A Wish Granted

Fluttershy walked to the center of the burned patch of land, a tear coming down her eye as she saw the destruction. She walked into the center, he heart aching. “I can’t just leave things as they are. I’ve been gifted with a new power, so that I could use it for others. Why not these poor creatures?”

Rainbow cocked an eyebrow. “What are you talking about, Fluttershy?”

“Roseluck,” she said to the earth pony softly, “do you still have flower seeds?”

Roseluck wiped her eyes. “I don’t know. Some of them may have survived the fire, but what does that matter now? It’ll take a few months for them to grow enough to sell them.”

“Go get them for me. I’ll do something special, just for you.’

Roseluck gave her an odd look, seemingly about to protest, but when she saw fluttershy's smile, her hope, she gave a shrug and went back to her house. A minute she came back with a few different bags of seeds and a shovel. “Be my guest.”

Fluttershy began to dig up the dirt, throwing away the burnt portions to the side. The top layered was burnt to a crisp and was still fairly hot.

Digging a little more she came to a layer that was fresh and rich for planting the seeds. She then covered them up with a lite layer.

Rainbow Dash just watched the spectacle with an impatient look on her face. “Okay, you planted some seeds. Big whoop. Like Rose said it’s going to take a long time for them to regrow.”

“Not true, Rainbow Dash.” She stepped out of the burnt area. “Just watch.”

Twilight had a skeptical look on her face. Seeds didn’t just grow willy-nilly. Even she knew that. They required time and patience and care. She wondered how could Fluttershy help them and even more importantly, why would fluttershy want to help them. She she loved everything, but she took care of animals, not plants. Why such the sudden concern?

Fluttershy closed her eyes and focused, shutting out the protests of her friends. She reached deep inside herself until she felt that nub inside herself, the seed of power the Mother Tree had instilled in her. She took a deep breath. In and out, in and out, in a steady rhythm, feeling her body start to fill with that same indescribable POWER, that feeling where she was everything and nothing all at once.

Rarity gave her a disapproving look. “Fluttershy, dear, this is so unlike you. Isn’t it enough that Rose lost her flowers and part of her house? Why are you trying to torment her?”

Fluttershy ignored her knowing they would see soon enough.

Rainbow cocked her head. The area around Fluttershy seemed to be blurring, her fur rippling like a mirage in the summer heat. Her wings open and the leaves on them rustling.

“What in tarnation!?” Applejack said, as Fluttershy’s mane and tail began to change color, from pink to green, thickening like foliage on a bush. It began to flow as if blown by some invisible breeze.

Fluttershy opened her eyes, and they all gasped as she saw her friend’s eyes were glowing a light blue aurora.

Fluttershy put her front hooves right next to each other and held them close to her chest, concentrating on the energy inside her, light being dragged to the area like a small vortex, a glowing orb forming between them. It whistled like a breeze across a tree. She grinned as she looked down at the magical seed, the same kind as the one the tree had given to her.

The vine around her neck unwrapped itself from around her, taking the seed and sinking it into the ground.

With each breath Fluttershy concentrated energy into the ground, willing the earth to heal. She moved he hoof up and down in a come hither motion over and over. “Come on, little friends,” Fluttershy said with the gentlest singsong voice that seemed to echo that of a breeze. “Come on out. You don’t have to be scared. Up you get. Its time to grow.”

By now all of the ponies around her were watching with rapt attention, confusion etched on their faces.

Rose gasped in delight and awe as she saw the buds of flowers sprouting. They opened up as they grew, showing off their beautiful colors of red and yellow.

“WHAT?” Rainbow said in disbelief.

“Tha-tha-tha-that’s impossible!” Twilight stuttered out. Fluttershy had done an age spell, and she wasn’t even a unicorn. How could she cast spells at all?

Fluttershy sent out a request for aid to the Concord Tree as she put her hooves around her body like she was hugging herself. Energy ran through her body, even greater than before, and she thrust her hooves out in a circle around her, and the brown and black areas around her were suddenly turning green, as if someone were painting over a picture. soft Grass grew out, a few inches into the air, and the ground now looked like nothing had happened at all.

Fluttershy looked around at her work, joy and pride going through her to see the its natural beauty returned to the area. This was how it should be. She could feel contentment and admiration coming from the Concord Tree. She pulled the vine out of the ground, and she let out a long, slow breath. As the nature energy faded her mane and tail returned to normal.

She could feel all the eyes on her. Looking around she could see all her friends and the onlookers staring at her in open-mouthed shock. Her first instinct was to feel afraid and to run away. She remembered she couldn’t fly anymore, and then she felt her fear ebbing. After what she’d gone through, sharing the heart of nature, the scariness of being the center of attention felt small. In her discussion with the Concord Tree it had told her that she should look for the ways she was like others instead of how they were different, the same way that the Elements of Harmony were all interrelated in some way.

Lifting her head high she smiled and walked over to Roseluck, who was staring at the flowers she had helped to bloom. “How was that?” she said contentedly. “Not bad? I can’t fix up your house, but I can at least help your little friends.”

A new thought suddenly occurred to her. Rose was like her in a lot of ways. They both had an appreciation for nature, and with her transformation she was more like an earth pony, the same race as Rose. By searching for the similarities she could feel the barriers between them vanishing, becoming just like the mare. And if all ponies were one then Rose was her and she was Rose. She wasn’t afraid of herself, so why should she be afraid of Rose?

Roseluck looked away from her flowers, still uncomprehending of how it had happened, but at that moment it didn’t matter. She had her babies back, and that was all that was important to her. Tears came to her eyes as she suddenly hugged Fluttershy, saying, “Thank you, Fluttershy! Thank you so much!”

Fluttershy returned the favor. “No problem, Rose. It was my honor.”

The hug they shared helped to break the onlookers out of their reverie. The show became less important than the joy of the good deed she performed. They began to cheer and stomp their hooves, whistling and whooping.

Fluttershy looked around at the crowd, and she felt oddly alright with the world. They didn’t all think she was just a freak. They still loved her for who she was, the kind mare who did good deeds for others. This new power was certainly a blessing, not a curse. She just hoped her friends could see that.

She watched with anticipation as Rainbow Dash came up to her and slapping her hoof on her back, said. “Man, Fluttershy. I guess you really aren’t joking. You really do have some new power.”

Twilight was next. “How did you do that? Only unicorns can do magic.”

Fluttershy turned away from them, saying coldly, “Oh, NOW you want to know? You didn’t want to listen to me before, so why now.”

As they tried to apologize she turned back at them with a big grin and said, “Gotcha! You guys are so gullible.” She began to laugh, and the others couldn’t help joining in. Normally she wasn’t one to tease, but  not, she felt the ability to do it with ease.

Applejack shook her head. “I got no idea whatcha been up ta, Fluttershy, but yer actin’ like Pinkie Pie today.”

“And what’s wrong with that?” she responded. “It’s such a great day to be alive.” She looked up at the clouds and the sun, enjoying the feeling of the sunlight. She sighed happily, turned to them, and said, “You guys want to know? I’ll tell you all about it over at my place.”