Sunset Shimmer and Wallflower Blush just started dating. Everything's been going well so far, except for one thing. One nagging suspicion that Sunset can't seem to shake. It doesn't help that Wallflower keeps giving her ample opportunities to worry.
Sunset Shimmer and Wallflower Blush just started dating. Everything's been going well so far, except for one thing. One nagging suspicion that Sunset can't seem to shake. It doesn't help that Wallflower keeps giving her ample opportunities to worry.
Collab with my girlfriend Scampy during our gay adventure to Gadotville
Wallflower Blush looked up from the cafeteria table to give her girlfriend a sideways glance. "Um, it's just my sweater?" she asked rather than replied, eyebrow raised.
"And it's eighty degrees outside," Sunset pointed out, returning the same amount of skepticism her way.
"But we're in the AC. It's fine," Wallflower insisted. With a shrug, she returned to her grilled cheese sandwich.
While Wallflower chewed, Sunset eyed the long sleeves of her girlfriend's sweater. It was true; she had never seen Wallflower without one of her trademark baggy sweaters. Even though it was almost June, Wally continued to keep her arms hidden, despite sweating just as much as Sunset and their friends did under the looming summer heat.
"But what about when we go outside?" Sunset pried again. "You even wear it during gym class."
"It's fine, Sunset." Wallflower looked up from her sandwich to add, "Seriously, it's nothing."
"But—"
"Just drop it," Wallflower snapped. Sighing, she regained her composure, then asked quietly, "Please?"
After a long pause, Sunset gave a reluctant nod. "Okay, Wally. Sorry."
Though their conversation quickly returned to more mundane—and less worrying—topics, Sunset couldn't stop staring at her sweater sleeves.
Whatever Sunset had been worrying about at lunch didn't matter right now. In fact, nothing mattered. Nothing other than the feeling of Wallflower's arms wrapped tightly around her neck. Or the softness of her lips as they found Sunset's own. And the warmth of her body pressed against hers…
Falling back against the couch, Sunset drew her closer. Her hands wandered through Wallflower's tangled green locks down her neck, and then her back, coming to rest at last around her waist. Through the kiss, Sunset felt Wallflower sigh contentedly at her touch, relaxing in her grasp.
"Sunny…" Wallflower exhaled, her breath warm on Sunset's neck.
When Sunset opened her eyes to gaze upon the girl in her arms, her eyes were drawn to something…
… Well… If there was a word halfway between dreaded and surprising, even that wouldn't fully encapsulate the sight.
In the heat of the moment, Wallflower's long sleeves had been pushed back. What had been revealed made Sunset's heart stop.
Rows and rows of angry red scars lined Wallflower's arms from her wrists down to her elbows. Some were clearly fresh, not even a day or so old; others were ghosts of what they once had been, faded into an almost ethereal white. In the split-second that Sunset looked them over, she tried to count just how many there were.
Just as soon as she'd begun, Wallflower's eyes met Sunset's, tracing what they'd found. Immediately, she pulled away and crossed her arms over her chest, her cheeks burning red with shame.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Sunset looked her girlfriend in the eye. "W-Wally, it's okay, I was just—"
"It's not a big deal, Sunny!" Though she kept her arms crossed, Wallflower visibly attempted to shrug it off. "I just… you know…" She trailed off for a moment, looking all around Sunset's bedroom, before she continued, "I-I just have a cat, y'know. And he—he scratches a lot." A strained giggle escaped her lips. "H-h-he's kinda violent, actually. Heh. But it's no big deal."
Quickly pulling both her sweater sleeves down, Wallflower finished, "S-so don't worry, okay?" With a paper-thin grin—and an awkward, almost cliché eyebrow wiggle that would've made Sunset smile under better circumstances—she leaned in closer. "So, um, ah… Wh-where were we?"
Shaking her head, Sunset brushed her fingers against Wallflower's approaching lips. "Wally, no." Taking her girlfriend's smaller hand in hers, Sunset said, "I think the, uh… mood has passed."
"Oh…" Wallflower looked down at their joined hands. "Oh, um. Okay."
In the ensuing silence, Sunset's thoughts turned to the conversation that awaited them. It would be a monumental task—something far from pillow talk. Though they'd only been dating a few weeks, Sunset had seen the signs, listened to her intuition, and done her research. And yet...
Despite all her preparations, this wouldn't be easy. The clamminess of her own hands—and the very threads by which, she, herself, was hanging in this moment—confirmed that beyond all doubt.
No, if Sunset was going to have this conversation with Wallflower, this was neither the time, nor the place. It needed to happen… but that didn't mean it needed to happen now.
Realizing how dejected Wallflower looked, Sunset gave her hands another reassuring squeeze. "Sorry, it's just… It's getting late," she added. A little too quickly, perhaps, though a glance at her alarm clock confirmed it was a reasonable excuse.
Wallflower slowly followed her gaze. "Oh, well, I guess you're—holy shit, it's almost midnight!"
Before Sunset could even blink, Wallflower scrambled to grab her purse and backpack. "I gotta go! My parents are gonna flip if they find out I was out this late on a school night!"
"Wally, we've got, like, two weeks of school left."
"Still!"
After a quick kiss goodbye, Wallflower rushed down the stairs and sprinted out the door, leaving Sunset's apartment behind with a loud thud.
As the dust settled, Sunset took one long, deep breath, then began to pour through a pile of textbooks and workbooks she'd set aside for this occasion. Although she'd read through them multiple times before, she wanted—no, needed—to make sure she was truly ready for this.
If things went badly, Sunset might never get another chance.
Deep breaths. In. Out. In… and out.
While the weather had turned mercifully mild, Sunset was dripping sweat. A night of re-reading clinical jargon and case studies had worn on her just as much as the weight of it all; she could barely stand up without feeling like she was going to pass out. Her heart hammered, her hands shook, and her boots tapped against the porch of their own accord. Haphazard, relentless rhythms, all nonsense and nerves churning while Sunset gathered the courage to knock on the door.
Finally, Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath, and changed her relationship with Wallflower Blush forever.
Knock, knock. One, two… three.
"It's open! Come in!"
Though the voice was familiar—and uncharacteristically chipper, if Sunset were being honest— it brought no comfort. Hiding behind the façade of a taut smile, Sunset took one last breath—
And opened the door—
"M'ROWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"
A flurry of razor-sharp claws and a cacophony of shrieks straight out of Tartarus flooded Sunset's eyes and ears. She tried to scream, nearly falling backwards, as the beast latched onto her face. Pain and torment rained from above. A sea of unholy violence ensued, Sunset too dazed and confused to react. Seconds dragged to minutes dragged to hours, her innocent flesh being rendered to shreds all the while.
"Mr. Snuggles, NO!"
Suddenly, Sunset was saved by something that she had no word for in her native Equestria. Here, they were called angels.
The angel pulled the foul beast from Sunset's mauled face. As Sunset caught her breath, the world gradually returned to normal, and she faced her savior with wide eyes. "Wally?!"
A pair of trembling green arms held up… a cat. And not just any cat. No, Sunset had seen cats before, on both sides of the mirror. None had ever looked remotely anything like—like this.This was a monstrosity of shaggy black fur, enormous green eyes, and more claws than any dragon of Equestrian legend.
"Mr. Snuggles, bad kitty!" Wallflower Blush scolded the growling, hissing, spitting ball of hate.
Mr. Snuggles continued to scream.
Wallflower pulled the awful void close and gave it a—a hug?! Sunset could barely believe it, but that's exactly what Wallflower did.
Mr. Snuggles didn't cease his assault. Rather, he directed it upon his apparent owner, scratching and biting in a tornado of torment. If Wallflower was bothered by this, she paid it no mind. "I'm so sorry, Sunset!" she exclaimed, petting her demonic furball while frowning at her girlfriend. "He's normally so friendly!"
"Buh…" Sunset replied, still feeling blood dripping down her forehead.
With one last wicked screech, Mr. Snuggles escaped from Wallflower's arms and ran into the house… but not before stopping to hiss at Sunset one last time.
"Aw, you see that?" Wallflower smiled, bringing her hands to her cheeks. "I think he likes you, Sunny!"
Sunset gulped. "... R-r-right."
"Anyway…" Still wearing a bright smile, Wallflower pecked at Sunset's cheek. "Soooo, what brings you here? Wanted to surprise me?"
Sunset blinked, staring after the monster as it passed. Her eyes fell to her forearms, where a roadmap of angry red wounds stared back at her, from her wrists down to her elbows…
Wallflower laid a hand on Sunset's shoulder. "Oh, don't worry about those, Sunny! They heal up real fast. You get used to it." She winked. "Trust me, I would know."
Her eyes widening, Sunset looked back up at her girlfriend, feeling anything but reassured. "Right…"
Roughly a week had passed since the "Mr. Snuggles" incident. While Sunset's scars were still healing—for the first time since she'd received it, she'd actually found a use for that makeup kit Rarity had given her—Wallflower's explanation as to the origins of her own… only momentarily satisfied her girlfriend's concern.
Maybe it's not a razor, but it has to be something!Sunset mentally declared, perhaps a little too loudly for her internal monologue. Something is definitely going on with Wally…
Sunset found herself taking another steadying breath as she marched up to Wallflower's front door. And I'm gonna find out!
Noting the dearth of cars in the driveway, Sunset realized that this was her window. With Wallflower's parents gone off to work or errands, there would be no interruptions.
Good. Anything to make this conversation easier.
After one last deep breath, Sunset knocked three times.
No answer.
"Wally?" Sunset called through the door.
Nothing.
Sunset fired off a quick text message, then waited a few minutes.
Still nothing.
If the situation hadn't been so dire, Sunset would've turned and headed back home. Maybe Wallflower was working in her garden out back. Maybe she was listening to loud music with her headphones in and didn't hear the door or the phone. Maybe she was taking a nap.
Or maybe…
A sick chill ran down Sunset's spine.
Maybe she was in danger.
Maybe Sunset had put off that conversation too long.
Without thinking, Sunset tried the doorknob.
Not just locked. Deadbolted too.
