Princess Twinkle Star's Adventure

Written and Illustrated by: Xayide2

Princess Twinkle Star sighed as she gazed out the window from Dream Castle.
Today was a lazy day. There was nothing much to use her wishing wings for,
but she often wondered what lied outside Friendship Garden.
Then the door opened behind her and in burst Sundance.

"Hi Princess!" exclaimed Sundance with a broad grin on her face.

"Hello Sundance. You're up to something today. What do you have planned?"

"Oh  not much. I thought you'd like to join me on an adventure?" she said always ready to explore.

"Really?" asked Twinkle Star, "Where do we go today?"

"I thought we'd meet Petal Blossom by the brook and go on a treasure hunt in the forest."

"Sounds like fun! Let's go!" exclaimed Princess Twinkle Star.

In a moment the two friends were walking along the bubbling brook looking for Petal Blossom. They found her gazing into the water with a far away look in her face. Next to her was her favorite yellow hat that she always brought with her.

"Hi Petal Blossom," said Twinkle Star, "What's the daydream today?"

"Hunting for rainbows, but I haven't seen any today. There's not much rain," a disappointed Petal Blossom expressed.

"Well, then let's go look for some," jumped in Sundance.

"Alright, let's go," Petal Blossom eagerly answered.

They stared at the tall pine tree forest and ferns lining the moss covered path. Sundance led the way since it was her adventure. Petal Blossom was already forming a dazed look on her face staring at the stained window like woods.

Then Princess Twinkle Star asked, "What are we hunting for exactly?"

"Petal Blossom wanted to look for rainbows, so that's what we're hunting for," replied Sundance.

"But we need rain or water for that," frowned Twinkle Star.

"So then lets' look for that first," Sundance answered with a smile.

Looking at the path branching in different directions Twinkle Star asked, "Which way do we go?"

Petal Blossom said, "Follow the smell of water."

They sniffed to the east and west, and nothing was there but the sweet smell of flowers. To the north they could smell water and Petal Blossom led on the path heading north.

Soon a layer of misty fog was collecting at their feet. There was water in that fog, that's for sure. The further they went the fog was getting heavier and denser. The ponies could barely see. Then the sun's rays shone through the trees like golden ribbons and cut through the fog.

Petal Blossom gasped, "Look! Rainbows!"

"Oh!" they all said together.

Twinkle Star saw something out of the corner of her eye, "Look! What's that over there?"

"Where?" asked Sundance.

"Over there on that tree!"

All three of them moved cautiously over to the tree. A rainbow was shining on a high branch, and whatever it was glittered in the light. The branch was much to high for the ponies to reach.

"I know," exclaimed Twinkle Star, "I'll use my wishing wings to reach the branch."

"Great idea!" the other two gleefully said.

"We'll have to wish for Twinkle Star's wings to appear," noted Sundance.

"Right," started Twinkle Star, "You wish, and I wish then I can reach the branch."

Sundance, Petal Blossom and Princess Twinkle Star all squeezed their eyes shut and wished really hard that Twinkle Star could fly up to the top of the tree. It worked! Princess Twinkle Star was fluttering her wings in a pouf of stardust.

"Yeah!" they cried.

"OK," said Twinkle Star, "here I go."

Higher and higher she climbed, careful not to get herself stuck in the tree. Up only a few more feet and she'd reach the branch. My, the tree was tall.

"Do you see it yet?" called Sundance.

"Almost!" Twinkle Star called back down, "There it is!" Right in front of her was a red heart locket with a gold chain.

Carefully she reached for the locket with her teeth. The pine needles were prickly and scratched her nose. A little more?she got it! Quickly she flew back down to a little clearing nearby where she met the other ponies.

"What is it?" asked Sundance.

"It's a locket," said Twinkle Star putting it down," and look, there's a picture of a rainbow on it. We're lucky today on hunting for rainbows."

"Well open it!" exclaimed Sundance.

Princess Twinkle Star opened the locket and out came a rainbow! Certainly it was not what they expected. The rainbow flew around, stretched its colors, and came back down to inspect the ponies.

"This rainbow is alive!" a surprised Petal Blossom said as the rainbow came nose to nose with her? so to speak. It tickled Twinkle Star's wings and she giggled happily. The rainbow also flew circles around Sundance.

"Where did the rainbow come from?" asked Twinkle Star. The rainbow perked up knowing the answer to that question.

Then it picked up the locket, Twinkle Star, Sundance, Petal Blossom and flew above the trees going farther north.

Startled Petal Blossom clung to the rainbow and asked, "Where are we going?"

Sundance shrugged, "I don't know, north I guess."

"Yea," explained Twinkle Star, " It's showing us where it came from."

They gazed at the scenery below them as fields and forests whizzed by. Soon they were coming upon mountains they'd never seen before. The rainbow raced toward then and quickly maneuvered through a narrow canyon. Petal Blossom squeezed her eyes shut to keep from getting sick. At the end of the canyon the view opened up to a beautiful valley, and Petal Blossom opened her eyes.

