//------------------------------//
// Oh Sh*t 
// Story: 👏 Let 👏 Wallflower 👏 Say 👏 F*ck 👏 
// by Scampy 
//------------------------------//

"I can't believe this is even legal!" Wallflower exclaimed as she took a bite of her ice cream. "It's fucking midnight on a fucking Tuesday and I'm eating chocolate chip ice cream! Holy shit!"

Between giggles, Sunset pointed out, "And it's not just any ice cream, but the best in town!"

Balancing her enormous dish of her favorite ice cream in one hand, Wallflower pointed up at the shop's neon marquee. "This place is fucking delicious and I love it!"

"Then we'll have to come here more often," Sunset said.

By this point, Sunset was smiling so wide that it hurt. She had been doing that often lately. Ever since Wallflower finally pushed past one of the rules that had been forced upon her—and not just broken it, but spat in its ugly, bloated face—the difference was like night and day. Before, getting Wallflower to do anything in public was a task in and of itself. Now, she was so animated, so full of life, wanting to get out and do all the things she'd missed out on over those horrible years.

"Yes. Very yes." With one last, enormous bite, Wallflower added, "I want to eat this ice cream every fucking day of my goddamned life!"

The look on her girlfriend's face when she said that, curse words and all, made Sunset vow to make that as possible as she could. Bank accounts and healthy eating guidelines be damned. Rather than saying that out loud, she just laughed again, taking Wallflower's hand in her own as they walked through the streets.

They were almost to the apartment complex when Wallflower spotted something else: A 24-hour diner advertising the best pies in Canterlot. Sunset thought of someone who might take issue with that title, though she would willingly volunteer for a taste test.

"Ooh! Oooh!" Tugging on Sunset's sleeve, Wallflower pointed at the diner. "Sunset! Look! Pies!"

Chuckling, Sunset asked, "Would you like some pie to go with your ice cream, babe?"

"Some pie?!" Her eyes growing wide, Wallflower declared, "Sunset Shimmer, I want to stuff my face with so much pie that I have to flop on the ground like a fucking beached whale for two entire fucking days! Do you understand me?!"

Sunset raised a hand. "Okay, hold on a sec, Wally. Don't eat so much that you actually get sick."

"Are you kidding me?" Wallflower grabbed Sunset's hand and pulled them into the diner. "Health is my passion."

An entire pie and another serving of ice cream later, and the couple finally headed home for the night. On the way home, only once did Sunset confuse Wallflower's screams of joy for an ambulance siren.





"...I knew I wasn't the only one who liked to say bad words!" Wallflower shouted. "I feel so fucking valid right now!"

Beside them, some of the other nearby moviegoers leaving the theater raised eyebrows and shook their heads. Sunset paid them no mind. Instead, she focused on Wallflower, who was currently rattling off a litany of curses she'd heard in the movie. The aforementioned movie was some raunchy comedy Sunset had barely paid attention to—Rainbow Dash had forced her and the others to watch a dozen movies exactly like this one—but if this was the effect it had on her girlfriend, they were going to have to patronize them all.

"Who knew you could combine so many other words with shit?" Wallflower mused. "Shithead, shitstain, shitfaced, shiteater…" Her brilliant copper eyes lit up with wonder. "Oooh, I'll have to remember that one!"

Sunset giggled. "It is a good one!"

"Fuck yeah it is!"

Once their laughter died down, Sunset started them back towards the apartment. "So, what did you think of the first entry on Movie Day?"

Humming thoughtfully, Wallflower answered after a few moments, "Honestly, it was kinda shitty. But it was really fucking funny, too!" She squeezed Sunset's hand. "I haven't been to a movie theater since I was nine, so even just being in the theater was really bitchin'!"

"'Bitchin'?" Sunset raised an eyebrow.

"I'm branching out!" Wallflower protested. "Don't judge me!"

Smirking, Sunset replied, "No judgment here, hon."

"Better not be!" Wallflower mock-warned, giving Sunset the evil eye. It lasted for all of two seconds before both broke out into giggles.

