Wallflower

“Wallflower?” Sunset Shimmer started, surprised to see the mare crying alone underneath a shady oak tree. “What are you doing out here by yourself? What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing!” Wallflower Blush replied hurriedly, quickly wiping her eyes with her hooves, taking a breath in surprise that somepony had caught her here. She breathed quickly to try and calm herself down, startled by the fact that someone had seen her crying. She was in a lonely spot in Canterlot, one where she thought nopony would stop by, and felt embarrassed that she was caught. Even more so that it was by her friend Sunset of all ponies.

“I- I’m f-fine,” the mare stuttered as she tried to wipe away her sadness and give off the sense that she was okay. “I… I was just… I’m sorry, you shouldn’t be seeing me like this.”

“You don’t need to be sorry for crying, Wallflower,” the unicorn told her, moving to sit down next to her and wrapping a hoof around her shoulder, rubbing her in a comforting manner. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s- it’s nothing,” she started, wiping away a few more tears that worked their way down her face. “I… I was just… I…” She trailed off unsure, turning her head away from her friend.

“Yes? What’s wrong?” Sunset asked, the concern in her voice obvious. “You know you can talk to me about anything.”

“I… I just… um, I just… tripped and hurt my hoof!” she lied. “That’s- that’s why I’m- I’m crying.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Wally,” the mare responded sympathetically, giving her a hug. “Is it okay if I took a look at it?”

“Oh, well, um, okay…” She held out her hoof limply, pretending to wince as Sunset touched and examined it. She carefully watched her friend as she did so, admiring the fact that she didn’t hesitate to stop and talk to her when she saw her and feeling a little better because of it. But just a little bit. It made Wallflower a bit jealous to see her so well liked, and silently wished to herself that she could be like the orange pony. As well, she felt ashamed of herself that Sunset had stopped by because she was crying. It was embarrassing, and she just knew that she was being a bother to her friend.

“How have you been, Wally?” Sunset asked as she moved the pony’s hoof around with her own, keeping her eyes on it. “I haven’t had the chance to see you in a little while. Have you been doing well? Keeping up?”

“I, uh, yeah. I’m d-doing well…” she lied. “I mean, I’ve been okay. I could be better, but I’m fine.”

“You could be better?” the unicorn asked. “Is there anything that’s bothering you?”

“N-no, I mean, nothing in particular,” she responded shyly, pushing her mane out of her face with her free hoof. “I mean, it’s just regular stuff. You know how… things are…”

“How are things, Wally?” she pressed. “You know you can talk to me about anything, anytime.”

“I- I know. Th-thank you. But I’m fine, Sunset. I- I promise.” As she said it, she fought hard to keep the tears she had before from reforming.

“Are you sure?”

The green pony sniffled, answering, “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m sorry for making you stop and sit with me.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble for me to sit with you. You don’t have to be sorry for that. Although I would like to know what’s really going on, because it looks to me like your hoof is fine.” As she said it, she moved Wallflower’s hoof back and forth in a circle, raising an eyebrow at her.

“I- I’m sorry…” Wallflower apologized, blushing. “I didn’t- I didn’t mean to lie. I’m fine. I was just… crying for no reason.”

“Crying for no reason? What do you mean?”

“I’m sorry,” she said again. “I shouldn’t- I shouldn’t be bothering you with this. I’m sorry.”

“You’re not bothering me one little bit, Wally,” Sunset assured her, giving her another hug. “You didn’t stop to talk to me, I stopped to talk to you. You’re not bothering me at all.”

“Are… are you sure?”

“I’m positive. I promise. You can tell me anything, Wally.”

“Well… um, I’m just…” she started, still avoiding looking at the mare before sighing. “Never mind. It’s nothing. I’m just- I’m just being dumb.”

“How are you being dumb?”

“Because I’m- I’m just… creating problems in my head,” she told her, sniffling a little bit and pushing her away some. “I’m just being dumb and making up problems that don’t even exist…”

“Can I ask what you mean, Wally?” Sunset responded, moving closer in again, using a hoof to pet her mane.

“I’m just- I’m being an idiot and convincing myself that everypony hates me…” Wallflower finally turned to look at her friend again, and found Sunset looking at her with surprise in her eyes. She blushed again and looked at her hooves in embarrassment as she felt her friend rub her shoulder.

“You’re not dumb, and nopony hates you,” her friend told her softly, gently laying Wallflower down in the grass and storking her back, petting her fur. “Why would you think that?”

