Skye

You're welcome to it! I wonder if I could do the same with Derpy...hrm!

Here is another technique as I was talking about on the chat earlier, where they take two pictures and put them together into an animation. It creates a sort of pseudo-3d by playing a trick on the brain, I think the page said. Though it works better when the frames are a little closer so there is a little bit less of a difference between them than is in this picture.

Free 100x100 animated AppleBloom icon! I was re-watching The Show Stoppers and I remembered this cute couple of expressions AppleBloom made and thought it'd make a great icon. She's free for grabs, if anybody wants!

I have two rabbits, a brown rex doe named Fleta, and a brown and white dutch named Bo. They have such cute noses and cute little bums when they're laying on their bellies. They're both fairly friendly, but they can both be so naughty. I had no idea how messy bunnies can be as well, so I'm almost always cleaning up after them! No baby bunnies, though, I've had Bo in for the snip, I barely have room for the two of them!

definitely! link me your ref? Skye! If you need a visual reference, I can provide those.

Welcome to Equestria!

I've made some changes to it hopefully to smooth it out a bit and hopefully get rid of the whole Mary-Sue-ness. Also changed some of the dialogue I felt kinda was a little grandiose and hopefully fixed the grammatical errors!

Tossing this on in the middle of nowhere when doing something makes me smile!

I'd be willing to write something for you, if you wanted! Descriptions, poems, intros! I'm still getting the hang of writing fics, but I'd be happy to write a scene or two for you!

I'd like to thank you for taking the time out to read and comment on my story. I haven't written in so long, it's been wonderful to finally have something worth writing about. I'll go back and edit this for the who's and whose. I've always been a little vague on the two, and whose is definitely a word that isn't commonly used properly, it seems, and I could use more practice. As for the mary-sue, that's definitely one of the biggest problems with self-insertion and why I usually try to avoid it. The point of this was that Skye is not all-powerful as Twilight originally thought. That her interpretation of what she'd read was incomplete and possibly hearsay. I took a somewhat liberal interpretation of perytons, much as many tend to take a liberal interpretation of unicorns or other mythological creatures. That he's a deer fits into the general description of the lore, but turns out to not be what she was expecting at all. He's more forward and friendly than the other deer, which is why he's the -only- one they encounter, but he still doesn't like the exposure and complications of populate society. It's possible there may have been deer (or even perytons!) who have been able to grant wishes in the past, or merely were the end result of an author who perhaps took a story a little too literally. But was supposed to be evident that Skye wasn't one of them. Which is why one shouldn't always completely believe everything they read. I was trying not to go for the 'solve all their problems' approach, since I didn't really see it so much as problems for him to solve, per se, but rather a nudge in the direction that they can't take shortcuts to accomplish their goals. Twilight's study of the magic of friendship prompted her to look into other types of magic, as is evident in other episodes where she's learning how to do other spells (after all, her own grasp of magic itself is sometimes a little flakey and unpredictable - Winter Wrap-up, Pinkie Keen, even in Mare in the Moon) and in due course wanted to study this aspect of magic. And of course, getting a little wrapped up in herself and her goal to be greater than she is, resulting in her dream of taking Princess Celestia's place. Meanwhile, his only real power is to project dreams and takes the ponies on a small self-exploration and shows them that taking shortcuts to something that really requires work and effort to truly accomplish to make worthwhile. I'm not sure how to go back and edit it to eliminate the mary-sueness of the story, since that wasn't quite what I was going for. I don't like convenient magical solutions to every problem every character in canon may have, either. This is also why I try to avoid first person perspective stories, too. Perhaps I could change some of his dialogue to gently tell them that he -can't- actually grant their wishes, that it is a power that's actually beyond him. Other than in the letters, I most definitely didn't want to involve Princess Celestia in other than a cameo role since I know that would definitely be a mary-sue role, having him know the most powerful pony in Equestria (and personally, too?) would definitely be a bit much and totally not the approach I was going for. This is probably going to be the only one I'll write like that, as it is an introduction to the character, and likely everything else he'll do afterwards will be much more subtle. As a guide, I intend to have him have an uncanny sense of direction, and the ability to 'share' dreams amongst others, which could come in handy when two characters have a difficult time understanding each other (like perhaps, foreign travellers). In the interpretation of Perytons I've read, literally, that they tend to be the spirits of women who, in life, committed terrible acts and continued even in death to commit them, most often by eating the hearts of men they seduce. Almost like succubi, only more viscerally. The legend of the Deer Woman in Native American seems to be a similar story, where she would beat them to death with her legs. But there's different interpretations of the myth itself, not always bad, as I've read at least one where they're kindly guides of the forest who, like a will-o-the-wisp, sort of float just out of reach or sight until their charges find themselves un-lost. It is this last version I was more aiming for, and of course like Twilight and the other unicorns, illustrate that sometimes a magical character may have more than one power and talent.

I don't remember where I found this, or where I got it, but I couldn't help but think this would be awesome to share. It appears to be every outfit, hairstyle, and color combination from the Adventures in Ponyville game, set to a song some of you might recognize, even as a remix. Hope you enjoy! I originally tried to upload it as an attachment, but seems like the board doesn't like -anything- I upload, so... I found it here, for the time being.

It was a tossup between Giggle at the Ghosty and Winter Wrap-up, but I had to go with Twilight belting it out.

