It wasn’t supposed to be like this.
This was to be Roseluck’s greatest triumph. Months ago, she had used every trick she knew when she planted these special seeds in her garden. With Hearts and Hooves Day just days away, the fruits of her labor sprouted out of the dirt. Roses of every hue in the color wheel welcomed her, all except the one she wanted the most.
Blue. Elusive and supposedly impossible blue.
Nature never intended to have blue roses and yet, a few ponies claimed it does exist, including the one for her heart throbbed the deepest. She wanted to surprise him with one and, with her special talent, believed that all it took was scrap together her years of knowledge combined with a little hard work and creativity.
The result was a blow to her abdomen. Determination and spirit wasn’t enough to defy nature’s laws. She started pruning her creations, a melancholy sigh escaping every few snips. “At least these will sell well, I suppose. If I put them together as a bouquet, maybe he’ll… I’m sure that—”
Roseluck jammed her tool onto the ground.
“I just can’t do that to him! I promised myself I’d give him a blue rose to show how much I love him!” A few teary drops sprinkled onto her colorful creations. “I won’t fail him. I will get a blue rose, no matter what it takes.”
She got up but before she could take a step, a thought pulled the brakes. All around her garden was rows of tall bushes, each one blooming with every flora that Ponyvillians showered her with bits to obtain. Maybe that was her ticket out; buy what she couldn’t grow. He didn’t have to know the source, after all.
“That wouldn’t be right,” she mused, rubbing off the grass beneath her foreleg. “Besides, if I couldn’t grow a blue rose, I doubt anypony else in Equestria could either. Think, Roseluck. Think. Where else can I get one?”
“You’re finally here! I’ve been waiting for the, oh.”
Knowledge, Roseluck had that in abundance in her mind. When that failed her, she turned to the local library in town for some more. Books had information she may not have although she was anything but a frequent visitor to the hallowed out tree in the middle of town. Something about the various calamities that have befallen Ponyville ever since that Twilight Sparkle and her assistant arrived had her err on the side of caution. Already, having the former greet her in an outburst of giddiness was a bad start. At least the whole structure didn’t flip or erect a barrier.
“All I want is a book,” Roseluck stammered from behind the library sign.
“I’m sorry,” Twilight tittered. “I thought you were the pony that was delivering some Hearts and Hooves books. I’ve been dying to read them. Won’t you come in?”
Roseluck took apprehensive steps into the library. Sure enough, tomes took up every inch of shelf space, categorized in logical order and kept dust free by a baby purple dragon.
“Spike? Are you sure those books I ordered were coming today,” Twilight asked.
“That’s what the mailpony told me.” Spike shook a feather duster at the complainer, “Three times. If you wanted them earlier, you could’ve paid for rush delivery.”
“I’m not paying three times over the standard rate just for—” A crimson blush befell over her. “Sorry again, Roseluck. Ahem. You said you wanted a book?”
Roseluck scanned over the entire area, “Yes. Anything that would mention where I can find a blue rose.”
Out of thin air, Twilight levitated a few books around Roseluck. “Romantic fiction or mythology?”
“Actually, this is about finding a real life blue rose.”
“Real?” The tomes came crashing down onto the floor. “Oh my. I’m afraid a flower like that doesn’t exist.”
She mouthed the last two words before latching onto the librarian. “But it has to! It must! I need it for a special pony in my life!”
“I could try to dye one for you,” Twilight wheezed as she wriggled out of Roseluck’s grasp. “If you just give me one of your—”
“You don’t understand! He’s going to know if I just dye it!” Roseluck sat on her haunches and pulled out a rose-shaped locket. She opened it and stroked the picture within, “I just have to bring him a real one. Please, Twilight. Even if it’s just based on a rumor, there has to be someplace I can look.”
Twilight reached around to look at the black and white image of a stallion. “He’s that important to you, isn’t he?”
She rubbed off a tear and nodded. “Only the most important pony in my life.”
“Believe me, I want to help but I’d have to pore through every single, huh?”
Spike plopped a book in front of the two and opened it to a bookmark. “I might have something. I was looking into areas that may have rare gemstones. No such luck but—” He pointed at a passage “–I did find this.”
Twilight moved her head like a typewriter, scrutinizing every printed syllable. Roseluck tried matching her speed but lost track after a fast page flip.
“Interesting.” Twilight pointed at a diagram of a map, “There’s a mention of a blue flower spotted here, somewhere on the northern side of the Stallihorn Mountains.”
“A rose?” Roseluck blurted out in glee.
“It doesn’t say. Whatever was growing out there was too far away for any confirmation.”
