Longing For Harmony

"So, I have another question..."

"What would that be?" Vesper replied.

Fluttershy slowly paced around the floor in thought at her new realization. "I was going to go myself to fix everything with my friends, but... If you're a genie, and you can grant wishes... Can't you just make everyone okay?"

Vesper paused, frowning. "Well, I would, except that my powers aren't allowed to work that way. They can't interrupt anyone's free will in any way. People's problems are a result of the choices they make, the choices others around them make that influence them, and the individual circumstances of their lives, like when and where they are born, and to what parents. Those kinds of things would need to be changed before they can feel better, not the other way around. Trying to tell them to feel something that they don't is like telling water not to be wet. It can't be helped."

Fluttershy's ears lowered. "Oh... That makes sense..."

"Is something wrong?"

"Well, it's just I never thought of looking at it that way, but, it's completely true... There are times when I've felt nervous or worried about things, and my friends would tell me I shouldn't feel that way... Or tell me not to feel sad, or bad, or upset, or angry... It doesn't change the way I feel... Actually, it makes it even worse... I know they mean well, it just never worked..."

The genie couldn't decide how to go about reassuring her. "Well, it's not really anyone's fault. I've had several thousand years in that chamber to ponder all sorts of things like this. It's just not always something that comes to mind, and it's not often taught or encouraged. How else could such well-meaning people do hurtful things that they're unaware of?"

Fluttershy only remained silent before softly nodding.

Vesper suddenly appeared awkwardly self-conscious. "Also, since you asked, there is, uh, something you should know. I am a genie, yes, I can do the wish thing, yes, but... I've served so many masters for so many years that my powers have weakened slightly. This isn't part of their rules, either, those were always there. Instead of having a set limit on the amount of wishes, I can grant you as many as you like, but they wouldn't be as grand scale as they could be were the situation reversed." He was clearly embarrassed.

"That's okay. It's still wonderful. Even if you could only grant me the smallest wishes out there, I'd still want you as a genie, because of what you said you saw in me. I've felt so unappreciated lately. I know my friends like me and everything, but, for someone to really see what I mean to do, helps greatly." Fluttershy smiled warmly at Vesper.

Vesper was perplexed. "Are you so sure about that? You only just met me a few minutes ago. How do you know you can trust me?" his forelegs were folded as he raised an eyebrow.

"... Well... I don't know, but... Everypony has a good side, and you've been super nice to me so far... I like to let others have a chance to prove themselves before I assume they're guilty. If I'm wrong, I'd regret it, but at least I'd know I gave it a try. Besides, honestly, I'd have no way of being able to tell good genies from bad ones..."

He couldn't help but answer with a brief, hearty laugh. "If you say so. In return for your kindness, I'd like to offer you this. If you ever, under any circumstances, feel unsafe or untrusting around me, I give you permission to completely disown me as your genie, and discard of my chamber far away where it can never reach you again. I promise I will not make any attempts towards reprisals or blame you if you make this decision." The declaration seemed almost half-jokingly stated, yet Fluttershy could pick up faint traces of seriousness in his voice.

Fluttershy's attention returned to the shattered Panacea Crystal on her living room floor and she grimaced. Could she maybe avoid the potential dispute between Rarity and Twilight Sparkle with this? She wasn't sure. Like genies, she hadn't read much on time travel, but, technically, she could rewind to before they even saw it in the first place. Or, at least, she thought she could. Fluttershy turned to Vesper again.

"If I want to turn back to before the crystal shattered, will it let me, even though the sands are still inside?"

"It should. What exactly did you have in mind?"

Fluttershy glanced to the sands and murmured, "Going to when I first found it in the first place..."

Vesper nodded. "Ah, yes. Yes, it will. Even before that if you wanted, but again, I advise caution."

"So, that means I have anything that I would take with me, then?"

"Exactly."

With her questions answered, Fluttershy resolved to retrieving a somewhat small brown pouch strung on a necklace and a slightly bigger green backpack from her room. Vesper seemed to catch on to what she was doing, as his demeanor was of wordless approval as Fluttershy cautiously and awkwardly swept the sands with her tail into the pouch, promptly tying it shut. She glanced at the genie again.

"Do I just -- "

"Press the sands close to you and concentrate hard on what you're aiming for."

Fluttershy obeyed, closing her eyes as she strained her mind to clearly conjure the image of her desires to the best of her ability. Within moments, the Panacea Crystal had pieced itself back together, and lifted off the floor back onto the table in it's original position. Fluttershy opened her eyes and scanned her surroundings; time was still frozen, but the animals were noticeably calmer, having not been as startled by the crash. Quizzically, Vesper gently pried a carrot from the immobile, airborne blue jay's talons and tucked it between Angel's now-clasped forepaws.

Fluttershy gasped in disbelief. It felt so strange to see that the object she had lost her calmness over was now completely repaired. She was more used to the permanence of regular time and reality, and felt overwhelmed and unprepared by the potential this new object held. Nevertheless, she was soon overcome by the predominant importance of her goal.

"I'm ready to do this."

Not long after, Fluttershy already managed to go all the way back to whence she first found the Panacea Crystal, donning the sand-filled pouch and empty backpack. Soon, she placed the artifact inside, double checking to make sure it was snugly closed and fit against her, not wanting the backpack to come loose and drop it in mid-flight. Once she was sure, Fluttershy concentrated her efforts once again, and time halted to a stillness once more; she didn't want anypony to witness this, fearing their discoveries could potentially hinder her efforts to mend her broken friendships.

