In The Other Garden
Humming a tuneless melody to herself, Wallflower refilled the watering can. One more pass through the impatiens and then the whole greenhouse would be watered and done. That meant that Wallflower could spend the rest of the day doing other things - at least until five. Five was the start of the date and nothing was going to get higher on the list of things she wanted to do than that.
A dreamy sigh slipped from her lips as her thoughts danced through anticipation of that pending moment. A quiet dinner, a movie in and a soft blanket-wrapped couch for her and Sunset. Glamorous? No. But they'd already had some amazing memories cuddled under the orange and black blanket. Adding more was something Wallflower was looking forward to more than she could put to words.
Of course, her attention on that meant it wasn't on the flowers - and Wallflower cursed as the watering can tipped too far and dumped out across several more delicate plants. Tossing the can aside, she bent down to try and save one of the orchids from drowning.
As she bent, she caught a hint of movement out of the corner of her eye - something behind her. Wallflower tried to stand, body awkwardly scrambling as the signals that said 'down' crossed with those that said 'up'.
Then all of them agreed on 'pain' as the watering can collided with the back of her head and the world became nothing but bright stars and dark blurs.
Conventional wisdom told Wallflower that she should have blacked out from being hit over the head. Reality said different - she'd been conscious the entire time. Coherent was a different matter and capable of action was a distant concept at best, but she was one hundred percent certain she was aware the entire time it took for her to be tied up and dragged away.
Both parts were also obvious as she regained her senses: the chafing rope around her wrists, ankles, knees and (distressingly but not unfamiliarly) neck were impossible to miss, and no amount of thick sweater could fully cushion being dragged across a hundred-plus yards of concrete and gravel.
At least she knew where she was - Wallflower wasn't used to being on the floor of it, but the scent of fertilizer confirmed her blurry vision that she was in the tool shed for Canterlot High's gardening club. Whoever had grabbed her must have known it was a good place to hide - after all, aside from the janitor, Wallflower was the only one who had the key.
'Who' was answered in short order, as well. There wasn't much light in the shed, but it was enough for Wallflower to recognize her own out-of-focus face staring at her.
Irrational explanations rattled through Wallflower's skull. There was no sane reason for her being kidnapped by herself, so only insane alternatives existed. Aliens? Clone? A government black ops project to infiltrate Sunset's friends and spy on them?
The other Wallflower frowned as she stared at her captive. "Are you awake? I've never tried to knock anypony out before, so, uh..."
Ah. There was a rational explanation - this was her extradimensional magic horse self. Of course.
The horse-Wallflower leaned closer in. She tilted her head first left - then right. "I think you've got a concussion, but your eyes are tracking me so I guess you're awake. Can you understand what I'm saying?"
"I don't understand what's happening." Wallflower's tongue felt thick in her mouth - she grimaced as she accidentally bit it on the last syllable.
"Not what I asked. And... it's better that you don't." The other Wallflower stood up, turning to leave. But she stopped again even as her hand raised to the door's handle. "Actually? It's better that you don't know, but I don't want better for you."
The free Wallflower turned back and squatted down again in front of her prey, voice rumbling like the forward edge of a stormcloud. "I want you to understand what's going on, and I think you understand exactly why I want you to. Because we're the same pony."
"Person," Wallflower reflexively corrected.
Rage flashed through the other Wallflower's eyes. Her hand darted out, grabbing hold of the captive's jaw and wrenching her head to the side. For a few furious moments, she held Wallflower's head against the shed's splintery wall. Even when she relented and let go, it was with a spiteful shove. "We're the same," she reiterated. "Quiet. Invisible. Worthless. We could vanish tomorrow and we wouldn't be missed. And you've thought about it, haven't you?"
A flash of guilt soured Wallflower's stomach. Those accusing words weren't wrong and she knew it: there had been moments like that. Days. Weeks, honestly. Dark moments as she fell asleep hoping to not wake up, or the shame of throwing away every short-sleeved shirt she could never wear again.
But those moments weren't alone. Her memories fought back - the darkness clashed with Pinkie Pie throwing Wallflower's first birthday party in years. Quiet walks in the woods with Fluttershy and Rarity measuring her for a new outfit without a hint of judgement at what was under the sweater. And, of course, Sunset. Holding hands and quiet meals in and long, soft hugs. Moment after glorious moment that warmed Wallflower from her core.
So she locked eyes with her captor, chin high. "Not anymore."
The other Wallflower sneered. "Yeah. That's why we're here. You were in Princess Twilight's book."
Wallflower blinked uncomprehendingly, her defiance derailed. "What?"
"Princess Twilight wrote a book," the Equestrian elaborated with the slow tone of a parent to a particularly dense child. "She talked about all of the adventures she and her friends had, so she could teach everypony the lessons in friendship they'd learned. And in that book, she talked about Sunset Shimmer. And Sunset talked about you." A pause. "About me." Another. "About us." She spat the final word with rank bile.
"So you wanted to meet," ventured the captive Wallflower.
And the pony one shook her head. "Maybe at first. But it wouldn't have helped. There's no Sunset Shimmer in my world to save me. I'm nopony and I'll never be anything but that. But you got saved from it. And you're me."
Ice shot up Wallflower's spine as she began to comprehend. "But... you could? Sunset gave me the strength to do it, but I had to work for it, too. You could just--"
Her captor snorted. "Just what? Smile more? Should I stop being so sad? Maybe if I tried harder I'd just be loved?"
Each verbal blow made Wallflower flinch.
But the pony didn't let up. Her anger and her gorge rose. "Or how about that I should snap out of it? After all, other ponies have it worse than me! It's just in my head." Her unfamiliar teeth curled to a snarl as she leaned over her cowering mirror image.
Panting for breath, she fell to silence. And slowly, Wallflower uncurled herself as the barrage stopped.
"I can't do it," the Equestrian finally continued after her temper cooled again. "I don't have somepony to save me from myself like you did. But you're also right - I can save me."
"By becoming me." Wallflower tugged at her bonds as the desperation of her situation sank in.
Her captor nodded. "If I have to choose one of us, I pick me. So you--" She paused to give the captive Wallflower a small shove, toppling her sideways to the floor. "--get to stay here while I take over your life. The one that should have been mine. After all, Sunset Shimmer's from Equestria. It wasn't supposed to be you she saved - it was supposed to be me. It should have been me."
Wallflower thrashed harder, straining against the ropes. Unsuccessfully, of course - tying a knot that wouldn't give any slack was just one of those bits of darker knowledge that lurked in her mind. The ropes were well tied, and every pull to get breathing room on her wrists or ankles took it away from the loop around her throat.
"That's why I want you to know, Wallflower." Leaning in, the captor grabbed Wallflower by the hair. Twisting her head, she forced the two pairs of cocoa-brown eyes to meet again. "I want you to lay here and know that I'm taking back the life you stole from me. Because I know how much it hurt to find out about your life - about how you got everything I ever wanted. And I want you to know what it feels like to see somepony with your face be gifted everything you ever wished for. In the end, you won't be angry about it. You'll just hate yourself more for letting me take it."
The captor released Wallflower and stepped away. From the floor, Wallflower looked up at her own back as her other self went to the door. "What are you doing to do with me?" She threw the question out wildly, trying to buy time to think and escape.
For just a moment, the Equestrian hesitated. "Leave you here, for now." Her answer was uncertain - and pointedly short-term. "I might need some information from you. I'm not going to let myself screw this up." She paused again, taking a deep breath to puff her chest and square her shoulders. "Meanwhile, I've got a date to go on."
"Wait!" Wallflower squirmed. "How do you know that? There's no way Twilight wrote about that! Sunset and I only planned it yesterday!"
Hand on the door handle, the Equestrian Wallflower turned back. A sharp shark's smile crossed her lips. "She didn't. I've been watching you for days, Wallflower. That's how I knew you're the only one with a key to this shed and that you'd be alone in the greenhouse. You just never noticed. And why would you?" All the hate Wallflower felt for herself - and for her other self - dripped from her voice. "You got what you wanted. Why would you notice someone invisible like me?"
Then she was out the door - and it locked solidly behind her.
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This is one of the most creative takes I've seen on Wallflower's myriad of internal issues. I don't even know what to say right now, just... Damn son. Is good.
And the way you subtly weaved her past struggles re: short sleeves shirts, knots, etc was super well done. Truly an excellent and unsettling story all around 👏
Warped and spooky, but most disturbing of all is how much sense the logic makes in context.
I particularly like the “lady or tiger” ending.
Seems someone got hoist by her own petard...
What a gut-wrenching spin on the old evil twin trope.
And... no tragedy tag. Wouldn’t have read it if that had been there.
10452808
Ooh. Right. Thanks for reminding me! I was worried that this was gonna be a Kill And Replace sitch.
Well, I'm gonna follow this.
Nice, creepy story, TCC56!
I wonder if there'll be a revelation that people do notice Pony!Wallflower, because people are gonna look for her...
Wait, this is Complete...
10452842
Hence the downvote.
10452842
10452894
It's complete.
For the contest.
Like Cleaved before it, I may do a bonus chapter later on to follow-up the scene as it stands. But what's here is what I want to put into the contest - it covers the story-moment I wanted to present.
