The Element of Empathy

Eleanor's POV.
It's another beautiful day in Ponyville. Today, Twilight was using her magic to create a tuxedo suit for Spike, for the Gala. Rarity wanted to make one for the young Dragon, but Twilight insisted, since she was busy with filling out Mr. Toity's order.

Me? What I doing? Oh, I was in the market place, shopping for groceries and something for dinner tonight.

I was just looking over the oranges of the fruit stall, when I noticed Pinkie Pie dashing all over the place, with a rainbow umbrella hat. She looked like she was avoiding something. She was always looking up in the sky. And her tail was twitching for some reason.

Twilight walked up to her, "Pinkie Pie? What in the wide-wide-world of Equestria are you up to?"

Pinkie looked at Twilight, "Oh! It's my tail! It's my tail!" She turned her tail into Twilight's face, "It's a-twitch a-twitchin'! And you know what that means!"

Twilight removed the Pink Pony's tail and shrugged, "Actually, Pinkie, I haven't the slightest idea."

I rubbed my chin in thought, "Well... If I would have a guess. Judging by your actions. You're expecting something's gonna fall?

Pinkie looked at me, smiled, then nodded, "That's right, Nellie! The twichin' means my Pinkie Sense is telling me that stuff's gonna start falling! You two should better duck for cover."

Twilight just shook her head dismissively, "Oh, Pinkie, it's not gonna rain." She looked up to the sky, "Why there's barely even a cloud in the-"

Suddenly, a frog came falling and landed on Twilight's face. It croaked with a smile.

"He just said, 'Nice catch' in Frog." Pinkie translated.

The frog croaked again.

Then Fluttershy's voice spoke from above us, "Oh, I'm so, so sorry. You okay, Twilight Sparkle?"

We looked up to see Fluttershy hovering above us, carrying bags and baskets full of frogs.

"I just couldn't stand to see the pond getting so over-populated, what with the frogs all hopping into each other and all, so I decided to fly as many as I can on over to Froggy Bottom Bog." The shy Pegasus explained, as the frog started crawling on Twilight's face.

Twilight rolled her eyes, "Of course you did."

Fluttershy smiled and waved, "Bye-bye!" And with that, she was gone.

Pinkie looked at Twilight and noticed the frog, "Um... Twilight? You gotta little somethin' on your face there."

"Oh, really? Did your Pinkie Sense tell you that, too?" Twilight asked in a sarcastic tone.

Pinkie shook her head, "Nah! I could just see it."

Then she skipped off, singing a tune to herself. I removed the frog from Twilight's face, and placed it on the grass, as it hopped off.

Twilight sighed and started walking off, "C'mon, Spike, let's continue our practice session where there's a little less commotion."

Spike quickly followed with a skip, "Wow! That was amazing! Pinkie Pie predicted something would fall, and it did!"

I smiled, as I followed them, "It's really incredible."

Twilight shook her head, "Oh, come on. She said that something would fall, and a frog just happened to fall right around the same time. A coincidence, nothing else to it."

Suddenly, Pinkie dashed toward us and shouted, "My tail! My tail! Twitch-a-twitch! Twitch-a-twitch! Somethin' else is gonna fall!"

Spike gasped and hugged close to Twilight.

Twilight rolled her eyes and resumed walking, "Oh, Pinkie, please. Nothing else is gonna fa-" But she fell into a deep ditch.

I suppressed a giggled, while Spike gasped, "Oh no, Twilight fell!" Then he turned to Pinkie, "Is it... safe to go help her?"

Pinkie nodded, "It's okay, my tail stopped twitching." She removed her umbrella hat and skipped of singing.

Spike smiled and laughed, "Ha ha! That was amazing!"

Twilight dusted herself off and rolled her eyes, "Oh, please."

Then Applejack spoke from behind us, "Uh, Twilight? Why are you hanging out in a ditch?"

"Because, Pinkie Pie predicted it!" Spike answered.

"Honestly, Spike, she did not." Twilight argued, climbing up the ditch, "Two coincidences in a row like this may be unlikely, but it's still easier to believe than twitchy tails that predict the future."

Applejack gasped, then started to look scared, "Twitchy tail? Pinkie Sense?" She quickly seek shelter under the corn stand.

