Memories Best Keptby bahatumayChaptersMaybe It's Just A Fight?From Bad To WorseBest-Laid PlansThe DanceSetting Right What Once Went WrongMaybe It's Just A Fight?Sunset Shimmer stood in the middle of the hallway of Canterlot High School, eyes slightly narrowed and arms crossed, glaring at her latest opponent. Oh, it may have looked cute and innocent on the surface, but it was definitely anything but. Behind her, she heard Applejack clear her throat. “Uh, Sunset?” she asked hesitantly. “There a reason you're glaring at this particular poster?” “‘Grab a date for the Spring Fling’,” Sunset read it aloud. “Doesn’t it just…” She rolled her wrist as she searched for the right word, “rankle you?” she finished. “You’ve already got a date, though, right?” Applejack said, adjusting her hat. “Wallflower’ll go with you, no question. Grabbing her’s the easy part.” She paused. “It’s finding her that’s the hard part,” she added under her breath, glancing around. “Not that part,” Sunset said with a hint of exasperation. “The ‘Spring Fling’ part.” “Well, perhaps it's not the most original title for a school dance,” Rarity conceded, crossing her arms, “but it does fit.” “Yeah, but weird things happen on events with season names,” Sunset explained. “Remember the Fall Formal? The Annual Summer Camp Trip to Camp Everfree? The Fall Friendship Games? Naming it this, it’s just making it an incident waiting to happen. Right?” Sunset turned to the right, where Wallflower Blush was standing. No one had seen or heard her approach, but Sunset seemed to have a sixth sense for when her girlfriend had appeared. Wallflower shrugged. “I guess,” she said uncertainly, looping her thumbs around her backpack straps. “Most of these things go off without a hitch. And the punch they have is usually really good.” “I didn’t realize you’d been to one of these recently,” Rarity said before she could stop herself. Wallflower looked at her. “I’ve been to every one the school’s hosted,” she said coolly. Rarity winced, realizing she’d accidentally offended Wallflower. Again. This was worse than that raging she-demon thing they kept doing to Sunset. She cleared her throat. “Well, maybe this one will be uneventful, too,” she said, trying to rerail things. “Knowing us? Not a chance!” Pinkie Pie cried as she sprinted behind them on her way to class, holding an enormous four-tier cake above her head. Sunset pointed hesitantly after her before dropping her finger and deciding that maybe she was better off not knowing. Wallflower Blush walked through the halls, subconsciously ducking around people and skirting the couples in the middle of the road. What she’d told Rarity had been true. She’d been to every single dance and party the school had put on. She was usually alone, standing in front of the bleachers, hands behind her back; but hey, she was there. She settled in the back of her history class and pulled out her notebook. Today was a Thursday, and a work day preparing for the test tomorrow, which meant students were supposed to be finishing their homework. Of course, most kids were talking, chatting, doing math homework instead, or just sleeping. She flipped to a blank page and started doodling. A little box, divided into a couple quadrants; she smiled. She could plan out another little garden. People talked around her, but she tuned it out. This part looked oddly like a heart. She grinned and slowly began shading in a letter. S. Around her, the conversation shifted again, and Trixie’s voice came carrying through the air. “Date? To the dance? Oh, no, no, no. The well-beloved and highly-desired Trixie will be taking herself to the Spring Fling. There is nobody else quite like Trixie.” Wallflower cracked a smile as she finished the shading on the lower part of the S. Wasn’t that the truth. “And it isn’t like nobody’s asked Trixie to the dance,” Trixie said pompously. Wallflower started on the W, giving it grayscale horizontal stripes like the sweater she’d worn today. People probably had asked Trixie, honestly. But no one Trixie would want to be seen with. Trixie was definitely the opposite of invisible. Very loud. Very boisterous. Very concerned with appearances. “But Trixie couldn’t just go with someone random.” Wallflower expelled air out her nose. Called it. “Trixie desires true companionship. Who could truly know Trixie? Impossible, for such a short time as this. Trixie seeks a deeper connection, one that the idiots here at school could never comprehend.” Wallflower thought for a moment. Her pencil hesitated over the paper. How deep was her connection with Sunset Shimmer? “It’s very much a meeting of two hearts. And a heart as generous and loving as the Great and Powerful Trixie’s requires someone with one as fantastic and caring as she’s.” She paused. “As hers,” she amended. Wallflower listened. She wasn't sure she liked what she was hearing. She and Sunset were very different. Almost… too different. She was so outgoing and friendly, so popular, and Wallflower… liked plants. She stared at the S and W she’d shaded, and a cold pit settled in her stomach. If their relationship was shallow, they’d have no more luck than a seed on rocky soil: a decent start, but no deep root, and in the end, nothing but a dead plant. When the final bell rang, Wallflower ducked out of class using the back door, unnoticed as usual. Sunset Shimmer had her last class on the other side of the school, but she and the rest of her friends would meet up outside the school by the statue. She’d never understood what they liked so much about that statue. She’d never been one for horses, even as a younger girl. That one experiment in second grade where they’d grown beans by putting them in plastic bags taped to a window with wet napkins inside had been her favorite day, and ever since then, she’d been a fan of growing things. But right now, the only thing growing was her internal discomfort. She walked over and stood next to Sunset Shimmer, catching the tail end of her conversation. “-so I know I’m going to bomb that part, but I think I’ll do well enough on the essay to save it. I’ve got good ideas for all three potential topics.” “Good luck,” Fluttershy said hopefully. This conversation continued, varying on tests and schedules, until Sunset finally turned to her girlfriend. “You ok?” she asked, gently rubbing Wallflower’s shoulder. “You’re kindof quiet today, even for you.” “Yeah, I’m fine,” Wallflower lied. Sunset gave her a look. Wallflower exhaled through her nose. Might as well have this conversation now. “Can I talk to you? In private?” “Sure,” Sunset said, her voice going just a touch higher than normal. She led the way to the side wall of the school, back to the faculty lot. She leaned back against the wall. “What’s on your mind?” “Why do you like me?” Wallflower asked. Sunset chuckled. “You’re my girlfriend. It’s my job to like you.” So it’s an obligation? Wallflower bit back the jealous words and shook her head. Maybe it wasn’t like that. “But why am I your girlfriend?” “You’re not going to make me tell the story of how we got together, are you?” Sunset asked with a wry grin. “Because, honestly, I don’t really know how I’d tell it. We didn’t really have a strict timeline. We just… kept hanging out, and then we just knew.” Wallflower nodded thoughtfully. “Wallflower, what’s this about?” Sunset asked pointedly. “I just…” Wallflower looked at her hands, as if they held the answers. “We’re so different,” she finally said. “Part of me thinks… us being together… doesn’t really make sense.” Sunset gave her a sideways look. “Why not?” “We’re just so… different,” Wallflower repeated. Sunset shrugged. “Pinkie and Fluttershy are about as different as two people can be, and they’re best friends.” “But they’re not girlfriends,” Wallflower clarified. Sunset cracked a smile. Pinkie Pie was very physically affectionate with just about everyone but had little to no interest in anything sexual, whereas Fluttershy was very quiet, lived up to her name, and was very much straight. Even if Pinkie had made a move on her, it wouldn’t have gone anywhere. “They’d be incompatible,” she said matter-of-factly. But Wallflower was not privy to this background knowledge. All she knew was how the two acted, and she was seeing a very uncomfortable allusion to herself and Sunset. “Incompatible,” she repeated flatly. “You know, some people might say we’re incompatible.” “Some people would be wrong,” Sunset said firmly. She took Wallflower by the hand. “Wallflower Blush, I promise, we are very compatible.” Wallflower hesitated. She wasn’t quite convinced. Sunset continued. “Trust me. I’m very happy being your girlfriend. You’ve got such potential.” Wallflower tensed. She knew that phrase. “So I’m a… project to you?” she asked incredulously. “Not… I didn’t mean it like that,” Sunset said, hesitating. Memories ran through her head of herself, her own mistakes, and how far she’d come. She could very easily have just been abandoned after being hit with that rainbow of light. But they'd seen things in her and now she couldn't imagine life without her friends. “That’s what it’s sounding like,” Wallflower said suspiciously. “Do you do this to everyone who messes with your friends? They’re a little project for you to fix and then show off how good at friendship you are?” Sunset paused, now even more confused. She had no idea where any of this was coming from. She glanced down, trying to remember if she’d done anything that Wallflower could interpret that way. After all, Sunset knew a thing or two about using people, and she was very certain she had avoided all of that with Wallflower. She really was a great girl, when she poked her head out of her shell. She was fascinating, and she only regretted not noticing her sooner. That really was the truth. But Wallflower interpreted her silence in a different way. She scowled. “I should have known,” she seethed. It had been too good to be true because of course it had. It had been fake, all of it. Why would someone like Sunset Shimmer ever want to be with someone like her? Only one answer came to mind: it was pity. Sunset didn’t care for her. Not really. Not as much as she wanted to earn points with her friends. She hadn’t changed. She was still the colossal meanie she’d been freshman year. Wallflower yanked her hand away and took a few steps back, slowly shaking her head. “Wallflower, wait,” Sunset pleaded. “No,” she said shortly. “I have to get home.” Wallflower turned and walked away. Sunset watched after her, biting her lower lip. But Wallflower Blush did not go home. As soon as she was out of sight, she ducked into the school’s garden. She took a steadying breath. Here, she could relax. It was familiar. She could always come back here. She sank to her knees and idly pulled a couple weeds. This was also familiar. She could take care of this herself. By herself. How she did everything, before she met Sunset. She looked down. “I don’t need her,” she said aloud. Her plants seemed to agree, silently welcoming her back in their own way. Oddly comforted, she continued her work, methodically removing weeds, just like she was removing Sunset from her life. She was just fine on her own. Had been, would be. From Bad To WorseEveryone loved Fridays. Miss Cheerilee was smiling even wider than usual, and even Mr. Doodle didn’t seem as grouchy. Pinkie Pie was vibrating most of the day, though that could also have been from her accidentally drinking some of her sister’s coffee this morning. Maud liked her coffee notoriously strong. If it didn’t dissolve limestone, she wasn’t drinking it. Sunset stumbled out the door after the final bell. She exhaled, feeling a burden lifting from her shoulders. She was right, she was sure she’d missed most of the specifics the multiple choice questions wanted, but she was feeling pretty good about the essay. If by ‘good’ she meant ‘drained’, ‘wiped out’, and ‘in desperate need of a milkshake’, that is. She pulled out her phone and scrolled down to Wallflower’s name. Hey! Haven’t seen you all day. Want to go grab something sweet? 🍨 Sunset pocketed her phone and headed back to her locker. She retrieved her backpack and felt her phone vibrate again. She pulled it out, and as she did, the smile on her face faded. Not really. Sunset paused. She reread the two words, squinting. Did she not even want to try to talk it out? “Why are you texting me?” Sunset spun around. Wallflower stood behind her, a flat expression on her face, her hands looped around her backpack straps. Sunset couldn’t help but notice that when she held them like that (as opposed to just her thumbs through the straps), her arms were in front of her body, almost like a shield. She winced. Whatever she’d done had cut Wallflower pretty deep. “I wanted to go grab something, sortof a celebration for the end of the week.” Wallflower nodded knowingly. “Gotta score more friendship points, eh?” she asked bitingly. Sunset shook her head. “You know that’s not what I think of you.” “Oh, I think what you said yesterday gave me a pretty good idea of what you think of me,” Wallflower said. “Yeah, I’m really sorry about that. I didn’t mean to say anything that hurt you,” Sunset said. You caught me before I could think up good lies to convince you to stay my girlfriend, Wallflower heard. Her eyes hardened. “You’re more than a project, Wallflower. I promise, I think so much more of you than that.” She cracked a small smile. “Honestly, I think it’s because you remind me a bit of me.” Wallflower gave her a sarcastic smile. “Well, then, this’ll be easy: it’s not me, it’s you. Or maybe that means it’s both of us. Either way, in case you didn’t get it before, we’re done.” Wallflower turned and walked away, and a small group of students crossed in front of Sunset’s view. By the time they’d passed, Wallflower had already disappeared. Sunset could only watch her leave. She exhaled through her nose, her desire for a milkshake vanishing. Part of her wanted to just run up and grab her, to see what exactly Wallflower was thinking to get her to jump to that conclusion. But while she’d know, that would also ruin their relationship even further. Maybe even irreparably. So, defeated, Sunset put her hands in her pockets and walked in the other direction. Sunset lay with her head down on her kitchen table, staring blankly at her cold pizza. She hadn’t really been hungry, she’d done this mostly out of habit. She still couldn’t figure out what she’d done or what Wallflower had seen. It was bothering her a lot more than she wanted it to. Her phone rang. She brightened and glanced quickly at it, but was only slightly disappointed to see a smiling Rarity giving the camera a sultry sidelook instead of a blushing Wallflower looking down and peeking up. She tapped it and lifted it to her ear. “Hey, Rares,” she said, hoping she sounded happier than she was feeling. “What’s up?” “Oh, nothing much,” Rarity said with all the subtlety of a boiling kettle. Sunset smirked. “I can tell a lie like that right away, no gemstone needed,” she said, sitting up. “What’s really up?” “Well, I was just struck by a random bout of inspiration and, well, how would you like to come cosmic bowling with us tonight?” Sunset brightened. It wasn’t healthy to be stuck in here. A little distraction would be nice, and her friends always helped her feel better. “That sounds great!” “And Wallflower can come too, of course,” Rarity said. “Her skin tone will be fascinating to work with. Really, I’m thinking a sortof brighter color, maybe a light blue of some sort.” “She… won’t be able to come tonight. She, uh, has homework.” Sunset cringed, hoping she was better at lying than Rarity was at detecting lies. Either she was, or Rarity was too excited about tonight’s plans to notice. “Oh, a shame, but c’est la vie. There’s plenty to do with just us. I’m just so excited! I’ll be by to pick you up in ten minutes! Ta-ta!” Long story short, they’d ended up playing cosmic bowling all night long in the glowing outfits Rarity had designed. Well, the rest of them had. Rarity had spent the night taking picture after picture for SnapGab, and the stream of likes and favorites had been pretty steady. Apparently, she even got a commission or two out of tonight. But Sunset's thoughts were elsewhere. She lay on her stomach on her bed, her phone in her hand. She scrolled through the long list of names, looking for one account in particular. It looked like a random combination of letters to the untrained eye, and still used the default profile image, but she knew exactly who it belonged to. But Wallflower was nowhere to be found. Sunset sighed and set her phone down on the dresser. Maybe she was just tired. Already in bed. Or gardening at midnight. The excuses sounded weak, even to her. Sunset Shimmer stayed asleep as long as she possibly could, but finally that ray of sunlight coming through the crack in her blinds that happened to land right on her eye got to her. She groaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes and swearing once again that she’d buy some curtains or something that would cover her windows completely. Her stomach rumbled. She glanced over at her clock and was surprised to see how late it was. Maybe she could get breakfast at that one diner by her house. She pulled her phone off her dresser, pulled up Wallflower’s name, and had the invitation typed out with a heart or two before she remembered that she was technically single again. She tsked disappointedly and held down the backspace button to clear it. Wallflower as her girlfriend had just felt so… natural. Being without her was like, she didn’t know, off; like having an untuned guitar string, or only wearing one boot to school. She glanced down to make sure that she was not wearing only one sock or something crazy like that, and was relieved to see she was not. Well, it was still worth a shot. Maybe they could go as friends. She retyped her message. >Hey, Wallflower, woke up jonesing for pancakes. Wanna come? She got a picture back that she recognized as the CHS garden. Long day planned. Hard pass. A frown flitted across Sunset’s face. Wallflower was up early today. She got up and stretched. She could get pancakes on her own. By Sunday morning, Sunset had had enough. Every text to Wallflower had been shut down with clipped writing and shorter excuses; the ones she’d bothered to answer, anyway. Sunset put her hands on her hips and glared at her reflection in the mirror. “That’s it. I can’t mope around like this. It was good while it lasted, but I’m a grown mare.” She paused and shook her head. She knew what she meant. “I’m going to go out and have a good time!” Her phone beeped. She pulled it out and blinked at the schedule app. She’d almost forgotten she’d picked up a shift today. “I’m going to go to work,” she amended, heading toward her closet. “But I’ll have a good time there!” Best-Laid PlansMonday morning dawned bright and early. Sunset walked inside the school, meeting up with her friends. They talked about safe things, like schoolwork and their weekend. Sunset was pretty sure she'd make it at least until lunch before having to say it. And then it happened. “Where’s Wallflower?” Rainbow asked, looking around as if expecting to see her hiding behind someone else. “I haven’t seen her in, like, forever.” Sunset sighed. Might as well come out with it. “We broke up.” “What?” Fluttershy asked. “Darling,” Rarity gasped. Sunset shrugged, trying to downplay it. “It wasn’t that bad,” she said. “You know, high school relationship, these things happen.” “I must disagree,” Rarity said breathlessly. “I thought you were perfect for each other.” “We… were,” Sunset admitted. “I just… don’t know what went wrong. She quit responding to my texts and everything.” “Ghosted,” Pinkie Pie whispered sympathetically, stretching the word out and spreading her arms wide. She turned back towards Sunset, a look of concern on her face. “Does she even want to be friends with us anymore?” “I don’t know,” Sunset confessed. “She seemed really torn up, and I don't even know why.” “But really,” Rarity said, trying to sound fair. “A shy, mousy girl like that, she probably thinks you’re out of her league.” Sunset looked around, half-expecting Wallflower to appear with some snarky comment, but was disappointed. “Well, however she feels, it’s like she’s cutting off all contact with her.” “Maybe she’s just embarrassed, but she’ll get over it. It’s not like you ‘did it’ and had an awful experience and given her nightmares forever and flashbacks every time she sees you.” Pinkie gasped and leaned over, putting her face way into Sunset’s personal space. “Did you ‘do it’ and have an awful experience that would give her nightmares forever and flashbacks every time she saw you?” she asked eagerly. Sunset exhaled through her nose. Pinkie Pie had no real concept of personal boundaries, and a pretty keen interest in her friends’ intimate lives despite her own orientation. She gently pushed Pinkie’s face away with two fingers. “No, Pinkie, we did not ‘do it’. We were taking it slow.” She paused. “Maybe too slow,” she wondered aloud. She turned, half-expecting to see Wallflower standing there ready to comment, but she was not. “Eh, give it a little time,” Rainbow said dismissively. “Check out her garden or whatever, she’s probably there. Go see her on her terms.” “Actually, that’s a pretty good idea,” Sunset said thoughtfully. Sunset Shimmer sat on the bench in the garden, looking around. It was pretty peaceful here. Every time she came, she thought she knew a little better why Wallflower loved it here. “Sunset,” a voice said. Sunset looked over her shoulder to see her ex-girlfriend, wearing gardening gloves, hands on her hips and looking blankly at her. “Hey, Wallflower,” she said, turning around to face her. “What are you doing here?” Wallflower asked. Sunset decided to be honest. “I guess I’m trying to get inside your head, figure out what it is you’re thinking. I mean, I did like you, and I really wasn’t expecting a break-up. So I guess I’m just wondering why.” “Did,” Wallflower repeated flatly. Sunset winced. Out of all those words, she picked that to comment on? “Not… that’s not what I meant. I do like you, really.” “You’re saying a lot of things you don’t mean,” Wallflower said. If Wallflower was going to nitpick at all her words, she was probably still hurting. Maybe she should come back another time, later, when she’d had some time to cool off. “Look, this was a bad idea,” Sunset said, standing up. “I’ll just-” “No, no, stay,” Wallflower said, holding up her hands and stepping backwards. “I’d hate to take you away from, uh, me, and your thoughts, and-” But what she was going to say, Sunset never knew; Wallflower stepped on the blade of a shovel and her foot slipped out from under her. She fell down hard on her tailbone and cried out in pain. Sunset swung her legs over the bench and reached down to help, but Wallflower pushed herself up, ignoring Sunset’s hand. “I wish I still had the memory stone,” she hissed under her breath. “You don’t mean that,” Sunset said. Wallflower turned and walked away. “Yes, I do.” Sunset sadly watched her go. She was hurting—they both were—but she had no idea how to help. It was late in the afternoon, and the hallway was deserted as Rarity returned to her locker. She twisted the dial, opened the door, bent down and retrieved her books, then shut the door. “Rarity?” Rarity jumped. “Wah!” She turned to see Wallflower Blush, who had apparently materialized behind her locker door in the two seconds it had been open. She rested a hand on her chest over her rapidly beating heart. “Oh, Wallflower, darling, I didn't see you there.” She winced, realizing after she’d said it that Wallflower didn’t really like that phrase (much like how Sunset wasn’t a fan of reminders of her time as a raging she-demon). It was a testament to Wallflower’s determination that she didn't comment on this. “I want revenge on Sunset Shimmer,” she said bluntly. Memories of the last time she’d tried to take revenge on Sunset ran through her mind. Rarity clutched her books tightly to her chest and squeaked. “R- revenge is not always the best option,” she protested. “Not like that,” Wallflower interrupted, shaking her head. “I want to go to the Spring Fling this Friday. Without her. But I want to make her wish she could have gone with me.” Rarity paused. She thought she knew where this was going. “So you want to go, dressed in a way that says, ‘I don’t need you’, but makes her want you anyway?” she prompted. Wallflower was a little surprised that Rarity knew exactly what she wanted, but decided to roll with it. “Yes. Just like that.” Rarity understood instantly. “I see. It's a ploy! You want to make her jealous.” “Exactly. But… I need your help.” She glanced down and picked at her sweater. “This is the second nicest sweater I own, and even my first nicest isn’t really something you would wear to a dance.” A wide smile spread across Rarity’s face. She could already see how this would play out. Rarity would get them both dressed to the nines (well, relatively speaking, as this was a semi-formal dance), they’d each come alone, Wallflower would try to make Sunset jealous, Sunset would fall for her, and with a little luck (and perhaps a nudge or two in the right direction from a helpful friend named Rarity), they’d be back together again by the end of the night! How could she not be a part of this? Rarity tittered. “Don’t you worry about a thing, Wallflower. I’ll help.” She held up a fist enthusiastically. “You shall be the belle of the ball!” “But you can’t say anything to Sunset,” Wallflower pleaded. “Not a single word,” Rarity swore. Wallflower looked around the room. This one room had more clothes than she’d ever seen in her life. She felt oddly outnumbered, which was strange because these were inanimate objects. Just cloth. She briefly wondered if her sweater would get jealous of some of these other clothes when the door opened, and Rarity entered, carrying a bolt of cloth. She stopped and blinked. “Wallflower. I didn’t expect you for another half hour or so.” Wallflower shrugged. “Didn’t have much else going on.” Rarity set the bolt down and began with an eagerness that reminded Wallflower