//------------------------------// // Wishful Talking // Story: Backfire // by Zoom zoom //------------------------------// Rarity was still very much behind on her orders. She had considered cancelling the outing with her friends, but somehow Pinkie’s assistance earlier had made it so she didn’t have to go out to buy material at least. Still even if she worked herself hard enough to finish she wouldn’t be able to finish all of her work in time, she’d be far too tired to go. Still she had to do this and on she worked on gown after suit after gown for various fashions she had been working on that were ordered in bulk. She had just finished stitching her fortieth gown when a rapping had been spotted by her ears and her attention was brought to the door. This was strange since the moon was so high the entire town besides some night guards and hooligans would be out at this time. Hooligans that would love nothing more than to take advantage of a mare in the biblical sense. Rarity gulped, this wasn’t going to end well. “Excuse me,” the voice of a stallion on the other end of the door asked, “I need to talk to you for a moment if you would please. It will be just for a moment.” She didn’t recognize it. But with such a voice that seemed to have no malicious intent behind it she couldn’t be sure it was someone after her for her body. “Go away,” she shouted to the door. “Come back at normal hours.” “Believe me I would,” said the stallion on the other side, “but let’s just say if I don’t I won’t be able to get any sleep. I really must confirm something with you and it has to be face to face. Could you please open up?” In this time Rarity had levitated a frying pan to her side and gotten closer to the door in case the hooligan was going to burst through her door. “Very well,” she responded, “But I warn you I’m armed and I will not hesitate to defend myself and call for help if need be.” She used her magic to open the door and when she did the door swung open and the orange stallion closed the door behind him as he entered. He didn’t speak at first and just stared at Rarity. His leathery wings seemed to be trying to stretch but were pulled close and closed over his body. “Um,” Rarity began staring at the colt and lowering her frying pan. The stallion backed up as she did and confused she tilted her head. “You said you needed to speak with me?” The stallion blinked a few times and tilted his own head. “So you don’t have any sudden urges after looking at me?” Rarity shook her head feeling slightly insulted. Did this colt think she was that attractive? Or was this supposed to be some kind of confusion with some other pony who looked like her? This colt was a strange one. “Yes, excellent then that makes things so much easier. It means you really do still love Spike.” “Well of course,” Rarity began before catching herself. “Wait why would you want to know? How do you know him?” “Old friend of his from Canterlot,” he explained, “the name is Wishful Thinking. And to make a long story short, I had to make sure there was hope for my friend before I had him try to make up with you. This entire day has been chaos for me.” “He never told me he knew one of Luna’s royal guards,” said Rarity curious. “Knowing him he’d be bragging all about knowing you when he was trying to win me over before.” Wishful laughed, “That’s true. But Spike doesn’t like to talk about the adventures we had when I was foalsitting him.” “Oh,” replied Rarity with a smile. “Then it was very nice to meet you. But what do you mean by make things up to me?” “You can’t really think he’d leave you for a girl that young right? The guy ended up leading her on or something I’m sure. All day he’s been so distraught over what happened he even forgot it happened. Entire thing wiped from his memory.” “That does explain things,” she said thinking back to that morning. “But it explains them a little too well.” Her eyes narrowed on her guest. “Why did you have to come tonight?” “Like I said,” he explained, “long story.” “I have time when it comes to my friends and Spike,” Rarity said simply. Blue magic filled the room as a table and set of chairs were elevated into the room to be set in front of the white unicorn. Rarity took a seat and urged Wishful to follow. “Please proceed.” Spike woke from his slumber with a long yawn. Outside he could see it was still well into the night. “Great,” he thought, “my brain won’t even let me get some sleep.” He stretched and trotted out of his make shift room Twilight had forced him and Wishful to take for the night. His “sister” was looking through a group of books. It took a grunt from Spike to get her to notice he was there. “Oh hey,” her voice still showed signs of being tired. “Why haven’t you gone to sleep yet Twilight?” Spike shifted slightly as he said this. Despite Wishful’s attempts he and Twilight still had a huge fight before he had stormed off to bed. Twilight it appeared stuck her nose in a book and didn’t sleep at all yet. “I figured it would be better to look up the spell I need to help Wishful get around. Still I do find the entire thing odd now that I had time to think about it.” Twilight still wasn’t looking at her younger brother as she said this. “I mean why would he not have a way to stop this himself when he moved here? I mean if I was Wishful I’d just become a hermit.” “I don’t think so,” said Spike. He looked over at a copy of a book he remembered from Wishful’s collection that Twilight also had but not for the same reasons. “Do you know this story?” He tossed the book to his sister, a copy of “The Monster in the Bell Tower”. “Of course,” Twilight replied looking at the book. “But what does this have to do with anything? It’s just a story about a disfigured pony raised to believe the villain of the story is her only friend until she makes one a few chapters in and learns better.” “For the smartest pony in the kingdom your dense sometimes…sis,” he said trying his best to