Spike waved his hand and assured, "Don't worry, it's safe. Prediction already came true."

Twilight raised a brow at Applejack, "Oh, wait. Don't tell me you believe in this stuff, too?"

"I know it doesn't make much sense, but those of us who have been in Ponyville a while, have learned over time that, if Pinkie's-a-twichin', you better listen." Applejack explained, coming out of the stand.

Suddenly, Pinkie returned and, instead of her tail twitching, her ears were flapping on their own, "My ears are flopping! My ears are flopping!"

Spike gasped, then quickly hugged close to me.

"What does that mean?!" I asked.

Pinkie turned to Twilight, "I'll start a bath for you."

Twilight's eyes widened, then she laughed, "A bath? This thing keeps on getting more ridiculous by the minute!"

Suddenly, an elder, Earth Pony came running by, with a wagon of hay bales. He stepped in a nearby puddle of mud and it splashed all over Twilight and me. Twilight growled in frustration. I just stared blankly, uncertain how to react.

*A Little Later, in Pinkie's Home...*
Pinkie Pie helped Twilight and I with our baths. I was first in, so it's Twilight's turn. She did not look amused by today's events lately.

"Sooo, basically, it works like this: I get different, little, niggling feelings and they mean different things." Pinkie explained, "Like when my back is itchy, it means it's my lucky day. And, when my knee gets pinchy, that means something scary's about to happen."

"Is your knee pinchy now?" Twilight asked.
Pinkie shock her head, and massaged her shoulder, "No, but my shoulder's achy." She smiled, "That means there's an alligator in the tub."

Pinkie dug her hand into the bathtub and picked up a baby alligator with purple eyes. Twilight screamed and leaped out of the tub.

"How come your knee didn't get pinchy?!" She exclaimed, "That isn't just scary, it's downright dangerous!"

Pinkie shook her head with a smile, putting the alligator on the ground, "No it's not, silly! This is my pet alligator, Gummy." Gummy opened his mouth and started nibbling on Pinkie's hoof, "He's got no teeth. See? Haha!"

I giggled and petted the baby alligator, "He's adorable."

Twilight sighed, "Okay, okay... I get it."

*Later in Ponyville...*
"Well, I still don't believe all this... 'special power' stuff." Twilight told Pinkie, as we walked down the street, heading back to Golden Oak Library, "It's just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo."

Pinkie raised a brow, "What's not to believe? You do magic, what's the difference?"

Twilight gasped and argued, "Huge! For one thing..." She looked around. Twilight stood on a soap box and cleared her throat, "Magic is something you study and practice. It only happens when you decide to do it, and it's meant to make something specific that you choose to happen, happen." She pointed to Pinkie, "With you, uh, it makes no sense at all!"

Pinkie shook his head, "That's so not true, Twilight!" Then gestured to me, "It makes as much sense as a Human capable of Fusion Magic."

I gasped and hugged myself in fear, "Ho-How long have you known?"

"Applejack told me." She smiled, then assured me, "I think is kinda cool. You have gotta fuse with me someday."

I regained my smile, "Maybe after this." I rubbed my arm, "I'm still a little uncomfortable about this gift."

Pinkie nodded in understanding and turned to Twilight, "Sometimes it's a bunch of random things happening to my body at random times that supposedly predict the future. I call 'em 'combos'."

Twilight stepped off the soap box, "Combos?"

Pinkie nodded, "Sure! You know, like, ear flop, then knee twitch, then eye flutter. That means the sky is about to be graced with a beautiful rainbow!"

Twilight rolled her eyes and made her way to the door of the library, "Yeah, sure."

Pinkie gasped, "Uh oh, I feel a combo coming on." Then the combo happened, as she named them, "Ear flop, eye flutter, knee twitch!"

I gasped, as I sensed something coming from the other side of the door, "Twilight, watch-" The door flew open, slamming Twilight into it, "Out..."

Spike was exiting the library, walking backwards, with a pile of books in his arms.

The door closed and Twilight fell on the doormat. She glared at Pinkie, "You said that combo meant 'beautiful rainbow'."

Pinkie shook her head, "Oh no-no-no-no-no. You're thinking of an ear flop, then knee twitch, then eye flutter. This was an ear flop, then eye flutter, then knee twitch. That usually means 'look out for opening doors'." She asked, "You okay?"

