.V.O."

"I've never really liked little creatures like them," Whimzee quivered. "They're... they're... mice."

"Yeah, I can't stand little white talking animals," Max shuddered.

"Careful, Max. You resemble that remark," Sam corrected.

"Can I play with ‘em?" Ursa Minor asked excitedly.

"Meesa thinkin' they don't wanna be played with," Jar Jar said.

"Actually," the short mouse explained after the storm of comments had ended, "we're two genetically-altered lab mice intent on taking over the world."

"Cool," Tabby breathed. "Can we help? Is it terribly exciting to try to take over the world?"

"I would appreciate it if you'd step out the door," the mouse continued.

Sam pushed open the door and stepped inside. "Don't mind if I do."

Max immediately followed his companion inside and jumped up on a table. He began poking at a microscope. "O-o-oh, what's this? It looks expensive. I think I'll break it."

"You're heartless, Brain! Heartless!" The slim mouse suddenly began sobbing. "They can't help it they're not a circus! The least you could do for them is let them stay for the night!"

The other mouse stared at his companion in disgust. "That's not why I'm turning them away, Pinky."

"So it's because you don't want me to have balloon animals; is that it?" the other mouse wailed.

Tabby stared down at the two mice. "Um," she started. "Um. Is this, um..." She was unsure of what else to say.

"Are there any hotels around?" Merry Treat asked hopefully.

The slim mouse wiped some tears from his eyes. "I'll never forget this circus," he said sentimentally.

"Oh, fine then, let them come in, Pinky," the short mouse stormed. "And I'll probably be put behind another night in dominating the world!!" He stomped off into the lab.

"We really appreciate it, you know," Merry Treat said, trotting up to the mouse. "It's raining, and--"

"Exactly," Tabby nodded vigorously, in a way that meant she hadn't been listening to Merry Treat's past comment. "So, what's this world domination thing? Do you two have names? I've never known any genetically-altered lab mice before." She stared intently at the two mice as they jumped up on a counter.

"I am known as the Brain," the short mouse introduced himself.

"And I am Pinky," the thin mouse added energetically. "Troz! Will you make a balloon animal for me now?"

"I'm not going to make you a balloon animal," Tabby said, sticking her nose snobbishly in the air. "I would never stoop so low."

"We would if we had any balloons, though," Merry Treat added helpfully, not wanting to hurt the little mouse.

"Max sort of looks like a balloon animal, especially after he's had too much helium," Sam commented.

"They're not a circus," Brain said explicitly to Pinky. "Stop talking about such frivolities as balloons."

Everyone else had wandered into the lab by now. Tess curled up on a shiny countertop. "Goodnight," she yawned.

Whimzee laid her head down on the soft, cat-like body. "I could rest a bit right now, too..." she murmured drowsily.

"But world domination. You haven't told us about the world domination thing yet," Tabby prodded, not in the least tired.

"We are trying to take over the world," Brain said simply. "Humans have been too stupid to embrace me as their leader yet, but someday I will succeed!"

"Maybe one of my spells can help," Orko offered, floating up to them.

"Remember that line on the regulations form about monsters," Tarquin warned.

Tabby was listening intently to all this, but Merry Treat abruptly pulled her around the corner. "Merry Treat, this is very interesting," she chided her friend. "Think of all we can learn about taking over the world."

"But that Pinky dude has been staring at me strangely ever since we came in," Merry Treat whispered. "What do you make of it?"

Tabby took a peek at Pinky, who had a wide-eyed and hopeful expression on his face. "O-o-oh," she said slowly. "Toby was looking at me like that once."

"Should I be afraid?" Merry Treat queried.

"Yes," Tabby affirmed. "Be afraid. Be very afraid."

"Oh, boy," Merry Treat sighed.

"Well, anyhow, Mr. Brain and Mr. Pinky," Tabby continued, straightening up and pushing her way up before the two again, "excuse my absence. I had to discuss something of utmost importance with my friend."

"Zort! We've got plenty of time!" Pinky said cheerfully.

"Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?" Brain groaned, glancing out the window.

"I think so, Brain," Pinky began, "but won't that cause the catfood to look like sunflower seeds?"

"No," Brain sighed. "It's too late to carry out tonight's plan. The moon has already passed its zenith because of this interruption. You--"

"Well, we can just chat a bit with these travelers then, hmm?" Pinky suggested.

"I suppose," Brain said hesitantly. "There's nothing else to do... except to prepare for tomorrow night."

"Why, Brain? What're we going to do tomorrow night?" Pinky asked.

"The same thing we do every night," Brain said in exasperation. "Try to--"

"So, can we tell our story now on why we're here?" Tabby questioned eagerly. "We've got lots to tell. We've been all over the place. We've been--"

"Certainly. Go ahead," Brain said, somewhat impatiently. "Tell us your life history."

Max, during all this, was aimlessly walking around the lab and shooting at cockroaches. "Run, run for the hills, you vermin, lest you wish to feel the sharp sting of my really big gun!" Sam was providing backup, but they failed to hit any of the bugs.

"We are going to eliminate all the skeletor castles in the world," He-Man explained.

"Narf!" Pinky exclaimed.

"No, He-Man." Merry Treat shook her head, and glanced at Pinky. Was he still looking at her like that? "We're going to seek revenge on an evil movie reviewer. We just get confused sometimes."

"A movie reviewer?" Brain's ears suddenly perked up.

"We don't exactly know who he is or where he is, but we'll find him," Tabby affirmed. "He's very evil and deserves a good whacking over the head."

"Just like I used to do with Tweeg as a boy," Eleanore interrupted.

"Either a whacking over the head or a good moon-dusting," Merry Treat added.

Tabby wrinkled her nose. There went Merry Treat again, babbling some nonsense about "moon-dust". "Umm... whatever," she shrugged.

"Poit!" Pinky exclaimed. "That sounds like a fun-fun silly-willy game! Even more fun than balloon animals!" He glanced wistfully at Merry Treat.

Brain appeared to be deep in thought. "Do you know anything at all about this movie reviewer you mentioned?"

"He's evil," Ursa Minor said helpfully.

"He's trying to discover all the secrets of Castle Grayskull," He-Man added.

"He gave a bad review of the My Little Pony movie," Tabby put in.

"And who knows what other evils he's done," Tarquin finished.

"Why, Brain?" Pinky asked excitedly. "Is it one of your old plots? Is it working?"

"No, Pinky," Brain sighed. "It might be worse than that."

"Worse than what?" Petunia Petal queried.

"Yeah, wassa you talkin' about?" Jar Jar questioned.

"Perhaps he's seen one of those snake-men," He-Man said, unsheathing his sword and striking an attack stance. "Where is it, Mr. Brain?"

"I'm just wondering," Whimzee murmured, extremely drowsy, "whether or not genetically-altered lab mice would make a good dream."

"Make a dream with lots of gold in it," Tweeg suggested.

"Make my son's far-fetched dream of becoming a real villain come true," Eleanore snorted.

Pinky was staring over Brain's shoulder as the shorter mouse made some quick calculations on a pad of paper. "Is it the seachimps?" he asked anxiously. "You've finally found them?"

"No," Brain declared. "I think it's Snowball."

"A snowstorm? Yipee!" Ursa Minor exclaimed. "Rain, snow... yay!"

"Snowball? Is it dangerous?" Merry Treat questioned.

"The plot thickens," Tabby said gleefully.

"Perhaps it's one of King Hiss' aliases," He-Man said mysteriously.

"Meesa don't know nothin' about any Snowball," Jar Jar said.

"Spear..." Spearow said cautiously.

"Keep it down," Tarquin quieted them. "Don't wake Tess up. Or Whimzee," he added after a pause.

"I hope this Snowball is another fellow villain I'll meet," Eleanore commented.

"Eleanore, stop going on about villains," Petunia Petal chided.

Pinky just gasped and stared at his friend. "Snowball? Narf!"

"Yes, Snowball," Brain affirmed. "My arch-rival in taking over the world. He's a genetically-altered hamster," he clarified for everyone else.

"Does this mean we can go with the silly-willy circus?" Pinky said in excitement. "Wha-hoo! It's always been my dream."

"It's too bad you can't dominate the world by acting in circuses, or you would've gotten me there years ago," Brain muttered. "This movie reviewer business sounds exactly like a plan Snowball would think up."

"Ooh! And you've got to stop him?" Tabby said, her eyes growing wide.

"I'll do anything to stop these snake men," He-Man declared.

"Do the snake men look like hamsters?" Orko asked of his friend.

"No one knows exactly what they look like," He-Man explained.

"Na-a-arf," Pinky breathed.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I need my beauty sleep," Eleanore yawned, walking off to one of the corners of the lab.

"I'm not goin' to bed tonight," Ursa Minor said firmly.

"Any good little bear would've been in bed hours ago," Petunia Petal said in disapproval. "Really, I should have seen to that earlier."

"I'm not a good little bear," Ursa Minor declared.

"Yousa should behave yourself better," Jar Jar advised.

"So, Brain, what are you thinking about?" Tarquin finally asked.

"Row!" Spearow agreed.

"That's right," Merry Treat chimed in. "Do you want to go with us?"

"It's the only way to stop Snowball," Brain decided.

"Yay!" Pinky cheered. "Zort! We get to go with the circus! I know you'd see it my way, Brain!"

"I'm not seeing it your way," Brain sighed. "I have different things on my mind than balloons."

"You really ought to get more interests, then," Pinky chided. "Merry Treat, can I ride on your back?"

Merry Treat stared at him. He looked like his heart would just be broken in two if she didn't agree. She broke down. "Of course," she said, smiling brightly.

"O-oh, o-oh, me next!" Max exclaimed.

