//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4 — All This And Heaven Too 
// Story: Love Me Like You 
// by Scampy 
//------------------------------//

"Hon, do we have any saffron?!" Sunset shouted from the kitchen.

From her seat on the couch, Wallflower shouted back, "I don't know, sorry!" Then, without missing a beat, she resumed scrolling through her phone.

While Wallflower looked at memes, her panicked girlfriend cursed before rifling through the kitchen cupboards. The kitchen timer went off shortly afterwards, causing Sunset to screech, "Dammit, not yet!" before rushing back to the stove.

It was Saturday evening, and Princess Celestia was expected to arrive in a few hours. Getting here had been much easier for Wallflower now that she had a clear plan in mind. The fact that Sunset had insisted on completing the preparations for tonight's dinner—cleaning, shopping, and cooking a four-course meal—all by herself made things just that much easier. Wallflower didn't need to feel guilty when she was doing what Sunset wanted, right?

So, while Sunset had busied herself throughout the week deep-cleaning the apartment, buying a large variety of ingredients, and even redecorating a bit, Wallflower had done just the bare minimum. A couple of work shifts and simple tasks, but nothing else. Like she often did, Sunset wanted to do everything on her own. Wallflower just didn't stop her this time.

Today was no exception. Wallflower slept in until noon, spent most of the day on her phone, and while she did take a shower, she made sure to "forget" to use conditioner. Sure, her frizzy rat's nest of a hairstyle was somehow even frizzier than usual, but what did that matter? It wasn't like she was meeting the beloved ruler of an entire nation and species today—much less one that her girlfriend basically considered family.

The smell of something burning wafted into the living room. "What?! How is it already boiling?!" Sunset exclaimed, running across the kitchen again.

Wallflower simply shrugged to herself as she picked at a thread on her sweatpants. Though she had changed out of her pajamas after the shower—she wasn't that much of a disgusting pig—the baggy gray sweatpants and giant black hoodie didn't exactly scream "fancy dinner party." 

The sound of Sunset shouting her name prompted Wallflower to get off the couch for the first time in several hours. As she walked into the kitchen, phone still in hand, she merely replied, "Yes?"

Wearing a sauce-stained apron and standing over a hot stovetop—which had three pots and pans cooking at once—Sunset looked over her shoulder. Sweat dripped down her forehead, her hair tied up in a messy bun that barely contained her long hair. "Could you set the table, please? I really can't leave the stove right now!"

"Okay." Wallflower moved to start doing so, but Sunset kept talking.

"And set it the—" Sunset stopped to rapidly stir a bubbling pot— "fancy way!"

Wallflower raised an eyebrow. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"You know, like… When you're at a fancy party and everyone gets multiple of each piece of silverware?" Sunset's voice took on an almost dreamlike tone as she continued, "I remember Princess Celestia would have these huge celebratory dinners at the castle several times a year, including at the Grand Galloping Gala, where everypony would have a fork for the appetizer, the salad, the garnishes, main course, dessert course… Then there was the soup spoon, stew spoon, dessert spoon… Two knives, one for butter, one for jam, and silk and cloth napkins at every setting…" She trailed off, not noticing some marinara sauce spilling over a pan. Instead, Sunset closed her eyes and sighed. "I always thought it was so frivolous and vain back then, but those events were really important to Celestia. She never missed one."

"Fancy dinner party… Got it." While Sunset stood lost in thought, her back against the oven, Wallflower walked over to the kitchen cupboard where they kept dishes and silverware.

After pulling out plates, silverware, and a roll of paper towels, Wallflower went ahead and "set the table". Her fanciest dining experiences being dates with Sunset, she did her best to approximate what would look fancy with what they had. Several spoons and forks for each setting, along with one butter knife and one sharper knife, arranged in a neat row on top of a paper towel. While it wasn't terrible, Celestia would definitely notice it wasn't the same as a state dinner with a bunch of pony ambassadors or whatever, and that's what counted.

"Okay, anything else?" Wallflower asked, her question tearing Sunset from her daydream.

"Oh, shit!" Spinning back around, Sunset quickly resumed wrangling whatever it was that she had screwed up next. "Uh! Sorry, hold on!" She poured several different spices into a pan before fiddling around with the stovetop temperatures. 