Twilight picked herself up and sighed, "I don't believe this."

"You don't believe because you don't understand." Pinkie pointed out.

Twilight raised a brow and rubbed her chin in thought.

*A Little Later, in the Basement of the Library...*
Twilight strapped Pinkie Pie into her analysis machine, "Okay. Now when you get another twitch, we'll have all kinds of scientific information."

Pinkie smiled, "Okie-dokie-lokie!"

Everything went silent for a few minutes, until Twilight asked, "Any twitches yet?"

Pinkie shook her head, "Nopey-dopey!"

Another few minutes, Twilight asks again, "Now? Anything?"

Pinkie gasped, "Wait! Hold on!" She focused for a moment, then shook her head, "Uhh, no."

"Are you kidding me?!" Twilight exclaimed in shock, "After a whole day of non-stop twitching, now that I've got you all hooked up, you're not getting a single one?"

"I don't control it, they just come and go." Pinkie pointed out.

"That makes no sense!" Twilight shouted.

Pinkie shrugged, "Sometimes you just have to believe in things, even when you can't figure 'em out."

Twilight stubbornly shook her head, "I will not believe in anything I cannot explain."

Then Pinkie gasped, "Wait, hold on, I'm feeling something..."

Twilight gasped and smiled, "Oh my gosh, what? What is it?!"

A second of silence, then Pinkie's stomach rumbled. Pinkie smiled, "It's my tummy! That usually means I'm hungry! Let's eat!"

I smiled, "Oh, let's go to SugarCube Corner. I've been craving something sweet all day."

Twilight growled in frustration, "You know what?" She ripped the wires from her machine and shouted, "Just forget it! I don't need to know if this is real or not. I don't need to understand it! I don't even care!"

Pinkie slipped out of the cuffs and smiled, "Okie-dokie-lokie."

Twilight, Pinkie and I made our way upstairs, to the door that lead to the library, until Pinkie stopped skipping and gasped, "Uh-oh."

I gasped, as I saw Pinkie's ears flapped, her eyes fluttered, then her knees twitched, causing her to fall into me and fall down the steps. I felt something fill me, and my body started glowing. Oh, no!

???'s POV.
I landed in the basement again and rubbed my head from the throbbing pain.

"Ow, blast it that hurt!" I muttered to myself. Then I giggled and smiled, "That was fun! Let's do it again!" Then my eyes widened in shock, "Wait. Pinkie Pie?" "Yeah?"

Panic filled my head and I gasped, clutching my head, "Oh Luna, I'm so sorry! I didn't plan this, I swear!" Then I started giggling again, "Don't worry about it, Nellie. This actually tickles."

Then I heard Twilight's voice gasped, "Another fusion!?" Then she smiled, "I have to document this!"

Suddenly, my ears started flapping, my eyes fluttered and my knees twitched. I looked at my knees. My fur coat was a raspberry pink, and I wore Pinkie's overalls, but they were an olive green instead of blue.

I gasped and reached to Twilight, "Twilight, watch out for..." WHAM! Spike opened the door, slamming Twilight into the wall, "The... Door..."

"Pinkie? Ellie?" Spike called, then saw me from the balcony, "Who are you?"

I giggled, "Hi, Spike. It's me. Pinkie and Nellie. We fused." Then I hugged myself in worry, "Pinkie..."

Spike's eyes widened, "A fusion?" But he shook his head and asked, "Have you seen Twilight?"

I nodded, as I stood up and dusted myself off, "Uh-huh." My stomach rumbled, then I smiled, "Oh, yeah. That's right. I promised to treat us to SugarCube Corner."

I was about to take a step, a thought came to me, "Wait... Pinkie, are you sure we should go out like this? Nopony has ever heard of Fusion Magic." I smiled and waved my hand, "Don't worry your little ravenette head about it. I'm sure they'll understand, if they see us."

With that, I skipped up the stairs and exit the library.

*Later that day, in Ponyville...*
After grabbing something to eat, I walked and skipped around the town, just enjoying the day. It turned out Nellie had nothing to worry about. Nopony knew I was a fusion and saw me as a visiting Pony. Heck I was able to gain a name.