She then embarked on one more short walk to the very top of the hill; she would outright fly, but was afraid that the constant motion of her wings against the backpack could open it, so she needed a high enough altitude to be able to merely glide as close back to her house as she could; in spite of literally having all the time in the world, she was literally in a hurry, wanting to tend to her friends as soon as possible. As she took off and started to head back, Fluttershy came to a groundbreaking realization;

She was alone.

Sure, she had friends. And she did live within the immediate vicinity of a decently populated village. But she felt alone. It was entirely different.

She felt alone even around Twilight Sparkle and the rest of their companions. She felt alone surrounded by people, even at parties and special occasions. She felt alone in streets, stores, restaurants, theaters, libraries, everywhere she went, everywhere she could think of. It constantly followed her, and there was no escape.

She felt misunderstood. Whenever she was upset or hurt in any way and tried to explain it, somepony would claim to know how she felt, and tell her that she wasn't alone. But this only made Fluttershy feel even more alone. They weren't living in her body, walking in her hooves, thinking her thoughts and feeling her emotions. Only she knew her own feelings.

Fluttershy loved and cared about her friends, as she knew they did the same for her, and their ties were noticeably mutually beneficial enough that it was conducive to preserve it, even if only for her own sake. But there was a silent wall, an unseen barrier, that restricted them from connecting at some specific points. In constantly feeling misunderstood, it was like their relationships couldn't meet their full potential; and, perhaps, it impaired her ability to be as good a listener and facilitator. She frowned as this sparked a new idea; had she possibly caused any of them to feel this same way? Fluttershy would never mean to, of course, but then again, many of her friends' unnoticed transgressions were unintentional as well.

Perhaps this pain and disappointment was what caused her to often prefer the company of the several woodland creatures she served as a guide and guardian for. Those animals were incapable of lying or hiding secrets. They could not cheat, or hurt one another on purpose, or use or deceive each other into working for false causes disguised as meaningful acts. Unable to do terrible things that she had seen too many ponies do, either out of bad morale or succumbing to such vices at times. Fluttershy couldn't help but bitterly scoff upon realizing the irony that she found the wild and primitive more civilized and honorable than even the highest social class of her fellow ponies.

Even now as she looked down on them from above, she somewhat managed to see the effects of such harm on Ponyville's other denizens. Faint traces of fatigue and malcontent at beginning another working day, ponies glaring at one another behind each other's backs, parents scolding and discouraging their children. Along the way, Fluttershy briefly got to peer through some windows of her friends and acquaintances, noticing Rarity oversleeping from another tiresome bout of perfecting her dresses even past midnight and Twilight Sparkle consoling a reluctant Spike about their laborious tasks for the day. Perhaps before starting where she planned, she would help them in some way.

Fluttershy reached the ground, a short distance from her house in the woods. She went inside, going to her room and placing the backpack containing the Panacea Crystal under her bed, still keeping the pouch with her. She then left and returned to Ponyville, concentrating her efforts with the sands to unfreeze time before she knocked on Rarity's front door. After waiting a few moments to receive no response, she heard Rarity stir in her room from the second floor, her hooves trekking downstairs and opening the door to greet Fluttershy, clad in a purplish-pink robe.

"My goodness, Fluttershy! You scared me for a moment, I didn't know who'd come here this early! What can I do for you? Is everything alright?"

Fluttershy blushed softly and stirred her hoof on the porch. She murmured, "Yes, everything's fine, I just wanted to say good morning..."

Rarity smiled. "How delightful. I'm charmed. I'm so very glad you woke me -- if I'd slept any longer, I wouldn't be able to get ready in time to get my latest fashion line to Photo Finish in time! I'm so sorry, but I have to start preparing right now in order to get there on time! You're welcome to come in and make yourself at home, if you like."

Fluttershy nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Rarity..." she took her friend up on her offer, entering the house as Rarity trotted back up the stairs, galloping all across her home this way and that, doing her hair, putting on makeup, and getting dressed.

Fluttershy had gone into the kitchen and started to make herself a cup of green tea, setting an additional one aside in case Rarity would want one. The next time she saw her going down the stairs, nearly finished preparing for the day, she chimed, "Hey, Rarity... Would it help you save time if I helped you bring the dresses to Photo Finish?"

Rarity beamed. "That's a splendid idea!" she rushed over to hug Fluttershy, startling her. "Thank you so much, my dear Fluttershy! This means so much to me!"

Fluttershy barely managed not to spill the green tea still in hoof, chuckling softly. "Of course, Rarity... Anything for my friends..."

There was enough time saved that Fluttershy was able to get Rarity a cup, mixed with chamomile and vanilla chai teas, to help sooth her frayed nerves. Between the two of them, they were able to deliver Rarity's work in half the time it would have taken. Fluttershy would have merely stopped time for the two of them, but wasn't sure if Rarity was ready to see something like that so suddenly. Still, Fluttershy's heart warmed at the sight of Rarity so grateful and joyous upon arriving whence she intended to. They bade each other farewell for now, and Fluttershy approached her next destination; Sugarcube Corner.