Although Wallflower wasn't entirely certain what Sunset was making, she was pretty sure that if she was the one in the kitchen, there at least wouldn't be as much chaos. Most of the household cooking over the years had been done by Wallflower. It was a simple hobby that required a lot of focus, something immersive she did to keep the bad thoughts and bad memories in the past. While she was far from a great cook, she could at least avoid tearing her hair out most of the time. Beyond a few easy dishes, Sunset really didn't have the same knack for it—not that Wallflower minded.

Maybe Sunset would get better at cooking after Wallflower wasn't around to hold her back.

"Okay! Okay!" Taking a couple deep breaths, Sunset turned around to face her. "Crisis averted. I think. Garlic is supposed to turn brown, right?"

"Uhh… What does it smell like?"

"Umm…" Sunset took a whiff over her shoulder. Her face immediately scrunched up in disgust. "Uh… Oh no. Fuck!" Her head in her hands, Sunset looked over at Wallflower. "Well, I'm sure all the cheese and everything will just drown it out, r-right?"

"Umm…" As easy as it would be to just lie, Wallflower wasn't going to go as far as letting Sunset serve her maternal figure something that not even Pinkie Pie would eat. "Probably not, sorry."

Wide-eyed, Sunset silently turned back to the stove before slapping both hands to her face. "I fucked it up! I fucked it up!" Squeezing her eyes shut, she slumped against the oven and sank to the floor. "My mom's gonna be here in a few hours and I fucked up the dinner!"

Although Sunset ruining the dinner boded well for Wallflower's plans, actually seeing her react to it… Wallflower couldn't just stay silent. Getting down on the floor with her, Wallflower pulled Sunset into a hug. "Shhh, it's gonna be okay, sweetie. We'll figure it out."

Suddenly, Sunset's eyes went somehow wider. Bapping herself in the head a few times, Sunset exclaimed, sounding like she was on the verge of crying, "No, she's not my mom! She's not! Every time I get my hopes up, it never works out, and it's so unfair to expect that of her! My therapist keeps telling me I shouldn't expect things to change, but do I ever listen?! No! Because I never listen, and—"

"Hey, hey." Wallflower spoke quietly, rubbing Sunset's back as she held her close. "Take a deep breath, okay, baby?" She pulled Sunset into a deeper embrace as her girlfriend started to cry, tears falling in between the sounds of sauce splattering and one of the pots boiling over.

For a few minutes, the two sat on the floor of the ruined kitchen. Wallflower holding Sunset close, Sunset gradually calming down.

Once Sunset was merely sniffling instead of sobbing, Wallflower broke the silence. "How about we just order pizza instead? What else did you have planned for dinner?"

"W-well…" Sunset rubbed at her eyes. "I already made the salad, it's in the fridge. And I picked up the dessert yesterday on the way home from work. Some chocolate truffles from that place in the city you like."

"Then all we'll have to do is order some pizza once she gets here." Wallflower squeezed Sunset's hand. "Easy peasy."

"Yeah… You're right." Sunset squeezed her hand back. "Although… I do need to pick up some daffodils from the flower shop."

"Oh, as a centerpiece for the table?"

"No…" Briefly looking away, Sunset's cheeks reddened as she answered quietly, "They're, um, the appetizer."

Wallflower blinked. "Oh."

"They're her favorite," Sunset said. Still stroking Wallflower's hand, she looked around the messy kitchen. "Um, actually, could you go get the flowers while I clean all of this up?"

"Of course, hon." Instinctively, Wallflower leaned in to kiss Sunset before standing up. "Anything else?"

"No, that's okay." Sunset rose to her feet in turn, then reached for Wallflower's hand again. "Thank you for taking care of everything, babe," she said before kissing the back of Wallflower's hand.

At her words, Wallflower's brain almost hiccupped. "What do you mean? I haven't done anything."

Sunset wrapped her arms around Wallflower's waist, pulling her close. "You're always there for me when I need you," Sunset said, smiling, before leaning in for another kiss.

Any remnants of the plan briefly faded from Wallflower's mind as she looked into Sunset's eyes. All that passed through her lovestruck brain was, Oh my God she's so warm and cute and smells so good I love her so much.

After they parted, Sunset started on the cleaning. Wallflower grabbed her purse and slipped on some shoes. She was halfway downstairs to the car when the gay haze clouding her judgment finally parted with the cold winter wind.

"God dammit!" Wallflower facepalmed. "Why does this keep happening?!" 

