Lily Flower

by Button Strings

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sad, Roseluck, Daisy, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 1082

Moving on is hard, even more so when there's a reminder.

Roseluck tries to cross her garden while a storm swirls above her head.

Picture Source: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/10473742 (If this source is wrong, please message me with the correct source! Thanks!)

Published 2023-12-22 17:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2023-12-22 17:50:01 UTC

Flowerbed

Shadows stretched over the lawn as the sun steadily set. Clouds lazily lingered in the sky from the late afternoon showers, light grey contrasted with the deep greens of the grass. Flower beds carefully tended to and nurtured grew on either side of the house's back steps. A gentle breeze tugged the flowers to and fro, and caused drops of water to fall from the petals to the rich brown earth. Overall Roseluck would normally feel fine, great even, but the quiet had twisted those feelings.

There was no fence, only a couple evenly spaced bushes lining the lawns left and right boundaries, and at the far end of the lawn was a flower. It's just one flower. The shadows grew longer in the dying light, and Roseluck felt her heart beat out of rhythm. This wasn't supposed to be so difficult. I could always do this another day. In her heart she knew that would only delay the inevitability of facing this now.

A lone flower sat in a flowerbed, it's white leaves wide and bright in the stormy gloom. The flowerbed was at the end of the lawn, opposite from where Roseluck now stood. There was nothing outwardly unique about the flower, it seemed like any other lily. To Roseluck, however, it was who planted the flower. It was what the flower represented that hurt her.

Roseluck's own thoughts eroded her confidence. She doubted her judgement of what she could do and what she could not. It'd be better if I could just go inside right now, I can always tend to it tomorrow. It's easier than this. Yet she did not move. Stuck between two actions her indecision was easier to bear than to commit a decision.

Roseluck felt frustration at her own indecision. She had promised herself she could do this alone, that she could overcome her own difficulty and return to normal. This swirl of frustration and self-disgust at inaction stirred up an internal storm which only made her feel worse inside. I can do this... I can do this? —Can I?

Bush leaves danced on the edge of waving branches as the wind briefly picked up than died down again. The shadows grew as the sun sank further beneath the horizon, and the clouds above turned a darker gray with the threat of more rain.

Roseluck had not moved, even the volatile cocktail of emotion was not enough, and instead only confused things further. Yet through all the confusion, a voice cut through and got Roseluck's attention.

"You doing alright?" Her sister provided the much needed stability in Roseluck's internal storm. Roseluck leaned on her sister's shoulder.

"I couldn't do it." Roseluck eyes trailed to the ground. "I said I could, but I didn't."

"That's fine, no one expects you to," Her sister used her hoof to move Roseluck's head up. "Nopony can just wake up and forget."

"But to get over it I need to make progress, right? That's what they said would make me better." Roseluck turned back to the flower at the end of the lawn, she started to move a hoof forward, but hesitated.

"'Course, but it's only been a couple weeks, be easier on yourself." Daisy looked at the flower. "You'll make it there someday. There'll be setbacks, and there''ll be bad days where you feel can't do anything, but I'll be there with you. And when I can't your friends will."

With her sister's words, Roseluck found the strength to walk forward. She crossed the lawn as the clouds started to let loose rain. Thunder rumbled in the sky as distant lightning lit up the gloomy sky. It was hard to tell what was rain and what was tears as Roseluck drew closer to the flower.

She came to a stop at the edge of the flower bed. The lily flower blew around with the wind, almost in a celebratory dance.
Roseluck reached a hoof over and gently inspected the flower. The leaves were healthy, and almost glowed in the dim light. Roseluck felt it was her own imagination on that part.

"I'm sorry. I could've done more for you. I should've done more." Roseluck's voice started to choke up. "I don't know what you were thinking. You always tried to hold it all in, and I think you did that not to hurt us. But you could have said something, anything."

The clouds let loose another torrent of rain, and turned the ground to mud. The lily sagged under the weight of the water droplets collecting on it. Roseluck moved to cover the flower, and waited until the rain died down before she stepped back.

"But you're gone now. You left me a note, and that was it." Roseluck could still feel a hollowness in her heart, something that might not heal for a long time. "I didn't know what to do with myself after we found you. Daisy too. The ponies who knew you from the shop were shocked too. You were always smiling to them, you never let anypony in to see anything." Roseluck put on a wobbly smile. "You meant a lot to us you know? You meant a lot to other ponies too. I just wish you could have seen it."

Roseluck caressed the lily leaves.

"I'll miss you, Lily."

With that Roseluck walked back to Daisy who smiled encouragingly at her from the porch.

"I know that was hard for you." Daisy embraced her. "But, I'm happy you were able to do that."

Roseluck found it in herself to give a tired smile. "I'm happy too, but also feel tired."

"Then let's go inside and get you dried off. How's hot chocolate sound?" Daisy asked as the two entered the house.

The clouds above the garden started to break, and let rays of sunshine reach down to touch the ground. The lily drank in the sunlight, and waved in the gentle breeze. Distant thunder rumbled in some far off place, a sign of more rain to come, but not today. Today things would be just that little bit better than yesterday.

Author's Note

I've been away from writing for awhile now, this is my first step back into this hobby since a couple years ago. This is just a little story to get back into the groove of writing. This was written in a day, so let me know if there are any mistakes! Criticism is welcome and encouraged! :twilightsmile: