Spring Forward, Fall Back, the Sum of a Win
Sunset Shimmer couldn’t believe it. After what seemed to be forever, she and her friends were going to be graduating from Canterlot High. As she sat and waited for her name to be called so she could get her certificate, she thought back to her first time at Canterlot High…
To think that she used to be such a bully… To think that she wouldn’t have been able to make friends by just being a nice person… To think that she would be the hero of this world when she almost conquered it before…
As she got up and went for her certificate, she began to think about all the times she went on adventures with her friends and stopped people from using Equestrian magic for evil… To which she then thought as she got her scroll…
What is she going to do with her life when all those adventures and battles are behind her?
Summer wasn’t the time for Sunset to fret about it though. Not when the weather is nice out and the beaches were open. She went out with her friends to the beach, dressed in, admittedly, attractive swimsuits.
Though, none have taken Sunset’s gaze quite like Wallflower Blush’s. Yes, it was a plain gray compared to some of the other elaborate swimsuits, but it fitted Wallflower like a glove… Maybe a little too tightly, though the swimsuit made Wallflower’s features stand out more.
Sunset never thought that she’d be attracted to someone of the same sex, but Wallflower’s adorkable attitude and meek demeanour struck a chord with Sunset that she hadn’t felt before. Amidst the playful splashing of water with the other girls and swimming, Sunset took the time to seek Wallflower out and talk with her.
“Hey, Wallflower… You look really nice in that swimsuit.” Sunset said.
“R-really?” Whenever Wallflower blushed, Sunset was reminded of a watermelon, as her green skin turned red and made the freckles on her face look like seeds.
“Yeah. Don’t be so shy!” Sunset went over to pat Wallflower on the back with a soft chuckle. Wallflower gave a smile before it faded to a frown.
“Thanks… Though… seeing you here at the beach reminded me…” Sunset knew what she was going to say. She was going to bring up how Sunset noticed her friends suddenly forgetting the good things about her. It was time again. It always happens like this. Wallflower would be reminded of what she did, and then… “I’m sorry about what happened…” It had been about two years since she began apologizing for the very same incident.
This was an annoying part for Sunset as she tried to hide her groans. Two years spent saying “sorry” over what amounted to a day or two’s worth of inconvenience. Not even Apple Bloom was this apologetic and Sunset considered her actions to be the most psychologically scarring of the two.
“I told you this before… It’s okay. How much longer are you going to regret this?” Sunset asked. Wallflower said nothing, then shook her head. She then went to get her bag that laid on a large mass of beach towels.
“I… don’t think I will regret for much longer. I don’t want to be stuck in the past.” Wallflower took out something from the bag, then approached Sunset. “I… want to focus on the future.” She kept whatever it was held tightly in her hands. Sunset had no idea what it was, though, as soon as Wallflower went on one knee, her heart rose to the bottom of her throat. “Sunset Shimmer… I… want my future to be with you, so…” To confirm Sunset’s thoughts, Wallflower held out a small box, then opened it up, revealing a diamond ring. “Will you marry me?” She asked.
Sunset held her mouth as her eyes watered. She didn’t even need to say it. Wallflower just knew. The two held each other tightly as the ring fell out of the box and onto the sand. Their ecstatic squeals of glee alerted the other girls.
“Hold up! Did something happen? Is there some Equestrian magic we have to handle?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“No… Wallflower and I… We’re getting married!” As Sunset said that, the girls also shared their glee-filled screams. They were so busy hopping around and smiling that they accidentally buried the engagement ring. Though, afterwards…
“Wait… where is the ring?” Wallflower asked. Out of the sand crawled out a crab that held it with its pincer and proceeded to walk away.
“H-hey! Wait! Come back!” Fluttershy chased after it, trying to get her geode from her full-body swimsuit as the rest of the girls laughed.