It's hard to say, but my least favorite character has to be Gilda. Mostly because of the 'trying too hard to be cool' attitude that used to frustrate me so much in school with other kids that would do it. There's genuinely cool, and then there's compensating poser. As for Trixie? I think she just wanted to be loved and noticed, but got a big head and lost direction and purpose. Maybe she'll come back and be a better pony for it.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - Deer Wishes 2011 Shawn "Skye" Winnie http://equestria.electronook.com "C'mooon, Twilight, we shouldn't be inside on such a gorgeous day like this!" complained Spike as he paced back and forth in the library. Of course, Twilight Sparkle had her nose buried in a book as usual, reading up on more of the local lore and mysteries in her research on magic. "Quiet, Spike, I'm trying to find some more information. Why some of these books aren't better organized, is beyond me." the disarray of tomes around her seemed only to grow larger. The baby dragon sighed, and kicked forlornly at one such pile, not that he could make it any messier than it already was. For a pony who was so totally into organization, she sure seemed to have a knack for chaos, he thought to himself. "We'll be in here tidying this up all week, at this rate." "Well, nothing's stopping you from enjoying the sunlight if you want," she paused to glance at him. "After all, most of what I'm looking for seems to be small stories and lore." then a lightbulb seemed to go off above her head. "You know what? Maybe we should go outside." Spike perked up. "Really? That'd be great! Get outside and take in all the fresh air! Maybe Rarity will be out there." a dreamy look in his eye carried his thoughts far away. "Get a grip, Romeo." Twilight rolled her eyes. "She's probably working on some new outfits for the Grand Galloping Gala. It's only a few weeks away, after all." "But, maybe..." he looked hopeful, before noticing Twilight was packing a few books into her saddlebags. "You're not taking those with you, are you? Sheesh." "Of course I am. What better way to find out about local lore and stories than to ask around town? I'll just pack a few of these with me so I can look up some references, and we'll go for a walk." her horn sparkled as she lifted the bags up and onto her back. "There, I'm ready! Let's go!" Outside, Fluttershy was drifting about, helping her animal friends as usual. Most of the other ponies in town ignored her as she went about her business, humming quietly to herself. Birds whose nests needed a little repair, or perhaps some gophers whose dens had collapsed and needed help cleaning up the dirt, she was always doing a little something for them. But she paused as she noticed Spike and Twilight coming out of the library, and drifted over in their direction. "Good morning, friends!" she called to them in her dreamy, singsong voice. "Such a beautiful day, isn't it?" "Why yes, it certainly is!" replied Twilight. Spike, who had taken a perch on her back, waved to the yellow pegasus. "Great day for a picnic, maybe." said the dragon, frowning at Twilight's saddlebags, before looking back up to Fluttershy. "Wish we were going on one, but I'll take what we can get. Better than being all cooped up in the library all day." "Hush, Spike. Fluttershy, I was wondering, what do you know of any local lore? I was reading about some of the history of Equestria when I came across a few things, and thought I'd ask." "lore? Oh, I wouldn't know. Most of the time I'm too busy helping my animal friends to pay attention to any lore. What did you have in mind?" her hooves clicked as Fluttershy landed on the walk nearby. Twilight magicked a book from her saddlebags, her horn sparkling as it floated in front of her, pages turning on their own. "Well, I'd been reading up on magic and found a few interesting things. Like how some creatures seem to have magic, while others just do it. Like how unicorns can do magic with their horns, and pegasus ponies can walk on clouds, and other things like that." she turned the book to Fluttershy, who flinched a moment before taking a look. "Magic? You're the most magic pony I know. I didn't think about it much before you came along." Fluttershy lifted a hoof, and glanced down at it. "I'd never thought about walking on clouds much until you mentioned it, it was always just something we..." Suddenly, a "Look out!" came from the skies above, just before Rainbow Dash crashed into the fountain, splashing them all with water. Twilight sputtered, her mane and tail dripping, as she frowned at the now sodden book. She shook it dry before tucking it back into her saddlebags, then peered over the edge of the fountain at an upside-down Rainbow Dash. "Sorry, girls, I was practicing another trick and lost control again." she chuckled nervously before rolling over and springing back into the air. "Oh, Hi, Fluttershy, Spike. What's up?" as she noticed them nearby. "I was trying to get Twilight to enjoy the day, but so far all we've done is walk a few feet from the library." Spike moped. "We are enjoying the day! I was just asking Fluttershy about any local lore, and talking about magic, like how you pegasus ponies can walk on clouds." said Twilight. "Oh, that's easy! We've always been able to do it! Comes with the territory." Rainbow reared up, looking fierce. "Part of being super-cool. Well, some of us, anyway." she eyed Fluttershy. "It's one of the first things a pegasus learns when she's just a filly. Can't have them falling out of the clouds on their first days, and all!" "Always? Since they were born?" Twilight had another book out, her nose buried in it yet again. "I didn't know that. Oh! Here it is. That's interesting. Seems you pegasus ponies have magic built in, too, just like unicorns. You just use it differently." "We do? I mean, yes, of course! Especially if you're awesome!" Rainbow did a little loop in the air, and hovered a few feet off the ground. "But all of us can do it, even Fluttershy. It's part of what we are. How else are we supposed to move the clouds?" Fluttershy kicked her hoof a bit as she watched Twilight and Rainbow talking, then noticed Spike edging closer. "Yes, Spike?" "Uhm," he touched his fingertips together. "You wouldn't happen to know if Rarity's about, would you? Kinda hoping to bump into her today." "Oh! Yes, I saw her at the market buying some things for her shop. I'm sure she's still there. But listen, I have to go, need to make sure the baby deer just outside of town aren't eating all the flowers, it'll make them sick and that makes me sad." Fluttershy jumped into the air. "There's deer in Equestria?" asked Twilight, as she heard her yellow friend. "I hadn't thought of that." "Oh yes! There's lots of deer. A few that live around Ponyville, and some outside of it, but mostly they're around Whitetail Woods, or even," Fluttershy gulped, "The Everfree Forest. They just prefer not to be seen." "Deer...where had I...oh!" as Twilight flipped through another book. "It says here, 'Deer in Equestria are an unusual species. Very elusive and shy ("Shyer than Fluttershy? Is that possible?" said Rainbow in an aside to Spike.), these creatures are very intelligent and their magic seems to vary as widely as ponies, though none of them seem to exhibit any specific influence in the world. Though legend has it they can even grant wishes." "Grant wishes? Is that possible?" Rainbow perked her ears up, "That would be awesome! I'd wish to be a Wonderbolt! How cool would that be?" "And I would wish all of my animal friends to be safe and sound. It's so much work checking up on them all! In fact, bye-bye!" she called to them as she flew away, presumably to check up on the deer. "Wow, a wish-granting deer. I don't know what I'd wish for. What about you, Spike?" she asked as he climbed back onto her back. "Oh, that's easy. A date with Rarity!" Twilight rolled her eyes again. "Easily a one-track mind. I wish you'd grow up a little." Spike bolted upright. "That's it! I'd wish to be older. Rarity'd surely take notice of me then! Maybe I'd even get a super-cool hoard. I hear she likes gems." the cogs in his mind could easily be seen turning, as the unicorn looked upwards and shook her head. "Puh-leeze, Spike, didn't you learn anything from the mustache? She'll