“Ivan, why did you tell me this?”

“Mm?”

“I’m… I’m really happy you’re trusting me like this, but why? You haven’t known me that long. And you just told me… well if you’ve got a secret bigger then well, this, then… No, I don’t even believe you do.”

“…want… understood.”

“You want to be… really? Did you say you had a friend already? Doesn’t that pony?”

“No.”

“So… so I’m the only pony you’ve told?”

“Yes.”

“I’m… speechless Ivan. What about me makes you…”

“Trust you.”

“…Thank you Ivan. You won’t regret it. I promise.”

--

“Miss Cheerilee, why is Ivan so bad at this?” Sweetie Belle asked as Ivan accidentally created another crater. “I mean, he’s really strong, so shouldn’t this all be easy?”

“A lot of unicorns have trouble using different types of magic depending on their talents. It looks like Ivan’s not very compatible with the spells Twilight’s attempting to teach him. Course, it also might be that Ivan’s not a very quick study…”

“But my sister can shoot lasers! That’s not very good at making pretty things, is it?”

“Well, have you noticed that shining light through gemstones can sometimes make for a very pretty show of lights and colors?”

“…so?”

“A unicorn laser is just a lot of very concentrated light. So Rarity’s essentially taking a spell she can normally do and cranking up the power a whole lot.”

“Ooooh….”

--

“…well there goes conjuring water…” Twilight said, crossing another spell off the list. “You weren’t kidding when you said you were overspecialized.”

Ivan snorted, and waited to be taught something else.

“Alright, well let’s try fire…”

--

“…So you think Ivan’ll be able to figure out his special talent by learning a bunch of magic?”

“Possibly.” Cheerilee said. “Though it’s also possible his talent has nothing to do with magic. It would explain why he can use so few spells.”

“Hm… I can use a couple spells.” Sweetie continued. “So maybe I’m supposed to be a mage?”

“Anything’s possible Sweetie.”

“Hey, uh… Miss Cheerilee?” Applebloom asked. “Have ya ever heard of any other ponies with Ivan’s, um… problem?”

The way the filly nodded to her unmarked flank made it plain what she was talking about.

“Never. Ivan’s quite unique in that regard.”

“Huh…” With that out of the way, the fillies all turned their attention back to Ivan, who was starting to have his first success. Cheerilee though had just been presented with a pair of very confusing reminders to Ivan’s condition.

Ivan knew his special talent. But his side was still blank.

Cheerilee wasn’t about to suggest that Ivan was some sort of special case (well, more special then he already was), so that could only mean that Ivan was wrong.

No matter how much he was in denial, at the root Ivan believed that he was born to be some violent destroyer. But his side was blank. Ivan was wrong.

Ivan was wrong and Cheerilee could prove it to him. Give him hope.

“What are you smiling about Miss Cheerilee?”

“Haven’t you noticed? Ivan’s learned a new trick.” Sure enough the green stallion was manipulating a plume of fire he created. The crusaders cheered.

--

“Well at least I managed to give you something… And fire’s a pretty good spell to have if you’re a wanderer, right?” Ivan nodded.

Honestly, he wished he knew this spell sooner. Trying to start fires with explosions was harder then one would think.

“Next?”

“Well I th-“

“Twilight!” Ivan turned to see Spike running towards them from the library waving a scroll over his head.

“What is it Spike?”

“Letter from the Princess!”

“Oh. Well let’s see here… To my faithful… regarding your intentions towards my-“ Twilight’s head snapped up from the scroll, which was hastily rolled up and stuffed into her bags.

“Ivan! Something’s just come up and I’ll need to cut our session short for today, you understand right?”

“Er-“

“Splendid, come back tomorrow, same time, we’ll work through more of the list, I really have to go now goodbye!”

They were quite a distance away from the library, but all the ponies (and dragon) present could hear the door slam from where they were.

“…welp, I need to get to work getting the door unlocked from this side.” Spike said, leaving for the library.

“Hey, Ivan, that fire spell was awesome!” Scootaloo exclaimed as she hopped over with great flapping bounds.

“So maybe his cutie mark has something to do with fire?” Applebloom wondered.

“Arson?” Dinky suggested with a hoof on her chin.

“Cutie Mark Crusaders Insurance Fraud yaa-“

“Alright, no. Never.” Cheerilee said.

“Awwwww.”

“Anyway, Ivan, sorry to leave you with the crusaders,” the teacher said when their attention diverted to other possibilities Ivan’s new spell opened up, “but I’ve got work to do. There’s a field trip I have to plan.”

“Good day.” Ivan returned, nodding as she left.

