//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Imploding The Mirage // Story: Don't Waste Your Wishes // by Closer-To-The-Sun //------------------------------// “Why does Sweetie Belle get to go first?” “Because I gave the most bits to buy the chicken talon!” the unicorn said with a hint of pride. The unicorn looked down at the chicken talon with a smile. Scootaloo gave a bit of a pouty look to her friend, “Alright, fine. But I get to go next!” Apple Bloom also looked down at the talon curiously. “It’s kinda excitin’ thinkin’ how we each get a wish with this thing, but do ya think Spike might be right? That maybe we shouldn’t use it and jus’ wait fer him to get back?” Sweetie Belle turned her attention to her earth pony friend, “Why? We’re all big fillies. I think we can all handle making our own wishes.” “He did seem awfully panicked,” Apple Bloom added. “Yeah, I like Spike and all,” the orange filly scoffed with a bit of an attitude, “I mean, he’s easily my favorite dragon, but he doesn’t know everything.” “How many dragons do you know?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Just him, but that’s not the point.” With a shrug, Apple Bloom agreed, “Yer both right. After all, ah don’t think we really need to take any advice from the same dragon that got kicked out of the karaoke bar fer singin’ the same song on repeat. Anyway, let’s get our wishes!” All three of the fillies nodded in their agreement to continue on. Both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo watched on as Sweetie Belle picked up the talon off of the table. She held it up for all three of them to see. The detail of the talon was more apparent in the sunlight. It looked as if the talon had something used to preserve the chicken body part after being detached from the animal. To the touch, the talon was rough and rugged and it’s smell was similar to that of the merchant’s tent with an added hint of vinegar. “What’cha gonna wish for, Sweetie Belle?” Scootaloo asked, leaning on the table toward her friend. “I’m not sure,” Sweetie Belle admitted as she pondered. Apple Bloom interrupted her thoughts with a sly smirk, “Ya can always wish for unlimited cheesecake….” Sweetie Belle didn’t like the idea at all, “I’m not going to wish for cheesecake! I don’t care if it has chocolate, strawberries, or whatever! It’s not going to happen!” Despite the outburst, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but snicker. Scootaloo changed the subject, “Well, what’s something you really want to wish for? There’s got to be something you really want right now.” The unicorn filly began thinking again, “Goodness, I know every creature thinks about what they would want if they could have any wish granted, but when I’m put on the spot, I can’t think of anything.” Her free hoof lightly tapped her lips as she held the talon with her other hoof for a few seconds until an idea came to mind. “I got it!” “What is it?” Apple Bloom asked. “Well, my sister Rarity has been really busy lately and saying how she doesn’t have as much free time with all of her work. She keeps taking on all these new responsibilities. I know she likes being generous and helping everyone, but she should really take some time away from all of her businesses and spend it on herself.” Scootaloo had a smile on her face, “That’s a pretty nice thing to wish for her.” Apple Bloom also shared the thought, “Yeah, ah’m sure she’d like ta have a bit of a break.” Holding up the chicken talon, Sweetie Belle spoke, “I wish for my sister Rarity to have more free time for herself.” As soon as Sweetie Belle finished speaking her wish, the chicken talon began to vibrate in her hoof. She managed to keep her grip on the talon, but the movement was not the most surprising act from the object performed: one of the claws on the talon recoiled downward. Only two top claws remained. Finally, the chicken talon stopped vibrating. All three fillies exchanged concerned looks to one another. “Did ya just see it movin’ like that? It was so creepy!” “Check it out! One of the claws went backwards!” “Do you think it worked?” The ponies looked at the talon, one of it’s claws retreated inward. Sweetie Belle set it back down on the table. “I guess we have to wait to see if it did,” Sweetie Belle answered. The unicorn took a deep breath, “I do hope Rarity enjoys her break. She works so hard and I really think she deserves it.” “That was a really selfless wish, Sweetie Belle. I’m positive she’s gonna love it,” Scootaloo reassured her friend. Apple Bloom nodded, “Yeah, that was really nice of ya.” The yellow filly looked down at the talon for a moment, with only two of it’s top claws extended, “Ya both saw how weird that talon was actin’ when Sweetie Belle made that wish, right?” “It felt so frightening when it started moving!” Sweetie Belle admitted, “I thought it was gonna pop out of my hooves or something! Honestly, I’m sort of glad I’m not holding it anymore.” Scootaloo smirked, “Well that’s good, ‘cause it’s my turn to make a wish!” Before the pegasus filly could reach for the talon, there was a loud wailing sound coming from the crowded farmer’s market. It took a while for