Minty Image

by mintgreenconspiracy

Optional Chapter 3-3: Skywishes' chapter

"So tell me pppppprrrrrrecious -- " Belladonna purred, as she slowly approached a very frightened Starlight Glimmer, seeming more like a cat stalking her prey, then a pony. "What is that delightful spell that you attempted to cast on me with that staff of yours?" She asked, intently, licking her lips, with her tongue.

Starlight Glimmer didn't know what that monster did, but she, suddenly, couldn't think straight, to the point where she couldn't even remember how to use her magic, let alone teleport away -- all she knew was that she had to, somehow, get away from that monster. "What are you?" She asked, her fear now palpable.

"You don't know what a changeling is, dear?" The changeling asked, with a certain amount of sadistic glee. "Do you want me to show you?" She asked, licking her lips, her expression growing ever more evil.

"N....no...." Starlight replied, nervously. Now maybe to say that she didn't know what a changeling was, was probably incorrect, it was more like she had suddenly forgotten everything she knew about everything. "But I do want to know how you escaped equality!" She demanded, some of her confidence starting to slowly reemerge, either that or the mare knew how to put up a convincing charade.

"Equality?" The changeling purred, a twinkle coming to her eyes. "Is that what you were trying to do?" She asked, approaching the unicorn, once again ready for the pounce. "Tell me more about this equality!" She purred, her eyes glowing a bizarre glow, which made Starlight Glimmer's mind begin to go hazy.

It wasn't long, before the mare's lips started to loosen up, as she started to state whatever came to her mind, the moment it did so. "It's a spell that brings forth the blessing of equality on a pony, by ridding them of the one thing that brings the most inequality -- their cutie mark."

"Interesting" The changeling purred to herself, her scraggly tail swishing back and forth. "And is that all it does?"

"No." Starlight said, shaking her head cluelessly. "It also removes their special talent, finally freeing them from being more special than any other pony -- uplifting them to a state of utter equality!"

'I suppose this didn't work on me due to the fact that changelings have no special talents, and thus no cutie mark, but....' The changeling though, swishing her tail more vigorously than before, having come up with an idea, a very grinchy idea... "And tell me, ppppppprrrrrrrreeecious: what would happen to a weak minded pony if the spell were to be cast on them?" She asked, with an enigmatic smile as she wrapped her hoof around Starlight Glimmer's neck.

Starlight shook her head, and put a hoof to the side of her head, a sickened expression appearing on her face, as the fog started to lift. "What do you mean?"

"Answer my question, dearie," the changeling assassin purred, her eyes glowing again, this time even harder.

"I don't know, -- " Starlight said, shrugging her withers. " -- make them equal?" She speculated, shaking her head in confusion. What was this monster trying to get at? And why couldn't she resist answering her questions?

"You'll see!" The changeling stated, with a smirk, as she took a deep breath, and let out an inequine shriek. "GUARDS!!!!" She shouted, as ponies all around the area began to transform into monsters just like her.

Nearby, dozens of ponies of various shapes and sizes preceded to shed their shapes taking on black chitinous bug like shapes (including a mare with a stroller and her foal, which, themselves, turned into a rather large bug pony monster, 'the foal', of the two still holding his pacifier in his mouth.)

"Fetch me that witch!" Belladonna commanded, pointing her hoof at the, now frantically fleeing, Starlight Glimmer. "Make sure she doesn't escape!" She hissed to her hords of changeling minions. "I have use for her!"

"But Belladonna, -- " one of the drones asked, lagging behind. "Didn't the queen demand -- " the drone protested getting a hoof to their mouth.

"Don't worry about that old bat... " Belladonna replied, callously. "I'll worry about that old bat, so just do what I say!" She exclaimed callously. "I have special plans for that pony, " she continued, treacherously. "Take her to my lair," she added, trailing off as the horde of changelings took flight. 'She might be useful to me -- after all anypony changed into a changeling is loyal to the queen and not me. But maybe I now have another way to produce drones...'

Belladonna cackled with glee as her minions carted away the unwilling Starlight Glimmer off into the distance. 'I hope she'll enjoy working for me at my little hamlet, organizing accommodations at 'Our Town',' she thought to herself, as she imagined the possibilities. 'And she can bring me slaves to harvest my witching potion!'

**********

"Skywishes help!" Twinkle Twirl shrieked, her hooves desperately reaching out towards her friend, like a drowning man, as she slowly faded into the darkness, crying and shrieking the whole way.

Skywishes closed her eyes, and cupped her hooves against her ears, as she sat on her plot, unable to do anything about the nightmarish situation she now found herself in. Why was that horrible man doing this to her friends!? What did they ever do to him?

The monster simply stood to the side, reclining on a hammock which was tied up against two imaginary objects, eating a big bin of artificial butter covered cauliflower. "Need some help girls?"

"Please!" Twinkle Twirl begged, as only her head remained. "Skywishes! Do something!" She begged, only her mouth remaining visible. "Use one of your special wishes!"

Skywishes fell to her knees, the words failing to come to her mouth, as her friend vanished into the shadows never to return, and all she could do was cry!