Just in time for her arrival, she noticed her mutual friend, Twilight Sparkle, entering the bakery simultaneously. They both imparted greetings upon one another, briefly explaining how their mornings were going so far, with Fluttershy's details being vague, for reasons known only to herself. Further into the short conversation, Twilight Sparkle had asked Fluttershy what was inside the pouch around her neck, to which she claimed was bird seed she'd picked up from a few stores away. She felt bad for lying, but wasn't prepared to go through the whole excitement over the discovery of the Panacea Crystal with Twilight again just yet. In reflection, Fluttershy was surprised Rarity hadn't noticed it, with her keen eye for all clothing and their state. Soon after, Twilight hurriedly bought her things and left, not wanting to further delay her likely laborious session of reshelving books with Spike, clearing the way for Pinkie to come into view, who had been trying to wave at and call after both ponies in between helping customers.

Now was the time for Fluttershy to work with her newfound abilities again. She had decided to individually counsel Pinkie Pie first out of guilt for wanting to avoid her earlier. Her initial idea was to get all five ponies together for a group talk in frozen time, but after thinking about it for a while she feared it might escalate into a nasty argument. Before leaving her house, Fluttershy had talked with Vesper and asked him a few more questions in regard to the sands and their powers; they'd even established a mental connection through which they could discreetly talk. When Vesper asked if he could tag along, Fluttershy denied, worried he would startle her friends, although they agreed he could appear if they found it necessary.

Fluttershy's gaze fixated on the exuberant Pinkie Pie, and her eyes narrowed. 'If I wanted to, could I stop time and have her and I as the only ones unaffected?'

'Yes, you can,' Vesper replied, his voice unheard to all ponies save Fluttershy.

With that answer, she rested a hoof on the pouch once more and focused, until nothing moved except for Pinkie Pie -- who, to her surprise, burst out into laughter and nearly fell over.

Confused, Fluttershy blinked and trotted closer to the counter, peering over to see her reeling friend.

"What's so funny, Pinkie Pie?"

"Oh, you and Twilight just pulled off the best prank ever, Fluttershy! Look at all those ponies stuck in place! They look so silly!" the pink pony giggled as she wiped a joyous tear from her eye.

Fluttershy backed up slightly. "But, it's not a joke, Pinkie Pie... Look out the window..."

As soon as Pinkie got back on her hooves, she did, finding Twilight immobile, still carrying her baked goods back to her own house.

Pinkie raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then what is it, then?" she asked, scratching her mane.

"It's... Well... Magic..." Fluttershy murmured, just now realizing she hadn't thought of how she'd explain it.

"But, how did you get" -- Pinkie Pie gasped abruptly, illuminating -- "Wow, maybe you're an alicorn!!! Like Princess Celestia or Princess Luna!!! You'd have wings and -- but wait, then, where's your horn?"

Fluttershy blushed, turning away slightly. "It's not like that, Pinkie..."

"But, then, where did you get magic from?"

"Please, just slow down for a minute. It's not important right now." Fluttershy cleared her throat, swallowing an intangible knot of nervousness. "There's... Been a lot on my mind lately... Things I've wanted to talk to you and the others about. It means a lot to me. Have you noticed that, maybe... I don't know... We don't all seem as close as we used to be?..."

Pinkie immediately calmed to a stillness, her mane and tail remaining puffy, but her expression and demeanor dimming significantly.

"Actually, yes! It's gotten me really worried, too! I mean, as far as I know, nopony has problems with me, and I have no problems with them, but they still have problems with each other! It's really saddening. I just wish everypony could get along as much as they used to. I used to think we were all inseparable, but, but..."

Fluttershy nodded grimly. "I've thought so too. It's frustrating. Depressing."

"And, sometimes, I think they might have problems with me after all. I actually was going to throw a party for them really soon -- unrelated to the celebration of Nightmare Moon's defeat -- because everypony always has fun at my parties and I thought it would help cheer them up and get them to feel better, but whenever I started to suggest it, they got mad, so I thought they wouldn't want to come!"

Even though Fluttershy could never completely keep up with Pinkie's vibrant energy, she was able to recognize the all too familiar pain of sadness lingering within her. Something she knew everypony suffered, but... Could she reach out and help her through their mutual feelings?

"I'm so glad that you're always wanting to help everypony, Pinkie. That's what I try to do, too. I just... I just want to apologize if sometimes I might have hurt your feelings on accident. I always try not to, but, sometimes it just happens, and I don't see it... I didn't think of it until a little while ago." Fluttershy's ears lowered and her eyes veered in shame. "I just wish I'd seen it sooner."

Pinkie didn't respond for a long moment, her reaction seemingly unreadable, until she somberly smiled.

"It's okay, Fluttershy! I know you're really sensitive. That's why I've never played any pranks on you. Sometimes they can be fun, but not if they're hurting people's feelings. Like when Gilda was here. I didn't set those pranks, but, they still hurt her feelings, too."

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. "I think... I think it's because nopony feels respected when they feel laughed at, or made fun of... It... Hurts..."

Only at this did Pinkie's mane and tail finally hang in a straightened, drooping manner.

"... And I'm the Element Of Laughter... Some Element Of Harmony, huh?..."

Fluttershy noticed her reaction, worried she had unintentionally hurt Pinkie yet again. She gently placed her hoof on Pinkie's shoulder.

"Except, with you, it's different... You're not laughing at them, you're laughing with them... Using your pranks, parties, games, sweets, and toys to help heal them..."

Pinkie slowly smiled again, and nodded in acknowledgment. "Yes... That's right..." she gradually drew a deep breath, and exhaled, slightly relaxing.

At this, Fluttershy felt her stomach rumble; she'd completely forgotten how hungry she had been all this time. She wasn't going to bring it up, not wanting to derail this important conversation, but the noise hadn't escaped Pinkie's notice.