like you for who you are, not who you pretend to be." "Though that was a pretty sweet mustache!" Rainbow chimed in. "Someone say sweet?" as Pinkie Pie bounced up. "I love sweets!" Both of the other ponies winced. "We weren't talking about sweets, Pinkie." said Rainbow in an almost exasperated voice. "Just talking about Spike's mustache. Err. I think." "Oh! That reminds me of licorice. And I think I have some licorice at home. Want some? I'll go get it! Just wait right here, and I'll be right back!" as Pinkie zoomed off. "Pinkie, you are -so- random!" said Rainbow. "Whelp, it was nice chatting with you, Twi, but I got some weather jobs to take care of! Seeya!" and with a flash of her rainbow-colored tail, she zoomed off before Twilight could reply. "Deer." Twilight mused to herself as she resumed walking towards town. "I'd never thought about deer before. I wonder if Princess Celestia knows anything about it. What am I saying, I'm sure she does. But I think we'll have to look into this some more. Fluttershy said there might be some just outside of town, I think we'll have to take a stroll out there and take a look. Which means you might get your picnic after all, Spike." "Oh boy! That'd be awesome!" he sat up from where he'd begun lounging again. "Some apples, and maybe a few gemstones if we can find any, that'd make a great picnic." There were ponies everywhere in the square as they arrived, trotting down the street in search of lunch. Soon they had aquired just about everything they were going to need, including a tablecloth, food and drink, and even a new book that had come into town. Applejack was, of course, minding her apple cart and waved at the pair as they stopped by, though they didn't remain long. Spike's head was peering around like a periscope in hopes of seeing a certain white unicorn, though by the time left the market he was feeling a little disappointed. "Aw, shucks. I hoped she'd be there." "Who?" said Twilight as they moved along, her nose buried, once again, in a book, this one being the new one she'd picked up. It was titled, "Flora and Fauna of Equestria." and seemed to contain a lot of tidbits of new information she hadn't considered before. Spike leaned back against Twilight's neck, his arms behind his head. "Oh, you know. Hey, do you think that's true, about the deer and wishes?" "Mm? Oh, it could be. There's still so much we don't know about magic, that we're bound to find out some new things. That's why Princess Celestia let me stay here in Ponyville, so we could study the magic of friendship, which of course, is part of all magic. Even mine." Twilight lifted her head, and looked back at Spike. "And dragons, too. Says here you're the only species that can eat gemstones. No other creature in Equestria does that." "They're so yummy. Rubies, and Emeralds, nothing tastes quite like it. Too bad we didn't find any at the market. Oh well." he lifted an apple and shined it on his arm. As he sat up, looking at it, he noticed something in its reflection but it was gone too quickly. He glanced around for whatever it was, but he saw nothing else but the usual bushes and flowers. "Did you see that?" "See what?" But of course, she hadn't seen anything with a volume in front of her face. It was a wonder she never seemed to run into anything. "Oh, nothing." Spike munched on the apple. "Thought I saw something, that's all." "Uh-huh." Of course, Twilight wasn't really listening, but Spike was used to it by now anyway. The baby dragon looked about absently as she guided them towards the park. It was of course, a beautiful day. The pegasus ponies had outdone themselves. There was not a cloud in sight, and the sun was brightly shining. It was really a perfect day for the picnic. After helping Twilight set up the blanket and setting out the snacks, he leaned against her side and looked out across Ponyville. Twilight, of course, buried herself back into another book. The one she was currently reading was titled, "Mythical Beasts and lore of Equestria", written by someone neither of them had heard of. There was so much more to Equestria than anyone, save for perhaps Celestia, had ever seen. Which suddenly perked up her ears. "Spike, take a letter." "A letter?" from out of one of Twilight's saddlebags, he retrieved a scroll and quill. "To whom?" "Princess Celestia, of course. I bet she's heard of some of these lore. Dear Princess Celestia, " she began as Spike scribbled frantically, "I've been doing some research into the Magic of Friendship when I came across some other lore that required more study. As with the pegasus who can walk on clouds in addition to fly, and unicorns who have their special magic, there are lore of other creatures with inherent magic of their own, but none of them live in Ponyville that I am aware of. My friend Fluttershy made mention of deer that lived around the town as well as in the Everfree Forest, as well as Whitetail Woods. I am going to investigate this as part of my studies in hopes of finding out more on how magic works. Sincerely, your student, Twilight Sparkle." "Is that it?" said Spike as he re-read what he'd written. "Uh-huh. Roll it up and send it, please." Spike took a deep breath of air, and then with a puff of green fire, sent the scroll on its way. "Do you really think deer could grant wishes? And how come we've never heard of this before? Has anyone had their wishes granted in the history books?" "Well, there's not much to read in Equestrian History," replied Twilight as they gathered up their belongings. "Much of it took place thousands of years ago but only relatively recently began to be written down. We haven't had much time to write much about it, which is one reason why we're studying it." "Maybe Zecora knows something?" said Spike, with a gulp. He dreaded going to the Everfree Forest, even to see their zebra friend. Seeing as the picnic apparently wsn't going to last much longer, he began to gather up the remains. "I think I'll stay here, and clean up the library." "That sounds like a good idea, and I could certainly use some more of her tea." Zecora paused from where she was looking through her cabinet of herbs and teas, "Of your book, there's more than a peek. Certainly there exists the deer you seek." "There is? A deer that grants wishes?" Twilight looked hopeful. Think of what this would mean! She thought to herself. "Wishes he grants, sure as you blink, but they do not come true as you think. But this strange deer, you'll find elsewhere, as he does not live here." Zecora nodded with finality. "Darn. You wouldn't happen to know where I could find him, do you? Or any others of his kind?" And suddenly, there came a crash at the door with a loud squeak. "Hmm, visitors three, I wonder who that could be?" mused Zecora as she answered the door. There in a pile, was Fluttershy and Rainbow, and from the gathering of limbs, apparently Applejack as well. The three ponies looked up from the tangle with sheepish looks. "Sorry about that, we heard you were coming here and didn't think you should be alone, er, in your search!" said Rainbow Dash. "Oh, er, thanks, but I didn't expect to go actually looking, I was just looking to find out more about them..." Twilight appeared thoughtful. "But while we're thinking about it, maybe we should go look for them, and the company would be welcome. Fluttershy, you said you know about them, and that they might be in the Whitetail Woods, maybe we should head over there?" "Thanks, Zecora!" Twilight called back as the ponies galloped from the tree. "How does one go about makin' friends with a deer? They can't be just like ponies, or we'd see them around town, wouldn't we?" Applejack followed alongside Twilight as she looked over to Fluttershy, who strangely seemed to prefer running to flying. None of them had an answer as they approached the path that lead into the Whitetail Woods, and the graceful arch of trees created dappled pools of light on the grass beneath them. The leaves were full-on in summer mode, and the view was quite lovely, if making it more difficult to see anything from amidst their trunks. Twilight looked somewhat dismayed. "Phooey. It's not dark here like the Everfree forest, but it's going to be just as difficult to find anything in this. Can you see anything from up there, Rainbow?" The pegasus