be familiar with the term. “The pony in this story thought at some point it would be better not to ever have friends and just spend her days doing her job in the bell tower and interacting only with those she had to. But in the end even before she made a friend she was living a boring miserable life. You may not know him as well as I do but could you say honestly he was the kind who wouldn’t enjoy a little risk in his life?” As if called, Wishful had just reentered the library on his own. “Sorry,” he said with a slight yawn, “I had to get some fresh air after being cooped up all day.” Spike was about to ask why he was even out of bed when Twilight came rushing to Wishful’s side and nuzzled him. Wishful took that in for a moment of enjoyment and then turned to Spike. “When did the anti magic bubble go?” “Guess Twilight didn’t renew it since she didn’t think you’d leave the room tonight. Like I told her you wouldn’t.” Twilight cooed into Wishful’s ear which finally got him out of his comfort zone. He stammered, “Tw-Twilight dear. I think it would be best if you went to bed.” “Only if you come with me to help me lose some energy,” she replied winking at him. Wishful gulped and tried his best to act for this. Spike could tell there was a good hint of disappointment as he did so and that made him mad at his friend. “All good, but I’d rather have a go when we’re more alone for the night.” “Oh you’re shy,” she said rubbing against him again. Wishful forced himself away from the purple mare and she took the hint. “Alright, I guess it is a bit soon for the two of us. Better off after our date tomorrow, then we’ll have known each other for two whole days. Oh it already feels like I’ve known you forever.” “Sure,” Wishful answered with a slight chuckle. “Sure you have.” “Well then, good night.” She gave the last two words a seductive tone and blew Wishful a kiss as she went up her steps and into bed. Wishful let out a slow breath. Spike pushed him down, but not enough to make a sound that would call Twilight. “In our room, right now.” Wishful followed muttered, “I only have so many times I can say no Spike.” “That doesn’t give you a right to use this Wish Backfire to take advantage of someone close to me Wishful.” “I know that,” Wishful replied closing the door to their room. “But more importantly I have something to tell you.” “Yeah what is it?” Wishful thought for a moment. Then as if deciding not to said, “I think I have a plan to get you and Rarity back together.” “That’s it?” said Spike curiously. He knew Wishful was hiding something. “As far as I’m sure of that you need to know,” Wishful corrected. “I can’t give you information that would worry you until I’m sure about everything. For now I think you should tell me how good you are at a tango.” Spike looked back at his friend confused, “A what?” Wishful groaned as he let out a breath. “It’s going to be a long night. We're lucky, in a few minutes I can use a spell again so practicing an all night will be easy. Just follow my lead on this.” With that he took his young friend by the hoof and pulled him into a dance as Spike protested. Earlier: Rarity paid close attention to the orange stallion’s story as best she could. Wishful was still not sure how much he could make up, after all in this case the truth would seem far more unbelievable and like he was lying to save his friend. However Rarity wasn’t buying any of it in the slightest. Finally he got to why he had to come over. “It struck me when Spike reminded me I used to live in Cloudsdale with my condition. I started to remember a bunch of stuff I couldn’t before. My ‘curse’, if you will, messes with the emotions of a mare. They are frustrated at me when they are not sure of their own feelings for someone somehow, which everyone usually has, or attracted to me if they have pure intents with others like with what happened with Twilight. That’s why that was so rare. But by that logic, someone in love and I mean truly in love with no wavering emotions or hidden emotions is unaffected. You are normal. Meaning even after this entire episode, Spike is still just as much in your heart as before.” “Sure,” said Rarity not believing any of this, “Like I could trust someone who would even allow cheating rumors to go around.” “Exactly my point,” he said with a smile, “You don’t believe it, but you’re not affected. You trust him in your heart and you can’t allow that. So how about this, I’ll set it up so you and Spike can be alone to talk and you can finish it if you really want too. I’m just hoping this will help.” “Like I would believe such a story,” Rarity screamed and lifted the Pegasus out of her house. “Leave me alone. I have to get back to work.” With that she slammed the door. “Great,” Wishful said to himself as he trotted off. So much for saving his friend’s relationship, still he got to figure out his assumption was right and it would help with getting them together. He opened his wings to see if any power returned to him. It was a little power left over from misjudging the wink and likely the last night counting too. Just enough to give Spike’s girlfriend a little energy boost to keep the spirits up. His plan relied on her going to this outing more than himself. Afterward he started back for the library. “Did it not go well my nephew?” The sweet voice came out of the night. Wishful groaned as he turned to the mare. “Not really. More importantly how did you find me?” “As soon as you returned to your true form my sister and I were able to sense you once again.” “How nice,” he said, “even if you are back now I’m still not joining you. My father and I already told your sister that.” “You miss our intent my nephew,” said Luna simply. “We are here to offer you our assistance in returning you to your times of peace as your father intended. However we require something in order to do so. So for that purpose we have come to tell you how to set things right.” “I’m listening.”