"You crack me up, little buddy," Sam chuckled.

"Troz!" Pinky laughed hysterically.

"We'll start out again tomorrow, Brain and Pinky," Tarquin planned. "So we might as well all get some rest."

"Wait!" Merry Treat broke in. "Tabby, you forgot about the Rules and Regulations list." She whipped out a paper from her backpack.

Brain read it intently and carefully printed his name down. "Pinky, write your name," he instructed, handing the paper over to his companion.

"Does this entitle me to a free balloon animal?" Pinky laughed hysterically as he scribbled something under Brain's signature.

"No-o-o, that's just a signed agreement. You don't get anything out of it," Tabby explained.

"Pinky, come with me. We must prepare for tomorrow morning," Brain said, walking towards a metal cage.

"Why, Brain? What're we doing tomorrow morning?" Pinky asked curiously.

"The same thing we do every morning," Tabby piped-up. "Setting out on our quest again!"



It's a crossover, a crossover and it's insane, insane, insane, insane... narf!

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In last month's issue, we left Windwhistler trapped atop a treacherous mountain with a broken wing due to a run-in with a large, vicious hawk. Now, the continuation...



The Dream
Part Three
by Sea Mist


Windwhistler stared down at her wing that hung limply at her side. "It is impossible that I will be able to fly in this condition," she said to herself. "If I cannot see a trained medical physician within two days, the bones will most likely grow in unnatural positions and I will not be able to fly again in my lifetime."

Next, she stared down the steep mountain slopes below her as she balanced on the tiny flat surface on the peak. "If that bird had attacked me just a second later, I would have missed falling upon the cleverly-placed peak and been plunged down into that abyss. It is highly illogical I would have survived a fall that far."

She then pondered over what she should do now. Granted, it was extremely lucky she had landed on this peak; but there was no way she could climb down the extremely steep slopes, and without being able to fly, it seemed like she didn't have a hope. "There is no vegetation growing, either," Windwhistler noted. "Without nourishment, I will not last long."

All of a sudden, Windwhistler felt the ground moving beneath her. She reared up in alarm. I certainly hope it isn't an earthquake! she thought. I would be in even worse off shape than I am now.

Windwhistler soon discovered that it wasn't an earthquake, however. The top of the peak was simply being lifted up by something underneath! She braced herself, and managed to cling on to the slanting surface. "I should have known this was not a natural formation!" she cried out.

Suddenly, a pony's head peeked out from underneath the stone slab. She must have a secret tunnel within this mountain range, Windwhistler realized. This peak must be one of the entrances.

"Hello," the pony said.

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Brightblade Warpony
An Epic


Recorded by Clipper as dictated by the bard Ramon


Epilogue


With the ogre vanquished, the veil of darkness that hung over the underworld lifted. There still was no light, but the darkness was not so oppressive as it had been. As the three triumphant heroes made their way through the less-treacherous passages and caverns and out of the front entrance, there was no sign of the creatures who had seemed always just outside of sight before.

Even though the underworld had lost its dread, Brightblade was happy to be through the waterfall portal and back in Ponyland, even if they were in the middle of the Dark Forest. When the trio reached the edge of the forest, Epona called a halt.

"You have done well, Warpony, and it has been a great honor to have known you; but the time has come for me to take my leave. Farewell."

"Goodbye, Epona. Thank you for all that you did."

The flame-maned unicorn shook her head. "It is I who should thank you." And she mysteriously disappeared.

"Khar, aye," kawed the raven Breeks. "You are the hero; it is your hour of glory! Now I, too, will be off, for a while at least, to spread the word of your triumph! I'm sure that rat will want to hear the tale."

"Goodbye, my friend, and give my regards to Ramon and Cassandra."

"I will. Krah!" With that, the raven flew away and Brightblade the Warpony stood alone.

* * *
The weary pony was glad to be home at his cottage in the little wood outside of town. It had been more than a year since he left on his quest, though it hadn't seemed quite so long. Breeks had once told him that time was different in the underworld; maybe that explained it.

He placed the Warrior's Horn upon his mantle, ate a light supper, and went to bed. It had been such a long time since he had a decent night's sleep that he slept until noon. After another light meal (most of his food had spoiled during his absence), Brightblade set out for town.

On his way to the grocery store, Brightblade passed a strange new building. "Pokèmon Center," he read off the sign. "What the hey is a Pokèmon?" he mused. "I guess the best way to find out is to ask inside."

Inside the center, Brightblade found a pink unicorn, Tabby, behind the main desk and a strange cat-like creature standing guard next to her. "Hello," he greeted Tabby. "Say, didn't you used to run the vet clinic?"

"Hmm? Clinic?" Tabby murmured, as she had been reading e-mails and had only half heard the question. "Oh, my vet clinic was run out of business months ago. That would have been about... eh... about a few months before. But then..." She appeared to be doing invisible figuring in the air, and was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts and sat up straight. "No, I don't have my clinic any more," she affirmed. "Who are you? Do you have a hurt Pokèmon?"