of the time she’d first discovered the garden. Rarity clearly had a passion for projects, and, to be honest, Wallflower felt the slightest bit unnerved. “Alright, let’s begin. I have an idea or two sketched out, but first, do you know your measurements?” “I’m… a medium in the Barnyard Bargains brand of pants?” Wallflower offered, fairly certain that that’s not what she meant. Rarity tsked. “Alright. Measurements first, then.” She held up a tape measure. “How much are you comfortable taking off?” Wallflower blushed. “Um… nothing?” she whimpered. Rarity gave her a comforting smile. “I assure you, I’m very professional. Besides, you’ve got nothing I haven’t seen before.” Wallflower grimaced and shook her head. Revenge came at a price, but stripping for Rarity was not a price she was willing to pay. Rarity exhaled through pursed lips. “Alright, over the clothes it is, but it’ll have to be tight,” she warned. Wallflower stood as still as she could as Rarity pulled the tape measure tight enough around various parts of her body that she was forcibly reminded of a blood pressure reading. That reminded her. Her last doctor’s visit had been a nightmare. She’d gone in, gotten her vitals taken (which included a finger stick), then waited another half an hour in the room only for the nurse to come in with another patient, having forgotten that she was there. Then she’d gotten her vitals taken again, complete with second finger stick. The only good thing was the receptionist didn’t recognize her and she walked right out without even being asked for her co-pay. It was probably the one time her invisibility had come in handy. But she definitely didn’t feel invisible as Rarity pulled the tape tightly around her chest. She just felt a bit suffocated. And maybe a bit violated. “Hm, you’re a bit more endowed than I’d thought,” Rarity murmured under her breath, making a few more notes on her paper. Wallflower bit her lower lip. That had been a compliment, right? She was never sure. Rarity continued sketching and then sat up. “Alright, so here’s my first design. Ta-daa!” She held up the paper. “What do you think?” It was very pretty, Wallflower had to admit, but one thing stood out right away. “That’s… cut pretty low,” she said uncertainly. “Is it?” Rarity asked, her voice a high squeak. She tittered in a half-nervous, half-innocent way. “Psh. I hadn’t noticed.” Wallflower crossed her arms and gave her a flat look. Rarity shrugged, her voice still higher than usual. “All I’m saying, darling, is if you’ve got it, ah, flaunt it. It would certainly help you get Sunset’s attention?” she offered. Wallflower blinked, keeping her expression deadpan. Rarity sighed in defeat and redrew the line a little higher. Wallflower raised an eyebrow. Rarity let out the tiniest of frustrated whimpers, but redrew the line even higher. Mollified, Wallflower put her arms down. “Ok, so, now what?” “Well, first I have to make it, and then you’ll have to come back for the fitting to make sure everything, er, fits—and that one you will have to undress for.” Wallflower gulped. It was Rarity’s term to give her a flat look. “In a dressing room, darling. Gone are the days when a lady would need an army of handmaidens to dress up. But on the day of, do you have someone to do your hair and makeup?” Wallflower shook her head. She hadn’t even thought of that. Rarity pulled out her phone and tapped on her scheduling app. “Alright. Rainbow Dash is coming with the limousine-” she paused to look up and mumble a silent thanks that Rainbow would not be the one to actually drive it, “-at approximately 5:15, which means I’ll have to start getting myself ready an hour before, so could you come by at around 3:30? It’ll be something light, really. Shouldn’t take more than twenty, forty minutes.” “You want me to come by?” Rarity gave her a look. “Darling, it’s part of the package. You want this dress, you’re getting a makeover to go with it.” Wallflower gulped again, but the thought of revenge pushed her forward. “Alright.” The DanceThe school atmosphere was bright and happy. The Spring Fling was tonight, and most of the students (and some of the teachers) had clearly already checked out. Sunset expelled air through her nose. “Ok, so, someone explain to me, how is it that the ace of our group is the only one with a date tonight?” Pinkie shrugged. “We’re just going as friends. My mom really, really, really, really wanted me to go with somebody.” She brightened. “But, if you really wanted a date, you could go with Fernando?” She held up a striped straw, which had a mustache cut out of black cardstock taped to it. Sunset smiled wryly. There was no situation Pinkie couldn’t help make a little brighter (and a little weirder). “No offense, but I think I’ll be ok with just our group.” Pinkie shrugged again. “Suit yourself!” Sunset glanced around. She hadn’t seen Wallflower at all today. Sure, ever since their breakup, she had just seen glimpses of her disappearing around corners and such, but still. She hesitated, then pulled out her phone. Wallflower’s name was pretty low on her list of recents now, but she still found her easily. >Hey! Any fun plans for tonight? The answer came surprisingly quickly. >>Yep. Booked solid. Sunset felt a flash of regret. Maybe if she’d asked before, they could all have gone as friends. And maybe have that talk about what had actually happened. She pocketed her phone again and tried to catch up on Pinkie explaining how she’d accidentally caused (another) explosion in her home ec class. Meanwhile, in an empty classroom, Wallflower grinned. Operation Make Sunset Shimmer Jealous Enough To Regret Breaking Up With Me was coming together nicely. ...ok, so the title was long. And needed a little work. And technically Wallflower herself had ended it. But still, she felt oddly satisfied as she put her phone back in her pocket. Sunset Shimmer spun around, looking at herself in the mirror. It was strange how clothes could really change a person. It was even a little ironic, because even as a pony, she’d never been much for fashion or clothes in general. But now she was going to a dance with the six best dressed girls in the school. She probably would be a little happier if she were going with someone in particular, but she pushed that feeling aside. She was going to have fun tonight. Sure enough, when the limo pulled up to her apartment, she could already see flashing lights and hear music coming from inside. The party had already started. She grinned and headed downstairs. Pinkie threw open the door and Sunset slid inside. “Hi, girls!” she said. “Thanks again for the ride!” “Oh, like I’d let you go on your motorcycle,” Rarity scoffed. “If Rainbow hadn’t rented this luxurious coach,” she ran her hands across the leather seats, “I’d have picked you up myself.” “Heh,” Applejack chuckled at that thought. “You’d show up covered in more flies than a pig in the mud in the dog days of summer.” “That’s a mental image I really didn’t need,” Sunset said pleasantly. She paused, as she noticed something was off. She counted and someone was missing. “Pinkie, didn’t you have a date?” “He got food poisoning!” Pinkie punched the air excitedly. “I am home free, baby! Flying solo!” She spread her arms like an airplane and made engine noises with her mouth. Fluttershy gasped. Apparently, she hadn’t known this. “That doesn’t sound very nice,” she protested. “Ha!” Rainbow nudged her and held out her phone. “Food poisoning nothing. Check his SnapGab. You don’t paint stuff like that when you’re helicoptering on the pot.” “D’aww!” Fluttershy smiled at the picture of the squirrel. Sunset grabbed a drink from the cooler and noticed Rarity almost vibrating in her seat, staring out the window. This was behavior Sunset would expect more from Pinkie. “You seem oddly excited,” she observed. “Who, me?” Rarity said with faux innocence, resting a hand on her chest. “Well, of course! I’m going to a dance with all my friends and get to show off my work.” Sunset doubted that was it, but was distracted by an impromptu soda drinking contest between Pinkie and Rainbow. Wallflower climbed out of the car. “Thanks,” she said, looking back over her shoulder. Her ride-share driver paused and did a double-take at her, as if not recognizing the girl who’d just ridden in his car. Wallflower rolled her eyes and started walking towards the school. School had never seemed so far away. The nearer she got, the slower she walked, until finally she came to a dead stop on the sidewalk. It wasn’t the first freaky thing she’d done today. She’d had to go to Rarity’s house to get her dress. She was fairly certain that it had been cut a little lower than that last line Rarity had drawn, but it had fit her well. Rarity had also been really excited to do her makeup. It had been just a little bit, but Wallflower had been awestruck when she looked at herself in the mirror. Rarity said she was accenting her features instead of covering them. Wallflower assumed she was lying, as she didn't really have any good features. Rarity was probably just being modest at her cover-up job, because, if she were being perfectly honest, she did look pretty good. But none of that would do any good if she just remained out here all night. The thought did cross her mind. Her garden would be empty. Her plants would be inviting and nonjudgemental. But Sunset Shimmer would be in there, with her friends. The thought of upstaging Sunset Shimmer gave her the courage she needed to keep moving forward. She climbed the steps and reached the gym door and pulled. The door was stuck. Wallflower pursed her lips and tried again. This time, the door opened with a loud squeak. She walked forward and let her eyes adjust, and realized that that had been loud enough that people were staring. At her. Including a group of seven friends gathered in a small semi-circle. “Yeahhh,” Pinkie said, slurping her drink. “That is anything but invisible.” “Wow,” Sunset said slowly. “She looks really good.” Rarity squeed like a ready teapot. “Doesn’t she, though?” she hissed almost leadingly. Sunset gave her a sideglance. Rarity quickly looked away, doing a very poor job of appearing nonchalant. Wallflower glanced around, walking slowly. It was so strange, being looked at like this. She quickly headed over to the drinks table, a place she knew very well. As she did, she heard the whispers. “Whoa.” “Hottie alert!” “Think she’s from Crystal Prep?” “I dunno. I don’t recognize her.” “Does she even go here?” Wallflower looked down and glared into her cup, feeling the beginning of rage building up inside her. They wouldn’t know who she was. Why would they? No one ever paid attention to her. Even dressed like this- “Of course she does,” another voice broke in. Wallflower turned, surprised, to see Trixie of all people defending her. Trixie looked witheringly at the last person to speak. “Wallflower is a part of the yearbook committee, and the founding member of the CHS Gardening Club. While Trixie wouldn’t be caught dead digging in the dirt like that, Wallflower has provided many beautiful flowers for Trixie’s magic shows.” Well, defending her as well as Trixie could, anyway. Wallflower cracked a wry smile and kept walking. It was strange, drawing attention as she walked around the edges of the gym. This was what she wanted, to somewhat upstage Sunset Shimmer, but actually having it happen was a different story. By the table, there was a voting box, for student's choice for Spring Fling Princess. Wallflower couldn’t suppress a tiny scowl. There’s really no need for that, she thought with a hint of bitterness. Sunset Shimmer would win. Either her or one of her friends. She slowed to a stop. On a whim, she decided she would vote for herself. She wrote her own name down on one of the sheets, and slid it over to the student behind the desk. Fuschia Blush gave her a sympathetic look. “Sorry, but you actually have to be a student here to vote,” she explained. “I- I am. I'm in your English class,” Wallflower protested. Fuschia slowly shook her head, not recognizing her. “With Miss Cheerilee? I sit in the back right corner of the class?” Fuschia looked sideways at her. “I'm literally the one called after you in role!” She shook her head again. Still nothing. “We have the same last name!” Fuschia smirked. “Now, that I'd remember.” Wallflower crumpled the paper and dropped it. She should have known. She retreated to a familiar corner and watched the couples dance. Song after song cycled through Vinyl’s playlist, and as usual, she both wanted desperately to go out there, and feared she’d die of embarrassment on the spot if she did. As it was, people kept glancing at her, so that was a little fun but a little uncomfortable. Then she heard someone approaching slowly. She turned and saw the one person she did and didn’t want to see: Sunset Shimmer. Sunset chuckled wryly. “I think I twisted my ankle a bit out there. It’s funny. I've been walking on two legs for I don't know how long, and sometimes I still mess it up.” Feelings of wanting to upstage her returned. She’d show her a ‘project’. But there was no reason she couldn’t be polite. “Yeah. It happens.” Wallflower cracked a wry smile. “Last week, someone who presumably has been walking for a decade and a half tripped and spilled their coffee on me.” “Oh no!” Sunset empathized. Wallflower shrugged. Hadn’t been the first time. Probably wouldn’t be the last time, either. “It wasn’t too bad. He apologized, said he’d go get napkins for us, wiped himself off at the counter, and then walked out. Guess he just forgot about me.” “That… is kinda bad, though,” Sunset said. “Well, not everyone remembers me like you can.” It was a simple conversation, but nice. She’d forgotten how easy it was to talk to… Wallflower took a small sliding step back. She suddenly remembered she was still supposed to be mad at Sunset. “I'm still mad at you, by the way,” she said, as if saying it aloud would make it true. “Sorry,” Sunset apologized. She looked up and smiled wryly. “Maybe I shouldn’t have come over, then. I guess I miss you more than I realized.” “Ah ha!” Wallflower crowed. “So you do miss me!” “Of course I do,” Sunset said slowly. “I didn’t want to break up with you.” Wallflower didn’t know what to say, so she just crossed her arms. There was a brief pause. “You look great tonight,” Sunset said earnestly. Self-doubt crept into Wallflower’s mind. Her walls started rising again. “Yeah. It’s a little more attractive than the sweaters I usually wear, right?” Sunset took a steadying breath. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” she said firmly. “It’s fine,” Wallflower said, crossing her arms. “Flattery won’t work on me.” Sunset gave her a quirky smile. “Can’t be flattery if it’s true.” Wallflower snorted and looked away. It was probably Rarity’s makeup job. The next song was a line dance. Wallflower brightened. An escape opportunity! She’d seen this one enough times that she could do it. She waved goodbye at Sunset and headed out on the floor. She followed the moves, and actually found herself having fun. Vinyl seemed to be having a thing for line dances. The next one was also a line dance. Wallflower could again follow the moves. And then a familiar song started. People cheered and scattered as they quickly found a partner for the friendship line dance. Wallflower didn’t have a partner, but she had done all the other ones. Why change a good thing? She glanced around, hoping to see someone else alone. Unfortunately, everyone she could see already had a partner. Pinkie was dancing with a gray girl she seemed to know well. While Pinkie’s moves were wild and carefree, her friend’s were much more subdued and closer to her body, but she seemed to be enjoying herself. Wallflower slowed to a stop, feeling self-conscious again. She was not enjoying herself. And then Sunset Shimmer held out her hand in invitation. Wallflower hesitated. She really didn’t feel like ‘owing’ Sunset anything. As if reading her mind, Sunset countered, “Hey, it’s either me, or you can keep dancing alone.” Wallflower didn’t like either of those choices, but being alone was worse. She took her hand and started. Sunset was a pretty good dancer. Again, Wallflower felt tinges of inadequacy, or jealousy, she wasn’t sure which. But that faded away in the music. She had to focus on the steps, otherwise she’d trip. When the song ended, she paused. That had been fun. And it looked like Sunset thought so, too. “I gotta go to the bathroom,” Wallflower cut off whatever Sunset was going to say and turned and ran. Wallflower had retaken her spot by the bleachers. People had been noticing her, and it was getting kindof strange. And then Octavia’s accented voice cut through. “Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for us to crown our Spring Fling Princess!” The crowd cheered. Wallflower, who didn’t particularly feel like cheering for Sunset Shimmer right now, rolled her eyes and went for another cup of punch. “Although royalty doesn't get you much these days, our winners will receive a lovely tiara.” Vinyl leaned in and nudged her. Octavia rolled her eyes. “Yes, and their picture in the yearbook.” Vinyl shrugged. Octavia gasped. “Vinyl! Watch your language!” The crowd giggled. Wallflower made it to the table. She picked up a cup and turned to face the stage. “She's been on everyone's lips tonight, the cutie in the corner, this year’s Spring Fling Princess is… Wallflower Blush!” Wallflower froze, her drink still halfway to her lips. She had to have heard that wrong. But a spotlight lit up her world. She brought a hand up to shield her eyes. People were cheering for her! What she’d give to be invisible again! Somehow, she managed to regain control of herself and make her way up on stage. People kept clapping. She caught sight of Sunset Shimmer. She had her fingers in her mouth, whistling her approval. Wallflower cracked a wry smile. She’d done it, she’d upstaged Sunset Shimmer… but she seemed to be ok with it. Octavia placed a small tiara on her head, and a camera flashed. And then, just like that, it was all over. Vinyl chose another song, and people went back on the floor. It had been only a brief moment, but Wallflower couldn’t help but smile. That had been a success. Setting Right What Once Went WrongThe dance was over. Wallflower walked slowly down the stairs, tapping on her phone. A voice broke in behind her. “Hey, Princess.” Wallflower cringed. “Hey, Sunset.” “Congratulations,” she said. “Thanks,” Wallflower returned. It still seemed pretty surreal. She brushed a hand against her tiara, subtly trying to draw attention to it. Sunset jabbed her thumb over her shoulder. “We’re going out for shakes, want to come?” Wallflower shook her head. “I’ve got to get home. Besides, I’ve only got enough for the rideshare.” Gardening by yourself didn’t tend to get much money. At least, the plants Wallflower was interested in, anyway. “Rideshare? Not a chance,” Rarity broke in, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and leading her over. “We have the limo all night. We can take you home. No charge.” “We’d love to ride with royalty!” Pinkie called. Wallflower tried to protest, but was faced with a universal chorus of agreement and she was outnumbered seven to one, so she figured it’d be less awkward to just roll with it. She put her phone back into her pocket. The whole ride home, the other girls chatted, Wallflower not saying much. She did notice Sunset sneaking glances at her, though. They did end up stopping for shakes, pulling the limo through the drive through. Wallflower could honestly say she’d never done that before, taking a limousine to a fast food restaurant. She even giggled when Pinkie (who had ordered fries, that girl was always hungry) and did her best walrus impression. But finally, they arrived at her house. She opened the door and hopped down. To her surprise, she heard another pair of shoes hit the ground. “Here, I’ll walk you to the door.” Wallflower didn’t feel like arguing. She’d be free of Sunset in a second, anyway. She walked up the path, got to the door, and turned around. “Thanks. But, like I said, I don’t want to be one of your ‘projects’.” “You’re not my project,” Sunset said, irritation creeping into her voice, “so quit thinking like that. The only ‘project’-” she put it in air quotes, “I want to be involved in is helping you see you like I see you.” “Yeah? How do you see me?” Sunset inhaled, held it, and exhaled slowly. This was probably the wrong thing to say, but she was going for it, anyway, because it was the only thing coming to mind. “Honestly? As a girl I still want a relationship with.” “Why? Why, though? This is- I just- I don’t- I can't- I don't know why you like me! I don’t even like me!” There it was. The truth, hidden under everything else, finally came flowing out. “I’m the root cause of all my problems! My lack of friends, my nonexistent social life, my weight, the memory stone, everything! It’s me! And you-! You’ve gone from being the school’s most hated to the school’s most loved, and somehow it’s me you want? I’m just a failure! I just… I don’t…” Something cracked inside Wallflower. Was it relief she was feeling, for finally getting that out? She didn't know what it was, but the next thing she knew, she was sobbing. She sank forward, and Sunset caught her. “It's... it’s not you,” Wallflower whimpered. “It never was you. It's me. I'm insecure. I’m broken.” “You’re not broken,” Sunset retorted. “You’re Wallflower Blush. And I knew exactly what I was getting into when I said ‘it’s a date’ after asking you to come to Rainbow’s game.” Wallflower looked up. “So that’s when it started?” Sunset shrugged. “Turns out I do remember. But believe me, you never have to be insecure about how I feel. I like you because you’re you. That’s it. Plain and simple.” Somehow, Wallflower found herself convinced by the simple words. “I'm so sorry. I screwed everything up. Again.” She sniffled. Strange as everything was, she once again felt right at home in Sunset’s arms. “Wish I could erase that.” “Well, we can undo it,” Sunset offered. She lifted her up and met her eyes. “Wallflower Blush, will you go out with me?” Wallflower nodded, brusquely running the back of her hand over her eyes Sunset grinned. “See? Together again.” She held up a finger. “But this time, we’ll have more communication between us. Agreed?” “Agreed,” Wallflower said. “And do you really think I have all the answers?” Sunset chuckled. “I’m not going to lie, this is all new to me, too. My last relationship was with Flash, and I was mostly using him for popularity.” She cracked a smile. “I don’t even like guys. So if I look like I know what I'm doing, it just means I’m a really good actress. But I want to know, and I want to figure it out with you.” Wallflower found herself getting choked up. “I don’t deserve you,” she whimpered. “Sometimes, I don’t think I deserve you.” Sunset leaned in and gave Wallflower a gentle kiss on the lips. This tender moment was instantly ruined as they got a rude reminder that they had not actually been alone. “Aw, yeah!*” Pinkie cried, pumping her fist in a circle. “Get some!” Sunset looked down, a slight blush coloring her cheeks (which was dwarfed by the color Wallflower’s were turning). “That’s… Pinkie Pie for you,” she offered weakly. “Yeah,” Wallflower said. She looked over her shoulder at the door. “Do you want to come inside? I can pay for your rideshare home?” Sunset looked at her regretfully. “If I didn’t open tomorrow, I would. As it is, I’m only going to get about…” She checked her phone. “-five hours of sleep.” Wallflower smiled. “Yeah, then you should go. I’m not worth an all-nighter.” Sunset poked her gently on the nose. “Don’t sell yourself too short,” she warned. She headed back to the car, and after many waves (and a few knowing looks from Pinkie), the limo left. Wallflower shuddered. Would Sunset really have come inside? Dodged that bullet! She wouldn’t even have known what they would have done. Looked at seed catalogs? She shook her head, and turned and twisted the doorknob. At least, she tried to. It didn’t move. Wallflower’s heart dropped. She’d been locked out of her own house. Great. She pulled out her phone and used it as a flashlight as she went around back. She pursed her lips. Looks like she’d be spending tonight in the old porch bench swing. She sighed. This would be a disaster. Her makeup would probably itch (and with her luck, cause a breakout), this dress was definitely not made for sleeping in, it was getting chilly outside, and to top it all off, she was thirsty. Well, at least one of those she could fix. She opened the back door, got a glass of water, drained it, and stepped back outside, mentally preparing herself for a long, cold, lonely… Wait. She giggled. “Wow. Wish I could erase that memory,” she said as she headed back inside. Sunset lay on her bed, a bag of frozen peas on her ankle. But though she was in pain, she couldn’t keep from smiling. She didn’t regret dancing with Wallflower, even on her twisted ankle. And she definitely didn’t regret getting them back together. She pulled out her phone and sent a final text before setting it down. Good night! 💋 Her phone vibrated almost instantly. She picked it up to read Wallflower’s response… only to be greeted by a picture of a glowering and very unamused Pinkie Pie, her hand across the lower half of her face and holding an ace of spades up between two fingers, looking vaguely like an old movie poster. Cheating on your girlfriend already? After you just got back together? ಠ_ಠ Pinkie disapproves.👎 It was a platonic kiss, Sunset tried. >Like when you make cupcakes and I kiss them because they’re so good. I have no sexual attraction to cupcakes, promise. What a coincidence! Neither do I! 😇 Sunset cracked a smile. And I’m making cupcakes right now! Sure enough, another picture appeared, proving it. Sunset shook her head. Did that girl never sleep? Wait! You’ve never kissed a cupcake! 😠 Trying to bamboozle me this late at night, eh? Sunset rolled her eyes. >Good night, Pinkie. ¬_¬ We will continue this conversation in the morning. Sunset resent the text to the right person this time, and then promptly fell asleep. All was once again right with the world. Author's Note *Relevant:
Maybe It's Just A Fight?Sunset Shimmer stood in the middle of the hallway of Canterlot High School, eyes slightly narrowed and arms crossed, glaring at her latest opponent. Oh, it may have looked cute and innocent on the surface, but it was definitely anything but. Behind her, she heard Applejack clear her throat. “Uh, Sunset?” she asked hesitantly. “There a reason you're glaring at this particular poster?” “‘Grab a date for the Spring Fling’,” Sunset read it aloud. “Doesn’t it just…” She rolled her wrist as she searched for the right word, “rankle you?” she finished. “You’ve already got a date, though, right?” Applejack said, adjusting her hat. “Wallflower’ll go with you, no question. Grabbing her’s the easy part.” She paused. “It’s finding her that’s the hard part,” she added under her breath, glancing around. “Not that part,” Sunset said with a hint of exasperation. “The ‘Spring Fling’ part.” “Well, perhaps it's not the most original title for a school dance,” Rarity conceded, crossing her arms, “but it does fit.” “Yeah, but weird things happen on events with season names,” Sunset explained. “Remember the Fall Formal? The Annual Summer Camp Trip to Camp Everfree? The Fall Friendship Games? Naming it this, it’s just making it an incident waiting to happen. Right?” Sunset turned to the right, where Wallflower Blush was standing. No one had seen or heard her approach, but Sunset seemed to have a sixth sense for when her girlfriend had appeared. Wallflower shrugged. “I guess,” she said uncertainly, looping her thumbs around her backpack straps. “Most of these things go off without a hitch. And the punch they have is usually really good.” “I didn’t realize you’d been to one of these recently,” Rarity said before she could stop herself. Wallflower looked at her. “I’ve been to every one the school’s hosted,” she said coolly. Rarity winced, realizing she’d accidentally offended Wallflower. Again. This was worse than that raging she-demon thing they kept doing to Sunset. She cleared her throat. “Well, maybe this one will be uneventful, too,” she said, trying to rerail things. “Knowing us? Not a chance!” Pinkie Pie cried as she sprinted behind them on her way to class, holding an enormous four-tier cake above her head. Sunset pointed hesitantly after her before dropping her finger and deciding that maybe she was better off not knowing. Wallflower Blush walked through the halls, subconsciously ducking around people and skirting the couples in the middle of the road. What she’d told Rarity had been true. She’d been to every single dance and party the school had put on. She was usually alone, standing in front of the bleachers, hands behind her back; but hey, she was there. She settled in the back of her history class and pulled out her notebook. Today was a Thursday, and a work day preparing for the test tomorrow, which meant students were supposed to be finishing their homework. Of course, most kids were talking, chatting, doing math homework instead, or just sleeping. She flipped to a blank page and started doodling. A little box, divided into a couple quadrants; she smiled. She could plan out another little garden. People talked around her, but she tuned it out. This part looked oddly like a heart. She grinned and slowly began shading in a letter. S. Around her, the conversation shifted again, and Trixie’s voice came carrying through the air. “Date? To the dance? Oh, no, no, no. The well-beloved and highly-desired Trixie will be taking herself to the Spring Fling. There is nobody else quite like Trixie.” Wallflower cracked a smile as she finished the shading on the lower part of the S. Wasn’t that the truth. “And it isn’t like nobody’s asked Trixie to the dance,” Trixie said pompously. Wallflower started on the W, giving it grayscale horizontal stripes like the sweater she’d worn today. People probably had asked Trixie, honestly. But no one Trixie would want to be seen with. Trixie was definitely the opposite of invisible. Very loud. Very boisterous. Very concerned with appearances. “But Trixie couldn’t just go with someone random.” Wallflower expelled air out her nose. Called it. “Trixie desires true companionship. Who could truly know Trixie? Impossible, for such a short time as this. Trixie seeks a deeper connection, one that the idiots here at school could never comprehend.” Wallflower thought for a moment. Her pencil hesitated over the paper. How deep was her connection with Sunset Shimmer? “It’s very much a meeting of two hearts. And a heart as generous and loving as the Great and Powerful Trixie’s requires someone with one as fantastic and caring as she’s.” She paused. “As hers,” she amended. Wallflower listened. She wasn't sure she liked what she was hearing. She and Sunset were very different. Almost… too different. She was so outgoing and friendly, so popular, and Wallflower… liked plants. She stared at the S and W she’d shaded, and a cold pit settled in her stomach. If their relationship was shallow, they’d have no more luck than a seed on rocky soil: a decent start, but no deep root, and in the end, nothing but a dead plant. When the final bell rang, Wallflower ducked out of class using the back door, unnoticed as usual. Sunset Shimmer had her last class on the other side of the school, but she and the rest of her friends would meet up outside the school by the statue. She’d never understood what they liked so much about that statue. She’d never been one for horses, even as a younger girl. That one experiment in second grade where they’d grown beans by putting them in plastic bags taped to a window with wet napkins inside had been her favorite day, and ever since then, she’d been a fan of growing things. But right now, the only thing growing was her internal discomfort. She walked over and stood next to Sunset Shimmer, catching the tail end of her conversation. “-so I know I’m going to bomb that part, but I think I’ll do well enough on the essay to save it. I’ve got good ideas for all three potential topics.” “Good luck,” Fluttershy said hopefully. This conversation continued, varying on tests and schedules, until Sunset finally turned to her girlfriend. “You ok?” she asked, gently rubbing Wallflower’s shoulder. “You’re kindof quiet today, even for you.” “Yeah, I’m fine,” Wallflower lied. Sunset gave her a look. Wallflower exhaled through her nose. Might as well have this conversation now. “Can I talk to you? In private?” “Sure,” Sunset said, her voice going just a touch higher than normal. She led the way to the side wall of the school, back to the faculty lot. She leaned back against the wall. “What’s on your mind?” “Why do you like me?” Wallflower asked. Sunset chuckled. “You’re my girlfriend. It’s my job to like you.” So it’s an obligation? Wallflower bit back the jealous words and shook her head. Maybe it wasn’t like that. “But why am I your girlfriend?” “You’re not going to make me tell the story of how we got together, are you?” Sunset asked with a wry grin. “Because, honestly, I don’t really know how I’d tell it. We didn’t really have a strict timeline. We just… kept hanging out, and then we just knew.” Wallflower nodded thoughtfully. “Wallflower, what’s this about?” Sunset asked pointedly. “I just…” Wallflower looked at her hands, as if they held the answers. “We’re so different,” she finally said. “Part of me thinks… us being together… doesn’t really make sense.” Sunset gave her a sideways look. “Why not?” “We’re just so… different,” Wallflower repeated. Sunset shrugged. “Pinkie and Fluttershy are about as different as two people can be, and they’re best friends.” “But they’re not girlfriends,” Wallflower clarified. Sunset cracked a smile. Pinkie Pie was very physically affectionate with just about everyone but had little to no interest in anything sexual, whereas Fluttershy was very quiet, lived up to her name, and was very much straight. Even if Pinkie had made a move on her, it wouldn’t have gone anywhere. “They’d be incompatible,” she said matter-of-factly. But Wallflower was not privy to this background knowledge. All she knew was how the two acted, and she was seeing a very uncomfortable allusion to herself and Sunset. “Incompatible,” she repeated flatly. “You know, some people might say we’re incompatible.” “Some people would be wrong,” Sunset said firmly. She took Wallflower by the hand. “Wallflower Blush, I promise, we are very compatible.” Wallflower hesitated. She wasn’t quite convinced. Sunset continued. “Trust me. I’m very happy being your girlfriend. You’ve got such potential.” Wallflower tensed. She knew that phrase. “So I’m a… project to you?” she asked incredulously. “Not… I didn’t mean it like that,” Sunset said, hesitating. Memories ran through her head of herself, her own mistakes, and how far she’d come. She could very easily have just been abandoned after being hit with that rainbow of light. But they'd seen things in her and now she couldn't imagine life without her friends. “That’s what it’s sounding like,” Wallflower said suspiciously. “Do you do this to everyone who messes with your friends? They’re a little project for you to fix and then show off how good at friendship you are?” Sunset paused, now even more confused. She had no idea where any of this was coming from. She glanced down, trying to remember if she’d done anything that Wallflower could interpret that way. After all, Sunset knew a thing or two about using people, and she was very certain she had avoided all of that with Wallflower. She really was a great girl, when she poked her head out of her shell. She was fascinating, and she only regretted not noticing her sooner. That really was the truth. But Wallflower interpreted her silence in a different way. She scowled. “I should have known,” she seethed. It had been too good to be true because of course it had. It had been fake, all of it. Why would someone like Sunset Shimmer ever want to be with someone like her? Only one answer came to mind: it was pity. Sunset didn’t care for her. Not really. Not as much as she wanted to earn points with her friends. She hadn’t changed. She was still the colossal meanie she’d been freshman year. Wallflower yanked her hand away and took a few steps back, slowly shaking her head. “Wallflower, wait,” Sunset pleaded. “No,” she said shortly. “I have to get home.” Wallflower turned and walked away. Sunset watched after her, biting her lower lip. But Wallflower Blush did not go home. As soon as she was out of sight, she ducked into the school’s garden. She took a steadying breath. Here, she could relax. It was familiar. She could always come back here. She sank to her knees and idly pulled a couple weeds. This was also familiar. She could take care of this herself. By herself. How she did everything, before she met Sunset. She looked down. “I don’t need her,” she said aloud. Her plants seemed to agree, silently welcoming her back in their own way. Oddly comforted, she continued her work, methodically removing weeds, just like she was removing Sunset from her life. She was just fine on her own. Had been, would be.
From Bad To WorseEveryone loved Fridays. Miss Cheerilee was smiling even wider than usual, and even Mr. Doodle didn’t seem as grouchy. Pinkie Pie was vibrating most of the day, though that could also have been from her accidentally drinking some of her sister’s coffee this morning. Maud liked her coffee notoriously strong. If it didn’t dissolve limestone, she wasn’t drinking it. Sunset stumbled out the door after the final bell. She exhaled, feeling a burden lifting from her shoulders. She was right, she was sure she’d missed most of the specifics the multiple choice questions wanted, but she was feeling pretty good about the essay. If by ‘good’ she meant ‘drained’, ‘wiped out’, and ‘in desperate need of a milkshake’, that is. She pulled out her phone and scrolled down to Wallflower’s name. Hey! Haven’t seen you all day. Want to go grab something sweet? 