The pair made their way home, the journey interwoven with expletive-laden rants—and raves—from Wallflower. While some may have found it tiresome, Sunset absolutely adored the way such a simple act had given Wallflower so much confidence. Prior to this, she never raised her voice in public. Even when it was just her and Sunset, Wallflower was mostly mumbles and whispers.

When they reached home, Sunset got out some leftover pie and ice cream from the freezer while Wallflower selected a movie to stream. Round two of Movie Day was a spy thriller movie that neither had seen. Sunset vaguely recalled hearing that it was good, but didn't know much else about it.

…Including that the movie had a very long, very detailed, very intense lesbian makeout scene. Enough to earn that R rating, in fact.

As the credits rolled, Sunset turned to Wallflower. "So… what did you think? Pretty good, huh?"

Wallflower, who had been holding Sunset's hand extremely tightly for the last forty-five minutes of that movie—the exact time a certain scene had played—slowly turned and stared back at Sunset.

"Uh, Wally?"

Wallflower looked Sunset up and down, but said nothing.

Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Sunset, her cheeks burning, asked with a forced chuckle, "Wh-what? Is something wrong—?"

Wallflower pounced.

One intense makeout session later, Sunset Shimmer stared up at the ceiling, red-faced and panting. Nestled against her side, Wallflower snoozed peacefully, a satisfied smile on her slumbering face. They hadn't even made it upstairs to the bed.

"...Wow," Sunset murmured, still in utter disbelief. 

Moving past handholding to kissing had taken the two a matter of months. Not that Sunset minded; she was content to let Wallflower dictate the pace of things. Good things came to those who waited, right? And the kisses they'd shared before tonight had been very, very much worth the wait.

Tonight, however… 

Sunset was still catching her breath. Who knew Wallflower was could be so  intense? And how ridiculous was it that, in a roundabout way, Sunset had Rainbow Dash and her radical ideas to thank for it?

As she looked down at her sleeping girlfriend, Sunset could only shake her head and smile. "Best. Idea. Ever."





Over the course of the following week, Wallflower grew more comfortable exercising her grasp of her newfound vocabulary. Whether it was extolling the virtues of their new favorite ice cream place or lamenting how much homework the chemistry professor was handing out, Wallflower practiced her lexicon with gusto. 

However, it wasn't until a seemingly normal Friday night that Sunset realized how powerful Wallflower truly was becoming.

It was a typical scene in the couple's apartment: Sunset was lost in one of her video games, headset on, eyes locked on the TV screen, while Wallflower cuddled against her on the couch, scrolling through her phone. This time, Sunset had dared to pick up one of her multiplayer titles after a long break from playing.

Within about fifteen minutes of joining a campaign, she remembered why she'd stopped playing these.

"Who invited the girl?!" the staticky voice of some prepubescent moron echoed over the mic. "She fuckin' sucks!"

Though the little twerp was technically correct—she hadn't played this game in forever—Sunset wanted to wipe that smirk off his stupid, clearly-paid-for-with-mommy's-allowance avatar's digital face. "Shut the fuck up and get to their base!" she shouted over his laughter.

Of course, this only fueled the fire. The raucous laughter ensued once more, others on the team joining in. "Why don't you get to the kitchen instead and make me a sandwich, bitch?" the same twerp sniped back—just as he shot Sunset's character down with friendly fire.

"HEY!" Sunset stood up, shaking with rage. "Why don't you shut your stupid little—"

The headset pulled away from her head. "Wha—"

"Listen here, shithead," Wallflower said into the mic, her copper eyes blazing at the TV screen. "Why don't you go to the kitchen and ask your mommy if she really loves you?"

Both Sunset and the little shithead could only sputter in response.

"We both know the answer's no." Casually tangling her fingers in the headset's cord, Wallflower continued, "There's no loving a mistake, especially not one as fucking useless as you."

After a long pause, the shithead weakly replied, "W-well you're just a stupid bitch—"

"You were an accident, weren't you, shit-for-brains?" Wallflower spoke slowly, enunciating each word. "That's why you're harassing my girlfriend, huh? You want her to make you a sandwich so someone will show your dumb ass the care your momma never gives to you?"

Sunset gaped at her. 
 
"Sh-shut up!" the dumbass hissed.

