Roughly a week had passed since the "Mr. Snuggles" incident. While Sunset's scars were still healing—for the first time since she'd received it, she'd actually found a use for that makeup kit Rarity had given her—Wallflower's explanation as to the origins of her own… only momentarily satisfied her girlfriend's concern.
Maybe it's not a razor, but it has to be something! Sunset mentally declared, perhaps a little too loudly for her internal monologue. Something is definitely going on with Wally…
Sunset found herself taking another steadying breath as she marched up to Wallflower's front door. And I'm gonna find out!
Noting the dearth of cars in the driveway, Sunset realized that this was her window. With Wallflower's parents gone off to work or errands, there would be no interruptions.
Good. Anything to make this conversation easier.
After one last deep breath, Sunset knocked three times.
No answer.
"Wally?" Sunset called through the door.
Nothing.
Sunset fired off a quick text message, then waited a few minutes.
Still nothing.
If the situation hadn't been so dire, Sunset would've turned and headed back home. Maybe Wallflower was working in her garden out back. Maybe she was listening to loud music with her headphones in and didn't hear the door or the phone. Maybe she was taking a nap.
Or maybe…
A sick chill ran down Sunset's spine.
Maybe she was in danger.
Maybe Sunset had put off that conversation too long.
Without thinking, Sunset tried the doorknob.
Not just locked. Deadbolted too.
Before she started contemplating which window would be easiest to replace, Sunset remembered something. Something important. Something Wallflower had told her to utilize only in case of an emergency.
Well, this was as close to an emergency as Sunset could fathom.
Near the door was a set of bushes. Rushing over, Sunset scanned the ground for her only salvation: a small, gray rock hidden between the shrubs.
But not just any rock. No… a hide-a-key rock.
Suddenly, it practically jumped out at her. "Got it!" A brief moment of joy interrupted her frantic haze. She turned over the rock, opened the secret compartment at the bottom, then slipped the key between her fingers.
A few chaotic turns of key later, and Sunset was in.
"Wally?" Sunset called out into the living room. "Babe?"
Silence.
Doing her best not to lose it completely, Sunset tentatively walked through the foyer into the living room. Everything seemed typical of a Saturday afternoon at the Blush household. The TV was off, the curtains were drawn, and the morning newspaper lay scattered on the coffee table. No signs of anything concerning.
"Wallflower?"
When she again received no reply, Sunset headed into the kitchen next. Perhaps she would find her there.
Or some clue as to where to look…
Other than a couple dirty dishes resting in the sink, everything seemed to be in order. There was a platter of Mrs. Blush's famous chocolate chip cookies on the counter; if Sunset's instincts proved incorrect—or if she had arrived in time—she would celebrate with a few later. Now was not the time for treats.
Think, Sunset, think! Sunset took another breath and looked around the kitchen. No note, no sharp objects strewn about, no chemicals from under the sink lying around… Just the fridge, freezer, oven, stovetop, microwave, blender—
Wait.
Sunset gasped.
The toaster!
Sunset ran from the kitchen.
Though she had only visited a handful of times since they'd started dating, Sunset now had the internal layout of the home memorized. With adrenaline-fueled precision, Sunset rushed to the bathroom.
As soon as she turned the corner, Sunset let out a mournful wail.
The grim picture she'd feared—the one that kept her up night after night—had become true. A living nightmare.
Wallflower Blush, her back to Sunset, sat in the bathtub… her toaster sitting a few feet away.
"Wally, NO!" Sunset shouted as she reached out, her eyes widening in abject horror.
"Oh, hi, Sunset!"
In dreamlike motions, Wallflower turned around to face Sunset, her face twisted into a smile that sent Sunset's head spinning. And not in the hot way.
Upon seeing Sunset's shocked expression, Wallflower raised an eyebrow. "Uh, what? Why are you looking at me like that?"
The toaster was balanced on the sink counter, ready to plummet into the bubblebath at any moment. If Wallflower had any second thoughts about her certain doom, she didn't display them, appearing happier than ever.
Vaguely, Sunset recalled clinical data regarding the mental states of suicide survivors right before their attempt. Many felt relief, or even euphoria, right before the act, having cast off any impossible hopes of things getting better.
Frozen in fear, Sunset could only stare.
Wallflower tilted her head. "Um, Sunny—"
DING!
Upon hearing the cheerful, mocking noise, Sunset blinked herself free.
At the same time, Wallflower said with a happy clap and an even bigger grin, "Oooh! My strudels are done!"
Wallflower reached for the toaster—
Snapping back to reality, Sunset begged, her voice edging towards tears, "Wally, no! Please! You don't have to do this!"
—And pulled two pastries from the top.
Sunset blanched. "Buh?"
"Okay, okay," Wallflower said with a giggle and a self-deprecating roll of her eyes, "I know it's weird, but I just really like having toaster strudel when I'm in the tub!" Pulling a plate from out of nowhere—literally—she stacked the strudels, then opened a packet of icing… which had been placed neatly beside the toaster.
"See, I got into this habit when I was a kid…" Wallflower mused as she iced both pastries, "Every time I would have a bad day at school, I would take a bubble bath, and then Mom would make me toaster strudel and bring it to me while I was in the tub." She looked down at her strudels, decided they weren't iced enough, and drizzled another layer of sugary goodness. "But since she's not home right now, I figured I would make it myself!"
Sunset's left eyelid twitched.
Wallflower held out the plate towards Sunset. "Want one?"
"...N-n-no thank you," Sunset muttered at last, her vision dotted with spots of black.
Wallflower shrugged. "Your loss!"
Silence reigned, broken only by munching and the twitch of Sunset's eyelid.
Once one pastry had been devoured, Wallflower set the plate down beside the toaster, then looked up at Sunset. For a moment, both girls stared at each other in complete silence.
Then, a bright blush spread across Wallflower's cheeks.
"You know…" The tiniest, most unsure smile Sunset had ever seen crossed Wallflower's blushing face. "There's…" She put her hands back into the bathwater, then pushed away some of the soap bubbles covering her chest. "There's room for one more if you want to, um…"
In a split second, Sunset, redder than a tomato, shouted back, "I'M GAY!"
Both girls, still very, very red-faced, stared at each other.
Just as quickly as she'd made them dissipate, Wallflower gathered up some soap bubbles and brushed them back towards her. "Y-you know what? You're right. This is a bit, uh, t-too soon. Heh. Heh..." Giving her a bashful grin, she added, "S-sorry."
"Oh, uh…" Sunset had to pry her eyes up to meet Wallflower's gaze. "Th-that's okay, Wally. Um…"
"W-well, uh…" Wallflower picked up the plate again. "I guess I'll be, uh, finishing my toaster strudel then."
Sunset scratched the back of her neck. "Uh, y-yeah, um, you should do that."
"Okay, uh…" Wallflower bit into the remaining strudel. "Cool."
It took every shred of Sunset's lingering willpower not to look below her eyes. "Y-yeah, cool."
After Sunset watched her take a few more bites, Wallflower coughed. "My parents are gonna be back soon, so, uh, could you—"
The bathroom door slammed shut.
"Well that was weird," Wallflower muttered. "I wonder what's going on with her?"
Question unanswered, Wallflower shrugged, popped the last of her toaster strudel into her mouth, and savored every last crumb.