//------------------------------// // The New Wing // Story: Wallflower's Bud // by Shadowmane PX-41 //------------------------------// The shrill blaring of an alarm clock was quick to wake Wallflower and Smolder up the next day. The sunlight streaking down both of their faces was an accompaniment to that as they shuffled out of their beds. Wallflower made quick her morning routine, systematically getting her shower with a spritzing of deodorant afterwards, followed by brushing her teeth, combing her hair, and then going to get her clothes. Meanwhile, as she did that, Smolder just clambered up onto her bed and waited for her, panting excitedly for the day ahead. With both of the girls ready to make their move, Wallflower picked up her phone. No sooner had she put it into her pocket that it started to buzz. As quickly as she had put it in, Wallflower fished it out and looked at her message. The following could be seen in the app. "Hey, Wallflower! How's it hanging?" A text message covered with emoticons and a pink, candy-like speech bubble said. It didn't take Wallflower long to deduce that the message was sent by none other than Pinkie Pie. "Didja have a super-duper good night's sleep last night? I hope so, because we've got a long day ahead of us! We've gotta open up this new pet wing and get all the students hyped up!" Wallflower chuckled to herself as she turned her phone off and arrived at the kitchen, where Fuchsia was already standing making her own morning meal. "Hi, sis!" She gave her a wave as she went for a cupboard to fetch a small cereal bowl. "Hey, Wallflower. You look perky today." Fuchsia flashed Wallflower a grin as she poured some cereal into her bowl, then went over to fix up Smolder's breakfast. "Especially after what happened last night and all..." "Yeah. Sunset Shimmer and her friends pulled a lot of strings with me last night to get this little pet project of mine done real quick." Wallflower filled up Smolder's dog bowl with dog food, then melded in some pre-cooked meat from nights prior with it. "Whether or not you want the pun to be intended is down to you." Fuchsia just gave a chuckle. "Well, I hope you have a better day today, girl. Same goes for you too, Smolder." Fuchsia pointed over to the dog, who was already muzzle deep into the food. "You've gotta make sure not to compeltely hijack my sis's day, alright?" "Yep. Got it!" Smolder didn't even lift her head out of the food, and so kept on munching and chewing away at it. "How are you today, sis?" Wallflower asked, as she took her food over towards the table and sat down with it. "Ya doing good with Trixie and Lavender? They're not working you too hard?" "Nah, we're good. Trixie's especially proud of me actually. She said that I was 'almost as great and powerful as she is' when we came out of our latest gig. Which, coming from someone like her, is a pretty big compliment." Fuchsia's face flushed a shade of red as she came over to Wallflower's table with her own breakfast. "You should've seen Lavender's face after that. She looked super-jealous of me, that much is for sure." "Oh, I can bet." Wallflower cracked a little mischief-filled grin of her own. She had known all about Trixie and the Illusions from all the gossip that her sister had been saying day in and day out. "But hey, don't let it go to your head now, alright?" Wallflower pointed a finger at Fuchsia with a tinge of sass behind her movements. "You know me too well, sis." Fuchsia gave off her own chuckle. Time eventually passed, and both sisters decided to leave the house and go to Canterlot High together, with Smolder walking alongside the both of them. No longer was she confined to Wallflower's backpack and left to fester within the darkened, fabric cage that she had once been enthralled within. Now, she was free to wander the streets with her owner; a true mark that the past was in the past and that they were all ready to move onto the future together. "So, what we did last night is... gonna be a little bit unexpected." Wallflower pushed her fingertips against her other fingertips. "But, see, since the Rainbooms have magical powers, we kinda did some rapid-fire, magic-assisted construction last night. So now, Canterlot High has a completely new wing. As for the other amenities, you wouldn't believe how smart Twilight is. How she was able to work out everything else was beyond me." "Yeah, Twilight's a miracle worker at times. But at the same time, she's not really perfect at the same time. Remember the whole Crystal Prep shctick back at the Friendship Games?" Fuchsia tipped her hand. "I remember, yes. Granted, I didn't even take part in the games, but I saw what Twilight became on that day." Wallflower rolled her eyes. "Personally, I think that Sunset and Twilight are pretty much made for each other, given everything that they've been through and how they've developed since then." "Yeah. Sunset and Twilight are definitely... made for each other." Fuchsia playfully lowered her eyebrows as she looked into Wallflower's eyes. "Wh-what?! N-no! Not like that!" Wallflower immediately saw what Fuchsia was doing, stumbled on the spot, tripped over Smolder's body and landed on her side. Various shocks ran up her body as she tried to get up, helped in no part to the laughter that came from Fuchsia, who was clutching her stomach with laughter. "Oh, that's actually hilarious, sis!" Fuchsia spluttered out, still in the midst of her laughing fit. She didn't even give Wallflower another look, so couldn't have seen Wallflower's own face grow red; but not out of awkwardness or embarrassment. "Hardy har har, Fuchsia. Laugh it up all you want, why don'tcha?" Wallflower rolled her eyes as she finally stood back up, watching her sister calm down at long last; her laughing session coming to an end. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. But still, ya gotta let a girl have her fun while she still can, right?" Fuchsia shrugged innocently. "I mean, when are we ever gonna be kids like this again, sis? Live life while ya still can, I say." "You say." Wallflower pouted, but couldn't help but grin afterwards. "Besides. I've gotta think of a way to get you back for this now." At long last, Wallflower Blush and Fuchsia Blush arrived at Canterlot High for the umpteenth time. The building still standing tall as a constant reminder as to what educational gauntlet they faced on a daily basis. Wallflower went in with a bunch of other students, with Fuchsia hanging back to wait for her own friends. "Wallflower?" came the voice of Principal Celestia. She had easily been able to pluck Wallflower out of the crowd of students she had sunken into. "Can you come to my office please?" She asked, then noticed Smolder by her feet. "Oh. And bring your dog with you as well. I think the both of you need to have some time in it." "Uh oh..." Wallflower felt the heavy feeling return again. Celestia's tone was hard to pin down, as her voice did a great job of masking her true intentions. "Do ya think we overdid it last night, Smolder?" She asked, looking down at her puppy while trailing Celestia to her office. "I sure don't hope that we get punished for all that work..." "Hey. Chillax. With everything that we put into that new wing, I'm sure that this is all your principal's way of thanking us for a job well done." Smolder still kept a grin, despite the circumstances. "After all, how else would they have been able to plan this whole new wing thing, let alone all of those boring number thingies that would go into making sure the place stays up?" "Y-yeah..." Wallflower had almost forgotten that it was all on her and the Rainbooms' hands that they had created the wing, which included all of the lighting, heating, and other such neccessites that came with a new school wing. She hadn't even thought about the numbers side of the project; how much it cost, how much it would cost to keep afloat, and whether or not the students would even benefit from it all. "But hey. We did all of that, so technically, those burdens should be ours to bear; not Celestia or Luna's, right?" "Yep. So what's their deal if they're so worried about it?" Smolder rolled her eyes. "Humans. Ya can't live with 'em and ya can't live without 'em. They're a wild bunch, but so long as ya got the right ones, you're gonna have a great time." She waddled over and brushed her head against Wallflower's leg. "Glad I got one of the right ones, eh?" Wallflower just picked Smolder up, cuddled her close to her chest, and kept her held there as she turned another corridor, the walk to Celestia's office continuing as expected. When they both arrived at Celestia's office again and stepped inside, the door was shut tight behind them both. Wallflower was about to take a seat, but was quickly motioned not to by Celestia herself. "I don't know how exactly you did it, or with whatever means, but I've heard from a few little birdies that you and some friends decided to build a new wing for us here at Canterlot High." Celestia started, once more masking her true thoughts and intention behind a neutral tone of voice. "A wing all about animal care. Just like how you told me you were going to do something like that to safeguard yourself from breaking the rule of bringing pets onto school grounds." "Look, Principal Celestia. I don't wanna get talked down at the start of a new day." Wallflower curled herself up slightly, only taking short looks at Celestia's face as she turned away, almost showing the same level of shyness as Fluttershy would have in this position. "I'm not gonna yell at you. In fact, I'm very proud of what you've done, Wallflower. And in such short time with such high quality." Celestia's smile grew, until it spread to both of her cheeks. "We didn't even need to spend a penny on construction or electrical wiring! Now, granted, it's going to be a slight increase to our electrical fees, but it's only a small bump up. Nothing really worrisome here." She splayed her hands on the desk, leaning over it as she looked into Wallflower's eyes with an almost fanatical gaze. "You simply have to tell me how you were able to pull this off, Wallflower! It's amazing!" "Uh... thanks?" Wallflower was not expecting that reaction, so could only really force a smile. But she knew that deep down, it was a huge weight off of her and Smolder's bodies to know that their work was indeed accepted to Celestia's standards. "I-I-I mean, thanks! Thank you very much for that, Principal Celestia!" Wallflower jerked her body and grew her smile sporadically, not wanting to sound like she wasn't showing the right level of gratitude. "I really mean it, Principal Celestia. I didn't think I was gonna be able to pull this off, all things considered." "Well, that's just the magic of hard work and determination, isn't it?" Celestia came over and laid a hand on Wallflower's shoulder. "If you can put your body and mind to it, then you can achieve anything you want." As soon as Celestia finished speaking, the door opened again. And on the other side of it was Vice Principal Luna, dressed in her attire. She approached Wallflower and Smolder, standing beside Celestia almost as if she were a guard in a fantasy story. "So. I take it that this is the fabled talking dog of yesterday?" Luna asked as she leaned in to Smolder. She was examining the puppy from ears to tail, taking in every single colour and distinguishing feature. "In any case, I am thankful that you were able to handle the concept of a new wing for the school. Now, let us see if you are able to deliver with the idea that it is just as needed as everything else here at CHS." "In fact, why don't you come on over here and make the announcement with us?" Celestia pulled out a microphone on a stand, with a button underneath it. "After all, this was your project, after all? It's only fair that you be the one to break the news to every single student." "A-are you