It's Only Making Me Feel Smaller
Going through the portal wasn’t what bothered Wallflower Blush the most. The strange magic that took her through the gap between dimensions wasn’t the most painful thing. Nor was realizing that she was no longer human.
The biggest shock was when she looked over to see Sunset Shimmer, simultaneously herself and not, smiling at her.
“You okay?” Sunset asked with a chuckle.
Wallflower realized that she was staring. How could she not? The girl she had come to know and fall for over the past few months stood beside her as a horse. No, a pony. Wait, no. A unicorn. A magical creature Wallflower hadn’t thought about since she was a little girl. Something she had read about in stories of knights, princesses, and faraway lands.
This must have been one of those lands the stories were written about.
After regaining her balance, Wallflower finally replied, “Y-yeah. I’m okay.”
“This is the first time I’ve brought someone through this side of the mirror, so I wasn’t sure how you’d react.” Sunset reached out with a hoof. Front hoof? Forehoof? As Wallflower took her forehoof, she marveled at how soft it felt in… her own.
Oh. Right.
Wallflower looked over herself. Four hooves. Four legs. All the same light-green shade as that of her human skin. She was still wearing her favorite baggy sweater. Two-tone. Beige and tan. The sleeves were just as long here as they’d been on the other side, reaching down to her hands. Forehooves.
“Oh! Right!” Red light glowed around the small, almost stubby horn atop Sunset’s head. Wallflower watched as that same red light crept around the room, as if searching for something.
Taking in her surroundings, Wallflower realized that they were in a library. Towers of bookshelves surrounded them, jutting out from the crystalline walls and floor. These crystals were unlike any she’d seen before. Their hues of blue and purple contrasted nicely with the red of Sunset’s… magic.
Magic shouldn’t have surprised her so much. She had used the Memory Stone, been touched by Sunset’s geode, and seen the gems Sunset’s friends wore around their necks. Stolen memories, instant connections, transformations ripped right out of a cartoon… she’d done or seen it all. And those were just the things she already knew about.
Wallflower shouldn’t have felt so fascinated when her unicorn girlfriend found a small mirror on a nearby table and levitated it over to her. But she was.
“I had Twilight leave out something a little more, well, useful as a mirror for us. I figured you’d want to get a good look.”
Sunset cast a grin towards her that—as odd as was in this context—seemed flirtatious. However, when Wallflower looked in the mirror, she couldn’t understand why.
The mane on her pony head—er, her head—was long and scraggly, the same darker shade of green as before. There was no cute, spiraling horn poking out from the raggedy mess. Nor were there a set of majestic, feathery wings jutting out from her shoulders or back. Wherever they were supposed to go. Other than her colors, Wallflower looked very similar to a pony back on Earth. Nothing special at all.
“Oh, and you’ll want to see this, too.”
The mirror rushed down towards where Wallflower’s tail was. To Wallflower's relief, it didn’t quite go all the way back there. Nevertheless, she blushed as she looked at the reflection of her thigh—no, her flank. That was the right word, Wallflower was pretty sure.
“Look! Your cutiemark’s a flower!”
Sunset sounded excited to see something so mundane. It was a flower Wallflower had seen many times before. In fact, it was an exact match to a sticker on the backpack she used back home. A lone, white flower in a brown pot, drooping from lack of sunlight. Even more plain and boring as a destiny tattoo.
“Oh…” Wallflower held back a shrug. “I guess it is.”
Moving the mirror back up to her face, Sunset asked with that bright smile, “So, what do you think?”
Wallflower turned away from the boring pony in the mirror. “I… uh…”
“Please speak up, Wallflower.” Sunset smirked. “You’re a little hoarse.”
A strange, equine snort escaped Wallflower as she rolled her eyes. “Good one.”
When Sunset giggled, Wallflower genuinely giggled back. If anything could reliably make her laugh, it was Sunset’s silly jokes. Not only that, but Sunset always had the prettiest smile. She beamed when she laughed, even in this strange body. It was enough to make Wallflower smile and laugh at the sight alone.