“Hey, Ivan, it’s mah birthday next week!” Applebloom declared. “Are ya gonna come to mah party?”

Ivan made a show of thinking it over. If he did come, most of his time would probably be with Big Mac, which actually sounded like not a half bad way to spend an afternoon. It would also make Applebloom happy, and that was worthwhile in and of itself.

Ivan nodded, making Applebloom cheer.

“Hey, Ivan, when’s your birthday?” Scootaloo asked, and Ivan was about to answer when he heard a shuffling behind him. When he turned to investigate, there was a cardboard box sitting next to a tree, and he was positive it wasn’t there before.

“Ivan?” the pegasus prompted, and while keeping one eye on the mysterious box, he answered;

“Last month.” Then he heard the unmistakable noise of a fuse burning down. Coming from the box.

“Hey, what’s that noi-“

“Down!” Ivan yelled, throwing up the thickest shield he could manage. The fuse stopped and the box exploded.

“Excelsior!“ Shouted a pink blur, flying out of the detonation and towards them at a speed Ivan had only ever seen duplicated by Rainbow Dash. He braced himself for impact.

Pinkie Pie flattened herself against the shield with an audible ‘SPLAT’ noise, and slowly slid down until she was sitting on her haunches trying to shake the stars out of her vision and get her snout back to it’s original shape.

Ivan lowered the shield, and stepped forward intent on finding out just what exactly the buck, when Pinkie got to her hooves and pointed at Ivan rather accusingly.

“When was your last birthday party?!”

“Don’t remember.” Ivan answered without missing a beat. “Years.” He guessed.

Pinkie made an odd noise, much like Ivan once daydreamed that sunless rabbit from Fluttershy’s cottage would make if he strangled it.

“Why didn’t you tell anypony?! You were here for your birthday!”

Ivan shrugged.

“…this calls for a par-“

“No.” Ivan said, silencing her. Pinkie gaped at him in disbelief, and the crusaders gaped as well, considering that not only did Ivan commit Pinkie blasphemy, but they had never seen her without a smile for this long.

“Why not?”

“Don’t want.”

“Why not?” Ivan, quite fed up with the way Pinkie was invading his personal space every time she spoke, put up a green wall between them, causing her to get shoved backwards.

“Don’t like.”

“B-but… this is a birthday party… they’re special!”

“Don’t want.” Ivan repeated.

“I… I…” The pink pony sputtered, before pulling out a small sphere from her curls and hurling it at the ground.

White smoke and coloured confetti burst from it blinding everypony in the vicinity, and when it cleared, Pinkie was gone.

“…Ivan, ya don’t like parties?” Applebloom asked quietly. “’C-cause ya don’t have to-“

“Like you.” Ivan said. “Will attend.” And the little earth filly noticed with a bit of surprise that Ivan’s brim had lifted from his eyes when Pinkie had left. He looked sincere.

“…oh. Thanks Ivan.”

“…but why don’t you like parties?” Dinky asked. “All your friends get together for a good time. You’d get presents too!”

“Pinkie.” Ivan started. “Invite everypony.”

“Well yeah, she’d make it a-“

“Not friends.”

“Well I think she’s the only one who’s friends with everypony, but that-“ Scootaloo was cut off when Ivan continued.

“Loud. Crowded. Attention center.” The last point made Ivan scowl. Scootaloo winced ever so slightly.

“…that’s bad?”

“For me.”

“…huh.”

Ivan nodded, point made. Parties weren’t for him, and he didn’t need a bunch of strangers pretending to care for a slice of cake.

Also accepting the odd gift from somepony he didn’t know wouldn’t have felt right.

“Ya sure ya wann-“

“Uninvited?” Ivan asked, raising an eyebrow at Applebloom.

“N-no! Yer still welcome, bu-“

“Settled.” He said, looking her in the eye.

And just like that, the matter was indeed settled.

“…so what now Ivan?”

“Work.” He said. He nodded in parting to the crusaders, and started back to town.

“…well now what do we do?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Unbeknownst to the four fillies, a figure clad in a black catsuit lowered itself from the nearby tree.

And slowly crept up behind them…

--

“So what made you decide to be a mailpony?” Ditzy asked as she walked him through the route.

When Ivan had approached her asking if she knew anyplace hiring, she had been delighted to help. As it turned out, the post office she worked at was quite short-staffed.

Ivan was pleased to hear this, since it meant he had a steady job while he remained in Ponyville.

“Money.”

“…ah.” She trailed off, probably expecting something a bit more grandiose. Being a mailpony was a noble position!

“…so how’s Dinky?” She asked after a pause.

“Behaved.” Ivan answered, and the pegasus swore she heard a touch of fondness hiding in his monotone.