I am now known as Rose Quartz, named after Pinkie's grandmother, the fusion of Pinkie Pie and Eleanor Carter.

Pinkie Pie was aware that Twilight has been stalking us, so she advised that I should act natural and see what happens.

While rolling the grass of the school playground, my nose started itching. Pinkie told me what it meant and I quickly ducked for cover. A swarm of angry bees appeared from over our heads and attacked a bush, where Twilight was hiding.

Later, at Sweet Apple Acres, I smelled the flowers, then a combo came on. Ears flopped, then eyes fluttered, finished by my knees twitching. I started looking around, keeping myself cautious from any open doors.

Once the combo was finished, I made my way to the park. Nellie admits that Pinkie's Pinkie Sense is actually fun. It keeps me on my toes, figuratively.

Suddenly, my pale pink curly tail started twitching. I quickly grabbed Pinkie's umbrella hat, then see Applejack walking by, carrying a large bucket of red delicious and granny smith apples.

I smiled and greeted, "Hey, Applejack. Whatchya doin'?"

"Takin' more apples to mah new apple cellar." Applejack answered with a smiled, then narrow her eyes at me, "Who are yah?"

"My name is Rose Quartz." I introduced myself, then whispered into her ear,"I'm the fusion of Pinkie Pie and Eleanor."

Applejack stepped back and raised a brow at me, "Another fusion? Isn't that dangerous?"

I shook my head and assured, "Nope. I've only existed for a few hours and I'm perfectly fine." Then smiled, "Maybe Nellie will fuse with you someday."

Applejack shook her head, "No thanks." Then asked me, "Anyway, whatchu doin'?"

"Oh, letting Twilight secretly follow me all day, without me knowing." I answered simply.

"You mean you knew all along?!" Twilight shouted from behind me, looking like a whole day of punishment, "Why didn't you tell me?"

I giggled, "Silly, that would've spoiled the secret!"

Twilight was lost for words, trying to contain her anger and frustration about the situation.

Spike peeked from behind Twilight and asked, "Tail... Still twitching?"

I shook my head, No need to worry, Spike. Skies are clear from here on in, as far as I can tell--" Suddenly, I started shuddering. And quite violently at that. "Okay, that's new..." I rubbed my arms, "Pinkie, I think we should unfuse now." I grew scared, "I can't. I'm trying, but something is stopping us."

Spike gasped, "Oh no! What does that one mean?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "Dunno. Never gotten any like it before, but whatever that shudder's about, it's a doozy. Something you never expect to happen is gonna happen! And its gonna happen..." I blinked and I saw marsh covered in frogs. And Fluttershy getting attacked by something huge. I gasped, "At Froggy Bottom Bog!"

Applejack gasped, "That's where Fluttershy's headed!"

Spike gasped and hid close to Twilight, "Oh no! Is it about her?"

"Nellie?" I asked myself, I narrowed my eyes, "It has to, if we saw her at the Bog."

"We better go and make sure she's okay." Applejack told us, then ran down the road to Froggy Bottom Bog.

Spike and I followed after her. Twilight followed close behind us.

Spike noticed and slowed down for Twilight, "Hey! I thought you didn't believe in this stuff?"

"I don't." Twilight answered, "I just want to be there to see the look on Rose Quartz's face when we find out nothing's wrong."

I narrowed my eyes at the lavender Unicorn in disapproval, then rolled my eyes. Nellie was muttering something under her breath, I couldn't make out what she was muttering.

As we ran deeper into the forest that lead to the Bog, the more frequent the shudders came and went.

"Cold?" Twilight asked in a sarcastic tone, "Need a jacket or something?"

I just glared at her and said nothing. Another shudder came and went before I could react.

Spike caught up to Applejack and wondered, "So... Whadda'ya think happened to Fluttershy?"

"Ah hope nothin'." Applejack answered in uncertainty.

Spike nodded, "I know, but, whadda'ya think happened?"

Applejack shook her head, "I'm tryin' not to think about it."

Spike nodded again, "Me too." But his confidence faded to worry, "But I'm thinkin' about it, anyway. Like, what if, she exploded?"

Applejack raised a brow, "Just exploded? For no reason?"

Spike nodded, "Yeah, like. boom!"