"Ooh," the three awed together.

"What is this place?" asked Twinkle Star. Then coming up in the distance was an enormous estate that shone like a pink pearl.

"Wow!" exclaimed Sundance, "That is a big house! I wonder who lives there?"

Then the rainbow slowed down and carefully put them down in front of the tall iron gates. It slipped the locket over Twinkle Star's head and went back inside as some one was coming to the gate. Twinkle Star thought it looked like a pony, but she wasn't sure.

"Hi! I'm Applejack," she said, "Welcome to Paradise Estate." Then she pushed open the gates to let them in. She called across the grounds, "Hey, we have visitors!"

All sorts of ponies poked their heads out to look at the three strangers. There were unicorns, pegasi, tall ones, slender ones, and babies of all sizes. Twinkle Star was convinced they were ponies after all, they just looked different.

"Well," said Applejack, "Introduce yourselves."

"Oh yeah," started Twinkle Star, " I'm Princess Twinkle Star, this is Sundance, and this is Petal Blossom in the yellow hat."

"Hi!" the other two grinned.

One of the baby ponies came up to inspect the visitors, "You sure look different from us. Where did you come from?"

"Baby Tiddlywinks," scolded Applejack, "be polite."

Baby Tiddlywinks looked at the ground, "Sorry."

"But yes," said Applejack, "how did you get to Paradise Estate?"

"Um," began Twinkle Star, "We live faraway south from here."

"Oh, excuse me for interrupting, but come sit by the pool and tell us your story," invited Applejack, and led them to the white iron lacework furniture. "Far south from here?" she asked.

"Yes," said Twinkle Star sitting down, "We were on a treasure hunt and found this," holding up the locket.

Applejack stared in amazement at the locket, "I thought I'd never see it again. Windwhistler! They found it, they found the Rainbow of Light!"

"Rainbow of Light?" asked Petal Blossom, "Is that what this rainbow is called?"

"Yes," said Windwhistler flying down beside them, " We lost it years ago."

"Oh," said Twinkle Star, "That's why the rainbow brought us here," handing it over to Windwhistler.

"I was flying over these woods towards our old Dream Castle to see if the smooze had gone away. The Rainbow of Light locket fell off as I was dodging a flock of geese," explained Windwhistler as she opened the locket.

The rainbow flew around and greeted each of the ponies in delight. Then it spread A huge arc over Paradise Estate to say it was home. A large 'Hooray' came from the ponies as they cheered from the excitement.

"Dream Castle did you say?" asked Sundance, "That's where Princess Twinkle Star lives."

"Yeah," added Petal Blossom, "but what's smooze?"

"You mean that the smooze is all gone from Dream Castle?" asked Applejack.

"Uh, yeah," said Twinkle Star, "We moved into Dream Castle a few years ago. Nobody was there. We call the valley Friendship Garden."

"Smooze," said Baby Tiddlywinks," is this nasty purple stuff that makes everyone mean."

"Yes," began Windwhistler," Three horrible witches created smooze to take over Dream Valley, and anyone who touched it became mean and unfriendly. The smooze completely covered Dream Castle, and we had to move to Paradise Estate. The Rainbow of Light couldn't fight off the smooze on its own, and the Flutter Ponies had to help. Dream Castle was beyond saving, but now we know that Dream Castle is uncovered and taken care of."

"You mean we're living in your old home?" asked Sundance.

"Yes," said Applejack, "We'd love to come and visit Friendship Garden and see the old place."

"You're more than welcome to," invited Princess Twinkle Star, "And we'd like to come visit Paradise Estate again."

"Of course you can," said Windwhistler," I'm sure we have lots of stories to share.

"I'm tired," yawned Baby Tiddlywinks.

"Oh," stated Applejack," It's getting late, and you should get home Princess Twinkle Star."

"Yeah. I should before everyone else gets worried," she replied.

"Here," said Windwhistler as she slipped the locket back on Twinkle Star, "Take the Rainbow of Light back with you so you can get home, and we'll come get it when we visit in a month."

"Oh, thank you," beamed Twinkle Star, "I'll take good care of it."

Windwhistler whistled for the rainbow, "Take our new friends home to Friendship Garden." The rainbow picked up Twinkle Star, Sundance and Petal Blossom again and traveled south toward Dream Castle.

"Good-bye!" called Applejack and the others, "Come again!"

"Bye!" called Twinkle Star, "And thank you!" as Paradise Estate shrunk in the distance. They wove back through the canyon and back over the hill towards home.

"Well this was the best treasure hunt I've ever been on," exclaimed Sundance.

"Yeah," smiled Petal Blossom, "And I'll always know where to look for rainbows."

"And," concluded Twinkle Star, "We can look forward to more adventures with our new friends in Dream Valley," she smiled to herself. After all, that's what she always wished for, more friends.