"But she's never gonna make you a sandwich, dipshit," Wallflower scoffed. "No woman ever will. You're going to die alone, and thank fuck for that, since you won't be polluting the gene pool with your fucking squeaky-ass vocal cords."

"Holy shit, babe," Sunset muttered, unsure whether she should be disturbed by this rant, or aroused. Or maybe both.

Even without the headset on, Sunset could hear the sound of a seventh-grade boy's fragile masculinity shatter to a million bits. A tearful, cracky voice cried out, "If I had a father, he'd hear about this!" before immediately disconnecting.

"What, you think he'd want to?" Wallflower spat to the dead air. "If he gave a single dusty fuck about you, he would've stuck around. Idiot."

Sunset tapped her on the shoulder. "Uh, Wally?"

Wallflower lifted one end of the headset and smiled at her. "Yes, Sunset?"

"He ragequit, hon." Sunset gently took the headset from Wallflower's hands, then turned off the game.

"...Huh. Figures." With a contented sigh, Wallflower snuggled back into Sunset… but not before adding under her breath, "Punk-ass no-dad-having bitch."

Sunset cocked her head. "What was that, babe?"

"Oh, nothing." Wallflower took Sunset's arm and leaned against it like a pillow. "Can we do pizza tonight for dinner again?"

"Of course, sweetie."

Do I need to be concerned about this? Sunset wondered, looking over at the same girl who had just cussed out a preteen cuddle into her.

When Wallflower caught her staring, she murmured, smiling, "You have pretty eyes."

Nah.





"Okay, Wally, just a little bit further…" 

"Sunset!" Wallflower giggled. "You said that five minutes ago!"

Careful not to steer Wallflower into wayward passers-by, Sunset giggled in turn. "Okay, fair, but I really mean it this time."

With a smirk, Wallflower teased, "You fuckin' better."

Though that playful comment earned them a few strange looks, Sunset paid them no mind. She guided Wallflower just a little bit further, as promised, until she brought them both to a halt. 

"Alright, Wally." Stepping aside, Sunset removed her hands from Wallflower's eyes. "You can open your eyes now."

With bated breath, Sunset watched as Wallflower slowly opened her eyes and took it all in. When she didn't immediately comment on the scene before her, Sunset tried her best not to second-guess herself. Even so, each second that passed had her heart racing.

Garlic Grove wasn't the best Italian place in town—in fact it was one of hundreds in a nationwide chain—but it had been the best Sunset could afford. Happy as she was to have Wallflower living safely with her, the inevitably tighter budget meant their dinner date options were limited. Even with her new job, it had taken Sunset several weeks of careful budgeting to make this happen. At the very least, she just hoped Wallflower would have a decent time— 

"Holy shit!" Wallflower's eyes were wide as dinner plates. "This is where we're having dinner?!"

With a sigh of relief, Sunset replied, "I know you enjoy pasta, so I figured—"

"'Enjoy'? Are you kidding?!" Wallflower's starry eyes lit up. "I've always wanted to go here! I've had dreams where I get a job as a dishwasher just so I can lick the plates!" She grabbed Sunset by the shoulders. "And you're taking me out on a date here?!"

"Uhh… yeah?" Sunset managed between shakings.

Quickly letting go of Sunset—who almost fell over in the process—Wallflower ran towards the front doors of the restaurant. "I'm gonna eat carbonara until I fucking die!" 

A green blur rushed past a crowd of restaurant patrons a few of whom muttered and grumbled. Sunset ignored them, beaming from ear to ear as she followed after her date.

If Wallflower had been wide-eyed before, her pupils could be seen from space now. "This. Place. Is. Gorgeous!" She whirled around to find Sunset smiling at her. "You are the best fucking girlfriend ever, you know that?!"

"I try my best," Sunset said coolly. "And we haven't even sat down to order yet." She gave Wallflower's hands a playful squeeze. "What are you gonna say when they bring out the food?"

"Words!" Wallflower squeezed back. "Lots of words! Probably a lot that begin with fu—"

A waitress cut in, menus in hand, "Two tonight?"

"Yes, table for two," Sunset said with a nod.

As the pair followed after the smiling waitress, Wallflower mumbled more barely contained exclamations of joy… peppered with a healthy seasoning of swear words, of course. Sunset just laughed.