“I thought of it on the way. It just seemed too perfect.” Sunset levitated the mirror back over to the table, setting it down with a quick flick of her horn. The red magic extinguished, channeling back from wherever it came. Then, the playful expression on her mouth—her muzzle—shifted into something more serious.
Wallflower flinched. That was the same look human Sunset gave her all too often. It was because of that look she started sitting with Sunset and her friends in the cafeteria at lunch, rather than alone in her garden. It was because of that look that Wallflower decided to tag along when “they” invited her to get a milkshake, go to the movies, or hang at the beach.
It was because of that look that Wallflower was grateful the portal hadn’t removed her sweater, like it had Sunset’s clothes.
“Hey.” Sunset laid a forehoof on her shoulder. “If this is too weird, we can go back. No big deal.”
“I know.”
“We can always visit another time.” That forehoof moved from her shoulder to under her chin. Whatever these hooves were made out of, they felt kind of nice. Wallflower relaxed a bit at her touch. “Equestria’s not going anywhere. And neither am I,” Sunset added, as if her magic could read Wallflower’s treacherous mind.
“I-I know.” But I know how much you were looking forward to this. How excited you are. I can’t take that away from you, she wanted to add. “It’s okay.” She did her best to inject any amount of conviction into her own words. “We’re here already, right? Plus, didn’t you want me to meet all of your friends?”
“All of our friends, but yes.” Though it seemed more measured, Sunset was still looking at her. “But if you’re sure…”
Reaching out, Wallflower laid one of her forehooves on Sunset’s shoulder. Somehow, Sunset’s coat felt smooth beneath the roughness of her own touch. “I’m sure, Sunset.”
With one last breath, Wallflower took her first unaided step on four legs. When she didn’t fall, she took another, and then another, until she was pressed right against Sunset’s side.
Sunset nuzzled the side of Wallflower’s face with her own. Warmth tingled through Wallflower’s veins. The gesture sparked another fresh wave of flutters. Butterflies danced in her stomach, flapping all the way to her throat.
As Sunset smiled at her, locking those gorgeous cyan eyes on her dull, brown ones, Wallflower almost believed her own words.
It hadn’t been a library at all. Well, not really.
Wallflower supposed that castles must have had libraries to begin with. In all those storybooks of yore, damsels in distress were locked away for months or years at a time. Back before cell phones, television, and magical pony girlfriends, books were all a damsel in distress had to pass the time.
Wallflower was no damsel. However, after seeing what she looked like on this side of the mirror, she would’ve preferred reading a book to being here. Or, better yet, tending to her garden.
This place was called Ponyville, Sunset had said. Whoever was in charge of naming conventions for this world sure had a terrible sense of humor. Awful pun or not, even as Sunset had explained Ponyville’s importance and significance, Wallflower found herself distracted.
Around her were ponies of every shade of the rainbow. Their coats, manes, and eyes were all some myriad of color. Like a technicolor dream come alive. Her own human palette could not compare. There was a life and a magic here that left Wallflower in awe. Some spirit that she had never seen before.
Some of these ponies had wings or horns. Many, like her, did not. Even so, these regular ponies carried themselves with magic all their own. She saw a big, red stallion pulling a cart stacked high with apples. A trio of multicolored mares sold flowers at a well-tended stand. A cream-colored mare with a two-tone mane passed out samples of candy by a storefront that undoubtedly bore her own name.
When a mint-green unicorn came out of the store and nuzzled the cream-colored mare in the same way Sunset had done, Wallflower felt something drop in her stomach. Flutters? No. Nerves? Maybe, but that still didn’t feel right. Envy? Perhaps that was it.
After all, when this other mare looked up at her unicorn partner, her smile was nowhere near as fake as the ones Wallflower had mustered many times over. Then again, practice made perfect. Maybe she just needed to feel invisible most of her life, too.
“Hey Lyra! Hey Bon-Bon!” Sunset waved as they passed the couple. The two mares quickly returned the greeting before their eyes were drawn back to each other.
Sunset drew back to Wallflower’s side. “Lyra—the unicorn back there—was a student at Princess Celestia’s school, just like Twilight was. They were both just starting their first year when I…” She trailed off into a nervous chuckle. “Well, you know.”