The mare raised a hoof to her chin. "Oh, my goodness! You're starving, aren't you? Here, I'll make you something to eat! We can still talk while I'm doing it. I've gotten good at concentrating on other things while I bake!" with that, she dragged Fluttershy back into Sugarcube Corner's kitchen.

"Y-you don't have to, Pinkie Pie," Fluttershy stammered, "but... I'd really appreciate it..." she added with a soft mumble.

As soon as they were standing before the oven Pinkie was all too familiar with, Pinkie started scratching her mane in bewilderment. "How am I going to bake something when time's stopped?"

This legitimately dumbfounded Fluttershy as well. She had somehow been able to get Pinkie Pie to be able to move with her in this otherworldly state. Did she just need to focus on the oven as well? Fluttershy then remembered Vesper's warning of not "touching anything too important" while she froze time -- that could potentially include this oven. She looked down into her pouch of sands.

"That's what you used to do it, right?" Pinkie pointed out quizzically.

"Well, yes..."

"You think we can just sprinkle some on this oven and it'll move too?"

Fluttershy bit her lip. "I'm not so sure that's such a good idea, Pinkie Pie -- "

"Well, we'll just have to see for ourselves!" Pinkie exclaimed as she scooped a hoof-full of the sands out and tossed them the oven's way.

Fluttershy gasped in shock, expecting the worst; instead, the sands seemed to vanish in thin air, and the oven magically hummed to life at Pinkie's touch, who smiled widely at her proved hypothesis.

Fluttershy released a sigh of relief at the lack of a catastrophe.

"So, why did you make everything stand still in the first place again?"

Fluttershy beamed. "Oh, well, I wanted to get the chance to talk to you without any interruptions. Without schedules or other things getting in the way. Like I knew you'd be working at Sugarcube Corner today, and I didn't want to get you in trouble with your job, or catch you all tired after work..."

Pinkie tilted her head with a smile. "Aww, how thoughtful of you! That makes all the sense in the world, now that you put it that way!"

Fluttershy blushed softly. "Yes, um, well, I'm hoping to do that with everypony else once we're... Finished talking..."

Pinkie was already fishing out the ingredients necessary for Fluttershy's treat, which she recognized soon enough; she was making a lemon meringue pie. All of a sudden, she hearkened back to one of the last great times she remembered having with her friends, somewhere around four months ago. It felt like only just yesterday, and at the same time so far off, like it happened years back.

Pinkie had invited Fluttershy and the rest of their friends over to her house for a meal. There was no discernable special occasion calling for it. It wasn't a holiday, or anypony's birthday, or a noticeable celebration of any sort. When they questioned her on it, Pinkie told her friends that she deeply enjoyed being around all of them; she was so glad to have such nice friends, and wanted to take this moment to remind them all of that.

Everything was fresh, and exquisitely delicious. She had made a special, unique treat for each individual; one of Pinkie's seemingly unspoken talents was her affinity of being able to match tastes with personality traits. She could quickly acquire a keen understanding as to what everypony liked and disliked, able to recommend various dishes to them based on what they already favored, something which they always came back to thank her for later after trying her suggestions. She had taken the vocation of baking and cooking and turned it into a form of art, pouring her heart out into the rest of the ingredients essential to each delight.

Whether big or small, taking long or short to make, for special or casual reasons, every confection received equally immaculate care from Pinkie's masterful hooves. Fluttershy remembered feeling envious of Pinkie Pie for being able to find a living that she was just as talented at as she enjoyed doing it. When they all met with her that day, she showed her love and appreciation for all her friends through baking them treats that showed them what she saw in them all.

Rainbow Dash had gotten a special pie that Pinkie tried to contain as many colors in as possible; red cherries, green limes, blueberries, purple grapes, yellow apples, complete with the rainbow splendor of the zap apples that rarely appeared on The Apple Farm; just for this particular pie, Pinkie desperately begged Applejack to let her help in harvesting the apples, wanting to contribute her share in exchange for getting to use some. She wanted to capture and bring to life the way Rainbow Dash made every single day feel brand new, fun, interesting, exciting; her zest for life and wanting to help all her friends have fun. There was never a dull, boring moment with Rainbow Dash; she was just as thrilling and awesome as she was caring and kindhearted.

Twilight Sparkle had gotten a pie that was just as delicious as it was full of contrasting flavors, each ingredient as healthy and mindful as could be, nourishing her mind, body and soul while setting her taste buds ablaze with joy and wonder. Pinkie had gone through all the trouble of reading up on which ingredients to use in order to make it work, and spent countless nights experimenting with brand new recipes she conjured from the combinations until she found one that tasted just like Twilight. Pinkie explained that she meant to portray how Twilight always put a lot of thought and care into her every single decision, how she would never give up until she found out how to solve a problem, especially if it meant helping her friends. She would do whatever it took, no matter how long she would spend doing it.

Applejack had gotten a varied plethora of treats baked with the use of apples; Pinkie had precariously studied the Apple Family's recipes that she borrowed from Granny Smith, putting her own spin on things to make them even sweeter and taste a little different in her own, unique, Pinkie Pie way. Her food had taken the longest to make; she told Applejack that this was to show how hard Applejack always worked for the benefit of everypony, willing to drop everything at the drop of a hat to help her friends, even if the task in question was daunting beyond imagination. She wanted to return the favor by treating Applejack to a large feast to make up for all the effort she was dishing out on everypony's behalf.

Rarity had gotten a large, towering cake with several layers, each lavishly decorated, with every detail aspiring to match the same beauty they held in sight as they did in tasting great. It was to recreate the big heart Rarity had in assisting everypony, regardless of who they were or where they came from, even if she didn't like them or disagreed with them. She was especially insistent on always helping those less fortunate than herself. Pinkie added that Rarity's creativity, appreciation of goodness, and her ability to see the positivity in everything and everypony were other qualities she tried to add into her cake. However, Rarity took not even a single bite; instead, she burst into tears, bawling and hugging Pinkie tightly, refusing to eat it and instead wanting to preserve it for it's radiant magnificence; to this day, it's still in her house.

And finally, Fluttershy herself had gotten a lemon meringue pie; Pinkie Pie had claimed that it was supposed to taste every bit as sweet as Fluttershy herself was, the vibrant yellow lemons aiming to display that Fluttershy was able to make even the rainiest, cloudiest, darkest day feel like one brimming with bright sunshine, warming everypony to the very core in how she cared about them all more than anything else.

They all were deeply touched by Pinkie's efforts. They rejoiced in her gifts to them, never remembering a time they'd ate anything they enjoyed more, indulged in memories of fun times with one another, laughed and shared jokes and games, and complimented one another on everything they contributed to each other's lives.

It was the best meal they ever had.

Fluttershy wiped tears away at the sweetest of memories. A pang of warmth hit her heart as even now Pinkie was working away at creating the same lemon meringue pie she had strived so hard to make match what she saw in her.

"I wish things were how they used to be, Pinkie."

"Yeah. Me too."

Fluttershy suddenly had a thought. "Pinkie?"

"Yes?"

"Do you feel understood by me?"

"Yes. Well, most of the time. I think you understand me more than anypony else, anyways."

Fluttershy frowned softly. "... I would like to understand... Understand how you feel, what you think, what you want..."

Pinkie gently smiled. "Thank you for that. I know you try. You try really hard."

Fluttershy sighed. "It's so frustrating. It's like... All we can do is tell each other things. Give each other information. And the rest of it is everypony's individual perception. We have no way of knowing how much they really understand about us, because we can't literally walk into their body, put their brain in our head, see what they're seeing and think their thoughts... I wish... I wish there was a way to understand, for sure."

Pinkie nodded, seemingly enlightened by this sentiment. "I agree. That would be really, really, really nice!"

"I think, part of the problem I've noticed, is that usually, when people are talking to each other... They're forming their responses in their head while the other person is still talking. Instead of actively listening. And trying to understand. Clarifying."

Pinkie's ears lowered. "Gosh, you're so right! I don't know why I haven't thought of that! But I feel it, a lot!"

Fluttershy remained silent for a long moment, and replied softly. "Do you want to try something with me, Pinkie?"

"What's that?"

"I want to try to understand some more. So... You can talk to me, about whatever you want. I'll listen. And I'll try to understand. And... And... You can list words describing how you feel to me, one at a time, and rate them from zero to ten. And we can figure out what we can do to get good feelings closer to ten, and bad feelings closer to zero."

Pinkie nodded. "... Yeah... That sounds really nice..." she took a deep breath once more, and exhaled.

"You can tell me whenever you're ready. I won't judge you. Or tell you what to do. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

"Alright. Thanks. But, first... I have an important question."

"What is it, Pinkie?"

Pinkie gazed at Fluttershy, looking just as curious and confused as she was saddened and longing. "Nopony seems to know, but I've always wanted to... When's your birthday, Fluttershy?"

This caught her off guard. She'd hoped that nopony would ever ask her. She grew quiet, shrinking, wanting desperately to just disappear and avoid it altogether.

"Are you okay?" Pinkie added, visibly concerned.

"Yes... Well... No... But... Everything will be okay. I promise. I just... I don't really want to talk about it. I don't like celebrating my birthday."

"Don't like celebrating your birthday?!?" Pinkie didn't mean to exclaim so loudly, but she was too surprised to contain herself. "Why? What... What do you do on your birthday, then?..."

Fluttershy closed her eyes.

'I didn't want to think of this. Not right now.'

Every year, on her birthday, Fluttershy would stay home. It was the hardest day for her to get out of bed. She would even almost completely ignore her animals, doing just the bare minimum required to take care of them for the day (feeding, bandaging, etc.), something which she would always spend the next few weeks after desperately trying to make up for. She wouldn't set hoof outside except for this purpose. Or to sit on her roof, watching, waiting. Waiting for somepony, anypony, to remember, to visit her for that reason.

When she was still a young filly, she had one day fallen out of Cloudsdale, just minutes before Rainbow Dash performed her Sonic Rainboom for the first time. She landed in the forest outside of Ponyville, where she built her house. Sure, she'd made friends with all of the small woodland animals that she'd rescued or helped, but nopony she knew from Cloudsdale, not even her family, even so much as tried to look for her. Only Rainbow Dash cared at all, and even then, they were only mere acquaintances at the time. When she first set hoof in Ponyville, almost nopony noticed her or bothered to even strike up a conversation. Nopony except Twilight Sparkle and the rest of her friends.

She felt unimportant. She felt ignored. If nopony from her home even missed her... Not even her own family... How could she ever be important to anypony? Why even acknowledge her birthday at all? It wasn't something to celebrate for her. It had only become a reminder of how much loneliness, pain, and emptiness had always outweighed any joy or warmth she felt, from the very first day she was born. Her very existence had become an insignificant blight. She hated to be reminded, and would completely ignore her birthday every year as a result.