Once they were seated, both picked up their menus and studied them intensely. Exactly everything on the menu sounded delicious, if generic. Not quite exquisite, if Sunset dared to glean from Rarity's dictionary, but still very appetizing. Wallflower certainly seemed to think so, reading over the whole thing half a dozen times.

Sunset stole a moment to look up from her menu over at her date. Wallflower looked over the menu like a kid in a candy store: eager and indecisive and bright-eyed and so, so happy.

Yes, tonight was going to be worth every penny.

"Can I get you two started with some drinks?" the waitress asked, startling the both of them with her sudden—and stealthy—reappearance. 

Sunset shrugged. "Just water for me."

"Sure. And for you, ma'am?"

Wallflower's eyes were glued to the menu again.

"Err, ma'am?"

Sunset tapped Wallflower's hand. "Babe?"

"Fuck!" Wallflower jumped. The waitress jumped too. "Oh, sorry!" Wallflower forced an awkward laugh. "I was just looking at your Italian sodas and they all look so. Fucking. Good!"

"Er…" Clearly flustered, the waitress said with an awkward laugh of her own, "Yes, they are pretty good. We also have a new special flavor out for this month—"

Wallflower gasped. "Ooooh! Tell me, tell me!"

"It's, uh, blackberry—"

"Hell yeah!" Wallflower slammed her menu down on the table. "Gimme that one!"

The waitress scribbled on her notepad. "Of course, of course. One Italian soda—"

"Actually… Make that two." Sunset grinned, then winked at her girlfriend. "I'll have what she's having."

After mumbling something that sounded like, "Shouldn't we all," the waitress then asked, "Are you two ready to order or do you need some more ti—"

"Carbonara!" Wallflower exclaimed. "Please! A lot of it!" Between bouncing in her seat and the sheer look of desperation on her face, she sounded like she was starving for that blessed union of bacon and pasta.

Laughing, Sunset said again, "I'll have what she's having."

With another quick nod, the waitress disappeared as quickly as she'd arrived.

Once it was just the two of them, Wallflower looked around, leaned in, and pecked Sunset on the lips.

"What was that for?" Sunset asked, grinning, her cheeks tinged red.

"For being the best fucking girlfriend on this entire goddamn planet."

Sunset cracked her knuckles. "I try my best," she said with a smirk.

The two shared a laugh, soon followed by more. 

While they waited for their food to arrive, Sunset and Wallflower discussed everything and nothing: classes at CSU; Sunset's job; Rainbow Dash finally passing that math class; the next flavors they wanted to try at their favorite ice cream place. Throughout the conversation, not once did Wallflower retreat into familiar habits and patterns Sunset had long noticed. Rather than cower in on herself, dismiss her own words, or give one-word answers, she was lively, animated, loud.

Loud mixed with generous sprinklings of curse words was something that not everyone could handle, Sunset knew. As the dinner hour ensued and more customers were seated beside them, Sunset wasn't oblivious to the odd looks and sneering stares their way. Although she noticed these, she didn't acknowledge them; they didn't matter.

What mattered was how effortlessly Wallflower spoke and laughed and was here—a place that she likely would never have dared set foot in before letting go of the terrible things holding her back. Sunset would take a thousand weird looks and overdramatic eyerolls if it meant that Wallflower could be this comfortable and confident in the world.

Shortly before their meals arrived, the waitress returned, along with who Sunset presumed was the manager by her side.

"Excuse us, ladies," the manager began, "but there's a table on the other side of the restaurant that's a bit more… private, if you don't mind moving?"

Sunset stiffened. "W-well, I don't think that'll be—"

"Sure! A private table sounds nice!" Wallflower looked to her girlfriend… and wiggled her eyebrows. "Even kind of romantic, right?"

"Buh—yeah." Sunset stopped herself before she could argue, then looked up to the waitress and manager. "Sure, no problem."

After taking a long, loud sip of her blackberry Italian soda, Wallflower asked, "Can we get some refills over there, too?"

"Of course." The manager, along with the waitress, began to clear the table. He then pointed to the side of the restaurant that was completely empty, save for one table in the corner. "We have you folks set up right over there. It'll just be a minute."

