Corpse Flower

Chapters

Chapter 1: Flowers Don't Hurt Ponies
Chapter 2: Sprouting
Chapter 3: Healing
Chapter 4: Growth
Chapter 5: Full Bloom
Chapter 6: Seed

Chapter 1: Flowers Don't Hurt Ponies

Smiling proudly, Posey gazed at the giant rose towering above her into the starry night sky. Bathed in the moon's pale glow with stars glittering on the edges of its petals, it perfumed the night with a sweet, dreamy aroma. There was no doubt in her mind that it was the most beautiful flower in Equestria.

Not long ago it had been on the brink of death, but Posey's tender care and plant magic had transformed it over several months into the crown jewel of the garden. But to her horror, Sunny and Hitch wanted to get rid of it.

She scowled. They had to be joking! So what if by coincidence the ponies that had disappeared had been last seen near it? That didn't mean the rose was a murderer! Flowers were beautiful, delicate, and harmless. Everypony knew that.

Putting down her flashlight, she picked up the watering can. She circled around the rose, showering the dirt with water drops that sparkled in the bright moonlight.

This is all so ridiculous! she thought angrily. Flowers don't make ponies disappear! She would have laughed at the thought of a killer flower if she weren't so irritated. This is all Zipp's fault, she's been spreading dumb rumors! How could a flower kill anypony?!

Posey was too busy fuming to notice that something was coming out of the ground behind her. Dirt crumbled away as a thick, gnarled root emerged. It quietly slithered through the blades of grass, creeping closer to her. When it was near enough, the root slowly stretched up into the air and arched over her.

Zipp, Sunny, Hitch—none of them are making sense. Why do they hate such a lovely plant for no good reason? They know how much it means to Phyllis and me! Posey complained.

Sighing, she looked up at the rose again. It had transformed her life completely; it had given her popularity, fame, even some social standing. Uprooting it would be too cruel. Every petal and leaf was perfect. Even the thorns were perfectly pointed. I can't do it, Posey admitted to herself. I just can't, not after all the work I—

The root shot out and wrapped around her muzzle, muffling her screams as more roots burst out of the ground and coiled around her. Roots quickly gripped each of her legs and several more tangled around her belly. Forced into the ground, she kicked and thrashed, but the more she struggled, the more violently she was pulled down.

Once her hooves sunk into the dirt, she was buried alive instantly. Desperately she dug upwards, but her struggle was pointless. As she suffocated helplessly, the roots of the rose drained away her magic. Her strength gone, her limbs went limp and she slipped into darkness.

Chapter 2: Sprouting

It wanted to grow.

And to grow, it needed the magic that flowed in the flesh and blood of earth ponies. Getting the magic that it craved wasn't something hard for it to do—its natural beauty and heavenly scent were more than enough to lure in unsuspecting victims.

Ponies young and old came from all over Equestria just to admire it, but none of them realized until it was too late that the innocent-looking rose was going to kill them; nopony knew that it was a monster masked as a beautiful flower. From its first moment of life, it was destined to cause death.

On the stormy night the rose was created, its maker, an arrogant red stallion, died very suddenly right after he had sprouted it with his magic.

Whenever he wanted to be by himself, Sprout Cloverleaf visited a lonely, peaceful cliff that overlooked the endless blue ocean of Maretime Bay. Although he hated the long walk to get there, Sprout guessed the privacy was worth the leg work. Almost nopony came out so far from the seaside town to where the cliff was.

Sprout was at that same steep cliff one cloudy evening relaxing after another boring day of doing community service. Below him, waves spewed foam into the air as they crashed against jagged boulders that protruded out of the water.

Sitting on the soft grass, he inhaled the salty air and exhaled angrily. All the miserable sweeping and cleaning he was forced to do around town made him long to be deputy sheriff again.

Being in charge, ordering ponies around—that's what I should be doing! Sure, I proclaimed myself emperor of Maretime Bay and nearly started a war by telling everypony to attack the unicorns and pegasi after Hitch left town, but so what? I still deserve to be in command! he thought.

Squawking seagulls flew around in the fading daylight despite the bad weather. From the look of the clouds, it was probably going to rain.

The gloomy sky matched Sprout's unhappy mood perfectly. Mommy had wanted him to be sheriff more than anything, but he had let her down. He would make her proud—eventually. Nopony realized how amazing he was, not even Mommy.

Even Posey was too stuck up to see his awesomeness. She always turned her back to him when he got near her. Back when he was deputy, they used to chat together and have actual conversations, mostly because he would keep pestering her until she talked to him. Despite her rejection, he couldn't help but think about how stunning she was when she was out in the bright sunshine; her vivid colors seemed to glow in the daylight.

Sprout was sure she secretly had a crush on him—after all, he was very good-looking. Sprout watched the blades of grass rustling in the breeze. Probably she's too distracted daydreaming about that jerk Hitch to notice a really handsome stallion like me. Sprout rolled his eyes.

While he was staring at the ground, an idea popped into his mind. Growing something amazing would impress Posey. Maybe I could grow a huge bouquet of magical flowers for her! On second thought, maybe it's better to grow just one flower… yeah, that sounds easier. Anypony can grow a bunch of plain flowers, but it takes skill to grow one really special flower. And nopony in Maretime Bay has better plant-growing skills than me! With my eyes closed, I could totally grow her a flower that's twice as beautiful as she is!