I raised a brow, "Like spontaneous combustion?"

Spike nodded again, "Maybe..."

I shook my head, "It's possible, but highly unlikely."

I can hear Pinkie Pie wondering all these possible things that can happen to Fluttershy. But, Nellie was keeping her calm with her optimism on what the creature was in our vision. Hopefully it was not dangerous, or nothing Fluttershy can't handle on her own.

Applejack nodded, "I hope you're right, for Fluttershy's sake." Then she alerted, "Look! There's Froggy Bottom Bog!"

We followed her and entered a swamp-like marsh. We began looking around for the shy Pegasus Pony.

"Fluttershy?" Applejack called.

"Fluttershy?" I called, as we looked around every nook and cranny for her.

Then Spike smiled and threw his arms around the Pegasus pony, that was standing on a nearby rock, "Fluttershy! You're okay!"

Fluttershy was taken aback for a second, "Of course."

Applejack sighed in relief, "Phew, what a relief."

I smiled in relief myself, "I'm so glad everything's alright."

Fluttershy looked at me with a raised brow, "Have we met?"

I nodded, then bowed in greeting, "Nice to officially meet you, Fluttershy. I'm Rose Quartz. A fusion of Eleanor Carter and Pinkie Pie."

Fluttershy smiled, "Wow. I didn't know Pinkie Pie can fuse with other Ponies."

Spike shook his head, "Pinkie can't. Ellie can."

Fluttershy gasped, "A Human capable of Fusion Magic? How? When? Where?"

I shrugged, "Nellie says it just happens."

Then Twilight decided to speak up, "Sorry, I know it's not nice to gloat but..." Then she pointed at me and shouted, "AH-HA! I told you there was nothing to worry about and I was right." A strange smoke started forming around us, causing some of us to cough, "Pinkie Pie said whatever she was shuddering about was a *cough* doozy, and *cough* and the only *cough* doozy here is how right I am."

Applejack looked behind her, as something rose from the fog, "Um... Twilight?"

But Twilight resumed, "Pinkie's made a lot of predictions today but- *cough* Ugh, what is that smell? But what we've shown here is that there's no point in believing *cough* in anything you can't see for yourself."

Spike pointed behind her in fear, "W-well t-then s-see what's b-b-behind you, Twilight!"

Twilight looked over her shoulder and gasped at the large creature before us, "I see it... But I don't believe it!"

The creature roared at us, as Twilight backed into us. It was large, reptilian creature with four heads on one body. It was a hydra!

"Is that a hydra!?" I exclaimed.

"Who cares?" Applejack exclaimed, "RUN!"

The other Girls ran down the marsh, but I stayed in place. Pinkie was frightened, but Nellie wanted to fight, or distract the hydra for the others to escape. I closed my eyes and glared at the hydra. I was about to charge toward the hydra, but Twilight grabbed me and dragged me with the others.

We avoided the hydra's attack and ran through the marsh, until we came across a dead end.

Twilight ran right, "Everypony up that hill!"

We were about to follow her, until we heard Spike shouted, "He-e-elp!"

We turned to find Spike trapped in the mud, and he was sinking. Twilight turned around and ran toward his aid, "Coming, Spike! Hang on!"

She grabbed Spike and rejoined us. Applejack, Fluttershy, Twilight, Spike and I ran up the hill. The muddy part of the swamp was slowing down the hydra.

Twilight looked back and smiled, "I think we're gonna make it."

"But Rose Quartz's still shuddering!" Spike noticed.

He wasn't lying. My body hasn't stopped shuddering since we found the hydra. Eventually, it stopped. I smiled, "Hey! It stopped." Then it started again, "O-h-h-h, there it is again."

We continued running up the hill, until we reach the other side. It turned out to the hill was a cliff. Leading to another cliff, were footholds. But, they looked a little unsteady.

We looked back and the hydra was gaining on us.

"Ugh, he'll be up here in no time!" Twilight told us, "Quick, one at a time, cross!"

Spike was the first, but he looked at how deep the casm went and returned to Twilight, "Uh, do you know any spells for turning a hydra into a mouse?"

Twilight shook her head, "No."

"How about a squirrel?"

"No!"