landed nearby, shaking her head. "Nah, it's even harder to see anything up there than it is down here, and I'd better stick with you or I'll never find you in all of this." "That's a good idea. Stickin' together." said Applejack, as they looked around upon entering the forest. "Though it sure is dark here, ah hope we don't get lost anyway!" A sparkle for a moment, then a soft glow illuminated their surroundings as Twilight lit her horn. "Don't worry, Girls, I'm sure we'll find our way out easily enough, especially with two Pegasus ponies along. Now shhh, so we can look." Though it didn't take them long to realize that their own footfalls were being shadowed by others, unseen amongst the trees. A flash of white here, the dark shape of a body there seen vanishing behind some of the massive trees began to slowly unnerve the ponies. "Hello?" called Twilight into the darkness. "Is anyone there?" The reply startled them all, as a soft voice called back. "I'm here." "Who?" said Rainbow as she took to the air and began to circle the trees. "I don't see anyone, is this a trick? Come out where we can see you!" suddenly, she sped off. "Rainbow, come back! Don't get lost!" Fluttershy took off to follow her friend, leaving Twilight and Applejack behind. Soon, the strange laughter faded off into the brush as the two pegasi dashed after it, ignoring the Earth Ponies. "Oh great." said Twilight as she stopped short, as she lost sight of them, before realizing Applejack wasn't with her either. "Double great! Where'd everybody go?" she looked around, trying to find the path but found nothing but rich loam and fallen leaves beneath her hooves. "Why is it we always get lost when we're least expecting it? I'll never find anyone like this. Applejack! Rainbow! Fluttershy?" she called in different directions, her ears perked and straining for a reply. "They're safe." said the voice again, causing Twilight to freeze. As she did, she realized that as she held still, so did everything else around them, or at least seem to. The air became very still, even the leaves seemed to fall in slow motion. "Who's there?" A deer came out from behind a tree, though not one that looked like any in her books. This one was not brown, but blue. Like Rainbow, a pair of feathered wings lay furled against his side, and from the occasional glimmer of sunlight on the ground came the sparkle of silvery hooves. "Just me. Can I help you with something?" Twilight tilted her head, "I've been studying magic, and trying to learn more about them. About you, I mean. I've read deer have magic too, and that some of you grant wishes." The deer circled her slowly, turning his face to regard her first one eye, and then the other. "You are a unicorn. You are magic, much like we are. Can unicorns grant wishes?" She sat on the ground, trying to follow him as he circled her, trying to hide her nervousness. This certainly was a strange creature, for one supposedly so shy he seemed fairly bold. "Not that I've ever read, each unicorn usually has a unique talent of their own. How come there's only one of you? Aren't there others? And you don't look like any picture of a deer I've ever seen." "That's because I'm not like most other deer. I'm a Peryton, a different kind of deer. Just like you're a different kind of equine, as a unicorn. And there's many of us, I just happen to be curious." he replied. "What's a Peryton? I don't remember reading about those in my books." she looked confused. "That's because we're not like normal deer. They've got magic of their own, I have magic of mine, and you've got yours. Equestria is a magic place." "My books say that deer are very shy and hard to find. But you're right here. And what kind of magic do you do?" her neck was getting sore watching him circle around, Twilight wished he'd stand still for a change. "I like ponies, but I could never go to Ponyville. Or anywhere where there's too many. It's crowded." said the deer. "I like it here just fine. But I'm not afraid of ponies." "I've lost my friends, would you know how to find them?" He smiled, stopping in front of her before laying on the grass nearby. "Your friends are safe, and you'll meet up with them soon. But I've come to talk to you, and you haven't answered my question." Twilight blushed again at his forwardness. "Well, I do, of course, but most of what I know comes from books and experiments, and you're the first deer I've ever met. I've read about you, but nothing I read prepared me for this. So I, er, we, thought to come out and find you. I admit I didn't expect to actually find you. At least, not this easily." The deer chuckled. "Oh, most deer are plenty easy to find, when they want to be. But I'm not your usual deer, like I said." Now that Twilight's nervousness was fading, she found it easier to converse with him. "Do you have a name? My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I'm a loyal student of Princess Celestia's." "We do have names. Mine is Skye. I'm pleased to meet you, Twilight Sparkle. If you could have one wish, what would you wish for?" as he gazed at her, she seemed to feel like falling into its depths. "I would...would wish to learn...to know...all there is about magic..." said Twilight dreamily as that eye seemed to expand and swallow her up. "Hail, Princess Twilight!" Twilight stood tall, raising her head to the sky as she spread her wings, basking in the attention her subjects bestowed upon her. Finally, the day had come when all she had worked to learn had finally come! When she finally passed her final test from Princess Celestia, a whirl of magic had surrounded the purple unicorn, and she rememebered the feeling as a pair of gorgeous feathered wings sprouted from her side. If only she'd known all this time how simple it would have been, simply to make a wish, and all of this would come true! As she stood there in front of the throne, facing the ponies gathered before her, she opened her eyes to smile down at them. She loved them all, they'd all helped her so much in her studies of magic, and been so wonderful to her all those years. Her five friends were there in front of her in a semi-circle, all bowing to their knees in front of her. "My faithful subjects!" Twilight heard herself say, her voice seeming so much older and deeper now. Was she older? She certainly looked it. A glimmer of sunlight came from the side, and she turned to look at a mirror she hadn't noticed was there before. But the sight that greeted her wasn't how she thought she'd be at all! There, in the mirror, was herself as a pony, still short, still learning, her horn short, and wingless. But this couldn't be right, here she was, standing on the dais in front of all these ponies! Maybe something was wrong with the mirror. That must be it, perhaps it was broken. Wait a minute, she thought, mirrors don't break! Not like that, I mean. As she regarded herself in the mirror again, her image seemed to shimmer, fading into that of Princess Celestia, then as she saw herself, then, as she realized, the self she really was. She thought about it, as all of her subjects looked up at her, and realized, she really didn't know anything at all. She'd only scratched the surface of her lessons. She'd cheated, something she'd promised herself and the Princess that she'd never do, and yet she'd done it. She'd gone into the woods, and made a wish, and here she was. This wasn't right! Twilight frantically looked around, but the Princess was nowhere to be found. "Out of my way!" she cried as she dashed down the stairs, looking in corners and behind curtains. Surely Princess Celestia was to be found! She had to be there, she'd never let anything like this happen! There was no way! "Princess?" called one of the guards from the balcony. "It's time, the sun must rise or Equestria will be shrouded in darkness forever." The purple unicorn galloped onto the balcony, and stood in the accustomed spot, panting. Maybe, just maybe, she could do this! Maybe...but she knew she couldn't. This was Princess Celestia's special power, to raise the sun. No matter how hard she strained, Twilight just couldn't find the strength within her she knew she needed to raise the sun. She could feel it just on the edge of her ability, yet still out of reach that it may as well been completely impossible. Twilight