The mix and match monster rose from his floating hammock, and gave a good stretch, the arm attached to it's claw growing thirteen feet, to wrap itself behind Skywishes neck, and coming to rest on her wither. "U mad?" He asked, a bizarre wrinkled expression growing on his face, along with a grossly exaggerated, toothy smile, which took up roughly half his face. "Your friend go bye bye?" He cackled, turning to her, his talon digging into his cheek. "Well, maybe I can help you by speeding up the process? Would that make you feel better?" He asked, 'compassionately', his talon assuming a snapping position. "Are you ready?"

Skywishes shook her head. It couldn't end like this! Not yet! She needed a wish! An extra special wish for all her friends. "I wish! I wish! I wish!" She chanted, hoping that Star Catcher was listening somewhere. "Don't let it end like this! I need to help my friends! Please! I wish for a way to bring my friends back!"

"Ok!" The monster said, nonchalantly, his finger quivering for the final snap. "This'll teach you for trying to run girl!" He said, dressed in a ten dollar hat from an overpriced outlet mall, and elaborately torn clothing.

A kite materialized out of the darkness, and slammed into the monster's head, causing him to clench his head in pain. "What in the?" He said, looking around for the source of the kite. "Where'd that thing come from!?"

Skywishes gave a grin, as she bit the monster's claw, causing him to release her, and broke free. "Catch a kite, and you catch a wish!!" She announced, as she galloped off, as fast as her legs could carry her.

The monster gave a genuine smile, a bemused expression appearing on his face. "That was actually, truly, interesting." He admitted, getting a bad case of the giggles. "Shall we see what other surprises that mare has for us?" He considered, putting a pair of goggles onto his face, as he rode a second copy of himself, who reared up, and gave a mighty whinny, as a third one of him wagged his tail, and panted like a dog. "Tallyho!!!" He shouted, blowing the trumpet that it was time to make chase, again.

"Heya Skywishes!" A voice stated, softly waking Skywishes from her day-mere.

Skywishes shook her head vigorously, and put her hoof on her temple. A frown crossing her face -- another nightmare?

"What'cha doin'?" Twinkle Twirl asked her friend, a concerned expression appearing on her face, as she bent over her friend, speaking softly into her ear.

"Ooh!" She said, opening her eyes slowly. "I've just been sitting here wondering if anything feels off to you..." She said, tilting her head, her voice filled with concern. "I mean out of place," she said, turning her head away from her friend (she always was pretty shy, after all.) "Oh cha! You know what I mean," she announced, with a chuckle, holding her bent hoof up at her shoulder, a concerned expression lingering on her face,

"I'm not sure I do," Twinkle Twirl replied, in bewilderment, as she tilted her head to the side. "But I could use one of your extra special wishes, " she replied softly, as she peering in closer, an eager smile on her face.

"Sure!" Skywishes replied with a smile, as she leaned towards her friend. "What... Can I do?... For you?" she asked, her face looking lost. Had this happened before? Why did she have a sense of déjà vu?

"We...well..." Twinkle Twirl stuttered, returning a concerned expression, why was Skywishes acting so weird? "I'm kind of stuck," she said, tilting her head, in embarrassment, looking away. "I'm kind of stuck," she reiterated, as she started to slowly circle the pink earth pony. "I still haven't figured out my moves for my extra special dance routine for the extra special friendship ball tonight!" She announced, now at Skywishes opposite side, her front legs bent in a begging position, as she leaned over her friend, anxiously. "I call it 'dancing in the clouds!'" She announced, having only figured out the concept (a roller coaster ride that made one feel like a bird), and the name.

The name of the routine echoed in Skywishes head, as the day dreams started again. She shook her head violently, holding her temples with her hooves. What was it today? Why did everything feel so off. It was like things were going the way they should, then they would suddenly hop the rails! Twinkle Twirl was supposed to ask her for ideas for what her dance should be; Kimono was supposed to be fetched by Minty not Scootaloo; and she was almost certain that she wasn't even supposed to know who Spike was yet! And it didn't stop there! No not by a long shot! Then there was --

"Bang!.." A male voice hissed in her mind. "Buh bye!"

"Hey?" Twinkle Twirl asked, leaning over again -- her face showing a fair amount of concern. "Are you ok?" She asked twisting her head around so that she could look at her pink friend in the eyes. "You seem awfully spacy today."

Skywishes nodded her head, a forced smile slowly creeping up her face. "Yeah! I'm ok!" She said, waving her hoof up and down. "I mean: no problem! I mean! Ohhhh!!!" She exclaimed, in exasperation. "You know what I mean!" She shouted, nervously, shaking her head, suddenly having no idea what she was talking about at all! "One special wish coming up!" She said, bowing her head and closing her eyes -- taking almost a praying position. "I wish. I wish. I wish." She chanted silently. "I wish Twinkle Twirl could get just the right moves for her special dance routine: Dancing in the Clouds!" She exclaimed, the sound of a symbol playing being heard somewhere.

A pink kite with a line of, rather large, pink hearts flew over head -- as if by magic.