"Sure thing." Sunset reached for Wallflower's hand, her smile betraying none of her understanding. "C'mon, babe."

After all, Sunset would take the corner table every time if it meant seeing Wallflower smile.





A loud, crowded arcade packed with little kids, high schoolers playing hooky, and nerds of all ages wasn't a place Sunset thought Wallflower would enjoy. She passed by this place multiple times a week on the way to her mall job. Though it always looked like fun, Sunset figured it was all kinds of "too much" for her girlfriend.

The past several weeks, however, had shown Sunset that Wallflower's tolerance for "too much" had grown significantly. Whether it was going out to a fancy restaurant—where they ate at their preferred corner table—trying on new outfits at a high-end clothing store, or watching a movie in a packed theater, Wallflower had been enjoying the heck out of "too much." An arcade trip would just be another in a long string of recent successes.

And so, Sunset found herself at the mall's bustling arcade, Wallflower's arm linked in hers. While the pair awaited the rest of their friends to arrive for a fun day of retro games, janky prizes, and overpriced pizza, they made a loop around, checking everything out.

"Wow, this place looks fuckin' awesome!" Wallflower yanked Sunset towards a row of skee-ball machines. "Oooh, skee-ball! I haven't played this shit since I was like, five fuckin' years old!"

Feeling the glare of a middle-aged blonde woman, two small children in tow, on her, Sunset forced a chuckle. "Heh, that's great, hon."

"Do we have to wait for everyone else to show up?" Wallflower pouted. "I wanna play some goddamn skee-ball right now!" 

Sunset avoided yet another strange look. "Sure, babe. Let me go get us some tokens, okay?"

"Yay!" Jumping up and down, Wallflower eagerly took her place at one of the skee-ball machines.

Smiling from ear to ear, Sunset laughed to herself, then went to find some tokens. She had just located a machine and begun feeding it dollars when she heard familiar voices coming up behind her.

Fistful of tokens in hand, Sunset turned around. "Hey, guys!"

A chorus of greetings followed. The entire gang was here, ready for their first outing as a group in over a month.

As she exchanged more Canterlot currency for proprietary coins, Sunset asked, "So, what does everyone want to play first? Air hockey? Basketball? Maybe the—"

In a blur of wild green hair and a dazzling smile, Wallflower was at Sunset's side. "Are y'all ready for some motherfuckin' skee-ball?!"

The reactions to Wallflower's newfound extroversion were the following:

Rainbow Dash burst out laughing.

Fluttershy gasped.

Twilight's eyes widened.

Rarity and Applejack threw their hands over Pinkie Pie's ears, then shot Sunset pointed glares.

"What did she say?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Nothing!" everyone—sans Dash, Wallflower, and Sunset—shouted in unison.

"What?" Wallflower looked perplexed. "C'mon, guys!" Her confident smile returning, she added, "Skee-ball is based as fuck!"

Howling with laughter, Rainbow Dash fell to the floor. "Hell yeah it is!"

"I can't hear anyone!" Pinkie shouted. "Is there something wrong with this arcade?"

"Uh, guys?" Sunset addressed Applejack and Rarity. "Why are you covering her ears?"

"Sunset Shimmer!" Rarity gasped overdramatically. "Do you know what would happen if those foul words entered Pinkie Pie's vocabulary?!"

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Some bad shit, that's for sure."

Rarity smacked her.

Applejack rubbed her shoulder. "Hey!"

"Ummm…" Fluttershy looked down at the floor. "Is Rainbow Dash going to be okay?"

In response, Rainbow Dash rolled around, raised a finger, wheezed, and rolled around some more.

"I still can't hear anything!" Pinkie protested, oblivious to the two pairs of hands on her ears. "Hello? Anyone home?" When no one answered, she exclaimed in increasing panic, "Hello?! Guys?! Am I being detained?!"

Eyebrows raised, Wallflower turned to Sunset. "Are we still gonna play skee-ball, or…?"

With a valiant effort, Rainbow Dash finally made it to her feet. She staggered, laughing between every word as she answered, "Oh, I'll play you some fuckin' skee-ball, flower girl!"