“She would be. She really likes you!” Ivan shrugged. He already knew the crusaders liked him.

If they didn’t, they wouldn’t spend all that time around him. Or keep him warm when he was cold, or kiss his wounds better, or make him pie when he was sick, or pretty much anything they did at all.

Ditzy didn’t see the small smile that wrestled free of Ivan’s control.

“So I haven’t seen you since that thing in the forest. How’ve you been?”

“Well.”

“…nothing bad happen?”

“Yes.”

“Anypony else sign your cast?”

“Yes.”

“… have you been doing anything lately?”

“Here you go!” Shouted Pinkie Pie when she burst out of a random mailbox. Clutched in a curled hoof (how did she even do that with a hoof?) were a pair of cards.

Ivan took one and looked it over. It was an invitation to a party. His eye twitched.

“No.”

“But you have to! It’s tonight!” Pinkie cried.

“It’s true. It is tonight. Cancelling on short notice is rude.” Ditzy said, nodding sagely.

“No.” Ivan repeated.

“Bu-“ Whatever logic Pinkie was about to assault him with was cut off when the card was stuffed into her mouth with magic.

Ivan started walking off again as Ditzy followed, asking why he would do such a thing.

Pinkie took the invitation out of her mouth, and started stroking her chin in thought.

“Hmm… I wonder if this is what Dashie means by ‘the thrill of challenge’?”

--

“Hey, Ivan, I saw this cupcake-“

“No.”

“-and it made me think of you since it’s all green and brings joy to foals and-“

“No.”

“-it would probably really like a party if it had-“

“No.”

“-a soul and body that wasn’t yummy delish and the cognitive potential to perceive feelings of joy and happiness!”

“…um-“

“Is that a-“

“Still no.”

“Aw mittins.”

--

“Hey, Ivan, ya find a job?” Applebloom asked as Ivan climbed the hill to what had been unofficially dubbed ‘his tree’.

“Yes.”

“Great! Is it something you’ve done before? Did you get your cu-“

“Hey everypony!” Pinkie Pie yelled, appearing as if she had been there the whole time.

“-tie mark… handbook… for us?” Sweetie Belle finished, switching gears in a way that made Ivan nod his thanks.

“Hey Ivan, know what this is?” Pinkie Pie asked, holding up a cupcake.

“…cupcake.” Ivan answered in an even deader pan then normal. Looking closer, it appeared to be the same cupcake from her last attempt.

“Wrong! Even better! This is just one fraction of twenty batches of cupcakes that can be available at your party!”

“No.”

“There’s cupcakes of every variety. I have your favorite. I guarantee your favorite is there.”

“No.”

“Well then what is your favorite?”

“Don’t know.”

“…how… how can you not-“

“Years.”

“…I’m gonna go reboot my brain. I’ll try again later Ivan.”

“Later.”

--

“Alright, this time.”

“No.”

“But Ivan, don’t you wanna know what this is?”

“…cannon.”

“Wrong! Even better! This is the party cannon.”

“…kay.”

“You know you want it. It levels up a party just by being present.”

“No.”

“And if it’s at your party, I’ll fire this thing and you won’t even know.”

“No.”

“…but it’s a party cannon!”

“Bye.”

--

“Alright Cheerilee, when Ivan comes around that corner, I need you to read the card when it’s time for your lines.”

“…Pinkie, you still haven’t told me why you ne-“

“Here he comes!”

“…wha-“

“Ivan! I, the masked villain, have kidnapped this schoolteacher best friend of yours and if you don’t come to a pa- wait wait wait no sto-“

“Ivan don’t oh moon-“

--

“Ivan I don’t care if I was tied up on a set of railroad tracks, that was not a good enough reason to blast Pinkie Pie half way to Canterlot.”

“Pinkie Pie?”

“Alright, so I admit that she put together a great costume and she actually managed to disguise her voice to sound like somepony completely different, but even then you almost blew a random pony up.”

“Kidnapped.”

“Ivan that’s not a good enough reason to try to kill somepony.”

“Yes. It is.”

“…I’m not even sure if I should be incredibly flattered or concerned.”

“Hi everypony!”

“Oh, hello Pinki- wait no you should be half dead that’s imposs-“

“Stunt double.”

“But it was you-“

“So Ivan! I heard you saved a princess from a masked villain who totally wasn’t me or my stunt double!”

“Ugh-“

“Know what this calls for? A party.”

“No.”

“Aw Ivan come on! Parties solve everything! You’ll get character development!”

“…please?”

“No Ivan you cannot blast Pinkie Pie.” Said the teacher.

“Little?”

“Not even a little.”