10452842
10452894
10452898
Even if Ponyflower say's her copy is the only one with the key, the other members of the gardening club will want to enter the shed at some point. She also didn't gag her, a couple of screams in the morning will catch attention and make discovery easier.
Ponyflower is really bad at kidnapping.
And more importantly, you may look the same, but you ceirtanly don't feel the same. And Sunset, empathy incarnated, will know that something's off, and a quick mind-check will blow the cover completly.
And when that happens, Ponyflower will be an excelent addition to the statues in Celestia's garden. Or its soil.
10452908
Yes, for the reasons you note as well as others.
Well, someone is going to need an awful lot of therapy after this....
So many hyphens and not a dash to be found.
Moments before she goes to
meethave a date with that very same pony.Well played. Not just this line, the whole concept at play here.
I'm slightly disappointed that there isn't more; I'd think it wouldn't take long for a conclusion of some sort to be possible, given that it appears pony-Wallflower's plans will unravel rapidly. On the other hand, I can see why you'd want to stop it here for the very same reason.
I do love this setting.
Yeah, baggy sweaters carry some unfortunate implications.
The human world making its way into the published Friendship Journal is a truly fascinating concept. What would most ponies think of such a revelation? Especially the ones who'd known Sunset?
I honestly quite like how the loose ends—human Wallflower left ungagged, the pony's continued use of Equestrian diction, Sunset's powers, etc.—leave some hope without spelling anything out. Much like the ending circumstances, this seems like all hope is lost, but calm contemplation shows a number of possibilities to consider. Wonderful snapshot of some terrible circumstances. Best of luck in the judging.
10453665
Is that from where all the 'Wallflower secretly cuts herself' stuff comes from?
My feeling exactly, I confess.
10453805
<_<
>_>
10453988
Hahaha, adorable as ever.
I'm aware of your work, but a lot of people (that write/reads about Wally) seem to agree that she does, so I wondered if there was an actual canon hint to it.
10453805
waves wildly at all the Scampy
But more directly: while the show (for obvious reasons) can't/won't address it? Wallflower is extremely strongly coded to fit the mold of a teen struggling with depression issues. It's a common problem, she fits it very closely and the secondary/tertiary behaviors of depression are usually hidden or disguised in ways that Wallflower demonstrates.
It helps that Wallflower is one of a very narrow slice of characters in popular media (and basically the only in the over-arching MLP canon) who visibly wrestles with said issues, so those who deal with that latch on to her. Even beyond that, it creates an avenue to deal with a serious and important subject that's often ignored through a character that can do it without being pulled out-of-character.
Is some of it projection? Yeah, maybe. But it also fits her - after all, this is a girl who's song literally ends with "Won't be long before I'm gone".
10454006
I can totally agree with that. It's one of the reasons I really like the character (the long messy hair also makes her adorable) and relate to her personally.
And yeah, proyecting happens, I actually did it with Chrysalis insanity on one of my stories, and I do have some moments of my life I can easily mold into Wally and remain in character.
It was the comment of the sweater that actually brought up the question, as I don't really know if that is a signal (my ex had cut herself but didn't hide it).
I do find the topic uncomfortable since I had the impulse to cut or hurt myself before. I almost didn't read the story when someone mentioned it in the comments, but I gave it a try and enjoyed it.
Hope you do something more with this later and good luck in the contest.
Ha
Welp, you've managed to take Wallflower - a character whose very nature is that she hates herself - lashing out at someone else, and you've made it work. Because even though she's lashing out at someone else, really she's still lashing out at herself. Well played.
You play off the pair's shared history brilliantly as well, from evil Wallflower explaining her plan out of sheer spite ("I don't want what's best for you [...] and I think you know why") to the dark moments they both knew that they shared, working them into a conversation without needing explanation.
Add to that some lovely, subtle hints of those darker moments - expertise in knot-tying, mention of short sleeves and all - and this turns out to be quite a lot deeper than your average evil twin clone story. Different and thoroughly enjoyable!
I'm really surprised no one wrote this before. This is a genius idea, especially for the Ponidox contest. When you consider that Wallflower's defining characteristic from Forgotten Friendship is that she hates herself above anyone else—even more than Sunset—destroying her own life, even in another form, makes a ton of sense.
Lot of great tension in here. The subtle hints with the sweater and the knots were great touches. I know there's a sequel (and I'm reading that in a sec), but I would be surprised if Fake Wallflower actually succeeded in her endeavors. Even without the geode, Sunset is too observant.
10453805
I never thought that Wallflower cut herself. I assumed the baggy sweater was because she was too poor to afford anything better. Same with the rest of her outfit.
Ho, shit! :D
This is painfully short. How dare you just end the story there!