//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: All The Pretty Faces // Story: Don't Waste Your Wishes // by Closer-To-The-Sun //------------------------------// Apple Bloom was pacing around the table as her friends sat down. The chicken talon rested on the tabletop. “Okay,” she started, “so the chicken talon doesn’t like ambiguous wordin’ when it comes ta wishes.” “That’s right,” Sweetie Belle nodded. “Nor does it like when there’s mentionin’ of some other creature, cause bad things might happen to them,” the earth pony continued. “Oh, you got that right,” Scootaloo said, examining one of Rainbow Dash’s wings that were now attached to her, “These things are way too powerful for my body.” The yellow filly trotted to the table to look at the chicken talon on the table’s surface. Two of the claws that were pointing upward were now curled downward, leaving only a single one upwards. “And only a single wish is left,” she said as she thought aloud, “ah didn’t think there would be so many rules when we got this thing.” Sweetie Belle agreed, “Yeah. I mean, that salesmare did warn us there would be grave consequences. I thought she was just being colorful with her language.” “Ah still think it shoulda come with instructions fer us,” Apple Bloom pouted a little, “that way we wouldn’t have any of these problems.” “Maybe,” the unicorn filly shrugged, “but we know now what this chicken talon can do. But because it doesn’t like vague wording, maybe we should use it to fix all the problems we caused? What do you think, Scootaloo?” The pegasus pony was continuing to inspect the newly attached blue wings. “Scootaloo? Are ya okay?” Apple Bloom asked. “Yeah, sorry. It’s just I can actually have feeling in Rainbow Dash’s wings. It’s so weird. And for that matter, if I were to give them back to her, would it require surgery or something?” Scootaloo’s face grew worried as she continued to think aloud, “Oh dear, would that be covered by my healthcare plan?” Sweetie Belle looked like she wanted to make a comment about Scootaloo’s predicament, but she held her tongue. Instead, she turned back to Apple Bloom, “Well, I think the best solution would be for us to use the last wish to return things back to normal for both Rarity and Rainbow Dash.”  Apple Bloom looked at the chicken talon and the only claw at the top that was not curled up. On principle, she completely agreed, “Y’all have a point, but this thing is mighty powerful. But one wrong word, and ah might make matters worse for both of them, or maybe even all of Ponyville. I don’t think me tryin’ to fix it without fully knowin’ the rules or the the end result would be smart.” “Then what do you suppose we do for the last wish?” the unicorn asked. There was a bit of a pause before the earth pony answered with a bit of guilt, “Lemme have mah wish.” Both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were a bit surprised. “What? Both of y’all got to have yer wishes granted, ah think ah should be able to make one,” Apple Bloom said. Sweetie Belle looked to Scootaloo and both exchanged nervous glances to each other before returning to Apple Bloom. “Well, it is fair,” Sweetie Belle agreed. “But you have to be very careful about what you wish for and your wording,” Scootaloo stressed, “because if you’re not….” she then pointed to large blue wings that were attached to her body. Apple Bloom took the chicken talon into her hoof. She looked at it for a moment before returning her sight to her friends, “Ah know, that’s why ah’m trying to think of what would be the best thing to wish fer.” “Fine, but just don’t be ambiguous with your wish,” Sweetie Belle warned. “Ah got it, ah got it,” the earth pony said. She looked back down at the talon and the claw that pointed upward. Just looking at the chicken body part was unnerving, and even more so each time when a wish was made and a claw curled down towards the fourth claw near the spur of the talon. “Hmm….ah think ah got it!” “What’s your wish?” “I hope it won’t be anything that’ll backfire.” Apple Bloom held the talon up in the air, “Ah wish fer me ta be able ta see what it’s like to be like my dog, Winona!” No sooner than when she finished speaking, the chicken talon started to violently shake in her grasp. Apple Bloom held on to it as the third claw that was pointing upward curled downward to the same position as the other two, leaving only the small claw at the spur left unmowed. A flash of light enveloped Apple Bloom’s entire body, causing both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to cover their eyes from the glare. A few moments passed before the light faded away. In the spot where the earth pony once stood, there was a dog with a brown and white coat. However, instead of the head of the expected Winona, there was the head of the wisher, Apple Bloom. Her yellow head rested on top of the dog body, however, her red mane lacked her signature pink bow. Both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stared at Apple Bloom in her new body for only a few seconds before they both bursted