A Bright Night

Sunset wasn’t so sure if Wallflower was sure. Her girlfriend was practically shaking as she stood in front of the statue at Canterlot High School, as she stared at the statue as if expecting it to come to life.

“Is it safe to go through?” Wallflower asked Sunset, a bit of the shakiness making its way into her voice, but surprisingly not as much as Sunset had expected it to.

“Definitely. The biggest side-effect is that it is a bit dizzying going through. I’ve been through it before several times, and ponies from the other side have come out of this side fine too.” Sunset gave a reassuring smile. “I can go in first and then come back out if it helps?”

For a few moments, Wallflower seemed to consider it before shaking her head. “No. I’ll be fine… can we hold hands going through though?”

“Of course,” Sunset said warmly, reaching out and grasping Wallflower’s hand.

Wallflower took a deep breath before nodding. “I’m ready.”

Sunset couldn’t help but grin at Wallflower, before taking a step forward and into the portal, grasping onto her girlfriend’s hand for as she long as she could. The familiar, almost sickening, sensation of the portal was expected, but it still made her head swirl as she came through, one foreleg flailing forward - and the other wrapped around a light green foreleg.

But she didn’t have a chance to turn towards Wallflower before tumbling down, being dragged down by her girlfriend’s weight as she fell onto the ground, letting out a small yelp as her horn banged onto the ground. Groaning, Sunset closed her eyes trying to ignore the ringing pain now going through her skull.

“Oh my stars! Are you two alright?” Sunset winced slightly, hearing a voice - but not the one that she actually thought she’d be hearing upon coming into the portal. “Rarity?” Opening one turquoise eye, she found herself looking up at another unicorn mare - one with white fur and deep purple mane, confirming that she had indeed heard right.

“Indeed, that is my name,” Rarity said with a small reserved smile, as she raised a hoof towards Sunset. “And I suppose you are one Sunset Shimmer? Twilight told me all about you.”

“She did, huh?” Probably both good and bad, though Sunset secretly hoped for mostly good. Taking Rarity’s hoof, Sunset slowly wobbled to all four hooves a bit unsteadily. After getting her bearings - and ignoring the slight headache that was already waning - Sunset turned to look at the mare on the ground beside her.

Immediately, it felt like Sunset’s senses had once again left her. But this time, it was not because of a painful tumble, but instead because of the sight she was beholding. A light green mare with a dark green mane - that was Wallflower. Wallflower, who was not only cute by human standards - but by pony standards, even more. She was beautiful, even tumbled on the ground and looking quite disoriented.

“And, by guessing by your expression, this must be Wallflower Blush.” Sunset’s staring was interrupted by Rarity’s comment and knowing smile, causing Sunset to feel her face warm up slightly - thankful that at least in the pony world, it was hidden by fur more easily.

“Are you okay, Wally?” Sunset said, ignoring Rarity for a moment to focus on Wallflower, sitting down to get closer to the ground next to her. The first step before walking would have to be sitting for sure. Carefully moving her hooves in order to not potentially injure her girlfriend the first few minutes into this new world, she helped Wallflower to get into a sitting position.

“I think so?” Wallflower didn’t seem to be panicking - a good thing, thus far, but something that Sunset was still looking out for. She knew her girlfriend could get anxious at times, and Sunset would be here to comfort her if she needed it.

Wallflower slowly raised one front hoof than another - before looking over at Rarity, giving her a very strange look before looking at Sunset. The amazement on her face was clear, before she blinked and raised a hoof up to her forehead. “Am I a unicorn… or… oh!” For a moment, she suddenly lowered her hooves, almost flailing them. “I’m naked! You’re naked- This is so weird.” She said, shivering slightly despite Sunset knowing that her fur must be keeping her warm.

Opening her mouth, Sunset turned towards Rarity who quick raised a hoof to hush her. “I got it, my dears. Twilight brought me here specifically because she warned me about this,” Her horn lit up in a blue aura, before two blankets were levitated over to them both - one wrapping around Wallflower and one wrapping around Sunset, who gave a grateful smile at Rarity in response.

“I was wondering why Twilight had you over here instead of greeting us first.” Sunset said shaking her head.

“Well, naturally! As Twilight’s best friend, and the designer of both her ensemble and your own, I had to do my part. Especially for those who appreciate clothes much more than ponies do normally.” Rarity said, with a soft smile, before looking at Wallflower. “Now, dear, is it alright if I take some measurements?”

“Measurements…?” Wallflower said uncertainty. After having been given the blanket, she nearly clung to it as if it was a lifeline with her hooves.

“For your dresses. I had to make some generalized guesses to get started, but I still need to do the finishing touches on your dresses. It will only take but a second and then I’ll leave you alone to adjust.” Rarity said, a reassuring smile on her face. Wallflower hesitated for another moment before confirming with a nod. Immediately, measuring tape levitated forward, measuring front and back limbs, and waist carefully, before doing the same with Sunset.