By Fall, most of the wedding plans were made. Sunset was lucky to have friends like Applejack and Rarity, as they managed to reduce the cost of the wedding down to a few hundred bucks, something she and Wallflower were able to spend with a little bit of saving. Applejack handled the catering; Rarity handled the dresses and Pinkie Pie planned out the reception. Spike was made the ring bearer, Fluttershy was made Sunset’s bridesmaid, and Twilight Sparkle was the overall wedding planner.
However, the role of best man was something Sunset and Wallflower struggled to figure out. Roseluck and Derpy would be Wallflower’s bridesmaids, but she didn’t have much friends outside of Sunset’s social circle, which left it up to her to determine the best man. There were a few choices to be made, but she vetoed Timber Spruce mostly due to how he was closer to Twilight than he was to her or Wallflower. Trixie was another hard no. In spite of the temporary team up to find out what was the cause of the memory loss, Trixie still considered Sunset a ‘rival’ and went off to a far-away college to assist in a developing study on magic.
She initially chose Flash Sentry, though he was mostly in the dark about the whole thing. Like most other students who graduated CHS, most of Sunset’s friends, Flash included, were accepted into Canterlot College, a college made by graduated alumni of CHS for advanced learning. Twilight was one of the few who didn’t join, instead heading to Everton under the belief that she was now ready for it.
After a class from Professor Stygian on science, Sunset approached Flash Sentry as he was about to head to his dorm.
“Hey, Flash. There was something I wanted to ask of you.” Sunset said.
“Huh, long time no see.” Flash chuckled and scratched the back of his head. Sunset had an awkward chuckle.
“So… I… I’m getting married… And I’m looking for a best man.” Sunset said.
“Wait… Doesn’t the groom look for one?” Flash asked. Sunset knew that, while he was keeping a smile on, it was a fragile mask that everyone could see but were too afraid to touch, especially after the Twilight in Equestria focused more on her princess duties and broke things off with him.
“Well, let’s just say she isn’t a groom…” Flash took a while to get what she meant. Which then led to him asking the question she asked herself.
“Aren’t you into guys?” Although, not as ignorantly worded as that.
“I still am, just that I found an interest in Wallflower.” Sunset said.
“Ooooh, the gardener. I just thought you two were good friends.” Flash shrugged. Sunset struggled not to roll her eyes. It became somewhat obvious that Wallflower and her were a couple by the start of their last semester. Still, it’s this sort of denseness from Flash that made him adorable.
“Regardless, I… want to ask if you could be my best man. After all, you were my first.” Sunset said. Flash took a moment to ponder, then shook his head.
“I think that role belongs to someone more deserving. We may have dated, yeah, but that’s a long time ago. We both changed in that time. You became a much nicer person and I learned to appreciate what I have. I shouldn’t be the one to represent the new you.” Flash patted Sunset on the shoulder. “It should be someone as fiercely loyal to her friends as you.” Sunset already knew who to pick.
“Thanks, Flash. And… Sorry about Twilight…” She muttered. He talked big of change yet he still had that mask on like it was a band aid.
“I moved on from that… It’s… funny but, you know Derpy from Home Ec?” Flash asked.
“… No… Way!” Sunset’s eyes widened. Derpy was a rather aloof and kooky kind of girl. None would have expected her to bag such a hunk like Flash. “H-how?!” Sunset asked.
“Well, it started as pity and, before we knew it… It sparked into something brighter.” Flash shrugged.
“I guess I’ll be seeing you at the wedding after all…” Sunset smiled. Flash gave her a smile as well. The two gave each other an embrace. Not too long, but not too short either… Rather, a mutual sharing of the same thought: ‘I loved you, but now we must move on’. After that, they let go, and departed…
Winter had arrived and most of the preparations were complete for a spring wedding. Rainbow Dash was made the best man and helped the wedding planning go smoothly. By the time the holidays rolled around, people were going to their families. Sunset, however, had no family to bond with, and so it seemed only natural that, if she’d to be married to Wallflower, then she should meet her future in-law.
Sunset hesitated with meeting her soon-to-be-mother-in-law, however. In the back of her head, a lingering doubt danced around.
“She’s not going to like you.”
“She thinks you’re not good enough…”
“She’ll say that you should have been a man…”
The last one stung her the most. Wallflower has mentioned her to her mom, but there’s still that feeling that she’ll resent her simply because of their unorthodox pairing.
But, like how she ripped off Flash’s mask, she too must rip this band-aid off.
The house was alright, to say the least. Though the snow covered most of the lawn, Sunset noticed how well kept the tree is with lights delicately strewn around it. The interior was lavishly well done with velvety red cloth and earthen brown wall paint complimenting the house. Sunset gave a smile. Well, she knew where Wallflower got her arranging skills from.
It seemed they arrived just in time where the arrangements were at their top pique. Even though the dinner was just for the three of them, there was a long table that stretched across the dining room, a red cloth laid over it and its centerpiece was a large roast chicken. Sunset had seen rotisserie chickens before in supermarkets, but this was about twice or even thrice the size. Surrounding it were bowls of mashed potatoes, cold slaw, corn, macaroni, and, of course, gravy.
“Woah…” Sunset almost forgot about her worries and marveled at the brown coloring of the chicken, its skin crispy enough that you could pull it off and leave the meat intact.
“Ah, good evening, Wallflower… And, I assume this is Sunset Shimmer. You really do look like your name!” Sunset saw Wallflower’s mom, and she definitely had Wallflower’s plant-colored skin. The only difference was her hair. Wallflower’s looked more like a long, untamed bush that, even after she became more social, was something she never took care of. By contrast, her mom’s hair was straight, falling down like a waterfall, and was a bright ruby red.
“And you must be Mrs. Blush.” Sunset said.
“Oh, the name’s Ivy Honey. Please, sit yourself down.” She said. Sunset and Wallflower sat next to each other and, for the next while, the three ate food. Despite the large portions, it was evenly divided among the three, with leftovers being reserved for later consumption. Just as they were finished food, Sunset and Wallflower gave an awkward glance. No matter what Sunset thinks Ivy was gonna say, she had to at the very least get her approval.
“… Mrs. Honey… I… We would be honored if you approved our marriage…” Sunset smiled, though she gritted her teeth and prepared for the remarks…
“I’ve approved it long ago.” Sunset’s jaw loosened as Ivy continued to speak. “Sunset, there’s something you need to understand. Wallflower’s life was empty before you came along. She has said nothing but great things about you and her overall attitude had improved since she met you. So long as you continue being that ray of light in her life, you will always have my approval.” As she said that, Sunset sighed in relief.
“Oh, thank you. For a moment I thought-”
“I wouldn’t approve of my daughter dating a woman? No offense, Wallflower, but I’d rather have you with someone rather than no one.” Ivy gave a rather deadpan glance before the trio burst out into laughter.
Finally, Spring had sprung. The wedding was to begin shortly and was to be held outside by the park, as it was a gorgeous day. It was hard to figure out who would be going down the aisle, though it was ultimately decided that, as the newcomer, Wallflower would be the one. Sunset looked to the altar and her friends with a rather bittersweet, yet optimistic smile. Turned out it wasn’t just Twilight who will be leaving the group.
Applejack had begun to devote more time to her farm, Rainbow Dash got a scholarship at a prestige athletic academy, Rarity’s fashion had impressed a model and she began to go on tour with her, Fluttershy had made plans to open up an animal shelter out of town, and Pinkie Pie had decided to forgo college and open her own party-throwing business.
Despite almost an entire year passing… Sunset never thought about her life after graduation. She attended college, yes, but there was no end goal outside of getting a diploma in a random subject and be done with it. What exactly does she want with her life?
She thought back to when she was evil. To when she was driven to achieve something. Just to see what sort of goal she could borrow from her past… The closest thing she had thought of was powerful magic, and she’s learned in the past that she already has the most powerful magic of all. So… what else? What else is there to achieve?