Before she started contemplating which window would be easiest to replace, Sunset remembered something. Something important. Something Wallflower had told her to utilize only in case of an emergency.
Well, this was as close to an emergency as Sunset could fathom.
Near the door was a set of bushes. Rushing over, Sunset scanned the ground for her only salvation: a small, gray rock hidden between the shrubs.
But not just any rock. No… a hide-a-key rock.
Suddenly, it practically jumped out at her. "Got it!" A brief moment of joy interrupted her frantic haze. She turned over the rock, opened the secret compartment at the bottom, then slipped the key between her fingers.
A few chaotic turns of key later, and Sunset was in.
"Wally?" Sunset called out into the living room. "Babe?"
Silence.
Doing her best not to lose it completely, Sunset tentatively walked through the foyer into the living room. Everything seemed typical of a Saturday afternoon at the Blush household. The TV was off, the curtains were drawn, and the morning newspaper lay scattered on the coffee table. No signs of anything concerning.
"Wallflower?"
When she again received no reply, Sunset headed into the kitchen next. Perhaps she would find her there.
Or some clue as to where to look…
Other than a couple dirty dishes resting in the sink, everything seemed to be in order. There was a platter of Mrs. Blush's famous chocolate chip cookies on the counter; if Sunset's instincts proved incorrect—or if she had arrived in time—she would celebrate with a few later. Now was not the time for treats.
Think, Sunset, think! Sunset took another breath and looked around the kitchen. No note, no sharp objects strewn about, no chemicals from under the sink lying around… Just the fridge, freezer, oven, stovetop, microwave, blender—
Wait.
Sunset gasped.
The toaster!
Sunset ran from the kitchen.
Though she had only visited a handful of times since they'd started dating, Sunset now had the internal layout of the home memorized. With adrenaline-fueled precision, Sunset rushed to the bathroom.
As soon as she turned the corner, Sunset let out a mournful wail.
The grim picture she'd feared—the one that kept her up night after night—had become true. A living nightmare.
Wallflower Blush, her back to Sunset, sat in the bathtub… her toaster sitting a few feet away.
"Wally, NO!" Sunset shouted as she reached out, her eyes widening in abject horror.
"Oh, hi, Sunset!"
In dreamlike motions, Wallflower turned around to face Sunset, her face twisted into a smile that sent Sunset's head spinning. And not in the hot way.
Upon seeing Sunset's shocked expression, Wallflower raised an eyebrow. "Uh, what? Why are you looking at me like that?"
The toaster was balanced on the sink counter, ready to plummet into the bubblebath at any moment. If Wallflower had any second thoughts about her certain doom, she didn't display them, appearing happier than ever.
Vaguely, Sunset recalled clinical data regarding the mental states of suicide survivors right before their attempt. Many felt relief, or even euphoria, right before the act, having cast off any impossible hopes of things getting better.
Frozen in fear, Sunset could only stare.
Wallflower tilted her head. "Um, Sunny—"
DING!
Upon hearing the cheerful, mocking noise, Sunset blinked herself free.
At the same time, Wallflower said with a happy clap and an even bigger grin, "Oooh! My strudels are done!"
Wallflower reached for the toaster—
Snapping back to reality, Sunset begged, her voice edging towards tears, "Wally, no! Please! You don't have to do this!"
—And pulled two pastries from the top.
Sunset blanched. "Buh?"
"Okay, okay," Wallflower said with a giggle and a self-deprecating roll of her eyes, "I know it's weird, but I just really like having toaster strudel when I'm in the tub!" Pulling a plate from out of nowhere—literally—she stacked the strudels, then opened a packet of icing… which had been placed neatly beside the toaster.
"See, I got into this habit when I was a kid…" Wallflower mused as she iced both pastries, "Every time I would have a bad day at school, I would take a bubble bath, and then Mom would make me toaster strudel and bring it to me while I was in the tub." She looked down at her strudels, decided they weren't iced enough, and drizzled another layer of sugary goodness. "But since she's not home right now, I figured I would make it myself!"
Sunset's left eyelid twitched.
Wallflower held out the plate towards Sunset. "Want one?"
"...N-n-no thank you," Sunset muttered at last, her vision dotted with spots of black.
Wallflower shrugged. "Your loss!"
Silence reigned, broken only by munching and the twitch of Sunset's eyelid.
Once one pastry had been devoured, Wallflower set the plate down beside the toaster, then looked up at Sunset. For a moment, both girls stared at each other in complete silence.
Then, a bright blush spread across Wallflower's cheeks.
"You know…" The tiniest, most unsure smile Sunset had ever seen crossed Wallflower's blushing face. "There's…" She put her hands back into the bathwater, then pushed away some of the soap bubbles covering her chest. "There's room for one more if you want to, um…"
In a split second, Sunset, redder than a tomato, shouted back, "I'M GAY!"
Both girls, still very, very red-faced, stared at each other.
Just as quickly as she'd made them dissipate, Wallflower gathered up some soap bubbles and brushed them back towards her. "Y-you know what? You're right. This is a bit, uh, t-too soon. Heh. Heh..." Giving her a bashful grin, she added, "S-sorry."
"Oh, uh…" Sunset had to pry her eyes up to meet Wallflower's gaze. "Th-that's okay, Wally. Um…"
"W-well, uh…" Wallflower picked up the plate again. "I guess I'll be, uh, finishing my toaster strudel then."
Sunset scratched the back of her neck. "Uh, y-yeah, um, you should do that."
"Okay, uh…" Wallflower bit into the remaining strudel. "Cool."
It took every shred of Sunset's lingering willpower not to look below her eyes. "Y-yeah, cool."
After Sunset watched her take a few more bites, Wallflower coughed. "My parents are gonna be back soon, so, uh, could you—"
The bathroom door slammed shut.
"Well that was weird," Wallflower muttered. "I wonder what's going on with her?"
Question unanswered, Wallflower shrugged, popped the last of her toaster strudel into her mouth, and savored every last crumb.
To celebrate their high school graduation, Sunset and Wallflower ventured out to a lake on the edge of the town. The weather was picture perfect—sunny with a slight summer breeze, not a cloud in sight. The pair had packed a picnic lunch, beach chairs, and campfire supplies for a fun day on the water.
As she drove the Blush family station wagon down the winding forest roads, Sunset couldn't help but only half-listen to her girlfriend chatter excitedly about their date. The other half of her mind was continuously engaged in a war between reason and intuition… one that had only grown louder since the "toaster strudel" incident.
I still need to be on guard, Sunset thought, stealing a glance at Wallflower. Just because we've graduated, doesn't mean that everything is fine now. The transition from high school to college can be even more stressful for anyone, let alone—
"—Ooh, ooh, there it is!" Wallflower pointed out the window towards the crystal clear blue lake looming over the horizon. She clapped her hands and giggled. "Oh, this is gonna be fun! I love this place! My family and I used to come here late every summer!"
"Used to?" Before Wallflower could answer, Sunset turned to face her. "Do you not go to the lake with them anymore because of some extremely tragic, traumatic, possibly abusive event and/or events that happened between you and your family?" Sunset asked, her voice growing louder and more emphatic with every word.
"Nah, it's just not that late in the summer yet," Wallflower replied with a shrug. She playfully slapped Sunset on the shoulder. "C'mon, Sunset, it's not even July!"
As she parked the car, Sunset muttered, "R-right." Realizing how unsteady she sounded, she busied herself with gathering their supplies from the trunk. Focus, Sunset, focus!
"It's so pretty out here!" Wallflower gushed, her eyes sparkling.
In spite of her worries, Sunset couldn't help but agree. A forest of grand conifers gave way to a sandy shore and calm waters waiting for them down below. On top of the stunning view and beautiful weather, they had the place to themselves. Other than a few birds singing above, the couple were left to enjoy the lake in serenity.
"It sure is," Sunset finally replied, walking beside Wallflower as they left the car. Wallflower led the way, pointing out various features of the lake and its geography as they made their way to the shore.
Though she smiled, Sunset again found it difficult to truly immerse herself in the experience. Somehow, something still didn't feel right.
" —Oh, and that's the spot where Dad caught the biggest bass I've ever seen! It was sooooo tasty, I could have sworn it was— "
Maybe I'm overreacting, Sunset admitted to herself. Wallflower was grinning from ear to ear; other than the myriad of cat—er, "cat"—scratches all over her arms, she seemed fine. Maybe even… happy?
Once they'd found a spot to settle down, Sunset let herself breathe. Maybe I should just take it easy today, she thought as they unfolded their chairs. She glanced over to see Wallflower unpacking their picnic lunch with glee, sneaking a few treats when she thought Sunset wasn't looking. Maybe today is a "good" day for Wally, and I shouldn't push it.
Or maybe… Sunset's stomach twisted as she looked over the waves lapping at the shore. Maybe I shouldn't let my guard down.
"Hey, Wally?"
Quickly gulping down a piece of chocolate, Wallflower spun to face her. "Y-yes, Sunny? What's up?"
Sunset plastered a smile. "I'll be right back. I… forgot something in the car."
If Wallflower noticed, she didn't comment on it. "Okay!" she chirped, before turning back to the picnic basket, stealing a strawberry next.
Sorry to lie to you, Wally, but I just need to be sure. Sunset trudged back to the car, worries and fears swirling in her mind all the while.
I need to be careful. What if something happens? After all, this is Wallflower Blush we're talking about; there's no way she's not suicidally depressed!
With that rational thought echoing through her ears, Sunset grabbed the first aid kit from the trunk of the station wagon. After making sure that it was fully supplied with bandages and sutures, Sunset tucked it under her arm, closed the trunk, and made her way back to their spot.
To find herself…
Alone.
"Wally?"
At their spot on the shore lay their two beach chairs, their picnic basket, their blanket, even the box of firewood… but no Wallflower Blush.
The first aid kit fell to the ground.
"Wally?!"
Spinning around, Sunset looked from one end to of the shore to the other. Rocks, sand, water. Nothing. No one.
Pure adrenaline bolted through Sunset's veins as she called out in increasing panic, "Wallflower? Wally? Hon?! Where are you?!"