“That’s enough of a lead for me!” She gave both Twilight and Spike a quick hug. “Thank you so much! Next time you come to my shop, I’ll give you a free bouquet!”
Twilight reached out, “Wait a minute! That area of the Stallihorns is—”
Slam! Roseluck had left the library, leaving Spike to scratch his head.
“Wow. She must really like this pony to go there, Twilight.”
“You can say that, Spike.” She hung her head, “I just hope I didn’t send her on a wild goose chase.”
“This is as far as I’ll go, young lady.”
Roseluck turned her head upwards where endless peaks greeted her with its imposing stature. A faint uphill gravel path led in that direction but whether that was where she had to go was a question without an answer. In any case, she felt fortunate to have reached this deep into this particular region of the Stallihorns fully rested. The heavy backpack and the thick fur coat she put on made getting out the wagon without falling on landing a challenge. She had bought the gear in a specialty shop in Canterlot where its owner was kind enough to provide some much-needed transportation.
“I really appreciate you doing this for me,” said Roseluck as she tossed a sack of bits to a gruffly bearded stallion. “It would’ve taken me days if I had to walk here from the nearest village.”
“Don’t mention it.” He secured his profits in a knapsack. “Are you sure about doing this? Like I told you before, I could help you search for this flower of yours in a few days.”
“It’ll be too late by then. I must have it by Hearts and Hooves day.”
He scratched his beard, “Hmmm. In that case, you be real careful out here. If you’re not back here in this spot when I come back same time tomorrow, I’ll be calling for a search party, you hear?”
Roseluck bowed. “Thank you but I promise it won’t come to that.”
They said their goodbyes before going their separate ways, the shop owner heading downhill while she ventured deeper into a land of gray and permafrost. Not even an hour of walking later, the blustery wind made her regret not going with extra layers under her padded jacket. She just had to push harder up this trail, she thought. The few tall redwoods around here didn’t mind the temperature although the scarcity of bushes and shrubs twisted her heart. Flowers couldn’t possibly survive in this type of environment and yet, the map indicated this was the location. If it was due to season, this was a waste of time.
I won’t come up empty hooved.
With every step, the climb became steeper and the path narrowed to an uncomfortable width. The rock face was nearly vertical to her right and if she even thought of looking left, she would tumble for eternity until hitting the winding river peeking through the shifting fog.
“Oh, why did I look?” She stopped her march and gasped for air. “It’s so high. Why does it have to be so high?”
She pulled out a map and unfurled it. Taped to one corner of the parchment was a picture of her beloved, her inspiration to calm her nerves before examining the depiction of the landscape. A massive red circle indicated the general area and once she found a squiggly blue line, Roseluck braved another gander down the steep embankment.
“If flowers can’t grow at this altitude, that means I, I have—” She sneezed. “I have to head downwards, but how?”
Her map provided little help as the only indicated routes were outside the circle. She put it back inside her bag and continued forward. In minutes, the light suddenly shifted darker, the view of the sun denied by the tallest peak. The air temperature dropped below that of a freezer, the wind increased its howl and worse yet, the passageway up ahead had a gap. For an earth pony, this should’ve been an easy hop but the constantly changing elements turned this into a fifty-yard jump.
Roseluck backtracked and then stopped. Again, her lungs struggled for precious air.
“I can do this. I can do this!”
She hit the gas and built up speed until she was in full gallop. Inches away from the edge, she pushed off the ground and dived toward the other side. Roseluck landed on loose gravel and cartwheeled to a stop.
Immediately, she clutched her hind leg and hissed. “Too hard! Ah! It’s okay! Just a scrape! Shake it off!”
Once the ache subsidized, she resumed following the trail that hugged the mountain, hoping to find an alternate passage. Instead, she had but one direction to go – the wrong one – as the end of the day drew near. While she had a tent packed for the night, Roseluck couldn’t bear the idea of sleeping at this height. She walked faster still, knowing that the darkness would soon hide any potential routes from view.
“There!”
The ground to her left sloped downward at least forty-five degrees through a smattering of dead tree trunks. If she could somehow navigate it, the area beyond was bumpier but gentler in its descent. Her other option was an obvious climb further up the mountain where there was no sight of green for miles.
Guess I don’t have a choice.
From her backpack, Roseluck pulled out a walking stick. She stuck it onto the loose silt and took a shaky forward step. Pebbles tumbled down the hill but otherwise, her footing held. She kept jabbing her stick in the direction she wanted to go in a methodical pace. Over one hundred yards of careful maneuvering later, she moved her eyes away from the prize and toward the foggy valley for a glimpse.