"I'm Brightblade. I live in the little cottage outside town, but I've been away for a while. And I've never heard of Pokèmon."

"Never heard of Pokèmon?!" the cat-thing huffed.

"Oh, yeah, you and that other unicorn were telling that strange story at that picnic last fall. Hey, weren't you a unicorn last time?" Tabby queried.

"What? Oh, you mean the Horn. I left that at home."

"You left your horn at home? Whatever..." said Tabby.

The conversation was getting nowhere, and the cat-thing was eyeing him evilly, so Brightblade decided to get on with his business. "That was weird," he said to himself once he was back on the street.

* * *
After the shopping was done and Brightblade had eaten a hearty meal, he decided to stop by the Satin Slipper Sweet Shoppe for dessert. Just as he stepped into the shop he saw Tabby, Sugarberry, and a smaller, purple stallion sitting at a table together.

"There's that strange unicorn I was telling you about. The guy who left his horn at home," he heard Tabby say.

Oh, great, Brightblade thought. The weirdo.

"That's no unicorn," Sugarberry said. "Brightblade, come sit with us."

Brightblade sighed. It would be rude to ignore the invitation, but sitting with that crazy unicorn...? "Oh, what the hey." He sat down and Sugarberry introduced him to Clever Clover from Friendship Gardens.

"Boy, things sure have changed while I've been gone. I've never even heard of Friendship Gardens, or Pokèmon," Brightblade mumbled. "It will take me a while to get things figured out."

"So Brightblade," said Sugarberry. "Where have you been all this time?"

"Well, that is a long story..."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Chilling Experience
by Sugarberry and Tabby


Sugarberry stood on Tabby's front porch balancing two pies while pressing on the doorbell. From somewhere inside the house several moments later, she heard angry hooves stomping across the floor. She rang the doorbell again just to be on the safe side, and then waited impatiently for Tabby to answer the door.

After what seemed an eternity of time, the doorknob finally moved, and the door swung open. "You must be awfully talented, Sug," Tabby stated, "to hold both those pies and ring on that awful doorbell at the same time. What's up, anyway?" Her line of speech was broken off by a yawn.

Sugarberry sighed. "What's up? Tabby, it's the day of the church picnic! You can't have forgotten."

Tabby glanced over Sugarberry's exasperated face, and then to the two luscious-looking pies in her hooves, before realization struck the pink unicorn. "O-o-oh, yeah," she breathed as she simply turned and headed to the kitchen.

Sugarberry followed her friend and gratefully set the pies on the counter next to a cherry torte that she had helped Tabby bake the day before. "Well, I see Tarquin didn't destroy your dessert for the picnic, anyway," commented Sugarberry, regaining her good humor.

"We both wanted to, terribly," Tabby explained, "but I ended up convincing him that Tess would be terribly disappointed in him if he snitched a dessert intended for a church affair. Guess I must have convinced myself of that, too."

"We are supposed to report to the dessert table by ten thirty this morning, you remember," Sugarberry prodded as Tabby poured herself a class of milk and extracted two chocolate chip cookies from a container on her counter.

"Mm, yes," Tabby mumbled. "Isn't it interesting, Sugarberry, how exactly two cookies are all I can eat at a time without getting full?"

Sugarberry's eyebrows rose in consternation. "Is that what you call breakfast, Tabby? Let me fix you an egg."

"But we don't have any time, remember?" Tabby said. "Besides, this is what I've had for breakfast the past three days. Isn't it terrible to have to take the time to eat breakfast?"

Sugarberry knew when she was beat, so she stopped nagging Tabby and instead helped herself to a glass of milk and a cookie. "Mmm, these are good."

"They should be. You made them," Tabby pointed out. Tabby had no time for domestic duties like baking, which was why Sugarberry had lent a hoof in yesterday's baking of the torte.

"Hey, where is Tarquin, anyway?" Sugarberry questioned, as Tabby's talkative Meowth was usually not shy about making his presence known.

"Oh, he's still sleeping in a sunbeam," Tabby said lovingly. "He sleeps late on weekends, you know, to make up for getting up early to go to the Pokèmon Center with me during the week."

Sugarberry nodded. "These cool morning make those sunbeams look awfully tempting! Fluff is always laying on his back with his flabby, fluffy tummy soaking up the beams when I leave for work in the mornings."

"It always amazes me how you can fit so much description in your sentences when you talk," Tabby commented.

Just then, the doorbell sounded again. "Grr..." Tabby muttered. "That doorbell is getting on my nerves." She pushed back her chair and went to answer it.

From her seat at the kitchen table, Sugarberry was pleasantly surprised to hear the voice of Vanguard at the door. "Hello, Sugarberry," Vanguard greeted her as he followed Tabby back into the kitchen. "I just stopped in at your house, but when you weren't there, I figured you were at Tabby's," he explained. "I thought you might need a hoof to help you get your desserts to the picnic."