To both Sunset's relief—and continued confusion—Wallflower cheered, grabbed Dash by the elbow, and heaved her towards the row of skee-ball machines. Once the two had left, all eyes were on Sunset again.

"So…" Fluttershy cleared her throat. "Wallflower seems, um—"

"Off her rocker?" Applejack offered.

Fluttershy shot her a look. "I was going to say, 'different'."

"She's not insane," Sunset deadpanned. "We've been trying something, and it's been helping her."

"Trying something? Trying what, exactly?" Rarity glanced over at Dash and Wallflower—the latter of whom was rattling off a string of expletives, the former laughing hysterically. "Teaching her to be a potty mouth?"

"No, teaching her that she can do the things she wasn't allowed to do," Sunset said. "You know, things that bitch of a mother wouldn't let her do."

At that, the remaining others—minus Pinkie Pie, who was now attempting to echolocate her way around the arcade—fell silent. Rarity and Applejack exchanged concerned glances, though their hands remained firmly on Pinkie's ears.

Twilight raised a finger. "So this is a form of therapy, then?"

Sunset shrugged. "I guess. It was Rainbow Dash's idea."

"Of course it was," Rarity mumbled under her breath.

With an uneasy smile, Sunset began, "Look, I know it seems really weird, but this is really helping her, okay? Before I started encouraging her to 'break the rules'— " Sunset emphasized with air quotes—"it was hard to even get her to leave the apartment after what happened." Her smile grew. "But ever since, Wallflower hasn't missed a class, she's been going out more…" She laughed. "I don't think she would have agreed to come to the arcade today if it hadn't been for this. Places like this are usually way too much for her."

Once Sunset finished, the others didn't immediately reply. More concerned looks were shared, although they seemed more conflicted than before. While her friends considered her words, Sunset peeked over to the skee-ball area. There, Dash was cheering Wallflower on while a mountain of tickets piled at her feet.

Fluttershy was the first to break the silence. "Well… I can't say I agree with the method, but if it really is helping her, then I guess I'm on board." She smiled at Sunset. "I'm glad to see she's doing better."

Sunset smiled back. "Thanks, Fluttershy." She then turned to the others, an expectant expression on her face.

Of the rest, Rarity was the first to speak up. "Though it might be a tad… unconventional, let's say," she said slowly, clearly not as convinced, "Fluttershy does have a point. Wallflower does seem to be doing better."

Nearby, Wallflower struggled to hold several armfuls of tickets, a bright grin on her face. Laughing, Rainbow Dash gave her a high-five, then scooped up the remaining tickets from the sticky floor.

Sunset looked on with pride before turning back to her friends.

After a moment, Applejack nodded in agreement. "It's a little strange, I guess, but if it's working, I suppose that'll do." Maintaining her grip on Pinkie, who began to wander in search of more things to echolocate at, she added, "Long as you don't let things get totally outta control."

Twilight chimed in, "I think—"

Dash's raspy voice cut in behind them, "Hey, Wallflower! Did you know that fuck is also a verb?"

"Wow, really?!" Wallflower exclaimed with glee. "That's so cool! What does it mean?"

To Sunset's horror, when she spun around, Dash was already whispering in Wallflower's ear.

In response, Wallflower Blush turned beet red, dropping the pile of tickets in her arms. She stared at Sunset, sweat forming on her brow as her pupils dilated. After heaving several unsteady breaths, she shouted for the benefit of the arcade, "I HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM."

With that, Wallflower sprinted out of the room.

"Guess I spoke too soon," Applejack muttered, solemnly shaking her head. 

Rarity mumbled something that sounded like an expletive, then facepalmed.

"Rainbow Dash!" Fluttershy scolded. "Why would you do that?"

"Because it's hilarious!" Rainbow Dash cackled. "Look at that girl go! I'm so proud of her!"

"Wallflower? Wallflower?!" Panicking, Pinkie chattered more sounds at the ceiling. "Where did she go?!"

Her face as red as her hair, Sunset, having heard nothing but time standing still after Wallflower's declaration, finally managed to find the willpower to move. "I'm… gonna go check on her," she mumbled to no one in particular, before courageously following after her girlfriend.

