Blossoming Wallflowersby IsseusChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 1Sunset Shimmer looked at the selfie she'd gotten in a message. There was Wallflower Blush in a dirty, muddy and worn dungarees over her striped sweater. She was giving a toothy smile while standing shoulder to shoulder with Tree Hugger and Sandalwood in the tiny grotto that had become the Gardening Club's very own garden. The eco-kids of CHS had taken Wallflower Blush under their wing and their new club already had over half a dozen members and had found a sponsor in Ms. Feathers, the biology teacher. R we still on 4 coffee 2nite? the text next to the picture asked. Sunset checked the time and answered. sure. meet U @ sugarcubecorner at 7? Wallflower sent a thumbs up, so that meant Sunset needed to stop lazing about in her loft and start getting ready. She'd only returned from Equestria late the night before and had slept in, and thanks to Princess Celestia, she'd done that on her belly. Right now she was not wearing anything, like she usually didn't when she was home. She walked to her bathroom to brush her mane. In front of the mirror she turned around and winced when she saw her bottom. A deep pink covered her whole bottom from almost her waist down, with the occasional darker red spot where the Princess's hoof had made a stronger impression. She could see the darkest parts exactly on her sit spots, the mark of an experienced spanker. "She really didn't go easy on me," she muttered. For a moment, she thought Twilight Sparkle (either of them, really) would be interested in knowing how a roasted rump carried over through the mirror, but decided that science could do without said knowledge. She returned back to her living/bedroom and tossed the hairbrush on the table. After putting on her other clothes, she looked at her skirts, then at her tight jeans... and finally opted for long yoga pants instead. Even those she had to put on quite gingerly, not helped by the tight panties she usually wore. Not the most fashionable choice for socializing, but as long as she didn't run into Rarity, she could probably pull the yoga look off. She grabbed her favourite biker jacket and pulled it on, sniggered at herself in the mirror and left for Sugarcube Corner before she could change her mind. Outside, she could feel a cool breeze on her face. Some cute birds were chirping in the trees and she stopped to pet the furry puppy her neighbour was out walking. All in all, she felt a hundred pounds lighter, almost as if her feet were barely touching the ground. She took a huge inhale, lifted her hands up high and breathed out. She hadn't felt this good in years with all that heavy guilt having been left on Princess Celestia's lap the day before. It wasn't long before she arrived at the Corner. The sweet smells of freshly baked goods only served to widen her grin, and she decided not to care about her carb intake for today. She grabbed a huge slice of chocolate cake with extra whipped cream and a large soda from Mrs. Cake at the counter. After scanning the room for a moment, she saw Wallflower Blush seated in one of the corner tables furthest from the door. If she hadn't known to look for her friend, she would have blended completely to the background. Even her long, messy green hair looked a bit like the yucca plant she sat next to. The girl had changed from her gardening gear to a more normal pair of jeans. "Hey, Blush!" Sunset Shimmer said as she arrived at the table. Without much thought, she put her treats on the table and sat down on the hard, wooden chair. She winced and let out a little yelp as her sore rump made contact with her seat. "Hey... uh, you okay?" Wallflower Blush said. Her brow was slightly furrowed in worry. Sunset Shimmer could feel her face grow warm. "It's nothing." For a moment she thought of saying "Oh, this? I went through a magic portal to a magical land of ponies where the winged unicorn Princess ruling the place gave me a loud spanking yesterday. How was your Saturday?" and had to hide her grin from her new friend behind a cough into her hand. "Ahem. It looked like you were making good progress with the garden?" Wallflower Blush's expression went up at least a few hundred lux as she started telling everything about what the Gardening Club had gotten up to. Apparently some other clubs had already started asking if they could hold meetups there and the club was busy working on cleaning up the path behind the school so students could even find there. As she spoke, Sunset Shimmer could not help smiling warmly as she looked at the glint in Wallflower Blush's eyes. "We were thinking of putting up a few nest boxes that Sandalwood has made." "That sounds like a good idea. I've always liked to listen to birds chirping... even though Fluttershy once told me what they're actually saying." She felt another blush come on her cheeks. "They say quite a lot of R-rated stuff." "Fluttershy can talk to animals?" "Yeah. She learned it when we were at Camp Everfree." Wallflower Blush leaned forward. "I remember all sort of weird things happening there, especially that Gloriosa Daisy turning into, well, a tree?" "Yeah, it was pretty wild." Sunset Shimmer looked at her with a raised brow, before the pieces clicked. "Oh, yeah, of course, you were there too." "I liked it there. I could spend a lot of time walking in the forest. Alone." Wallflower Blush tried to hide the hurt expression on her face, but Sunset Shimmer still picked it up. "I'm sorry. I really am," Sunset Shimmer said. "I wish things had been different back then." Wallflower Blush shook her head, more to clear her thoughts than to disagree. "It's behind me now. I'm just happy I've made so many new friends." They sat in silence for a moment and sipped their drinks. "So do you have a strange power too?" Sunset Shimmer looked around, but was sure that nobody around could hear what they were talking about. "Yeah. Me and the other Rainbooms all got some sort of power at the camp. I can, well, I can see into people's thoughts and memories if I touch them. It's pretty—" Wallflower Blush quickly pulled her hands off the table. She fidgeted with her hands for a moment before crossing them over her chest. "I... I didn't mean to do that. I mean... I trust you and didn't want to be rude." "Hey, I totally get it. I wouldn't want anybody snooping inside my head either. Don't worry, I've only used it in an absolute emergency." Wallflower Blush still kept holding her hands against her chest, almost like she was hugging herself. "Is that how you figured out I was the one using the Memory Stone?" "I..." Sunset Shimmer hesitated for a moment, but decided that the truth would be her best bet to get Wallflower blush to relax. "Yeah. Our hands touched in the editing room and I saw a glimpse." "I didn't even notice," Wallflower Blush said. "At least it doesn't hurt." She offered a weak smile. "At least, yeah," Sunset Shimmer offered weakly. They sat in a heavy silence for a moment, both of them feeling like their faces were burning and lost in their own thoughts. "I, uhh, I need to use the bathroom," Wallflower Blush said. "Yeah, I, uhh..." Sunset Shimmer said and started to get up to make room. That's when everything happened at the same time. Wallflower Blush accidentally pushed the small table they were seated around, which in turn bumped into Sunset Shimmer's leg as she was getting up. Their half-finished drinks and snacks started sliding off the table, and they both lunged after them desperately. Sunset Shimmer caught her plate, but they both went for Wallflower Blush's tall glass. Their hands landed on top of each other, and as the shattering sound of the other glass reached Sunset Shimmer's ears, she could feel the familiar tug of a vision starting. "Oh no..." she muttered. The room was a mess. Clothes, pillows, stationary, a game console, even a computer chair were strewn everywhere, clearly thrown in anger. Half-ripped posters hung from the walls and even the window curtains had been torn away, bathing the room in the last rays of the evening sun. And against the wall in the corner, hunched into a small ball, knees hugged against her chest and head hidden, Wallflower Blush was crying. In a tiny whimper, she asked "Mom? Dad?" but knew nobody would be home to answer. They never were. Another room, which Sunset Shimmer recognized as their school's toilet. A red-eyed Wallflower Blush was shouting at her reflection in the mirror. "You almost... you almost... killed her! What the hell is wrong with you?!" The garden in the afternoon, the receding backs of the other Garden Club members walking down the path back to the school. Wallflower Blush collapsed against a tree and slid down to the muddy ground. "I don't deserve this. I don't deserve them. I don't deserve any of this Sunset Shimmer pulled her hand away at the same time as Wallflower Blush did. The other glass, now unattended, fell to the floor and shattered as well. "I... I..." Sunset Shimmer stammered. Wallflower Blush covered her eyes and ran into the toilet next to them. "Oh, my. Is everything okay here?" Mrs. Cake asked as she arrived. She looked over the shattered remains of the glasses and the plate, and the shaking Sunset Shimmer. "Are you alright, dear? Did you get hurt?" Sunset Shimmer definitely was not alright. Those visions kept running through her mind. With them she could feel the anxiety, the sadness, the guilt and the utter self-hatred she could never have imagined the demure Wallflower Blossom to be carrying. She muttered something to Mrs. Cake about her friend not feeling well before running after her. She barged into the tiny toilet with only one cubicle. "Wallflower?" she asked, her voice barely holding out. "GO AWAY!" the voice from the cubicle shouted, followed by a huge sob. "I didn't do it on purpose. I promise." The sad sobs continued. "We can... we can deal with this. We can talk through this," Sunset Shimmer said. She was frantically fidgeting with her cellphone, not sure if she should call her friends or not. "Nobody should have to feel like you do." "Well I do, okay. Now you know so... please go away." "I'm..." Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath. "I'm not going anywhere. No matter how long it takes, I'll be here for you. I'm not leaving you alone." There was a long silence, only broken by the tiny sobs coming from the stall. "Why?" a tiny voice finally asked. Sunset Shimmer put her hands on the door of the stall. "Because right now you shouldn't be alone. And I'm here for you." She had to gather her courage to continue. "I'm your friend. Let me help." "I don't deserve friends. After what I did..." "You almost killed her!" echoed inside Sunset Shimmer's mind. "Everything is okay now. Nobody ended up getting hurt." Sunset felt her own tears start burning behind her eyes. "Please, just open the door." There were several more sobs and silence to answer Sunset Shimmer. She was about to speak again when she heard the faint click of the door. As she pulled the door open, she found Wallflower Blush sitting on the toilet with her knees held against her chest. Her face was a mess of tears and snot. Sunset Shimmer grabbed a wet paper towel and started wiping her friend's face. Wallflower Blush didn't resist. Sunset Shimmer tossed the paper away. "I live close by. Would you like to come over and talk?" Wallflower Blossom sniffled, but got up. Sunset Shimmer guided her out the door of the toilet. In the cafe Mrs. Cake was sweeping away the shards of glass from the floor and gave a worried look at Sunset Shimmer. She tried to smile and nod to ease Mrs. Cake's worries but apparently she wasn't very convincing as she only got a sad shake of head in return. Chapter 2The streets were almost empty of pedestrians on the Sunday evening. They walked in silence with Sunset Shimmer holding a hand on her friend's shoulders, careful not to make any skin-to-skin contact and activate her power. It didn't take them long to get to Sunset Shimmer's place, but it sure felt like an eternity to Sunset Shimmer, and probably to her friend just as much. Inside, Sunset Shimmer sat Wallflower Blush on the couch and got her a glass of water. She drank it down in large gulps and sighed. Sunset Shimmer cleared her throat. "I really didn't do it on purpose. I seems to happen whenever I'm in skin contact with someone and I really wish I could turn it off." "Well... Now you know," Wallflower Blush said quietly. There was no anger in her voice, only sadness and defeat. "I didn't want anyone to find out and this is what happened." She leaned back and covered her eyes with her hands again. "I'm totally messed up, Sunset." "Shh." Sunset Shimmer put a hand around Wallflower Blush's shoulders. "Magic, demons, sirens, Memory Stones..." Sunset interrupted her. "Yeah, I know. Makes my head spin when I try to think about it all." "And the first thing I do when I get even a bit of it for myself? I use it to hurt people." "But it didn't start out like that, did it? You didn't mean to hurt anyone." Sunset Shimmer said. "At first, no. But then when you couldn't even remember we were supposed to work together on the yearbook and you kept making all the decisions alone I got so angry." "And that's totally on me," Sunset Shimmer said. Wallflower Blush shook her head. "No, it isn't. There's probably a million other things I could have done, but I went for revenge. Revenge for something you hadn't even actually done." She once again lifted her knees up to her chest. "I just thought you deserved it." "I think so too," Sunset Shimmer said quietly. Wallflower Blush looked at her in surprise "Huh?" "I think I got off too easy too. I did awful things for years, then BAM! Everything's okay, everything forgotten, here, have great friends to support you and all's forgiven. I mean, even the rest of the school forgot the whole thing with me singing a single song." "So you... all this time you thought you were getting off too easy too?" Wallflower Blush asked. "I did. I mean, I've tried to make amends to everyone, I've tried to fix my mistakes and worked really hard on it... but I sometimes thought I still didn't deserve any of it." "So what did you do?" Sunset Shimmer blushed and shook her head and turned away "You wouldn't believe me." Wallflower Blush put her own hand on Sunset Shimmer's shoulder. "Please?" "I can't believe I'm saying this, but..." Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath. "I went through a magic portal to a magical land of ponies where the winged unicorn Princess ruling the place gave me a loud spanking yesterday." Wallflower Blush stared at her in disbelief, then sadness took her expression over, and finally, anger. "I thought... I thought you took this seriously!" "I do! I told you you wouldn't believe me!" Sunset Shimmer said weakly. "You really expect me to believe... umm... what are you doing?" Sunset Shimmer had gotten up, turned around and was now lowering her yoga pants. She knew exactly how taboo the thing she was doing was in the human world, but it was the only way she could prove what she was saying. As she lifted her shirt up and pulled her underwear to the side of one of her buttocks, she heard a loud gasp from behind. In the silence that followed, she quickly pulled her pants up again and sat back next to her friend. "So..." Wallflower said, her eyes still quite wide. "Yeah," Sunset Shimmer said. "Ponies? Princessess?" Sunset Shimmer patted her friend on the shoulder. "I know it's a lot to take in. But that's where I'm from. Equestria. That's where all the magic is from too." "Wait, so you're a... pony?" "Unicorn. So is Twilight Sparkle. Well, the old one. Not the one from Crystal Prep." "There's two..." "Is it any harder to believe than any of the other stuff that's been going on?" "It's a lot." Wallflower Blush rubbed her temples. "Do you have any Aspirin?" "Coming right up." After swallowing her pill and drinking another half a glass of water, Wallflower Blush was left looking into her glass and swirling the liquid around. "Can I ask you something?" Sunset Shimmer tried to keep the worry from her voice. "Anything." "What did you see when you touched me?" It was the question Sunset Shimmer had been worrying would come up sooner or later. She tried to brave on. "I saw a few flashes of you. I saw you, umm, had trashed what was probably your room." Wallflower Blush looked away. "It was the day you and your friends broke the Memory Stone. I went home and kinda lost it. I don't even really remember too well what happened. Only that I've never felt so awful than then." "Are things okay at your home?" Sunset Shimmer asked. "I almost never see my parents because of their work and I mostly do everything there myself. They leave me some money for food but I basically live alone I guess. I mean, it's been a while now and I haven't even cleaned my room since, but they haven't even noticed." "Mom? Dad?" The sad voice echoed in Sunset Shimmer's head. "I also saw you talk about..." Sunset Shimmer had to swallow "...killing someone." A shiver ran through Wallflower Blush's body. "You. I meant you." "I'm not sure I follow." "When I used the magic stone on you at full power. I erased everything that you'd done for years, ever since I remembered you came to the school. Isn't that almost like killing someone? Especially if I had gone any further? What if I'd erased everything you remembered ever?" Two hot tears rolled down Wallflower Bush's cheeks. "And I almost did. I was so angry and desperate and..." She couldn't continue. "Yeah, that was pretty bad," Sunset Shimmer said. "I... I was back at the moment when I came through the portal here. I didn't understand where I was or what happened. I was so scared..." Wallflower Blush tried to look at her, but lost her nerve at the last minute, instead staring down again. "Is that why you acted so weird and talked about Celestia? I thought you were talking about the principal." "No, I was talking about my former mentor, Princess Celestia from Equestria. We had a falling out and I ran away through the portal without knowing where it would lead me." Sunset Shimmer tried to smile. "Not my greatest moment." "So you really are a unicorn." "Guilty as charged," Sunset Shimmer said softly. She moved next to her friend and wrapped both of her hands around her friend's shoulders and pulled her into a hug. Wallflower Blush didn't resist. "Are you going to be okay?" Sunset Shimmer asked. Wallflower Blush leaned her head against Sunset Shimmer's shoulder. "I really don't know," she answered in a muffled voice. "I just don't know what I should do to stop feeling this way." "You're already doing everything you need to." A memory of Princess Celestia looking at her with her gentle eyes that could pierce anything crept into her mind. "All you need to do is forgive yourself. Everyone else already has." Her answers were a few hot drops falling onto her shoulder as Wallflower Blush hugged her harder. She gently stroked the girl's hair. "I know it's not easy, but it's something you need to do if you don't want to shatter completely." They sat like that on the couch, holding each other, until Wallflower Blush's breathing finally started to calm down and she pulled back from the hug and wiped a sleeve over her red eyes. "Did it really help?" Sunset Shimmer was confused. "Huh?" "The s-spanking. Did it really help you?" It was Sunset Shimmer's turn to blush. "I really think it did. I needed to feel like I got punished for everything I did to everyone so I could finally forgive myself. I mean, it hurt like heck, but now I can finally move on." "That's exactly how I feel. I did all those things to everyone and they don't even remember it. Folks at CHS don't even know how many times I used the stone on them, how much time they're missing because of me. And it's even worse with you and your friends