“…tch.” Cheerilee was treated to the rare sight of Ivan pouting. She really wished she had a camera.

“So since nopony’s getting blasted halfway to Canterlot again, how about tha-“

“No. Leaving.”

“If you follow me, I can lead you t-“

“No.”

--

“…Pinkie, would you mind telling me what this is about?” Cheerilee asked after Ivan had left.

“Ivan can’t remember the last birthday party he had. And his birthday was last month!”

“Huh. Why didn’t he tell me?”

“I don’t know. But now he won’t go to his own party!”

“Wait, you’re doing it anyway?”

“I already sent out the invitations. I hid in a tree after throwing a party smoke bomb and heard Ivan didn’t like noisy parties with a bunch of strangers, so I made this a small party.”

“…you can do small parties?”

“I know, right? So I invited Big Mac, Ditzy, the other elements… oh, here’s yours.”

“Thanks.”

“And I told the crusaders they could come too! Nopony Ivan doesn’t like would be there, so…”

“It might be best if we don-“

“No, this is a birthday party. It’s special and he needs it.”

“Pinkie, I… is there something I’m not getting here?”

“Nope. You should know what a birthday party is. But I think Ivan forgot.”

“…Look, I’ll see what I can do. The place and time is on the invitation?”

“Course it is silly filly! Oh thank you thank you thank you, this is going to be amazing! See you tonight!”

“…sigh.”

--

“Alright, just… try to have fun. Please?”

“Forced.”

“Well yes, but she already had it set up apparently and all your other friends are going to be there. I’m just saying that if they’re going to a party for you, then you should at least show up.”

“…makes sense.” Ivan grudgingly admitted.

“So cheer up. Pinkie even said that nopony you didn’t know was going to be there. It really won’t be that bad.”

“Mm.”

The two walked into Sugarcube Corner, and found all the lights off.

“…alright, Pinkie Pie, he knows there’s a party happening. It’s not going to be a surpi- wait…“ She stopped when she flicked on the light switch and found the corner completely bare.

“…but she… the invitation said… wait what’s that noise?”

For the second time that day, Ivan heard the sound of what was unmistakably a lit fuse. He whirled around to find that somehow a giant cannon had been wheeled in and was pointed through the door right at them.

As Cheerilee gasped in surprise, Ivan quickly ran through his options, picked one, and followed through.

He rammed Cheerilee and took them both to the floor before covering her and raising a shield around them for the explosion and shrapnel.

A tense second passed, and the cannon fired.

…silence for a few moments, before Ivan looked up from Cheerilee’s mane to see that somehow in the space of a few seconds, the entire room had been decorated with streamers and balloons, and a snack and punch table had been set up on the opposite wall.

There was also a fully operational jukebox in the corner nearby.

“…um-“

“Surprise!” Several ponies called as they jumped out from random hiding places. Hiding places that hadn’t even existed before the cannon blast.

“Hey, Ivan, what did you think of my party cannon?!” Pinkie Pie said, prancing over and popping a party hat onto the hat he was already wearing.

“…wai-“

“Yeah! Why else would I call it a party cannon? Because I can fire parties out of it. Genius!”

“…Jerryrig?”

“Yeah! How’d you know?”

“…lucky guess.” Ivan muttered getting up from the floor. “Sorry.” He said as the teacher picked herself up.

“Oh no trouble. Nice to know you care Ivan.”

“…so happy multiple belated birthdays Ivan!” Pinkie shouted as the crusaders wheeled out a large multi-layered cake with a large number of candles stuck into it.

“…uh-“

“Yeah, I didn’t know how old you are exactly so I used every candle I had. Make a wish!”

Ivan sighed as he approached the cake, wondering how exactly he was supposed to get a wish when the cake was set up like this.

He tried anyway, and managed to blow out a good third of them. Applause sounded before the cake was cut, and Ivan received the first slice.

…sweeter then he normally liked, but it was quite good…

“So, happy you’re here? I was right about the cannon, wasn’t I?” Pinkie said, wearing a lampshade similar to the way Ivan was wearing his hat.

“Forced.” Ivan reminded.

“I don’t know why you feel that way. It’s a birthday party.”

“Matters?” He asked as he took another bite of cake. Pinkie frowned.

“So you did forget.”

“What?”

“…Ivan, I’m going to tell you something super sad now. Promise you won’t cry.”

“Promise.” Ivan said, deciding that for this at least, the party pony deserved his attention. He silenced the irritation that struck him whenever Pinkie did anything (a reasonable response after all of that day), and waited.

“I didn’t know what birthday parties were before I came to Ponyville.” A record scratched somewhere in the backround as the music stopped and everypony in the room looked at her in shock.

