Starburst in Wonderland

Tiny Starburst flew among the grass both traumatized and seething over what happened earlier. “Anthea’s gonna get an earful from me when I get out of here,” she grumbled to herself. “Hot Head’s a horrible friend. What’s happened to everyone? Nightlight’s a rabbit, Lucky Star’s a dodo and Hot Head’s a lizard? Though, Hot Head might be a chameleon because of his colour. The only normal looking ponies I’ve seen so far are Prism Bolt and Icy Storm.” Starburst then took a look at herself. “How do I get back to my normal size?” she thought out loud. “If I could almost be barbequed in giant size, who knows what could happen to me in this size.” As Starburst was busy examining her tiny size, she sensed something flying past her. She immediately looked up to find a group of butterflies flying around. Starburst was always fond of butterflies, her fondness starting when she was about five years old during the times when Mrs. Fluttershy was her foal sitter. Mrs. Fluttershy would take Starburst out in the yard and they would both watch as butterflies made their migration during the spring. A smile came across Starburst’s face as she watched numbers and numbers of giant butterflies fly past her. She then became confused when she noticed something peculiar about the butterflies. These large butterflies had wings that looked like slices of bread with butter spread on them. “Those are some strange looking butterflies,” she thought out loud.

“Actually those are bread and butterflies, little filly,” said a female voice. Starburst yelped at the sound of the voice. She looked around finding no one but flowers. Slowly she hovered between the flowers. As she flew it began to register that the voice she heard sounded awfully familiar. She deduced that it was the voice of a member of the Apple Family who just happened to be the sole cherry harvester at Sweet Apple Acres. “Red June?” Starburst called out. “Red June, is that you?” All Starburst got in response was silence. She then glanced towards the rows of beautiful flowers. She began to wonder if perhaps the voice came from these flowers. “That’s ridiculous,” she said out loud shaking her head. “Flowers can’t talk.”

“We can talk if there’s someone worth talking to,” said a different female voice. Starburst let out another yelp at the sudden sound of the voice. “Who said that?” demanded the princess.

“We did, little filly,” said the familiar voice of Red June. Starburst let out a startled cry when she heard Red June right behind her. She spun around and standing behind her was a tiger lily. This tiger lily had red petals and towered over the tiny pegasus. The tiger lily bent down and Starburst’s jaw fell when she realized that it had the face of Red June herself. “Red June!” exclaimed Starburst. “You’re a…flower?”

“Why, yes,” said Red June/Tiger Lily. “I’m a Tiger lily to be exact, little filly.”

“Not you too,” groaned Starburst. “I’m not a filly, I’m seventeen!”

“I’ve never seen a seventeen before,” said a female voice behind Starburst. Starburst yelped and spun around to find a tall pink daisy, a lily and a rose. Their heads bent down revealing the faces of three mares Starburst recognized all too well. They were the mares who ran a flower store that sold all types of flowers. Their names were Daisy, Roseluck and Lily. Starburst would see these mares when she walked through the Ponyville market running their flower business and always getting overdramatic if one flower was bent or missing a petal. “Mrs. Daisy? Mrs. Roseluck? Mrs. Lily?” said Starburst in confusion.

“Have you ever heard of a flower called Seventeen?” said Daisy/Daisy Flower.

“Never!” said an astonished Roseluck/Rose.

“She’s probably a mutated freak of nature!” exclaimed Lily/Lily Flower as she held her face with leaves for front hooves. “The horror!”

“I think she’s pretty,” said a young filly’s voice. Starburst blushed at the compliment and found a small dandelion bud with the face of a little filly amongst a bed of dandelions looking at her with wide eyes and a smile. “She’s the most beautiful Seventeen Flower I’ve ever seen.”

“Well, not all flowers are the same,” said Red June/Tiger Lily. “She’s a unique flower and should be treated with respect.”

“I’m not a flower, Red June,” said Starburst. “I’m a pony just like you.”

“I’m not a pony,” replied Red June/Tiger Lily as she looked at Starburst in confusion. “I’m a flower just like everyone here.”

“But how?” said Starburst. “Earlier today you were an earth pony harvesting your cherries.”