Disgusted with her own carelessness, Wallflower gave a heavy sigh before finishing the walk to the car. On the way to the flower shop, she resolved to actually stick to the plan once she returned home. At least Princess Celestia hadn't been around to witness Wallflower being a loving and supportive partner to Sunset. There was still time to set things right.

…If only she could stop herself from being so selfish this time.





The gentle chime of the doorbell heralded their guest's arrival. Wallflower sat upright, having just finished checking to be sure the little box and its little ring were both still beneath Sunset's dresser. It wasn't like she was expecting Sunset to pop the question while her mother was visiting, but it was better to be ensured than engaged.

"She's here!" Sunset's voice was soft-spoken and yet still so full of anxiety that she may as well have been screaming. "She's here! Okay, uhh—Wally, are you finished changing?"

"All set," Wallflower replied as she exited the bedroom clad in what could at best be called a stay-at-home-all-day outfit, consisting of a comfortable but unkempt combo of leggings and a pink sweater several sizes too large for Wallflower's tiny frame.

"You're wearing that?" Sunset gaped, looking up from the last of the candles she'd been lighting. "B-but, I… We…" She gestured wildly at her own outfit, a freshly ironed navy dress Rarity had gifted her the previous year. "What happened to 'fancy dinner party?!'" With a grumble and a shake of her head, she made her way to the door. "Whatever, fine! It'll have to do."

Wallflower watched as Sunset took several deep breaths, straightened up her posture, then opened the door.

Into their apartment stepped what Wallflower could only comprehend as her high school principal's really, really fancy doppelganger. Whereas the Celestia Wallflower was familiar with only ever wore bland pantsuits, the Celestia that had raised Sunset Shimmer looked like something out of a Renaissance painting. She wore a pearl-white dress with intricately woven threads of gold tracing throughout. From her long flowing hair to her strong upright stance, her very presence emanated power and authority. Even with the rather dim candlelight of the living room, the princess appeared to positively glow with divine radiance.

Wallflower steeled herself for what was to come. Time to make a fool out of herself in front of God.

"H-hello Your Majesty—I mean, Princess—er, Princess Celestia!" Sunset said, standing stiffly like a soldier at attention. "How was the, uhm, the trip?"

Before Celestia could even reply, Sunset's stammering voice cracked again. "Oh, I-I'm so sorry, come in, come in! I'll get out of your way, sorry, sorry…" She awkwardly shuffled away from the door, beckoning the princess inside. "Please, make yourself at home! I know it's not as ornate as the palace, b-but…"

As Sunset trailed off, Celestia entered and closed the door behind her. Her empyrean gaze passed over the room only once before settling squarely on Wallflower Blush—a scrawny, useless girl with an ill-fitting sweater and disastrous mess of unbrushed hair, whom Sunset must've already told the princess that she intended to marry. Celestia blinked once, then she approached her adoptee's bride-to-be with an unreadable expression upon her face.

"Greetings. You must be Sunset's partner." The princess spoke in neutral, measured tones, yet her voice still rang like an angelic chorus from Heaven itself. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Wallflower stared into the face of God, or the closest thing she'd ever get to seeing it. As a little girl, Wallflower had never doubted that Heaven and angels were real, happy to believe the many fables her mother read to her before bed every night. When she was slightly older, helplessly watching as her mother's drinking grew from a hobby to a habit, Wallflower had wondered why God wasn't keeping her safe from her mother's increasing anger and abuse. Once Wallflower became a teenager, constantly subjected to bouts of drunken screaming and withheld dinners and being locked in her room for entire days, she questioned if the divine protector spoken of in the hymns and verses even existed at all. It wasn't until after her suicide attempt, when her mother had escalated to constant violent outbursts and torments, that Wallflower's faith had been renewed. She'd prayed to God every night, silently wishing to die in her sleep and return to either her Creator in Heaven or the lifeless void that had been her nonexistence prior to her birth—either was better than the hell she lived in at the time.

In the years after, finally free from that hell, if not the traumas she still carried, Wallflower had settled on agnosticism. Given the lack of concrete evidence, it was most likely that God was just a made-up fairytale. A lie, a veil of false comfort offered to a little girl who was desperate for someone to give a single heavenly fuck about her. If God was real, though, and truly omnipotent as the scriptures claimed, then all the misery inflicted on her had been part of some cruel, twisted plan.

Suffice to say, Wallflower had something of an axe to grind with the divine.