"Hi, Vanguard!" Sugarberry smiled appreciatively at him. "That's wonderful!"

And-- much to Tabby's annoyance-- her doorbell rang once more that morning. "ARGH! WHO DARES RING MY DOORBELL AGAIN?!" she screamed as she stomped off to answer it.

Sugarberry giggled softly as Tabby returned a moment later, rather red in the face, with Thomas at her side. "...I figured I'd assist you two with getting yours pies over there," he was explaining.

"Oh, hello!" Sugarberry said brightly. "You two are the greatest!"

"Gee! All that just for volunteering to help the two prettiest ponies in Ponyland?" queried Vanguard with a twinkle in his eye.

Sugarberry blushed. She would never get over the joy she felt when Vanguard was near.

"So, what do you two get to do at the picnic today?" Tabby asked as she abruptly dumped the remaining milk in her glass down the drain. She didn't particularly care for milk in the first place; why bother finishing it now?

"I work the dart toss game," Thomas replied. "Spike is going to help out, too."

"Better keep a bucket of water handy in case Spike loses control of his fire-breathing ability," ventured Sugarberry. "It does go astray sometimes." She and Tabby giggled as they remembered some of Spike's escapades.

"He's getting to be a big baby dragon," Tabby nodded in agreement.

"The refreshment stand is right next door, so we can always douse him in lemonade," Thomas said.

"Good insurance."

"Vanguard will be selling dinner tickets at the door," Sugarberry informed Tabby.

"Figures; they'd need someone who could add and subtract for that job," Tabby said in distaste.

"Actually, they thought it would allow me to meet more ponies that way," clarified Vanguard. He had only moved to Dream Valley several months earlier.

"As much fun as this is," worried Sugarberry, "we really should get to the church hall. Serving for the dinner starts at eleven o' clock, and Tabby and I have to cut all the desserts yet."
The guys loaded up the pies and torte while Sugarberry hastily cleaned off the table; then they headed off to the main fund-raiser of the year.

After arriving at the church hall, Thomas and Vanguard deposited the girls' baked goods on the table allotted for desserts while Tabby and Sugarberry each got a knife and spatula from the kitchen.

"Remember, Tabby, that a lot of the desserts are stored in the refrigerated cooler over there." Sugarberry nodded towards the far corner of the kitchen where a heavy door with a large, industrial latch stood waiting. "When we need more desserts, we can go back to the cooler to get more."

"Doesn't it seem like ominous music should be playing now?" Tabby said in awe as her gaze rested on the dark cooler. "It looks so forbidding, doesn't it?" She was obviously not listening to Sugarberry's next line.

"And remember to leave the door open when you go in so you don't get locked inside."

The kitchen was bustling with activity as Snuzzle and Bon Bon oversaw the cooking of the chicken and ham. Crumpet was making dressing, and Blue Belle was mashing potatoes; Tex was busily cutting up celery and carrot sticks.

Sugarberry and Tabby were relieved to get out of the crowded, rapidly warming kitchen and out to the open hall where their work station was located. With knives in hoof, they began cutting the delectable pies, cakes, and tortes that literally filled the table.

"Now, would that be six pieces, or eight?" Tabby queried. "I can't remember."

"Go with six pieces, Tabby. Everyone likes to get the most for their jangles."

As Tabby cut and put pieces on plates, Sugarberry set them out on another table for the diners to choose from. "You're not arranging them aesthetically," Tabby said, frowning. "Let me work on that."

Anyway, the table was finally covered in a scrumptious array (and aesthetical, too, in Tabby's opinion) of treats featuring blueberries, apple, peaches, rhubarb, raspberries, pumpkin, lemon, chocolate, and a few unidentifiable yet tasty concoctions.

When serving started, the desserts fast disappeared, and Tabby and Sugarberry were kept busy cutting and serving to refill the empty slots on the table.

The only breaks they got were when one or the other trotted across the hall to the kitchen to fetch more desserts from the cooler. As the dining room warmed up, the sharp coolness of the refrigerator felt like a blast of arctic air. Stepping out again with hooves full of tasty treats was like stepping back into summertime. The desserts stayed fresh and tantalizing in the cooler.

"It's the ones with the most calories that go first," Sugarberry whispered to Tabby as she served up a light and fluffy chocolate mousse topped with smooth whipped cream. The pieces barely made it to the table before they were scooped-up.

"Oh, that looks divine!" cooed Tiffany as she reached for the largest serving.

"I want a piece of that!" complained Dawn as she eyed Tiffany's piece. "Tabby, can you get me some?"

"Sorry, that was the last piece," Tabby said absentmindedly.

"Here, Dawn," soothed Sugarberry. "Here's a big piece of lemon meringue pie that is just perfect."

Dawn was about to continue her griping until she saw how luscious the lemon meringue looked. She took the pie from Sugarberry and followed after Tiffany bragging. "My lemon meringue is bet-- more nutritious-- than your chocolate mousse!"