“Cherries,” said Red June/Tiger Lily putting a leaf to her chin. “Yes, I’ll admit I do like cherries. In fact there’s a cherry tree not too far from here that protects all of us flowers from danger.”

“It barks like a dog,” said a Tulip that had the face of a mare. “That’s why the branches of cherry trees are called boughs.”

“But how is this possible?” said Starburst addressing all of them. “How could flowers have faces and talk?”

“Feel the ground and you’ll know why,” said Red June/Tiger Lily.

Starburst looked at Red June/Tiger Lily with furrowed eyebrows. The tiny pegasus then landed on the ground and spread her front hooves along the rich looking soil. “The ground’s pretty hard,” said Starburst. “What exactly am I supposed to feel?”

“In most gardens the beds are too soft,” said Red June/Tiger Lily. “That way the flowers are always asleep.”

“To me the way flowers sleep is when they close up at night,” said Starburst. “But I’m still confused as to how you flowers can talk so perfectly.”

“If she was a flower, she’d know the answer by now,” said Daisy/Daisy Flower scornfully.

“Well, I’m not a flower,” said Starburst growing irritated. “It should be obvious!”

“Aha! I knew it!” said Lily/Lily Flower pointing an accusatory leaf at Starburst.

“She was never a flower to start with,” said Roseluck/Rose looking at Starburst with dread. “The horror!”

“Now, ladies!” scolded Red June/Tiger Lily. “Don’t be rude!” Red June/Tiger Lily then bent lower to look at Starburst right in the eye. “Why don’t you tell all of us exactly what type of flower you are?” said Red June/Tiger Lily. “You should at least tell us what species of plant you are so it would clear up all the confusion.”

“Come on, Red June,” insisted Starburst. “I’m not a flower and I’m not a plant. You know me! I’m Starburst! Princess Starburst! I’m the daughter of Princess Twilight Sparkle, The Princess of Friendship!”

“Your mother’s a princess?” said Red June/Tiger Lily in confusion.

“Yes!” said an exasperated Starburst.

“Then her mother’s related to The Queen of Hearts,” said a Violet. “That means this flower’s The Queen of Heart’s granddaughter.”

“Then she’s come to take our heads off!” said Daisy/Daisy Flower turning pale. “The horror!”

“I’m not The Queen of Heart’s granddaughter!” said Starburst glaring at the Violet. “Who the heck is The Queen of Hearts anyway?”

“Let’s not change the subject,” said an Orchid. “We should really be asking ourselves how a flower could walk around like that. Not to mention with those scrawny stems she has.”

“And look at her petals,” said a Buttercup passing her leaves along Starburst’s coat making Starburst tremble with rage.

“Plus she has no fragrance,” said a group of Sunflowers scornfully.

“I AM NOT A FLOWER!” shouted Starburst as her face turned beet red.

“I knew it!” said the Violet. “She’s nothing but a disgusting Conyza Canadensis.”

“Oh no!” cried a group of White Roses.

Starburst stared at the Violet confused at the fancy word she used. “I’m a what?” said Starburst.

“To put it bluntly,” began the Tulip “a weed!”

“The horror!” said Daisy/Daisy Flower, Lily/Lily Flower, Roseluck/Rose in unison. They all then flopped to the ground in what could be described as a faint.

“I’m not a weed!” said a fuming Starburst.

“Well, of course she’d deny it!” said a Dandelion scornfully.

“Everyone, please!” begged Red June/Tiger Lily trying to diffuse the situation. The flowers started to shove Starburst away. They all heckled the young princess as she began to fly away. Starburst flew among another group of violets who swatted her causing her to fall amongst some carnation buds. “Go!” said the carnation buds in unison. “We don’t want weeds in our garden!” The carnation buds pushed Starburst off causing her to tumble across the ground. Starburst struggled to her hooves and stared daggers at the flowers who continued to heckle her. “You know, ponies eat flowers!” she called out shaking a front hoof. “If I was my right size I’d bite all your heads off!” Without warning two white tulips dunked water on Starburst causing her to float away down a path far away from the flowers. She stopped among some tall grass, hacking and sputtering out water. Starburst then rose off the ground and shook off water. “Mr. Big Macintosh and Mrs. Cheerilee are gonna hear about this,” she growled as she stomped away.