"Catch a kite, and you catch a wish!" They shouted to each other with glowing smiles, as Twinkle Twirl was the first to get up, and start to gallop after the flying object.

"Are you coming 'Sky?" Twinkle Twirl asked, in concern, as she galloped in place. "We have to catch the kite, if we want a wish!"

Skywishes nodded, the melancholy still lingering. "You run ahead, I'll catch up in a minute." She said, with her best forced smile.

Twinkle Twirl nodded, frowning for only a moment, before galloping off, taking flight after the elusive kite.

Skywishes tarried behind for a moment, taking a moment to look down. "I wish I knew why everything was so off..." She said to herself, with a frown. "Why is everything so wrong?"

If you were really quiet, then somewhere out there a quiet and serene voice could be heard speaking to her. "And soon you shall..." It said, a faint sorrow peering through it's otherwise motherly tone. "Consider it done..."

**********

The pretender continued to churn and whine over her beautiful loudspeaker. "The hive mind is peace, individuality is a lie," the liar hissed, trying to subvert her paradice. 'How dare she!' Thought Starlight Glimmer, with a sigh. She meant her talents, and her spell to bring friendship, and equality. Instead those changeling monsters had bastardized her equality, turning it into a tool for the changeling booswazii to keep down a pony proletariat (not to mention their own working classes.)

At first her changeling captors had been more then happy to see 'the work of the staff of equality', but this only lasted until the first pony came around that was slow to accept equality, which was when they turned against her.

"You'd better fix this!" The slightly feline changeling, Belladonna, had hissed. "Or I will have to intervene, and you will no longer run 'our town'!" She had warned, drawing her hoof back like a claw. "And don't think I won't!" She demanded, tossing a phantom hour glass at Starlight Glimmer, which was scheduled to run out at midnight.

Of course, the light of equality eventually broke through the darkness that had clouded the pitious' pony's mind, but too slow for her masters, who decided that they would have to 'intervene'.

From that point forward, they became increasingly more angry and belligerent with her, until Belladonna finally commanded her to make some alterations to her equality spell, adding in ancient magics unlike anything that existed in any book of either unicorn, or changeling magic. And to add insult to injury, she enchanted 'the staff of equality' literally damaging it. Of course, that trinket was just a piece of wood, but she wasn't going to let that fact slide, yet. She wasn't yet powerful enough yet to overcome her overlords -- not yet...

The voice churned again, dragging her mind back to the present. "Free yourself from your disloyal thoughts! Choose conformity as your special talent!" Belladonna's voice continued chanting. Starlight Glimmer would remember this, and someday she would have her revenge... She hoped.

Starlight Glimmer staggered over to the door again, and slammed on it with her hoof. "Let me out!" She pleaded. "Please!" She begged, slowly sliding down the side of the door into a splitz. "I'll do whatever you say!" She lied, disingenuously -- crying inside that she had been reduced to this: having to play along until she could find a way to break the changing yoke, and restore true equality (all ponies equally equal under a superior her!)

Outside a sound could be heard -- her prayers to the random chance and the universe finally answered! A pony was out there! She was finally free!

Sadly, her glee didn't last long, when, instead of an unlocking sound, she heard the sound of a giggle from a changeling drone, which had been stationed outside.

Starlight slammed her head against the door as she sat there, in a splitz, her heart melting within her as she considered the hopelessness of it all.

NO! She shook her head, this wasn't just about her! They abused her followers, using them to perform manual labor to mine and grind materials to make some kind of a potion... Some of her followers never returned from work on a given day.

She swore on the staff of equality that she would avenge them! And she would!... She hoped...

And yet the small voice of defeat lingered within her. Her dream had become a nightmare! And she was forced to live it.

**********

A few months later.

Cotton Candy to a quick peek out her door to see if any of the monsters were around before doing something she had never, ever, done before -- even at night -- closing the cafe's door. "What are we going to do?" She asked, in panic, as she turned to Skywishes, whom had also taken refuge in the cafe. "Those monsters are like everywhere!" She exclaimed, her voice starting to break. "And they look like they don't really want Rainbow berries, or friendship!" She whined, taking another peek out the door. "And I'm worried about what they are going to do to all our friends!" She said, nervously, thinking about when the monsters carried away Sweetberry and Triple Treat, right out of the Sweet Shop earlier, right before her eyes.

Skywishes sat there, her eyes closed, as she contemplated deep and mysterious thoughts (like what she could be wishing for to fix this.)

"Hey!" Cotton Candy exclaimed, her mood perking up. "Maybe there's something we can do about this!" She said, slapping her two front hooves together, the wheels in her head coming to a conclusion.

"A special wish!" Both ponies exclaimed in unison, their faces turning to one another.

"Haha yah!" Both ponies shouted, in unison, giving each other a high hoof.

"Yeah!" Skywishes concluded, in agreement with their unspoken plan. "I can make a extra special wish for everyone to be safe!" Skywishes exclaimed, eagerly, the idea, seeming just crazy enough to work.

"Yeah!" Both ponies decided in unison, giving each other another high five. "And the extra special wishes are the ones made between friends!" They exclaimed, a faint light starting to burn in the darkness of their moods.