Tabby snickered at the bickering princesses, and cocked her head at the clock. "Sugarberry, it says it's six o' clock, if I'm reading it right. Wasn't serving supposed to end at two?"

"Oh, Tabby, that clock doesn't work. It's been six o' clock since last Friday."

4-Speed was standing at the table deciding on a dessert, so Tabby asked him the time. After consulting his watch, he informed her, "Twelve thirty."

"Oh," Tabby sighed, "I'm so thirsty. Sugarberry, can I go get something to drink?"

Sugarberry surveyed the line of ponies waiting to eat, and the currently filled tables. "Sure, Tabby. It looks like things will be quiet for awhile."

As Tabby took off, Sugarberry leaned against the wall to catch her breath. She was amazed to find that after cutting so many delectibles that she had no desire to eat any of them. She felt like all the calories had already somehow soaked into her body.

Just as Sugarberry was beginning to feel overwhelmed by whipped cream, sugar, chocolate, and spices, Tabby came running up to her, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Sugarberry, Sugarberry!" she squealed. "Look what I found on the rummage table outside!" She held up a scrawny plastic dog with pink yarn hair. Sugarberry was unimpressed.

"Sugarberry! It's a Fluppy Dog! And get this, it's the one I donated to the rummage last year, before I collected Fluppy Dogs!" Tabby went on. Sugarberry stared in wonder.

"And I was able to buy it back this year for a quarter!"

"Well, fancy that," the tongue-tied Sugarberry finally was able to respond. "You gave it away last year and bought it back this year?"

"Yes! Isn't it great, Sugarberry?" Tabby held up the forlorn little toy. "Look into his little eyes, Sug. Isn't he cute?"

Tabby knew Sugarberry's downfall. One look into anything's "cute little eyes" and she was a pushover. "I'm glad you were able to rescue him from a life on a rummage table," Sugarberry conceded. "The poor little guy does look to be in need of a good home which I'm sure you'll provide."

"Ah-hem!" a deep, gruff sound reached their ears. The two ponies turned their heads simultaneously to see Hydia the witch standing at the dessert table, looking disdainfully over the selection of pastries. "I'm looking for poppyseed cake," she bristled.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Hydia. But there wasn't a single poppyseed cake donated this year," soothed Sugarberry fearfully.

"But, look!" intercepted Tabby as she produced an ambrosial wedge of pistachio fluff (personally, she thought it looked awful, and wanted all trace of the dessert off the table). "This is obviously better than any poppyseed pie."

Hydia looked as if she might zap Tabby right then and there, but as the pink unicorn lifted the plate up to Hydia's nose, the wrinkled witch broke into a twisted smile. "Green is my color," she decided as she roughly grabbed the tidbit from Tabby's hoof.

"Whew! That was close!" stuttered Sugarberry. "Thanks for rescuing me!"

"No problem, Sug," Tabby said nonchalantly. "Besides, that was the last piece of that disgusting pistachio-whatever."

The girls continued their chore until Locket informed them that it was one thirty, only half an hour until closing. "Should I get some more stuff out of the cooler, Sugarberry?" asked Tabby.

"Yes. We need something with lots of layers of sweet, gooey stuff and topped with Cool Whip. Most everything left is apple pie."

And so, Tabby merrily tripped off to the cooler past the rows of tables and chairs and discreetly entered the kitchen. Hmm, the door's open, she noted to herself, slipping through the open crack in the door into the cooler.

Pinwheel was already in the freezing chamber, looking for something on the shelf opposite of the one the pies were on. Tabby thoughtlessly began peeking under the tinfoil coverings of the remaining pans. No, not that one, she thought in alarm as she uncovered a pile of greasy chicken bones.

It's really too bad that whipped cream tastes so awful, she pondered as she selected a creamy, white topped dessert. It looks awful good.

Just as Tabby turned around to leave the cooler, Pinwheel was trotting out already. And didn't appear to notice Tabby. And closed the door behind her.

Tabby didn't panic. She didn't faint. She just screamed. "SOMEBODY LET ME OUTTA HERE!"

* * *
Meanwhile, Sugarberry was straightening up the remaining desserts on the table. As she worked, Baby Sweet Celebrations ran up to the table with Daddy Sweet Celebrations scurrying behind.

"Me want dat one!" Baby Sweet Celebrations informed his dad as the baby pony reached across the table to grab a moist and yummy looking chocolate cupcake sprinkled with nuts.

Daddy Sweet Celebrations caught his son's hoof in midair. "You come with me back to the line and wait your turn!"

"But, Daddy, what if it gone then?" Baby Sweet Celebrations' sorrowful eyes looked longingly back at the cupcake as his dad dragged him back to the waiting line.

Sugarberry grinned, knowing there was another dozen of those very cupcakes sitting in reserve. Baby Sweet Celebrations would definitely get his cupcake.