Of course, Princess Celestia wasn't actually God. Not the God Wallflower had grown up hearing about, anyway. But based on how her attempts at parentage had left Sunset constantly afraid and uncomfortable around her, she probably wasn't much better.

So, when the Princess of the Sun extended her hand, Wallflower didn't take it. Instead she shrugged, gave a half-hearted wave, and said, "'Sup."

For the first time since Celestia had entered their apartment, she smiled. Her royal violet eyes beheld Wallflower for a moment longer before she turned to Sunset and said, "Oh, I like her."

Sunset, eyes wide and possibly twitching, looked back and forth between Wallflower and Celestia. After a few seconds, her face creaked into a broad, toothy smile and she clapped her hands together. "There's some appetizers on the table, feel free to help yourself, also Wally could you please order the pizza okay thank you sweetheart love you!" With that, she bolted into the kitchen, presumably to take a few—okay, maybe more than a few deep breaths.

As much as Wallflower's instincts urged her to tend to her anxious girlfriend, she couldn't give in to those feelings. Instead, and without so much as a word to her guest, Wallflower pulled out her phone and began filling out an online pizza order. Sunset had told her that Celestia was strictly vegetarian, just like Sunset used to be, meaning that if Wallflower really wanted to make this woman hate her, all she had to do was order their usual pepperoni pizza.

She frowned at the thought, then selected a plain cheese pizza. Even if Wallflower wasn't particularly fond of the person—pony…?—who left Sunset feeling unloved and unwanted for so long, she wasn't about to force Celestia to go hungry tonight. Nobody deserved that.

Once the order was placed, Wallflower looked up from her phone to see Celestia standing over the dining table, eyeing the daffodil bouquet Sunset had specially ordered for the evening. With a raised eyebrow, she asked, "Are human bodies even capable of digesting these flowers?"

Being what some may have politely called a "huge fucking nerd" when it came to knowledge about flowers, Wallflower was well aware that daffodils were extremely toxic to humans. Eating any part of the plant was asking for a bad time in the form of a majorly upset stomach. Hell, as far as Wallflower was aware, daffodils were even poisonous to horses and ponies—at least the ponies of this world. Maybe magical ponies from another dimension had sturdier digestive systems. Honestly, it was a small miracle that Sunset hadn't tried to eat one in all the time after she'd crossed over.

Celestia didn't know any of that, though. If Wallflower wanted to, she could tell her it was fine, then sit back and watch as Sunset's maternal figure spent the evening exploding out of both ends. Wallflower's assurance that the flowers were safe would surely be blamed, and Celestia would hold a special place of hatred in her heart for Wallflower, from now until the end of time. That was about as certain of a way to get Sunset to break up with her as Wallflower could possibly imagine.

It would be so easy. So easy to say yes. So easy to keep the truth to herself and then watch the fireworks.

It would also be cruel.

Wallflower knew a lot of things about herself. She knew she was remarkably unintelligent. She knew she was a waste of air. She knew she was weak-willed and hopelessly in love with Sunset Shimmer. She knew that if Sunset offered her that ring, she would say yes, and then her utter uselessness and self-destructive tendencies would ruin Sunset's life in the years that followed.

She also knew she had to get this right tonight. She had the perfect opportunity in front of her to do right by Sunset, to free her from the future shackles of being married to a lost cause.

…But she couldn't do it like this. She just couldn't. 

"No, they're actually really toxic to humans," Wallflower said, the words of warning suddenly pouring out of her. "Honestly, I'd recommend you don't touch them at all. Skin contact with them can cause rashes. Sunset said they were your favorite, but I don't think she realized how dangerous they are in this world."

"Ah. I figured as much." Celestia nodded. "I appreciate the warning."

"Whatever." Wallflower shrugged. "You can eat them if you want, just don't expect me to clean up the mess." Letting the princess consume literal poison might be crossing a line, but she could still be dismissive and rude.

Celestia smirked again. It was honestly a little uncomfortable. "You're nothing like Sunset described," she said, her neutral tone indecipherable.

At that, Wallflower frowned. "In what regard?"

"She told me you might be a little shy when we first met," Celestia said. "It seems she was mistaken."

"Why would I be shy?" Wallflower fixed the princess with the best apathetic glare she could conjure. "You're not special or anything. What, am I supposed to get all nervous just because you're a magical sun goddess?" To really stick the disrespectful landing, Wallflower pulled out her phone and turned away. "As far as I can tell, you're as normal as the rest of us."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Celestia's expression shift. In soft, featherlight tones, she said, "I cannot even begin to remember the last time anyone spoke to me like that."