As if whispered into her ear from above, something compelled Sunset to check the trees.
Her eyes darted to the canopy. Treetops of pine and fir stared back down at her. Thick, tall trees, with trunks and branches resilient enough to weather years of snow and sun, frost and rain, strong and mighty, able to lift and hold and possess far beyond what any would guess capable from the flimsy needles that fell from their branches to the ground below—
Where they would sometimes be suspended, in mid-air, hanging on a summer breeze—
Hanging—
Something was hanging from the trees.
"Wally, NO!"
Sunset sprinted into the forest.
A dark figure swung from a rope near the edge of the thicket of trees. With every last remaining ounce of strength, Sunset ran towards it. For the first time ever, she wished she'd brought a knife. Her hands would have to do. She'd tear through the rope. Rip and tear and shred and—
—Tire?!
Sunset's eyes widened.
Tire.
It was a tire swing. Covered in moss.
Tire.
"B-but… Then…" Sunset gasped, her lungs burning hotter than her head could swim. Her eyes darted between forest and shore. "Wh-where—where is— "
Then, from the corner of her eye, she saw it.
Bubbles.
Bubbles coming from the center of the lake.
All at once, Sunset's strength and breath and resolve returned. Sand kicking beneath her feet, she ran to the edge of the shore, then dove in, jeans and shoes and cell phone in all.
None of that mattered. Nothing mattered. Nothing other than how fast she could swim.
Through the cool waters, Sunset swam, her lungs and heart and skin and soul on fire. When the bubbles stopped, she redoubled her efforts, stroking and kicking and willing herself to reach Wallflower in time.
When Sunset reached her, Wallflower was face-first in the water, her body bobbing in time the rhythm of the waves. Only the top of her head remained visible; the rest of her had been swallowed by the lake.
Wrapping her arms around Wallflower's waist, Sunset yanked her to the surface as hard as she could. The added weight almost sent them both back beneath, but Sunset gritted her teeth, ignoring the pain in her arms.
"I've got you, Wally," Sunset wheezed, swimming with one arm and holding her above the water with the other. "I've got you!"
Stroke after stroke, motion after motion, Sunset—assisted at times by the providence of the lake's gentle waves—finally brought them to shore. By the time she crawled onto the sand after Wallflower, she was struggling for her own breath, her chest heaving, her eyes blurred by both tears and exertion.
Through the haze, she inched over to Wallflower… who lay, unmoving, on the beach, her face towards the sky.
"Wally—" Sunset coughed, then sputtered, "W-W-Wally!"
Guided by her lifeguard training the summer prior, Sunset started CPR.
One and two and three and four and—compressions—and one and two and three and four and—pinch the nose, tilt the head back—two rescue breaths—one and two and three and four and—
"Wally! Wally, please!" Sunset sobbed, pressing harder on her girlfriend's sternum. "Please, please wake up! Please! Talk to me!" Sunset cut herself off to give another breath, then leaned down. "Y-you don't have to do this!" Another breath. "W-w-we can get through it, together!" Compressions. Another breath. Sunset pressed her nose against's Wallflower's as she wailed, "Whatever made you do this, p-please, please don't—"
Two hands grabbed the back of Sunset's head and drew her forward.
Wet lips pressed against her own.
When Sunset froze, they pressed again, almost hungrily—before tearing away as suddenly as they'd came.
"Mmmmm..." Wallflower murmured between coughs, "Now that's a kiss, Sunny."
"... Buh," Sunset replied.
"Although…" After spitting some lakewater from her mouth, Wallflower wiped her lips dry. "Maybe less pushing on my chest?" Her cheeks tinged pink. "I mean, um, i-if that's okay. I'm not really into the rough stuff. Sorry."
Sunset gaped, then pulled her hands away from Wallflower's chest… only to wrap them around her in a crushing hug.
"Wally!" Though she loosened her grip, Sunset continued to hug her. Burying her head in Wallflower's shoulder, she choked out between tears, "W-why, Wally?! Why?!"
"Um, well," Wallflower said between strained breaths, "there was this really cool rock, and— "
Sunset pulled away to look Wallflower in the eyes. "Y-you know what?"
"Wha—"
"It doesn't matter!" Sunset cried, mustering all her inner strength and determination as she looked in Wallflower's panicked eyes. "I-it doesn't matter why, Wally!
"But Sunny, there really was a— "
"I'm here for you now, no matter what!"
"Uh, thanks? But I—"
Cradling Wallflower's head in the crook of her neck, Sunset held her tight. "We're going to get through this, okay?! Together!"
Wallflower mumbled, "That's great, but I lost the rock."
"Yes, but I still love you—" Sunset paused. "Wait, what?"
"The rock." Looking up at Sunset, Wallflower flashed an apologetic smile. "The really cool rock I mentioned? I lost it."
Sunset started to reply, but Wallflower cut in, "See, right after you went back to the car, I found this awesome skipping rock! Like, the most perfect skipping rock I'd ever seen!" Wallflower's eyes brightened. "It was smooth and small and, like, perfectly flat! And I threw it across the lake, and it skipped seven times!"
When Sunset just stared at her in response, Wallflower continued, "Seven times, Sunset! I know that seems impossible, but it's true! It was so cool! And I really wanted to show it to you, but of course the rock fell into the lake!" Wallflower pointed to the spot where Sunset had found her. "So I dived in to go find it, but it's really dark down there!" Crossing her arms, Wallflower huffed, "I tried and tried, but I just couldn't find it! And it was kinda hard to see, and I'm…" She blushed. "Kind of a bad swimmer."
Sunset could only blink in reply, the words swimming through her head with just about as much skill as Wallflower through the lake.
"... Wait a minute." Wallflower's eyes widened. "Did… did you say you loved me?"
"Buh!" All at once, every last bit of blood rushed to Sunset's head. "Um! I-I, uh, I-I-I mean—"
Wallflower gave her a soft kiss, then snuggled against her shoulder with a happy sigh. "I love you too, Sunny."
Sunset could only sigh, cuddle her back… and try not to think about everything else that just happened.
"I still can't believe you guys got into CSU!" Rainbow Dash crossed her arms at Sunset. "All I got was a rejection letter."
Walking hand-in-hand with Wallflower, Sunset could only smirk. "Maybe if you actually paid attention in classes besides PE, you would be joining us."
Dash scoffed. "Yeah, whatever."
"No one likes a sore loser, Rainbow Dash." Rarity shared a knowing glance with Sunset, then asked Wallflower, "So, what will you'll be studying here, darling? Botany, is it?"
"Biology with a focus on botany!" Wallflower replied. "And Sunny's gonna be a journalist!"
Sunset squeezed her hand. "Wellllllll, I don't know about that quite yet, Wally. We'll see."
Ever since the "skipping rock incident," Sunset had found it hard to focus on college prep… or anything past the application stage. Getting accepted into Canterlot State University was just the first step. Even being present during today's campus tour was more difficult than it should have been.
All Sunset kept thinking about was the lake. And the tub. And the… "cat."
Lately, Sunset had been reading enough therapy textbooks to make her consider changing majors… If she could begin to worry about such a trivial thing.
"Uh, Sunset? You there?" Wallflower waved a hand in front of her eyes.
"Buh!" Sunset jumped back, almost pulling Wallflower down with her. "S-sorry! Was just a little, uh, distracted!" She pretended to clear her throat. "Heh, heh, sorry about that. Uh, what did I miss?"
"I asked if y'all wanted to join us for lunch," Applejack said. "We're gonna hit up the dinin' hall. You two comin' with?"
Before Sunset could reply, Wallflower jumped up and down, the biggest grin on her face. "Oooh yeah! I saw a sign for a place there that has triple pepperoni pizza! That's like, three times the pepperoni!"
Out of nowhere, Pinkie Pie jumped up between Sunset and Wallflower. "Woohoo! Now that's what I call math!" She slung her arms around both girls. "C'mon, Sunny, what'dya say?!"
"That sounds really good, Pinkie," Sunset said with a nervous glance towards Wallflower, "but I, uh, had a big breakfast."
And I'd rather not stay here longer than we need to, she mentally added. Wally's not herself when she's around the girls. She's way too… happy. Something doesn't quite add up. "How about we just finish up the tour here and get something on the way home?"
"But Sunny! It's triple pepperoni!" Wallflower flailed her arms towards the dining hall. "Triple. Pepper. Oni!" She grabbed Sunset by the shoulders, her eyes widening like the world's most adorable green puppy dog. "Don't you want some?"
"Yeah, Sunny! Don't you waaaaaaaaaant some?" Pouting, Pinkie Pie put on her own perfect puppy dog face.
"Okay, okay!" Stifling a giggle, Sunset raised a hand. "I get it, I get it!" She turned towards Wallflower. "Go and get your triple pepperoni. But be back right after, okay? We still need to finish the tour."
After a quick kiss, Wallflower gave Sunset a mock-salute. "Yes, ma'am!" Then, she bounded off after Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, the three of them spouting off about the various properties of pepperoni, leaving Sunset, Applejack, Rarity, and Twilight behind.
"You sure you don't want to join us?" Twilight asked. "The dining hall's right by the science wing. We could check it out after!"
"Thanks, Twi, but… I'm sure." Sunset's stomach twisted—and not out of hunger— as she watched Wallflower giggling with the others up ahead. Knowing Wallflower, this was far too much stimulus for one afternoon. The sooner she could get her home safely, the better.
"Alright, suit yerself." With a shrug, Applejack joined the others, followed by Twilight.
Rarity lingered for a moment to reassure Sunset, "Don't worry, we'll be right back. Just wait here, dear."
Taking a seat on a nearby bench, Sunset replied with a half-hearted wave.
Five minutes. Ten minutes. Fifteen. All passed with Sunset sitting on the bench, twiddling her thumbs, looking towards the dining hall for any signs of her friends. At the twenty minute mark, regretting having not gone with them, she pulled out her phone and sighed.
I'm sure Wally's fine with the others, she tried to reason, though she didn't quite believe it herself. Maybe I'll check out CSU's website while I wait. Maybe I'll find something there that'll help.