"Okay, let's do this!” Sprout confidently declared, rubbing his forehooves together. He stood up, stretched his legs, and took a deep breath. Squeezing his eyes shut, Sprout concentrated as he stomped his hoof twice. Spiraling swirls of green magic flowed from his glowing hoof and dissolved into the ground. Within seconds, a plant sprouted up through the grass. Cautiously opening one eye, in front of him he saw a… cactus.

"What the heck?!" shouted Sprout. "Why is there a—I wasn't even thinking about a stupid cactus!" The cactus bloomed a few flowers as if to please him. Snorting, he stomped his hoof and it magically disappeared back into the ground.

"Focus, Sprout, focus!" he told himself as he repeatedly hit his forehead.

Sprout made another attempt, and another. The sky darkened as he tirelessly grew and ungrew different flowers. Although his hoof was sore from stomping, he continued to strain his magic to grow the perfect flower. He didn't slow his pace even as the first rain drops came down.

Rain was getting in his eyes and his mane and fur were soaked, but Sprout stubbornly refused to give up. He was unaware that the dirt beneath him was loosening up.

'I'm the one with the most powerful magic in the bay!" Sprout declared, slamming down his muddy hoof. "I'm the ultimate plant-grower!"

With a thud he sat down on the damp grass, shivering with his head hanging low. Sprout clenched his teeth as tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

"I just want one decent, stupid flower! Just one stupid flower!" he yelled as he struck the ground for the last time.

Immediately the weak ground broke apart and Sprout, completely caught off guard, fell from the crumbling cliff top.

"MOMMYYY!!!" he screamed, his legs flailing as he plummeted towards the sharp rocks below. The last thing he saw was dark water and boulders before his head smashed against stone. Blood splattered in all directions.

Thunder growled ominously and lightning lit up the night. Sprout's lifeless body lay splayed over a slick boulder, pelted by the heavy downpour.

Poor Sprout. It was a shame that he couldn't see the perfect ruby-red rose that he had made.

On the cliff top, he had unintentionally triggered his plant magic when he had hit the ground. Taking shape in midair from a falling clump of earth, a fully-formed rose landed on Sprout's body with a gentle thump.

The beautiful but fragile flower was taking a beating from the thunderstorm. Its thin roots searched for something to take hold of, and finding Sprout's leg, it quickly anchored itself to it to keep from being swept away by the waves.

Seawater washed over the dead stallion and the newborn rose. Eventually the restless sea carried Sprout's body away from the boulders. Throughout the stormy night, his body drifted aimlessly, bobbing in the swells until it washed up on a beach early the next morning. Its thin stem was broken, its leaves were torn off, and many petals were missing, but somehow the rose had managed to stay attached during the whole ordeal, although it was barely alive.

News traveled fast in the town of Maretime Bay, and soon curious ponies were gathering at the beach to see the body that had mysteriously appeared overnight. One look at the dead pony and they all knew who it was.

Sprout's mother, Phyllis Cloverleaf, had spent the whole night awake worrying and waiting for her son to come home. He had missed dinner, something he had never done before. The bleary-eyed mare was just falling asleep when she heard the doorbell. When she opened the door, Hitch informed her as gently as he could that Sprout's body had been found on the beach.

Phyllis stood there staring at him, not comprehending the words he had just spoken, but the pain she saw in his grieving eyes scared her. She was sure he was wrong, but she followed him to the beach anyway.

They had to push their way past dozens of murmuring and whispering ponies when they arrived. When they finally got through the crowd, Phyllis saw a red stallion lying in the sand with seaweed tangled around his limbs. His face was turned the ocean, so she couldn't tell for sure if it was Sprout from where she was. With her heart pounding, she galloped towards the stallion to get a better look.

Trotting quickly after her, Hitch warned her to stop, but she ignored him–she had to see who it was. He stopped in his tracks and closed his eyes, knowing his efforts were pointless.

Waves slowly lapped at the body. Now she could see that it was Sprout; she gasped with horror when she saw his crushed, disfigured face. Whirling around, she screamed, "Somepony get help! GET HELP!" at Hitch and the ponies in the crowd.

Nopony moved. Some of them gazed at her with looks of sympathy, while others stared with eyes full of fear. A few ponies simply watched her without emotion.

"DO SOMETHING instead of gawking so much!" Phyllis snarled at the onlookers.

They backed away, startled by her outburst, and less-courageous ponies took off running. Hitch sternly ordered the crowd to leave.

Turning back to her son, trembling, she reached out and touched Sprout's damp chest, hoping to feel his beating heart. She felt icy coldness instead of the familiar warmth of his body, and there was no heartbeat.

Approaching her slowly, Hitch wrapped his foreleg around Phyllis to lead her away from the gruesome scene, but she shoved his leg off her shoulders and collapsed beside Sprout. Shaking her son frantically, she begged him to respond, but he never moved or made a sound.

It didn't surprise Phyllis that only three ponies attended Sprout's funeral at the cemetery. Hitch, Sunny, and Posey silently stood by her side. Each of them had brought flowers.

