• Published 2nd Jul 2018
  • 2,853 Views, 272 Comments

Blooming - Bookish Delight



Wallflower Blush strikes up an unexpected close friendship with a quirky indie movie director. In fact, _best_ friendship status could well be a possibility—if she can just keep this pesky redemption arc under control.

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10: Mallflowers (Pt. 2)

When Wallflower told Juniper about her not having been to Canterlot Mall in years, along with her surprise upon seeing how things had changed, Juniper offered to give Wallflower the grand tour. Wallflower had accepted without a second thought.

And without knowing that when Juniper said "grand tour," she'd seriously meant grand tour. An hour and a half later, they were still inside. It turned out Canterlot Mall was larger than Wallflower ever would have guessed. Tons of stores and restaurants, with every comfort of life a Canterlot resident could ask for, lay within reach of the both of them, their goods and services ready for the purchasing with whatever money both girls could spare. Which wasn't much at the moment, so the time-honored tradition of window-shopping would have to do.

As the two took the escalator back down to the first floor, Juniper sighed wistfully. "It's kind of retro, isn't it? I mean, this whole 'hanging out at the mall' thing we're doing. I see a few people our age here, but nowhere near as many teenagers as I used to see growing up."

"I... wouldn't know," Wallflower said. "The mall was never a choice hangout spot for me. I didn't even really use it for shopping, either."

"Which still throws me for a total loop," Juniper said. "I mean, where do you get your clothes?"

Wallflower shrugged. "Not the mall?" She looked down at her basic jeans and striped earth-toned shirt. "I don't exactly tend to dress very flashy." She looked up at Juniper with an apologetic smile.

Juniper smiled back, and nodded. "Hey, you won't find any judgment from me. Being an indie director kind of dictates you live the frugal life. Especially when film festival fees enter the picture. Ask me about living off of leftovers and ramen cups. The Montage life is one of intense culinary struggle," she said, once more putting her hand to her head and using her best melodramatic voice.

Wallflower giggled. "Maybe I can help fix that. I learned to make a whole bunch of awesome dishes just from growing my own fruits and veggies in my backyard. Making my own recipes is how I've been able to save my sanity."

"Whoa, I never even thought about that," Juniper said. "Seriously?"

Wallflower nodded. "Seriously. You haven't lived until you've had my Garden Stew. Which you're welcome to, if-slash-when we ever end up at one of each other's houses."

Wallflower could see Juniper's eyes actually light up. "That would be amazing! My mouth's watering already. Sheesh, we pretty much just met, and you're already too good to me."

With a blush, Wallflower gestured at her surroundings. "It's the least I can do for you indulging me like you have this whole time."

"What, are you kidding? I'm glad to help you make up for lost time! Besides, I can't believe you didn't know where the Multi-Tron was," Juniper said, pointing to a nearby rack of televisions set up to play a single image collectively on their screens. "Heck, I'm surprised you found the theater." She pulled the wrist of her blouse, sniffing. "Still kind of regretting the decision to meet there. I don't smell too much like popcorn, do I?"

Wallflower shrugged. "I like popcorn."

Juniper laughed. "That doesn't help me! But yeah, totally happy to oblige. Besides, it helps that I know this place like the back of my..." Juniper trailed off, her jubilant look gradually sobering.

Wallflower noticed. "Everything all right?"

"Y-yeah," Juniper said with a faraway stare. "Totally just had a flashback for a second there. Not a great one, either."

Wallflower mustered up all of her courage to look at Juniper and ask, "Do you want to talk about it? I'm... no stranger to having memories I wouldn't like going back to."

Wallflower felt a hand clasp her own, sending heated ripples coursing through her, from top to bottom. It was all she could do to not show it outwardly. She looked at Juniper with wide eyes.

Juniper looked back. "Not right now," she said, her smile having returned. "Having too much fun."

"Heeeeeey, Junieeee!" an energetic voice called out to them as they got off the escalator.

"Huh?" Juniper said, as the two located the voice—a pink girl with long green hair, wearing a blue jacket and jeans, as well as over-ear headphones, waving at them from one of the shop outlets. "Whoa! Speaking of fun: heeeeey, Zestyyyyyyy!" Waving back, Juniper walked over to the girl. Wallflower followed, still holding Juniper's hand.

"Lemon Zest, this is Wallflower Blush," Juniper said as they walked up to the former. "Wallflower Blush, Lemon Zest. She's one of Sunny Flare's friends. I have never met a harder rocker."

"And ya never will!" Lemon said, headbanging for a couple of seconds before launching herself into hugging Wallflower. "Oh wow, it's so cool to meet you! When Junie told me she actually made a new friend completely on her own, I was like, 'get outta this city and never come back.'" Lemon Zest let go of Wallflower, and stepped back. "Then Sunny told me it was totally by accident, and the world made sense again," she finished, laughing.