Sensing the guilt and shame rising in Sunset’s words, Wallflower changed the subject. “So, are we going to go see Twilight first?”
Sunset’s smile returned. “Actually, we’re gonna see them all at once. Remember how I said Twilight was a teacher now?”
“That’s right, I remember wh—!” Wallflower cut off in a squeak. Sunset yanked her to the side of the road with her magic.
Rushing past them, the enormous pegasus stallion, his tiny wings fluttering, called out, “Sorry! Nut cart emergency!”
Nut cart…? “Wh-what?”
Sunset laughed, then rolled her eyes. “Don’t ask.” She curled a foreleg around Wallflower. “Anyway, after the whole thing with the Storm King…”
As Sunset launched into another story of magic ponyland adventure, the heat on Wallflower’s muzzle blossomed. They were so close right now, almost walking cheek-to-cheek together through the streets.
They were far from the only ones. Beyond Lyra and Bon-Bon, other couples of all different combinations of gender, color, and kind trotted past them. Going to the market seemed as much of a couple’s activity here as anywhere else. Excited chatter rang out above their ears, at times drowning out Sunset’s tale of the new School of Friendship and the jerk who tried to shut it down. Chancellor Naysay? Nah, it was probably spelled less subtly than that.
Although she didn’t want to ignore Sunset, Wallflower couldn’t help but let many of her words pass through her sensitive ears. She was so close, so warm, so bright and vivid. Not just in color, but in temperament, too. She matched her namesake as much as Wallflower did her own.
Seeing her like this exemplified their difference even more. In her native land—in her native body—Sunset was completely in her element. Confident. Vibrant. Passionate.
And who was Wallflower? The timid stranger who had to be held and coddled through it all?
... Now the flutters were different. Like the butterflies were going to be sick.
“... So there’s gonna be some different creatures there. Dragons, a Griffon, a hippogriff, a Yak, and at least one Changeling.” Sunset picked up where she left off in Wallflower’s ears without missing a beat. “But they’re all really nice. Maybe a little different, but still nice.”
When Sunset’s eyes lingered on her own, Wallflower realized it was her turn to speak. She cleared her throat, then plastered a smile. “That sounds nice.”
“Mmm.” Sunset leaned in closer, her breath almost tickling on Wallflower’s cheek. “Everything okay still? We could always meet up with the girls later.”
Trying not to run into another wayward pony, Wallflower shook her head. “No, it’s okay.”
“You sure? I know I have a lot planned for us today.” Along with her smile, Sunset’s voice dropped a tad. “I don’t want to overwhelm you.”
If the butterflies had been nauseous before, they were puking now. Puking up sunshine, glitter, and rainbows in Wallflower’s empty stomach. A more than fitting breakfast for today. She’d rather let all of that twist and churn than see Sunset disappointed.
Wallflower attempted the easy familiarity of Sunset’s intimate gestures, awkwardly brushing her nose against the unicorn’s. “I’m alright,” she said, hoping that she, herself, believed it too.
Or, at least, that Sunset did.
School would be much more bearable if it looked like this. More like a castle—complete with a moat, of all things!—than the prison it could be. More colorful, more happy, more alive. Wallflower felt as if the grass beneath her hooves was singing to her as they approached the majestic work of art. Calling it a school was no longer acceptable. Everything about it—from the shingles on the roof, to the waterfalls framing the front doors—was something out of a fairytale.
“Is that… Twilight?” Wallflower looked up at the stained-glass motif above the similarly patterned front doors.
“Sure is! And if I didn’t know any better—” Sunset looked down at her empty left forehoof, then chuckled and shook her head— “I’d think she’d be meeting us right about—”
Pink magic engulfed Wallflower’s vision. With a gasp, she cowered behind Sunset, who simply petted her side and said, “Now.”
What followed the flash almost made Wallflower’s heart stop. She should’ve been prepared when Twilight Sparkle the pony said in the same voice as her human counterpart, “Hi, Sunset!”
But she wasn’t.