Perfect.

When Wallflower looked to confirm that the princess was scowling at her, she instead saw a smile that could only be described as… impressed—?

"Who wants some salad?!" Sunset barged back into the living room, speaking just a bit too loudly. She carried an overflowing bowl of salad to the dining table, unaware of the bits of lettuce and spinach sprinkling the floor along the way. "It's got carrots! Y-you like carrots, right?" She glanced anxiously at Celestia. "R-right…?"

"Carrots are lovely," Celestia said, taking her seat at the dining table. "Thank you, Sunset."

Sunset looked like she might burst into tears of joy as she sat in the chair adjacent to Celestia. After sliding in the chair across from the princess, Wallflower pushed the vase of daffodils to the unused corner of the table, then sat back in a lazy slouch.

"So, Wallflower." Ignoring the salad for now, Celestia leaned forward, steepling her fingers. "Tell me about yourself."

Before Wallflower could even formulate a thought, Sunset answered for her. "Oh, Wally's just great! She's really passionate about so many things and she works in a mental health clinic helping take care of the gardens so all the people there have nice things to look at while they're getting treatment and she can cook really well and she's really smart and, uhm, she… she—"

"That's a noble profession," Celestia said just as Sunset started to trail off. "What led you to such an interesting line of work?"

Wallflower gave her a deadpan glare. "I like plants."

Celestia nodded. "You must visit the palace gardens in Canterlot sometime. It is home to nearly ten thousand species of flowers, each with a grace and beauty all their own."

Ten thousand? Holy hell, that actually sounded amazing. Maybe Sunset could take her to—wait, no, focus.

"Uh-huh." Wallflower gave the bare minimum response before checking her phone. "Pizza's on the way."

"Oh good!" Sunset piped up again. "Pizza! Pizza is great! Have you had human pizza, Princess? I-I mean, I guess you haven't, uhm, sorry—"

"I have not. All the more reason to look forward to it," Celestia replied, before eyeing Wallflower again. "So, a mental health clinic, was it? What is it like?"

Wallflower's mind raced. Being rude clearly wasn't putting Celestia off at all—she needed to take things up a notch. "It's pretty nice," she said. "I was a patient there after Sunset found me."

At that, the princess's expression turned from curiosity to confusion. "Excuse me, you said she found you?"

"Yep." Wallflower nodded. "On the street, like a dirty, starving animal."

If Sunset had intended to intervene, Wallflower's last statement apparently left her quite literally stunned. She just stared, her eyes wide and her mouth a bit agape.

"I'm so sorry to hear that." Celestia's voice was more neutral than disturbed, a clear indicator that Wallflower hadn't turned up the trauma-dumping dial enough yet.

"Yeah, I was homeless for a few months after I wiped my mom's memories with the Memory Stone," Wallflower said. "Remember that thing? The thing I used to steal the memories of Sunset's friends and then nearly wiped Sunset's mind with?" Wallflower closed her eyes and yawned. "Ah, good times."

Sunset's eye twitched. Celestia just nodded thoughtfully.

"I remember," the princess said. "And I remember what Sunset told me about why you did what you did. She has long since forgiven you, as have I. All that's left now is for you to forgive yourself."

"Forgive myself?" So much for acting nonchalant—Wallflower couldn't help but laugh. "Forgive myself? After what I did? What, I'm supposed to get a free pass after doing such a horrible thing just because I was sad? Or because I hated myself? Or because my mommy was mean to me?"

Wallflower's rising voice only seemed to set Sunset deeper into her stupor. Her eyes glazed over as she stared blankly at the table, apparently entering a state of catatonia as her carefully laid dinner plans came crashing down around her.

Apparently ignoring all the parts of Wallflower's confession that mattered, Celestia asked, "How did your mother treat you?"

"Oh, y'know…" Wallflower could feel the last flimsy walls of her composure crumbling, but it didn't matter. If anything, causing a scene served her purposes perfectly. "Just normal mom stuff. Yelling at me, starving me, hitting me… One time she even tried to choke me to death!" With what must've been the world's most unconvincing smile, she added, "But don't worry, I'm totally over it."

