//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: The Plan // Story: Wish Makers // by Short Stories //------------------------------// “We’ll make a combination of a lucky charm and a wish catcher, and we’ll call them ‘Wish Makers’! We’ll sell them to the students before the games!” Sunset explained to Rainbow, a wide grin on her face. Rarity and Rainbow exchanged looks with each other before Rarity turned to Sunset.  “That could work. I’ll be happy to help you make them. But how exactly are they going to help us win the games?” “They could help bring good luck and stuff.” She said dismissively. “Hey, Rainbow, do you think you could get the soccer team to help make them?” “I... sure, I guess, but what exactly are they going to look like? We need a design to work off o-” Rainbow trailed off as she watched Sunset grab a piece of Rarity’s fabric from across the table and start furiously scribbling onto it with a pencil. "Nononono! Not that fabric---oh...my.” She watched the fine piece of sunset-orange fabric in disdain as it was subjected to the wills of Sunset’s creativity. “...I suppose that's no bother..." She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself, fighting the urge to rip the fabric out of Sunset’s hands.  "I can simply get a new piece...I was planning to go to Jo Ann's next week, anyway." Steady… No! Yes, nicely rounded...join it up... good. Ok… now the heart. Why do love hearts look like this? Real heats look nothing alike. …Good. How many sides should my star be? Six? Nah, five seems like a nice amount. ...Right, ok. Now, how do you draw feathers?... “Annnd… there!” She beamed with satisfaction at her creation, holding the fabric up to show Rainbow and Rarity. Her creation was somewhat similar in design to the typical dreamcatcher. It featured two circles, one above the other, the bottom one being smaller than the top one. Inside the top circle was a large love heart, and in the bottom circle was a five-pointed star. Around the edges of both the circles, feathers splayed out in all directions. “My, Sunset, it’s beautiful!” Rarity exclaimed. And it was. Especially considering Sunset drew the entire thing on a piece of fabric in about 30 seconds-- not the most ideal surface to draw on. Rainbow was visibly grossed out at the sappiness of two of her friends. “Beautiful? Eugh.” She made a mocking face of disgust. “How about totally awesome!” Rainbow shouted in her trademark tone. She picked up an apple off of the table, examining it for a moment. “Hey, Rarity, why are there so many pins in this apple?”  "Oh, I sometimes use apples as pin cushions…” She said dismissively, distracted by Sunset’s design. “...Wait.. Rainbow! Don't!" But it was too late, Rainbow had already taken a large bite out of the plushie apple, instantly regretting it. “Puh! Eugh!” She attempted to spit out the hairs of the fabric apple, trying to remove the decidedly ‘plasticy’ taste from her tongue. . "Ew! Rarity! Why do you have a pincushion that looks exactly like an apple?" She hesitantly smelled the pin cushion. "And why does it smell like an apple, too?!" “The apple smell helps me work, Rainbow. It calms me and helps me keep focused.” Rarity observed the scrutinizing glare from Rainbow. “What surprises me, darling, is how you managed to mistake that thing for a real apple! That’s a stuffed fabric apple and you bit into it thinking it was a real one!” “H-hey! I wasn’t paying attention… ok?” Rainbow attempted to explain a mistake that now in hindsight, was surprisingly stupid. Rarity just smirked at the prismatic-haired girl. “Sure, whatever you say, dear.” "Girls, it doesn’t matter! So, what do you think? Rarity? Does it look good? Think we can get...oh...ten of them done tonight?" Sunset asked, eager to get started. "I think your design looks wonderful, Sunset. " Rarity visibly tensed up as she realized what Sunset had said. "Ten? Ten 'Wish Makers'?" Sunset scratched behind her head. "Yeah, sorry...that may be a little much..." "No, darling, not at all! If anything, maybe Fifty would be over-the-top. I was just a little surprised, is all." Rarity assured her as she hurried to her sewing machine. "Now, can you repeat that same design nine more times?" "Fifty? Er--nine times? Yeah, I can try." Sunset smiled. "Sewing them together is not all I plan to do with them, though." Rarity, who had just sat down on a swivel stool, rotated around to meet Sunset's eyes. "Oh? Well, what else do you plan to do with these 'Wish Makers' of yours?" "I was thinking of adding--equestrian magic" Sunset mumbled the last two words. "I apologize, dear, I couldn't hear you. Adding what?" "Equestrian---magic." Rarity scooted a bit closer, cupping one hand over her ear so she could hear better. "Do say that one more time, please." Sunset made a noise that could only be described as groaning and sighing at the same time. "Equestrian magic. I was thinking of adding Equestrian magic." "What?!" Rainbow asked, finally done with clearing the taste of the fake apple out of her mouth. "Equestrian magic?! Sorry if I sound like a buzzkill, Sunset, but that's kind of impossible." She lowered her head. "I know...but...it doesn't hurt to try, right? It wasn’t long ago that we thought all kinds of magic were just old fairytales, but then came the elements. Then came the ears… the wings… Who knows what else is possible? Besides, I want these to be special. Not some cheap, knock-off charm that doesn't do anything! People will start..." She lowered her head and gaze even more. "...Hating me again." Rainbow lay a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure no ones going to start hating you again, Sunset. I'm just saying, it may be impossible to get the equestrian magic that you need." "Didn't they say it was impossible to be the captain of every sports team at Canterlot High?" Sunset retorted with a slight hint of anger in her voice. Rainbow warily took her hand off of Sunset's shoulder, not really liking where she was taking this. "Well, yeah, but..." Sunset spun her chair round to face Rarity, over at her sewing machine quietly working on the start of the first Wish Maker. "And Rarity!" She swiveled around. "Didn't people say it was impossible for you to win that trip to Manhattan?" Rarity gently set her hands in her lap and smiled politely up at her friend. "Yes, darling, they did." "But, you both achieved those 'impossible' goals! What everyone thought was ‘impossible’, was possible. And look where it got you! Have some faith, girls." She finished her short speech with a 'Statue of Liberty' pose, holding her pencil to the air. Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Sheesh, you don't have to go and make a huge deal about it. Uncalled-for inspirational speech is uncalled for." "Oh." Sunset sheepishly lowered her arms. "Whoops." She tried to play it cool, but she felt her cheeks and ears getting warmer. "Well I thought that speech was very inspirational. And Sunset’s right, we all thought those things were impossible at first, but in the end, it turned out they-- " "--Thank you." Sunset interrupted. "--I wasn't finished. How, exactly, do you plan to get this magic into these, dear?" Rarity finished. Rainbow leaned in, wanting to find out too too. "Easy." Sunset replied. "I just need Twilight to open the portal. And I know just how to contact her."