“Because I’m- I’m dumb,” she explained, a frustrated tone working its way into her voice. “I know nopony hates me, but I- I can’t help but feel like they do…”

“Why would they hate you, Wally? That doesn’t-”

“Because I’m annoying. I don’t- ugh! I stick my own hoof in my mouth with what I say, and I really don’t mean it, but I know it annoys everypony. And I just… ugh! I just annoy them when I talk to them! I know they don’t like talking to me!”

“I’m sure they don’t think that,” the unicorn assured her gently. “Don’t you think they would tell you if you were annoying? Cause I certainly think they would, and since they haven’t…”

“No, they’re just being nice…” she replied, starting to get teary-eyed again and working herself back up. “I know that none of what I’m saying makes any sense, but I can’t help but think those things anyway, and I know they hate me. And if they say they don’t, they’re just trying to be nice… I say all the wrong things too much...”

“How do you say the wrong things?” Sunset asked, now using her hooves to rub the mare’s sides.

“Because I… I just do…” she explained. “I just… blurt things out without thinking about how other ponies are going to feel. I’m a horrible pony, and I know that eveypony else thinks that. And I know they’re just being nice when they say that I'm their friend and I'm not bothering them, just like you are…”

By the time she finished speaking, she was full on crying again, resting her head on her forelegs as she shivered out tears. Sunset continued rubbing her back gently, moving all the way up and back down again, speaking to her softly as she did so.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay to be sad, and it’s okay to cry, too, Wally. It’s okay.”

“I’m sorry,” Wallflower Blush apologized through her tears. “I’m just being an idiot. I’m sorry you have to deal with me.”

“You don’t need to be sorry to me. You’re not doing anything wrong. Don’t feel bad about feeling bad.”

“I’m sorry…” she told her again, burying her face in her hooves.

The two of them lay in the shade in relative quiet for a while, Wallflower softly crying as her friend comforted her, rubbing her hooves into her sides before eventually working up to pet her mane, almost laying on top of her as she did so. She pressed her cheek into the mare’s, giving her a little bit of a nuzzle before speaking to her again, now in a whisper.

“You’re not annoying, Wally, and nopony thinks that, I promise.”

“I can’t help but think that they do because I’m dumb,” she replied, using a whisper of her own. “I’m making up problems in my head that don’t exist.”

“It’s okay to feel bad. You’re not dumb for feeling the way you feel. It’s okay.”

“Are… are you sure?” the green mare asked, looking up at Sunset, her body shaking a little bit.

“Of course I’m sure,” the unicorn assured her, rubbing their cheeks together again and wrapping her hooves around her neck. “How long have you known me? Have I ever been wrong about anything?”

“I… I guess not but…” Wallflower trailed off, unsure before saying, “I really feel like I’m annoying you. I don’t- I don’t want to bother you…”

“You’re not bothering me one little bit, Wally,” Sunset responded gently, nuzzling her neck as she said it. “You’re not annoying, and you don’t bother me, and I’ve never seen you stick your hoof in your mouth.”

“You promise me, Sunny?” she asked. “I mean, I know I’m not but… but I really can't help but think I do...

"You definitely don't bother me, Wally, and I can't say you ever have for that matter."

"Do you promise? You… you wouldn’t lie to me, would you? You would tell me if I were annoying you, right?”

“I promise you’re not annoying, I promise you’re not a bother, and I promise I would tell you,” Sunset assured her, giving her a small grin. “And you know this is Canterlot, silly. If you were annoying, I’m sure somepony would tell you.”

“I… I guess you’re right…” she sniffed, taking deep breaths to try and calm down again and wiping her eyes with her hooves.

“Of course, I’m right,” Sunset confirmed for her, using her magic to turn her head to look her in the eyes. She watched her friend blush and returned it with a wide smile, causing the green pony to smile back shyly in return.

“I’m sorry for being dumb,” Wallflower told her again as she smiled, sniffing one last time as she started to feel better again.

“You don’t need to be sorry, silly filly. You’re a good mare and deserve all the good things that come your way.” With that, she gently rubbed her forehead with her own and moved to lay down next to her, snuggling her. “You have lots of friends who love you for who you are and care about you, and you should never forget that.”

“Thank you, Sunset,” her friend told her. “Thank you for making me feel better. You didn’t have to stop, but you did, and I want to say thank you.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” she responded happily as she used her position to rub her stomach. “Anything for a friend like you.”

Wallflower smiled happily to herself at that, closing her eyes to fall asleep in the shade as Sunset kept her body wrapped in her hooves.

“I love you, Sunny,” she told her as she started to drift off.

“I love you too, Wally,” the unicorn answered back kindly.

Author's Note:

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