dove within herself, reaching around in hope for something, anything, that would help her! The world could not be shrouded in darkness forever, she couldn't let it! And where was Princess Celestia? How did...wait. How did she get home? When did she leave the Whitetail Woods? She didn't remember that either. The world seemed to slow down, the very air growing still as the realization came to her. She couldn't remember anything but from what happened that morning. With perfect clarity, yet she could remember nothing that should have happened between then and now. As time came to a crawl, she realized she didn't even remember taking the test, or anything about it. And finally, with a sudden crash, everything came to a halt as the true realization came to her. All of this was a dream. "It is a dream." came a soft, familiar voice. From the darkness, a blue glow lit the horizon. Though she was the only pony present on the balcony, she felt the warmth of her friends somewhere nearby, and the love of Princess Celestia as the sun broke the skies and shone its brilliance on her. The Princess came to light in front of her, but for once, Twilight didn't feel the compulsion to bow. She stood there, gazing in awe at her Princess, her Mentor, her Teacher, at the ease with which she seemed to bring up the morning sun, and knowing how much power this took every day for her to do for over a thousand years. "Princess Celestia..." Twilight breathed, as she slowly sank to her knees and bowed her head. "I'm so sorry. I thought I could do it, but I can't, can I? Not yet. Not with a wish." "No, my Faithful Student, not yet." but her words came with a light humor. "But this is just a dream, another lesson." "A lesson? I don't understand." replied Twilight as she lifted her head to gaze at her mentor. She blinked for a moment as she realized that standing behind the Princess, his antlers aflame in the light, was Skye. He didn't seem to notice her, standing nearly perfectly still except for his breathing, his eyes closed. "What does he have to do with any of this?" "He can share dreams. Have you learned nothing from this one? Anything at all?" Realization dawned on Twilight, as she felt the dream slowly begin to fade. Not like a waning light, but like the way the warmth fades in like a well-loved blanket, wrapping her with velvety comfort, the world slowly darkening around the edges, yet remaining centered on the bright and beautiful glow of her Princess. "I think I do understand, Princess..." Twilight finally felt the dream come to a close as all dreams do, bringing her to the sweet oblivion of slumber. * * * "Rainbow Dash! Wait up! Wait!" called Fluttershy, before she lost sight of her friend. Quickly, the yellow pegasus dropped to the ground, and looked around beneath the trees, hoping to catch a glimpse before she stopped and huddled against the trunk. She didn't like being alone, not woods of any kind, by herself, if she could help it. "Twilight? Applejack? Anyone?" she squeaked. Then she startled, looking around as a voice came from seemingly everywhere. "Relax, Fluttershy. You're safe here, and so are they." "Who's there?" "I'm here." and from behind the tree in front of her came a winged blue buck. "No need to be afraid, nothing will hurt you here. In these woods, this is my home, much as Ponyville is yours. Princess Celestia would allow no harm to come to you." "Princess...Celestia?" Fluttershy regarded the deer as he settled down on the grass in front of her. "How do you know her?" "She brought out the sun, and her sister brought the night, and without it we wouldn't have the magic within the world. The life within it would soon wither and die without the sunlight, and it would wear out without the night to give rest. So we owe our existence to Celestia and Luna. It is part of the magic of the world." "But there are so many dangers and scary things in it. How could Princess Celestia allow that to be? And who are you? I've never seen a deer like you before." Fluttershy pawed nervously at the ground. "My name is Skye. There are many of us in the Whitetail Woods, much as there are many of you. Some of us are winged, some of us are earthbound. What brings you here?" "Well, I...I'm Fluttershy." she trailed off as she looked about, then gazed at Skye through her pink forelock. "I wanted to ask, if that's okay, I mean, if I could have a wish. I've heard that you grant wishes, and I would so dearly love to wish all of my animal friends to always be safe. The world is such a scary place, and I can't always be everywhere to make sure they're taken care of." Skye smiled at her as he regarded the pegasus. Fluttershy flinched for a moment before she began to feel herself drifting. "Perhaps, but you don't need me for that." said his voice. It didn't seem to take much at all, all of the animals seemed to obey her every whim, her every command, as Fluttershy floated over them. Gathering them up, directing them all where she wanted them to go. They would be safe, as long as they stayed within this corral! She'd made this corral with her own four hooves, it wasn't very big, but it would be big enough for all of them as long as they stayed inside! No monsters would get them, none of them would get hurt, or sick, and she'd be right there ready to step in if anything went wrong. As long as none of them ever escaped from the corral. "There's my animal friends, you'll be safe here, do move on, move along, come on in, welcome to your new home." she said in her sing-song voice, and as she spoke, all of them seemed mesmerized and compliant. No loud noises, no spooky monsters, never again. Fluttershy landed in front of the corral, closing the gate after the last of her friends had packed in. There was barely room for them to move, all of them close together, keeping each other warm. But yet, something didn't seem right. She couldn't quite put her hoof on it, but something seemed out of place. The more she circled the corral, checking everything to make sure everything was in place, and that nobody was out of place, she realized just what it was that was nagging her inside. None of them looked happy. As her eyes travelled from face to face, each of her animal friends were gazing at her through the confines of the corral. They all looked so sad, so forlorn, that none of them ever had any freedom ever again. None of them would run, and rabbits loved to run. None of them would fly, and she knew the birds loved to fly. They were maybe safe, but at what cost? "No, no, this isn't the way it's supposed to be at all. They're all safe, but...why aren't they happy? I just wanted them to be safe and happy, and cared for, but they're not happy. Why aren't they?" "They're not happy, because they're not free. You can't have happiness without it. Then they're really not safe at all, as long as they're in here." came a voice. She turned to see Skye walking up beside her, his antlers sparkling with energy dancing between them. "But how can I keep them all safe and sound, and keep them happy? If they roam the forest, they could get hurt, or worse, and sick, and I can't always be there for them, and it makes me so sad." Fluttershy replied, her eyes watering as she realized that things were even worse than before. "How can this be?" "You can let them go." he stopped to stand nearby the gate, indicating it with a hoof. "Without freedom, and risk, they can't know what it is to be happy. They won't know the gratitude they have knowing you're there for them when they need you. You can't be everywhere at once, but just knowing you're somewhere, is enough for them. Your wish is perhaps the easiest to grant, because I don't have to grant it at all. You're the best friend any of your animal friends could have, because you know better, and you know that while you could, you won't keep them from being themselves." The yellow pegasus turned back to the corral, swishing her tail, before she reached out and took ahold of the bolt, swinging the gate open. As she did, the gate fogged into smoke, as did the corral, and with it, her friends, all of them now smiling and chirping and chittering as they faded from her sight. "I'll never trap you." she promised them, before she turned to Skye with a smile. "I'll always be there for them." Skye faded into the darkness as it surrounded