Except for Ivan, who had no idea why this was unusual.

“My first party was when I got my cutie mark. When I learned my purpose was to spread happiness. But because of the way I grew up, I didn’t know that birthdays were anything special.

“After I came to Ponyville, and started living with the Cakes, they asked me when my birthday was and I didn’t know why they’d ask me a thing like that. Then later on, they threw me a party. And I learned that birthday parties were the most special parties of all.”

Pinkie took off the lampshade, reached out a hoof to Ivan’s brim, and looked him dead in the eye.

“The party’s about you Ivan. But it’s not just for you. It’s for everypony here. A birthday party is when a pony is surrounded by all their friends, and everypony celebrates that the pony was born. You came into Ponyville and at some point helped all of us somehow. Except me. And Twilight. But maybe those’ll happen later.

“I don’t think I’m lying when I say that we’re all happy you exist Ivan. Even if you haven’t been here very long, and you’re a scowling mister angry stoic pants, you would help anypony here, and you’re super nice to the fillies, and…

“…my first birthday party was the happiest day of my life. And I don’t think somepony who’s as nice as you are should go without being reminded that you have a place in the world, and there are ponies that love you for having it.”

When she finished, Pinkie took back her hoof causing the brim to fall back over Ivan’s eyes. And she waited.

They all waited as Ivan mulled this over. Then a ghostly green hoof appeared by the jukebox and gave it a whack. The music started up again.

“Another?” Ivan asked, holding up his empty cake plate.

--

The party ran for a while after that, and before long Ivan walked out of Sugar Cube Corner and settled on a nearby bench for a bit of air.

The night was warm, quiet, and exactly what he wanted after a few hours of loud music, sweets, and repeated explaining that his cast made dancing unpleasant and impossible.

Also he was horrible at it, but the cast was a happy way to not explain his shortcomings.

He decided not to start trying to decipher how having several ponies celebrating his existence made him feel. He got the feeling that opening that can of worms would have him reflecting on himself all night.

“Just couldn’t tough it out, could you?” Cheerilee taunted as she walked out and sat down beside him.

“Torture.” Ivan countered. “Cake. Music. Games. Conga line. Evil.”

“You’ll have to get used to it as long as you’re around here Ivan. We’re all a little evil in this neck of the woods.”

“Hm.” Ivan also didn’t want to think about leaving Ponyville. Or settling. That’d also keep him up all night.

“…hey, I’m surprised you haven’t asked about any gifts yet.”

“Hm?”

“Well it is a birthday party. That normally means you get free stuff.”

Ivan didn’t reply. He honestly didn’t expect to receive anything, given that he’d only been around a month. And the party itself had been quite short notice.

“Well I got you something.” Cheerilee continued, holding up a wrapped present. Ivan just stared at it for a moment, completely at a loss.

“You’re supposed to say thanks, and then open it.” The teacher teased, holding it up. Ivan took it in his magic, muttered an embarrassed thanks, and started unwrapping it.

It took him a moment to realise he was holding another photo album.

“Open it.” She said.

The first picture he saw was of the Apple family, smiling at the camera. The next was Rarity and Sweetie Belle working on a dress together.

Another of a smiling Scootaloo. Another of Ditzy giving her daughter a flying ride over Ponyville. Another of Rainbow Dash showing off.

There was at least one picture for every pony he’d met. And soon he turned a page and found the next set of photo sleeves empty.

The book was only about a tenth full.

“You should be happy Ivan.” Cheerilee said. “You made a bunch of friends in no time at all, and they all like you. They’d all still like you if they knew everything.”

Ivan said nothing, staring down at the empty pages.

“Each of those spaces there are just like your flank Ivan. Empty now, but before long you’ll have put a happy memory away.”

“…talent.”

“You’re unmarked Ivan. If your talent was violence, and you knew it, then you wouldn’t be. So you’re missing something.”

“I…”

“Thanks for being born you silly colt.” Cheerilee said, smiling as wide as her mouth would allow.

Later on, after she signed Ivan’s cast, Pinkie Pie would admit to having caught that moment on film. It was later added to the album, and Ivan would look at it and remember the first time he had initiated a hug in over a decade.

--

Never forget your birthday again Ivan! It’s for everypony who loves you!

-Pinkie Pie

--

Dear Princess Celestia;

Today I learned that things you take for granted can be appreciated differently by your friends.

I think that it’s important to learn how each of your friends appreciates life in their own ways, in order to better understand them. You might also discover new ways to appreciate the things in your own life along the way.

By the way, would you mind telling me when Luna’s birthday is?

Your faithful student;

Twilight Sparkle.