sure about that?" Wallflower looked at the mic. She had only ever heard and known that the principals used this to relay messages to the school's students. She had never considered the fact that she could finally take control of what was being said one day, whether she was helping the staff or not. "I mean, it's an awfully big thing, letting a student announce to the whole school via PA system, Principal Celestia. Vice Principal Luna." "Indeed. However, we feel that you have earned this privilege." Luna walked Wallflower over to the mic, letting her release Smolder onto the table. "First, we shall start with our words. Then, you will be the one to announce the new Canterlot High Pet Wing as open. Just speak into the mic as if no-one else is in the room with you, Wallflower." "O-o-okay then." Wallflower came over to the mic, feeling the exact same kind of nervous nature that she had felt when she was first beckoned to the office in the first place. Even as she firmly took her place by the microphone, a bulbous lump began to form in her throat. Not one of phlegm, but one from sheer unreadiness for the situation ahead. She was about to speak. To the entire school. Through the PA system. This is gonna be such a major shock to the system... Then, with the push of a button, Celestia arched herself over the mic and began to speak. "Good morning, students of Canterlot High. We would like to remind everyone that today is yet another day for you all to strive; to enjoy yourselves while delving into the wonderful world of learning and education." "However. Before you all head off to your classrooms, there is a special announcement that we have to make." Luna took over, coiling her hand around the stem of the microphone. "As some of you will have seen by now, there is an entirely new portion of the building that was added overnight. How it got there is a mystery many of you will be asking yourselves, but the short of the matter is that it is a very significant extension to Canterlot High; and one that was planned and made by one of our own, with some assistance from some of her friends." "And now, some words from the student who made this all possible. Head of the Gardening Club herself, Wallflower Blush." Celestia stepped aside and ushered Wallflower over to the mic. Wallflower gulped for a second, then shakily laid her finger down on the button. Time seemed to stop for a second as her whole body grew cold. She had one chance to say the right thing and now wasn't the time for her to mess up. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled just as much. Then, the words started to come out of her mouth. "A little while ago, I was a lost soul with nobody but myself and my sister Fuchsia to turn to. But not long after Sunset Shimmer and the Rainbooms opened me up and let me open my heart up, I decided to go and get a new close-friend of mine." As she spoke, she flexed her fingers at Smolder, who pattered across the table to her side. "A dog. Her name was Smolder and she'd fallen on hard times. I decided to take her in and give her a home where she thought all hope had been lost; just as Sunset and her friends did for me when I thought that I was at the end of my rope in a social standpoint. "It's been quite a hectic couple of days with Smolder by my side. We've had some fun, some shocks, some tears, but now we're both going to move forward together, hand in paw, to face the future together." She watched Smolder smile, which caused her to respond in kind. In what seemed like an instant, every single piece of Wallflower's hesitation went up in flames. "But it's not just us that are gonna take this step together. No. I'm openly inviting anyone who has a pet, or who just has an affinity for all creatures great and small to walk this path with me. This new wing? It's gonna be a blessing for everyone. The students who worry about their pets when they leave them at home; who fear that they have no choice but to bring them and know full well the consequences of what could happen if they get into trouble. And for those who just want to see these pets together in school while also learning a thing or two about the animal kingdom. This is all for you." She looked back at Celestia and Luna one more time, who both nodded at her. "I. Wallflower Blush, with the approval of Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna, declare the Canterlot High Pet Wing open!" Her finger came off the button as she slumped backward, sighing contently at what she had just done. "Oh, and by the way, Spike? This goes for you too. Bring that Twilight girl of yours and come on down. I'm sure we'd have lots of fun together." Smolder had her paw planted on the button, then took it off once she had finished saying what she needed to say. "I'M NOT READY FOR PUPPIES!" Spike's voice could faintly be heard on the other side of the door. He was screaming as hard as he can, but to the people inside the office, it was almost like muffled noise. A little trickster's laugh came out of Smolder's muzzle as she jumped back into Wallflower's arms. "That was awesome, girl! We rocked it out there!" "Anyways, that will be all, students. Carry on with your day. And for those of you who want to sign up for Wallflower's new Pet Wing, then the extra-curricular applications are already open. You'll find them by the front door to the wing." Celestia gave that closing remark, then turned to Wallflower and Smolder. "Congratulations, Wallflower." Her hand stretched around Wallflower's back and patted it tenderly, with every single motion tender and smooth. "Now, run along to class. I'm sure that you're going to want to be seen after all you've said and done here." "Thank you, Principal Celestia." Wallflower, slightly teary from what had just happened, gave a nod to Principal Celestia and headed out of the room, cheering and hollering with Smolder as they hurriedly darted down the corridors towards their first class of the day.