Sure enough, after scrolling past posts about the school's football team and an upcoming charity fundraiser, Sunset found a link called Student Resources. From there was a web of links for anything from financial aid, to student housing, to work-study jobs…
Counseling services! Sunset perked up immediately. And their offices are just down the street. She looked around campus to find said building across the way, near the parking deck. Wally and I technically are already students, so maybe I could go talk to them and set up an appointment for her…
Just as she got up from the bench, excited chatter broke out behind her. Before she could turn around, she was almost knocked off her feet.
"W-Wally!" Sunset returned the hug. "There you are! How was the triple pepperoni?"
"Triple awesome!" Laughing, Wallflower released her girlfriend. "It was sooooo good! Applejack and Rainbow Dash even had a pizza-eating contest!"
Applejack gave a smug grin. "An' I won, o' course."
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Pfffft, whatever. I'm gonna go check out the frat houses."
"Do be careful, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity called after her. "You don't know where those ruffians have been!"
"Whatever!" Dash called back.
Well, glad to see mostly everything is still as it should be. Sunset eyed the brick building on the other side of the campus green. Now to check out that counseling office without Wally knowing...
When Sunset looked up, Wallflower was examining a ladybug resting on the arm of the bench. "Hey, babe?"
"Yeah?" Wallflower replied, not looking up.
"I'll be right back, okay? I need to, uh… go to the bathroom."
Wallflower held out her finger towards the ladybug. "Okay!"
Turning back to the group, minus Dash—and now, Applejack, who headed off, muttering something along the lines of "Dammit, Dash!"—Sunset asked, "Can you guys watch Wallflower for me? I'll be right back!"
Twilight raised an eyebrow in response. "Watch her? For what?"
Sunset shuffled her feet. "W-well, she's— "
"Don't worry, Sunset!" Pinkie Pie jumped up, then stood ramrod straight and saluted. "I'll watch her for ya!"
Always count on Pinkie Pie to get you out of an awkward situation. "Thanks, Pinkie!" With that, Sunset ran off towards the counseling office.
Sunset was about halfway to the building when she remembered something important she had seen while browsing the school website. "Oh, and Pinkie—" Sunset shouted across the green—"the map says there's a fountain nearby, so please don't let Wally near the foun— "
Wally was gone.
" —tain."
Pinkie Pie waved at her. "Okie dokie lokie!"
Sunset went slack-jawed.
"Hey Sunny!" Pinkie giggled. "Your face looks funny!"
After a moment of awkward silence, broken only by the sounds of Applejack and Rainbow Dash arguing in the distance, Sunset finally came to, shouting, "Pinkie Pie! You said you would watch her!!"
"And I did!" Pinkie beamed, then pointed. "I watched her walk over there!"
Following Pinkie's pointing, Sunset's eyes widened in pure, abject terror.
The parking deck.
"WALLY!"
Whatever anger Sunset felt towards Pinkie was channeled in her manic burst of energy as she raced towards the parking deck. The same parking deck where she had parked the Blush family station wagon—now Wallflower's car—that very morning. The same parking deck where their friends had met up with them, laughing, sharing breakfast, hashing out their college plans.
The same parking deck that Wallflower Blush was now climbing. One flight of stairs, two, five.
By the time Sunset made her way over, Wallflower was on the topmost floor. She moved with purpose. With a speed and determination Sunset had never seen before.
Sunset screamed her name over and over, unheard over the growing wind and the shouts of their other friends behind them.
Their other friends. If only Sunset had trusted her instincts. If only she hadn't accepted anything less than perfection from herself. Pinkie Pie meant no harm, but she didn't understand. She didn't understand just how dire things were. And now Wallflower would pay the ultimate price for Sunset's foolishness.
When Wallflower made it to the edge of the parking deck, time froze.
When she started to fall, all Sunset could do was scream.
"WALLY, NO!"
Head over heels, Wallflower fell. Five stories, one after the other, passing by with every heartbeat.
Sunset could only watch. Only watch. She couldn't close her eyes if she tried. She would never forget this. Never forgive herself of this.
Never.
In free-fall, Wallflower looked euphoric. Enlightened by something Sunset could never comprehend. Nothing and no one held her back at last, and it was all Sunset could do to try and remember her beautiful, smiling face one last time, one last time before she—
Applejack and Rainbow Dash held the trampoline on opposite ends. Rather than focus on the girl they'd saved, they narrowed their eyes at each other, looking like two vipers sizing each other up before the strike.
"Dammit, Rainbow Dash! Go give them frat boys their trampoline back!"
"No! Finders keepers!" Dash blew a raspberry. "Besides, they weren't using it! They were too busy playing beer pong!"
"Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Wallflower bounced again. "This is super fun!"
Running past a frozen Sunset Shimmer, Pinkie Pie joined Wallflower on the trampoline. The pair bounced up and down, higher and higher, giggling in unison.
"Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Wow, this is fun!" Pinkie cheered.
Two girls giggled, another two argued, and still two more joined the side of the stone statue known as Sunset Shimmer.
"Are you alright, Sunset?" Rarity laid a hand on Sunset's shoulder, who startled in response.
"Buh!" was all Sunset could reply.
"Whoa! That was quite the fall!" Twilight looked from the rooftop to the ground below, adjusting her glasses. "Good thing Applejack and Rainbow Dash were fighting over the trampoline! Although, I didn't expect Wallflower to follow the lizard that closely."
Sunset's right eyelid twitched. "L-l-lizard?"
On cue, Wallflower got off the trampoline and walked over to Sunset. As she did so, a small, green lizard with a pink throat rushed past their shoes. "Oh, there he goes! Darn it!" Wallflower snapped her fingers. "I would've caught him if it wasn't for that dang banana peel!"
Briefly, Dash looked up from her argument with Applejack. "Sorry, that was me!" She gave a half-hearted shrug, to which Wallflower responded with a quick thumbs-up.
Wallflower's voice sounded far away in Sunset's ears. "B-b-banana peel?!"
"Yup! Once I got to the top, I slipped on a banana peel," Wallflower explained, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "That's why I fell over! I'm sure glad that trampoline was there, though!" She nodded towards Dash and Applejack. "Thanks, guys!"
"AJ, if you're gonna make me give it back, at least let me use the truck!"
"No! I'm not usin' my truck fer yer petty theft!"
"But it has to go back allllllllllllllll the way over there!"
Wallflower giggled, then leaned her head on Sunset's shoulder. "Aren't our friends the best, Sunny?"
No response.
"Er, Sunny?"
Both of Sunset's eyelids twitched as she looked at Wallflower. "You… slipped… on… a… banana… peel."
"Yup!"
"After… running… five stories… after… a… lizard."
"That's right!"
Without a word, Sunset walked away. She went into the parking deck, found Wallflower's car, and unlocked it.
Sitting in the driver's seat, Sunset stared off in the distance… at nothing.
When Wallflower joined her in the passenger seat, snuggled up against her, and started talking about lizards, Sunset continued to stare.
"Oh, by the way," Wallflower said at some point, though Sunset wasn't sure which one, "did you make it to the bathroom?"
"... Anyways, I'm so sorry I couldn't join you and the girls for the CSU tour the other day," Fluttershy finished.
Across the table from her, Sunset, her double mocha frappucino untouched, stared off into the distance and replied in a flat tone, "That's okay, Fluttershy."
Sipping at her tea, Fluttershy explained, "Our animal rights group had a very important meeting that I just couldn't skip."
"That's cool."
"Oh gosh…" Fluttershy fiddled with her cup. "Did you hear about that construction site that was destroyed by a bunch of plastic explosives and homemade bombs?"
"No."
Fluttershy shook her head. "So much destruction… Although…" Fluttershy took a long, long sip of her tea. "At least they can't tear down the forest now. Someone put a stop to it."
"Uh-huh."
"S-sometimes people have to take matters into their own hands, you know?" Fluttershy cleared her throat and looked around the coffee shop. "Anyway, how was the tour?"
"Wallflower threw herself off a building," Sunset mumbled.
Fluttershy almost spat out her tea. "Wh-what?!"
"And that was after she tried to drown herself."
"Tr-tried to what?"
"And that was after I walked in on her in the bath with the toaster nearby."
Fluttershy's jaw dropped.
"And that was after I found out she has cuts all over from her… 'Cat.'" The only change in Sunset's tone or posture was to make air quotes around the word "cat". Afterwards, it was back to monotony.
Fluttershy managed to close her mouth. "Goodness," was all she could say. Some time passed before she managed to add, "I-is she okay?"
Sunset's left eyelid twitched. "Okay?" Next, her right. "Okay?!" Annnnd… both of them.
For the first time in several days, some semblance of tone and emotion returned to Sunset's voice. "No, Fluttershy, she's not okay!" Sunset threw her arms up and flailed. "My girlfriend is constantly trying to kill herself and I'm the only one who can keep her safe!!"
Ignoring the stares of the other patrons, Sunset heaved several deep breaths and stared Fluttershy down.
Rather than sink into her seat, Fluttershy raised a finger. "Um… So… If that's true, where's Wallflower now?"
Sunset resumed statue mode. "She's with her parents."
Slowly, Fluttershy nodded. "Oh… kay then." While Sunset sat in silence, Fluttershy drummed her fingers on the table. "Um…" She bit her lip. "Well then, why hasn't she gone to the hospital?"
"The hospital?!" Sunset resumed screech mode. "Do you know how many sharp objects are in a hospital?! How many dangerous drugs?! All the chemicals they use to clean?!" Sunset knocked her untouched drink on the floor. "She would be like a kid in a candy store! A suicidal kid who's deathly allergic to candy!!!"
The coffee shop quickly emptied out. While Sunset seethed, the lone employee walked from behind the counter, dropped their apron by the door, and left.
Meanwhile, Fluttershy remained as calm as ever. Almost zen. It made Sunset want to throw things.
"Sunset," Fluttershy finally said, "they don't have those things in a psychiatric ward, which is what Wallflower needs if she's truly doing all this."
Sunset pointed at her, eyes narrowed. "You doubt me?!"