"That's awful, I'm sorry you had to live through such horrible experiences," Celestia said, her voice betraying none of the discomfort Wallflower was after. "And, you did live through them. Even if you do not yet feel like you've fully recovered from what your mother did to you, you being here at all is a testament to your resilience. You didn't give up, and that's something to be proud of."

"Not for lack of trying," Wallflower mumbled.

"Hm?" Celestia raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, did Sunset not tell you?" Wallflower frowned. "I tried to kill myself when I was a kid."

Before Celestia could reply, there was a loud knock on the door.

"Pizza's here!" In an instant, Wallflower stood and made her way to the door as if she hadn't just revealed to her girlfriend's maternal figure that she was a ticking time-bomb. When she returned to the table with a large cheese pizza in tow, Celestia's unreadable expression was still unchanged—as was Sunset, who still looked completely checked out.

Wallflower sat back down and clasped her hands together. "Where was I? Oh right, trying to kill myself!" She nodded as she plated up her first slice of pizza. "Yep, I tried to throw myself off a building. That was right after my mom tried to kill me, actually—funny how that works out."

"I fail to see the humor in it," Celestia said. "What I do see is someone who faced true despair and survived, and who is brave enough to be open and honest about it." Her lips upturned to a slight smile—it made Wallflower want to cry and scream and throw up. "I have often wished for the kind of strength that rests in you."

Wallflower rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, I'm so impressive."

"I agree." Celestia nodded. "What's more, with the right support, you overcame many challenges and found happiness and purpose. It's fortunate that you and Sunset found each other."

That was hard to argue. Of course Sunset gave Wallflower happiness—all the happiness and joy in the world, in fact—but this wasn't about Wallflower's happiness! How could Celestia not see that—?

"Do you love her?"

"Of course I do!" Wallflower blurted out without thinking. "How could I not? She saved me, she's the best person I've ever met, she—she's perfect."

After a moment, Celestia muttered, "I see…" Her voice soon trailed off, her fingers steepled again as she looked between Sunset and Wallflower.

While her perfect girlfriend continued her best impression of a statue, looking off into space with a thousand-yard stare, Wallflower looked over at their guest. Still appearing deep in thought, Celestia remained silent as she seemed to consider the couple before her.

As the silence dragged on, the pensive look on Celestia's face made it clear to Wallflower that her efforts were—finally—starting to take root. Maybe her outburst of praise had drawn Celestia to compare her and Sunset? While Celestia had complimented Wallflower's "impressive" traits, she was almost certainly just doing so to be polite. Besides, compared to Sunset, Wallflower was truly insignificant; even as a child, Sunset had outclassed her. Surely, the princess must be thinking of that young prodigy and the amazing person she had grown up to be—and the useless little nobody sitting opposite of her, daring to think she deserved a place at this table.

The longer Celestia went without speaking, the more conflicted she appeared. When she finally did heave a sigh and look back at Wallflower, the latter found herself bracing for the inevitable dressing-down that would immediately follow.

That would certainly snap Sunset out of her stupor.

To Wallflower's surprise, however, Celestia simply said, "I love her too."

After another moment of hesitation, Celestia's melodious voice softened further as she continued, "But I was always unable to give her what she longed for. The way she spoke of you when she first told me about you…" The princess sighed. "You make her feel loved."

No… No, this couldn't be happening. This literally could not be happening. How could anyone learn how weak and damaged Wallflower was and still believe she was good for anyone? Wallflower had played nearly every card she had, and every single one had backfired spectacularly in the face of this hopelessly therapy-brained deity.

Celestia turned to Sunset, taking her hand. "I'm so proud of you."

"Wh-wha—huh?" Sunset jolted upright in her chair, finally coming back to reality. "Wait, Wally, did you—?"

"Would you believe," Celestia said, "that talking with Wallflower has been the first conversation I've had in years with someone willing to treat me like I was not defined by my title or status? It's been far too long since I've felt like I could just be myself without fear… and without impossible expectations to live up to." The princess took hold of Wallflower's hand as well, glancing between her and Sunset. "She really is perfect for you."

Sunset blinked, blinked again, then smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, she really is."

"Sunset, I…" Celestia's voice wavered for the first time since she'd arrived. "I'm so happy you've chosen this girl. You deserve someone who can make you feel like you're good enough."

Sunset's eyes watered. "Princess…"

"And her willingness to share her deepest struggles and regrets…" Celestia exhaled slowly, then continued. "She has shown me the courage to be vulnerable—to admit how much I hurt you."