From behind Sunset’s tail, Wallflower saw her girlfriend laugh, then hug this Twilight Sparkle. “Good to see you, Twilight. It’s been a while.”
This Twilight took a little too long to break away. “Sure has.”
As Twilight pulled back, Wallflower realized that this world’s version of the genius girl not only had a horn—one longer than Sunset’s—but wings, too.
Wings and a horn? Wasn’t that what Sunset said an alicorn was? Weren’t all of them princesses? Princesses who controlled the sun and moon, who cast shields around entire cities, who fought off giant monsters with their magic…
If the other Twilight came to this side of the mirror, would she be an alicorn, too? Would Sunset regard her with the same affection?
“And you must be Wallflower Blush.” Trotting around Sunset, Twilight joined Wallflower’s side. The alicorn held out a forehoof to the common pony. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard quite a bit about you.”
As she shook hooves with a Princess, Wallflower could only nod. Then, she realized what Twilight had just said. “You—you have?”
Sunset, her cheeks matching the darker parts of her mane, smiled so sheepishly that Wallflower felt like she was looking in the mirror again.
Twilight smiled at Wallflower. “Oh, yes, I have. All good things, I promise.” She unfurled her wings, pointing one in the direction of her school. “Now, would you two like a tour? I figured I could show you around first. After that, we could sit in on some of the girls’ classes before lunch starts.”
“The girls?” Wallflower blinked. “Wait, they’re all teachers here, too?”
“Yes. All of them are professors in their own individual Element of Harmony,” Twilight explained.
“‘Element of Harmony’? Like… their gems?”
“That’s right.” Sunset smiled down at her. “Just like their gems.”
Wallflower held back a soft “Oh,” rubbing one foreleg against the other. Her sleeves bunched as she did so. Noticing this, Sunset used her magic to pull them down for her. Their eyes met in a quiet, shared understanding that calmed the nerves fluttering in Wallflower’s chest.
They returned with a vengeance as Princess Twilight Sparkle, one eyebrow raised, asked, “Did you come through the portal wearing that?”
Looking away, Wallflower felt her ears droop. “Y-yeah.”
“Huh.” Twilight cocked her head. “I know the portal adds clothing on the other side, given how human culture is, but I’ve never seen this happen in reverse. I wonder if—”
“So, Twilight...” Sunset cleared her throat. “The tour?”
“Oh!” Twilight looked between them with a bashful grin. “Sorry, where are my manners? Heh, heh.” That powerful pink magic pulled the doors open wide. “Right this way!”
As she followed after the alicorn and unicorn, Wallflower pulled the sleeves of her sweater down as far as they could go. The fabric rubbed against her fetlocks as they explored the grand palace that some lucky creatures called a school.
Everything was a blur. A sick mix of rainbow and brilliance and glimmer and glamor and magic. So much magic. Every inch of the School of Friendship crawled with magic. Even those who lacked horns or wings dripped with magical power. If not prowess, then the potential for it.
Sunset’s friends would have been proud to see how their pony counterparts performed here. Geodes couldn’t compare to bucking an entire bushel of apples free with a single, practiced kick, nor the supernatural ability to bake, laugh, sing, teach, cheer, dance, and juggle eggshells all at the same time. With far too many limbs. To be fair, Pinkie Pie probably was some kind of god in either dimension. The rest were just better here than back home.
It was from meeting Applejack that Wallflower officially learned the term “Earth pony”. However, Sunset likely had said it during one of their talks prior to this trip… or maybe during it. Regardless, hearing it from another pony dug the knife in further.
Earth pony. Although this planet was called Earth at times—Equus at others, for some reason—knowing that the magical dimension portal had turned her into… Well, basically herself, and not something greater, only further solidified what Wallflower had been feeling. What she always felt when Sunset held her hand. Or her forehoof.
“Hey.” There it was again. That almost serene timbre. That gentle touch. “Everything alright?”
Wallflower looked up from her dandelion and daisy sandwich. “Yeah,” she said after a moment, grateful her voice wasn’t shaking. “I’m okay. I’m just thinking.”
