Star Breeze's eyes fluttered open. Gazing above her, she noticed the sky lit with a brilliant orange fire. It was near sunset where and when she was, still. Just like it was before her mind sank into the Red Crystal. The irony of it was, it was early morning when she traveled back from Sweet Apple Acres in the future.
Star Breeze sat up and noticed she was still on a small cloud which was not much bigger than herself. She then examined herself and noticed she had returned to the same black hide foal with tiny white dots.
I'm back! I'm me! I'm me again! YaaaaAAAAAAAaaay!
Star Breeze proceeded to hug herself with her forehooves and black wings with white tiny dots. She squeezed herself and squealed as she inwardly glowed with the thrill of knowing she had her own body back again. She realized that her father was right. By spending a day not being herself, it made her feel fake and hollow which all the more facilitated her appreciation of being returned to normal.
It felt so good to be herself and home again, but she did not forget why she longed for her own adventure too. Back then it felt like something was missing in her life, but now it felt like she gained a deeper appreciation for what she already had. There was a very good reason she loved her life. She had many blessings in it. Just by being up here, in this cloud, was among those blessings. Some ponies could only dream what that was like, her father among them at one time. It used to be his wish to fly up here in the skies or dance on clouds, and now he could. Another pattern of this family was to make their deepest wishes come true, even if they seemed impossible.
Star Breeze took a moment to channel her feelings into the Red Crystal to preserve the influx of positive emotion she felt. Many millennia ago, her father taught ancient earth ponies to pick up stones and infuse it with positive energy, especially gratitude, so that those energies could be used to fuel other important projects. What she did with the Red Crystal wasn't much different, and that was among the blessings she was grateful for. The fact that she had a place to store her feelings. The fact that she had a place to review it for nostalgia. The fact that it could be used as a surrogate horn, and the fact that not one but two souls she loved were housed within. Someday a copy of her own soul was likely to linger within until the stone serves its purpose.
It wasn't just gratitude she sank into the stone, it was also love. A soft glow that welled up inside her, causing her to feel like she was burning and also lighter than air. She paused for several minutes as she sank that feeling into the stone where it got copied and preserved.
How many more times is it going to take for all these reminders about why I should be so grateful for my life for it to finally and fully settle into me? I really don't know. The well I explore in my soul just keeps getting deeper. I keep discovering new reasons why I should be grateful for my life, and perhaps that is for the best. Perhaps I always should discover new reasons every day. That endeavor almost sounds worthy of a vow.
I came to this cloud hoping to find a way to feel more fulfilled, and 'poof'! My friends and those I love find a way to make it happen. That's just how my life goes. Ask, and I shall receive. One day I feel like I'm going to have to do something to earn all these blessings, but for now I'll just be happy. I'll be happy because that is what those who love me wanted. It is why they granted me these enormous blessings.
“Father,” Star Breeze uttered quietly, her voice aflutter with rich emotion, “thank you. Thank you for giving me life, and thank you for all your efforts in making me feel happy, appreciated, and loved. How can I not share that right back at you? Daddy,” she closed her eyes softly as gentle tears rose in her eyes, “I love you!”
Before it arrived, Star Breeze both heard and felt the approach of the wind, but she did not feel it externally (at least not at first). She felt it internally. She felt the magic radiate out of her body, and probably also from the stone on her neck. A few seconds later the wind arrived. It was moderately strong, yet it felt like a gentle caress at the same time. Star Breeze sat up on her hind knees as she spread her forehooves and wings in an open and inviting manner, catching the wind like a sail. She closed her eyes as she cooed in a soft, soothing way. She felt her fur flutter in the wind, as well as the feathers at the tips of her wings. The wind mostly hit her at the front side but it spiraled around her just a bit, almost feeling like a warm hug.
* * *
So this is it, Star Breeze thought as she landed. Sweet Apple Acres in my time period. She looked around. Funny how it feels like things aren't as they should be, now. I look around me and it actually feels like there are many trees missing in this time period. Trees I saw. Trees that will be there. Trees that should be there. They will be there. They just need time to grow, and that takes effort.
We have to take responsibility to cause the blessed future I saw. That is one of the greatest lessons I learned on my journey.
Star Breeze trotted down the dirt road. The sun was sinking even further beyond the western horizon. She was going to lose daylight soon. Shadows were thick and stretched across the land. On the other side, all objects and creatures here were bathed in soft reddish hue light. She loved the sight and feel of it.
To help get her bearings, she paused a moment as she partially sank her consciousness within the Red Crystal and brought forth a memory. She overlaid that memory over what was here, allowing her to see across time in the present and future simultaneously. Phantom images of the orchard which will be here came into her vision, but they were transparent, like a ghost. She only saw that future once, but she hoped it was enough to find her way around here.
Her plan turned out better than she thought. While trotting down the dirt road, a phantom image of her father suddenly curved left. Star Breeze looked and saw her father Feather Wind head off in that direction, but she knew that she was in control of his body at the time.