'Nopony even missed me...'

"I... I really... I'm just not ready to talk about it yet, Pinkie. I'm sorry." Fluttershy hung her head.

Pinkie somberly trotted over and gently nudged Fluttershy. "It's okay. If you don't want to tell me when your birthday is, I'll respect that. But, just so you know, I'd still like to celebrate it, if you ever do feel like telling me. You're too important of a friend to not have a special day, just for you." Pinkie smiled at her warmly.

"Thank you, Pinkie... But enough about me. Let's talk about you. If you're ready, that is."

"Alright. Well..." Pinkie took another deep breath; she wasn't so used to talking about so many serious things like this. "I think sometimes I might get on everypony's nerves without meaning to. Like how I thought nopony would want to go to my party before the annual one. I don't really understand why. There's already so much pain and sadness and gloom and doom going on without everypony having to worry about their problems. That's why I want them to relax and have fun; to forget everything that's bothering them, to giggle all their ghosties away."

Pinkie closed her eyes for a moment, suddenly squinting like she just felt some sharp pain emerge. "M-my own parents, they, they didn't get the chance to have a lot of fun in their lives. When they passed on, there was still so much left to do, so much they wanted to experience and enjoy, that they never got the chance to. Most of their lives were spent on that Rock Farm, suffering, toiling, working joylessly every day. I know they didn't want me to end up like them. They wanted me to get the chances they couldn't. So, even if I couldn't help my parents have more fun, at least I could do that for everypony else... That's why I try to live every day like there's no tomorrow. Life is too short to spend it all passing up opportunities only to regret it later."

Pinkie blinked suddenly. "But, nopony ever tells you what to do if it ISN'T your last day! Like, what if you spent yesterday going around eating aaallllll the cakes in Equestria, and then everypony gets mad at you because you ate all their cake and you can't afford to pay for it all plus you have a huge tummyache and your belly's even bigger than that time Spike got greedy on his birthday and stormed around Ponyville taking everything and it takes you forever to get anywhere because you can't see where you're going with your big fat bouncing belly always getting in the way?!?"

Fluttershy raised an eyelid, bewildered by this sudden departure.

Pinkie Pie blushed. "Eh heh... Sorry, I was getting off track."

"That's okay, Pinkie... There was actually something I wanted to say... Um, if you don't mind, that is..."

"Okay!"

"The whole thing about... Giggling with the ghosties... It's a nice idea, when it works and everything, but, something about it... Bothers me..." Fluttershy suddenly became really defensive, shrinking back further, her pupils shrinking. "N-not that there's anything wrong with doing it, if that's what works for you and it's what you want to do and everything!!!"

It was Pinkie's turn to be confused. "That's okay, but, what do you mean something about it bothers you?"

Fluttershy bit her lip, afraid of offending Pinkie. "Well... Sometimes it might seem like when you say to giggle at the ghosties, or just try to only laugh at what you're afraid of or what's worrying or bothering you... Other people might think you're not taking their feelings seriously, and they might hurt even more... Like that time Twilight Sparkle was so upset over not getting a letter to Celestia on time... It didn't seem really important to us, but that didn't make it any less important to her... So I guess what I'm trying to say is... It's one thing to try to enjoy what you can and focus that instead of on the bad things in your life... But... If it gets to the point that you're putting off important problems, and they build up and become worse... Then it can get bad..."

Pinkie looked enlightened yet again. "Wow, you're right! I mean, I never meant for it to sound like that -- of course everypony's feelings are important, and everything -- but what I was trying to say is, sometimes the things that bother you are things that can't be controlled at all. Like something Celestia or someone bigger or more powerful than you does. Or when something you don't like happens that wasn't anypony's fault, like accidents. When those kind of uncontrollable problems pop up, sometimes all you can do is 'giggle at the ghosties'."

Fluttershy was equally caught off by this reply. "I... I agree. That's completely true." She looked away slightly. "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings by not realizing that first, Pinkie Pie..."

Pinkie smiled. "It's okay! We don't have to agree on every single teensy-weensy little thing in order to get along! Like, I might like chocolate more than lollipops, and you might like lollipops more than chocolate, but that's just fine! How boring would life be if everypony agreed on everything all the time? Just as long as we share the right things in common -- wanting to be nice to one another, and be happy, and live life to the fullest. I think everypony could want that!"

Fluttershy nodded. "Still... If I have hurt your feelings at all... I'm still sorry... I never want to hurt anyone..."

Pinkie tilted her head curiously. "Really, it's fine! I know that you mean well and everything. Is that what you're afraid of the most? Hurting other people?"

Fluttershy shuddered, her voice suddenly stolen away. Hurting others was something she was concerned about often, but it wasn't what hounded her the most. She feared many things, but only one caused her more pain than all of them combined. It wasn't her shadow, or dragons, mountains, or even dying. What she feared the most was dreaming. Hoping. Having goals, aspirations, wishes. She would constantly dream about a perfect life, a perfect world -- everypony getting along, all the time, every day, no matter what -- but it didn't matter that she gave it her best effort all the time. No matter what, it was a dream that would never come true. She was discouraged from ever trying to pursue anything that meant that much to her.

