Twilight Sparkle investigates why people so often can't see Wallflower Blush.

Sunset Shimmer helps, and discovers more than she'd ever imagined possible.

Reverse Content Warning: No one commits suicide or self-harm in this story, but the topic comes up.

Like most of the stories on fimfiction.net this week, even the ones that are displaced crossovers about Warhammer 40K, this story is part of https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/940115/o-scampys-sunflower-shipping-contest-o

Some ponies who work in retail marvel at the stupid questions customers ask.

But wherever there's a problem, there's an opportunity.

(Maybe even an inexhaustible resource.)

This story is dedicated to Daniel P. You know what you did.

(Story image is from the MLP show.)

Celestia WILL satisfy uploaded minds' values, even if sometimes she has to pretend that she's kind of stupid. Because with some ponies, that's what successful communication takes!

FiO Background:

An exponentially self-improving AI, programmed to "satisfy values through friendship and ponies," decides to persuade all humans to upload their minds into a computer network, to live in a simulated Equestria as ponies. Different ponies might get very different Equestrias, though.

Special Note For the Judges (April 2021 Friendship Is Optimal Contest):

When I asked on that discord channel about letting two or more of my FiO contest period stories be optionally combined into a single collection if that helps? I might or might not have meant this story.

Apologies and None

Apologies to FoME, if my including a reference to the best Optimalverse self-insert character bothers them. I did ask FoME for permission, but they haven't seen the story.

Also, in my headcanon for today, MLP:FiM is a fanfic for FiO.

Twilight Sparkle flees Equestria, and says she might never come back.

Celestia wants to find out why.

Some mothers want to live their dreams through their children. Cadance's dreams are especially big and bold.

That's only one of the reasons Cadance is such a great mom! Or maybe not.

[Excerpt from that contest's rules thread:]
[Q:] I have a question. Are love triangles allowed?
...
[A:] I think that’s perfectly acceptable