because you actually know everything!" Sunset Shimmer nodded in understanding. "So you feel like you can't just be forgiven, but need to earn it somehow?" "Exactly," Wallflower Blush finally let go of her knees and let her feet fall to the floor. She leaned back on the sofa and looked at the ceiling with a sigh. "That's exactly it. How can I earn it if everyone is lining up to tell me everything's okay! Why don't you people shout at me or hit me or something? This makes no sense." "Believe me. I totally understand what you mean," Sunset Shimmer said. "I mean, I'm probably the absolute last person to tell anyone about earning forgiveness, but if there's anything I can do to help, then I will." "This Princess Celestia... Do you think you could ask her to give me a spanking too?" Wallflower Blush said with a thin smile on her face. Sunset Shimmer was slightly taken aback by that. She wasn't sure if her friend was joking or not. "I mean, I could ask her if you want. It would be quite complicated to set up and you'd have to go to Equestria and everything." "I thought so," Wallflower Blush turned to look Sunset Shimmer in the eyes. "Then would you do it?" "Wha... huh?" Sunset Shimmer was left staring at her friend with her mouth hanging open. She blinked a few times before the words even completely registered. "You want me to... Are you serious?" Wallflower Blush's face grew several shades redder, but she didn't break eye contact as she nodded. "But I've never even given someone a spanking! What if I hurt you?" Sunset Shimmer said, not even realizing how silly her words were. "I thought that was the point," Wallflower Blush said. "And you said you'd do anything if it would help." "Yeah, I said that..." Sunset Shimmer stammered, before she took a breath to calm herself. "I did say that." Wallflower Blush's eyes grew wider and she made a panicked wiping motion with her hands. "I didn't mean it like you had to. I just meant that you said it and I thought maybe it would work because I'm ready to try almost anything after today too." Sunset Shimmer's brow furrowed for a moment, but soon it was replaced with a determined expression. "No, you're right. If you really think it would help, then I'll do it. Princess Celestia did it because I asked her, so what kind of a friend would I be if I didn't." "Thank you." Wallflower Blush gulped. "I guess..." "Have you ever gotten a spanking before?" Wallflower Blush shook her head. "I know what it means but it's not really used around here any more." "Oh. It's still used very much in Equestria. There's something about having to go to school the next day and everypony sees you've gotten it that really makes you think again before doing something dumb again." Wallflower Blush's eyes had grown wide in disbelief again. "Are you telling me ponies could see if you'd gotten a spanking?" "Well we don't usually wear clothes," Sunset Shimmer said, already expecting what would happen next. Wallflower Blush's cheeks were glowing red and her mouth was trying to form words, but no sound came out. "Yeah. I hear it's a big thing here. That's why I was okay about showing you my tush before. People around here would think I'm sort of a nudist or something." She only got a very awkward cough as a response. "You do realize that if I'm going to spank you, it'll be on the bare?" Sunset Shimmer asked. "I just did," The blushing Wallflower Blush said. "I guess it's okay. I know you won't tell anybody about any of this either." Sunset Shimmer nodded. "Of course not. Just between you and me." Wallflower Blush took a deep breath, then nodded. "Okay. What do I do?" Chapter 3"First, you need to stand up," Sunset Shimmer said. She was quietly wondering how things had turned from a cup of coffee with a friend to this. Then she realizied that it was in no way different than what had happened the day before between her mentor and her. Wallflower Blush stood up and nervously crossed her arms against herself like a hug. "Next you'll need to, umm, drop your pants. You can, uhh, keep your undies on and I'll pull them down when you're on my lap, okay?" Wallflower Blush didn't do anything, but did let out a tiny squeak. Sunset Shimmer coughed. "Would you like me to do it for you?" Another meek eep, followed by a tiny nod. Sunset Shimmer reached up and opened the buttons of Wallflower Blush's jeans, then pulled them down to her knees. From underneath she revealed a pair of neutral white panties. Next she gently took a hold of Wallflower Blush's sweater-covered wrist and gently directed her across her lap so the other half of her upper body was on the couch. She didn't meet any resistance as the girl took her position. Wallflower Blush felt quite heavy over her lap, despite being partly on the couch, reminding her of one of the biggest advantages Princess Celestia had over even a grown mare. She pushed her fingers under the band of Wallflower Blush's undies and gently pulled them down, eliciting another eep and a shiver from the girl. As she stared at the thin rump of the girl she was (confusingly enough) about to spank, the realization hit Sunset Shimmer. "Uhh... we might have a problem." "Huh?" Wallflower Blush asked. "You're not having second thoughts? 'Cos I sure am." "No, it's that, well... if I spank you with my bare hand on your bare skin..." "Ohh. Your magic," Wallflower Blush replied. Sunset Shimmer tried to look around for a solution to her problem, and it was closer than she expected. The hairbrush she'd thrown on the table before, with it's sleek, oblong back, caught her eye. "Umm, I know you're not gonna like this, but I think I just figured out a solution." She reached for the hairbrush, then handed it over to Wallflower Blush. "Are you serious?" Wallflower Blush asked, hear voice clearly carrying a note of fear with it. "I'd need to use something to not activate my magic. And to be honest, I'm not sure if I could give you what you need with my hand alone." She put a comforting hand on the small of Wallflower Blush's back. "Or we can call the whole thing off if you want?" She was almost hoping for the other girl to say yes. Wallfower Blush shook her head, her messy hair hiding her face as it fell down. She handed the hairbrush back. "I think I need this." "Okay." Sunset Shimmer tried to put on a slightly more authoritative voice, trying to imitate her own mentor. "I'm going to give you a spanking with the hairbrush. It will hurt a lot. When I start, I won't stop until I think we're done. I want you to think why you've ended up in this situation." She took a short breath. "Are you ready? If you are, you have to ask for me to spank you, and there's no going back after that." There was a silence that felt like it just kept stretching and stretching, until finally Sunset Shimmer could see Wallflower Blush squeeze her hands into tight fists against the couch. "Please, spank me for the things I did." That was the moment Sunset Shimmer had been dreading. She pulled her arm back and brought the back of her hairbrush down on Wallflower Blush's bottom with a voice loud enough to even surprise her. The girl on her lap squirmed a bit, but made no other sound. She repeated the smack on the other buttock, with a similar response. Was she going too easy? Should there be more yelps of pain? She decided to put a bit more strenght behind her next smack, which brought out a tiny grunt and squeeze of buttocks from Wallflower Blush. Sunset Shimmer decided that it would do for now and tried to keep that amount of force in the next few strikes. Wallflower Blush moved her hips in clear discomfort. "Nnngh." Sunset Shimmer tried to think on how her spanking had proceeded the day before, but it was all a blur of confused memories and emotions. It didn't help that her own emotions at the current moment were conflicted as well. She was quickly finding that she didn't like giving a spanking at all, feeling awful for hitting her friend. Wallflower Blush seemed to be dealing quite well with it, but Sunset Shimmer felt hot tears burning behind her own eyes. Was she doing the right thing? Was this how Princess Celestia felt? Hadn't she been crying after her spanking as well? What had she gotten herself into? "Owww..." Wallflower Blush whined, now moving her hips quite a lot more from side to side, forcing Sunset Shimmer to pull her closer so she wouldn't fall of her lap. To both Sunset Shimmer's relief and horror, the spanking was working. Wallflower Blush had just given her first kick, or buck as the pony inside her called it. She could see pink circles over the girl's bottom wherever the handbrush had landed. The colour was still quite a pale pink, which made Sunset Shimmer realize that she would actually have to hit even harder. "Owww! Owwww!" Wallflower Blush whined, squeezing the cushion of the couch in her fist. Sunset Shimmer stopped for a moment. "How does it feel?" she asked. "It hurts!" Wallflower Blush answered, clearly scared and nervous. "We'll get through this together. I'm sorry I have to do this, but it's what you wanted and... and what you deserve." "Owww! Aaahhh! I think I'm done!" Sunset Shimmer stopped again. "I'm sorry, but it doesn't work like that. I told you, I'd keep doing it until I was done." She remembered how Princess Celestia had treated her the day before, and knew that the real spanking was only about to start. There was a long way ahead for both of the girls. "Okay! Okay! Please stop!" "H-hey! Come on! Owww!" Sunset Shimmer knew exactly what was going through the mind of the girl on her lap. She'd thought she could take it bravely, yet now that the chips were down, it was getting far worse than she expected. Sunset Shimmer felt it was best not to interrupt the spanking to talk, instead concentrating on peppering the pink bottom on her lap thoroughly. "Oww! Okay! I've learned my lesson! Please stop!" "It hurts! Pleaase!" Sunset Shimmer felt that the time had come. She'd been avoiding the tender