Of course, that only lasted but only a moment, when a soft buzzing could be heard outside, which started off small, but continued to grow. "And we need to hurry!" Cotton Candy shouted, peeking out the window that sat in the little room next to her register, and noticing the horde headed straight their way. "Because it looks like they're on their way!"

Skywishes nodded to Cotton Candy, bowed her head, and closed her eyes -- her head and face almost taking a praying position. "I wish. I wish. I wish!" She prayed wished. A large pink kite with a series of rather large hearts down the center passed by the large back window of the cafe. "Cotton Candy?" Skywishes asked, giving the pink earth pony that owned and operated the cafe, and for whom it was named, her best puppy dog eyes. "Can you keep them busy for me?"

"I suppose..." Cotton said, reluctantly, leaning her head against one of her hooves. "But I hope this works..." She whined, trailing off as Skywishes opened one of the back windows, and proceeded to slide out of it.

"Please Star Catcher!" The pink wishing earth pony pleaded, under her breath, as she proceeded to gallop around the back of the cafe, and after the runaway kite. Where was Star Catcher taking her? "I don't know if you and your butterflies can answer this extra, extra, extra special wish, but if you can, please do!" She pleaded under her breath, as she chased the kite off into the distance.

Skywishes looked back at the cafe, and bowed her head in shame as, back in the cafe, the changelings slowly converged on poor Cotton Candy, and carried her away.

The cafe's pink pony's sacrifice had worked though, and at least for awhile, anyway, as it seems to have kept the bug pony monsters busy. Unfortunately, 'a while', wasn't long enough as the monsters were not far behind, chasing after her with vigor, to make up for their lost pursuit time.

Skywishes, however, remained undeterred as she continued to chase the kite, like her life depended on it... which it might have. The mare, you see, was on a mission -- a mission to obtain a wish! "Please!" She shouted, hoping that Star Catcher, wherever she was heard her. "I have to get that kite! It's the only way I can help everyone!"

"Halt pony." The changeling, closest to her, demanded mindlessly, buzzing it's wings violently to close the gap between them and Skywishes. "You are to be taken to lord Vladímir for judgment."

Skywishes started to panic, galloping ever faster. Sadly, the chubby G3 filly was no match for trained changeling warriors and drones in terms of either agility or speed. As they grew closer, she started to wish again, in a fit of desperation. "I wish! I wish! I wish!" She whispered to herself, quietly. "I wish they'd leave me be!" She stated, as her mark began to glow faintly -- giving off a fair amount of heat.

"Ouch!" She shouted, her mark giving her a fair amount of pain -- it was just like that weird party all those years ago when she was a foal (you know, the one where Mama Rainbow Pie showed up with that ice cream cone on her head, and zapped her with that ray beam, and made her mark go crazy.) The odd thing was she swore she was standing back there for a minute, living the same moment again.

She shook her head, stopping in place at the unbearable pain on her flank. Not now! She had to get away from the bugs. It was hard considering how hot her mark had become.

Then...

Why was she seeing Wysteria, another purple pony, that she did't recognize, and ... a pink foal she barely recognized... before her eyes? And why did they have really real for real pegusus pony wings... and an ice cream cones on their heads? Weird...

She shook her head, and struggled back to her feet, as her mark just started to cool off, it's glow diminishing. At the same time the bug monsters started to turn around and leave? She froze for a another second, dumbfounded. What just happened? Why would they be leaving now? And why did she get a feeling that something was happening nearby?

She shook her head, and continued galloping on. It didn't matter! The kite was getting away again, and she couldn't let it get away if she had any chance of helping everyone with her wish. But the closer she got, to the kite, the harder it became to continue, and the more her mark hurt her, and the more brightly it glowed. What was happening?

Skywishes bowed her head, and poured on the gas, galloped, through the pain, at full speed. She could see it! The kite was within reach! It just sat there, stuck in the branches of the tree! She could catch it! She could get it right here and right now! But why would Star Catcher choose this tree as a place to have her butterflies rest the kite? And what happened to her, on Christmas, why had she just dis --

A voice hissed behind her. "Don't even try that pppppppeeeeerrrrrecious!!!!" The exclaimed. Causing Skywishes to look behind her, only to find a strange looking monster bug pony, licking their hoof with their tongue. "Nopony gave you permission to act the hero!" She exclaimed, her crooked horn beginning to glow a green light.

Skywishes stood there frozen for fear, for some reason, merely looking at the strangely feline bug pony's eyes made her want to stop, in her tracks, and cower and tremble.

She shook her head, and steeled her nerve. "The kite!" She exclaimed, galloping towards the tree. It was right in front of her, all she needed to do was reach and --

"Nice try!" The feline changeling purred, with a cackle. How dare this impudent little pony attempt to humiliate or upstage her, the hive's number four assassin. "But you aren't going anywhere!" She hissed, grabbing the pink earth pony in her magic. "Nopony gave you permission to leave to grab your kite," she said, giving a yank with her magic, feeling quite bemused at the childishness of this little pony! How foolish! Her town burns and she attempts to catch a kite! What frivolous creatures these odd looking ponies, with their pudgy bodies, their giant muzzles, and their clumsy looking cartoonish limbs were.

"No!" Skywishes shouted, futilely attempting to struggle against the magic grasp that held her.

The assassin gave a chuckle. "Don't waste your time!" She purred. "Starswirl's seventh law states that it's impossible for a pony to use physical means to escape a magical force!" She said, breaking into a giggle, and finally outright laughter. "And even if you could, you wouldn't be able to after my witching potion has greatly increased the strength of my magic!" She boasted, already imagining how much she wanted to bury this ridiculous looking pink pony in snow, or ice.

"Please! Let me go!" Skywishes begged, turning her head back, her eyes full of tears. "Whatever did we do to you?" She asked, cringing as her cutie mark began to glow a translucent color, and it began to glow white hot.

The feline bug pony simply laughed, seemingly unaware of what was happening to her pray, not that it mattered anyway. What was more important to her was, in fact, relishing the opportunity to play, a little, with her pray, as she took a moment to shake the odd looking pink earth pony with the giant muzzle like a rattle. Her glee lasted only until a spike went through the hive, coming from her associate Phytolacca, despite his better attempts to hide it.

The assassin stopped, turning her head towards the disturbance. What in the heck was she sensing? What, in Queen Rosedust's name was that foal Phytolacca fighting over there? She asked herself, her magic weakening ever so slightly.

Skywishes gritted her teeth, and shot forth another wish, hoping against all logical sense that this would work. "I wish! I wish! I wish!" She chanted, begging the butterflies and Star Catcher to free her of the assassin's magic grasp, wherever they were. It was kind of a long shot, seeing as no one had seen hide nor hare of Star Catcher since Christmas. Eventually the really real for real pegasus ponies had given up, opting to return to Butterfly Island, and had, as far as she knew, remained there, all living in fear that their leader had simply vanished without a trace, and that the fate would befall them. "Please! Star Catcher! If you're still out there! Please help me! Our friends need us!"

"Consider it done!" A sultry voice echoed in her head, as the assassin's magic weakened just enough to allow her to shake free of the magic, and race to the base of the tree.

"How'd you break free?" Belladonna shouted angrily, noticing that the ridiculous pink pony had successfully violated Starswirl's seventh law. "Tell me!" She demanded, as the pony started to reach her hoof up to grab the kite.

The changeling angrily seized the earth pony in her magic again. "What are you up to?" She asked, this time making a vice with her magic as she shook her head angrily. "You don't think you can escape me can you?" She asked, beginning to pull the earth pony back -- by the tail -- towards her. "And I think it's just about time for you to see Lord Vladímir for judgement."

Skywishes shook her head, with vigor, as she reached out even harder, finally managing to grasp the very tail end of the kite in her mutant hoof, the bone in her hoof bending and distorting to allow her to grasp it within the bone in her hoof. She opened her mouth, and very deliberately said her rhyme. "Catch a kite, and you catch a wish!" She said, her symbol glowing a neon white color.

"Say what?" the changeling replied, as the earth pony, as well as all the other ponies in town (as well as butterfly island, and unicornia) disappeared into puffs of smoke, leaving only the changelings behind.

"NO!!!" The changeling shrieked, in utter dismay, as she, for the first time in centuries experienced true and unambiguous failure!

**********

"Will you get on with that wish already?" The creature said calmly, taking a look at his pocket watch, as he reclined in a rather gaudy plaid arm chair, drinking from a two dimensional paper tea cup. "My tea is getting cold," he continued, a monocle on one eye, and a top hat on his head.

Skywishes nodded, she needed to make her wish. But what could it be... What should it be? Only one thought came to mind, and it seemed wrong...

She looked back at the monster, who waved back vigorously, an 'enthusiastic' smile, on his face.

She shook her head, she needed to go with her instincts, that's what Twinkle Twirl had taught her...

"Sometimes, when coming up with a routine, it's best not to think about it too hard!" The voice of her lost purple friend booming in her head.

"Oooh the suspense is amazing!" The monster said, in hushed tones, in the background, the sound of a canned golf clap could be heard.

Skywishes stamped her hoof, defiantly. She had to do it, even if it was wrong! "Catch a kite! And you catch a wish!" She exclaimed, a light beginning to glow, from above, as a purple figure began to materialize from the darkness.

"Ahhh...." The monster cooed, unimpressed. "You could have wished for my end, but apparently you are wishing for your purple friend Twinkle -- " He stopped, the pony that was rematerializing had a horn, and looked like they had four left hooves, as compared to the sublime grace of the aforementioned purple earth pony. "Twirl?"

The monster gave a double take, making like a sprinkler as he spewed out what must have been a gallon of earl grey tea from his mouth.

He took a pair of old granny glasses off his muzzle, and polished them well. "Stigmatism!" He exclaimed, with a chuckle, finally putting them back on, and taking another look.

The sound of the ringing bells that start a nascar race could be heard, followed by raucous laughter from the monster as he turned to Skywishes, taking good care to point his talon at her as he laughed in her face (or rather his disembodied face did.)