Phyllis stared at the white casket in front of her, feeling too numb to cry after weeping for so many hours. Although it was a bright spring day, the heat of the sun failed to keep her warm, so she wore a scarf and a sweater. Dressed in solid black, her dark clothing made her look pale. She had decided to not wear her pearls or makeup.

Making a speech was the last thing she wanted to do, but she knew she was the pony who should speak now. She was a natural public speaker, she always knew the right things to say to sway the crowds, but for the first time her tongue felt heavy.

"I don't want to have to be here at my son's funeral," Phyllis began. Her sore eyes rested on each of the ponies. "None of us want to be here." Tears ran down Sunny's cheeks as she leaned her head on Hitch's shoulder. He and Posey kept their eyes on the ground, their heads lowered. "I still think this is a just another nightmare that I'll wake up from." She closed her eyes and shook her head.

"I wish I had known what was going on in that head of his. Oh, if I had only known! He was always so proud, I never thought he would… do what he did. I had so many hopes and dreams for him, I wanted him to become somepony important—but now he's left me." Phyllis paused for a moment as she broke into tears.

"I'd rather be in one of these," she sobbed, resting her hoof on the casket, "and buried here in this graveyard than live the rest of my life without my sugarcube." She couldn't contain her despair anymore. "I wish I died instead of him!" she wailed.

Phyllis put her head against Sprout's casket and cried. Hitch and Sunny embraced Phyllis comfortingly, holding the grief-stricken mare as they wept with her. Posey watched the three of them, feeling awkward and out of place.

After Phyllis had stopped crying, they broke their embrace and solemnly placed their flowers on top of the casket. Posey did the same with her bouquet.

"There's nothing left to do now but bury him," Phyllis stated miserably to the three ponies. She took off her eyeglasses to dry her eyes with a hoofkerchief. "Go home, sugarcubes." The trio glanced at each other, hesitant to leave.

Sunny spoke up. "We're not going to leave you here alone, Mrs. Cloverleaf. You need somepony to be with you now more than ever."

"I'll be fine, Sunny," Phyllis replied as she put on her eyeglasses. She placed her hoof on Sunny's cheek. "Don't worry. What I need right now is to be alone. Go on home. You've done your part. There's not much else you can do, sugarcube."

As they reluctantly turned to leave, Phyllis suddenly said, "Posey, wait."

Posey turned around, surprised that Phyllis had spoken to her directly. "Yes, Mrs. Cloverleaf?" she politely asked.

"Posey, I'm sorry, I forgot to ask you a favor." Phyllis picked up a clay flower pot that had been kept out of sight.

Planted in the pot was a shriveled thing that slightly resembled a rose. "Back at the beach, I found this rose on Sprout. I have to admit it doesn't look much like a rose now. I tried to make it better myself, but new-fangled plant magic didn't help much, I don't know why." She frowned. "You've got such a talent for flower-tending… can you save it?" she pleaded with her sorrowful blue eyes.

Posey eyed the pathetic plant Phyllis was showing her, doubtful if there was any life in it or if it was even worth saving.

Sensing her uncertainty, Phyllis quickly added, "Please, Posey, it needs your help. Call it mother's instinct, but I know this rose was important to Sprout. There must have been a reason why it was with him. Even if there's nothing special about this flower, I'd hate to see it wither away."

It's already wilted! Posey remarked to herself. "To be honest, I don't know, Mrs. Cloverleaf…" she cautiously replied.

Phyllis lowered her head. Posey didn't want to cause her more grief.

"…but I'll see what I can do," Posey finished. Relieved, Phyllis carefully hoofed her the potted rose as if it were a newborn foal.

"Thank you so much, sugarcube," Phyllis said, her eyes shining with hope. "I know it's silly, but I guess I've started thinking of it as a little piece of Sprout… it's all I have left of him." She smiled weakly at Posey through her tears.

Posey felt pity for her. On a whim, she gave Phyllis a hug, saying softly, "It's not silly, Mrs. Cloverleaf."

She bid her goodbye before rejoining Sunny and Hitch, who had been patiently waiting for her. The trio slowly walked past gravestones as birds sang in the spring sunshine. They paused while Sunny put flowers on her parents' graves. After they had walked far enough from Phyllis, Sunny said, "If anypony can save that flower, it's you, Posey."

Posey glanced down at the ugly, withered plant she was holding and then looked back at Phyllis, who was now standing beside Sprout's headstone while two burly stallions lowered the casket into the ground.

"I hope so—for her sake."

Chapter 3: Healing

Posey didn't know the half-dead plant she carried home would soon murder ponies. All she knew was that she was stuck with a dying flower that meant the world to Phyllis.

So when she arrived at her house after the funeral, she grumpily planted the so-called rose in the sunniest spot of her garden and watered it. To keep its broken stem straight, she tied it to a twig she stuck in the ground.

Confident that it was ready, she summoned up her plant magic to begin the healing. Her hooves glowed green as she imagined new leaves and petals sprouting from a strong stem. To her surprise, she saw that nothing changed; her magic seemed to have no effect on it. Was it too far gone to save? Trying again, she watched as her magic enveloped the plant once more, but still nothing happened. Several attempts after that also failed.

At sunset, Posey quit for the day and stomped into her house. Suffering from a headache, she plopped down on her sofa and let out a loud sigh. She glanced at the stubborn plant through the window that faced her garden. Groaning, Posey rubbed her sore forehead and closed her eyes.