Mistake.
A foreleg buckled and she lost grip on her stick. Roseluck reached for it but she snapped it in two before sliding down the steep slope and crashing into a tree back first. She heard a definitive crunch but registered no pain. Once she reached behind and felt for damage, she sighed in exasperation.
Oh, I hope my tent’s okay.
Without a stick, she resorted to an embarrassing crawl that inflicted small tears into her jacket. As the sun finally ceded to the moon, she reached the zone where she could use all four legs to reach a vista point of the river valley. Thanks to the persistent fog and enveloping darkness, though, all she saw was various shades of purple intermixed with gray, so she continued her journey deeper into the night. However, after a few more minutes of walking, the world around her approached pitch-black levels, obscuring the location of howling animals. The shop owner claimed the creatures roaming this area left traveling ponies alone but she didn’t want to chance running into one and fleeing over an unseen edge.
Roseluck unzipped her traveling bag and sprawled out the contents in more pieces than she recalled packing.
“Oh no. This doesn’t look right.” She examined a rod split in two. “Where are the instructions for these?
She eventually found the paperwork for assembling a tent but as she feared, her earlier fall left her with broken components. A sleeping bag alone wouldn’t be enough against this chilly February evening so she moved her materials to the nearest tree trunk and used it as a substitute pole.
After a few choice words, Roseluck finished her work and crawled inside the cloth tent. While the trunk proved an effective barrier against the increasing wind, the frosty air seeping into the tent forced her to keep on the coat. As for her grumbling belly, her granola bars were now crumbled bite size pieces but they would have to do while she went over the map one last time.
“Wherever you are, blue flower, I will find out.” She touched taped picture at the corner. “I have to.”
“Ah, choo!”
The sun had just crept over one of the lower ranges but Roseluck had been on the move for over an hour. Her one throw was no match for the dawn’s artic chill and if she didn’t want to become a popsicle, she had to start her march for warmth. Her hooves crunched the dew-drenched patches of grass as she kept a lookout for had existed only in printed text. To her dismay, the fog today was a thicker brew and soon enough, she walked right into it.
“Ohhhh! I can barely see!” Her coat hair stood up. “I wish I still had my walking stick.”
Visibility lowered to where she only had vague shadows as a guide. Then, her foreleg caught on a tree trunk and she flipped right into the dirt. She shook it off but stopped her journey after a few minutes. The terrain had flattened and all the trees around her were carbon copies of one another.
“Wait. Am I still going straight? Huh. What did the shopkeeper tell me to do?”
Roseluck pulled out a knife and made a mark on the closest tree trunk. If she ended up going in circles, at least she would know. However, she never did pass by that tree again. The ground turned from gravely to mushy and it resumed its downward slope. The fog she begged to lift persisted in hiding everything past a few feet past her nose.
“I don’t even know where I’m going anymore. How am I—?”
Suddenly, the ground beneath her collapsed. She landed on something slushy and began accelerating down a slope along with bouncing clods of dirt. All she could do is scream at the top of her lungs as she rode into increasing darkness and then, a knock into pitch black.
When her eyes opened again, she saw jagged rocks protruding from a high ceiling. Drops of water fell onto her head, the source of it unknown. When she inspected where she fell from, her head hung at the unreachable hole hundreds of feet above her.
She pulled out a handkerchief and patted her aching forehead. “Guess I don’t have a choice.”
Roseluck went straight ahead, the cavern floor laden with cracks. A few were no wider than a few lockets of hairs but others could engulf a house into its black pit. Out of curiosity, she chucked a rock into one and waited for the sound of it hitting the bottom. After a minute, she continued deeper into the cavern, silence being all she needed to know about her fate if she stepped too close to the edge. Keeping her distance proved easy as first but the further into the underground she went, the less room she had to maneuver. At one point, she crawled down a narrow path leading through two massive pits, not wanting to take chances of a stumble.
Eventually, she reached a wall with many openings leading in multiple directions. A quick game of eenie-meenie-minie-moe later, she slipped into the second cave from the left where an abrupt drop forced her to try another path. This time, she found a maze of passageways as far as she could see. Roseluck slumped against the wall and gave it a small kick.
“Why me?”
She chose her next path purely on instinct, a decision that bore fruit. A few minutes in, her ears flinched at the sound of running water. She honed in on it, hoping it would lead to an exit.
“Ah, no, no, no!”