Before saying more, Wallflower looked at Sunset’s friends. The group of six mares and a small, winged dragon—at least there was one other creature who got a worse deal on the other side of the mirror than her—chatted amongst each other, sharing sandwiches, cupcakes, and tea. Though they were sitting right beside herself and Sunset, there might as well have been oceans between them. Or dimensions.
Knowing that Sunset was waiting on her, Wallflower swallowed a lump in her throat that had nothing to do with eating flowers. The first possible excuse came to mind. “I—I think I have to—uh…”
“Down the main hall, then take a right,” Sunset said. “It’s the first door on the left.”
“Thanks.” Rising to her hooves wasn’t as difficult as it had been last time. She cast a smile towards Sunset and the others before she hurried off.
As she walked away, Wallflower’s ears pricked. The group’s chatter shifted towards Sunset, who was giggling. Wallflower could only smile, imagining what was making her laugh. Probably anything other than her girlfriend being weird and quiet… like always.
Wallflower frowned.
On the way, Wallflower brushed past a group of six creatures who were talking and laughing amongst themselves. The Griffon’s tail almost smacked her as he passed. The dragon nearly hit her with her sharp claws as she recounted some tall tale. Wallflower groaned, but didn’t say anything, choosing to keep moving.
Some things never changed.
By the time she had gone down the main hall, she was alone. A spring day like this was perfect for taking lunch outside. Unless there was a pony—or other creature—like her, Wallflower likely had the entire building to herself.
Despite her lie, she considered heading to the bathroom anyway. It wasn’t like this would be the first time she’d hid in the bathroom during lunch. She had yet to see what an Equestrian bathroom looked like, so there was at least some novelty to the idea. In any case, she needed to get away for a minute.
When she moved to follow Sunset’s directions, a plaque on the wall beside a pair of purple-patterned doors caught her eye:
Guidance Counselor — Starlight Glimmer
“... Huh.” Wallflower laid a forehoof on one of the doors. “Didn’t know they had counselors here t—”
Wallflower yelped. She fell forward, landing with a squishy sound. “Owwww…”
“Oh, shoot! Sorry!” Shimmering magic pulled her face from the carpet, then set her on all four hooves. This aura was turquoise. A nice color, Wallflower could admit. As were the pastel hues of the unicorn who’d smacked her in the face.
Wallflower groaned, rubbing her sore nose. She looked up at the source of her pain, scowling. “No, it’s fine. Just run me over with the door. I’m fine.”
“Sorry! I was just in a hurry!”
Wallflower rolled her eyes. “Trust me, I’m used to it.”
“W-well, you shouldn’t be.” The other pony paused, then tilted her head. “Wait. Are you a new student? I don’t believe I’ve met you before.” She stuck out her forehoof. “I’m Starlight Glimmer. I’m the school’s—uh, guidance counselor.” She drew her forehoof back, as if reconsidering, then stuck it out again with the widest, fakest smile Wallflower had seen outside of a mirror.
Wallflower gave her a limp hoofshake. “Figured. I’m Wallflower Blush.” She tugged the sleeves of her sweater down. “Anyway, sorry for being in your way.”
“What? No! I’m the one who should be sorry, Wallflower.” Another paper-thin smile. “Anyway, is there something I can do for you?”
“No, not really. I was just looking at the sign.”
“So you are new?” A clipboard hovered over in Starlight's aura. “Has Twilight given you the tour yet?”
“I’m not a student here.” If Wallflower had hands instead of hooves, she would’ve facepalmed. “I’m just visiting here with my girlfriend.”
“Oh! Okay.” The clipboard magicked away. “Is she somepony I know?”
“Probably.” Wallflower sighed. Knowing the question that would come, she added, “Sunset. Sunset Shimmer.”
“Oh! You’re that Wallflower. It’s really nice to meet you then!” Starlight clapped her forehooves together in a gesture that even Wallflower, in her annoyance, had to admit was adorable. “Whenever she writes to Twilight, she always mentions you!”
Wallflower bit her lip. “Yeah, I bet. Well… Anyway…” Enough time must have passed by now. “Everyone—everypony’s having lunch outside. I’d better get back.”
