//------------------------------// // Finding Magic // Story: The Magic Within // by PoisonInk //------------------------------// It was a cold winter’s night. Frost had covered the trees as two unicorn ponies trudged through the sleet. “Vanilla Spice, I’m freezing my tail off out here, why do we have to go picking for berries now?” A pale golden unicorn asked. His bright orange mane standing out like fire against the snow. The pale cream pony looked back at him, her gold eyes flashing indignantly. “Bright Risk, I need those snow berries for a recipe for a very important client. If we don’t get them now, the snow would have completely covered the bushes, making them impossible to find!” Bright Risk shook his head at the beloved mare in front of him. The things she made him do for her. “What do these berries look like anyway?” He asked the unicorn. She glanced at him before using her golden magic to conjure up an image of pale blue berries. “They are a pale blue, like ice. The bush’s’ leaves are shaped like stars or snowflakes. The berries are cold to the touch but taste fresh like a cool stream when you bite into them.” “Are you sure they’re ripe right now?” “Sure as a sweet tart.” She responded, looking left from right, her silver whisk cutie mark shining in the dark night. Bright Risk rolled his eyes before trotting after his wife. “I found them!” A screech broke through the night’s silence. “Good,” Bright Risk sighed. “Then let’s grab them and go before we-” “There’s none left! They all have bite marks!” Came his wife’s cry of annoyance. “Bite marks? But I thought you said only ponies are able to digest these berries?” “We are but-” “Achoo!” A voice came from the snowy ground. The leaves of the bush shook violently as a fit of coughing erupted. “What is it?” Bright Risk asked nervously, his green magic carefully sorting through the bush’s thick stems. “It’s a filly?” Vanilla Spice gasped taking the small pale green pony into her hooves. The small pony was shivering, her blue streaked mane thrown wildly about by the cold wind. “Poor thing looks half alive,” Bright Risk murmured. Bringing his hoof over the small filly’s head. He took his hoof back with a yelp. “She’s an earth pony!” Vanilla Spice used her golden magic to clear the small filly’s head, revealing it to be hornless. “How did she get here? The nearest Earth pony colony is twenty miles away!” “Well....” Bright Risk started. “What do we do with her?” Vanilla Spice paused, cuddling the small filly to her chest. “We never were able to have children of our own....” The white maned unicorn whispered. “Spice are are you crazy? This is an earth pony! She doesn’t belong with unicorns.” “Well what do you want us to do? Leave her out in the snow?” His wife hissed at him, her golden eyes glaring at him menacingly. “Of course not, but-” He didn’t finish his sentence as the tiny, lost filly reached out her hooves. She wrapped herself around his neck, pushing her muzzle into his chest, sharing his warmth. Bright Risk smiled down at the little filly. He wrapped his hooves around her waist bringing her closer. “Hey there little one,” He murmured into her multi-shaded blue mane. The small green filly’s golden eyes looked up at him and she released a small giggle. “Now that’s some true magic, and not even from a unicorn.” Vanilla Spice whispered leaning over the small filly. Bright Risk turned towards her. “You know what other ponies will say.” “Let them say whatever they want, this little filly is our little dream come true.” “We should take her inside before she catches her death. What do we call her?” Bright Risk asked, wrapping a red scarf around the tiny filly. “She’s our dream come true, and has a laugh more magical than any spell.” “Dream Magic” Vanilla Spice whispered, pressing a light kiss to the pale green filly’s head. Bright Risk smiled at her. “It's perfect.”