As she pushed open the door to the ladies' room, Sunset called out, "Babe? Are you o—"

Standing in front of the mirror, Wallflower splashed herself over and over with water from the sink, then shouted at Sunset, "I'm GAY!"

"—kay…?" 

Before Sunset could inquire further, the gentle touch of a hand on her shoulder made her jump. 

"Oh, sorry, Sunset! I didn't mean to startle you." Fluttershy was at her side, the bundle of tickets in her arms. "Is Wallflower okay? She dropped all her tickets."

Looking over at her girlfriend—who was now dunking her head in the sink—Sunset replied, "I'm… not sure."

Fluttershy's eyes widened. "Goodness! The poor dear is so flustered." She put her hand on Sunset's shoulder again and gently tugged. "Let's give her a moment. Dash seems to have really upset her."

"Upset her…" Sunset swallowed. "Yeah…"

After stepping away from the door, Sunset and Fluttershy waited patiently for Wallflower to emerge. The rest of their group were scattered across the arcade, either playing games or attempting to keep Pinkie Pie out of trouble. They hadn't waited for more than a minute when Wallflower burst through the door, her face dripping wet.

Before either could say anything, Wallflower ran over and snatched her tickets out of Fluttershy's hands. "Thanks for the tickets, I'm gonna go cash them in also Sunset I really need to talk to you when we get home!" Wallflower yelled without taking a breath… or slowing down.

Sunset wasn't aware of the goofy grin on her face until Fluttershy asked her, "What are you smiling about?"

"Oh, nothing," Sunset said dreamily.

Fluttershy sighed. "This has been a weird day."

"Looking forward to tonight, though," Sunset mused.

As they followed after Wallflower, Fluttershy said something in reply, but Sunset couldn't hear it, instead focusing on watching her girlfriend redeem those hard-earned tickets. She settled in beside the counter while Wallflower waited in line. Once it was her turn and her tickets were counted, Sunset stepped up beside her. "What do you wanna get, hon?"

Wallflower rubbed her chin. "Hmm…" Suddenly, her whole face lit up. "Oh, I know! I'll get a stuffed animal!" She clapped her hands together, smiling. "Mom always said I was too old for them, even when I was really little."

"That's a really good idea!" Sunset gestured to the row of stuffed animals. "Which one do you like the most?"

Wallflower took all of ten seconds to select her prize. "I want that one!" She pointed at the giant stuffed bunny, the last of its kind at the prize counter. The employee working the counter grabbed the bunny from its place high atop a shelf, then handed it to Wallflower. Instantly, she enveloped it in a crushing hug.

Smiling, Sunset wrapped an arm around her. "You should start thinking of a name for him, Wally."

Wallflower nuzzled the bunny. "I know! I'll call you—"

A small, squeaky voice piped up from behind them. "Excuse me…"

Both girls turned around to find a young boy looking up at them. He couldn't have been any older than eight. 

"What's wrong, little guy?" Sunset asked.

"I…" The boy's eyes filled with tears. "I wanted the bunny."

Sunset frowned. "Oh, well—"

"Sorry, kid! This bun's mine!" Wallflower grabbed Sunset's hand. She moved to leave the ticket counter, but Sunset stayed planted. "No one tells me what to do anymore!"

"Wally—" 

Facing away from her, Wallflower declared, "I can have a giant fucking stuffed bunny if I want! I can say bad words if I want! I can do whatever the fuck I want, and you can't hurt me anymore!" Volume increasing with every word, Wallflower finished with a flourish. "Eat shit, shiteater! DAB!"

Wallflower dabbed.

The room fell silent. 

Sunset froze.

"C'mon, Sunset!" Wallflower looked over her shoulder. "Last one to the car buys ice cream!"

Wallflower ran off.

Sunset didn't.

The sounds of a child crying, a crowd clamoring, and their group of friends across the way whispering amongst themselves—except Rainbow Dash, who was literally rolling on the floor laughing—brought Sunset back down to Earth. The impact may as well have cratered.

Applejack and Rarity's hands falling limp, Pinkie Pie pushed them aside at last. "Hey, what's that word Wallflower just said?"

Sunset watched her girlfriend excitedly run out the front door.

"...Fuck."