This was perfect. Originally she was using the visual image of her terrain to guide her to the correct spot, but it turned out replaying the memories of the last time she was here came with an unexpected bonus. It showed her exactly where and when she curved off the road. She even felt a distant pulse of the heartbeat again.
But as she followed the phantom image of herself within her father's body, it faded away when her other self arrived at the stone she was looking for. The one that jutted up from the earth. This time, however, there was no special tree behind it, and there was something else missing as well. She paused for a moment as she stretched out her feelings, and waited. And waited. And waited. But no. No magical pulse this time. Whatever she felt before, it wasn't here yet.
Except, this time, it was no longer a mystery to her. She figured it out. She figured out why that magical pulse felt so familiar. She figured out where she felt it before. That feeling felt akin to the Red Crystal. It was similar but also different because that stone grew up with different experiences imprinted upon it.
Star Breeze looked at and lifted her left hoof. Before her very eyes, she willed a new Red Crystal to manifest. A crystal that was created using Crystal Sage's old cutie mark talent. That was imprinted upon the stone around her neck, along with everything else that got added to it since.
Everything important in life starts from the miracle of a single seed, Star Breeze thought to herself as she gazed at this new tiny nugget of ruby red crystal on her left hoof. One seed to bloom the fruits of a new miracle, and love and life to be spread. As I have been blessed, so too shall I pass on my blessings to this sacred land. She closed her eyes and concentrated her feelings towards the new gem on her left hoof. May this stone attract more love, and may that love be used to further bless this sacred land. May this land be filled with the wonders of magic, so that countless other blessings will be born from it. May this light spread from this farm to this town, to the local region, then all of Equestria!
Tree of Harmony, hear my plea! Bless this land, the wonderful ponies on it, and all those who shall ever trot upon it. Bless this seed so that its light spreads to all corners of Equestria. Let one blessing beget another, and another. Ever on and endless blessings. May the Magic of Friendship spread to the hearts of all creatures everywhere.
After that, Star Breeze opened her eyes and knelt down to the base of the rock. Using the Red Crystal, she telekinetically dug a small hole at the base of the rock large enough to stick her hoof into. After that, she gently set the ruby gem down there while her heart continued to flow with love. The next thing she did was push the dirt back into the hole with both of her hooves then pressed both of her hooves there for several seconds while she repeated her earnest plea in her heart. She imprinted a pure and innocent wish upon this stone in order to attract more forever on.
“Star Breeze? Is that you?” a familiar feminine voice spoke behind her.
Star Breeze gave a pleasant sigh, opened her eyes slowly, stood up, then turned about to face Miss Smith.
“Yes, it's me,” Star Breeze confirmed. “I hope I'm not intruding.”
“Not at all, young'un,” Miss Smith said with a dismissive wave of a hoof. “I juz' didn't expect ya, is all. This is a pleasant surprise. What'cha doing here?”
“Fulfilling a promise I made to destiny,” Star Breeze answered mysteriously.
Which took the green farm pony aback. “Well, then. An how's that work'in fer ya?”
“Very well, actually!” Star Breeze expressed gratefully. “I've had a trying but also a wonderful, wonderful day that helped to open my eyes and better established how we're all connected through our dreams, hopes and love. How we're all connected through magic.”
“Is that what they teach ya city folks out in some fancy country?” Miss Smith asked with an eye squint.
“Honestly, I've had many blessed mentors,” Star Breeze said. “Like my father before me.”
Miss Smith lowered her head slightly as she said, “Weeeeeeeelllll, to each their own, I guess. Both me and mah folks out here have a much more simple philosophy. We get up early in the mornin', eat hearty, then work hard, and that is what will serve a better Equestria. I know it. I feel it in mah bones.”
“I believe you!” Star Breeze said with a soft, fond, and knowing smile.
“You really do, don't'cha?” Miss Smith said as she grew a grin of her own. “Well hot diggity! It's nice to move forward in lafe with confidence in yer soul.”
Star Breeze nodded in agreement. “It is at that. My parents did everything they could to help raise me to be this strong. I know they went through a lot to learn what they have, and they feel it is important to pass on all those lessons to me. Not just the knowledge or textbook stuff, but wisdom and rich emotional nourishment as well.”
“Then you'll do fane in lafe, young'un. Ya got plenty of future left ahead of ya. As for me, I ain't plan'n to retire anytime soon. You mark mah words on that!”
“Once again, I'm more than merely confident that such things will come to pass,” Star Breeze promised prophetically.
“An I will at that,” Miss Smith returned evenly. “And with that, I gots tah get on mah chores. Nice to see ya again, young'un. Until next time,” she spoke over her left shoulder as she started to take off, “take care.”
“You too, Aunty Smith,” Star Breeze conveyed affectionately. When Aunt Smith was out of sight, Star Breeze passed one last fond and wise look at the base of the stone where she planted the red seed, then looked forward again before leaping to take off into the skies.