I Wish I May [Private - Lyipheoryia]

[WishBone]

Wish Bone delighted in the sunshine that beamed through the skylights of her Canterlot office. Day's like this meant less business, which wasn't necessarily a good thing, but it also meant that most ponies were happy. The sun brought out the best in the ponies of Canterlot as they raced around, either shopping, or working, or taking a leisurely break away. 

Rainy days saw the most ponies queued up outside her office; dull days meant ponies had more time to think, because they had nothing better to do. They always end up with the sudden realisation that they're missing something in their life and come to Wish for help. 

Wish Bone relaxed in her chair, magically sorting a stack of fulfilled applications into a tray. Her window was open, sending a pleasant breeze her way; her gramophone uttered a soft, pleasant tinkle of uplifting melodies. She was comfortable. But.. Well, she wasn't bored, per say, but she certainly wouldn't mind a pony or two passing through her office..

She sighed contentedly and gazed out the window, wondering what the next wish would be.

[Lyipheoryia]

Starry rubbed her the sore spot between her eyes, her love of constantly wearing shades was taking its toll on her. Of course, that wasn't her only reason for feeling unhappy. The stresses of work, new discoveries, and overnight shifts doing research was draining her dry. And the overload of caffeine was probably unhealthy. And the fast food-only diet. And the constant munching of candy bars. And the reject of a sponsorship application. Yeah, mainly that. She closed her pupil-less eyes, and recounted their conversation:

"But, sir! This project could very well advance Equestria's technology into decades!"
"I'm not declining the project-hay, I would sponsor it myself if I could,"
"Sir, I don't understand. The project is right here, and I'm asking for your help,"
"No, no, you really don't understand, do you? It's not the project that worries me, it's the leader of the project,"
"Me, sir?"
"You're blind,"
"Yes, sir,"
"A blind mare, taking charge of a research project built on observations. Do you see the problem with that? A blind mare-in a program that requires observations. Blind. Observations,"
"Si-"
"Just...I don't know how to say this politely. Come to me with this project again, apply for the sponsorship again-just, keep your spot as a scribe or something,"

Starry hissed in anger at the memory-there was nothing wrong with her! Did that Lunar Prize not provide enough credentials? How about that diploma? Or that stack of awards and blue ribbons? She stomped her hooves, trying to hide the streak of tears behind her mane. It's not it's her problem she can't see! It's not her fault her eyes don't have pupils! It's not her fault...in any of this. But, yet, somewhere inside, she wanted sight. She wanted to say she could see. She wanted to lead this project. "I wish I could see,"
It was only after she had wished, did she "see" a wishful mare gazing out the window next to her-hearing all her words. Oh well, at least she could somewhat "see" with her infrared spell.

[WishBone]

Wish Bone was about to give up and go take lunch when the breeze carried words in through her window. "I wish I could see."

Wish snapped her head up and made eye contact with the mare outside her building. She swiftly stood up and trotted to the door. "I think you may need my help," she said softly, her white and blue mane sparkling in the sunshine.  

She knew this wish came with problem after problem, but it certainly wasn't impossible. This mare seemed genuine and seemed like she had her own reasoning behind her wanting sight. Wish Bone peered at the pony, gesturing inside the door. 

The mare was brilliant looking in every way, and if it hadn't been for her overhearing the pony, Wish Bone would never even have known she was blind behind those shades. "Come inside, darling. I can make your wishes come true, if you want me to," she said, the air turning slightly colder as she uttered this mysterious line. 
 

[Lyipheoryia]

The voice was chilling, yet sweet.  It had the air of grace, mysterious, alluring, and...mystical.  Almost like, in some odd ironic way or another, a wish.  Starry cast her spell, finding the door to this intriguing office, and stepped in.

"This is a new place, a assume?  I know the insides and out of Canterlot majority, but I've never seen the likes of this before.  Of course, I can't exactly see, either," she gave a small chuckle, masking the pain behind her carefully constructed Canterlot Elite muzzle, "Care to give me a run-through of your place and what it does?"

[WishBone]

Wish Bone watched the mare enter carefully, noting the spell she had used and, admittedly feeling rather impressed. This pony had clearly adapted to her sight-less life and Wish, despite not knowing the pony, felt proud. 

"Yes, it is a new building. I'm astounded that you know Canterlot so well," Wish Bone stumbled, wondering if that was tactless. "I mean -  I have been living here for months now and I couldn't even begin to tell you where anything is located, let alone notice a new store or office opening up," she amended, not meaning to have offended her client. "I used to work from home, but decided something more professional was needed."