When more seating was again available and the line moved forward, Baby Sweet Celebrations joyfully got his precious chocolate cupcake. As he lifted the plate off the table to carry it to his spot, the roly-poly cupcake tottered precariously, then fell with a thump to the floor, and rolled tauntingly under a fully occupied table.

Baby Sweet Celebrations watched disbelievingly as his prize disappeared in a sea of pony legs. His eyes filled with tears, and he turned to Daddy Sweet Celebrations. "Cupcake gone," he forlornly stammered.

Sugarberry had watched the tragedy unfold, and now quickly responded. She grabbed two chocolate cupcakes from their box and hurried to where Daddy Sweet Celebrations was attempting to sooth his son. Dropping to her knees, she offered the two cupcakes to Baby Sweet Celebrations.

As Baby Sweet Celebrations realized his good fortune, his tear-streaked face radiated a glorious smile. His eyes glowed with happiness as he accepted the treats. "Tank you, Sug-a-berry," he lisped as he and his grateful father continued on to enjoy their dinner.

"Wasn't that sentimental?" teased a waiting Thomas as Sugarberry returned to her work station. "Leave it to you to dry a baby pony's tears. Now, Tabby, on the other hoof..." He peered around the room. "Where is Tabby, anyway?"

Sugarberry frowned. If Thomas was finished with his shift at the dart booth, it must be two o' clock already. And it had been half an hour ago that Tabby had gone to the cooler for more desserts.

Thomas watched the play of thoughts pass over Sugarberry's face. "And?" he prodded in concern.

Sugarberry's eyes opened wide in shocked realization. "She might be in the cooler," she whispered.

"In the cooler?" Thomas echoed.

"Well... I sent her back there to get another pie... and she never came back after that," Sugarberry gulped.

Without another word, Thomas turned and headed to the cooler with Sugarberry following on his heels. They passed through the still crowded kitchen there the chattering of ponies filled the air as the cooks prepared-- now that everyone else was fed-- to enjoy their own taste of the food.

Thomas went directly to the cooler door which looked ominous and forbidding under the present situation (just as Tabby had predicted earlier that day, as a matter of fact); he pulled the latch out and swung open the door.

Tabby's impatient taps on the floor could be heard as she paced across the dark cement. She turned abruptly at the sound of the opening door. "Oh, good, someone finally came," she sighed dramatically. "I thought I'd be stuck here for life. Of course, I could've lived on all the pies, but they're all made with disgusting whipped cream. There are some cherry ones left, I suppose, but I can usually only stand Sugarberry's cooking, anyway. Then I started to wonder if there was an unlimited amount of air in here or not. And then-- oh, I should really stop talking, shouldn't I?" she gasped out as she collapsed into Thomas' forelegs.

"What happened?" queried a concerned Vanguard as he came in on the tense scene. His anxious eyes looked questioningly into Sugarberry's worried face; silent tears washed down her cheeks.

"Tabby got locked in the cooler for half an hour, and I didn't even realize it," she sobbed as Vanguard drew her into his embrace.

Vanguard looked over her shoulder at Thomas. "Anything I can do?"

"For Pete's sake, Sugarberry, I'm not dead, am I?" Tabby snapped. "There's nothing to be sorry about."

Snuzzle, who had noticed the sense of urgency in the air, had joined the rescue team. She quickly commandeered some blankets from the rummage sale, and in a motherly manner tucked them around the protesting Tabby.

"I'm not that much of an invalid," she retorted. "I'd be fine if you stopped making such a fuss."

"I feel terrible about this," moaned a distraught Pinwheel. "I had gotten some salad out of the cooler and must have been the one to close the door on Tabby."

"Certainly there's a release handle on the inside of that thing," stated Vanguard.

"Yes, there is," verified Snuzzle. "But we always just leave the door open when we go in, so most of the workers aren't even aware of it."

"I never knew about it," confirmed Sugarberry through her sniffles. "If I had, I'd have told Tabby, and she wouldn't have gotten chilled!" This set off another volley of tears.

Tabby rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Excuse me, Sug," she began, tapping her friend on the shoulder while hastily squirming out of the blankets. "Granted, this set me behind in keeping the dessert plates organized, but I did get out of being broiled to death in the intense heat." She eased herself onto a bench outside the hall door.

Vanguard drew Sugarberry away to the concession stand where they purchased enough food for the four of them, and then returned to Tabby and Thomas for a real picnic lunch. Vanguard moved a second bench into position so they could converse easily and the fear of the refrigerator episode slowly melted away as Tabby regained her usual disposition more and more every second.

"I hope there's never a Mr. Mime brought into the center. I positively can't stand Mr. Mimes," Tabby was rambling while they moved to a location closer to the stage where Ponyland's country singer, Garth Hooves, was performing for the crowd of Sunday picnickers enjoying the festivities. "They have got to be the scariest Pokèmon of all time. They rank right up there with giant squid. I'm certainly glad there aren't any giant squid Pokèmon. Can you imagine if there was? I think I'd just..."

