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…