She carefully led the mare to her desk and sat down behind it. "My name is Wish Bone, and, as my name may suggest, I run a wishing agency." she began to explain, going to pull out a leaflet from the drawer and stopping midway, feeling again, like she was being tactless. She should be used to this sort of thing by now, as ponies with disabilities or hindrances were common in this office. 

"In essence - I can make anything you wish for come true, within reason."

[Lyipheoryia]

"Well, then, I suppose you heard my slightly disgruntled wish a few minutes ago,"

Starry was impressed by this mare.  Small shops with big ideas like these ones stopped existing around her neighbourhood long ago, the rich and famous preferring chain stores like the ones that the billionmare "Steampunk" owned.  She heard the Wish take out some form of (Leaflet?), then put it back.  Smart!  No need to embarrass herself, either.  A fellow unicorn Starry assumed, with an extraordinary ability to grant wishes.  Interesting.  Interesting.

[WishBone]

"I did, and I assume that's why you decided to follow me inside," she laughed lightly, a pleasant sound. 

"I have the resources to make you see, but you have to understand that I can't make it permanent, and there are of course ... conditions. I am not a great worker of magic, so I can't heal your sight per-se, but I have studied wishing magic extensively, and I can wish your sight back. This is only a temporary solution, and I will have to be present to keep the spell going throughout the time period you want to use it for." Wish Bone paused to take a breath and let the information sink in.

She knew that a temporary solution might not be what this pony had in mind, and she had prepared for that too. She didn't want to get this mares hopes up too early either, but she knew that this was important, and she had to do everything she could.

"On the other hand, another option is for me to do some heavy research and try and find a unicorn powerful enough to heal your sight, but that may not be possible, and it may take much longer. But, if you'd like, we can go ahead with the first option to see how you adjust." Wish Bone looked at her and smiled to herself. 

"If you need it, you can take some time to think about it. I know it is a big decision for you."

[Lyipheoryia]

Starry gave another light laugh at the mare's suggestion, "Oh, Celestia!  You don't get what I really am wishing for," she burst into full laughter, threatening to double over in joke.  When she saw the mare's kind face, she froze-she was serious.  This mare could really grant wishes-she just didn't understand what Starry truly wanted! "I'm sorry, that outburst was rude.  I don't truly want to see.  I don't want sight, I don't want the ability to see on colours, to see anything-to be honest.  I'm not wishing for sight; I'm wishing to understand why others think I have a problem.  I'm wishing for understanding.  To understand why other think being blind is weird.  Why they think it's wrong.  Why they think I should be treated with special care.  Why they think I have a problem!"

Starry jumped upright in anger.  I don't have a problem!  Who said I have a problem?  Huh?  I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM!

[WishBone]

Wish Bone sat shocked for a minute, wondering how she could have presumed so early. She cursed herself and shook her head, ashamed. Her mouth hung open as she began to understand the mare in front of her, and again, she shook her head, as though trying to rid herself of her shame at being so foolishly presumptuous.

"I'm so sorry," Wish Bone said quietly, a hint of anger in her voice. Not anger at this mare, not even anger at herself. She was angry at the other ponies, who didn't see this pony for what she truly was: remarkable. "..remarkable.." she uttered the last word aloud. 

"Ah - you're remarkable and quite frankly you don't need fancy wishing magic to make them understand that you don't need special treatment!" she said passionately. "I'll help you, but we don't need to use these tricks just yet. We need to show all those ponies who've wronged you what you're really made of!" she stood up, knocking her chair back. She was suddenly more invested in this mare than she ever remembered being in anything else. "Many ponies can be - forgive me - blind to the astonishing world around them, and only see themselves in everything. Maybe it is them we need to help be able to see."

"But first.. What's your name?" she said sheepishly, realizing she hadn't even thought to ask. 

[Lyipheoryia]

"Starry Requiem,".

She grimaced at her name, which was seen of occasional fashion, gossip, and modelling magazines. They all mentioned her blindness-some good, some bad.

"If you read the news, then you know me. The famous mare: scientist, abandoned by mommy, daddy's money, rich filly, eccentric sense of style, own Lunar Awards, BLIND,"

Famous. Yeah, that's right-that was her. And, sometimes, she wondered if it was more of a curse than a blessing.

[WishBone]

"Starry..." Wish Bone started, racking her brains. It wasn't until she mentioned the Lunar Award that she stamped her hoof.

"You were that astounding filly! I remember reading about that! I didn't realise you were also such a socialite. Doesn't that take it's toll?" she asked, packing up a few things into her saddlebags. "Always in the spotlight, always in the public eye.." 

"With an award like that surely you don't need to prove to them how worthy you are; how special you are! And I mean that sincerely." Wish Bone didn't like to use the word special, but she felt it was the only word she could use to prove her point. 