her. "That's the way it should be." * * * "Rainbow Dash." called a voice from the ground, nearly causing her to run into a tree in distraction. "Who's there?" she called back, landing on the ground nearby one. "Is someone there? Show yourself!" "Rainbow Dash, you're going to get yourself lost if you don't watch where you're going." As her eyes focused in the darkness, she made out a shape that slowly stepped into the light, revealing itself to be a deer with similar color to her own, complete with wings just like hers. "It's dangerous to fly around in these woods if you don't watch where you go." "Nah, I'm the best flyer in all of Equestria! Next to the Wonderbolts, that is. Are you that deer that grants wishes? I'd totally wish to be a Wonderbolt!" she blurted out almost in one rapid breath. The deer smiled. "Truly a great wish for the greatest flyer in all of Equestria, I would think that you would do everything you could to gain that position of prestige. But why come to me for this?" "Because you can grant any wish! Can you or can't you?" Rainbow looked impatient, she hated being grounded for so long, she loved to fly!" Skye settled on the ground. "I think you've had that power all along, Rainbow, but were merely afraid to show it. Come, tell me more about it..." Rainbow swayed as Skye looked at her, somewhat unsettled, but found she couldn't break away from that warm, friendly eye that captured her so neatly. "I want, more than anything..." she murmured as her eyes began to feel heavy, and she slowly sank to her knees before everything went dark. The crowd cheered for her, as Rainbow completed yet another amazing dive! "Woo-hoo!" she cried out as she felt the gravity shifting around her body, the air whistling through her wings and the warmth of the sun as it caressed her. This was joy! This was delight, this was completely awesome! "And now, performing her next stunt, the captain of the Wonderbolts, RAINBOW DASH!" came the announcers voice from beneath her. Rainbow flared her wings, stopping in midair and hovering as she took her position for the next awesome stunt! This one was going to be a doozy, but they'd worked so very hard for it! "Ready team? Let's go!" With a sudden flash, and a circle of smoke, she took off at the lead of the formation, her rainbow colors trailing after her. Her team passed closely to each other, wingtips nearly touching, before they turned into a tight spiral. Rainbow gritted her teeth as the gravity began to tug on her body, and yet she flapped even harder. Speed! They needed speed! Then suddenly, she felt the telltale pull of air on her tail that told her they were forming a tornado. This was it! They were going to do it! But yet...something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Rainbow opened her eyes, and realized she wasn't flying at all. She was sitting perfectly still on a bench, looking up at the Wonderbolts as they performed her stunt, the very one she'd been practicing all these months, but they were doing it without her. Wait, how could this be? How could they be doing all of that without her! That wasn't fair! But she couldn't get up, her wings weren't working! Rainbow strained, feeling as if rope was wrapped around her her from all sides, holding her tight, clamping her wings down. No...she didn't have wings! That wasn't right at all, she'd always had wings! "Hey! What's going on here? Why can't I fly! Let me go!" she started to struggle against whatever was holding her, but couldn't see what it was, how could she break free from something she couldn't even see? It wasn't fair! The crowd was going to see the Wonderbolts finish her stunt, and all of it without her! She had to get up there, with them, where she belonged! "Wait, guys! Wait! I'm not there! Don't!" Rainbow began to break a sweat as she struggled, strained, pushed hard to open the wings she knew were there. She could feel them, she just couldn't fly! But she had to fly! And in slow motion, Rainbow watched the Wonderbolts complete the stunt she'd dreamed about for so long, and cried out, stretching her forelegs to the sky in dismay as they did it without her! The entire crowd, the whole world, had seen her most awesome stunt, and she'd missed being in it! It was totally not fair, she'd worked so hard on it! And yet, as she slowly began to relax, she realized, she hadn't worked at all. She didn't know the moves she'd have to make to pull that stunt off. She didn't even know how she'd do even half the things she'd have to do. She could go blazing fast, but those turns were next to impossible, even for her. Not without practice. With a sudden ripple, as if she'd fallen into a lake, the whole world splashed around her, and came crashing down like shattering rainbow glass. Darkness surrounded her on all sides as she found herself free, her wings restored, and no longer being held down! But she didn't take off. She stood where she was as the world dissolved around her, leaving her standing alone on the bleachers. Alone, except for Skye, seated only a few seats away in front of her. His antlers glowed, crackling as lightning flickered between them, just watching her. "It's all a dream. I can't do it, can I?" Rainbow heard her own voice, incredibly loud, as if she were speaking in a small room. "I'm not ready, am I?" "Not yet." she heard herself answer, before the self she always pictured herself to be approached from the ground. Dressed in all the Wonderbolt finery she imagined herself in, the double-Dash lifted her goggles and gazed up at her counterpart. "We never could do it without practice. Why did we think we could do it with just a wish? We know there's so much work, so much we have to do, to look that good, even in front of our friends. We didn't waste all that time doing our stunts before, did we? Was all of it for nothing?" Rainbow Dash slowly stepped down from the bleachers, glancing at Skye as he sat there, unmoving and seemed oblivious. She stopped in front of her imagined self, the pegasus she hoped she would become someday. "Nah, we wouldn't have been nearly as awesome if we hadn't practiced. Can we still do it? I mean, can I do it?" Her counterpart raised her hoof with a smile. "Of course! Are we not the most awesome, most brave and fastest pony in the skies? Of course we can do it! We just have to practice first. Then we'll show them all when it's the right time, that we truly belong with the Wonderbolts, and not a minute before." The two pegasi touched hooves, and a spark jumped between them, nearly blinding her with its brilliance. As it faded, the afterimage of her Wonderbolt self remained etched on her retinas for several moments before the world drifted away like the wisps of a cloud. "One day...one day..." * * * "Girls? Twilight? Where'd everybody go?" Applejack, even being one of the bravest ponies, was feeling herself starting to shake in her horseshoes. She didn't like being alone in these big, dark woods by herself, even if it was for a good cause. She stepped around a tree, then caught up short as she nearly ran into a blue stag standing only a few feet away. He smiled at her, then turned with a flash of his tail and trotted away before pausing to look back to her. Applejack stood nervously where she was before turning her head to fix him with a gaze. "Who're you?" "My name's Skye, and I thought I'd lead you out of here, since you seem to be lost. It's really not that far out, and your friends and family need you." "But.." she started after him, then stepped nervously from hoof to hoof. "Applejack, pleased tuh meetcha. Before I go, I had a question. You're that deer that grants wishes, ain'tcha? I wondered if you could grant one for me." The deer stopped, and turned back to her, tilting his head. "And if I could what would you wish for?" Applejack pawed the ground, looking at the turf as she disturbed it. "Well, Sweet Apple Acres could always use s'more income, so we can keep making apples for Ponyville and anyone else who wants t' buy them. The barn needs a new roof, and Granny Smith's always in need of care. So I was hopin' I could wish for s'more money or something." Skye came back closer to her, circling around. He ruffled his wings a moment before stopping in front of the orange pony and settling down on the grass in front of her. "Well, that does