DISC: I DO NOT own any of the ponies you recognize in this story. They belong to Hasbro. I do however own all of the Human characters in this story, along with any ponies you don't recognize.

Enjoy!

"Finding the Rainbow"

Chapter 1

The twelve-year-old girl stared out the window and heaved a sigh. She hated it when it rained. Turning around at the sound of small footsteps, she heaved another sigh when a younger girl appeared in her bedroom doorway.

"I found you! I found you!" She announced, jumping up and down with glee. Her blonde pigtails swaying from side to side.

"So what?" the older girl stated.

"Mama said breakfast is soon." She hopped onto the bed and gave the older girl a hopeful look. "Lucy?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell me a pony story, please?"

"Why don't you ask Mom?"

"She's busy," the little girl shrugged.

"I'm busy too," she tried to fake.

"Lucy!" the little girl whined.

"What?" Lucy frowned.

"You're not busy," the little girl stated, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Rebecca, I really don't feel like telling you a story right now."

"You used to tell me stories all the time," Rebecca sighed.

"Maybe I don't feel like it right now," Lucy turned her back on her little sister.

"Luce! Becca, breakfast!" their mother called from the first floor.

"Race ya downstairs!" Rebecca challenged. With that, she ran out of the room, leaving Lucy staring out of her window.

'I just want some adventure this summer," Lucy thought wistfully.

"Luce!" her mother called again.

"I'm coming!" Lucy called back.

Entering the kitchen, Lucy got juice and milk for everyone before sitting down at her place.

"Did you sleep well?" her mother came over and planted a kiss on Lucy's head.

Lucy shrugged.

"She had another dream," Rebecca offered in between bites of pancakes.

"Becca!" Lucy hissed.

"Was it the same one?" their mother asked. Her emerald eyes were full of concern as she regarded her eldest daughter.

"Mostly, " Lucy replied, refusing to meet her mother's eyes.

"We'll talk about it after I get back from work."

"Do we have to go over to Aunt Abby's again?" Lucy asked.

"Yes," their mother replied.

"I like going over Auntie Abby's!" Becca chimed in.

"Great! Why don't you drop Becca off there and let me stay here on my own. I'm twelve-years-old. I don't need a sitter anymore."

"I know you don't, but I want you girls to stay together. You'll have fun."

"It's boring over there," Lucy declared.

"If you keep your mind open, adventure will find you," her mother reminded her.

"That might have worked when I was a kid," Lucy sighed.

"You still are a kid," her mother reminded her. She ruffled her light brown hair. "Don't be in a hurry to grow up, Luce. Enjoy being a kid for as long as you can."

Lucy nodded. She tried to take her mother's advice, but it was hard.

Once breakfast was over, Lucy helped with the dishes. Then she went upstairs to her room and packed a bag with CD's, her CD player and her electronic journal. She ran back downstairs and sat on the couch to wait for her sister and mother to be ready. Subconsciously, her hazel eyes landed on a picture sitting on the mantel. It showed her on a man's shoulders, grinning a mile wide. The sun was shining above them.

"I miss you, Daddy," Lucy whispered.

"Are you ready to go, honey?"

Lucy jumped a mile when she heard her mother's voice behind her.

"Uh-huh," she replied. She blinked hard to stop the tears from coming.

Her mother sighed when she saw what the pre-teen had been staring at.

"Luce…" she held her arms out to her.

"I'm fine," Lucy insisted, "let's go."

Shaking her head, Megan sighed, took Rebecca's hand and followed her eldest daughter out to the car.

Arriving at her childhood home, Megan parked the car and got out. Lucy and Rebecca followed a minute later.

"Hey, you guys!" Abby came out to greet them. She hugged Megan first, then scooped Rebecca up into her arms. "And how's my sweetie-pie doing?"

"Good!" Rebecca giggled.

Abby kissed her and set the little girl down. She glanced up and frowned when she saw the expression on her elder niece's face. "Did you have a bad morning?"

"I'm just tired," Lucy lied.

"Well you can rest in the guestroom. Then when you're feeling better, you can help Becca and I make cookies."

"YAY!" Becca shouted. She ran over to her mother and gave her a hug. "Bye, Mama! I love you!"

"Aw, I love you too, sweetheart," Megan picked her eight-year-old up and held her close. She then whispered something in the youngster's ear.

Rebecca nodded.

"I will," she whispered back.

Setting the little girl down, Megan turned to Abby.

"All right, I should be back no later than four. Have fun, girls. I Love you both!"

"Love you, Mom," Lucy replied.

Megan sighed, went over to Lucy and pulled her in for a hug. Kissing the top of her head, she whispered, "I miss him too, baby. I never stopped."

Lucy buried her face in her mother's shoulder breathing in the familiar scent of peaches and cream from her perfume.

Megan frowned at her daughter's actions.

"Luce, do you need me to stay home today? We could have a day just for you and me."

"What about Becca?"

"She'll understand," her mother smiled over at the little girl.

Lucy thought for a few minutes before shaking her head.

"No. I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?" her mother locked eyes with her.

"Yeah."

"If you change your mind, you know my cell phone number."

Lucy actually giggled at this.

"Aw, that's my girl. I love you, Lucy-goose."

Lucy burst out laughing as the old nickname left her mother's mouth.

"Mom!"

"Aw, there's that pretty smile and infectious giggle I like to hear." With that, Megan gave both of her girls one more kiss before leaving for her job at a local bookstore.

"Can we make cookies now, please, Auntie Abby? Please!" Rebecca begged.

"Sure!" Abby agreed. She glanced up at Lucy, "Do you wanna help us, Luce?"

"No. I'm gonna go read in the den," Lucy turned and walked towards the house. Once inside, she was about to head for the den when her gaze travelled to the stairs. She went up them, not knowing what she was looking for exactly. Getting to the top of the landing, Lucy made a left and found herself surrounded by three bedrooms. One was on her left while two were on her right. Taking a deep breath, she chose the door on the right. She knew that had been her mother and Aunt Molly's room when they were kids. Pushing the door open, Lucy stepped inside. Going over to the bed that was still in the room, Lucy sat down and gazed around the room. When her eyes landed on a chest sitting at the foot of the bed, her curiosity started to pique. Walking over to it, she knelt down and reached her right hand out. The chest was made of some type of marble. As Lucy gazed down at it, she discovered it was all different colors. In fact, it was every color of the rainbow! Carefully, slowly, the twelve-year-old lifted the lid. Pushing it up as far as it would go, she glanced down at the contents. A book that looked like a journal sat in the middle of the chest. Gazing to the left, Lucy spotted a small jewelry box sitting next to it. It seemed like it was beckoning to her. Taking a deep breath, Lucy reached into the depths of the marble chest and carefully picked up the jewelry box. Tentatively, the pre-teen lifted the top. She jumped back in surprise when a stream of different colored light shot out of it. Sighing with relief when the light disappeared, Lucy glanced inside. There was one piece of jewelry sitting in the middle of the box. It was a gold necklace with a red heart pendant in the middle of it. Lucy just kept staring at it. It was one thing to hear her mother talk about her adventures in Dream Valley with the little ponies. It was another thing to possibly discover the infamous Rainbow of Light she had heard so much about as a little girl. If that was what she had found. She couldn't be sure just yet. Shutting the jewelry box, Lucy set it down. Next, she picked up the book. Flipping it open, she discovered it was a photo album, along with a diary. She was about to close it when her eyes caught sight of a picture. Staring at it more closely, Lucy gasped. It was a picture of her mother and a pony with a blue mane and tail. She was pink with lightning bolts on her hips. Lucy figured this pony had to be Firefly. She remembered her mother talking about her very highly. The two were extremely close. Flipping through the photo album some more, Lucy discovered pictures of her Aunt Molly and Aunt Julie with their best pony friends, Fizzy and Medley, along with some ponies Lucy didn't recognize. Putting the photo album back, her hand hovered over the jewelry box once again. Even as she pulled her hands away, they reached out once again. Just as she opened up the box, Rebecca called up the stairs.

"Lucy! Do you wanna help ice the cookies?"

"Sure! I'll be right there!" Quick as a flash, Lucy pulled the locket out of the box. She held it for a minute and just stared at it. It was so beautiful. The chain felt warm against her skin as though it was meant for her. Making a split second decision, Lucy gently unclasped the locket and slipped it around her neck. Fastening it, she yelped in surprise when another stream of light raced out of the box and flew out the window before disappearing into the gray sky.