She desperately wanted to help this mare, and if that meant doing some things that were a bit ... uncalled for, then so be it. She was prepared to wear disguises, to toe the line. to push the ponies that disrespected this mare to their brink. This mare was special, and Wish Bone was most certainly, going to help her see that.

[Lyipheoryia]

Starry closed her eyes..."Doesn't that take its toll?" repeating over and over in her head.  "Yes, being a socialite has its own price to pay.  One that I was willing to make; was.  I'm not so sure now...I've created competition with my own mother, started gossip about my relatives and royalty, threw myself head-over-hooves into the crowd.  You see, my mother abandoned me as a filly.  She didn't really forget me, she just...really wanted to.  My father and mother never got along as well as I would have wished, and they lived a life separate from each other.  My mom used to live with me, then turned those into daily visits.  Daily visits turned into weekly visits, which turned into monthly visits; and then visited only on special occasions.  Our relationship was failing and falling, the mare-filly happy dream a mere wish," She inwardly smiled at the last two words.  This was what brought her here, to the mercy of a simple unicorn and a bit of wishful magic.  She spent forever studying and learning, mastering and socializing.  She had so much influence, almost power, and she was still here.  Talking to a non-royal, non-Elite, non-socialite for help.  For all that she had accomplished in life, she was still in need of help.  Always.

"I drew myself into solitary silence, always studying, always alone.  I couldn't bare that she would just leave.  Determined to re-earn her love for me, I threw myself into the popularity game, and subsequently beating her in her sport.  I had learned much by studying, and put all my clever manipulation skills to the test.  Yet, I failed.  By placing myself as a competitor for the top spot, I had lost any chance of hope between us.  She set of starting a new family, claiming she knew me not, and my father not as well.  We were forgotten, unwanted, unloved.  Things did eventually take a good turn, my father and I reuniting.  But still, I often wonder-What if I never became one of the Elite?  Would we still have our rare meetings on Hearth's Warming?  Would she still hug me if she saw me on the streets?  That was my price to pay..."  She drifted off into silence, reminiscing her past.  She knew she was too far past to rekindle the relationship, but she wasn't too far to prove her worth to the crowd.  It was, per say, the closest alternative she had to her mother's love.  And she would make it, this time, work.

[WishBone]

Wish Bone could read the look on the young mares face. She knew that no matter what, this mare would always despise herself unless someone stepped in. Wish Bone took a breath and levitated her quill, scribbling some notes onto a pad in front of her.

"Starry, I'm going to help you, and you know that, but I'm not going to tell you how just yet," she glanced at the clock and smiled to herself as she took out more sheafs of paper and scribbled away. 

"I need you to trust me. It may take a while to fix this relationship between you and your mother, but that stallion I overheard you cursing earlier, is easy. You want your place on that project back? We need to make him aware that while he is too .. ah.. blind to see how astounding you are, others will not hesitate to snatch you up!"

She started to laugh to herself as she went over her plan in her mind. "Yes, trust me Starry, I have a way to make him see just how much he needs your help. Meet me back here tomorrow, and we'll get started," she said, stifling her giggles.

[Lyipheoryia]

Starry took a gulp and exhaled to a breath she didn't knew she help in.  She gave a flustered, and commenced a series of quick nods.  She gave a glance to the clock, the soft mare that explained her nostalgic past gone on a whim.  Her eyes settled onto their cool, form, her shades resting neatly above her nose.  Her lips tightened into a firm line, business-like a matter-of-fact.  She stood up, straightening her business dress with her magic.  She ran a hoof through her mane, re-doing her braid with her unicorn magic as well.  She freshened up in a matter of seconds, going from fragile to boxed up.  "Well, I have a meeting in Downtown Canterlot I have to deal with.  I'll come by at exactly 3:00 pm tomorrow.  If you are busy, I am available to wait until 5:37 pm,"  It was a firm statement, rather than a suggestion available to flexibility.  She gave a few steps towards the door, before pausing, "And...thank you,"

 

It was there.  For a few seconds-the quiet, vulnerable mare that had begged for aid.  The soft-spoken sweetheart that just yearned for a mother and a parent's love. The sweet filly that wanted someone to look her straight in the eye.  It was as if it all came back to her in a second, that she had no eyes.  She tilted her chin up, her posture rigid and that of a Canterlot Elite.  Her hoofbag levitated beside her, a buisnessmare,  She had gone from all boxed up, to laced and decorated in a matter of seconds.  And this Starry meant no silly business.  She stepped out the door, and teleported away.

 

A few minutes later, a mysterious note floated across the doorstep of the store-somehow managing to ring the doorbell.  Like by magic.

 

(Sorry, grammar wasn't so great with this one . )