Fluttershy nodded. "Sunset, take a moment to breathe, here. If Wallflower was really as suicidally depressed as you think, she wouldn't be touring campuses and going on dates with her girlfriend—"
"You don't understand! Those are covers!"
"Well, she seems happy to me—"
"LIAR!"
Sighing, Fluttershy shook her head. "Well, if being with her is this stressful for you, have you considered maybe… Not?"
Slamming both hands on the table, Sunset glared at her with the white-hot fury of a thousand suns. "If you ever so much as think that again… I will kill you."
Fluttershy flinched. Rather than reply, her eyes were drawn to something outside the window.
"What? What are you looking at?!"
"Um…"
Sunset gasped. "Wally!"
Outside the window, Wallflower Blush walked—no, skipped—down the street, a broad smile on her cheerful face. She seemed to be humming some jaunty tune as she made her way down the sidewalk, careful not to step on even a dandelion. Any sane being would be remiss to not acknowledge how happy she looked on this fine summer day.
Sunset Shimmer, however, with her boundless intellect and mind dictated by rational thought, knew in a split-second that Wallflower was searching for new and lucrative ways to kill herself.
Fluttershy's treachery forgotten, Sunset bolted from the coffee shop after her wayward girlfriend. A surprisingly strong hand on her shoulder held her back from reaching.
"Sunset, stop!" Fluttershy grabbed her by both shoulders, looking her in the eye. "Wallflower's fine! See?" She gestured down the street, where Wallflower had stopped to smell a rose. "That doesn't look like a suicidally depressed girl to me."
Sunset broke free of her grip. "You don't understand! Wallflower is in danger, and only I can protect her!"
"Um, in danger of what?" Fluttershy looked around the quiet street. "Getting poked by a rose? A bee buzzing too closely?"
"Something's going to happen, Fluttershy, and I just know it! Any moment now, Wallflower is going to—"
Wallflower Blush stepped in front of a bus.
Sunset's shriek could be heard from space. "WALLY, NO!"
Fluttershy, now finally having understood how accurate Sunset's dire predictions had been, could only watch in utter horror. She grabbed Sunset before she could jump after her. "It's no use, Sunset! She has AirPods™ in!"
As Wallflower's tiny body fell in front of twenty tons of unrelenting steel, Sunset lay on the sidewalk. Powerless, useless, having made the grave mistake of allowing her pure and innocent girlfriend to be tainted by the endless cruelties of the world. Now she saw the error of her ways, though it remained too late to correct them.
The bus blared its airhorn. The hiss of air brakes followed. Sunset didn't need to have a commercial driver's license to know it wouldn't be enough.
As the bus came to a halt several hundred feet away, Sunset and Fluttershy screamed in unison.
The dust cleared.
Knowing that the sight would haunt her for the rest of her Celestia-damned life, Sunset looked anyway.
Lying on the street, facedown, was Wallflower Blush. Her beloved AirPods™ were still in.
"Wally!" Sunset wailed, tears streaming down her face.
"Oh, Sunset!" Fluttershy sobbed, clinging to her. "I'm so sorry! I should have listened! I sh-sh-should have—"
"I'm okay!"
Through a veil of tears, Sunset saw a miracle happen.
Unscathed, without limp or injury, Wallflower Blush got up from the street, dusted herself off, and waved at the girls. "Hi, Sunset! Hi, Fluttershy!"
Both were too shocked to move. Or speak. Or breathe.
Wallflower walked over, taking out her AirPods™ one at a time. "Whew, that was a close one! Good thing I tripped on my shoelace and fell down between the axles! Otherwise—" she made a splat noise—"we would have had to reschedule our date, Sunset!"
The sound of Wallflower giggling was normally enough to make Sunset's heart sing. Now, God Himself could have come down from the heavens and told Sunset that Wallflower would live forever, and she would react just the same:
"Buh."
After slapping herself—on both cheeks—Fluttershy stood up, pulled out her cellphone, and stated, "I'm calling an ambulance."
Sunset Shimmer had never engaged in any mental health treatment, on this side of the portal or the other. Back in Equestria, Celestia had urged her to see a counselor, particularly after a certain incident involving an annoying Royal Guard and a "forbidden" fire spell, but Sunset had just laughed her off. Why waste her time talking nonsense with some quack? she had thought back then.
Now, as she looked over Wallflower's discharge paperwork, she had the sneaking suspicion that her prior attitude might have been the correct one.
Diagnosis — none. Aftercare appointments — none needed. Comments/recommendations — Psychiatric care was not needed, patient enjoyed chocolate pudding and art therapy.
As she read over the discharge nurse's brief, unbelievable comments, Sunset barely heard the passenger door to the station wagon open. A pair of arms wrapped her up in a tight hug. "Hi, Sunset!"
"Hi, Wally." Biting her lip, Sunset looked up from the worrying paper to return the gesture. "How are you feeling?"
"Good!" Wallflower laughed. "It's been a weird twenty-four hours—er, twenty-six hours—you were a little late, but no worries!—but not that bad! I got a bunch of chocolate pudding, and made a bowl in art class, annnnnnnnnnnnnnnd…" She pulled a pair of pink socks with ridges on the bottom from her purse. "I even got these cool grippy socks!"
"Yaaaaaaay," Sunset choked out, trying her best to smile.
"Can we get ice cream on the way home? I'm starving!"
Sunset held back a sigh. "Of course, Wally. Whatever you want."
"Yay!"
Driving on autopilot, Sunset let her mind wander as they made their way to their favorite ice cream place. She allowed herself to steal a glance over at Wallflower under the guise of checking the passenger-side mirror. Each time, nothing but smiles and excitement were reflected back at her.
Maybe they're right. Maybe I was overreacting. Maybe everything… even the "AirPods™ incident"... was just a coincidence. Maybe Wallflower really is fine.
Maybe I'm doing her a disservice by being so paranoid.
"What flavor are you gonna get, Sunny?"
As she looked over at the most radiant, innocent smile she'd ever seen, Sunset finally let herself relax. Just for a moment. "Chocolate chip."
"Sunset, I can carry my own cone!"
"Not with those weak nerd arms, babe," Sunset joked. She carried both of their triple-scoop chocolate chip cones back to the car. The most sincere smile she had felt in weeks crossed her face at the sight of Wallflower's attempt at a pout. The fact that it was replaced with a grin mere seconds later made it even more adorable.
Once they made it into the car, Sunset relinquished Wallflower's cone. The two enjoyed their ice cream as the sun set. It was a picturesque moment. One that Sunset would never forget.
… For it was that moment that would lead to the next… incident.
Several weeks had passed since Sunset had shared a blissful ice cream cone with Wallflower. In that time, no "incidents" had occurred. There had been dinner dates, trips to the movies, even a drive by the lake where the "skipping rock incident" had taken place… all without any signs of Wallflower's previous behavior resurfacing. It was enough to make Sunset think that maybe—just maybe—her girlfriend was not, in fact, suicidially depressed.
Which, for Wallflower Blush, was saying a lot.
As summer neared towards fall, the pair's college plans began to materialize further. While Sunset was fine commuting to campus from her studio apartment, Wallflower was ready to put down her own roots outside of her family home. To Sunset's surprise, Wallflower's encouraging and supportive parents were encouraging and supportive of her decision to move out. Luckily, she managed to secure an off-campus apartment that was not only affordable… but didn't have a roommate.
…Which is what brought Sunset there today, riding her brand new motorcycle, wearing her best leather jacket, and carrying a bouquet of sunflowers. A housewarming gift… and a precedent to what she was sure would be a very lovely evening.
In short succession, Sunset parked her bike, walked up the stairs, and knocked on the door to Wallflower's apartment. While she waited for an answer, she gave herself a quick once-over, feeling nervous flutters that, for once, had nothing to do with fearing for her girlfriend's life and safety.
When the wait for that answer proved long, Sunset steadied herself with a deep breath. No, I'm not going to freak out this time. Wally might just be in the shower, or busy in the kitchen, or have her AirPods™ in. I'm not going to break down the door. I'm just going to wait.
Sunset knocked again.
And again.
And… again.
By the fifth knock, Sunset was starting to go back on the whole "not freaking out" thing.
Just as Sunset picked up a brick, she remembered she had a spare key. "Okay, breathe, Sunset, breeeeeeeeeeathe," she muttered, nearly stabbing her hand when she finally jammed the right key into the lock. "Breathe, breathe, breeeeeeeeeathe…"
Sunset opened the door.
"Wally? Wally, it's me." Setting the sunflowers on a table beside the door, Sunset tentatively looked around the small apartment.
Other than her shoes left by the door, there was no sign of Wallflower in the living room. Nor the kitchen. Nor the tiny laundry room.
With each passing second, the voice inside Sunset's head that demanded she panic grew louder and louder. The couple always kept each other up-to-date on their daily routine; Sunset knew Wallflower was planning on being home all day. The fact that she had neither seen nor heard her by now was beyond worrying.
Mumbling "Br… eathe…" much louder than necessary to herself, Sunset made her way to the bathroom. Visions of a bathtub and a toaster danced in her mind— but didn't come to pass. Nor were there any razor blades, pill bottles, or bleach jugs awaiting her.
That just left Wallflower's bedroom.
Between admonishments to herself, Sunset called out to Wallflower once more. When she received silence in reply, Sunset crept towards the bedroom and its half-closed door.
As she pushed it open, Sunset asked in a desperate tone, "Wally? Are you there? Please say something…!"
Sunset's eyes widened in absolute horror.
"WALLY, NO!"
There, in the closet, a hangman's knot wrapped around her neck, her face frozen in permanent terror, was Wallflower Blush.
But the horror didn't end there.
The hanging corpse in her girlfriend's bedroom closet opened its mouth and shouted, "But Sunset! I'm doing this for you!"
Whatever hope and happiness Sunset held in her heart withered and died at those words. The sunflowers, left forgotten on the table beside the door, would soon follow.
Sunset buried her face in her hands and sobbed. She collapsed on the carpet. Everything had been for naught. All those sleepless nights. The restless days. The psychiatric ward. The dates, the flowers, the ice cream. Just when the sun had begun to peak over the horizon, darkness had fallen.