"Lucy!" Becca called again.

"I'm coming, Becca!" With that, Lucy ran downstairs to join her sister and aunt. But as they baked chocolate chip cookies, Lucy couldn't get her mind off of what she had found in her mother's old bedroom. What did it mean? And why did the Rainbo of Light feel so comfortable around her neck? She thought about asking her mother, but she decided not to for the time being. She already had enough on her plate with helping Becca with her math and driving Lucy to and from her gymnastics lessons. Licking batter off her fingers, Lucy couldn't help but think her wish for an adventure was just around the corner or over the Rainbow….

DISC: I DO NOT own any of the ponies you recognize in this story. They belong to Hasbro. I do however own all of the Human characters in this story, along with any ponies you don't recognize.

Enjoy!

"Finding the Rainbow"

Chapter 2

The little girl giggled as the Pegasus flew higher and higher.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yes!" the little girl shouted.

"Mom, be careful! Luce, hold on tightly!"

"Okay, Mommy!" Lucy called down.

"You know I Would never put this kid in danger, my sweet girl!" Firefly called down to her eldest daughter.

Megan nodded. Even so, she watched her mother and daughter until Firefly had finished the famous trick and the two were safely back on the ground.

"Mama, I wanna do that too!" Rebecca batted her brown eyes up at her mother.

"You know the rules, sweetie, not until you're eight like Lucy."

Rebecca pouted, but brightened when she saw Fizzy. She ran over to the blue unicorn and gave her a hug.

"Can we do it again, Firefly, please?" Lucy begged.

"You don't even have to ask, Luce!"

As they went into the double part of the loop, Lucy suddenly felt herself falling…

Lucy bolted up in bed, sweating. Gazing around the room, she took a deep breath. The dream had felt so real. The more Lucy thought about it, it felt more like a memory than a dream. But how could that be?

"Lucy?"

Lucy gazed up to see Abby standing in the doorway.

"How long was I asleep?" the pre-teen asked.

"A few hours," Abby replied. She came over and sat down next to her niece. "What's the matter, sweetie?"

Lucy shook her head while her right hand instinctively went to her neck. Satisfied when she felt the Rainbow of Light there, she withdrew her hand. Feeling Abby staring at her, Lucy quickly made up an excuse. "I must have slept the wrong way."

Abby raised her eyebrows.

Lucy sighed.

"Okay. But you can't tell Mom. I'll tell her, I promise, just not yet. I need to figure it out first."

Abby sighed.

"You're the next keeper, aren't you?" she guessed.

"Keeper? What do you mean?" Lucy was thoroughly confused herself now.

"The next keeper for the Rainbow of Light."

Lucy grabbed onto the possibility like a drowning victim trying to stay afloat.

"I guess. But why would Mom pick me? I don't know anything about the little ponies except for the stories she's told me. I met Firefly a few times, but I was a kid back then."

"You still are," Abby ruffled her hair.

"You sound like Mom," Lucy sighed.

Abby grinned.

"To answer your question, my dear Lucy, I don't think your Mom chose you. She probably would have if she had the choice, but I think the Rainbow did."

Lucy shrugged.

"If it did, it was in that chest way too long."

"Don't be so sure," Abby smiled at her, "you have more of your mother in you than you know. Give yourself a chance."

Lucy shrugged.

"I'm thirsty," the twelve-year-old announced.

"Well, there's a pitcher of lemonade downstairs with your name on it," Abby stood up and lead the way downstairs to the kitchen.

"Aunt Abby?"

"Yeah, sweetheart?"

"When did Brooke stop going to Ponyland?" she asked.

"I think it was around her sixteenth birthday or so."

"Oh," Lucy sipped at her lemonade while staring out of the window.

"Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious. Did Aunt Molly ever stop going?"

"I don't think so," Abby mused. She set her own cup down on the table. "I mean the visits got fewer once she went to college, but I don't think she ever stopped completely. She takes Belle up there every other weekend or so."

Lucy nodded.

"What about Aunt Julie?"