Wallflower could only look on, frozen, as she accidentally made Sunset's dreams come true.

Celestia never looked away from Sunset as she spoke. "I was always so strict with you… I believed you would inherit my position, and all the duties and expectations that came with it. I suppose I thought I was preparing you by being so hard on you, by forcing you to feel all the pressures that I felt, but…" Tears trailed down the princess's cheeks as she took both of Sunset's hands in her own. "Instead I should have taught you that you never had to prove anything to me for me to love you," she said. "I-I am so sorry, Sunset. You were always good enough for me—good enough for anyone."

"Princess…" A tiny whimper left Sunset's lips. "P-Princess, I—"

"Shhhh…" Celestia pulled Sunset in, embracing her with all the love she'd never known how to show until now. "You never have to speak to me so formally. I'm not your princess."

Sunset's breath hitched, and suddenly she was sobbing in Celestia's arms. "M-mom… Mom! I-I love you, Mom!"

Hugging her daughter tight, Celestia sighed happily and said, "I love you too, Sunset. You'll always be my little girl, a-and I… I'm so happy for you, and…" Her voice cracked, and she started crying as well. "I love you, Sunset, I love you so much…"

Wallflower sat motionless, taking in the beautiful display of maternal reconciliation. Her heart soared as the girl she loved more than anything in the entire world was finally freed of the burdens of self-doubt that she'd carried all her life. Seeing Sunset so relieved, sobbing in her mother's embrace for what was likely the first time in her life, was a kind of joy and satisfaction Wallflower had never even dreamed of until that moment.

When Celestia held an arm out and pulled Wallflower into the hug, for a split second, Wallflower felt like she was really part of a loving family, and she began to tear up as well—until she remembered what she'd been trying to accomplish this evening.

Trying not to let her despondence at yet another failure show, Wallflower allowed herself to be part of the bittersweet embrace.





Sleep did not come easily for Wallflower that night.

In another life, she would have called the rest of that evening picture-perfect. After Sunset and Celestia let Wallflower go, their tearful hugs continuing between each other, she had made no further attempts to sully the moment. Eventually, the three of them finally ate, Wallflower mostly remaining silent while Sunset and the princess bonded over the joys of shared memories and cheese pizza. 

When the night drew to a close, Celestia left with more teary hugs and tender confessions of love and joy, Sunset glowing all the while. Whatever irritation that Wallflower had mustered through her sloppy attire and rude behavior was immediately forgotten, and Sunset practically launched herself at her girlfriend the moment her mother left.

Engulfing Wallflower in a tight hug, Sunset literally couldn't stop thanking her. It wasn't until Wallflower slinked away with a lie about being tired that Sunset managed to let her go, and, even then, it was with one of the brightest smiles Wallflower had ever seen.

While Sunset cleaned up in the kitchen, singing along to a joyous playlist from her phone, Wallflower had gotten ready for bed and slipped beneath the covers. She pretended to be asleep when Sunset came to bed and laid down herself—the latter woman quickly falling into slumber with a happy sigh.

Once Sunset started snoring, Wallflower let herself roll onto her back and stare at the ceiling. Dead-eyed and despairing, she couldn't even bother to formulate a new plan. At this point, what else could she possibly try? Unless she wanted to totally shatter Sunset by doing something utterly despicable, like cheating or outright leaving without a word, there was nothing she could do.

All the things Wallflower hated about herself, all the obvious signs that she wasn't good enough for Sunset—and never would be—were apparently hidden beneath her own mediocrity and inability to commit to anything difficult. Saying yes to Sunset's proposal would be the easiest thing in the world; she would do it in a heartbeat. In a millisecond, without a second thought. Because she was selfish and short-sighted and too much of a useless parasite to stop herself from latching onto someone so much better than her. And when she finally remembered her place and tried to step aside, to enlighten Sunset to that unshakable truth, that Wallflower was unstable and unreliable and unpredictable, a foundation of sand that Sunset was so naively mistaking for a cornerstone… she couldn't even do that right.

No, instead Wallflower had made Sunset love her even more. Like bottling lightning, or holding a star, Wallflower had done something that should have been impossible. 