"How 'bout--"

"No small rodents of any kind!" Twilight shouted.

Spike sighed, "That's too bad."

Fluttershy remembered Pinkie's words and jumped first, "A hop, skip, and a... Jump!"

Fluttershy hopped across, followed by Spike, by Twilight throwing him. Pinkie Pie's shuddering was getting worse.

Twilight noticed the hydra and gasped, "He's too close. I'll distract him. You two go, now!"

Applejack grabbed my hand and we hopped across the casm. Twilight charged under the hydra and tripped it over.

I gasped, as the reptile set itself right and attacked again, "T-t-t-twilight!"

Twilight escaped the hydra, but the large reptile knocked over the footholds.

I blinked and saw something. I looked at Twilight, "T-t-t-twilight! You have to jump!"

Twilight shook her head, "I'll never make it!"

"You'll be fine!" I assured her.

Twilight shook her head again, "I will not!"

The hydra roared again, ready to attack, or eat Twilight.

Nellie tried to hold in her frustration, then she just gave up.

"For L-l-l-luna's sake, Twilight! You gotta trust me! JUMP!!!"

Twilight swallowed a lump of air and backed up for a running start. However, before she could jump, the hydra hit the rock of the cliff, launching Twilight into the air. Twilight jumped, but she fell just a smidgemeter short. She fell into the bog, but a bubble caught her and threw her over to the other side.

I smiled and threw my arms around the lavender Unicorn, "I knew you could do it, Twilight!"

"I don't know how it happened; coincidence, dumb luck, or what, but you said there'd be a doozy here at Froggy Bottom Bog, and I'd say we just had ourselves one heck of a doozy." Twilight smiled in relief, "I mean that hydra--"

However, I started shuddering again.

Twilight raised a brow at me, "Rose?"

"That wasn't it." I told her.

Twilight eyes widened, "Huh?"

"What wasn't what?" Spike asked.

Applejack raised a brow, "What are you talking about, Rose Quartz?"

"The hydra wasn't the doozy." I answered.

The hydra blew a raspberry at us and returned to the Bog.

I shuddered again, "I'm still getting the shudders." I stopped myself from shuddering, "You see? There it is again. Whatever the doozy was at Froggy Bottom Bog, Pinkie Pie's Pinkie Sense says it still hasn't happened."

Twilight's eyes widened, "Huh? But I--" Then she shouted, "WHAT?! The hydra wasn't the doozy?! How could it not be the doozy?! What could be doozier than that?!"

I shrugged my shoulders, "Dunno, but it just wasn't it."

Twilight growled and explode into a state of rage and flames. Her fur coat turned white and her mane and tail burst into flames. Then she sighed and the flames vanished, leaving her mane, tail and clothes lightly burned, "I give up..." She sat down an sulked.

Spike walked over to Twilight, "Give what up, Twi?"

"The fight. I can't fight it anymore." Twilight answered, "I don't understand how, why, or what, but Pinkie's sense somehow... Makes sense. I don't see how it does, but it just does. Just because I don't understand doesn't mean its not true."

My eyes widened, as I shuddered, "Y-y-y-you m-m-mean you b-b-b-believe?"

Twilight sighed and nodded, "Eyup, I guess I do."

I shuddered again, but this time it was more violent, my body levitated into the air and started glowing.

Eleanor's POV.
Pinkie and I fell to the ground, from Rose Quartz's violent shuddering. Pinkie and I looked ourselves over.

Pinkie smiled and pointed, "That was it. That's the doozy."

Twilight raised a brow, "What? What is?"

"You believing." Pinkie answered with a joyful smile, "I never expected that to happen. It's what stopped me and Nellie from unfusing. That was the doozy, oh and, oh what a doozy of a doozy it was!"

Then she skipped off singing. I couldn't help but smile at the Pink Pony.

I have to say, it was fun sharing a body with her. I had a better understanding the Pinkie Sense. It was a manifestation of Pinkie's magic. It does make sense as why I have visions and able to fuse with Ponies, without losing sense of who I am.

"So, Ellie?" Twilight spoke up, "How did it feel being fused with Pinkie?"

I rubbed my arms and smiled, "It felt like we were kindred spirits. So similar, yet seem to think the same way."

Then I walked off, making my way to Ponyville.