As she started off, Starlight Glimmer said something that made her pause. “You’re good with plants, aren’t you?”
Wallflower turned around. “What makes you say that?”
Starlight pointed. “Your cutiemark.”
Cutiemark? Oh, right. That thing. Since everypony either had one or was obsessed with getting one, her cutiemark was one of the first things another pony would notice. That had been one of the tidbits of information Wallflower vaguely remembered Sunset sharing.
Wallflower hadn’t been paying much attention during many of these “lessons” on pony ways. Curled up in Sunset’s arms on the couch, she’d found too many… distractions, for any of them to sink in. The cutiemark conversation had been more interesting than the others, but not enough to tear her from watching Sunset. She was always so intense when talking about her homeland. About the places she’d been, the ponies she’d met, the places she wanted to show her…
“Don’t tell me you haven’t seen it.” Starlight’s words pulled her from her reverie.
Wallflower shrugged. “Oh, I’ve seen it.”
“Well, then…” A wide smile curled across Starlight’s lips. This one seemed different than the others in a way Wallflower couldn’t quite put her finger—forehoof—on. “Maybe you can help me out?”
Narrowing her eyes, Wallflower asked, “Are you… coming on to me?”
“What?!” Starlight blurted, her jaw falling agape. “No! No, no, no! That’s not what I meant at all!”
“Oh.” Wallflower fidgeted, averting her gaze to the floor. “Sorry. I misread that.”
After a moment, Starlight shook her head. “No, it’s okay. The whole ‘Looking at your cutiemark’ thing probably seems a little weird to you, considering human anatomy. I should’ve thought that through.” She cleared her throat. “What I meant was, could you take a look at the flowers on my desk?”
Wallflower looked up. “What’s wrong with them?”
“I’m not quite sure. They’ve been doing good for a while, but it looks like they’re drooping now.” Starlight gestured towards her office. “Just a quick look, if you don’t mind?”
The fact that a magical unicorn was asking her—a lowly Earth pony who didn’t even go to this school—for help made Wallflower decide that a few more minutes of stalling wouldn’t be too bad. Worst-case scenario, Sunset would come looking for her. “Helping Starlight” would be a better excuse than “Got lost on the way to finding the bathroom I wanted to hide in.”
Wallflower followed Starlight into her office. Accolades, photos, and posters hung on the walls. There was a large bookshelf to one side, along with several curio cabinets full of more texts on the other. Unicorns must have been smart and successful as a universal rule.
Across from a comfy-looking green couch was a desk. Atop it sat a large, wide vase full of three types of flowers. White daisies, red carnations, and blue cornflowers. A significant combination back home, although it must have held different meaning here. Wallflower walked over to the arrangement, studying it carefully.
Beside the desk was another table with a kettle and mugs. “Can I get you anything?” Starlight asked. “Tea? Coffee? Empathy cocoa?”
On that last one, Wallflower rolled her eyes. Subtle. She continued to examine the flowers. “How long have you had these?”
“Um… A few months, I think?”
“A few months?” Wallflower’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Starlight rubbed her chin. “Hmm, I think so. Why? Is that bad?”
“Daisies usually last a couple weeks, at best.” Wallflower lightly ran the tip of her forehoof across a daisy’s petals. They were a bit weak, but still rather sturdy. “Cornflowers are similar. Carnations are the most hardy, but they don’t stay in bloom for months.” She checked the condition of the other flowers. “These are starting to die a little, but it’s nothing irreversible.” Gently, Wallflower pulled back some of the stems to peek at the water in the vase. “Ah, there’s your problem.”
“What?” Starlight trotted over to look.
Wallflower pointed. “It’s cloudy. That means you’re not changing it enough. You should drain the vase entirely, wipe it clean, and put fresh water in every other day. And don’t fill it too high.” Using a forehoof, she drew an imaginary line across the vase, about two-thirds of the way to the top. “Just about here. That will preserve most of the foliage and make them last longer.”
“Huh. I had no idea.” Starlight smiled. “Thanks for the help. I thought I just had to water them every now and then.”