Staring up at that empty ceiling, Wallflower felt her breath coming in a fast, trembling rhythm as she realized the position she was in. Sunset was her fiancée in all but name. Celestia knew it, Rarity knew it—hell, all of them probably knew it. Everyone but her. It had been so plainly obvious from the start. Sunset had been planning this for months, maybe years, and Wallflower, slow and stupid and stuck in the same old patterns of avoidance and escapism, was too late to do a damn thing about it.

If Wallflower said yes—and she would—they would be locked in. And when Wallflower inevitably failed as a wife, like she failed at being a girlfriend and a friend and a person at all, it would destroy Sunset.

In the darkness, Wallflower whimpered, her limbs twitching of their own accord. The roiling miasma in her mind grew stronger, mixing with the anxious terror clawing at her throat. Her breaths came louder and sharper as she rolled over from one side to the other, desperately trying to calm down, to stay in the present, to not think about it, don't think about it, never think about it, can't—

"W-Wally?"

Wallflower jumped, almost falling out of bed. In an instant, Sunset's arms were around her. Holding her. Loosely, but present, calm and practiced.

"Hey, I'm here," Sunset almost whispered, keeping her voice calm and quiet in the way that Wallflower hated how she recognized. "It's okay baby, I've got you. I've got you."

Sunset was on her side now, her chest against Wallflower's back as Wallflower futilely struggled to control her breathing. For a split second, Wallflower wanted to say something, anything—but she couldn't trust herself not to make things worse, even if she could have forced some words out between her panicked breaths and tremors. Instead, she pressed her head against the pillow, whimpering and shivering, as Sunset carefully held her in her arms.

Sunset's heartbeat was a little elevated, but still steady, as she continued, "I'm here, Wally. I'm here. It's gonna be okay." Wallflower felt her take a deep breath, no doubt in an effort to encourage her to do the same.

Despite how awful Wallflower was for doing so, she couldn't help but find some relief in those small gestures. The warmth of Sunset's touch. Her presence. The safety of knowing that Sunset would be there if something bad happened, like it had happened before, sometimes night after night. That Sunset would be there to take care of her in the morning.

That Sunset still loved her. That she was whispering so right now, and that all Wallflower could think about was how deeply and desperately she loved Sunset back. 

In spite of what she knew was best, Wallflower whispered back through staggered breaths, "I love you too."

Somehow, whether minutes or hours later, Wallflower's breathing eventually slowed, and, her eyelids heavy with exhaustion, she slipped into unconsciousness.





When Wallflower woke up, she was alone.

As she sat up in bed, the events of the prior evening—and night—played through her mind. A slight spark of hope ignited in the hollow, dull ache in her chest. Even when Sunset woke up before her on her days off, she would usually stay in bed until Wallflower opened her eyes. Had Wallflower's efforts finally paid off? Did she forget about something awful she had said to Celestia last evening that Sunset was now just realizing? Was Sunset angry at Wallflower for waking her up in the middle of the night? Had Celestia maybe written to Sunset in the magic journal after returning home, confessing how she really felt about her daughter's partner?

There was no sense in just waiting around for answers. After a quick yawn and stretch, Wallflower checked her phone. No messages or voicemails, so Sunset hadn't taken off to go grab breakfast or something. In search of her, Wallflower got out of bed.

As Wallflower exited the bedroom, she soon realized that Sunset wasn't in the bathroom nearby, nor the living room at first glance. Wallflower walked into the living room to confirm, then called out into the kitchen. "Sunset? You in there?"

Though she'd hoped to be left with silence—Sunset leaving the apartment without telling her would definitely portend doom to their parasitic relationship—Wallflower wasn't so lucky. It took a few moments, but Sunset called back from the kitchen, her voice cracking.

"I-I'm—I'm in h-here!"

Was that… Sunset crying?

That same spark of hope and deep, frigid dread ignited again, flickering at the possibility. Maybe Wallflower had finally done something right in her worthless life.

As she entered the kitchen, she realized that Sunset had been in the middle of making breakfast before something interrupted her. A carton of eggs and half stick of butter were placed next to a pan on the stove. Two glasses of orange juice sat on the dining room table. Also seated there was Sunset Shimmer, tears running down her cheeks in rivers, her phone shaking in her grasp.

With a deep breath, Wallflower put on a neutral expression and walked over to the table. "Hon? What's wrong?" she asked, bracing herself for the explosive argument, dressing-down, and possible breakup that awaited her.

Looking up from her phone, Sunset sobbed, "Rainbow Dash is fucking dead!"