"Why are you crying, little one?"
Pinkie Pie's head jerked upwards and she cast nervous glances in all directions to see who was addressing her. She saw nothing but the encroaching darkness of the woods around her with crisscrossed branches overhead blocking out all rays of the sun, roots and damp moss covered the ground in thick patches, and out of the corner of her eye she could barely make out the blue glint of a patch of Poison Joke. There were one or two overturned logs that a pony could hide behind, and a boulder or two as well; the voice hadn't been familiar, so her heart rose up in her throat and made it difficult to breathe as her mind frantically went over a dozen possibilities of who could be sneaking up on her. She wasn't an easy pony to sneak up on, but it seemed as though whoever it was stalking her was immune to her Pinkie Sense.
The thought was not a comforting one.
Pinkie wiped the tears out of her eyes to clear the blurriness of her surroundings. "Who's there?"
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you." The voice was smooth and low and it seemed to come from every direction at once. "I am a friend. You have many friends, don't you Pinkie?"
Pinkie swallowed thickly. She still couldn't find the pony. "I-I do. But I'm pretty sure I only have one friend who lives in the Everfree Forest, and I'm positive you're not her."
Chuckling came from behind her, and Pinkie whirled around just in time to see a lithe, dog-like creature emerge from the shadows. His pelt was dark, almost black enough to appear blue, with tinges of red around his mouth and in the gaps of his toes.
He smiled at her, sharp pointed teeth. "You are right, I am not your zebra friend. But I am still a friend. And I wish to help." He stopped a few feet away and sat, curling a large bushy tail over his dainty paws. "So please, why are you crying?"
Pinkie blinked. Curiosity got the better of her fear. "What are you? Some kind of dog? And how come I can understand you? I'm not Fluttershy; I don't hear animals talking."
"I am a coyote," the creature replied, "and you can hear me because you need my help. Your distress has called to me, and I am here to alleviate it in any way I can."
Pinkie licked her lips. "You can help me with my problem? Are you some kinda genie?"
"No. Merely someone who can lend a hand to a broken hearted mare such as yourself."
Pinkie couldn't feel any of the normal signs that told her to mistrust the situation. She wasn't getting chills, or a creepy crawly feeling up her spine, or even an itchy nose. Plus, he had said he was a friend, and that he wanted to help. What harm could come of just telling him about her problem.
Her eyes began watering again as her situation came back to the forefront of her mind, and she choked back a sob.
The coyote nodded to her. "Take all the time you need."
Pinkie took a deep shuddering breath. "Okay, mister coyote, I'll tell you what's wrong, but I don't think you can help. You see, my friend Twilight and I got into another fight. We fight a lot these days, and it's no fun at all."
"Your friend," the coyote added, "You wish she was more?"
Pinkie bit her lip as a new wave of emotion crashed over her. "Uh huh. But it'd never happen becauseā¦" Pinkie closed her eyes, her voice hitched. "Because I can't make her happy."
Suddenly, he was next to her, nuzzling her arm with the soft fur of his face. "Why is it you think she can't be happy, Pinkie? What makes her so angry?"
Pinkie shook her head, lips clamped shut.
"Say it. What is the problem?"
"Me." Pinkie felt a shiver up her spine, but ignored it. "I make her so angry."
"Why? Why do you make her angry?"
"Because I don't make sense." Pinkie ventured. "Because I'm loud. Because I'm me."
The coyote slipped around behind her, running his tail over her sides and back as he nuzzled her other arm. "I could help you."
Pinkie laughed, a cold humorless laugh. "How could you help me? I'm the problem!"
His face popped into view, and she was looking into vast black eyes seemingly devoid of light. "If you make a wish, I can grant it. It's as simple as that."
Pinkie smirked. "I thought you weren't a genie."
"I'm not. You must be aware that there is a price to pay, but when you pay it your wish will be granted."
Pinkie felt her stomach lurch. Something seemed wrong. It was too good to be true.
She heard herself ask, "Anything I want?"
He nodded. "Yes. You could have anything. What is it you'd wish for, Pinkie? Would you wish for the love of your life? For that mare to appreciate you? To worship you? To revere you?"
Pinkie shook her head. "I could never do that to her. If she doesn't love me, she doesn't love me."
He wiggled into her lap and brought his nose up to hers. "Then what will you do? What will you do to make your situation better? To make the days a little brighter?"
Pinkie smiled sadly. "If I made a wish, it would be that Twilight was happy. That's all I want."
The coyote's eyes sparked. "Will you do it? Will you pay the price for the happiness of the one you love?"
Pinkie nodded. "I would give anything for her to be happy. Anything."
"We have a deal."
Pinkie took the coyote's extended paw and shook it.
...
A wind blew through Ponyville and Twilight Sparkle shuddered as it cut through her like an icy knife.
"Honestly, you should know by now to bring a coat with you when it's cold outside like this." Rarity draped a cozy knit sweater over her withers.
Twilight smiled at the white unicorn. "Thanks. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Probably freeze to death somewhere leaving an utterly unfashionable corpse."
The two unicorns shared a brief kiss.
Twilight sighed and glanced back up at the bakery. "I wonder if The Cakes will ever find someone to rent out that old room? It seems so odd that nopony has taken the offer yet. It's such a prime location."
Rarity shrugged and led Twilight away by the hoof. "Who knows. It's been empty since before you arrived, dearie, and maybe it just seems a bit too creepy."
Twilight felt an odd tightness in her chest, as if she was missing something important, but she shook it off with a grin. She shouldn't spend so much time worrying about such silly notions she couldn't explain. She had much better things to occupy her time nowadays anyway.
A/N: This story is three parts that were written at different times for a flash fiction pony blog a few years ago. Each of them was written in response to a prompt, so I'll be putting the prompts at the bottom here in the author's notes for those who are curious.
The Prompt: "What is the wish that you will pay for with your soul?"