And yet... Here she was with these sands that held time itself, and a genie who could grant endless amounts of contained wishes from within the Panacea Crystal. Perhaps... Could she finally make her dreams come true? She snuffed out the thought as soon as it entered her mind. She wouldn't dare even think of it as possible. But despite it all, the potential continued to claw away at the very back of Fluttershy's mind.

So, she lied to Pinkie. "Yes. Hurting people is what I'm most afraid of." It was high up there on her list, but not as much as...

"I can understand. Hurting people is something I'm afraid of, too. But, if you want, I'll tell you what I fear most, too. Believe it or not, it's... Boredom. I think it came from spending so much time on that rock farm. Every day was exactly the same. It felt so meaningless... Repetitive... I kept asking myself, 'Dear Celestia, is this it? Is this all there is for me to do? Is there anything else out there in the world for me? Is there anything more to life than this?' I don't mean to sound selfish, but, sometimes I think boredom is the worst disease or thing ever, even worse than death! It ate up all the life out of my parents, and it nearly got me, too..."

Fluttershy listened intently. They continued talking for what felt like hours. It was only a little while left until the lemon meringue pie was done; they shared the entire pie between the two of them, it's absolutely delightful flavor just as enriching to their taste buds as it was to their conversation. When Pinkie finally got around to listing and rating her individual emotions on a scale between zero and ten, Fluttershy was surprised to find they shared two feelings, ignored and unimportant, towards other ponies; it hadn't been the first time, as Pinkie had been frustrated with these on numerous occasions.

One time was when she was trying to help save Ponyville from parasprites, and everypony else wouldn't listen when she insisted musical instruments were vital to this process. Another was when Twilight refused to believe that she had a "Pinkie Sense" that could foretell the near future. Then there was everypony avoiding Gummy's After Birthday, although that ended up being because there was a surprise party for Pinkie herself. Yet another time was when Mr. and Mrs. Cake had asked everypony else to babysit their children, Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake, before asking Pinkie herself, their own loyal, hard working employee.

Even so, Fluttershy was able to help partially reassure Pinkie Pie that she was important to her friends. Her delightful, bubbly, cheery disposition on life and the world as well as her frequent tendencies of endlessly seeking fun and excitement provided a much-needed flow of joy in all their hearts. She was surprised by how much the two of them had in common; many discernible differences, sure, but both were constantly active in promoting the wellbeing of all their friends, and sometimes shared the same struggles. Finally, when it seemed that all was right, Pinkie asked Fluttershy yet another question she wasn't quite ready for.

"So, just how did you get all this magical stuff, anyhow?"

Fluttershy froze, unsure of how Pinkie would take the news. She explained to her what happened when she found the Panacea Crystal, and first discovered it's powers, as well as the genie colt lingering inside it. Pinkie's pupils widened along with her smile with every passing moment as Fluttershy revealed more details.

"Wow, that's so cool!!! Can I see your Mr. Genie? Please, please, pleeeaaase?"

Fluttershy recoiled slightly. 'I-if he startles her, I can always just rewind time to before that point and say no instead...' shrugging nervously, she closed her eyes and focused.

'Vesper, can you hear me?'

'Yes, I can, Fluttershy.'

'You can come out here if you want to. Pinkie would like to see you.'

Immediately, Vesper popped into view, a billowing cloud of smoke shredding away from his being as he grinned at Pinkie Pie. Pinkie excitedly clapped her hooves together.

"Omigosh!!! You're real!!! A real genie!!!"

"That would be me," he chuckled in reply. "Vesper the genie, at your service," he added with a graceful bow.

Pinkie started hopping and bouncing around the kitchen in limitless jubilation. "This is the greatest thing ever!!! Your very own genie, to do whatever you want!!! Ooh! Ooh! Maybe -- maybe he can do something really fun! Like turn the clouds into chocolate-raining cotton candy like the time Discord was here!"

Fluttershy's blood briefly turned to ice at the very mention of Discord's name, but soon she calmed down. She knew Pinkie Pie in no way approved of Discord's malicious actions, even if she found some of his alterations of Ponyville to be very amusing. Fluttershy merely smiled softly.

Vesper released another hearty laugh. "I'm afraid I can't do anything that complex, in terms of affecting much of the outside world. But, I can alter your perception of it to make things a little more fun. Would you like to see?"

Pinkie nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes!!! Please, yes!!!"

Without warning, reality itself was ripped away from their senses, replaced instead with a sensation of falling. Fluttershy yelped and shut her eyes, trying to desperately flap her wings, but to no avail... Only for a soothing sense of reassurance to fill her being. Once she opened her eyes, she saw the kitchen of Sugarcube Corner they were standing in replaced with an endless outdoors paradise of a beautiful pink sky, the kind that usually arrived only just before sunset. The ground beneath them was made up of various candies, confections and treats ballooned into colossal form.

Whenever their hooves touched it, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie would bounce up high towards the next nearest food; sailing through the air was somehow exciting and relaxing all at once. Their nostrils were filled with the precious aroma of freshly baked goods of all kinds, and Pinkie happily lapped and chewed at anything appealing within her reach; rivers of chocolate milk, islands of ice cream and cookies, streets of candy bars. All the while Vesper calmly floated alongside them, pleased by their amusement. Fluttershy was having a hard time hanging onto reason, although she somehow managed; this felt more like her wildest dream than actual reality.

Pinkie couldn't stop laughing hysterically in between bites, chews, slurps and swallows. "Omigosh, this is perfect!!! I want to stay here forever!!! Are you sure you don't know Discord or something? Because your magic kicks his magic's butt!"