“Easy mistake.” Wallflower shrugged at the flowers. “I’m not sure why these are lasting so long. Maybe they’re magic or something. In any case, with a little TLC, they should stay happy for a long time.”
“I see.” Starlight lit her horn, carefully levitating her flowers out of the dirty water. “Thank you. I’ll go ahead and change them right now.”
For the first time since she’d arrived in Equestria, Wallflower smiled at something that wasn’t Sunset. “You’re welcome.” She rubbed one foreleg with the other, mindful of her sleeves. “Anyway, I-I’d better get going.”
“Well, tell Sunset hello for me.” Starlight moved her flowers to a fresh vase. “I have a lunch reservation in town, so I don’t think I’ll be able to join you this time. But I do hope you enjoy your visit. Equestria is very wel—”
The doors to her office slammed open. “Starliiiiiiiiiight! We’re gonna be laaaaaaaate!”
Wallflower’s ears flicked. Was that—
“Oh, hey, Trix.” Starlight’s eyes glistened as they met their interrupter. “This is Wallflower Blush. She was just helping me with your flowers.”
Oh. Of course she’d be a unicorn, too. One just as great and powerful as Sunset or Twilight. Maybe even more. The mirror would turn her into something magical. Of course.
The blue unicorn’s head was held high, her two-tone mane—more silver than the white of her human half—flowing behind her. She wore a starry cape and hat befitting the magician the other Trixie longed to be. The air of superiority she carried herself with was palpable. Unlike back home, Wallflower couldn’t deny that this Trixie was better than her.
“Wallflower, huh?” With a toothy smile, Trixie stuck out her forehoof. “Anypony who’s friends with Trixie’s Beautiful and Wonderful Marefriend—” Starlight smiled and blushed furiously— “is friends with the Great and Powerful Trixie!”
Wallflower scowled at the proffered forehoof, mumbling, “Yup, you’re Trixie, alright.” She reluctantly shook hooves before turning back to Starlight. “Anyway, good luck with the flowers. I gotta get going.”
Starlight called out as she turned away, “See you later, Wallfl—”
Wallflower kicked the door closed, leaving the magical mares behind. She passed through the great doors one more time, relieved when the soft grass beneath her hooves rose to greet her.
“Wallflower! There you are!” Sunset hurried over, carrying their picnic basket in her red aura. “Lunch is almost over. Are you okay?” She cocked her head. “You sure took a while. Did something upset your stomach? I told Pinkie no daffodils in our sandwiches. I wasn’t sure if they’d be toxic, considering…”
As she trailed off, Wallflower’s eyes lit up. “I didn’t know you knew that about daffodils.”
“Oh, I didn’t.” Sunset rubbed her nape with a forehoof. “I looked it up back home. On the Internet, I mean. Since you’re normally human, and we aren’t super sure how the portal’s magic works, I didn’t want to risk anything.”
“Oh.” Sunlight wasn’t what was making Wallflower feel warm all over. “Th-thanks, Sunset. You didn’t have to do that.”
Sunset nuzzled her. “I know. I wanted to.” She looked around at the rest of her friends. “Anyway, I know you all need to get back to class soon, and Wallflower and I have a train to catch, so—”
“We do?”
“Well… I was keeping it a surprise, but…” As Sunset’s eyes met hers, Wallflower forgot that the others were watching them. “I was wanting us to finish the day in Canterlot. So you could meet Princess Celestia.”
The words Princess Celestia echoed in Wallflower’s mind. Quietly, at first, and then louder and louder.
After coming to this magical place, meeting many of Sunset’s famous friends, and being upstaged by the equivalent of a girl whose claim to fame was throwing smoke balls everywhere and speaking in third person… Wallflower Blush, a mere Earth pony, whose special talent was telling better ponies how to take care of their love bouquets… was going to meet the ruler of the entire magical pony land.
An alicorn. Another. One who raised the sun… and, for a thousand years, the moon, too.
Wallflower had never been particularly eager to meet God. She had far too many uncomfortable questions for Him. But this?
Wallflower would’ve chosen meeting almost any other being, magical or otherwise, over this right now.
Still, she gave Sunset the most convincing nod she could think of, and said, “Okay.”