And it was Sunset's fault. Even Wallflower's ghost reminded her of that.
"Why are you crying? I thought this is what you wanted!"
Sunset wailed.
"Um… A little help here? Please?"
Sunset hiccupped, then looked up. She could barely believe it.
Wallflower was still alive.
Sunset jumped to her feet. "W-Wally! Wally, please, I'm begging you—"
"I think I set up the exercise machine wrong," Wallflower said with both a groan and a giggle. She gave an awkward wave with her one free hand. The other was wrapped up in the cruel contraption she had utilized for her apparent demise.
With trembling hands, Sunset rushed over and attempted to unravel the noose of cable her girlfriend had strung herself up in. What must have taken seconds felt like hours. Sunset kept checking Wallflower's complexion and eyes, certain that they would turn ghostly white if she so much dare blink.
"Almost—there—" Wallflower groaned, struggling to free herself. Then, she landed on the closet floor with a dull thud.
Sunset wept.
"Aw, c'mon, Sunset, I wasn't that bad," Wallflower teased. When Sunset yanked her into a fierce bear hug, she coughed and added, "I-I guess my arms are gonna stay nerdy and weak, huh?"
Sunset sniffled. "Buh?"
Wallflower gave Sunset's hand a squeeze. "I know it was just a joke, but I thought I would work out for you. Although… I guess that didn't—" she wiggled her eyebrows—"work out."
Too distraught to laugh, Sunset just bawled in response.
"Hey, hey! Sunny…" Wallflower returned the tight hug. "If it bothers you that much, I'll return the Bowflex™ tomorrow, okay? You can be my big strong girlfriend and carry all the ice cream cones you want!"
Wallflower then fell silent, letting Sunset catch her breath.
Finally, Sunset, tears still streaming down her face, looked up into Wallflower's patient eyes. "W-Wally?"
"Yeah, Sunset?"
"Can… c-can you come live with me?"
Wallflower gasped. "Al-already? Are you sure?"
Sunset nodded. Anything to keep you safe.
Her eyes shining with happy tears, Wallflower brought both hands to her cheeks and nodded rapidly. "Ohhhh my gosh, Sunny! Yes! Yes! A thousand times, yes!" She hugged Sunset close and nuzzled her neck. "You're so romaaaaaaantic…"
"Okay, Wally, I'm going to be gone for about an hour." Sunset grabbed her wallet and keys. "Is that okay?"
When she didn't hear a reply, Sunset looked over her shoulder. There, Wallflower was still sitting on the couch in her pajamas. A half-eaten bowl of cereal lay next to her, along with the remote for their small flatscreen TV. Her adorably sleepy expression didn't change when Sunset walked over and gently rubbed her back.
"Babe?" Sunset almost giggled. "Babe, did you hear me?"
"Whoziwhazat?" Wallflower blinked sleep from her eyes. After a long yawn, she glanced up at Sunset with a soft smile. "Oh, hi, Sunny. Sorry, I think I fell asleep watching my cartoons again."
"That's okay, Wally." Sunset kissed her, then gestured towards the door. "I need to run a couple of errands. I'll be back in an hour. Is that okay?" she asked again.
"Of course! Go and run your errands, silly." Wallflower picked up her cereal bowl. "I'll keep the couch warm for you."
Though it was minute, Sunset couldn't help but still feel a sense of growing dread as she headed to the door. "Alright, be safe while I'm gone, okay?"
Shoving a giant spoonful of cereal into her mouth, Wallflower nodded.
"B-be safe," Sunset said again.
"Mmhmm!"
Sunset cleared her throat, then wrung her hands together. "Seriously, Wally. Please be safe."
With an audible gulp, Wallflower looked up from her cereal and gave her a bright smile. "Of course, Sunny! You worry too much."
Sunset sighed with relief. When she put her hand on the doorknob, she remembered to say— as she always did when leaving Wallflower's line of sight— "I love you, Wally."
Wallflower blushed. "I love you too, Sunny! Now—" she added, before Sunset could object— "go knock those errands dead!"
Though she flinched at the phrasing, Sunset mustered a smile. Before her nerves could get the best of her, she finally left her—their—apartment.
It's gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay. The mantra looped on repeat as Sunset went made her way to the parking lot. Everything's gonna be fine. I'm just gonna go to the store, then the post office, then the flower shop, then the restaurant… and it's all gonna be fine.
It's gonna be fine.
It'll be fine.
Fine.
The events of the past few weeks wound through Sunset's mind the entire ride to the grocery store. Following the "Bowflex™ incident," Wallflower had moved into Sunset's studio loft. Everything Sunset could think to do to prevent another potential tragedy had been done. The sharp objects had been removed, the chemicals thrown out, and the second-story window locked and barred.
By now, CSU classes had begun. Sunset had Wallflower's schedule memorized to the second. Other than when she was attending classes, her girlfriend was never out of Sunset's sight. Whether she was dropping her off, picking her up, or— most importantly— just spending time with her, Sunset made certain that Wallflower was safe.
Today marked the first time in several weeks that Sunset left Wallflower anywhere by herself. A part of her continued to argue against doing so, but there was simply no way around it. Wallflower's parents were out of town; their mutual friends were busy today with classes, jobs, or other commitments. Delivery services were too expensive. Their cupboards were close to bare, a package was waiting at the post office downtown, and—last, but not least—Sunset and Wallflower needed a date night. Hence the visit to the flower shop, as well as Wally's favorite restaurant for takeout.
Sunset tried not to think too hard about what happened the last time she had planned a romantic evening. She would never look at a Bowflex™ the same way again.
"It's gonna be okay," Sunset thought aloud. She had no other choice but to believe it.
The errands were completed within the time allotted and then some, giving Sunset a few minutes to spare. In her hands were the bag of groceries, bouquet of sunflowers, and carton of takeout from Wallflower's favorite Italian restaurant. The package she had gone to pick at the post office had been delivered instead. Noting its absence from the front door, Sunset reasoned that Wallflower must have gotten up from the couch and grabbed it.
Somehow, the idea of Wallflower leaving the couch set Sunset on edge. She took a moment to try to rein in her nerves. Wallflower's fine. So she grabbed the package. So what? Everything's fine.
It's fine.
It's… FINE.
Now, go in there and have that romantic moment you've been wanting with her since—Sunset cringed—nevermind. Just get in there.
One last breath, and Sunset opened the door. She steeled herself as she usually did. This time, however, it was for a positive reason. She was going to march through that door, give Wally the flowers, kiss her, show her the takeout, eat a meal by candlelight together, and—
Wallflower Blush had a gun in her mouth.
Time stood still.
"Oh, hi, Sunset!" Wallflower waved over at her girlfriend, who was rooted to the floor. Each motion of her lips and hand came in slow motion. Sunset counted the seconds between her syllables, her heart racing faster than they could form.
"I wanted you to be here so you could see this."
The sleek, black barrel shone in the light of the living room lamp. Four of Wallflower's slender green fingers wrapped around the grip. One of them stretched out towards the trigger guard, circling around it with precision.
"Check this out!"
Wallflower Blush put the barrel of the gun back in her mouth.
When her finger moved towards the trigger, Sunset Shimmer came back down to Earth.
"WALLY, NO!"
The bouquet of sunflowers, wrapped in pink cellophane paper, fell to the carpet. Petals dropped along with the thud of spaghetti carbonara and garlic bread. Cans of soup, a gallon of milk, and a box of cereal joined the fray on the floor.
In a flurry of tangling limbs and sweating bodies, Sunset launched herself at Wallflower.
Head-over-heels, they tumbled, Sunset on top of Wallflower. Once she had her pinned, she knocked the gun from her hand. The weapon slid across the carpet. Sunset swore she could hear the click of the hammer as it left Wallflower's outstretched hand. She braced herself for the booming roar of the gunshot.
It never came.
"Wally!" Sunset shouted nonetheless, staring down at her through a haze of turmoil. "I-I don't understand!" Hidden by the adrenaline, her tears returned, springing forth anew. Painful sobs wracked her body. She collapsed on top of her shell-shocked girlfriend. Rivers of tears flowed freely as she howled, "Wh-what am I doing wrong?!"
To Sunset's continued horror, Wallflower responded, "It's okay, Sunset. I know it looks difficult, but I can help you do it too!"
Sunset could only whimper.
"We can do it together!" Wallflower squeezed Sunset in a tight hug. "Wouldn't that be great?"
Sunset blubbered, "Wh-wh-why, Wally?! Why?!"
"Well, don't you like Pez?"
"Wh-what?" Sunset sniffled. "Wh-what did you s-say?"
"Pez, silly!" Wallflower pointed at the gun. "It's a vintage Pez dispenser from the 1960's! The package came just after you left."
Unable to comprehend any of the words coming out of Wallflower's mouth, Sunset just blinked.
"Here, I'll show you!" Wallflower reached over with her long, spindly nerd arms, and grabbed the gun.
Again, time slowed. Sunset's shriek echoed through her ears.
Wallflower put the barrel back in her mouth and pulled the trigger.
Instead of the atrocity that awaited her in all other lifetimes, in this one, Wallflower Blush ate some candy.
"See?" Sticking her tongue out, Wallflower revealed a row of little purple candies. "Grape flavor!"
While Sunset watched in stunned silence, Wallflower munched the candy. Then, she pulled the gun's trigger again. More candy.
And again. And again. And again.
Wallflower pointed the gun at Sunset. "Smile, Sunset!"
A piece of grape-flavored Pez ricocheted off Sunset's cheek with a boink!
"Aww, Sunny! You have to open your mouth!"
High-pitched whines morphed into full-blown sobs. Sunset wrapped her arms around Wallflower and held her close, never, ever, ever intending to let go again.
For a moment, Wallflower seemed to understand the gravity of the situation. Instead of shooting her girlfriend again, she hugged her back, waiting until Sunset's cries had slowed once more. Then, she whispered, "Hey, Sunny?"
Sunset struggled to keep her voice even. "Y-y-yes, Wally?"
"You're, um…" Wallflower trailed off into a murmur.
Releasing her, Sunset looked down at Wallflower. "Wh-what?"
"You're, um…" Slowly, both a blush— and a smirk—spread across Wallflower's face. "You're on top of me."
"... Buh…"
"S-so, um, maybe we could—"
Sunset started crying again.
Wallflower held Sunset tight. "That's okay. We can just cuddle instead."
Science building. Mathematics hall. Art wing. Campus green. Courtyard. Cafeteria.
These and more passed by as Sunset Shimmer ran from one end of the CSU campus to the other. Between her sprints, she looked down at her cell phone, firing off one desperate text, unanswered phone call, and unread notification after the other. Each conveyed the same anguished plea:
Please pick up, Wally. Please, please, PLEASE tell me where you are!
It had only been five minutes at first. Then ten. Then fifteen.
Now, it had been almost an hour since Wallflower Blush's final class of the day had ended. Sunset could barely remember where she had parked the car at this point. Every coherent thought she could spare was devoted to finding her.
The "Pez incident" of the week prior still weighed heavily on Sunset's mind… as did all the others. One after another, each spelled out what Sunset was certain had transpired.
When Sunset's phone rang at last, she instantly slammed it to her ear. "Wally?!"
"Nopey lopey, Sunny!"
Sunset groaned. "Pinkie Pie!" Pinching the bridge of her nose, she resisted the temptation to immediately hang up. "Sorry, but I need to keep this line free!"
"Well, good news for you, Miss Goody Newserperson, because I— "
"I don't have time for your jokes, Pinkie! Wallflower is missing!"
"Yeah, funny story about th—"
Sunset brought the phone down, hovering her finger over the "disconnect" button on the screen. "There's nothing funny about this!"
"Well, in a certain light—"
"I'm hanging up now," Sunset warned.
"Wait, wait!" Sunset could practically feel Pinkie Pie yank her hand away through the phone. "That's what I was calling you about, Sunset! I know where Wallflower is!"
Almost dropping the phone, Sunset shrieked, "Tell me! Tell me right now, Pinkie!"
Instead of answering, a hot-pink Volkswagen Beetle pulled up to the curb out of seemingly nowhere. Sunset jumped back, coughing from the massive cloud of dust that engulfed her. The tires squealed as the vehicle came to a stop.
Pinkie Pie stood up through the sunroof, waving over at Sunset. "Hi, Sunset! Wally overdosed!"
Pale as a ghost, Sunset opened her mouth, then closed it. Next, she sputtered a string of nonsense. After that, she tried to move. Tried to get into the car. Tried to speak again. Then breathe.
None of it happened.
"C'mon, Sunny! We've gotta get to the hospital!" Like maneuvering a mannequin, Pinkie Pie led Sunset into her car. Once she was sitting in the passenger seat, Pinkie added, "Don't forget your seat belt, silly!"
Sunset mumbled gibberish in reply.
Pinkie rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess I'm getting that for you, too!" She buckled Sunset in, then climbed into the driver's seat.
The world moved of its own accord as Pinkie drove them off campus.
Sunset sat. Unmoving. Unblinking. Unfeeling.
Unreal.
It had happened… both again, and finally.
And now she was here, with no idea what to do.
As if sensing her turmoil, Pinkie Pie patted her on the shoulder. "Oh, c'mon, Sunny! It's not that bad!"
Air forced its way into Sunset's lungs at last. "... Not… that… bad?"
"Pffffffffffft, not at all!" Pinkie shrugged. "I mean, when Rainbow Dash did this last year, you didn't even care, Sunny!"
Sunset gaped at her.
"Yup! And she had to get her stomach pumped, too!"
"Wh-what?!"
"Aw, don't act so surprised, Sunset!" Shifting back to the road, Pinkie hummed some merry tune. "We've all thought about doing it at some point!"
Icy tendrils wrapped around Sunset's heart. Torturous revelations hit her one after the other. Not only was Wallflower in the hospital from a suicide attempt… Not only had one of her best friends done the same last year, without her even noticing… But apparently her entire friend group was suffering the same way her girlfriend was.
And Sunset had done nothing about any of it.
The rest of the ride to the hospital was a blur.
"One visitor at a time." The clearly overworked nurse stared down Sunset and Pinkie, blocking the view of the precious patient within the room.
"You got it, chief!" After saluting the nurse—who rolled her eyes at the gesture—Pinkie shoved Sunset into the room. "I'm gonna go get a burrito! Byyyyyyyyyyye!" With that, she skipped away, making a springing noise with every step.
Sunset stood in the doorway, motionless.
The nurse looked over her shoulder at the girl in the bed, then at Sunset. "Why the long face? She's gonna be fine. After we pumped her stomach, at least."
Sunset whimpered.
The nurse stepped around Sunset's stoic figure. "I'll be back after my lunch. Later."
Once the world's best nurse left the room, Sunset finally saw her.
Lying supine, her eyes closed, was Wallflower Blush. IVs, heart monitors, and other machines were hooked to her delicate, fragile body, secured by garish medical tape. The quiet, steady beep pierced the thick, suffocating silence of the hospital room.
Wallflower's eyes were closed, her breath coming in short—yet, thankfully, regular—rhythms. To anyone else, it might have looked like she was sleeping.
Peaceful.
To Sunset, it was the worst thing she had ever seen.
"Wally… no…" Sunset whispered.
Nothing.
Did Wallflower know she was there? Would she hear her? Could she hear her? When would she wake up?
…Would she ever?
One foot in front of the other, Sunset shuffled to Wally's bedside. Every single step was a fateful one, bearing more weight behind it than any she had ever trod. Crossing the portal was nothing compared to this.
When she reached Wallflower's side, at last, the dam burst.
Sunset collapsed, burying her face in Wallflower's neck. Tears, salty and stinging, burned their way down her cheeks as she unleashed it all.
She had tried so hard, and got so far. But in the end, it didn't even matter.
So many near-misses… so many sleepless nights… so many anguished days… For naught.
And now there was only one thing left to do. One thing all her preparations, all her efforts, all her trying had not accounted for.
Sunset had to find out why.
Through a veil of tears, Sunset looked at the love of her life one last time.
Whether Wallflower woke up or not, their relationship would never be the same after this.
"I'm s-s-sorry, Wally."
Sunset kissed her. Then, with one hand on her empathy geode, she reached for Wallflower's with the other.
And remembered.
Today was the day.
Finally.
Something she had wanted her entire life. Something no one could understand, nor relate to. Something that she needed to do. Absolutely needed to do. The longer she put it off, the stronger the impulse became.
She'd left class early. Gotten a ride home. Known when Sunset would be out. She didn't want Sunset to see this.
Or to stop her.
Now, she just needed to wait for the final piece of the puzzle to arrive.
Wallflower Blush paced in her apartment, glancing at the clock. The one on the wall. The one on her cell phone. Both in time, in sync. She wrung her hands over and over, peeking now and then at the door.
Nervous. Waiting.
Wallflower had been waiting so long that when the knock finally came, she almost jumped out of her skin. She waited until she heard the footsteps of the delivery person fade away. Good. She neither wanted, nor needed, an audience.
She had to do this alone.
The package was heavy. Wallflower regretted throwing out the Bowflex™. It would have been good practice for the real thing. No matter.
It was so hard to get ahold of these, but it was worth it. Nothing else would suffice. She wanted to do this right. With Sunset being around so much lately, she only had one shot—one opportunity. She had to seize the moment and own it.
Struggling with the heavy box, Wallflower lamented her weak nerd arms. She almost laughed. Sunset had been right. Sunset was always right. Not just about that, but a lot of things. That's why she couldn't see Wallflower like this. Wallflower could only imagine Sunset's face if she saw.
Alternating between pushing and pulling, Wallflower managed to get the heavy box into the apartment. The door closed with an echoing thud. She gave herself a moment to catch her breath before continuing onward.
Her parents never understood this part of her. That's why she had to do this. But Sunset?
Sunset would understand. She wouldn't like it, at first—but she would understand. She would get used to it.
Soon, she might even join Wallflower.
Several minutes passed before Wallflower deemed herself ready. There had been enough stalling. Time to get on with it.
For some reason, Wallflower couldn't find the scissors, or her pocket knife, or anything in the entire apartment that was sharp enough to do the job. Luckily, she still had her keys. That would be a start.
With her keys shaking between her fingers, Wallflower began.
She opened the box.
Her eyes lit up with joy at the reveal of its contents. Her heart started to race, her eyes widening in awe. Finally. After a lifetime of suffering, she was going to end it.
Reaching in, Wallflower seized her prize. The one thing she had always wanted.
An industrial, bulk shipment of Skittles™.
Forty pounds of her precious gay candy lay in wait. Individually packaged in twelve sacred, immaculate fifty-four-ounce bags. The scent of the wrappers couldn't hold a candle to the treasure that lay within.
Wallflower had dreamed of this day since she was a little girl. Now, at last, it was happening. A dream come true.
"Only one bag of Skittles™ every year on my birthday, huh, Mom?" Wallflower mocked. "Too much candy rots your teeth, huh, Dad?" Laughing, Wallflower tore the box open with gusto, tape and packaging peanuts flying skyward. "We'll see about that! Nothing can stop me now!"
Careful not to rip the bag, Wallflower opened the first of what would be many wonderful packages of the best candy ever made. She ran her fingers over the zipper lock at the top, marveling at such a wonder of engineering.
But she could only stall for so long. The Skittles™ called to her. Taunting. Waiting.
"J-just a few…" Wallflower murmured, reaching into the pouch. "J-just one bag."
Wallflower popped a Skittle™ into her mouth.
In an instant, everything was technicolor rainbows. Everything.
And all was right with the world.
Pupils dilating, Wallflower grabbed another Skittle™. And another. And another. And…
Fistfuls of Skittles™ slammed into Wallflower's mouth. Shredding the bag, Wallflower soon found the bottom of it. Her hands, now trembling, pawed in the crate for another. Once retrieved, they crudely tore the top off, then resumed shoveling.
More. More. More! Wallflower needed more. More to feel alive.
Her eyes glazing over into rainbows, Wallflower cried out in pure ecstasy. What she screamed couldn't rightfully be called words in any language, but the meaning was clear:
Wallflower was going to eat as many fucking Skittles™ as humanly possible.
… An hour later, Wallflower Blush fell to the floor, her hands still full of sweet, sweet morsels. Skittles™ littered the floor. Half a dozen empty bags lay in tatters, a seventh in her lap. The box had been upturned, its contents spilled on furniture, floor, and the ceiling. The carnage was something out of a gay horror novel.
Foaming at the mouth, Wallflower curled up into a ball. As her eyes grew heavy, she muttered, "So that's what it feels like to taste the rainbow…"
Just before Wallflower blacked out, the door to the apartment flew open. A familiar shriek rang out, though she was powerless to answer it.
Lying in a puddle of rainbow-colored drool, Wallflower twitched, then stopped moving.
Her mother screamed:
"WALLY, NO!"
The housewarming gift she had brought fell to the carpet. Another horrified screech followed. "I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!"
The last thing Wallflower saw was her mother's sobbing face.
"Sunny, can you let go of my hand? You're squeezing it a little too hard."
The glow faded from Sunset's eyes. Blinking away her tears, she looked down at Wallflower, who was wide awake, not in a coma, and completely fine.
"You know I'm not into the rough stuff, Sunset," Wallflower teased, adding a coy wink.
"Buh," Sunset replied, her arms falling limp.
"Buh?" Wallflower giggled. "That's all you have to say?"
Sunset stared at her.
"What? Is there something on my face?" Wallflower ran a hand over her cheek. "I thought I wiped up all the drool earlier!"
Sunset… stared at her.
Yawning, Wallflower stretched, then rested her head on her girlfriend's shoulder. "So I'm guessing you won't let me have Skittles™ more than once a year now either, huh?"
As Wallflower's question lingered, Sunset Shimmer simply stared at her.
And stared.
And… stared.
When the silence hung for far too long, Wallflower gave a nervous chuckle. "H-heh, this whole Skittles™ thing was pretty crazy? R-right, Sunny?"
Sunset kept staring.
"I-I mean, c'mon! I ate, like, almost twenty pounds of Skittles! Isn't that c-crazy?" Tangling her fingers in her long, green hair, Wallflower tried to avoid Sunset's unrelenting gaze. "H-heh, yup, I definitely have a problem! Ha, ha, ha…"
Silence.
Sitting up in her hospital bed, Wallflower reached for her girlfriend's hand. "Um, a-are you okay, Sunny?"
Sunset's hand fell limp in her grasp.
"Pl-please say something," Wallflower whispered, on the verge of tears.
As if on command, something flickered in Sunset's dull, lifeless eyes. Slowly, she pulled her hand away from Wallflower's…
And laughed.
And laughed.
And. Laughed.
Sunset doubled over, holding her stomach as she howled with laughter. Beside her, Wallflower was laughing, too. At first.
Soon, Wallflower's mirth dissipated into awkward chuckles. However, Sunset kept it up. She continued to laugh, laugh, laugh, so loud and so forcefully that Wallflower was genuinely concerned she might break something.
The phrase "cracking up" never made so much sense. Whatever Sunset found so funny must have been the best, most hilarious, epic—
Annnnnnnnnnnnd Sunset was crying.
Not tears of laughter. No, those had appeared almost fifteen minutes ago. These were different.
"Sunset?"
Still doubled over, Sunset staggered towards the bed. She bonked Wallflower in the head as she leaned down, trembling. Ear-piercing sobs replaced the splitting, shrieking laughter that had proceeded it. Within seconds, the sleeves of Wallflower's hospital gown were soaked in tears.
"Wh-what's wrong?" Hating how fearful she sounded, Wallflower took in a breath. As she held Sunset close, she added, "Talk to me, Sunny. You're scaring me."
Stroking Sunset's hair with slow, gentle motions, Wallflower decided to let her words linger. It was beyond obvious by now that whatever troubled Sunset far surpassed the Skittles™ incident. She tried to think back over the past few weeks, wondering if there was something she had missed. Things had been a little hectic between the start of college classes and Wallflower moving in… but nothing that should have had Sunset upset like this.
The longer Sunset wept, the more anxious Wallflower became. Instead of falling apart alongside her, Wallflower willed herself to stay strong. She focused on the feel of her girlfriend's soft, wavy locks beneath her touch, as well as the pace of her own breathing.
After what felt like an eternity, Sunset stopped crying. When she looked up at Wallflower, it was all the latter could do to keep her heart from breaking. She'd never seen Sunset look like this before.
Between sniffles, Sunset croaked, "Wh-why, Wally?"
"Because Skittles™ are so great?" Wallflower replied with a half-smile.
As soon as she said it, Wallflower saw the most dejected, forlorn expression on Sunset's face. She hugged Sunset tighter and sighed. "Sorry. I respond to big, scary feelings with silly deflections sometimes."
"...I-it's okay," Sunset murmured.
"No, not really." Wallflower nuzzled the top of Sunset's head. "I guess I'm just… really confused?" She paused. "It's just… I know it would be scary to hear that your girlfriend's in the hospital, but I didn't think it would be this scary."
Sunset muttered something inaudible.
"What?"
"I-I…" Untucking her head from beneath Wallflower's arms, Sunset looked her in the eye at last. "I-I just don't understand why you k-keep trying to—"
As Sunset trailed off, Wallflower prompted, "To…?"
More mumbles.
"I'm—I'm sorry, Sunny, but I didn't—"
"Why do you want to kill yourself?" Sunset blurted.
Wallflower could barely believe what she'd just heard. She bit her tongue, trying not to feel defensive. Doing so was far easier said than done. Those words—even coming from someone she loved—set her on edge.
Why would Sunset even think of something like that? What was the point of everything she had done since the Memory Stone, if the person closest to her thought that she was—that she was still—
Just what had Sunset seen with her geode? Something other than the Skittles™ incident? Something from… before?
"W-Wally?"
Shaking away her thoughts, Wallflower glanced down into Sunset's widened eyes. "Sorry, sorry. Bad time to be lost in thought, heh…"
Both of them fell silent. The time for giggles had passed.
Choosing her words carefully, Wallflower asked, "What makes you think I feel that way?"
As if she'd been struck, Sunset flinched.
Wallflower recoiled at her response. Trying to remember what her therapist had taught her about initiating difficult conversations, she didn't immediately reply. Instead, she waited for Sunset to react. Clearly, she wanted to.
Wallflower didn't have to wait long.
"A-all the scars on your arms."
Wallflower tilted her head. "But you've met Mr. Snuggles. He did the same thing to you!"
"... Fair enough."
"Right, so—"
"You almost dropped your toaster in your bath," Sunset interjected.
Wallflower raised her hand… then let it fall. "Okay, maybe that wasn't the best idea in retrospect." A slight giggle escaped her lips. "But toaster strudel is just that good, Sunset!"
The slight giggle was not returned. Sunset looked like she was made of stone.
Frowning, Wallflower looked away for a moment. Then, slowly turning back to Sunset, she asked, "Is there anything else that's—"
"You almost drowned yourself in the lake."
"I'm a really bad swimmer—"
Sunset's voice grew louder. "You jumped off a parking deck."
"I slipped on a banana peel! Rainbow Dash's banana peel! She's the one you should be— "
Sunset crossed her arms. "You stepped in front of a bus."
"I tripped!" Wallflower threw her hands up. "My shoelaces were untied!"
"I found you with a noose around your neck!"
Wallflower pinched the bridge of her nose. "Well, I'm sorry! The instructions were really confusing, and I did the best I could setting up the Bowflex™!"
"You put a GUN in your MOUTH, Wallflower!" Sunset practically shouted.
Wallflower raised a finger to object.
… And thought about it.
Really thought about it.
Wallflower lowered her finger. And blinked. "Oh." She blinked again. "Ohhhhhh." And… a third blink. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."
The sun itself would never face a dawn quite like the one that pressed on Wallflower Blush.
Wallflower was yanked from her reverie by Sunset's trembling whimper.
"I-I don't understand!" Sunset's eyes shimmered with fresh tears. "I-is it because of me? W-was it something I did?"
"No!" Wallflower took both of Sunset's hands in her own. "Of course not!"
"Th-then why—"
"Sunset, listen to me." Wallflower took a deep breath. "I haven't felt that way for a long time. Not since what happened with the Memory Stone." She looked down at their joined hands. "Ever since then, I've been seeing a therapist every week. My parents had no idea I felt that way, but as soon as they knew, they got me help, and I've been working on my problems. It's not easy, but... " She trailed off into a small smile. "It's better. Much better."
Wallflower paused to let her words sink in. As Sunset looked on, she continued, "I-I never wanted you to know I had those kinds of thoughts in the past. That's not a part of myself that's easy to share. Plus, I, uh…" A bitter chuckle. "Didn't want you to worry, heh. Guess that worked out well, didn't it?"
Sunset glanced down at their hands, but didn't say anything.
Wallflower sighed. "I know the things that have happened the past few weeks look pretty bad, but I promise they weren't intentional. And not only that, but…" She gently squeezed Sunset's hands. "I promise that if I ever do feel that way again—and I'm not just being clumsy or dumb—"
Sunset cut in, "You're not dumb."
"Ehhhh, I kinda am." Wallflower chuckled. "But that's okay. You love me anyway."
The hint of a smile crossed Sunset's face. "I do."
"And I love you." Wallflower pressed her forehead against Sunset's. "And I promise that if I ever do have thoughts like that, I will come to you first. Okay?"
When Sunset smiled, Wallflower knew that she truly believed her.
"...Okay."
Together, they shared a soft kiss, then held each other close.
Suddenly, the door to Wallflower's room burst open. In charged Pinkie Pie, carrying a modest plate of burritos. "Who wants burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrritos?! I put Skittles™ in yours, Wally!"
Sunset admonished, "No Skittles™ for Wallflower."
That's okay, Wallflower thought with a devious grin. I have more at home.