out into laughter. “What? What’s so funny?” Apple Bloom asked. Between the laughter, Scootaloo answered with her own question, “Have you seen what you look like?” “No?” she answered with a bit of concern. Still laughing, Sweetie Belle used her magic to open and levitate her makeup compact to Apple Bloom. In the mirror, Apple Bloom was able to fully see what her wish had turned her into: a dog with a pony head. “What the everlovin’ buck?!” the pony-turned-canine’s voice cracked as she saw her reflection. “What kind of a wish was that?” Sweetie Belle asked as the unicorn and pegasus both eased up their laughter. “Ah….Ah didn’t mean fer this ta happen! Ah just wanted ta know what it was like ta be a dog!” Apple Bloom explained with a bit of panic. Scootaloo started to scold her friend, “I agree with Sweetie Belle on this, why in Celestia’s name would you make a wish like that? And for that matter, what did we just say about exact wording?!” Almost pleading for forgiveness, Apple Bloom quickly replied, “Ah forgot!” However, her attitude also turned sour, “Also, yer not one to talk, Miss ‘ah-wish-ah-could-fly-like-Rainbow-Dash’!” Sweetie Belle snickered a little at her friend’s squabbling, “I know I shouldn’t be laughing at this, but seeing a small Winona yelling at Scootaloo is just too funny! I know one puppy who’s needs a nap.” Apple Bloom turned to look at the unicorn, “This ain’t funny!” Scootaloo joined in, “Aww, what’s the matter? Do you want a belly rub?” “Shut it! We gotta find some way ta turn me ba-” Apple Bloom paused as she sat down on the ground and raised one of her new dog hind legs to scratch behind her ears. Again, trying her best not to laugh, Scootaloo asked, “Would you like me to scratch you behind your ears, Apple Bloom?” “Ah don’t need yer pity!” Apple Bloom claimed as she continued her attempts to scratch her itch. However, she admitted defeat, “Actually….yes please.” Scootaloo smirked as she raised a hoof up as she pet her pony-dog friend. Apple Bloom’s dog tail began to sway at contact. A thought came to Sweetie Belle’s mind, “Hey, I just thought of something. If Apple Bloom’s head is here on Winona’s body, then what happened to Apple Bloom’s body and Winona’s head?” Apple Bloom’s eyes narrowed, “Oh, sweet sassafras….” -------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack and Twilight Sparkle were seated at the dining table in the kitchen. A number of papers and other business looking items were spread out across the tabletop. Both of them were scribbling away, filing out what appeared to be business and tax forms. As they continued to work, the body of a yellow filly trotted on into the kitchen. However, instead of the head and mane of Applejack’s little sister, the head that rested on the body was the Apple family’s dog Winona. Attached to Winona’s head was Apple Bloom’s well-known pink bow. The dog appeared to be oblivious to the fact that she had switched bodies. This unique looking dog-pony caught Twilight Sparkle’s attention as they trotted around the kitchen. “Um….Applejack?” “What is it? Are ya havin’ some trouble fillin’ out our Form 1099? While ah sorta am self-employed, we still need ta fill it out since the whole farm is considered mah employer,” Applejack explained without lifting her head up. “No, it’s not that,” Twilight paused for a moment before speaking, “Actually, hang on to that thought because I feel like we need to have a discussion about what exactly Sweet Apple Acres is for tax purposes. But back to my question, does Apple Bloom look different to you?” Applejack lifted her head up slightly to look at the dog-pony that was in the kitchen. “Nah, she looks fine to me,” she answered as she turned her attention back to the papers. “Are you sure? Because something seems really off about her.” “That’s just Apple Bloom bein’ Apple Bloom.” “But she seems….off….” Twilight Sparkle insisted as she watched Winona-with-Apple Bloom’s body started to eat from the dog food bowl on the kitchen floor. Applejack brushed it off as she continued writing, “It’s probably just puberty.” Winona finished eating from the bowl and, in her new body, trotted off and out of the room. Twilight got up from her seat and followed her down the hallway. A few moments later, Twilight returned to continue to express her alarm, “I don’t think that’s it. She’s panting like a dog and is acting very strangely.” “Like how?” Applejack asked, boredly raising her up from the sheets of tax forms. “I just saw her drinking from the toilet!” the purple pony declared with urgency. The orange mare again shrugged as she returned to her paperwork, “She’s gotta learn not ta do that on her own. It’s a natural part of growing up.” Twilight Sparkle opened her mouth to retort and assert that there was something wrong with Apple Bloom, however she stopped herself in thought. Again, she opened her mouth again as if to say something along the lines of what Applejack meant by her last statement, but stopped herself yet again. Giving up, Twilight returned to the table and the paperwork that awaited.