The Thing From Beyond laughed raucously. Of all those that had ever had the audacity to challenge him, this was the most pathetic collection of losers, and rejects, imaginable!

His laughter turned into a bellowing laughter as he opened his mouth to speak -- turning to Skywishes. "You had one! Just one!" He said, holding up a single talon. "Of your 'special wishes'." He said, pointing at Lily. "And you wasted it on her!" He said, with disgust. "You don't even know her!" He shouted, with a fake rage. "Why? Because she only appeared in one movie! ONE!!!! And you weren't even in it!" He added, shrugging his claws.

"Well enough of that." He said, his anger melting away, along with his angry face... literally.... "Shall we continue?" He asked, resuming his bellowing laughter, making good and sure to spit in Skywishes' face as he did so.

"No!" Skywishes retorted, defiantly. "She's our friend! I had to help her!" She continued, standing tall. "And Rarity misses her miserably!"

"Oh spare me the drama!" The creature said, readying his talon. "You G3 phonies are so ridiculous!" He said, giving a crazed laughter. "And that's why I like this world! That's why this is going to be Discordtopia!" He said, waving his paw, in a wild ark, as she shrunk down to Skywishes' size, putting his paw on her shoulder.

He waved his talon into the air. "You know you could have brought back somepony with some character, or maybe somepony that's actually you actually like..." He said, putting a second copy of his claw on his muzzle as he put on a good duck face, which acted as his 'thinking' face. "Um... Give me a minute..." He replied, snapping his talon into the air to allow him to remember the name. "Ahhh! Twinkle Twirl!" He said, snapping his talon, and causing a Twinkle Twirl 'action figure' to materialize in the air, complete with mutant kung-fu-hoof-grip.

"No! Twinkle Twirl!" Skywishes shouted, mindlessly, as she froze in place -- her face turning cold. She'd lost Twinkle just a little while earlier to this monster, along with Razzaroo, and now the monster was mocking her -- holding her friend hostage in front of her face.

She shook her head. She'd been given a wish! And she used it! Now she'd teach the beast by beating him using the power of love and friendship... (and parties... and tea parties... and dollies... and fun... and ... ) "Discord!" She exclaimed, defiantly staring the monster in the face, whose eyes suddenly grew 'squiggly'. "I'll bring her back! I promised her!" She shouted, her eyes beginning to glow a bright white color.

"And how do you propose you are going to do that, my dear?" Discord asked, sitting on his throne made of discarded pop cans, and five cent paper bags (not to mention the illegal plastic bag hoard he'd been keeping for a while.)

"By stopping you!" She shouted, her resolve growing, along with the glow in her eyes, which threatened to shoot lasers out of themselves.

"Really?" He asked, dressed like a newspaper reporter. "This is a skoop!" He said, writing furiously, taking a second to adjust the feather that sat in his hat. "The pony plans to stop me by boring me to death with her lack of special wishes, and overall endless prattle!" He exclaimed, as he typed furiously at his typewriter, which made a loud clanging sound as it hit the end of the line and sent the spool of the typewriter flying off into the distance, hitting some poor soul in the head.

"Ouch! My leg!"

For some reason Skywishes had the irresistible desire to wish, a desire she couldn't stop no matter how much she knew that she needed to catch a kite first. She just had to do it kite or not... She didn't know why though. "I wish! I wish! I wish!" She cried desperately, as she began to be engulfed in a white aura, which threatened to engulf every inch of her from ear to tail, and --

Skywishes awoke, in a cold sweat, as she felt someone tapping lightly on her shoulder, and a young boy's voice ringing in her ears. "Excuse me sir," the voice asked politely, but loudly, like it had been trying to get her attention for a little while.

'Sir?' Skywishes thought to herself, fluttering her eyes in surprise, as the world slowly began to return to focus. It became painfully obvious that this place looked nothing like Ponyville, or even Breezie Blossom, for that matter. And why, in the sam hill's, would this young man be calling her 'sir'? She shook her head, maybe best to ask him?

The colt shook his head in frustration. Was the stallion ok, or not? He wasn't moving very much, and he seemed disoriented as best. Should he go and get help? What did his teacher, Mrs. Kind Words say to do in this case? He shrugged his withers, in indecision, at his internal monologue. Better just ask again... "Excuse me sir?" The colt reiterated. "Could you help me? My kite is stuck in the tree you're sleeping under, and I can't seem to get it out." He asked again.

Skywishes smiled to herself. 'What a cute little man, he doesn't even know about girls yet,' she thought with a giggle. "Certainly!" She replied eagerly. "I'd love to grab your kite!" She said, quickly shaking her head, that didn't come out quite right at all. "I mean..." She rephrased herself. "I'd love to help!" That didn't come out right either! She absolutely hated it when she got excited like this: she always jumbled her thoughts when she did. "I mean!..." She wasn't going to get it out... "Oooh!" She exclaimed, in frustration. "You know what I mean!" She exclaimed, reaching her hoof up into the tree, the bone of her hoof distorting around the kite's tail, as she began to grab the kite.

The colt shook his head, he had no idea what she meant... Wait... She!? If his mouth had been full, he would have done a spit take! Did a mare's voice just come out of a stallion's face? Wait... this might be just a really... really... REALLY... Ugly mare. And what in Celestia's name was she talking about? "Not sure I do," he replied, frankly. "Sorry," he said, apologetically -- his mother told him better than to disrespect a mare, even an ugly one, this way.

"It's ok," Skywishes replied, with a smile, as she began to drag the kite down, her wither wrapped around the handle like a viper, as she began to tug.

"Excuse me ma'am," he replied, his face blushing nervously. "But how did you do that with your hoof?" He asked, pointing at her hoof which, once again, grasped the kite tail grasping it within the hard bone of her hoof, which was bent as if it contained an invisible joint.

"What do you mean?" She asked, a puzzled expression on her face. What is he getting at? What could possibly be odd about my hooves? They seem perfectly normal to me? She asked herself, quietly, as she pulled at the kite's tail some more -- it's string held tight in her wrapped wither. Oh well, he seemed like such a nice boy, and she bet he was missing his kite very much, and maybe he just confused, like Minty was a lot.

The colt looked at her crosswise, was this mare mad? What in the hey was going on in that vacant expression of hers? He took a moment to stare at the stallion's mare's face. Why did this weird mare have a stallion's face? And how did she do that weird thing with her hooves? Oh well! Trying to find out was probably a colossal waste of time. He stopped for a second to, surreptitiously, stoop down and admire her cutie mark: a rather generic looking yellow and green butterfly, and a technicolor green, yellow, and orange kite with a rather large pink symbol, and a long pink string covered in bowties curled at the end (peeking at a mare's cutie mark, by the way, was considered kind of rude of a young colt like him, to be doing...) "So... um..." He asked, blushing slightly the embarrassment showing through. He took a second, swallowing slightly as he twiddled his front hooves, trying to phrase the words.

"Skywishes!" She responded, giving a friendly smile. The young man reminded her so much of Spike (of course, other than her own father and Spike, she'd never met a male before -- though she had heard that there was one or two in town.)

"Skywishes... yeah..." He continued, the hoof twiddling continuing. Did he dare ask this question? But what else was he going to do, he'd tried just about everything else he could think of. Heck, he'd even tried sending in an application to that club that his pen pal from Manehattan had told him so much about... (They never replied back.)

He gave another gulp. "So... about your cutie mark..." He said, with a sigh... This was hard to think about... He'd really been reduced to asking this weird looking mare, with a stallion's build and muzzle, where she got her odd looking mark... On the other hoof, he had to do this! He hated not having his mark this late in life. Everypony laughed at him behind his back, and called him... slow... He steeled his resolve, and continued his question. "So., how'd you earn your cutie mark, " he asked, receiving no response... Best rephrase... "what's your cutie mark story?" He asked desperately, burying his face in his hooves -- this was another no no, a gentle colt didn't talk about a mare's flank, or the cutie mark on it.

Skywishes tilted her head, a perplexed expression on her face (and was, apparently, blissfully unaware if Equestrian customs.) What was this little boy talking about? Cutie mark? What was that? Like a cute little mole on someone's face? What did moles have to do with her? Did she get a new mole on her face? And what did he mean by 'earn'? She guessed she had to ask... "What do you mean earn?" She asked. "And what do you mean earn my cutie mark?..." She asked, with a chuckle. "You don't earn moles, silly, they just happen."

He shook his head, she was hopeless... He had no idea, at all, what was going through her head. And how could she be so utterly clueless, about the most important thing in a pony's life, ever? Was she an early bloomer, or something? Or was she?... Slow?... He pointed at her mark, with his hoof.

She tilted her head, and shrugged her withers, a funny expression on her face -- what was he talking about? "Earned?" She asked curiously. "I never earned my symbol, " she continued, with a shrug. "I've always had this symbol, " she continued, still remembering all of her old family portraits (the ones with her whole family in them: her, her mother, and even her father.) Heck! Even as a newborn cutie she still had that mark (Mama Skywishes had even painstakingly monogrammed that symbol into all of her diapers.)

The young colt practically fainted on the spot. What did she mean 'always had it'? How can a pony be born with their cutie mark? Didn't she know that a pony's mark only appears when it's ready, when a pony figures out what they want to do with their lives. He shrugged his withers, maybe she was unique. "So what does it stand for then?" He asked curiously. Maybe the purpose of the mark would make some sense of this.

Skywishes looked back at him, cross eyed. Stand for? A pony's symbol stands for something? She always thought the mark just stood for their name, though Cherry Blossom had once told her that it represented the thing a pony loves most, their favorite thing. But, that was, probably, kind of a stretch. Maybe she should ask. "What do you mean 'stands for'? I didn't think my mark stood for anything, except, possibly, my love of kites and wishing."

He gave a soft sigh -- this was getting him nowhere fast, she was absolutely, positively CLUELESS!!!... Maybe it was time for him to go, he wasn't going to learn anything here... He frowned, in defeat, as he slowly turned around to leave.