She emerged from a corridor into a small rounded chamber with another bottomless pit. Across from it, a dim light confirmed this was a potential route out but even the best earth pony jumper in Equestria couldn’t dream of leaping this gap. On her left was the only feasible option, a ledge just wide enough to traverse if she stood on her hind legs. After a few minutes to collect some bravery, she pressed against the wall, unable to ward off all her shaking.
Relax, Roseluck. Relax. Don’t look down!
Halfway to her destination, the ground she stepped on loosened. Her reflexes kicked in, readjusting her position just as a small gap formed below her dangling tail. She whimpered at what could’ve been before she continued at a pace the complete opposite of her heart.
“I want to make it! I want to make it!”
Again, the floor beneath her hooves crumpled. Roseluck leapt the remaining distance and despite her jacket and backpack ripping on impact, she kissed the dirt and thanked Celestia. Then, she galloped toward the light, believing that she would once more see the mountains.
“W–what? What is this?”
She passed straight through a flow of falling water and into a hollowed out chamber with a small lake. Moss grew on the smooth walls and above, a few cracks allowed the high noon sun to glitter down onto a grassy lump protruding from the water. Roseluck glinted at the few flowers that grew there, dandelions, Chrysanthemums and other common genera she sold by the dozen.
“You have to be kidding me,” she bellowed, pulling strands from her hair. “Why can’t I just—”
Then, the sunlight shifted to the top of the hill. Roses, bountiful and rich in color, including the one that unhinged her jaw.
“I–I can’t… blue! Blue! Blue!”
Roseluck splashed down into the lake and waddled toward her goal. Even from this distance, her nose twitched at a scent that was a mix of sweet mint and honey.
“It smells so wonderful!” She emerged from the water and discarded what was left of her sweater. “I must grab all I can!”
A few more steps and she would have her hooves on the rarest of the rare, fiction turned into reality, the only gift worthy of delivery to the most special pony in the world. Then, the whole world shook, tripping her down onto the damp grass. Small rocks rained down from above as the tremors ratcheted its power, keeping her from regaining her footing.
“Earthquake or no earthquake!” She crawled toward the blue flowers. “I won’t—”
A part of the cavern wall crumbled but she ignored the incoming dirt wave. Roseluck crawled and reached out for a stem. One grab was all she needed and then she could flee.
“Almost. I—”
The next thing she knew, a freight train slammed into her. The next thing she saw was a hazy orange light and a hoof hovering over her head. When she tried to move, a force held her down and a voice told her gibberish. Then, something wet landed on her forehead, triggering a wince.
“W–who’s… what?”
Roseluck reached out and felt a snout. A few blinks later, the world around her returned to focus, the mountains, the sky and the shopkeeper that had kept his word. Two other ponies stood behind him, exhaling their relief.
“You’re a lucky young lady,” the bearded stallion remarked. “These earthquakes can literally take down half a mountain. Did you find what you’re looking for?”
After she squeezed her hoof and found nothing on them, she scurried to the closest edge. Hundreds of feet below, what had been a hidden underground garden was now under a pile of rocks. A few streams converged into the flooded chamber and soon enough, she added her tears to it. She had the flower in her grasp but for an instant and she had nothing to show for it.
Then, a solitary blue petal floated from her hair. Before the wind could rob it, Roseluck snatched it from midair and brought it close to her chest. If this was all the world would grant her, she had to take it. Even so, she sobbed at what could’ve been, an entire bouquet of the most special flowers in all of Equestria.
Instead, on Hearts and Hooves Day, Roseluck arrived at the front step of a house with her one petal secured in a sealed bag. There, she remained for minutes on end, struggling to hold back her disappointment from spilling onto the welcome mat. When she finally went for a knock, the pony she feared seeing opened it for her. He called her by name but she couldn’t look him in the eye.
“I’m sorry,” Roseluck stuttered. “I’m so sorry. I wanted to bring you something special, to show you how much I love you.” She hung the bag in front of her. “But this is all I could do. I wanted to—”
“—a blue rose,” the stallion at the doorstep uttered, opening the bag and sniffing the petal. “Roseluck? Did you actually see one?”
Amidst her sniffles, she nodded. “Please believe me. I was going to —”
“All these years and I was beginning to think it was just an illusion that I saw.” He took her in his arms and kissed her head. “But that it was you that saw it, thank you. Thank you, my most beautiful flower.”
Roseluck couldn’t stop the tears but there was no need to hold them back anymore. His soft warm hug assured her that she gave him the best gift of all, confirmation. All that was left was to say those few special words to him, the ones that always carried meaning but on this day, just a little more.
“I love you, dad.”
Author's Note
Bleh. A lame attempt at adventure. I had fixes in mind but I ran out of time.