🍨 Sunset pocketed her phone and headed back to her locker. She retrieved her backpack and felt her phone vibrate again. She pulled it out, and as she did, the smile on her face faded. Not really. Sunset paused. She reread the two words, squinting. Did she not even want to try to talk it out? “Why are you texting me?” Sunset spun around. Wallflower stood behind her, a flat expression on her face, her hands looped around her backpack straps. Sunset couldn’t help but notice that when she held them like that (as opposed to just her thumbs through the straps), her arms were in front of her body, almost like a shield. She winced. Whatever she’d done had cut Wallflower pretty deep. “I wanted to go grab something, sortof a celebration for the end of the week.” Wallflower nodded knowingly. “Gotta score more friendship points, eh?” she asked bitingly. Sunset shook her head. “You know that’s not what I think of you.” “Oh, I think what you said yesterday gave me a pretty good idea of what you think of me,” Wallflower said. “Yeah, I’m really sorry about that. I didn’t mean to say anything that hurt you,” Sunset said. You caught me before I could think up good lies to convince you to stay my girlfriend, Wallflower heard. Her eyes hardened. “You’re more than a project, Wallflower. I promise, I think so much more of you than that.” She cracked a small smile. “Honestly, I think it’s because you remind me a bit of me.” Wallflower gave her a sarcastic smile. “Well, then, this’ll be easy: it’s not me, it’s you. Or maybe that means it’s both of us. Either way, in case you didn’t get it before, we’re done.” Wallflower turned and walked away, and a small group of students crossed in front of Sunset’s view. By the time they’d passed, Wallflower had already disappeared. Sunset could only watch her leave. She exhaled through her nose, her desire for a milkshake vanishing. Part of her wanted to just run up and grab her, to see what exactly Wallflower was thinking to get her to jump to that conclusion. But while she’d know, that would also ruin their relationship even further. Maybe even irreparably. So, defeated, Sunset put her hands in her pockets and walked in the other direction. Sunset lay with her head down on her kitchen table, staring blankly at her cold pizza. She hadn’t really been hungry, she’d done this mostly out of habit. She still couldn’t figure out what she’d done or what Wallflower had seen. It was bothering her a lot more than she wanted it to. Her phone rang. She brightened and glanced quickly at it, but was only slightly disappointed to see a smiling Rarity giving the camera a sultry sidelook instead of a blushing Wallflower looking down and peeking up. She tapped it and lifted it to her ear. “Hey, Rares,” she said, hoping she sounded happier than she was feeling. “What’s up?” “Oh, nothing much,” Rarity said with all the subtlety of a boiling kettle. Sunset smirked. “I can tell a lie like that right away, no gemstone needed,” she said, sitting up. “What’s really up?” “Well, I was just struck by a random bout of inspiration and, well, how would you like to come cosmic bowling with us tonight?” Sunset brightened. It wasn’t healthy to be stuck in here. A little distraction would be nice, and her friends always helped her feel better. “That sounds great!” “And Wallflower can come too, of course,” Rarity said. “Her skin tone will be fascinating to work with. Really, I’m thinking a sortof brighter color, maybe a light blue of some sort.” “She… won’t be able to come tonight. She, uh, has homework.” Sunset cringed, hoping she was better at lying than Rarity was at detecting lies. Either she was, or Rarity was too excited about tonight’s plans to notice. “Oh, a shame, but c’est la vie. There’s plenty to do with just us. I’m just so excited! I’ll be by to pick you up in ten minutes! Ta-ta!” Long story short, they’d ended up playing cosmic bowling all night long in the glowing outfits Rarity had designed. Well, the rest of them had. Rarity had spent the night taking picture after picture for SnapGab, and the stream of likes and favorites had been pretty steady. Apparently, she even got a commission or two out of tonight. But Sunset's thoughts were elsewhere. She lay on her stomach on her bed, her phone in her hand. She scrolled through the long list of names, looking for one account in particular. It looked like a random combination of letters to the untrained eye, and still used the default profile image, but she knew exactly who it belonged to. But Wallflower was nowhere to be found. Sunset sighed and set her phone down on the dresser. Maybe she was just tired. Already in bed. Or gardening at midnight. The excuses sounded weak, even to her. Sunset Shimmer stayed asleep as long as she possibly could, but finally that ray of sunlight coming through the crack in her blinds that happened to land right on her eye got to her. She groaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes and swearing once again that she’d buy some curtains or something that would cover her windows completely. Her stomach rumbled. She glanced over at her clock and was surprised to see how late it was. Maybe she could get breakfast at that one diner by her house. She pulled her phone off her dresser, pulled up Wallflower’s name, and had the invitation typed out with a heart or two before she remembered that she was technically single again. She tsked disappointedly and held down the backspace button to clear it. Wallflower as her girlfriend had just felt so… natural. Being without her was like, she didn’t know, off; like having an untuned guitar string, or only wearing one boot to school. She glanced down to make sure that she was not wearing only one sock or something crazy like that, and was relieved to see she was not. Well, it was still worth a shot. Maybe they could go as friends. She retyped her message. >Hey, Wallflower, woke up jonesing for pancakes. Wanna come? She got a picture back that she recognized as the CHS garden. Long day planned. Hard pass. A frown flitted across Sunset’s face. Wallflower was up early today. She got up and stretched. She could get pancakes on her own. By Sunday morning, Sunset had had enough. Every text to Wallflower had been shut down with clipped writing and shorter excuses; the ones she’d bothered to answer, anyway. Sunset put her hands on her hips and glared at her reflection in the mirror. “That’s it. I can’t mope around like this. It was good while it lasted, but I’m a grown mare.” She paused and shook her head. She knew what she meant. “I’m going to go out and have a good time!” Her phone beeped. She pulled it out and blinked at the schedule app. She’d almost forgotten she’d picked up a shift today. “I’m going to go to work,” she amended, heading toward her closet. “But I’ll have a good time there!”
Best-Laid PlansMonday morning dawned bright and early. Sunset walked inside the school, meeting up with her friends. They talked about safe things, like schoolwork and their weekend. Sunset was pretty sure she'd make it at least until lunch before having to say it. And then it happened. “Where’s Wallflower?” Rainbow asked, looking around as if expecting to see her hiding behind someone else. “I haven’t seen her in, like, forever.” Sunset sighed. Might as well come out with it. “We broke up.” “What?” Fluttershy asked. “Darling,” Rarity gasped. Sunset shrugged, trying to downplay it. “It wasn’t that bad,” she said. “You know, high school relationship, these things happen.” “I must disagree,” Rarity said breathlessly. “I thought you were perfect for each other.” “We… were,” Sunset admitted. “I just… don’t know what went wrong. She quit responding to my texts and everything.” “Ghosted,” Pinkie Pie whispered sympathetically, stretching the word out and spreading her arms wide. She turned back towards Sunset, a look of concern on her face. “Does she even want to be friends with us anymore?” “I don’t know,” Sunset confessed. “She seemed really torn up, and I don't even know why.” “But really,” Rarity said, trying to sound fair. “A shy, mousy girl like that, she probably thinks you’re out of her league.” Sunset looked around, half-expecting Wallflower to appear with some snarky comment, but was disappointed. “Well, however she feels, it’s like she’s cutting off all contact with her.” “Maybe she’s just embarrassed, but she’ll get over it. It’s not like you ‘did it’ and had an awful experience and given her nightmares forever and flashbacks every time she sees you.” Pinkie gasped and leaned over, putting her face way into Sunset’s personal space. “Did you ‘do it’ and have an awful experience that would give her nightmares forever and flashbacks every time she saw you?” she asked eagerly. Sunset exhaled through her nose. Pinkie Pie had no real concept of personal boundaries, and a pretty keen interest in her friends’ intimate lives despite her own orientation. She gently pushed Pinkie’s face away with two fingers. “No, Pinkie, we did not ‘do it’. We were taking it slow.” She paused. “Maybe too slow,” she wondered aloud. She turned, half-expecting to see Wallflower standing there ready to comment, but she was not. “Eh, give it a little time,” Rainbow said dismissively. “Check out her garden or whatever, she’s probably there. Go see her on her terms.” “Actually, that’s a pretty good idea,” Sunset said thoughtfully. Sunset Shimmer sat on the bench in the garden, looking around. It was pretty peaceful here. Every time she came, she thought she knew a little better why Wallflower loved it here. “Sunset,” a voice said. Sunset looked over her shoulder to see her ex-girlfriend, wearing gardening gloves, hands on her hips and looking blankly at her. “Hey, Wallflower,” she said, turning around to face her. “What are you doing here?” Wallflower asked. Sunset decided to be honest. “I guess I’m trying to get inside your head, figure out what it is you’re thinking. I mean, I did like you, and I really wasn’t expecting a break-up. So I guess I’m just wondering why.” “Did,” Wallflower repeated flatly. Sunset winced. Out of all those words, she picked that to comment on? “Not… that’s not what I meant. I do like you, really.” “You’re saying a lot of things you don’t mean,” Wallflower said. If Wallflower was going to nitpick at all her words, she was probably still hurting. Maybe she should come back another time, later, when she’d had some time to cool off. “Look, this was a bad idea,” Sunset said, standing up. “I’ll just-” “No, no, stay,” Wallflower said, holding up her hands and stepping backwards. “I’d hate to take you away from, uh, me, and your thoughts, and-” But what she was going to say, Sunset never knew; Wallflower stepped on the blade of a shovel and her foot slipped out from under her. She fell down hard on her tailbone and cried out in pain. Sunset swung her legs over the bench and reached down to help, but Wallflower pushed herself up, ignoring Sunset’s hand. “I wish I still had the memory stone,” she hissed under her breath. “You don’t mean that,” Sunset said. Wallflower turned and walked away. “Yes, I do.” Sunset sadly watched her go. She was hurting—they both were—but she had no idea how to help. It was late in the afternoon, and the hallway was deserted as Rarity returned to her locker. She twisted the dial, opened the door, bent down and retrieved her books, then shut the door. “Rarity?” Rarity jumped. “Wah!” She turned to see Wallflower Blush, who had apparently materialized behind her locker door in the two seconds it had been open. She rested a hand on her chest over her rapidly beating heart. “Oh, Wallflower, darling, I didn't see you there.” She winced, realizing after she’d said it that Wallflower didn’t really like that phrase (much like how Sunset wasn’t a fan of reminders of her time as a raging she-demon). It was a testament to Wallflower’s determination that she didn't comment on this. “I want revenge on Sunset Shimmer,” she said bluntly. Memories of the last time she’d tried to take revenge on Sunset ran through her mind. Rarity clutched her books tightly to her chest and squeaked. “R- revenge is not always the best option,” she protested. “Not like that,” Wallflower interrupted, shaking her head. “I want to go to the Spring Fling this Friday. Without her. But I want to make her wish she could have gone with me.” Rarity paused. She thought she knew where this was going. “So you want to go, dressed in a way that says, ‘I don’t need you’, but makes her want you anyway?” she prompted. Wallflower was a little surprised that Rarity knew exactly what she wanted, but decided to roll with it. “Yes. Just like that.” Rarity understood instantly. “I see. It's a ploy! You want to make her jealous.” “Exactly. But… I need your help.” She glanced down and picked at her sweater. “This is the second nicest sweater I own, and even my first nicest isn’t really something you would wear to a dance.” A wide smile spread across Rarity’s face. She could already see how this would play out. Rarity would get them both dressed to the nines (well, relatively speaking, as this was a semi-formal dance), they’d each come alone, Wallflower would try to make Sunset jealous, Sunset would fall for her, and with a little luck (and perhaps a nudge or two in the right direction from a helpful friend named Rarity), they’d be back together again by the end of the night! How could she not be a part of this? Rarity tittered. “Don’t you worry about a thing, Wallflower. I’ll help.” She held up a fist enthusiastically. “You shall be the belle of the ball!” “But you can’t say anything to Sunset,” Wallflower pleaded. “Not a single word,” Rarity swore. Wallflower looked around the room. This one room had more clothes than she’d ever seen in her life. She felt oddly outnumbered, which was strange because these were inanimate objects. Just cloth. She briefly wondered if her sweater would get jealous of some of these other clothes when the door opened, and Rarity entered, carrying a bolt of cloth. She stopped and blinked. “Wallflower. I didn’t expect you for another half hour or so.” Wallflower shrugged. “Didn’t have much else going on.” Rarity set the bolt down and began with an eagerness that reminded Wallflower of the time she’d first discovered the garden. Rarity clearly