sit spots where Wallflower Blush's tush joined her thighs. "OWWW! OWWW! STOP! PLEASE!" Sunset Shimmer had to grab Wallflower Blush's hands with her free hand as she reached back to cover her rear, trying to hold them to the girl's back from the sleeves so she wouldn't activate her magic. To her relief she could hold Wallflower Blush still well enough. "OWWW! PLEASE STOP!" Wallflower Blush tried to escape, pushing herself away from Sunset Shimmer's lap. Despite holding onto the girl's wrists, Sunset Shimmer had to use both of her hands to pull her back. "S-Stop! *sob* Please stop, Sunset! Please! *sob*" The sobs and panicked pleas cut straight through Sunset Shimmer. She wanted nothing more than to throw her horrid hairbrush away and give the girl on her lap a hug and tell her that everything was okay. She also knew that now was the most critical part and she should push through just a bit longer. "OWWW! Please! Please! Omigosh! Please! Sunset!" There were angry red spots all over Wallflower Blush's bottom now. Sunset Shimmer decided it was time. She stopped her barrage and wiped some sweat from her brow she hadn't even noticed before. Wallflower Blush sniffled on her lap. "Now I want you to tell me why you're getting this punishment." There were a few sniffles, but no other answer. "Oww! Okay! *sob* Okay! I was... I used the Memory Stone to steal everyone's memories! I.. *sob* I used it to make everyone forget you because I was stupid and childish and thought that if you weren't around I'd maybe get noticed or something. I don't know! *sob* "I think you know exactly what you did," Sunset Shimmer said. The words sent cold shivers running through herself and she felt like she wanted to throw up. She tapped the hairbrush against Wallflower Blush's bottom. "N-no! No more. I... was so angry. At you and everyone else. Everyone always told me how high school was the best time of my life and how I'd make friends that would last my whole life and how I'd maybe get a boyfriend or do fun club stuff and all I could do was stand to the side when everyone else was having fun. And then there was you! Doing whatever you wanted for years, bullying people with nobody doing anything about it! And then one night you just got forgiven for everything. It was so unfair! You'd been so horrible to everyone, including me, and you got off with a slap on the wrist!" The words stabbed Sunset Shimmer deep. It was all true. "I was so lonely all the time! Then I found that Memory Stone and started using it for every little thing I messed up. And soon everyone seemed to completely forget me. I was invisible wherever I went. Then I saw you with all your friends having fun, playing in a band, hanging out at the beach, working on the yearbook, and I just wanted to pay you back. I wanted everyone to treat you like you deserved!" The amount of hate still flowing from the demure girl was overwhelming to Sunset Shimmer. She couldn't stop herself and placed a hand against the girl's bottom. Flashes of people passing by. Of Sunset Shimmer and her friends laughing together in the cafeteria as Wallflower Blush sat in a corner table all alone. Rainbow Dash and Applejack hugging Sunset Shimmer when she showed them her latest 100 on a test. Rarity giving her a new dress to wear at a club on Friday. Sunset Shimmer working on the yearbook, wondering how a lot of the stuff was already done that she thought was still on the to do -list, only to shrug and continue, not caring about the girl dilligently working next to her. Wallflower Blush crying into her cellphone, listening to her mother's voicemail. Wallflower Blush sitting in the corner of her trashed bedroom. And finally of using the the Memory Stone to remove the memories of people whenever she said something awkward or later on, just wanted not to be bothered. So scared of making the wrong expression, so afraid of making a mistake and losing even the slightest chance to make a friend that it was easier to just erase it all and try again. Except soon she stopped trying altogether, giving up on ever finding anyone to connect with. Along the flashes Sunset Shimmer could hear Wallflower Blush's desperate voice shouting. "I don't want to be alone!" "I hate you Mom and Dad!" "Why does she get to have all the fun friends!" "Mom! Dad! Where are you... please just talk with me" "Why doesn't everyone hate her! She deserves to be hated! She deserves to be feared!" "Please! Somebody! Be my friend!" The anger, disappointment, loneliness, desperation, it came crushing in. Tears were falling from Sunset Shimmer's eyes, rolling down her cheeks, unnoticed by the girl on her lap. Wallflower Blush continued her confession. "And now I find out how awful you were actually feeling all the time and I know you didn't deserve any of the stuff I did and I was just being stupid and selfish about it. I never thought how you actually felt, only being jealous about what I thought you had! I just wanted to crawl into a hole and *sob* never come out and then all of you just smiled and forgave me. Why? How could you *sob* do it so easily? I don't get it! I just *sob* don't get it!" The rest of her words came out in an unintelligible blubbering, the floodgates finally having burst. Sunset Shimmer tried to steady her breathing. "Let it all out. You don't have to keep it in any more and we'll finish this" She swallowed the lump in her throat and pulled her hand back. There were no more words. No more pleas or even resistance. Sunset Shimmer could feel the girl on her lap crumble into a bawling little child. She could make out an occasional word from underneath the torrent of tears. Once she was pretty sure she heard "mom" in there, somewhere. She slowed her pace and reduced her force, until she was barely making a sound as she continued the spanking, to drive it to finish. She gave the girl a few dozen more gentle smacks on her unresisting bottom, only stopping when Wallflower Blush finally had cried herself out enough to just sob quietly. "Shhh. It's over now," she whispered. She guided the girl up from her lap so Wallflower Blush was kneeling on the carpet between Sunset Shimmer's legs. They hugged each other tightly, this time both crying freely. "I'm so sorry," Wallflower Blush whispered. "You're forgiven," Sunset Shimmer answered. She stroked the other girl's hair, then back, and finally wanted to give her a soothing stroke on her sore rump, but once again, the magic took hold. Peace. White, calm, empty, peace. A small flickering image of smiling friends from the Garden Club. Another of Wallflower on her knees after the Memory Stone had been destroyed, and Sunset Shimmer offering her a hand in friendship. This time there was no hesitation when Wallflower Blush took that hand. Sunset Shimmer sighed as a tiny smile spread on her face. It had been all worth it for both of them, it seemed. They held each other for a while longer, Wallflower Blush finally able to cry out of happiness and relief and not loneliness or sorrow. Sunset slowly reached down and pulled Wallflower Blush's panties back up. She tried to do the same to the girl's jeans, but apparently they'd been kicked off somewhere during the spanking. At least now she could give those soothing rubs on Wallflower Blossom's rump through her underwear she deserved. After a while longer, Wallflower Blush sighed and pulled back slightly. She stood up and gave a meek smile. "Umm, could I use your bathroom?" Sunset Shimmer pointed at a door and watched as the other girl left to clean her face. As her eyes hit on the tops of Wallflower Blush's legs, a shiver went through her. Had she really made those red marks? Disgusted, she looked at the hairbrush and threw it behind the couch, hoping she wouldn't find it for a while. A few minutes later, Wallflower Blush returned. She was again smiling, but as she saw Sunset Shimmer's face, she frowned. "The bathroom's free," she said. Sunset Shimmer lifted a confused eyebrow, but walked to the bathroom. The face that looked at her from the mirror gave her quite a shock. Frazzled hair, red eyes, snotty nose and mascara running everywhere. She quickly started washing her face as well. When she returned, she found Wallflower Blush lying on her belly on the couch, still in her undies. "I was gonna put on my pants but then I sat down and it kinda hurt a lot so I decided that if it's okay I'll stay on my belly for a little while." Wallflower Blush gave a crooked smile, one spanking survivor to another, which Sunset Shimmer gladly shared. "Yeah, I slept on my belly last night. I guess you'll do that tonight too. I hope you're okay with the couch? The loft can't really fit two and I hear I roll around when I sleep." Wallflower Blush looked at her in confusion. "You want me to stay here?" "I don't want you to be alone tonight, that's all. You can stay, right?" Wallflower Blush's lower lip trembled a bit as she nodded. They ate a little late-evening snack, talked late into the night about anything and everything and made jokes about sunspots and blossoming wallflowers. During the night, Sunset Shimmer heard soft crying from the couch below. She climbed down and sat down next to Wallflower Blush. They held each other wordlessly for a long while before Wallflower Blush fell back asleep. Sunset Shimmer couldn't help but notice that the other girl hadn't stopped smiling throughout her tears. Author's Note Forgotten Friendship dealt with so many heavy topics that after writing Sunspots, it just wouldn't leave me alone. I started thinking, if Sunset was carrying so much guilt with her, then what would be going on inside Wallflower's head? Especially because unlike Sunset, she didn't get a whammy of the Orbital Correctional Laser like Sunset did, the magic only blowing up her stone. The Dazzlings sure didn't become any better people when their magic stones blew up, so what makes Wallflower different? Time taken: 6 hours to write, 1 hour to proofread and edit. Can I go to bed now? It's 4AM....