The wedding march played as the flower girl, Cadance’s daughter Flurry Heart, spread petals throughout the carpet. Sunset turned to see her friends and family, even a few people she had briefly met during her time at CHS, sitting on the right side of the pews. The left side only had a few members of Wallflower’s family, minus Ivy Honey, who brought Wallflower towards Sunset.
Sunset mentally complimented Rarity’s handiwork in making Wallflower’s bridal dress expressive and vibrant, red flowers around her dress to make her look like a rose bush. Sunset’s own dress was also impressive, though plain in design with striking whites, pinks, and oranges, not unlike what she wore when she became Daydream Shimmer.
Ivy handed her daughter to Sunset Shimmer and, as the two held hands, Mayor Mare began to spout the usual speech that they would hear at weddings. Sunset lost focus and just stared into Wallflower’s cute face. Despite being gussied up for this event, her face looked as squishy as ever, as though nothing had changed from the first day that she met her. Though, that was something Sunset allowed in her books.
“I do.” Wallflower Blush unintentionally snapped Sunset Shimmer out of her distraction long enough to hear Mare ask her the usual of tending to Wallflower in sickness and in health ‘til death due them part. Sunset took a moment to find the answer that she knows was obvious. She thought about her life and where she would go from there… But… looking at Wallflower’s face… It became clear.
There shouldn’t be a major goal for her to achieve… She already was content with her life as it was. She learned friendship, helped better the community she lived with, and now is moments away from settling down with someone who she cared about. This… was the endgame for her. Now, all she had to do was say two words that would lock this ending in…
“I do.” She said.
“I now declare you wife and wife… You may kiss the bride.” Mayor Mare said. Something that they had been waiting to hear for a while. Sunset embraced Wallflower as they parted mouths. What happened next was something they just… let happen. They closed in, eyes closed, and connected their mouths. They held onto each other, hands brushing through hair as two years of romance flushed itself out for all to see. The people there either cheered, cried, or a little bit of both. What mattered to them, however, was each other…
Of course, there was the reception. Pinkie Pie managed to pull off a good party, with drinks galore and a large wedding cake that could feed every attendant twice over. Sunset had been blessed with many thanks and congratulations from her friends, but there was one that she was surprised with.
It started with Wallflower tossing the bouquet into the crowd. While Derpy accidentally caught it, she immediately handed it to Fluttershy.
“Well, I kinda don’t need it, really.” Derpy scratched the back of her head and stuck her tongue out in a playful manner. Fluttershy, and even Sunset at that, didn’t know what she meant, though as she held out her hand, Sunset noticed a diamond ring on her finger. Almost like they traveled back one year, the girls squealed in delight and congratulated Derpy on being engaged. A few didn’t believe that Flash was her fiancé now, though, Sunset knew.
She took him to the side and gave a small conversation.
“So, I guess you and Derpy are gonna get hitched.” Sunset said.
“Yeah. Seeing you with Wallflower, it made me realize how I needed to get my life together and not let her slip away like what happened with Twilight. So… I popped the question during the reception. I… didn’t know when it was a good time.” Flash said.
“That’s okay… It’s funny. If we went back in time and told our younger selves who we’d fall for, they would not believe us one bit.” Sunset chuckled.
“Yeah, though, given how my younger self went out with two horses-”
“Ponies…” Sunset’s chuckle turned into a light laugh.
“Heh, yeah… he might be open to anything…” Flash gave a smile. Sunset and Flash bumped fists before she went to dance with Wallflower. Wallflower gave her hand as the two began to slow dance.
“Any ideas for a honeymoon, Wallflower?” Sunset asked her.
“W-well, there was one idea I had, but… it might be odd…” Wallflower blushed and stammered.
“Take your time, honey.” Sunset gave a warm smile.
“Well, you know Mount Aris? The one you told me about from your tales of that other world? Well, I found a counterpart here near Camp Everfree. If you’d like, we can go there for a hike. I hear it’s lovely this time of year.” Wallflower said. Sunset simply nodded.
Starting from tonight, her life with Wallflower would officially begin…