"Oh, sure, laugh it up," Juniper said, as she and Wallflower looked around the outlet they were standing in front of. "Now I remember this place. Wasn't this the old karaoke center? What's going on here now?" She looked up at the sign above the outlet. "'Make My Video?'"

"Heck yeah," Lemon said, pumping a fist. "Totally brand new business venture! Some people took the old karaoke place that got closed down—y'know, 'cause the ones in Manehattan are way more popular—installed some green screens, and now you can make your own music video!" Lemon spread her arms wide. It's photo booths, but, like, welcome to the next level photo booths! So yeah, we work here now."

Wallflower gaped. That didn't sound entirely awful. As she tried to imagine just what such a booth would be like, she heard Juniper groan.

"Zesty, honey, I love you," Juniper said, "but I keep telling you, you gotta temper your expectations with some of these jobs you take. You can't be sure that this'll catch on. Especially in Current Year." She held up her phone, displaying online store listings on its screen. "There are apps now that can practically do the same thing."

"Yeah, but phone camera apps are fuzzy on their best days. Boring, too," said another girl, walking out of the door behind Lemon. Wallflower recognized her instantly—her wild blue hair, and striking white-and-magenta ensemble, complete with shades flamboyant enough to rival Photo Finish's, had always been the talk of the school.

There was a point where Wallflower had briefly considered dressing like her, just for attention, before she thought better of it. Vinyl Scratch was the school DJ, and a trendsetter besides. Wallflower would have just been seen as copying.

"Besides, we do all the hard setup work for you," Vinyl went on. "You don't so much 'make your video' so much as you choose some settings out here, then get inside, and belt your voice out. Then you come back out and, boom." She pointed at Juniper with both index fingers. "You're show business."

"I think I'm offended," Juniper said, with a wink. "But seriously, I wish you all the best. I'm just wary. I..." Juniper took a deep breath. "I know how easy it is for people to dismiss otherwise good or fun ideas on a whim, you know?"

"Yeah, we might." Lemon huffed. "Pon-3 and I are still hurting from Music Pizza." She and Vinyl sucked in their breaths, and exhaled. "The world will never know what they lost," Lemon continued, in a faraway voice.

Vinyl stepped up to the others. "But that doesn't mean Team Harmonix is giving up," she said, grinning at Lemon, and meeting her with a fistbump. "Music is everywhere. Whether it's one person or a thousand, anyone we can help to feel it like we do is a victory."

"So, you wanna give this a try?" Lemon asked Juniper. "I mean, you're already an actress-y, director-y-type person!"

"Yeah, about that." Juniper cringed. "Director. Actress. That's where my resume ends. I don't sing. Not on my worst days. Which, when I'm singing, are my best days. Besides, whoever heard of a film director touching a music video, or vice versa?" Juniper chuckled. "Just sounds like a recipe for a bad final product either way."

"Awwww," Wallflower said, giving Juniper a teasing look. "I'd love to hear you sing."

"Nnnnope." Juniper giggled. "Not happening. I know my limits. Juniper Montage has already gone viral once for a travesty in this very mall, and that's never happening again. We'll totally spread the word about your booth, though."

"Cool deal," Vinyl said, adjusting her shades. "We prefer willing customers, anyway."

"Of course," Juniper said, taking a few steps away from the store. "Anyway, I've got someone who I'm still showing a good time, soooo..." She took a few more steps. "You coming, Wallflower?"

It took Wallflower until exactly that moment to realize that she was still fixed on the spot. Still staring at the store.

A memory came to her. One that, under different circumstances, she knew she would have enjoyed even more than she had in the original moment. At least, she'd thought so for the last two weeks. Now she was inspired to find out. "Hey, Vinyl," she said, "how many people can actually see these screens you've got set up?"

"Can be everyone." Vinyl shrugged. "Can be no one. You choose. There's only one master screen inside." She pointed to the televisions lining the windows. "We can turn off all the monitors that broadcast out here, for people who prefer to be a little more private." She flashed a wide smile. "Or intimate."

Juniper came back. "What's going on?" she asked.

"I... I think I want to try this." Wallflower reached into her backpack, and gave a thumb drive to Lemon. "Use the track on here, and definitely turn the outside screens off." She glanced at Juniper before adding, "This is for an audience of one."

"Whoa," Lemon said, her voice communicating surprise. "You can sing?"

Vinyl looked just as surprised. "You can sing?"

Juniper looked the most surprised of all. "You can sing?"