"Are you sure you're feeling okay, Tabby?" fussed Sugarberry as they settled themselves on the makeshift seating set up for the show.

"Do I sound like I'm all right, Sugarberry?" Tabby said cheerfully. "I've only been rambling on nonstop like a lunatic for ten minutes now. What do you think?"

Just then, Chocolate Chip ran up to them and grabbed a hoof of Sugarberry and Vanguard, pulling them out of their seats. "Come on! We need more dancers!"

"But what about Tabby?" Sugarberry turned her head.

"I'm too much of an invalid to dance, you know," Tabby said, smiling sweetly, though sarcastically. "Besides, I still have the story of the really clueless trainer that came in to tell about..."

Sugarberry was exhausted by the time Chocolate Chip and Current had determined that they'd danced enough. She collapsed in the seat next to Tabby.

But by this time, Tabby was ready to move on. "Let's walk around the grounds," she suggested. "Maybe someone brought more eighties' toys to the rummage. I keep hoping that the My Little People Hair Salon I donated years ago is going to show up here again."

So they set off at a leisurely pace, exchanging greetings with friends old and new. As they passed by the bingo tent, Quarterback-- who was calling the numbers-- motioned them over.

"You guys have to play some Bingo. Friendly, give them each a card."

Friendly, the energetic blue Bushwoolie, hopped up with a handful of cards which he spread on the table. "Pick lucky one!" he advised.

They had no sooner gotten organized when a one-of-a-kind "Ho-ho!" greeted their ears; and Clever Clover, accompanied by Merry Moments and Berry Bright, slid into seats across the bingo table.

After greetings had been exchanged, Clever Clover explained how he had stumbled onto the church picnic. "I went to the Satin Slipper Sweet Shoppe, as always, only to find a sign posted saying that the shop was closed due to this affair."

"And then he bumped into us," continued Merry Moments. "We were on our way here to meet Quarterback. His shift ends soon." She waved spiritedly at Quarterback as Friendly passed out more cards.

"One jangle, please, yup, yup!"

Finally, the tentful of bingo players quieted down as Quarterback began calling the numbers. "B9" was first.

"Ooh," Tabby breathed. "I think I got that one."

"You forgot to cover the free space," observed Clever Clover.

"What are you muttering about, Cleve Clove?" Tabby said absentmindedly as she grabbed a translucent red disc off the pile on the table and covered the space.

Everyone in the group seemed to be doing quite well until a shrill voice from across the tent screeched, "Bingo!"

"I know that voice!" Tabby exclaimed in annoyance.

"Good grief," added Sugarberry. "It's Tiffany."

"As if she needs the jangles," Tabby said sarcastically.

But to the girls' delight, it was discovered that Tiffany had placed a disc over an incorrect number, and her card was therefore disqualified.

"That'll teach her to keep her mind on the game rather than flapping her eyelashes at Toby all the time," Tabby tittered, obviously enjoying Tiffany's blunder.

Quarterback's voice informed the ponies that, because of the error, the game would continue from the point were Tiffany had called bingo.

"Argh," Tabby muttered. "I already dumped my card!" She was able to get her discs back in order, but it was Baby Noddins who won the bingo on the very next call.

"Shouldn't baby ponies be at the fishpond booth?" Tabby complained. "This is boring, Sug."

"No, Tabby!" pleaded Sugarberry. "Let's try again."

Outvoted by the gang, Tabby settled down to play more bingo; but in the end, they were all empty-hooved.

After the last game, Quarterback joined the group. "Where's Scoops' ice cream booth? I'm starved!" he said as he took Merry Moments hoof in his.

"Oh, yes! Ice cream would taste great right now," agreed Berry Bright.

But Tabby held back, shivering involuntarily. "Not for me. I've been chilled enough today."

"I never thought I'd see the day Tabby didn't want to have a strawberry sundae," Quarterback said in surprise.

So, Sugarberry explained about Tabby's experience to those who were unaware of it; Spike joined the group in time to hear the story.

"Maybe I'll just go home and curl up in a sunbeam with Tarquin and Callie," Tabby yawned.

"I'm tired, too," admitted Sugarberry. "You guys party on. I'll walk home with Tabby."

As the two ponies headed homeward, Sugarberry sighed deeply. "When the picnic is over, winter is never far behind." The breeze blew a shower of colorful leaves across their path as if to affirm the fact.

"Winter's cold," was Tabby's only comment. She seemed lost in thought. "Doesn't this seem like the end of a story, Sugarberry? The day is over. The leaves are blowing around violently. It's as if we're on the verge of a dramatic change!"

"Are you still just talking about winter, Tabby?"

"Oh, no. I wasn't really talking about anything. Now, come on, hurry up; you're walking too slow! Who knows what could've happened to Tarquin back at home while I was gone? And then there's yesterday's new taped Pokèmon episode to watch. And then--"

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