the source of the sound was apparent: it was coming from a white unicorn with a purple mane and tail. Sweetie Belle immediately recognized her sister. “Rarity?” Sweetie Belle asked as she trotted toward the crying mare that was coming toward her. To the surprise of each filly, the unicorn mare was galloping towards them. Her mane didn’t have it’s usual style and fashion to it, rather it looked as if Rarity had attempted to pull each fiber out in a hysteric fit. The tears that were falling down her face were more apparent as she drew closer to them. “Sweetie Belle!” she called out, closing the gap. “Oh, Sweetie Belle, it’s just awful!” “Rarity, what’s wrong?” Sweetie Belle asked. Pausing to catch her breath from both her galloping and her sobbing, Rarity replied, “I’m ruined, oh, I’m just absolutely ruined! My shop is just a disaster!” She continued to cry as she spoke, causing utter nonsense to come out. Scootaloo spoke up, hoping to calm Rarity down and to get a clear answer, “Whoa, calm down. What happened?” “Everything in my store….all of it is just in a state of complete devastation!” Rarity did lower her volume and did her best to control her crying. “What do ya mean?” Apple Bloom tilted her head, puzzled. “I….I just don’t know what happened! I went to fetch some fabric to work upon a new order, but every single piece I could find was riddled with holes! Every spool of fabric had holes and looked as if it had aged hundreds of years!” Rarity explained. It was apparent that simply talking about it was causing her some distress. “And that’s not the only thing: every single one of the gems I use for the designs have turned to dust! I….I don’t even know how that is possible! This all just seems like a bizarre nightmare! I might….oh dear, I might actually have to close down Carousel Boutique….” Each of the three fillies exchanged looks to one another as Rarity began to sob again. Their glances were a mixture of unsure of how to reply and if they were the ones who may have caused this misfortune. Sweetie Belle spoke softly, “Well, maybe this is a good thing? You had been working a lot, and you certainly deserve a break.” “It’s….It’s not that simple, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity was speaking through her tears, “With Carousel Boutique closed down, we won’t be able to live there anymore. The more I think about this, it looks like we will have to move back with mother and father. Oh Celestia why! I don’t want to move back in with mother and father!” The last statement confused the unicorn filly, “What’s wrong with living with mom and dad?” Rarity didn’t answer, as she started bawling again. Without saying anything else coherent in her rambling, she galloped away, leaving the three fillies alone at the table again. “Y’all don’t think Sweetie Belle’s wish caused that, right?” Apple Bloom asked. “There are plenty of possible explanations for what happened to Rarity and the shop,” Sweetie Belle pondered of what that explanation could be. Scootaloo had to ask, “Name one.” Sweetie Belle quickly answered, “I’ll let you know when I think of one.” As they chatted a bit about Sweetie Belle’s sister and her bad luck, the fillies were visited again by two more ponies: a yellow pegasus and a pink earth pony. “Hello girls,” the pegasus was the first to speak “Oh, hello Miss Fluttershy and Miss Pinkie Pie,” Apple Bloom greeted them, “what brings ya both out here?” “We’re actually looking for Rarity,” Fluttershy answered. Pinkie Pie added, “You know: Rarity. Unicorn with a white coat, fancy purple mane and tail, elegant behavior, related to her.” Pinkie pointed a hoof at Sweetie Belle. “You haven’t seen her around here, have you?” “Yes, actually. She just came by a few moments ago,” Sweetie Belle answered. “Really? Was she okay?” Fluttershy asked with concern. “No. No, she certainly was not,” Scootaloo flatly answered. Apple Bloom added further, “She came up to us all in tears ‘bout how her shop was ruined and then galloped off after tellin’ Sweetie Belle that they might have ta move back in with their parents.” “Oh dear, so she was sobbing uncontrollably here too?” Fluttershy thought for a moment before looking at Pinkie Pie, “We should try to find her and help her out. Quick, we have to think of where a hysterical and depressed pony might be.” Pinkie Pie gave a salute and a determined smile, “Right, to the ice cream parlor!” Both of the older mares galloped away from the young fillies. It was then they noticed that tied to Pinkie’s tail was her party cannon. The cannon was loaded and redecorated on the sides to read ‘CHEER UP RARITY’ in large letters. At the table, all three of the fillies returned their gaze back to the chicken talon that rested on the surface. A few questions ran through their heads, particularly asking if that dismembered chicken part truly did grant Sweetie Belle’s wish. Lifting her head up, Scootaloo cracked a joke to the unicorn, “Well, at least we now know it works fast.” “Not funny, Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle quickly bit back. Apple Bloom leaned toward Sweetie Belle and also spoke, “That cheesecake wish ain’t lookin’ so bad now, huh?”