"I can talk," Wallflower said, looking at the other girls as if they'd turned into space aliens. The tiniest bit of her was already starting to wonder if this was a bad idea. "Singing is just talking with different vibrational manipulation and timing. Anyone can do it. Just takes practice to do it well."

"Right, yeah! Sorry about the impromptu interrogation," Juniper said. "I mean, I think you being able to sing is awesome! I just didn't see this coming." She walked back to Wallflower, and looked at her with a smirk. "You're just full of surprises, ain't you?"

Wallflower smiled back. "Only because most people don't look in my direction."

Juniper took Wallflower's hand again. "You won't have to worry about that with me."

Fighting a heated blush, Wallflower followed Vinyl and Lemon into the shop. It looked like walking into a video store from decades ago, with retro-futuristic multi-colored lines lining dark fabric walls. The four made their way to a large control panel near the rear eastern wall, full of buttons lining the walls, and a display screen on top.

"All righty!" Lemon said. "Now, the first step is to pick your motif. You know. What you want the video to look like while you're singing. Where you wanna be." She pressed buttons, one after the other, causing various loops of stock footage to play on the screen above. "You've got laserscape, cityscape, country and western, nature garden, high school, Neighponese high school—"

Wallflower hit a particular button without a second thought.

"You have selected: 'Nature'," Lemon said in a mock phone menu voice. She pressed a red button to the right, and gestured to the wall on the other side of the store. It slid inward and to the side, revealing an opening with steam coming out of it. "Hee. Like the smoke machine? It was my idea."

Juniper gave a thumbs-up. "I'm always down for special effects. All right, hon, the rest is up to you. 'Knock 'em dead' is what I would say if you had an audience, but since you turned 'em off..." Juniper nodded. "Yeah. Just go have fun."

Wallflower nodded back. "Thanks. I will."

She stepped into the opening, through the smoke, and found herself in a bare room painted a rich green, not unlike the ones she'd seen in various movie special features.

Then she looked up at the television above her, and her heart jumped at the sight of her headless self. "What the..." she gasped, stepping back. Her clothes moved as well, showing that she had no hands, either. She turned away from the screen, covering her eyes. "What's going on?"

Wallflower heard Juniper's voice through the booth's PA system. "Oh my god, you didn't. You did not make the noobest mistake imaginable. Oh my god, I didn't catch the noobest mistake imaginable, either!"

"You sent her to your room, Pon-3!" Lemon said.

"Heh. Yep, I did that. My bad," Vinyl said. "Hang on, we planned for this the moment we found out Zest couldn't use the thing we built this place for." A part of the green in front of Wallflower wall slid to one side. "Go through there. Sorry about no smoke effects this time."

Making sure to not look back at the television, Wallflower went through the opening, and found herself in a room painted a cool blue. Slowly, she looked up at the screen with squinted eyes, sighing in relief when she saw all of herself visible against a forest backdrop.

"There we go," Lemon said. "Now you're in my house." After a beat of realization, Lemon wailed, "I can't use either room today! Vinyl! Why didn't you warn me?"

"I didn't dress you this morning before you left the house, dude! Why are you blaming me?"

"Can we argue about music video fashion later?" Juniper said. "She's ready!"

Uh, sure. "Ready" is a word, I guess. Wallflower looked around the empty, silent, somewhat dimmed blue room, intimidation sinking with in every second. She was alone again. Alone again like always. But for some reason this loneliness was... smothering. It was harder to take breaths.

It didn't take her long to realize why: the room wasn't only empty, it was bare. It was nothing.

It was lifeless. Devoid of any connection Wallflower could possibly make—not even a single plant.

She inhaled deeply, taking a couple of steps back, wondering if she'd look strange if she asked Juniper to just... just talk to her.

I should like this. Why do I feel so cold? Why do I feel so—

The room darkened, even though looking up to confirmed to Wallflower that the lights hadn't changed one bit.

Her mind's eye flashed back to the little girl, locked in the room, by her lonesome, simultaneously escaping from the world and hating the fact that she constantly ran from it. She stepped back towards to the wall, wanting to do nothing more than to lean against it, and curl in on herself.

Her hands hit the wall. Halfway there. It didn't help.

This was a mistake. This was the worst mistake. Even if it's just three people, why did I ask to indulge myself? Why did I ask to do something I wanted to do?

She froze, paralyzed by a memory that no one shared, of herself on the school stage, met by dozens of disapproving looks from her so-called "fellow" students.

All I'm going to do is make a fool of myself, all over again! It's going to be me, crying in a corner, just like always, and everyone will know, Juniper will know—

Her phone dinged, cutting through her fears. She took it out of her pocket, and read Juniper's text. "Hey. Are you okay in there?"

Wallflower typed a frantic reply, her heart still pounding. "I think I might have just bitten off more than I can chew here. I'm so sorry. I always do this."