Chapter 1Sunset Shimmer looked at the selfie she'd gotten in a message. There was Wallflower Blush in a dirty, muddy and worn dungarees over her striped sweater. She was giving a toothy smile while standing shoulder to shoulder with Tree Hugger and Sandalwood in the tiny grotto that had become the Gardening Club's very own garden. The eco-kids of CHS had taken Wallflower Blush under their wing and their new club already had over half a dozen members and had found a sponsor in Ms. Feathers, the biology teacher. R we still on 4 coffee 2nite? the text next to the picture asked. Sunset checked the time and answered. sure. meet U @ sugarcubecorner at 7? Wallflower sent a thumbs up, so that meant Sunset needed to stop lazing about in her loft and start getting ready. She'd only returned from Equestria late the night before and had slept in, and thanks to Princess Celestia, she'd done that on her belly. Right now she was not wearing anything, like she usually didn't when she was home. She walked to her bathroom to brush her mane. In front of the mirror she turned around and winced when she saw her bottom. A deep pink covered her whole bottom from almost her waist down, with the occasional darker red spot where the Princess's hoof had made a stronger impression. She could see the darkest parts exactly on her sit spots, the mark of an experienced spanker. "She really didn't go easy on me," she muttered. For a moment, she thought Twilight Sparkle (either of them, really) would be interested in knowing how a roasted rump carried over through the mirror, but decided that science could do without said knowledge. She returned back to her living/bedroom and tossed the hairbrush on the table. After putting on her other clothes, she looked at her skirts, then at her tight jeans... and finally opted for long yoga pants instead. Even those she had to put on quite gingerly, not helped by the tight panties she usually wore. Not the most fashionable choice for socializing, but as long as she didn't run into Rarity, she could probably pull the yoga look off. She grabbed her favourite biker jacket and pulled it on, sniggered at herself in the mirror and left for Sugarcube Corner before she could change her mind. Outside, she could feel a cool breeze on her face. Some cute birds were chirping in the trees and she stopped to pet the furry puppy her neighbour was out walking. All in all, she felt a hundred pounds lighter, almost as if her feet were barely touching the ground. She took a huge inhale, lifted her hands up high and breathed out. She hadn't felt this good in years with all that heavy guilt having been left on Princess Celestia's lap the day before. It wasn't long before she arrived at the Corner. The sweet smells of freshly baked goods only served to widen her grin, and she decided not to care about her carb intake for today. She grabbed a huge slice of chocolate cake with extra whipped cream and a large soda from Mrs. Cake at the counter. After scanning the room for a moment, she saw Wallflower Blush seated in one of the corner tables furthest from the door. If she hadn't known to look for her friend, she would have blended completely to the background. Even her long, messy green hair looked a bit like the yucca plant she sat next to. The girl had changed from her gardening gear to a more normal pair of jeans. "Hey, Blush!" Sunset Shimmer said as she arrived at the table. Without much thought, she put her treats on the table and sat down on the hard, wooden chair. She winced and let out a little yelp as her sore rump made contact with her seat. "Hey... uh, you okay?" Wallflower Blush said. Her brow was slightly furrowed in worry. Sunset Shimmer could feel her face grow warm. "It's nothing." For a moment she thought of saying "Oh, this? I went through a magic portal to a magical land of ponies where the winged unicorn Princess ruling the place gave me a loud spanking yesterday. How was your Saturday?" and had to hide her grin from her new friend behind a cough into her hand. "Ahem. It looked like you were making good progress with the garden?" Wallflower Blush's expression went up at least a few hundred lux as she started telling everything about what the Gardening Club had gotten up to. Apparently some other clubs had already started asking if they could hold meetups there and the club was busy working on cleaning up the path behind the school so students could even find there. As she spoke, Sunset Shimmer could not help smiling warmly as she looked at the glint in Wallflower Blush's eyes. "We were thinking of putting up a few nest boxes that Sandalwood has made." "That sounds like a good idea. I've always liked to listen to birds chirping... even though Fluttershy once told me what they're actually saying." She felt another blush come on her cheeks. "They say quite a lot of R-rated stuff." "Fluttershy can talk to animals?" "Yeah. She learned it when we were at Camp Everfree." Wallflower Blush leaned forward. "I remember all sort of weird things happening there, especially that Gloriosa Daisy turning into, well, a tree?" "Yeah, it was pretty wild." Sunset Shimmer looked at her with a raised brow, before the pieces clicked. "Oh, yeah, of course, you were there too." "I liked it there. I could spend a lot of time walking in the forest. Alone." Wallflower Blush tried to hide the hurt expression on her face, but Sunset Shimmer still picked it up. "I'm sorry. I really am," Sunset Shimmer said. "I wish things had been different back then." Wallflower Blush shook her head, more to clear her thoughts than to disagree. "It's behind me now. I'm just happy I've made so many new friends." They sat in silence for a moment and sipped their drinks. "So do you have a strange power too?" Sunset Shimmer looked around, but was sure that nobody around could hear what they were talking about. "Yeah. Me and the other Rainbooms all got some sort of power at the camp. I can, well, I can see into people's thoughts and memories if I touch them. It's pretty—" Wallflower Blush quickly pulled her hands off the table. She fidgeted with her hands for a moment before crossing them over her chest. "I... I didn't mean to do that. I mean... I trust you and didn't want to be rude." "Hey, I totally get it. I wouldn't want anybody snooping inside my head either. Don't worry, I've only used it in an absolute emergency." Wallflower Blush still kept holding her hands against her chest, almost like she was hugging herself. "Is that how you figured out I was the one using the Memory Stone?" "I..." Sunset Shimmer hesitated for a moment, but decided that the truth would be her best bet to get Wallflower blush to relax. "Yeah. Our hands touched in the editing room and I saw a glimpse." "I didn't even notice," Wallflower Blush said. "At least it doesn't hurt." She offered a weak smile. "At least, yeah," Sunset Shimmer offered weakly. They sat in a heavy silence for a moment, both of them feeling like their faces were burning and lost in their own thoughts. "I, uhh, I need to use the bathroom," Wallflower Blush said. "Yeah, I, uhh..." Sunset Shimmer said and started to get up to make room. That's when everything happened at the same time. Wallflower Blush accidentally pushed the small table they were seated around, which in turn bumped into Sunset Shimmer's leg as she was getting up. Their half-finished drinks and snacks started sliding off the table, and they both lunged after them desperately. Sunset Shimmer caught her plate, but they both went for Wallflower Blush's tall glass. Their hands landed on top of each other, and as the shattering sound of the other glass reached Sunset Shimmer's ears, she could feel the familiar tug of a vision starting. "Oh no..." she muttered. The room was a mess. Clothes, pillows, stationary, a game console, even a computer chair were strewn everywhere, clearly thrown in anger. Half-ripped posters hung from the walls and even the window curtains had been torn away, bathing the room in the last rays of the evening sun. And against the wall in the corner, hunched into a small ball, knees hugged against her chest and head hidden, Wallflower Blush was crying. In a tiny whimper, she asked "Mom? Dad?" but knew nobody would be home to answer. They never were. Another room, which Sunset Shimmer recognized as their school's toilet. A red-eyed Wallflower Blush was shouting at her reflection in the mirror. "You almost... you almost... killed her! What the hell is wrong with you?!" The garden in the afternoon, the receding backs of the other Garden Club members walking down the path back to the school. Wallflower Blush collapsed against a tree and slid down to the muddy ground. "I don't deserve this. I don't deserve them. I don't deserve any of this Sunset Shimmer pulled her hand away at the same time as Wallflower Blush did. The other glass, now unattended, fell to the floor and shattered as well. "I... I..." Sunset Shimmer stammered. Wallflower Blush covered her eyes and ran into the toilet next to them. "Oh, my. Is everything okay here?" Mrs. Cake asked as she arrived. She looked over the shattered remains of the glasses and the plate, and the shaking Sunset Shimmer. "Are you alright, dear? Did you get hurt?" Sunset Shimmer definitely was not alright. Those visions kept running through her mind. With them she could feel the anxiety, the sadness, the guilt and the utter self-hatred she could never have imagined the demure Wallflower Blossom to be carrying. She muttered something to Mrs. Cake about her friend not feeling well before running after her. She barged into the tiny toilet with only one cubicle. "Wallflower?" she asked, her voice barely holding out. "GO AWAY!" the voice from the cubicle shouted, followed by a huge sob. "I didn't do it on purpose. I promise." The sad sobs continued. "We can... we can deal with this. We can talk through this," Sunset Shimmer said. She was frantically fidgeting with her cellphone, not sure if she should call her friends or not. "Nobody should have to feel like you do." "Well I do, okay. Now you know so... please go away." "I'm..." Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath. "I'm not going anywhere. No matter how long it takes, I'll be here for you. I'm not leaving you alone." There was a long silence, only broken by the tiny sobs coming from the stall. "Why?" a tiny voice finally asked. Sunset Shimmer put her hands on the door of the stall. "Because right now you shouldn't be alone. And I'm here for you." She had to gather her courage to continue. "I'm your friend. Let me help." "I don't deserve friends. After what I did..." "You almost killed her!" echoed inside Sunset Shimmer's mind. "Everything is okay now. Nobody ended up getting hurt." Sunset felt her own tears start burning behind her eyes. "Please, just open the door." There were several more sobs and silence to answer Sunset Shimmer. She was about to speak again when she heard the faint click of the door. As she pulled the door open, she found Wallflower Blush sitting on the toilet with her knees held against her chest. Her face was a mess of tears and snot. Sunset Shimmer grabbed a wet paper towel and started wiping her friend's face. Wallflower Blush didn't resist. Sunset Shimmer tossed the paper away. "I live close by. Would you like to come over and talk?" Wallflower Blossom sniffled, but got up. Sunset Shimmer guided her out the door of the toilet. In the cafe Mrs. Cake was sweeping away the shards of glass from the floor and gave a worried look at Sunset Shimmer. She tried to smile and nod to ease Mrs. Cake's worries but apparently she wasn't very convincing as she only got a sad shake of head in return.
Chapter 2The streets were almost empty of pedestrians on the Sunday evening. They walked in silence with Sunset Shimmer holding a hand on her friend's shoulders, careful not to make any skin-to-skin contact and activate her power. It didn't take them long to get to Sunset Shimmer's place, but it sure felt like an eternity to Sunset Shimmer, and probably to her friend just as much. Inside, Sunset Shimmer sat Wallflower Blush on the couch and got her a glass of water. She drank it down in large gulps and sighed. Sunset Shimmer cleared her throat. "I really didn't do it on purpose. I seems to happen whenever I'm in skin contact with someone and I really wish I could turn it off." "Well... Now you know," Wallflower Blush said quietly. There was no anger in her voice, only sadness and defeat. "I didn't want anyone to find out and this is what happened." She leaned back and covered her eyes with her hands again. "I'm totally messed up, Sunset." "Shh." Sunset Shimmer put a hand around Wallflower Blush's shoulders. "Magic, demons, sirens, Memory Stones..." Sunset interrupted her. "Yeah, I know. Makes my head spin when I try to think about it all." "And the first thing I do when I get even a bit of it for myself? I use it to hurt people." "But it didn't start out like that, did it? You didn't mean to hurt anyone." Sunset Shimmer said. "At first, no. But then when you couldn't even remember we were supposed to work together on the yearbook and you kept making all the decisions alone I got so angry." "And that's totally on me," Sunset Shimmer said. Wallflower Blush shook her head. "No, it isn't. There's probably a million other things I could have done, but I went for revenge. Revenge for something you hadn't even actually done." She once again lifted her knees up to her chest. "I just thought you deserved it." "I think so too," Sunset Shimmer said quietly. Wallflower Blush looked at her in surprise "Huh?" "I think I got off too easy too. I did awful things for years, then BAM! Everything's okay, everything forgotten, here, have great friends to support you and all's forgiven. I mean, even the rest of the school forgot the whole thing with me singing a single song." "So you... all this time you thought you were getting off too easy too?" Wallflower Blush asked. "I did. I mean, I've tried to make amends to everyone, I've tried to fix my mistakes and worked really hard on it... but I sometimes thought I still didn't deserve any of it." "So what did you do?" Sunset Shimmer blushed and shook her head and turned away "You wouldn't believe me." Wallflower Blush put her own hand on Sunset Shimmer's shoulder. "Please?" "I can't believe I'm saying this, but..." Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath. "I went through a magic portal to a magical land of ponies where the winged unicorn Princess ruling the place gave me a loud spanking yesterday." Wallflower Blush stared at her in disbelief, then sadness took her expression over, and finally, anger. "I thought... I thought you took this seriously!" "I do! I told you you wouldn't believe me!" Sunset Shimmer said weakly. "You really expect me to believe... umm... what are you doing?" Sunset Shimmer had gotten up, turned around and was now lowering her yoga pants. She knew exactly how taboo the thing she was doing was in the human world, but it was the only way she could prove what she was saying. As she lifted her shirt up and pulled her underwear to the side of one of her buttocks, she heard a loud gasp from behind. In the silence that followed, she quickly pulled her pants up again and sat back next to her friend. "So..." Wallflower said, her eyes still quite wide. "Yeah," Sunset Shimmer said. "Ponies? Princessess?" Sunset Shimmer patted her friend on the shoulder. "I know it's a lot to take in. But that's where I'm from. Equestria. That's where all the magic is from too." "Wait, so you're a... pony?" "Unicorn. So is Twilight Sparkle. Well, the old one. Not the one from Crystal Prep." "There's two..." "Is it any harder to believe than any of the other stuff that's been going on?" "It's a lot." Wallflower Blush rubbed her temples. "Do you have any Aspirin?" "Coming right up." After swallowing her pill and drinking another half a glass of water, Wallflower Blush was left looking into her glass and swirling the liquid around. "Can I ask you something?" Sunset Shimmer tried to keep the worry from her voice. "Anything." "What did you see when you touched me?" It was the question Sunset Shimmer had been worrying would come up sooner or later. She tried to brave on. "I saw a few flashes of you. I saw you, umm, had trashed what was probably your room." Wallflower Blush looked away. "It was the day you and your friends broke the Memory Stone. I went home and kinda lost it. I don't even really remember too well what happened. Only that I've never felt so awful than then." "Are things okay at your home?" Sunset Shimmer asked. "I almost never see my parents because of their work and I mostly do everything there myself. They leave me some money for food but I basically live alone I guess. I mean, it's been a while now and I haven't even cleaned my room since, but they haven't even noticed." "Mom? Dad?" The sad voice echoed in Sunset Shimmer's head. "I also saw you talk about..." Sunset Shimmer had to swallow "...killing someone." A shiver ran through Wallflower Blush's body. "You. I meant you." "I'm not sure I follow." "When I used the magic stone on you at full power. I erased everything that you'd done for years, ever since I remembered you came to the school. Isn't that almost like killing someone? Especially if I had gone any further? What if I'd erased everything you remembered ever?" Two hot tears rolled down Wallflower Bush's cheeks. "And I almost did. I was so angry and desperate and..." She couldn't continue. "Yeah, that was pretty bad," Sunset Shimmer said. "I... I was back at the moment when I came through the portal here. I didn't understand where I was or what happened. I was so scared..." Wallflower Blush tried to look at her, but lost her nerve at the last minute, instead staring down again. "Is that why you acted so weird and talked about Celestia? I thought you were talking about the principal." "No, I was talking about my former mentor, Princess Celestia from Equestria. We had a falling out and I ran away through the portal without knowing where it would lead me." Sunset Shimmer tried to smile. "Not my greatest moment." "So you really are a unicorn." "Guilty as charged," Sunset Shimmer said softly. She moved next to her friend and wrapped both of her hands around her friend's shoulders and pulled her into a hug. Wallflower Blush didn't resist. "Are you going to be okay?" Sunset Shimmer asked. Wallflower Blush leaned her head against Sunset Shimmer's shoulder. "I really don't know," she answered in a muffled voice. "I just don't know what I should do to stop feeling this way." "You're already doing everything you need to." A memory of Princess Celestia looking at her with her gentle eyes that could pierce anything crept into her mind. "All you need to do is forgive yourself. Everyone else already has." Her answers were a few hot drops falling onto her shoulder as Wallflower Blush hugged her harder. She gently stroked the girl's hair. "I know it's not easy, but it's something you need to do if you don't want to shatter completely." They sat like that on the couch, holding each other, until Wallflower Blush's breathing finally started to calm down and she pulled back from the hug and wiped a sleeve over her red eyes. "Did it really help?" Sunset Shimmer was confused. "Huh?" "The s-spanking. Did it really help you?" It was Sunset Shimmer's turn to blush. "I really think it did. I needed to feel like I got punished for everything I did to everyone so I could finally forgive myself. I mean, it hurt like heck, but now I can finally move on." "That's exactly how I feel. I did all those things to everyone and they don't even remember it. Folks at CHS don't even know how many times I used the stone on them, how much time they're missing because of me. And it's even worse with you and your friends because you actually know everything!" Sunset Shimmer nodded in understanding. "So you feel like you can't just be forgiven, but need to earn it somehow?" "Exactly," Wallflower Blush finally let go of her knees and let her feet fall to the floor. She leaned back on the sofa and looked at the ceiling with a sigh. "That's exactly it. How can I earn it if everyone is lining up to tell me everything's okay! Why don't you people shout at me or hit me or something? This makes no sense." "Believe me. I totally understand what you mean," Sunset Shimmer said. "I mean, I'm probably the absolute last person to tell anyone about earning forgiveness, but if there's anything I can do to help, then I will." "This Princess Celestia... Do you think you could ask her to give me a spanking too?" Wallflower Blush said with a thin smile on her face. Sunset Shimmer was slightly taken aback by that. She wasn't sure if her friend was joking or not. "I mean, I could ask her if you want. It would be quite complicated to set up and you'd have to go to Equestria and everything." "I thought so," Wallflower Blush turned to look Sunset Shimmer in the eyes. "Then would you do it?" "Wha... huh?" Sunset Shimmer was left staring at her friend with her mouth hanging open. She blinked a few times before the words even completely registered. "You want me to... Are you serious?" Wallflower Blush's face grew several shades redder, but she didn't break eye contact as she nodded. "But I've never even given someone a spanking! What if I hurt you?" Sunset Shimmer said, not even realizing how silly her words were. "I thought that was the point," Wallflower Blush said. "And you said you'd do anything if it would help." "Yeah, I said that..." Sunset Shimmer stammered, before she took a breath to calm herself. "I did say that." Wallflower Blush's eyes grew wider and she made a panicked wiping motion with her hands. "I didn't mean it like you had to. I just meant that you said it and I thought maybe it would work because I'm ready to try almost anything after today too." Sunset Shimmer's brow furrowed for a moment, but soon it was replaced with a determined expression. "No, you're right. If you really think it would help, then I'll do it. Princess Celestia did it because I asked her, so what kind of a friend would I be if I didn't." "Thank you." Wallflower Blush gulped. "I guess..." "Have you ever gotten a spanking before?" Wallflower Blush shook her head. "I know what it means but it's not really used around here any more." "Oh. It's still used very much in Equestria. There's something about having to go to school the next day and everypony sees you've gotten it that really makes you think again before doing something dumb again." Wallflower Blush's eyes had grown wide in disbelief again. "Are you telling me ponies could see if you'd gotten a spanking?" "Well we don't usually wear clothes," Sunset Shimmer said, already expecting what would happen next. Wallflower Blush's cheeks were glowing red and her mouth was trying to form words, but no sound came out. "Yeah. I hear it's a big thing here. That's why I was okay about showing you my tush before. People around here would think I'm sort of a nudist or something." She only got a very awkward cough as a response. "You do realize that if I'm going to spank you, it'll be on the bare?" Sunset Shimmer asked. "I just did," The blushing Wallflower Blush said. "I guess it's okay. I know you won't tell anybody about any of this either." Sunset Shimmer nodded. "Of course not. Just between you and me." Wallflower Blush took a deep breath, then nodded. "Okay. What do I do?"
Chapter 3"First, you need to stand up," Sunset Shimmer said. She was quietly wondering how things had turned from a cup of coffee with a friend to this. Then she realizied that it was in no way different than what had happened the day before between her mentor and her. Wallflower Blush stood up and nervously crossed her arms against herself like a hug. "Next you'll need to, umm, drop your pants. You can, uhh, keep your undies on and I'll pull them down when you're on my lap, okay?" Wallflower Blush didn't do anything, but did let out a tiny squeak. Sunset Shimmer coughed. "Would you like me to do it for you?" Another meek eep, followed by a tiny nod. Sunset Shimmer reached up and opened the buttons of Wallflower Blush's jeans, then pulled them down to her knees. From underneath she revealed a pair of neutral white panties. Next she gently took a hold of Wallflower Blush's sweater-covered wrist and gently directed her across her lap so the other half of her upper body was on the couch. She didn't meet any resistance as the girl took her position. Wallflower Blush felt quite heavy over her lap, despite being partly on the couch, reminding her of one of the biggest advantages Princess Celestia had over even a grown mare. She pushed her fingers under the band of Wallflower Blush's undies and gently pulled them down, eliciting another eep and a shiver from the girl. As she stared at the thin rump of the girl she was (confusingly enough) about to spank, the realization hit Sunset Shimmer. "Uhh... we might have a problem." "Huh?" Wallflower Blush asked. "You're not having second thoughts? 'Cos I sure am." "No, it's that, well... if I spank you with my bare hand on your bare skin..." "Ohh. Your magic," Wallflower Blush replied. Sunset Shimmer tried to look around for a solution to her problem, and it was closer than she expected. The hairbrush she'd thrown on the table before, with it's sleek, oblong back, caught her eye. "Umm, I know you're not gonna like this, but I think I just figured out a solution." She reached for the hairbrush, then handed it over to Wallflower Blush. "Are you serious?" Wallflower Blush asked, hear voice clearly carrying a note of fear with it. "I'd need to use something to not activate my magic. And to be honest, I'm not sure if I could give you what you need with my hand alone." She put a comforting hand on the small of Wallflower Blush's back. "Or we can call the whole thing off if you want?" She was almost hoping for the other girl to say yes. Wallfower Blush shook her head, her messy hair hiding her face as it fell down. She handed the hairbrush back. "I think I need this." "Okay." Sunset Shimmer tried to put on a slightly more authoritative voice, trying to imitate her own mentor. "I'm going to give you a spanking with the hairbrush. It will hurt a lot. When I start, I won't stop until I think we're done. I want you to think why you've ended up in this situation." She took a short breath. "Are you ready? If you are, you have to ask for me to spank you, and there's no going back after that." There was a silence that felt like it just kept stretching and stretching, until finally Sunset Shimmer could see Wallflower Blush squeeze her hands into tight fists against the couch. "Please, spank me for the things I did." That was the moment Sunset Shimmer had been dreading. She pulled her arm back and brought the back of her hairbrush down on Wallflower Blush's bottom with a voice loud enough to even surprise her. The girl on her lap squirmed a bit, but made no other sound. She repeated the smack on the other buttock, with a similar response. Was she going too easy? Should there be more yelps of pain? She decided to put a bit more strenght behind her next smack, which brought out a tiny grunt and squeeze of buttocks from Wallflower Blush. Sunset Shimmer decided that it would do for now and tried to keep that amount of force in the next few strikes. Wallflower Blush moved her hips in clear discomfort. "Nnngh." Sunset Shimmer tried to think on how her spanking had proceeded the day before, but it was all a blur of confused memories and emotions. It didn't help that her own emotions at the current moment were conflicted as well. She was quickly finding that she didn't like giving a spanking at all, feeling awful for hitting her friend. Wallflower Blush seemed to be dealing quite well with it, but Sunset Shimmer felt hot tears burning behind her own eyes. Was she doing the right thing? Was this how Princess Celestia felt? Hadn't she been crying after her spanking as well? What had she gotten herself into? "Owww..." Wallflower Blush whined, now moving her hips quite a lot more from side to side, forcing Sunset Shimmer to pull her closer so she wouldn't fall of her lap. To both Sunset Shimmer's relief and horror, the spanking was working. Wallflower Blush had just given her first kick, or buck as the pony inside her called it. She could see pink circles over the girl's bottom wherever the handbrush had landed. The colour was still quite a pale pink, which made Sunset Shimmer realize that she would actually have to hit even harder. "Owww! Owwww!" Wallflower Blush whined, squeezing the cushion of the couch in her fist. Sunset Shimmer stopped for a moment. "How does it feel?" she asked. "It hurts!" Wallflower Blush answered, clearly scared and nervous. "We'll get through this together. I'm sorry I have to do this, but it's what you wanted and... and what you deserve." "Owww! Aaahhh! I think I'm done!" Sunset Shimmer stopped again. "I'm sorry, but it doesn't work like that. I told you, I'd keep doing it until I was done." She remembered how Princess Celestia had treated her the day before, and knew that the real spanking was only about to start. There was a long way ahead for both of the girls. "Okay! Okay! Please stop!" "H-hey! Come on! Owww!" Sunset Shimmer knew exactly what was going through the mind of the girl on her lap. She'd thought she could take it bravely, yet now that the chips were down, it was getting far worse than she expected. Sunset Shimmer felt it was best not to interrupt the spanking to talk, instead concentrating on peppering the pink bottom on her lap thoroughly. "Oww! Okay! I've learned my lesson! Please stop!" "It hurts! Pleaase!" Sunset Shimmer felt that the time had come. She'd been avoiding the tender sit spots where Wallflower Blush's tush joined her thighs. "OWWW! OWWW! STOP! PLEASE!" Sunset Shimmer had to grab Wallflower Blush's hands with her free hand as she reached back to cover her rear, trying to hold them to the girl's back from the sleeves so she wouldn't activate her magic. To her relief she could hold Wallflower Blush still well enough. "OWWW! PLEASE STOP!" Wallflower Blush tried to escape, pushing herself away from Sunset Shimmer's lap. Despite holding onto the girl's wrists, Sunset Shimmer had to use both of her hands to pull her back. "S-Stop! *sob* Please stop, Sunset! Please! *sob*" The sobs and panicked pleas cut straight through Sunset Shimmer. She wanted nothing more than to throw her horrid hairbrush away and give the girl on her lap a hug and tell her that everything was okay. She also knew that now was the most critical part and she should push through just a bit longer. "OWWW! Please! Please! Omigosh! Please! Sunset!" There were angry red spots all over Wallflower Blush's bottom now. Sunset Shimmer decided it was time. She stopped her barrage and wiped some sweat from her brow she hadn't even noticed before. Wallflower Blush sniffled on her lap. "Now I want you to tell me why you're getting this punishment." There were a few sniffles, but no other answer. "Oww! Okay! *sob* Okay! I was... I used the Memory Stone to steal everyone's memories! I.. *sob* I used it to make everyone forget you because I was stupid and childish and thought that if you weren't around I'd maybe get noticed or something. I don't know! *sob* "I think you know exactly what you did," Sunset Shimmer said. The words sent cold shivers running through herself and she felt like she wanted to throw up. She tapped the hairbrush against Wallflower Blush's bottom. "N-no! No more. I... was so angry. At you and everyone else. Everyone always told me how high school was the best time of my life and how I'd make friends that would last my whole life and how I'd maybe get a boyfriend or do fun club stuff and all I could do was stand to the side when everyone else was having fun. And then there was you! Doing whatever you wanted for years, bullying people with nobody doing anything about it! And then one night you just got forgiven for everything. It was so unfair! You'd been so horrible to everyone, including me, and you got off with a slap on the wrist!" The words stabbed Sunset Shimmer deep. It was all true. "I was so lonely all the time! Then I found that Memory Stone and started using it for every little thing I messed up. And soon everyone seemed to completely forget me. I was invisible wherever I went. Then I saw you with all your friends having fun, playing in a band, hanging out at the beach, working on the yearbook, and I just wanted to pay you back. I wanted everyone to treat you like you deserved!" The amount of hate still flowing from the demure girl was overwhelming to Sunset Shimmer. She couldn't stop herself and placed a hand against the girl's bottom. Flashes of people passing by. Of Sunset Shimmer and her friends laughing together in the cafeteria as Wallflower Blush sat in a corner table all alone. Rainbow Dash and Applejack hugging Sunset Shimmer when she showed them her latest 100 on a test. Rarity giving her a new dress to wear at a club on Friday. Sunset Shimmer working on the yearbook, wondering how a lot of the stuff was already done that she thought was still on the to do -list, only to shrug and continue, not caring about the girl dilligently working next to her. Wallflower Blush crying into her cellphone, listening to her mother's voicemail. Wallflower Blush sitting in the corner of her trashed bedroom. And finally of using the the Memory Stone to remove the memories of people whenever she said something awkward or later on, just wanted not to be bothered. So scared of making the wrong expression, so afraid of making a mistake and losing even the slightest chance to make a friend that it was easier to just erase it all and try again. Except soon she stopped trying altogether, giving up on ever finding anyone to connect with. Along the flashes Sunset Shimmer could hear Wallflower Blush's desperate voice shouting. "I don't want to be alone!" "I hate you Mom and Dad!" "Why does she get to have all the fun friends!" "Mom! Dad! Where are you... please just talk with me" "Why doesn't everyone hate her! She deserves to be hated! She deserves to be feared!" "Please! Somebody! Be my friend!" The anger, disappointment, loneliness, desperation, it came crushing in. Tears were falling from Sunset Shimmer's eyes, rolling down her cheeks, unnoticed by the girl on her lap. Wallflower Blush continued her confession. "And now I find out how awful you were actually feeling all the time and I know you didn't deserve any of the stuff I did and I was just being stupid and selfish about it. I never thought how you actually felt, only being jealous about what I thought you had! I just wanted to crawl into a hole and *sob* never come out and then all of you just smiled and forgave me. Why? How could you *sob* do it so easily? I don't get it! I just *sob* don't get it!" The rest of her words came out in an unintelligible blubbering, the floodgates finally having burst. Sunset Shimmer tried to steady her breathing. "Let it all out. You don't have to keep it in any more and we'll finish this" She swallowed the lump in her throat and pulled her hand back. There were no more words. No more pleas or even resistance. Sunset Shimmer could feel the girl on her lap crumble into a bawling little child. She could make out an occasional word from underneath the torrent of tears. Once she was pretty sure she heard "mom" in there, somewhere. She slowed her pace and reduced her force, until she was barely making a sound as she continued the spanking, to drive it to finish. She gave the girl a few dozen more gentle smacks on her unresisting bottom, only stopping when Wallflower Blush finally had cried herself out enough to just sob quietly. "Shhh. It's over now," she whispered. She guided the girl up from her lap so Wallflower Blush was kneeling on the carpet between Sunset Shimmer's legs. They hugged each other tightly, this time both crying freely. "I'm so sorry," Wallflower Blush whispered. "You're forgiven," Sunset Shimmer answered. She stroked the other girl's hair, then back, and finally wanted to give her a soothing stroke on her sore rump, but once again, the magic took hold. Peace. White, calm, empty, peace. A small flickering image of smiling friends from the Garden Club. Another of Wallflower on her knees after the Memory Stone had been destroyed, and Sunset Shimmer offering her a hand in friendship. This time there was no hesitation when Wallflower Blush took that hand. Sunset Shimmer sighed as a tiny smile spread on her face. It had been all worth it for both of them, it seemed. They held each other for a while longer, Wallflower Blush finally able to cry out of happiness and relief and not loneliness or sorrow. Sunset slowly reached down and pulled Wallflower Blush's panties back up. She tried to do the same to the girl's jeans, but apparently they'd been kicked off somewhere during the spanking. At least now she could give those soothing rubs on Wallflower Blossom's rump through her underwear she deserved. After a while longer, Wallflower Blush sighed and pulled back slightly. She stood up and gave a meek smile. "Umm, could I use your bathroom?" Sunset Shimmer pointed at a door and watched as the other girl left to clean her face. As her eyes hit on the tops of Wallflower Blush's legs, a shiver went through her. Had she really made those red marks? Disgusted, she looked at the hairbrush and threw it behind the couch, hoping she wouldn't find it for a while. A few minutes later, Wallflower Blush returned. She was again smiling, but as she saw Sunset Shimmer's face, she frowned. "The bathroom's free," she said. Sunset Shimmer lifted a confused eyebrow, but walked to the bathroom. The face that looked at her from the mirror gave her quite a shock. Frazzled hair, red eyes, snotty nose and mascara running everywhere. She quickly started washing her face as well. When she returned, she found Wallflower Blush lying on her belly on the couch, still in her undies. "I was gonna put on my pants but then I sat down and it kinda hurt a lot so I decided that if it's okay I'll stay on my belly for a little while." Wallflower Blush gave a crooked smile, one spanking survivor to another, which Sunset Shimmer gladly shared. "Yeah, I slept on my belly last night. I guess you'll do that tonight too. I hope you're okay with the couch? The loft can't really fit two and I hear I roll around when I sleep." Wallflower Blush looked at her in confusion. "You want me to stay here?" "I don't want you to be alone tonight, that's all. You can stay, right?" Wallflower Blush's lower lip trembled a bit as she nodded. They ate a little late-evening snack, talked late into the night about anything and everything and made jokes about sunspots and blossoming wallflowers. During the night, Sunset Shimmer heard soft crying from the couch below. She climbed down and sat down next to Wallflower Blush. They held each other wordlessly for a long while before Wallflower Blush fell back asleep. Sunset Shimmer couldn't help but notice that the other girl hadn't stopped smiling throughout her tears. Author's Note Forgotten Friendship dealt with so many heavy topics that after writing Sunspots, it just wouldn't leave me alone. I started thinking, if Sunset was carrying so much guilt with her, then what would be going on inside Wallflower's head? Especially because unlike Sunset, she didn't get a whammy of the Orbital Correctional Laser like Sunset did, the magic only blowing up her stone. The Dazzlings sure didn't become any better people when their magic stones blew up, so what makes Wallflower different? Time taken: 6 hours to write, 1 hour to proofread and edit. Can I go to bed now? It's 4AM....