Skywishes returned a sad expression to the young colt. Was was she going to do? He looked so sad, and lonely! But what could she do? A thought came to mind, as if Star Catcher was answering a wish. But would it even work? Did she even dare ask? Could Star Catcher, and her butterflies even help her here?... Wherever she was?

He turned his head around to look at her, one final time, a small amount of frustration showing. Buh bye weirdo...

She returned his frown. She had to do something! Just look at him! She had to do it! She had to ask, Star Catcher or not! She said a prayer, and hoped that this would work... She shook her head, her face becoming resolute. She had to try! And she was going to! "Hey little boy," she said, with a smile, looking around discretely. "Do you need one of my special wishes?"

He blushed nervously, backing away slowly, as sweat beginning to trickle down his brow. Was that ugly mare actually asking him -- ? No... it couldn't be... So why was he blushing? And what, then, was this weird ugly mare asking him? Should he start running now? Or should he wait a minute, for her to explain? What did miss Kind Words say to do, in this situation?

She looked at him cross eyed. What in the hey was he thinking about? Why the weird expression? Had she confused him somehow? She lowered her head, in shame, and gave a sigh -- she didn't mean to confuse him, and she definitely didn't mean to scare him! Maybe she should clarify.... "What I meant to ask was, do you have a wish I can wish for?" She asked curiously.

He sighed in relief, ok... Crisis averted... She's only nuts...

"You see, I kind of have a special ability to make wishes for ponies." She said, with a wink. "It's kind of a special thing of mine, and also a passion -- you see, I love to make wishes, and tend to spend nights wishing on every star in the sky." She should be careful, she was starting to get excited again. "And I love to wish for other people's wishes, and ..." Dang it! She was tripping over her words again. "And... Ohhh!!!! You know what I mean!" She said, with a smile.

He shook his head, not really. Did this crazy mare think she had a wishing talent, or something? Oh well... maybe he should humor her -- you know, in case she's right... What did he have to lose?

She looked at him cross eyed, and tilted her head. He didn't know what she was talking about? Hadn't he heard of her special wishes? She thought everyone in Ponyville already knew about her wishing talent, and --

She stopped herself, and shook her head. Of course he didn't know about her talent, this wasn't Ponyville, or Breezie Blossom, or anywhere else, for that matter. Maybe she should give him a different hint. "Well... Do you have anything you've been wishing for?" She asked, kindly, getting in close enough to whisper the question in his ear.

No words came out of his mouth. Instead, his tail pointed at his blank flank.

Skywishes took a look at his blank flank, and immediately stepped back, in surprise... This was very odd... Where was the young man's symbol? Shouldn't he have one? She meant, that she had never heard of a pony that had been born without a symbol, certainly none that didn't have one at adolescence... Maybe this was why he was so uncomfortable... It had to be terrible to not have one... It was almost like being born without a name. No wonder he was acting so weird, maybe he was shy because he was worried about her treating him different, because he was special -- kind of like... Wierd... she remembered a purple pony vividly with some kind of glowing... something... but she couldn't name, or place the pony... So they must not have existed... Right? So why did she think they did? She couldn't be distracted by phantoms now, she had wishes to make!

She bowed her head, and closed her eyes -- as if praying -- and slowly chanted something. "I wish! I wish! I wish!" She chanted, to herself, as a rather large pink kite flew in from nowhere, a row of giant hearts down the middle.

She turned to him, with a smile. "Catch a kite, and you catch a wish!" She said, pointing her hoof at the kite. "Go on!" She motioned to him. "Catch it!" She continued, her enthusiasm infectious. "You'll see," she said, with a wink.

He shrugged his withers, the kite seemingly flew in from nowhere, mysteriously, and quickly lodged itself in the same tree from before, it's extra long string was just low enough for him to grab it in his mouth.

He stopped for a second. Did he dare take this kite? What if it's somepony else's kite? What if it's poisoned by this crazy mare? What if... Heck... He should do it! He had nothing better to do, after all. He shrugged his withers again, and grabbed the kite string in his mouth.

After a few seconds of tugging, the kite came loose from the tree. A flash could be seen as something briefly appeared on his flank, well long enough for him to get a good look at it before it vanished again. Meanwhile the kite continued off floating off into the distance.

'So that's what it's going to be!' He thought to himself, with a devious smile.'And mom said it won't appear till it's ready! I should tell all my friends!' He thought to himself, his mood suddenly shifting... Wait a minute... Did that mare just mark his mark appear? If even only for a minute? He walked up to the mare and began to feel around in her mane for a horn (yeah his mother would be mortified right now.)

"Stop that!" She exclaimed, with a giggle, as the young stallion's hooves searched through her mane, for something... "There's nothing in my hair!" She replied, with a giggle.

"Does that mean that you aren't a powerful unicorn mage?" He asked, with a frown... He was so hoping that this was a mysterious unicorn wizard... Maybe they could go on an epic adventure to bring a horse shoe back to the place it was crafted in some super cool volcano...

Oh well... A wishing mark is still a wishing mark! He should tell everypony all about it! This was super cool!