seem to be a pretty noble wish, thinking of others. Anything you would wish for yourself?" She shook her head, her mane tossing over one shoulder and then the other. "Nah, ah got everything else ah need, the farm could use it a whole lot more than me. Apple Bloom's got her schooling, Big Mac's busy running the farm as best he can, ah got everything else ah need but ah wish ah could help more." The deer turned his head as he gazed at her, and she soon found herself trapped in the amber pools. "You're a hard worker, Applejack." "Yeah, but...Ah'd love to do more..." Applejack's voice faded as she found herself drifting off. "Yeehah! Get along there!" Applejack cried as she dodged, running, to head off the herd of cattle. Again, those darned snakes, always spooking the cows! "Put 'em up, Wynona!" as she nudged another cow into place, before grabbing the rope from her saddlebag. Wynona barked from somewhere on the other side of the herd, and Applejack knew that her companion was ready. She swung her head, the loop of rope passing around the neck of the lead, and pulled tight. With a firm tug of her strong neck, she made the stampeding cattle turn, before they ran over any ponies in their path and with it, out of Ponyville. "Yeehah!" exclaimed Applejack, as she dig her hooves in, and dragged the stampede to a halt. She spat the rope out, then startled as she realized that somehow, she'd roped her big brother, Big Macintosh. "Big Mac? What're yeh doin'? How...where'd the cows go?" she was alone with him on a hill, overlooking the orchard of Sweet Apple Acres and all those thousands of apples just waiting to be harvested. "Yuh promised t'harvest all them apples on your own, don't yuh remember?" he glanced at her sternly. "And ah ain't got all day t'wait fer yuh to finish the job. Can yuh do it, or not?" "Ah can do it, just you wait! This is yer sister yer talkin' to! Ah'll have all them apples harvested before lunchtime, just yuh wait!" she stamped a hoof, before looking nervously to the work ahead of her. "Ah know yeh can. Also, the barn needs a new roof, and ah got teh get to the market to sell all them apples." Big Mac continued to watch her, and Applejack quailed under that gaze. How could she let him down? How could she let Granny Smith down? The whole Apple clan would be laughing at her, the little pony that couldn't, writing checks her body couldn't cash! She had to speak up and say she needed help! But she couldn't. Every time she tried, her mouth opened but nothing came out. All she could hear herself say were more promises to finish jobs that she knew she'd never be able to finish. But the words just kept coming, kept pouring out, and the lists got longer and longer. And yet as hard as she tried, nothing ever got done. The cows never were milked, the apples never picked, the barn never repaired, the wheat harvested, all of those carrots to pick...but every time she tried to ask for help, nothing came out. But the jobs just kept mounting, and every one she did, never seemed to pay more. The Apple family coinbox seemed to remain woefully empty, and the work just kept piling up. Finally, she stopped, and hung her head, panting from trying to plow the fields, which was normally Mac's job. "Ah just can't...Ah can't...Ah can't do it all myself!" she cried, tears forming in her eyes. The roughest, toughest pony, she had to give up, to quit, there was nothing she could give, she'd given it all. But then, as she stopped, and tried to rest, she realized that somehow, the roof had gotten fixed on the barn. The cows were all herding themselves in. Big Mac flashed her a smile as he pulled at the brand new plow. AppleBloom and the other Cutie Mark Crusaders, along with the rest of Applejack's friends were helping applebuck the crop. Somehow, everything was working out perfectly, and the money was flowing in. "Ah don't get it, what does this mean?" she puzzled, trying to figure out how, without her, everything was somehow working out. "It means that you can't do everything else, and that you can only do what you can do. No more, no less. Discovering your limits is important and knowing where they are, not only helps keep you out of trouble, but helps others do their parts. When everyone is doing their parts, you'll never need to make promises you know you can't keep." Skye faded in next to her, his antlers glowing with a white light. "You may wish you had all the money in the world to do everything, but that money won't last forever, and when it does run out, you'll be no better off than before. The more you have, the more you spend." "But Ah'd be able to get everythin' paid, everythin' fixed, we wouldn't have to work so hard!" Applejack stomped her hoof. "No, you'd have to work harder to catch up. All that time you would spend, spending the money you didn't earn, when would anything get done? When would you value your hard work? Knowing those apples sold because you picked them. That barn roof holds tight because you fixed it. That your family and friends are there for you, because you were there for them. Every bit you earn, is yours to keep." "Ah guess yer raht. But couldn't I wish for even just a little bit more? Maybe not so danged hard on everypony?" Skye smiled. "Remember the last time you promised to buck the whole crop yourself? How'd that turn out?" "Ah know, ah know. But wasn't it fun? Gettin' everypony together and...oh hay, there's an idea! Ah could throw a party, maybe charge a bit to have ponies come pick their own apples durin', raisin' money for th' barn and all. Ah bet Big Mac'll love that idea! And we'd have all the workers we'd need, th' crops would practically harvest themselves!" Applejack seemed to have a lightbulb go off in her head. The deer smiled again. "Now that sounds like a great idea. That sounds like the Applejack everypony knows." "Yeh, ah'm jest me, alright..." she said as her eyes seemed to grow heavier and heavier. It sure was hard work, all that she'd done, and been doing, she just needed to take a little nap, just for a few minutes... * * * Twilight blinked, and raised her head as she realized the world was coming back to shape around her. First she noticed how bright everything seemed, then realized she was in a small pile with her friends around her on the path of the entrance to the Whitetail Woods. A pressure told her someone's head was on her back, and as she opened her eyes and focused, she realized Applejack was completely asleep against her, and Rainbow on the other side. In front of her was Fluttershy, and as the cobwebs cleared away, she found she couldn't remember how they got there. "Mmmnh, what happened?" she shook her head. "Huh?" came Rainbow's sleepy voice before the pegasus shakily got to her feet and stretched. "I had the strangest dream. How'd we get out here?" "I dunno, did we all fall asleep?" Applejack yawned as she stood. "I coulda sworn we were lost in the woods. But I have a really great idea now, maybe we don't hafta find that deer after all." "Did we? I remember...I think, anyway, what was his name..." Fluttershy blinked confusedly for a moment before turning to look at the woods. "I better get home, it's getting late." "I have a letter to write to Princess Celestia, I should have brought Spike along." Twilight said as they began to walk back towards town. "Though I had a dream, too. Did we all dream?" "Yeah, and I just have to keep practicing and I'll get noticed by the Wonderbolts! I should have thought of that!" exclaimed Rainbow as she did a loop above them. "I'd never thought it'd be so easy." Applejack bounced a bit. "And Sweet Apple Acres will do so well! I can't wait to get back and tell Big Macintosh about what we should do with our crops. Caramel and Blues can look into setting up a trade, maybe with Fillydelphia, and expand our market, too! It'd be a great opportunity!" Later, Twilight lay on the floor of her tree as Spike took up a scroll and a quill. "Dear Princess Celestia, I definitely learned something new today. The world has so much magic in it, of so many different kinds. I learned that you can never expect someone else to grant your wishes, and that anything worth doing is worth doing right. It doesn't take any magic to do that, and having great friends is the best wish of all." The End *edited per suggestions! 3/15/2011*