"Julie goes up every once in a while. Since she lives in England with Ray, she can get there in a flash via Medley or Melody. She loves taking Kathy up there."

Lucy nodded. Taking a deep breath, she asked her next question.

"Did Mom ever take Becca and me up there?"

Abby hesitated.

"Aunt Abby, please, if you know, please tell me," she begged.

Abby sighed.

"I think you need to talk to your Mom about this."

"I told you, I can't right now."

"Okay, yes she did."

"So the dream I've been having where I'm taking a flight with Firefly…that really…" her voice trailed off just as the phone rang.

"I'll be right back, honey," Abby stood up and went to answer it.

Lucy barely nodded in her aunt's direction. She was too busy trying to sort through the information her aunt had just given her. If Molly and Julie still found time to visit their friends in Ponyland, why didn't her mother take them anymore? And if the dream was indeed a memory, why couldn't Lucy remember any others?

When their mother came to get them, Rebecca begged to sleepover Abby's since she and Abby's adopted daughter, Wendy, were really close. Megan allowed it, kissed her youngest daughter's cheek and left with Lucy.

"Rainbow for your thoughts, Luce?"

"Huh?" Lucy shook her head to clear it.

"You look like you have the weight of Pony-I mean the world on your shoulders. What's up?"

"Firefly," Lucy answered automatically.

"What?" her mother gasped rather than asked.

Realizing what she had said, Lucy tried hard to cover it up.

"The fireflies are out early tonight," she amended.

"So what's going on in that head of yours?" her mother inquired.

"I was just thinking of…" Lucy's voice trailed off as her mother's cell phone rang.

"Hold on one sec, Luce," she said. She pushed a button on the phone and it clicked on. "Hello?"

"Hey, Megan, what's up?"

"Moll, what's wrong?" Megan asked, sensing something wasn't right immediately.

"Let's just say some good friends need our help."

"Did Firefly come to get you?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'm here now."

"What's going on?" Megan asked.

Lucy tried hard to listen to her aunt's part of the conversation, but it wasn't easy. She heard snatches of words like 'witches, wands and power crystal, but that was all.

"I'll try to get up there, but I can't promise anything," Megan sighed. "I love you. Tell Belle I love her. And tell Mom I Love her too." With that, she hung up.

The minute the phone call ended, Lucy didn't waste any time.

"Mom, we have to help them," she insisted.

"What we need to do is get home and clean the garage."

"The garage can wait," Lucy pointed out. She gave her mother a hopeful look, "Mom, please? They need our help. You always helped them before."

"Molly has it under control," she said, "I'm sure they'll be okay."

Lucy couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Do you hear yourself?"

They had reached their house by this point.

Lucy got out of the car, whirled around and glared at her mother.

"You haven't taken me and Becca there in years. We used to have so much fun. And now the ponies need our help. You always taught Becca and me that helping friends was important."

"It is," Megan confirmed.

"Then why won't you help the little ponies?"

"I can't," her mother turned away from her.

"Why not? Is it because we used to go up there with Daddy? Is it because the last time we went up there, he left for work and got into the accident?"

"Lucy Alexandra Hartson, the subject is closed," her mother sternly declared.

Lucy shook her head.

"You can't stay away from Ponyland forever! It won't bring Dad back! The little ponies were there for you whenever you needed them. Firefly loves you like her own. Now you're just gonna turn your back on them!"

"I'm not turning my back on anyone," her mother defended herself.

"Think what you want. If you won't help them, I will!" with that, Lucy ran into the house before her mother could stop her. She could hear her mother calling her name, but she didn't turn around or stop. Once she got to her room, she slammed the door behind her. Gazing around for her duffle bag, her eyes drifted to another picture of her father. She let a few tears fall this time.

"Daddy, please, help Mom realize she's wrong. And please, help me do this." With that, she left her room through a side door and entered a hallway that lead straight into the barn. Once she got there, she swung her bag over her shoulder, took a deep breath and grasped the Rainbow of Light with both hands.

"Here goes nothing," she whispered to herself. Carefully, but quickly, she opened the locket. Staring in wonder as a rainbow shot out of it, Lucy held her breath, not sure what would happen next. As she stared at the colors swirling in the sky, she knew there was no turning back now…