Vesper blushed, feeling flattered. "Please, you give me too much credit. This is very simple magic actually -- well, for genies, anyways. All I'm doing is placing these sensations in your mind, nothing more."

Fluttershy cringed, clearly uncomfortable. "Can we stop talking about Discord, please?"

To her surprise, Pinkie looked back at her, somewhat saddened. "I'm not trying to sound mean, Fluttershy, but, this whole experience gives me an idea... I know Discord has done bad things and everything, but... Do you think that might be just because he was trying to have fun, like us, and no one would let him? Maybe, if he got what he wanted somehow, he wouldn't be dangerous, and wouldn't mess with anypony... If you could talk to him, listen to him, try to understand him, like you did with me..."

Fluttershy mulled over Pinkie's suggestion; she had a valid point. And did Discord really hurt anypony when he was attacking Ponyville? Well, yes, he nearly ruined the friendship shared between her and the others, but he never physically hurt anypony, or killed them, which he probably could have easily done with the extent of his powers. Maybe... Maybe all he really wanted was to have fun, without rules limiting him, or people judging him. If he could have someplace where his antics wouldn't hurt anypony else, maybe?... She shook her head, doubtful.

'This is crazy. I actually considered having a heart-to-heart with Discord, trying to "help" him. People like him can't be helped. At least, I don't think so...'

Pinkie's incessant laughing only grew in volume and hysteria. "Okay -- Really -- This is too much! Now I KNOW you have something to do with Discord! You must be a student of his, or something!"

"Oh, I'm the pawn of something MUCH more sinister than that," Vesper answered playfully in mock menace.

Pinkie tried to hold down her giggling enough to reply. "What's that?"

"I am... The servant of... THE GOD OF CARNIVAL RIDES!!!" Vesper exclaimed.

Suddenly, he, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were all crammed in the front seat of a roller coaster, racing along a looping, twirling, twisting track rushing along at a thrilling speed; along the way, Fluttershy could see various enlarged moving pictures, depicting all the happy memories she had with her friends; Pinkie's birthday party, the Grand Galloping Gala, cheering on Rainbow Dash at the Young Flier's Competition, the Hearth's Warming Eve, even Pinkie's surprise meal that she remembered earlier on. She saw every highlight of her time spent with them, the moments of legitimate enjoyment, things that had withered away and been lost.

'I can't let all those memories just die in vain. Now more than ever I know how important it is that I continue. I'm doing the right thing.'

Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Vesper had spent what felt like several hours together (despite being contained in a split second thanks to freezing time) continuing to experience an altered perception of reality and talking about their issues. Once they were finished, the Sugarcube Corner kitchen reformed back in place, and all was right with the world. Pinkie claimed to feel immensely relieved, deeply appreciating the time she spent with Fluttershy getting so much off her chest, and getting to meet and make friends with Vesper.

Fluttershy and Vesper then promptly returned to her cottage in the woods while she decided which friend she would single out and help next. She had spent so much time doing all this in a frozen moment that she thought an entire day had been taken out of her. Right now, she wanted sleep more than anything. Fluttershy grumbled to herself under her breath; she always found it difficult to sleep during the day, with the sunlight still out, readily peering into her window. She turned to Vesper, looking down at her pouch of sands once more.

"If I rewind time to last night so I can get some sleep, will Pinkie still remember everything that just happened?"

"If you want her to, yes, she will."

Fluttershy started to prepare her bed, curling up inside, gradually drifting off and losing consciousness. She wasn't quite ready to sleep just yet, despite her strong desire to do just that.

"I'm grateful I have this opportunity to help all my friends this way. I just wish it was easier. Or that I was able to do this a long time ago. I'd go back further, but... I don't know how it will change the world right now. I wouldn't want to do something bad on accident."

Vesper nodded grimly. "We spend our lives trying to understand others while wishing they'd understand us better."

Fluttershy blinked a few times. "You probably already know this, but, I take care of animals. They come to me, sick, and injured; and I can see it clearly. I can see what's wrong with them right away. They don't have to explain. You can't hide the fact that you're bleeding when it happens to you. And yet, ponies don't... Emotionally bleed... They can hide sadness, anger, fear, pain. It's not... It's not fair. I think if everypony could just see how they make each other feel... Everything would be better."

She squinted her eyes closed, tears slowly cascading down her face.

Vesper grimaced, pondering her musings. "... If you want... I can grant you the ability to read others' emotional states. That way, at least you can see it. Would you like that?"

Fluttershy nodded.

"Very well. Consider it done."

And with that, Fluttershy relaxed. She pressed her hoof against the pouch gently, until the brightness of the sun disappeared, and blackness filled in the vision of her closed eyelids; the coldness of night was now upon her.

'Just wait for me, my friends. Before you know it, all our problems will be over.'

"Now I understand

What you tried to say to me

And how you suffered for your sanity

And how you tried to set them free

They didn't listen, they did not know how

Perhaps they'll listen now"

• Don McLean's "Vincent"

The night was pitch black. Every creature in Fluttershy's house was fast asleep. Even Vesper.

None of them heard the dark intruder whose footsteps made their way into Fluttershy's room.

A sentient being brimming with fiery hatred cast a large shadow over the sleeping, oblivious Fluttershy. It spoke with a voice that was like nails scraping against one's soul.

"All that is yours, is rightfully mine. Soon, Fluttershy, I will take back everything you stole from me. Soon..."