This is about as complete as I can think of for the time being, though I may come back later and edit it again to smooth or add to some content. But I think I can consider this pretty much finished! Comments and Suggestion, as well as Criticism are all welcome!

Welcome!

I love his colors! So vibrant!

I loved the little random "Yay!" moment she had when she exited the curtain.

I love this character already and she's so pretty, too! Looks like fun!

I think one thing I love the most, is Rarity's voice. She's got such life and bounce, even when she's whining that just makes her so much fun to listen to. Though poor thing, all the abuse she has to go through...I didn't like the rolling over and giving in the diamond dogs did just to shut her up, but I guess they couldn't have been -too- mean... or even all bad! Maybe they'll turn out to have hearts of gold later elsewhere and help the ponies out with something. After all, how incredibly useful their talent of digging could come in handy!

Thanks! They really are all great, it's hard to totally settle on any one in particular! I haven't roleplayed in so long, but I've been itching to possibly try out collaborations of some kind, maybe this will be the place where I find that niche. I've already submitted a character application, perhaps it'll be suitable! I totally feel Equestria is the place where all manners of mythical creatures and ponies work together, it's a great big world and only Celestia knows its boundaries!

It's sure nice to meetcha all! Been a fan of MLP since way back when, and most recently of the FiM series since day one! I'm a 32 year old broni, but I usually prefer not to talk too much about myself unless I've gotten to really know you fairly well. But my talents include doggerel poetry, occasional fanfics, and description writing! I've been watching FiM since the original air episode back when and instantly fell in love with the series. It's well written, the artwork is gorgeous, and it just tickles me and makes me smile. Fluttershy's a sweetie, but I'd have to say I like Pinkie Pie and Applejack the best. My character is a Peryton, and have been originally a mucker for quite some time, more recently on Second Life, and now here as well! I was surprised to see Perytons on the official RP list, maybe I'll have to take a gander at that sometime and see how it goes, though I don't always have the ability or time to dig too deep into that. But like Skye, I'm always willing to offer advice and I'm friendly, and contrary to what you might have heard of the species, I don't bite.