Several moments passed before Juniper's next reply—one which threw Wallflower for a loop.

"Why are you apologizing for being yourself? I saw you outside. This place was calling to you hardcore. You came in here to embrace it, right?"

Wallflower nodded as she typed. "But, whenever I do... no one ever cares but me."

The trill of instruments wafted through the room. High, melodic, slightly technological notes, flowing with reassurance and purpose, called out to her. Soon after, Juniper's voice joined them, as soft as she could muster through a public address system.

"There are only three people watching you right now, Wallflower," Juniper said. "Two of them are just as passionate about music as you clearly are, and the third... just thinks you're amazing. All three of us can't wait to hear what you've got. And if what that is means something special to you, too, then all the better.

"Director Montage has your back," Juniper finished. "We all do. So smile for the camera."

Wallflower smiled, put her phone back in her pocket, and looked ahead of her. A spark of newfound determination pulsed within her, and she grasped onto it for all she was worth.

Thanks, Juniper.

She closed her eyes.

Clear the mind. Plant its soil with positive things.

Wallflower opened her eyes, and stepped forward. She spied a microphone resting on a hook under the television. She walked further towards it, as if it were a lighthouse in a storm.

Remove the weeds. Keep the flowers.

The notes were the preamble of the track she'd given Vinyl, which meant that it was almost time. In less than half a minute, she would have to do this, no matter what.

Let them bloom... then let yourself bloom as well.

Wallflower's heart slowed to normal. She straightened up, reached up, and took the microphone off of its hook, raising it to her lips.

Be one with the garden... then be a garden yourself.

It was time.

She let her voice go.

"You don't see me fitting in, I'm sitting here alone,
Right beside my shadow, always on my own..."

She continued the song, looking back up to the display. The forest shifted to a meadow as she sang, then later shifted again to a garden full of flowers. The backdrops were perfectly serviceable, Wallflower thought, and the blue-screen illusion was such as she looked as if she were actually singing on location. Whenever silly panning tricks weren't going on, anyway.

They were all perfectly fine. And she knew she could do worlds better.

Wallflower closed her eyes.

Within moments, she was walking in the midst of a perfectly-cut grass meadow, the breeze blowing in her face and through her hair. She sang her sadness, her grievances, her lamentations, her lot in life, with a strength utterly betraying the mood that her lyrics about lifetime loneliness conveyed.

And as the song's chorus approached in a crescendo, she became one with the lyrics, the notes, the song.

Her song.

"I'm invisible! Invisible! A droplet in the mist!
Invisible! Invisible! It's like I don't exist!"

Force. Clarity. Anger in the face of cornered reservation. She spun her heels, stood with her feet slightly apart, raised her head and held the microphone like her life depended on it, no longer caring who was there.

She sang in her room. She sang in the halls of Canterlot High School. She sang on top of one of Sugarcube Corner's booth tables, with screaming fans below her. She looked down at the crowd—recognizing a twin-ponytailed girl with pink glasses, looking at her with shining eyes.

She reached her hand down. Juniper reached up and clasped it, allowing Wallflower to pull her up and join her in a duet for the song's final verses, its final movements, its final stomp on the ground, resulting in fireworks.

The music finished, and she snapped awake, panting and the slightest bit and sweaty, as the lights brightened back to life.

And she welcomed silence back into her world.


After several recuperative seconds, Wallflower saw a piece of the wall behind her open, with Juniper standing in the doorway. "Oh, good," she said, more to herself than Juniper. "I was wondering how we were going to get out of here."

Juniper didn't reply. Her lips were open and static as she stared at Wallflower, without moving a muscle.

"Juniper? A-are you okay?" Wallflower asked, taking small steps towards her. "Did... did I do something wrong?"

Wordlessly, Juniper walked up to Wallflower. When she was close enough, she wrapped her arms around Wallflower in an outright cradle, resting her head on Wallflower's shoulder.

"You just sang so much of my life," she heard Juniper whisper in her ear. "I didn't know it was yours too."

"Y-yeah," Wallflower said, hugging back. This close, Juniper still smelled like popcorn. Wallflower still liked it. "I think, in a way," she said, not knowing where the words were coming from, "we might always be."

Juniper stepped away, slowly, revealing tiny telltale smudges under her eyes. "Yeah," she said. "That's the secret. Everyone feels alone. It's just that... some people are better at acting like they're not."

Wallflower nodded, wiping her eyes. "Mm-hmm."

"Sorry." Juniper squeezed Wallflower's hands, her eyes wide and appreciative as she looked into her friend's. "Pretty sure I took things to a weird place just now. Lemme make up for it?"

"There's nothing to apologize for," Wallflower said. "But sure. Let's get out of here."