had a passion for projects, and, to be honest, Wallflower felt the slightest bit unnerved. “Alright, let’s begin. I have an idea or two sketched out, but first, do you know your measurements?” “I’m… a medium in the Barnyard Bargains brand of pants?” Wallflower offered, fairly certain that that’s not what she meant. Rarity tsked. “Alright. Measurements first, then.” She held up a tape measure. “How much are you comfortable taking off?” Wallflower blushed. “Um… nothing?” she whimpered. Rarity gave her a comforting smile. “I assure you, I’m very professional. Besides, you’ve got nothing I haven’t seen before.” Wallflower grimaced and shook her head. Revenge came at a price, but stripping for Rarity was not a price she was willing to pay. Rarity exhaled through pursed lips. “Alright, over the clothes it is, but it’ll have to be tight,” she warned. Wallflower stood as still as she could as Rarity pulled the tape measure tight enough around various parts of her body that she was forcibly reminded of a blood pressure reading. That reminded her. Her last doctor’s visit had been a nightmare. She’d gone in, gotten her vitals taken (which included a finger stick), then waited another half an hour in the room only for the nurse to come in with another patient, having forgotten that she was there. Then she’d gotten her vitals taken again, complete with second finger stick. The only good thing was the receptionist didn’t recognize her and she walked right out without even being asked for her co-pay. It was probably the one time her invisibility had come in handy. But she definitely didn’t feel invisible as Rarity pulled the tape tightly around her chest. She just felt a bit suffocated. And maybe a bit violated. “Hm, you’re a bit more endowed than I’d thought,” Rarity murmured under her breath, making a few more notes on her paper. Wallflower bit her lower lip. That had been a compliment, right? She was never sure. Rarity continued sketching and then sat up. “Alright, so here’s my first design. Ta-daa!” She held up the paper. “What do you think?” It was very pretty, Wallflower had to admit, but one thing stood out right away. “That’s… cut pretty low,” she said uncertainly. “Is it?” Rarity asked, her voice a high squeak. She tittered in a half-nervous, half-innocent way. “Psh. I hadn’t noticed.” Wallflower crossed her arms and gave her a flat look. Rarity shrugged, her voice still higher than usual. “All I’m saying, darling, is if you’ve got it, ah, flaunt it. It would certainly help you get Sunset’s attention?” she offered. Wallflower blinked, keeping her expression deadpan. Rarity sighed in defeat and redrew the line a little higher. Wallflower raised an eyebrow. Rarity let out the tiniest of frustrated whimpers, but redrew the line even higher. Mollified, Wallflower put her arms down. “Ok, so, now what?” “Well, first I have to make it, and then you’ll have to come back for the fitting to make sure everything, er, fits—and that one you will have to undress for.” Wallflower gulped. It was Rarity’s term to give her a flat look. “In a dressing room, darling. Gone are the days when a lady would need an army of handmaidens to dress up. But on the day of, do you have someone to do your hair and makeup?” Wallflower shook her head. She hadn’t even thought of that. Rarity pulled out her phone and tapped on her scheduling app. “Alright. Rainbow Dash is coming with the limousine-” she paused to look up and mumble a silent thanks that Rainbow would not be the one to actually drive it, “-at approximately 5:15, which means I’ll have to start getting myself ready an hour before, so could you come by at around 3:30? It’ll be something light, really. Shouldn’t take more than twenty, forty minutes.” “You want me to come by?” Rarity gave her a look. “Darling, it’s part of the package. You want this dress, you’re getting a makeover to go with it.” Wallflower gulped again, but the thought of revenge pushed her forward. “Alright.”
The DanceThe school atmosphere was bright and happy. The Spring Fling was tonight, and most of the students (and some of the teachers) had clearly already checked out. Sunset expelled air through her nose. “Ok, so, someone explain to me, how is it that the ace of our group is the only one with a date tonight?” Pinkie shrugged. “We’re just going as friends. My mom really, really, really, really wanted me to go with somebody.” She brightened. “But, if you really wanted a date, you could go with Fernando?” She held up a striped straw, which had a mustache cut out of black cardstock taped to it. Sunset smiled wryly. There was no situation Pinkie couldn’t help make a little brighter (and a little weirder). “No offense, but I think I’ll be ok with just our group.” Pinkie shrugged again. “Suit yourself!” Sunset glanced around. She hadn’t seen Wallflower at all today. Sure, ever since their breakup, she had just seen glimpses of her disappearing around corners and such, but still. She hesitated, then pulled out her phone. Wallflower’s name was pretty low on her list of recents now, but she still found her easily. >Hey! Any fun plans for tonight? The answer came surprisingly quickly. >>Yep. Booked solid. Sunset felt a flash of regret. Maybe if she’d asked before, they could all have gone as friends. And maybe have that talk about what had actually happened. She pocketed her phone again and tried to catch up on Pinkie explaining how she’d accidentally caused (another) explosion in her home ec class. Meanwhile, in an empty classroom, Wallflower grinned. Operation Make Sunset Shimmer Jealous Enough To Regret Breaking Up With Me was coming together nicely. ...ok, so the title was long. And needed a little work. And technically Wallflower herself had ended it. But still, she felt oddly satisfied as she put her phone back in her pocket. Sunset Shimmer spun around, looking at herself in the mirror. It was strange how clothes could really change a person. It was even a little ironic, because even as a pony, she’d never been much for fashion or clothes in general. But now she was going to a dance with the six best dressed girls in the school. She probably would be a little happier if she were going with someone in particular, but she pushed that feeling aside. She was going to have fun tonight. Sure enough, when the limo pulled up to her apartment, she could already see flashing lights and hear music coming from inside. The party had already started. She grinned and headed downstairs. Pinkie threw open the door and Sunset slid inside. “Hi, girls!” she said. “Thanks again for the ride!” “Oh, like I’d let you go on your motorcycle,” Rarity scoffed. “If Rainbow hadn’t rented this luxurious coach,” she ran her hands across the leather seats, “I’d have picked you up myself.” “Heh,” Applejack chuckled at that thought. “You’d show up covered in more flies than a pig in the mud in the dog days of summer.” “That’s a mental image I really didn’t need,” Sunset said pleasantly. She paused, as she noticed something was off. She counted and someone was missing. “Pinkie, didn’t you have a date?” “He got food poisoning!” Pinkie punched the air excitedly. “I am home free, baby! Flying solo!” She spread her arms like an airplane and made engine noises with her mouth. Fluttershy gasped. Apparently, she hadn’t known this. “That doesn’t sound very nice,” she protested. “Ha!” Rainbow nudged her and held out her phone. “Food poisoning nothing. Check his SnapGab. You don’t paint stuff like that when you’re helicoptering on the pot.” “D’aww!” Fluttershy smiled at the picture of the squirrel. Sunset grabbed a drink from the cooler and noticed Rarity almost vibrating in her seat, staring out the window. This was behavior Sunset would expect more from Pinkie. “You seem oddly excited,” she observed. “Who, me?” Rarity said with faux innocence, resting a hand on her chest. “Well, of course! I’m going to a dance with all my friends and get to show off my work.” Sunset doubted that was it, but was distracted by an impromptu soda drinking contest between Pinkie and Rainbow. Wallflower climbed out of the car. “Thanks,” she said, looking back over her shoulder. Her ride-share driver paused and did a double-take at her, as if not recognizing the girl who’d just ridden in his car. Wallflower rolled her eyes and started walking towards the school. School had never seemed so far away. The nearer she got, the slower she walked, until finally she came to a dead stop on the sidewalk. It wasn’t the first freaky thing she’d done today. She’d had to go to Rarity’s house to get her dress. She was fairly certain that it had been cut a little lower than that last line Rarity had drawn, but it had fit her well. Rarity had also been really excited to do her makeup. It had been just a little bit, but Wallflower had been awestruck when she looked at herself in the mirror. Rarity said she was accenting her features instead of covering them. Wallflower assumed she was lying, as she didn't really have any good features. Rarity was probably just being modest at her cover-up job, because, if she were being perfectly honest, she did look pretty good. But none of that would do any good if she just remained out here all night. The thought did cross her mind. Her garden would be empty. Her plants would be inviting and nonjudgemental. But Sunset Shimmer would be in there, with her friends. The thought of upstaging Sunset Shimmer gave her the courage she needed to keep moving forward. She climbed the steps and reached the gym door and pulled. The door was stuck. Wallflower pursed her lips and tried again. This time, the door opened with a loud squeak. She walked forward and let her eyes adjust, and realized that that had been loud enough that people were staring. At her. Including a group of seven friends gathered in a small semi-circle. “Yeahhh,” Pinkie said, slurping her drink. “That is anything but invisible.” “Wow,” Sunset said slowly. “She looks really good.” Rarity squeed like a ready teapot. “Doesn’t she, though?” she hissed almost leadingly. Sunset gave her a sideglance. Rarity quickly looked away, doing a very poor job of appearing nonchalant. Wallflower glanced around, walking slowly. It was so strange, being looked at like this. She quickly headed over to the drinks table, a place she knew very well. As she did, she heard the whispers. “Whoa.” “Hottie alert!” “Think she’s from Crystal Prep?” “I dunno. I don’t recognize her.” “Does she even go here?” Wallflower looked down and glared into her cup, feeling the beginning of rage building up inside her. They wouldn’t know who she was. Why would they? No one ever paid attention to her. Even dressed like this- “Of course she does,” another voice broke in. Wallflower turned, surprised, to see Trixie of all people defending her. Trixie looked witheringly at the last person to speak. “Wallflower is a part of the yearbook committee, and the founding member of the CHS Gardening Club. While Trixie wouldn’t be caught dead digging in the dirt like that, Wallflower has provided many beautiful flowers for Trixie’s magic shows.” Well, defending her as well as Trixie could, anyway. Wallflower cracked a wry smile and kept walking. It was strange, drawing attention as she walked around the edges of the gym. This was what she wanted, to somewhat upstage Sunset Shimmer, but actually having it happen was a different story. By the table, there was a voting box, for student's choice for Spring Fling Princess. Wallflower couldn’t suppress a tiny scowl. There’s really no need for that, she thought with a hint of bitterness. Sunset Shimmer would win. Either her or one of her friends. She slowed to a stop. On a whim, she decided she would vote for herself. She wrote her own name down on one of the sheets, and slid it over to the student behind the desk. Fuschia Blush gave her a sympathetic look. “Sorry, but you actually have to be a student here to vote,” she explained. “I- I am. I'm in your English class,” Wallflower protested. Fuschia slowly shook her head, not recognizing her. “With Miss Cheerilee? I sit in the back right corner of the class?” Fuschia looked sideways at her. “I'm literally the one called after you in role!” She shook her head again. Still nothing. “We have the same last name!” Fuschia smirked. “Now, that I'd remember.” Wallflower crumpled the paper and dropped it. She should have known. She retreated to a familiar corner and watched the couples dance. Song after song cycled through Vinyl’s playlist, and as usual, she both wanted desperately to go out there, and feared she’d die of embarrassment on the spot if she did. As it was, people kept glancing at her, so that was a little fun but a little uncomfortable. Then she heard someone approaching slowly. She turned and saw the one person she did and didn’t want to see: Sunset Shimmer. Sunset chuckled wryly. “I think I twisted my ankle a bit out there. It’s funny. I've been walking on two legs for I don't know how long, and sometimes I still mess it up.” Feelings of wanting to upstage her returned. She’d show her a ‘project’. But there was no reason she couldn’t be polite. “Yeah. It happens.” Wallflower cracked a wry smile. “Last week, someone who presumably has been walking for a decade and a half tripped and spilled their coffee on me.” “Oh no!” Sunset empathized. Wallflower shrugged. Hadn’t been the first time. Probably wouldn’t be the last time, either. “It wasn’t too bad. He apologized, said he’d go get napkins for us, wiped himself off at the counter, and then walked out. Guess he just forgot about me.” “That… is kinda bad, though,” Sunset said. “Well, not everyone remembers me like you can.” It was a simple conversation, but nice. She’d forgotten how easy it was to talk to… Wallflower took a small sliding step back. She suddenly remembered she was still supposed to be mad at Sunset. “I'm still mad at you, by the way,” she said, as if saying it aloud would make it true. “Sorry,” Sunset apologized. She looked up and smiled wryly. “Maybe I shouldn’t have come over, then. I guess I miss you more than I realized.” “Ah ha!” Wallflower crowed. “So you do miss me!” “Of course I do,” Sunset said slowly. “I didn’t want to break up with you.” Wallflower didn’t know what to say, so she just crossed her arms. There was a brief pause. “You look great tonight,” Sunset said earnestly. Self-doubt crept into Wallflower’s mind. Her walls started rising again. “Yeah. It’s a little more attractive than the sweaters I usually wear, right?” Sunset took a steadying breath. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” she said firmly. “It’s fine,” Wallflower said, crossing her arms. “Flattery won’t work on me.” Sunset gave her a quirky smile. “Can’t be flattery if it’s true.” Wallflower snorted and looked away. It was probably Rarity’s makeup job. The next song was a line dance. Wallflower brightened. An escape opportunity! She’d seen this one enough times that she could do it. She waved goodbye at Sunset and headed out on the floor. She followed the moves, and actually found herself having fun. Vinyl seemed to be having a thing for line dances. The next one was also a line dance. Wallflower could again follow the moves. And then a familiar song started. People cheered and scattered as they quickly found a partner for the friendship line dance. Wallflower didn’t have a partner, but she had done all the other ones. Why change a good thing? She glanced around, hoping to see someone else alone. Unfortunately, everyone she could see already had a partner. Pinkie was dancing with a gray girl she seemed to know well. While Pinkie’s moves were wild and carefree, her friend’s were much more subdued and closer to her body, but she seemed to be enjoying herself. Wallflower slowed to a stop, feeling self-conscious again. She was not enjoying herself. And then Sunset Shimmer held out her hand in invitation. Wallflower hesitated. She really didn’t feel like ‘owing’ Sunset anything. As if reading her mind, Sunset countered, “Hey, it’s either me, or you can keep dancing alone.” Wallflower didn’t like either of those choices, but being alone was worse. She took her hand and started. Sunset was a pretty good dancer. Again, Wallflower felt tinges of inadequacy, or jealousy, she wasn’t sure which. But that faded away in the music. She had to focus on the steps, otherwise she’d trip. When the song ended, she paused. That had been fun. And it looked like Sunset thought so, too. “I gotta go to the bathroom,” Wallflower cut off whatever Sunset was going to say and turned and ran. Wallflower had retaken her spot by the bleachers. People had been noticing her, and it was getting kindof strange. And then Octavia’s accented voice cut through. “Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for us to crown our Spring Fling Princess!” The crowd cheered. Wallflower, who didn’t particularly feel like cheering for Sunset Shimmer right now, rolled her eyes and went for another cup of punch. “Although royalty doesn't get you much these days, our winners will receive a lovely tiara.” Vinyl leaned in and nudged her. Octavia rolled her eyes. “Yes, and their picture in the yearbook.” Vinyl shrugged. Octavia gasped. “Vinyl! Watch your language!” The crowd giggled. Wallflower made it to the table. She picked up a cup and turned to face the stage. “She's been on everyone's lips tonight, the cutie in the corner, this year’s Spring Fling Princess is… Wallflower Blush!” Wallflower froze, her drink still halfway to her lips. She had to have heard that wrong. But a spotlight lit up her world. She brought a hand up to shield her eyes. People were cheering for her! What she’d give to be invisible again! Somehow, she managed to regain control of herself and make her way up on stage. People kept clapping. She caught sight of Sunset Shimmer. She had her fingers in her mouth, whistling her approval. Wallflower cracked a wry smile. She’d done it, she’d upstaged Sunset Shimmer… but she seemed to be ok with it. Octavia placed a small tiara on her head, and a camera flashed. And then, just like that, it was all over. Vinyl chose another song, and people went back on the floor. It had been only a brief moment, but Wallflower couldn’t help but smile. That had been a success.
Setting Right What Once Went WrongThe dance was over. Wallflower walked slowly down the stairs, tapping on her phone. A voice broke in behind her. “Hey, Princess.” Wallflower cringed. “Hey, Sunset.” “Congratulations,” she said. “Thanks,” Wallflower returned. It still seemed pretty surreal. She brushed a hand against her tiara, subtly trying to draw attention to it. Sunset jabbed her thumb over her shoulder. “We’re going out for shakes, want to come?” Wallflower shook her head. “I’ve got to get home. Besides, I’ve only got enough for the rideshare.” Gardening by yourself didn’t tend to get much money. At least, the plants Wallflower was interested in, anyway. “Rideshare? Not a chance,” Rarity broke in, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and leading her over. “We have the limo all night. We can take you home. No charge.” “We’d love to ride with royalty!” Pinkie called. Wallflower tried to protest, but was faced with a universal chorus of agreement and she was outnumbered seven to one, so she figured it’d be less awkward to just roll with it. She put her phone back into her pocket. The whole ride home, the other girls chatted, Wallflower not saying much. She did notice Sunset sneaking glances at her, though. They did end up stopping for shakes, pulling the limo through the drive through. Wallflower could honestly say she’d never done that before, taking a limousine to a fast food restaurant. She even giggled when Pinkie (who had ordered fries, that girl was always hungry) and did her best walrus impression. But finally, they arrived at her house. She opened the door and hopped down. To her surprise, she heard another pair of shoes hit the ground. “Here, I’ll walk you to the door.” Wallflower didn’t feel like arguing. She’d be free of Sunset in a second, anyway. She walked up the path, got to the door, and turned around. “Thanks. But, like I said, I don’t want to be one of your ‘projects’.” “You’re not my project,” Sunset said, irritation creeping into her voice, “so quit thinking like that. The only ‘project’-” she put it in air quotes, “I want to be involved in is helping you see you like I see you.” “Yeah? How do you see me?” Sunset inhaled, held it, and exhaled slowly. This was probably the wrong thing to say, but she was going for it, anyway, because it was the only thing coming to mind. “Honestly? As a girl I still want a relationship with.” “Why? Why, though? This is- I just- I don’t- I can't- I don't know why you like me! I don’t even like me!” There it was. The truth, hidden under everything else, finally came flowing out. “I’m the root cause of all my problems! My lack of friends, my nonexistent social life, my weight, the memory stone, everything! It’s me! And you-! You’ve gone from being the school’s most hated to the school’s most loved, and somehow it’s me you want? I’m just a failure! I just… I don’t…” Something cracked inside Wallflower. Was it relief she was feeling, for finally getting that out? She didn't know what it was, but the next thing she knew, she was sobbing. She sank forward, and Sunset caught her. “It's... it’s not you,” Wallflower whimpered. “It never was you. It's me. I'm insecure. I’m broken.” “You’re not broken,” Sunset retorted. “You’re Wallflower Blush. And I knew exactly what I was getting into when I said ‘it’s a date’ after asking you to come to Rainbow’s game.” Wallflower looked up. “So that’s when it started?” Sunset shrugged. “Turns out I do remember. But believe me, you never have to be insecure about how I feel. I like you because you’re you. That’s it. Plain and simple.” Somehow, Wallflower found herself convinced by the simple words. “I'm so sorry. I screwed everything up. Again.” She sniffled. Strange as everything was, she once again felt right at home in Sunset’s arms. “Wish I could erase that.” “Well, we can undo it,” Sunset offered. She lifted her up and met her eyes. “Wallflower Blush, will you go out with me?” Wallflower nodded, brusquely running the back of her hand over her eyes Sunset grinned. “See? Together again.” She held up a finger. “But this time, we’ll have more communication between us. Agreed?” “Agreed,” Wallflower said. “And do you really think I have all the answers?” Sunset chuckled. “I’m not going to lie, this is all new to me, too. My last relationship was with Flash, and I was mostly using him for popularity.” She cracked a smile. “I don’t even like guys. So if I look like I know what I'm doing, it just means I’m a really good actress. But I want to know, and I want to figure it out with you.” Wallflower found herself getting choked up. “I don’t deserve you,” she whimpered. “Sometimes, I don’t think I deserve you.” Sunset leaned in and gave Wallflower a gentle kiss on the lips. This tender moment was instantly ruined as they got a rude reminder that they had not actually been alone. “Aw, yeah!*” Pinkie cried, pumping her fist in a circle. “Get some!” Sunset looked down, a slight blush coloring her cheeks (which was dwarfed by the color Wallflower’s were turning). “That’s… Pinkie Pie for you,” she offered weakly. “Yeah,” Wallflower said. She looked over her shoulder at the door. “Do you want to come inside? I can pay for your rideshare home?” Sunset looked at her regretfully. “If I didn’t open tomorrow, I would. As it is, I’m only going to get about…” She checked her phone. “-five hours of sleep.” Wallflower smiled. “Yeah, then you should go. I’m not worth an all-nighter.” Sunset poked her gently on the nose. “Don’t sell yourself too short,” she warned. She headed back to the car, and after many waves (and a few knowing looks from Pinkie), the limo left. Wallflower shuddered. Would Sunset really have come inside? Dodged that bullet! She wouldn’t even have known what they would have done. Looked at seed catalogs? She shook her head, and turned and twisted the doorknob. At least, she tried to. It didn’t move. Wallflower’s heart dropped. She’d been locked out of her own house. Great. She pulled out her phone and used it as a flashlight as she went around back. She pursed her lips. Looks like she’d be spending tonight in the old porch bench swing. She sighed. This would be a disaster. Her makeup would probably itch (and with her luck, cause a breakout), this dress was definitely not made for sleeping in, it was getting chilly outside, and to top it all off, she was thirsty. Well, at least one of those she could fix. She opened the back door, got a glass of water, drained it, and stepped back outside, mentally preparing herself for a long, cold, lonely… Wait. She giggled. “Wow. Wish I could erase that memory,” she said as she headed back inside. Sunset lay on her bed, a bag of frozen peas on her ankle. But though she was in pain, she couldn’t keep from smiling. She didn’t regret dancing with Wallflower, even on her twisted ankle. And she definitely didn’t regret getting them back together. She pulled out her phone and sent a final text before setting it down. Good night! 💋 Her phone vibrated almost instantly. She picked it up to read Wallflower’s response… only to be greeted by a picture of a glowering and very unamused Pinkie Pie, her hand across the lower half of her face and holding an ace of spades up between two fingers, looking vaguely like an old movie poster. Cheating on your girlfriend already? After you just got back together? ಠ_ಠ Pinkie disapproves.👎 It was a platonic kiss, Sunset tried. >Like when you make cupcakes and I kiss them because they’re so good. I have no sexual attraction to cupcakes, promise. What a coincidence! Neither do I! 😇 Sunset cracked a smile. And I’m making cupcakes right now! Sure enough, another picture appeared, proving it. Sunset shook her head. Did that girl never sleep? Wait! You’ve never kissed a cupcake! 😠 Trying to bamboozle me this late at night, eh? Sunset rolled her eyes. >Good night, Pinkie. ¬_¬ We will continue this conversation in the morning. Sunset resent the text to the right person this time, and then promptly fell asleep. All was once again right with the world. Author's Note *Relevant:
