To be Rustic

She wanted to take it all back, she really did. Take back everything she ever felt that she could. Her cutie mark, her looks, her abilities...everything. Then maybe she wouldn't regret so much. She sighed as she entered the room, a paper clenched in her teeth. It was odd that she regretted anything written, it was her passion to love something written-her cutie mark showed that. She loved the way written words looked on pages, liked the ability to see then drawn. Yet...this was different. Very different. A gray mist removed the paper from her mouth, inevitably of course. Nothing wasn't too surprising anymore. Of course she knew
Cassette would be elated. No-more than elated. She even watched as Cassette smiled to herself as her excitement grew. Her pale pink eyes landing on the pony that gave her these emotions. The pony in question being a school aged filly with a coat white as snow with a delicately combed light pink mane.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Cassette cried out, her voice booming as pride swelled in her chest. She knew that would come, but it was a hard question to answer. She could lie, she reasoned but...she wouldn't get far that way, would she? The filly paused, her voice barely audible as she answered.

“Well..er…” The filly responded. “I didn’t really..” Cassette shook her head, her long, black and gray mane curling up as it had like film rolls. It surprised the filly that her mom had a mane that could do that, but she wasn't interested in that in the least.

“Nonsense!” Cassette roared out. “Surely you jest!” Cassette’s elation decreased as the filly peered down, her mane covering her face. Even then, you can spot the faintest of despair tracing her features. She knew that reaction would come, too. She was even afraid she show her cutie mark, which she thinly covered. Her mom, thankfully, didn't notice the coverings. Cassette scoffed at the notion that she simply thought of. No, you simply could not be? Where had she gone wrong in raising her dear filly?

She hadn't gone wrong. She breathed out, trying to figure out the words to describe this situation. The grey coated mare refused to allow such...trivial endeavors. She paced around a tad bit, hoping to come to a solution that would benefit all. Or-she’d assume all.

“Mommy?” The filly winced, knowing the disappointment. “M-Mommy?” The unicorn filly backed off as Cassette’s wandering became more apparent. The filly’s chest knotted-her breath escaping at any given chance. Tears slipped from her eyes as she tried ignoring the surroundings. She really bucked up. She knew her mommy really wanted her to love this. She really wanted her to love what she truly loved. Yet, she couldn’t. She just...couldn’t. Maybe there was something wrong with her?

“Surely, you must be lying. You can’t just turn such an offer down!” The filly didn’t answer to her. She slunk to the ground, wishing the ground could absorb her and whisk her away from there. Anywhere but there. “A filly gets but one shot, one chance and you are willing to rid of it for pathetic stories?”

“M-Mommy, they aren’t pathetic!” The unicorn filly shot back, offended by her choice words. “I love writing and drawing for foals. They are really good...great stories...why can’t you see that?” Cassette, however, simply looked down at her daughter. The filly regretted such choice words herself.

“They are pathetic if they aren’t going to aid you in any way,” Cassette retorted, stomping her hoof. “No daughter shall create stories when there can be better, bigger things that can be done. Its a pathetic waste of life.”

“Its what I’m good at, Mom!” She cried out, her tiny body aching as the gray coated mare came closer to her.

“Cassette?” Cassette turned to face the voice, she was even going to respond bitterly. Yet, she stopped right in her tracks. The voice was that of a stallion’s, her husband and father of the unicorn. He looked similar to the filly in appearance, white coat and pink mane. The only difference being his eyes as they were a beautiful violet instead of pinks. He had such a deep voice, something remarkable considering his appearance. If there was any pony that the filly loved more, it was him. She truly felt connected with him.“I feel you are taking this a tad bit more...personal than I like to admit.”

“I don’t think you realize the gravity of the situation, dear,” Cassette said through grit teeth. Her head lowered as she scratched at the floor, pawing almost as she backed off. “Fleur can’t possibly like something so...uncouth as...that! She must get into modeling, she can’t be anything less!” The stallion shook his head at the remarks.

“Is that what you wish, or what she wishes?” He questioned, his face taking on a knowing look. Cassette stumbled over her words. How dare he assume such dastardly things as that! How she ever found love in such a simple stallion was beyond her.

“You-I-WHAT?!” She cried out. “You can’t be serious! Surely, you see that she has greater potential than..than…” The stallion lifted his hoof, wanting her to end her rants. He knew the answer already, it was plain as day.

“Cassette, children stories aren’t uncouth. Its quite fulfilling,” He retorted. Certainly, she must know of his profession! She glared daggers at him instead, not caring in the least.

“Prose, you and I both know its unbecoming of a lady to write such pathetic drabble,” Cassette shot back. Prose stepped between them both, taking a peek to his side at his daughter, Fleur.

“Her works are phenomenal! Have you read a single one?” Prose ignored his wife’s pleas as he brought forth a few works. Fleur couldn’t see them all, but she knew they had to be the ones she presented her father earlier that day. She beamed at the compliment. He loved it, he truly loved it! Cassette, however, gasped at the notion of her daughter being...that way. With a hue of gray mist, the works were gone. Destroyed right in front of her eyes. She never felt so many emotions flood her at once before. She scrunched her nose as tears brimmed her eyes, a look of utter hatred plastering against her features. Cassette blinked in response, confused for a moment before everything hit her.

F-Fleur! I-I didn’t-” Fleur trembled as she ran off, not allowing herself to get close to her. Prose frowned at the antics, but not at Fleur’s. Instead, it was directed toward’s Cassette’s. Cassette frowned, staring blankly at the floor.

“I just...I just..”

“If she wants to “drabble” in written affairs, then so be it,” He defended, his frown increasing. “Tis isn’t bad to love the written works.” Cassette, however, huffed at the notion despite feeling weak.

“I don’t care whether she enjoys it or not, she is the light at the end of the tunnel for us, Prose. Surely you can’t deny that?” Prose didn’t answer, instead he let his appearances answer for him. She cringed as she glanced his way, but she still hadn’t backed away.

“She should choose what she wants,” Prose insisted. “Let her choose, her time will come eventually, but it won’t matter, will it? You already chosen for her.”

Fleur yawned softly. Where had time gone? She stretched out without warning before checking her surroundings. It was the same old same old. She gave a weak smile, only barely tugging at the edges.

Life was good

Life was great

Fleur’s pink eyes watered, tickling her a bit. She peered down at her covers. Fancy Pants was no where to be seen. She sighed. That was typical, he had a job to do after all. She wiped away her tears.

Life was good.

Life was great.

Yet…..she closed her eyes as she fell on her back. Another sigh escaping forth as memories fill her very being. Her faux cutie mark reminded her of something. Something that made her day worsen, despite it just starting.

Why did she regret her life?