“Thanks Rarity. Um, I could pay you back later… don’t have any bits on me clearly right now, but I’m sure I can get some out of my Canterlot account at some later time.” Assuming her bank accounts even still existed. Sunset could only hope that was the case.

“Nonsense!” Rarity said waving a hoof slightly. “No fee required, and I won’t hear another word of it! And neither will Twilight I’ve heard,” she continued. “She’ll be giving you and Wallflower a bag of bits each to make the night worthwhile.”

“Oh, she doesn’t have to do that…” Sunset frowned slightly.

“Darling, I’ll love to see you try and talk her out of it. She’s learned from the best.” Rarity said, fluttering her eyelashes for a second before leaving the room. “I’ll leave you to it for now! Twilight will be by shortly.”

With that out of the way, it just left Wallflower and her alone. “So, besides waking up naked, how are you doing?” Sunset said, now turning towards Wallflower with a small grin.

“Not funny. This is very weird,” Wallflower said with a huff, hugging the blanket even closer. Though she did shift over closer to Sunset as she did.

“I can imagine. It was weird when I was a human for the first time. As you can imagine.” The awkwardness of having to relive that moment in front of her friends and girlfriend would forever be burned into Sunset’s memory. “I didn’t even know what humans were when I went through… at least ponies are somewhat similar to horses. Except for being multi-colored and for the whole magic and flying thing.”

“Right,” Wallflower said with a sigh before smiling. “Plus, I have you here. Which I imagine makes all the difference.” Sunset couldn’t help but feel a bit touched by those words, grinning slightly while leaning towards her girlfriend. Or, in this particular case, marefriend. “So… I’m not a unicorn or a pegasus. What am I?”

“Oh, right.” Sunset said, now looking over what she could see of Wallflower that wasn’t covered by the blue blanket. “You’re an earth pony.”

“Meaning…?”

“You have a kind of different magic. More connected with the earth and stuff. Which, considering your affinity for plants, makes sense,” Sunset said, rubbing a hoof beneath her chin for a moment before letting out a small gasp. “Oh! Oh, what’s your cutiemark?”

“My what?” Wallflower blinked.

“It’s a mark on your thigh - like mine-” Sunset uncovered herself just slightly, causing Wallflower to gasp slightly and look away - and presumably blush underneath her green fur.

“Sunset!” Wallflower squeaked out slightly in protest, trying to avert her eyes at the crystal walls or bookshelves - mainly anything else from Sunset at the moment.

“Oh come on, you can’t see anything. Plus you’re going to have to get used to being able to see these. Even though we’re going to be dressed, most of Equestria doesn’t wear clothes - not to mention, even the outfits we do wear don’t conceal our marks most of the time.” Sunset said reassuringly. “Plus, the least embarrassing thing would probably be looking upon me rather than anyone else.”

“Sunset…” Wallflower said again, a bit of a whine in her voice, and Sunset let out a small chuckle at that.

“Sorry. But you know it’s true.”

Wallflower let out a small huff, before turning towards Sunset. “Fine.” With a quick look, Wallflower glanced at Sunset’s flank out of the corner of her eyes, before seemingly getting more used to the sight and looking at it head on. “It’s like that symbol you tend to use on your clothes…”

“Yeah, it is. It’s meant to represent my affinity for both fire and specifically sun-based magic,” Sunset explained.

“You can use that kind of magic here…?” Wallflower said, and Sunset couldn’t miss the bit of awe in her voice - alongside something else that Sunset couldn’t pinpoint straight away.

“Yep,” Sunset said, with a shrug. “But.. it’s not that big of a deal. I haven’t used that sort of magic in so long I’m sure that I’m quite out of practice. When I first came back here I kind of forgot how to levitate things or pick things up in my hooves for a good few minutes,” Sunset said with a nervous chuckle.

“It must be hard… living with a hand in each world.” Wallflower said, now glancing at the many shelves of books that stretched around them.

“Not really. While I love Equestria, and the few friends I have in it, it’s Everton that’s my home, you know?” Sunset said with a chuckle, before grinning. “Plus, I don't know what I’d do without you.”

That got a smile out of Wallflower at least, before she started to hesitantly move her blanket. “Well.. I guess we could take a look at my cutiemark then. Just to see what it is,” she said softly, pulling the blanket up to take a look at it. Sunset also peered down at it curiously. It was almost what Sunset expected for it to be for: or at least, a picture of something similar. A simple brown pot with a white tulip hanging out of it.

“That fits,” Sunset said with a small chuckle. “Not surprising at all that my wonderful girlfriend with a talent for gardening would earn a cutie mark for such, huh?”

“Yeah, suppose it does fit,” Wallflower said thoughtfully before lovering the blanket down a second later. “... So. How does one. Um. Walk as a pony?”

Sunset let out a small laugh at that, shifting her blanket to rest on her back as she got up. “Come on. I’ll show you.”