Thoughts of the tragic week filled her mind. Sprout had never seemed suicidal, so why had he killed himself? The rumor going around town was that he had jumped from a very high cliff somewhere, guessing from the shape his body was in, but nopony was sure. In the end, it was all awful—Sprout's death, his body washed up on the beach, the misery his mother was going through.

She had to admit she didn't feel the sorrow that Phyllis, Hitch, and Sunny felt. It was just that Sprout hadn't been somepony special to her. She remembered how much he had bugged her to go out with him. Even though he had been immensely annoying, she felt guilty for ignoring him. Maybe that's why she had gone to his funeral—to make it up to him somehow.

But instead of finding relief for her conscience, she had been burdened with yet another plant to take care of, as if she didn't have enough flowers to tend to already. With a huff, she got up to make herself dinner, hoping to temporarily get her mind off her problems.

When she stepped out into her garden early the next morning, a surprise was waiting for her. She couldn't believe what she saw. No longer was the rose ugly and shriveled—layers and layers of luscious, firey red petals topped a slender, leafy stalk. It had healed and grown as tall as her overnight! How did it become so alive after being practically dead? In disbelief she trotted a circle around it, eyeing it from all angles. She untied the now useless stick that had supported it. So my magic did work! thought Posey excitedly.

Wasting no time, she phoned Phyllis to tell her the good news. Phyllis arrived within minutes.

"Oh, Posey, you did it!" Phyllis exclaimed as she galloped up to the rose. She cupped it in her hooves as her tears of joy splashed on its petals. "How did you do it? It's so beautiful!"

That's what I want to know! Posey thought. "Honestly, I just planted it, worked some earth pony magic, went to bed, and when I woke up and came out here, I found it like this," Posey replied simply as she shrugged.

"Oh sugarcube, don't be so modest! Look at it, it's precious! Isn't it amazing how it's exactly the same red as Sprout's fur?"

Posey smiled politely, unsure how to respond. "I guess you can take it home now, Mrs. Cloverleaf," she said, grabbing a trowel to dig up the flower.

"That's just what I'm going to do, and I'm going to plant it right in the middle of my own garden."

Phyllis thoughtfully observed as Posey scooped up the rose and some soil and placed them into the clay pot. "Sugarcube,"—she put her hoof on Posey's shoulder—"I know I'm asking you on the spot, but would you like to be my personal gardener?"

"Um, I really can't—I already have my hooves full taking care of the flowers that I'm going to sell."

"Oh, I completely understand, I'm a businesspony too, you know. That's why I'll pay you double what you make selling flowers. You really should be my gardener. Really, Posey. You're the only pony that I can think of that deserves the honor of taking care of my Sprout."

Posey froze and looked at her with wide eyes.

"I mean the rose," explained Phyllis with a smile. "I'll call it Sprout."

Posey was quiet as she considered Phyllis' offer. "Well, when would I work exactly?"

"Come back to my house with me and see the garden yourself. We can work out the details there."

Half an hour later, the two mares were finished planting the rose in Phyllis' magnificent garden. Phyllis' luxurious home had a panoramic view of Maretime Bay and the sea, but Posey envied her overflowing flower garden full of spring blooms.

"Sprout's finally home," sighed Phyllis contentedly as she admired the newly-planted flower. She pushed a cushioned lawn chair close to the rose and took a seat.

Posey began, "Now that we've planted it—"

"He, sugarcube. Sprout is a he, not an it," corrected Phyllis, never taking her eyes off the rose.

Posey lifted an eyebrow, but continued. "Now that he's planted, I think I should get going… I guess I'll see you again when I come to tend your garden?"

Phyllis didn't respond.

Posey waited for her to say something. After a while, she headed for the gate of the fancy wrought iron fence that bordered the garden. Once she was out, she galloped down the grassy slope towards home. What is up with Phyllis?! Posey asked herself as her hooves thundered against the ground. She really thinks that rose is Sprout!

Mesmerized, Phyllis lovingly gazed at the rose, unaware that Posey had left. "Don't you worry, Sprout, Mommy will keep you safe," she whispered.

She held it in her forehooves and gave it a tender kiss, inhaling its sweetness.

"Ouch!" she cried out as a sharp pain brought her out of her trance. A thorn had pricked her hoof and she was bleeding. Her blood dripped onto the chair. "Oh, dear," she mumbled. "I'll be right back," Phyllis told the rose before going inside her house to get a bandage.

Sprout hoped she hurried. He had been separated from Mommy for too long already.

Chapter 4: Growth

Far below, Sprout saw a red pony lying facedown on a blood-drenched rock.

That's me! he realized.

It took him a while to remember, but Sprout recalled what had happened: he had fallen off the cliff. Surrounded by rain, he hovered in midair, fascinated with the body he had left behind.

He spotted a rose on his body—he wondered how the heck that got there—and moved closer to the strangely alluring flower.

Sprout followed it as it rode his body through the churning waves and reached the beach. He hated the ponies who whispered gossip as they eyed his lifeless flesh and bones. They couldn't care less about him or his weeping mother. At least Hitch tried to comfort her. They were the only ones who seemed genuinely sad, unlike the others.

His mother found the damaged rose pinned under his forelegs and took it home, mournfully cradling it to her chest. She cried for the rest of the day, struggling to get it to regrow the parts it had lost, surrounded by wadded-up tissues and old foalhood photos of Sprout.

Don't cry, Mommy! I'm right here! Sprout tried to tell her. The hug he gave her only made her shiver.

Sprout quickly learned three things about his current state: he couldn't speak to anypony, nopony could see him, and to his shock, he could feel every sensation the rose felt. Voiceless, he was unable to tell her that it needed more of her magic, or any earth pony's magic, to heal itself. Slowly it wilted in her hooves.

She brought the rose with her to his funeral and gave it to Posey. Sprout watched her plant it at her house. Although she didn't look too thrilled, she fed the flower enough magic for it to get better.

He happily accompanied the rose when it was returned to his mother. The flower thrived once it took root in her garden. Whenever Posey came to visit, she weeded, watered, trimmed, and kept the garden beautiful as spring faded into summer.

Sprout was content to watch the world go by as the rose easily grew larger and larger, its growth aided by Posey's magic. Its gigantic size always caught the attention of neighbors and passerbys. Before long, all of Maretime Bay clambered to see it up close. Soon they were joined by unicorns and pegasi from Bridlewood Forest and Zephyr Heights. Enthusiastic ponies posed with it to take selfies, or tried to snip off a leaf or pluck a petal as a souvenir when Phyllis and Posey weren't looking. There was no plant more famous than Sprout's rose.

But then there was a problem.

It had grown so large that the magic that it was given wasn't sufficient to keep it healthy. The rose temporarily survived on sunshine, water, and nutrients from the soil, but it was earth pony magic that it ached for.

Panicked, Sprout didn't understand why nopony, not even Posey or his mother, had noticed that something was wrong. Didn't they see that it was drooping more each day?

This just had to happen right when I find out I can control it! lamented Sprout. What'll happen to me if it dies? What if I never see Mommy again?!

Sprout's reasoning was simple. I need to get more ponies to give it their magic before it's too late!

There was no way he could communicate this to anypony, though. He had no choice—he would have to take magic by force.

Late at night, when everypony was asleep, Sprout willed the roots out of the ground and practiced maneuvering them around. It'll be easy… I'll do what that scary alicorn did when she stole cutie marks with the roots of the Together Tree, only I'll steal earth pony magic.

Sprout was ready.

One summer evening, as stars were appearing in the pink and purple sky, a blue ball bounced into Phyllis' garden and rolled to a stop underneath a rose bush. A skinny colt galloped into view. Seeing that his ball was out of reach, he scampered over to the gate and tried to open it, but it was locked.

Biting his lip, he glanced around before he squeezed himself in between the metal bars of the fence. He slipped in and hurried over to the ball, but the spectacular rose caught his attention first. Tilting his head back to get a glimpse of the very top, he eyed it as if it were made out of candy.

"Wow!" he gasped, forgetting for a moment where he was. He took a deep breath and smiled, his eyes sparkling. "And it smells so pretty!"

The colt stepped closer.

Nopony's around…

He took a few more steps closer.

C'mon, Sprout, you can do this. Now's your chance!

A sudden breeze ruffled the colt's fur and his tuft of mane. Blinking, he shook his head and spun around to get his ball. He kicked it towards the fence. Finding that he couldn't push it out between the bars, he kicked it over to the other side.

He shrieked when roots shot out of the ground directly next to him. Screaming, he zigzagged as he ran across the garden.

Hold still!

The roots snatched him and lifted him up in the air. With all his might, the colt pounded the roots with his tiny hooves, but his blows did little damage. Then he sank his teeth into the root nearest to his mouth; immediately it released its grip. He bit another, and then another, until he could wriggle free.

Ow! Oww! Stupid little brat!

The colt cried out when he hit the ground, but wincing he stood up and raced for the fence as the roots chased after him. Galloping as fast as he could, he leaped into a gap—but he was caught by his hindlegs and whisked away.

Muzzled and securely bound by roots, the colt's magic was free for the taking.

This time you're not getting away, brat! The roots squeezed tighter and tighter.

Pure, nourishing energy pulsed through the rose, causing it to shimmer. The colt's squirming and kicking slowly ceased. Blood trickled from a corner of his mouth.

Finally revitalized, Sprout released the colt and he collapsed to the ground. Sprout expected him to get up and hightail it out of the garden, but he lay still, like he was asleep.

From afar, he heard a mare calling out to her son to come out from wherever he was hiding.

Oh no…

Thinking fast, he pulled the colt's body underground and shifted the dirt to fill in noticable holes that had been made.

"Where are you?" called out the worried mare. Her eyes fell on the colt's blue ball. Picking it up, she approached the fence and gazed in, her blonde curls pushing up against the bars. "Turnip?"

She reminded Sprout of his own mother. Knowing how much she would suffer if she found out her child was dead, he decided to spare her that misery.

The earth beneath her opened up like a hungry mouth and a tongue of writhing roots swept her underground before she could even scream.

Another dose of magic surged through the rose.

From a window in her house, Phyllis watched the nightmare unfolding in her garden with a blank face.

Sprout saw her watching. Now you know my secret, Mommy…

Chapter 5: Full Bloom

"…Princess Zephyrina Storm and Sheriff Hitch Trailblazer will continue to investigate the unusual disappearances in Maretime Bay. Speaking of Maretime Bay, let's go to Dazzle Feather who is live there at the residence of Phyllis Cloverleaf, a mother who pays tribute to her late son's life with a super-sized rose that all of Equestria has fallen in love with. Dazzle?"

"Skye, I'm currently in the garden of Mrs. Cloverleaf—as you can see, there's quite a number of ponies that have gathered here today. Mrs. Cloverleaf, enormous plants, including flowers, are a common sight here in Maretime Bay. What makes this particular rose so special?"

"I believe in my heart this was the last plant my beloved son, Sprout, grew before he passed away this spring. Oh dear, excuse me—I'm still very emotional about it. As a mother, I sensed that it had a special connection to my son, but I never thought that it would become so popular! I mean, look at all the poni—HEY! You three, GET OFF THE ROSE! Those leaves are NOT trampolines!"

"Uh, ehem, here comes Posey Bloom, the talented gardener who helped raise the rose. Excuse me, would you elaborate as to how you maintain this rose in perfect condition?"

"Well, um, with earth pony magic, of course. I brought it back to life with my magic when it was small and basically dead and then it started to grow. It doesn't grow fast exactly, but it's getting pretty tall. What's for sure is it took a lot of time and dedication and hard work on my part to get it to where it is now."

"And it definitely shows, Ms. Bloom. You have been receiving a great deal of recognition because of this rose. How do you feel about your new celebrity status as a premier plant expert?"

"It's a little irritating, but I'm getting used to signing autographs and taking pictures with random ponies. It's kinda nice, actually, not having to sell flow—"

"Wow! We're on TV!"

"Everypony in Equestria can see us!"

"Hi, Mom!"

"Excuse me! I'm talk—"

"And what are your names, fillies?"

"I'm Seashell, and she's Peach Fizz and she's Glory. And we're here to see the super amazing rose that's been in Pipp's new Clip Trot videos! Look, here she comes! Pipp! Pipp!"

"Oh my pony, hey you guys!"

"Princess Petals, would you like to share your thoughts on Mrs. Cloverleaf's rose?"

"It's the most beautiful rose I have ever seen! And I totally recommend everypony watching to come and see it for themselves—it's soooooo fly!"

"Thank you, princess. It's evident that this stunning wonder of a flower has mesmerized ponies from all over Equestria. This has been Dazzle Feather, reporting from Maretime Bay. Back to you, Skye."

"Pipp is so right!" said Izzy as she changed TV channels. "Have you seen Phyllis' magical rose, Misty? I mean, besides on TV?"

"Um, not quite yet," Misty replied sheepishly.

"Well I did, and it's huuuge! If you get up really close to it, you can see the whole thing is glittery and sparkly—ooh, and the smell! It smelled so nice. It made me feel all dreamy and relaxed…"

Sparky giggled as Izzy tickled his belly.

"Izzy?"

"Yeah?"

Misty looked down at her hooves, her kinky mane hiding half of her face. "I'm really worried about those missing ponies."

The smile on Izzy's face faded. "I'm sure everything will be fine. Zipp and Hitch are working hard to find them. Even Sunny is helping out today, so there are plenty of ponies on the case. Try not to worry about it."

Misty's eyes took in the interior of the Crystal Brighthouse. "It feels so empty in here without our friends," she sighed.

"They'll be coming soon," Izzy cheerfully reminded her.

"They're working so much, we don't see much of them these days. I… I miss them a little."

"Aww, she misses us," said Hitch, grinning.

Hitch, Zipp, and Sunny walked tiredly into the room. Jumping off the sofa, Sparky ran to Hitch and tightly hugged his foreleg.

"Hey there, buddy!" Hitch said as he embraced him. "Did you have fun with Izzy today?" Sparky scrambled onto his back and wrapped his tiny arms around his neck.

"Did you find out something new about the missing ponies?" Misty asked.

Brooding, Zipp sat down beside Misty and leaned back into the sofa.

"We confirmed a suspicion Zipp had," Sunny explained, taking a seat next to Izzy. "After interviewing every pony that's reported a missing loved one, we now know that all the missing ponies are earth ponies—", she glanced at Hitch, "—and they all had visited Phyllis' rose."

With a grim expression, Zipp eyed her friends. "Something's up with that rose, you guys. We've gotta figure out what's really going on. I say we head to Phyllis' garden and take a good, long look at that flower."

Hitch shook his head. "Phyllis isn't going to let us inspect her rose. She's way too protective of it."

"Oh yeah, I remember she yelled, 'Stay back!' when I got too close," Izzy chimed in.

"Really?" asked Misty.

"Yup. True story."

"It is weird how she lets everypony see it, but only at a distance," added Sunny.

"Anyhow," Hitch continued, "we can't look through her property without her permission."

"Hmm," Zipp said, a plan forming in her mind.

A blur of white swooped down from the morning sky. Posey, who was placing pumpkins around the garden, looked up.

"Hey! There's a gate, you know!"

"Don't need it," Zipp retorted. Flying in place beside the rose, she took out a magnifying glass from her saddlebag.

Posey narrowed her eyes. "You've been spreading rumors about the rose, and you have the nerve to show up here? Nopony wants to come anymore because of what you said!"

"Does that bother you?"

"WHAT do you think you're DOING?!" bellowed Phyllis as she came storming out of her house. "Leave RIGHT NOW!"

The sudden outburst nearly made Zipp drop the magnifying glass. Steadying herself, she said, "I don't get it. You're okay with having tons of ponies in your garden, but you don't want any of them getting too close to your rose?"

"It's mine, and I say who gets to be near it and who doesn't!"

Zipp carefully studied the magnified details of a petal. Knitting her eyebrows, she was surprised to see that it was shimmering. This reminds me of something, Zipp thought. But what?

Phyllis stood protectively next to the rose, glowering at her. "I'll have you arrested for menacing my beautiful flower!"

Zipp rolled her eyes. "I work with Hitch, remember? And I'm not hurting your flower! Why are you overreacting?!"

"Why are you even here?!" Posey shouted back.

"This rose might be responsible for the disappearances, that's why!"

Zipp swapped the magnifying glass for her phone. She took pictures of the sparkling petals, and then the stem, being wary of the pointy thorns which were the same size as a unicorn's horn. She noticed that the rose was surrounded by a large, grassless circle of plain dirt.

"Pfft! Oh, please! Again with that fabricated nonsense? I can't believe you're going around saying that my flower made ponies disappear!" yelled Phyllis.

"I said that it might of," Zipp responded.

From her bird's-eye view, she scanned the garden, noting that some spots looked as if they had been recently dug up. She snapped a few more pictures.

A speck of blue peeking out of the dirt by the fence caught her eye. She glided down to it. Scraping away at the soil with her hooves, she unburied the object. Phyllis and Posey came over to see what she was doing.

It was a blue ball.

"Doesn't this belong to a colt who lives around here, that cute one who's a great kicker? What's his ball doing buried near your garden?"

"Well, I-I didn't, uh—" stammered Phyllis.

"Who, Turnip? He probably just lost it. Kids lose their stuff all the time." Posey shrugged indifferently.

"But the ball was buried."

"Ugh! I don't know, maybe he buried it!"

Zipp studied them coldly. "He and his mom, Daisy Jo, are missing, in case you didn't know. I'm going to show Hitch this," she said, holding up the dirty ball. "Maybe it's not the rose I should be investigating."

Without waiting for their reply, she spread her wings and took off.

"What an annoying pegasus," Phyllis muttered.

"So… we're going to finish putting up the Nightmare Night decorations, right?"

"Oh, of course, of course!" replied Phyllis, hugging the rose' stem. "We'll make the garden nice and spooky before the kiddos come tomorrow. Hopefully that pegasus hasn't made them too scared to come. Would you please go inside and get the rest of the decorations for me, sugarcube? They're in a box in the attic."

Once Posey was inside the house, Phyllis' smile turned into a scowl. She tightly gripped the rose. "Make Mommy proud, Sprout," she whispered. "I know you're in there somewhere. Do what you have to do to stay alive. Don't disappoint me again! And for crying out loud, bury things better next time!"

Zipp's words echoed in Phyllis' mind. "There's trouble brewing, Sprout. If they find out, they'll kill you—and I can't lose you again!" Phyllis lifted up her eyeglasses to wipe away a tear.

"Mommy loves you so much, sugarcube," she cooed, resting her head on the rose's stem.

Chapter 6: Seed

One more, and everything will be ready, the rose told Sprout before Nightmare Night. Just one more earth pony.

It had been months since he had known the rose was self-aware, but Sprout was still utterly amazed that it was communicating with him. It had spoken to him for the first time the same night he had killed Turnip and his mother.

With thoughts instead of words, the rose had told him, I owe you my life because you made me.

Really?! Sprout had replied.

Yes, you made me. Help me get more magic, and I will give you a new life like you gave me mine.

Eager to be a living pony again, Sprout snatched lives one after another. He did his best to ignore his guilty conscience as he squeezed, crushed, and suffocated earth ponies to death. After a while he lost count of how many he had killed.

His murdering had produced results—the rose was so tall now that it was higher than his mother's mansion.

Sprout knew his relationship with the flower was bizarre. It was his best friend, his partner in crime, but also his prison. He couldn't leave it and go somewhere else; he was chained to it.

I'm fusing with it, he thought. I'm going to be the rose for real! That's not getting a new life!

He wondered what being a plant would be like. Was he doomed to be just another flower in his mother's garden, only much larger?

Sprout looked over the hanging black lights, stringy spiderwebs, and glow-in-the-dark pumpkins adorning Mommy's garden. Tables draped with black satin were laden with dishes of candy.

Once the setting sun sank below the horizon, costumed ponies would be on their way. For one of them, it would be their last Nightmare Night.

"…so it'll be in bookstores next week! And I Rose Again: A Mother's Story of Healing—doesn't it have a ring to it? It'll be a bestseller! Imagine the profits!" Phyllis gleefully grinned and took another bite of pumpkin pie.

"That's great, Phyllis—by the way, you did mention me in your book, right?" asked Posey playfully.

"Well, of course, sugarcube!" laughed Phyllis. Their conversation was interrupted by the doorbell.

Offering to go see who it was, Posey went to the front door. She swung it open and was face to face with Sunny and Hitch.

"There's something I can do for you?"

"We need to talk to you and Mrs. Cloverleaf," Hitch stated.

"Now," added Sunny. Both she and Hitch had shovels.

"Uh, hold on." Posey closed the door. When the door opened again, Phyllis was by her side.

"Hitch, Sunny! It's so nice to see you two!"

"You need to get rid of the rose right now!" Sunny declared.

Posey let out an loud, exasperated sigh.

Phyllis snorted. "Again with this?! First Zipp was tormenting me, now you two! And what do you think you're doing here with those shovels?! " She turned her attention to Hitch. "Maybe you forgot, but you're the sheriff and you should be protecting citizens from insolent ponies that go gossiping and snooping around where they shouldn't!"

"Zipp was helping!" Sunny defensively shouted back. "And I think you love the rose so much you don't realize what it might be doing!"

"Listen to us!" urged Hitch. "Uproot that flower—or at least let us dig it up!"

"NO! Absolutely not! STOP MEDDLING!" Phyllis slammed the door.

Hitch and Sunny pensively walked off the porch.

"I told you it wouldn't work."

"We had to at least try. Don't they realize what's it doing?"

"We don't even know for sure if it's doing anything…" Hitch paused and glanced behind him. "Sunny, maybe they're the guilty ones, not the rose."

"But remember what Zipp said? Ponies started dissapearing at the same time that rose was getting popular. And it's not as bright, but it sparkles sorta like the Together Tree, and the tree sparkles because of all of our magical energy. How did the rose get all that extra magic flowing through it?"

"I don't think a plant could be doing this on its own."

"Unless it's being controlled by an earth pony. We're going to stop whoever's responsible, whether it's them or the rose or both. We can't lose one more pony. Let's hurry and get the others."

As the sky darkened, the ponies of Maretime Bay prepared for Nightmare Night. Donning masks, witch hats, zippered suits, and whatever else they fancied, everypony headed out for parties and haunted houses, the eerie full moon hanging above them.

A group of squealing foals toting colorful bags and pumpkin-shaped baskets galloped up to an elegant mansion. They rang the doorbell and waited excitedly.

"You guys, this is Phyllis' place!" Seashell hissed under her breath to her friends.

"We can't let her see us, not after she banned us from here!" said Peach Fizz a little too loudly.

"Shhhh!" Seashell and Glory said in unison.

"We should take off," Glory said quietly, keeping an eye on the door.

"But then we won't get any goodies!" whispered Peach Fizz in dismay.

The door was opening.

"C'mon!" Seashell beckoned to her friends. They followed her lead as she hid behind a bush.

"What do we have here? A ghost? Oh, and a seapony! And you must be a mighty dragon! Come on in, there're loads of candy waiting for you—that's if the other kids haven't taken it all already!"

The foals eagerly trotted in and Phyllis closed the door.

"Aww, they're going to get so much candy and we're not going to get any!" Glory whined as she peered into her bag, which was already brimming with sweets. Peach Fizz sniffled in agreement.

Seashell smirked. "We're gonna get candy…"

In a split second, the three fillies were slipping between the bars of the garden fence, unnoticed by anypony present. Instinctively they headed straight for the bowls of candy. Lollipops, caramels, and Nightmare Moon-shaped chocolates were stuffed into their bags.

"Hey, this place is pretty cool," Peach Fizz commented, admiring the spooky lighting and glowing jack-o'-lanterns as she shoved hoofuls of candy corn into her mouth.

Glory and Seashell watched her in horror.

Why did Mommy let so many noisy brats in here? complained Sprout. Where is she, anyways?

He didn't see her at first with all the foals in the way. Most of them were staring up at him, oohing and ahhing, or chasing each other around the flower bushes, hyper with all the sugar they had consumed. Finally he spotted Mommy. She was looking up at him, her eyes narrowed into slits, making strange shapes with her mouth—she was soundlessly saying words. Make me proud, she said. Make me proud. She motioned to the foals with her eyes.

It dawned on him what she meant. Sprout had a flashback of the night he had killed Turnip. Maybe she had gotten the idea from witnessing the murder, but he couldn't believe that his mother had orchestrated this party so he could have an opportunity to kill foals—that wasn't like her at all. She didn't understand that he didn't enjoy killing.

I did this for you, she said silently, anger flashing in her eyes.

When all the candy was gone, the colts and fillies left in a hurry to gather more before they had to head home. Not surprisingly, they left crumpled candy wrappers scattered everywhere.

Phyllis rubbed her forehead as she surveyed the litter uglifying her garden. She glared at Sprout. "You could've at least gotten rid of a few of them! Just look at this mess!" Muttering, she went inside her house. Posey showed up a few minutes later.

"Thank goodness you could come on such short notice!" Phyllis exclaimed. "Look at what the kids did! I try to be nice and give them a fun Nightmare Night and look how they reward me!"

Posey sighed irritably. "I'll get right on it," she flatly said as she switched on her flashlight.

"I'll be inside soothing this migraine with some tea," Phyllis called out.

Grumbling, Posey cleaned up the trash. "Why exactly am I doing this? I'm the gardener, not some maid! I could be at a party right now, having fun, but no—", her face contorted with disgust as she shook off a smashed piece of candy corn stuck to her hoof, "—I gotta clean up this grossness! Eww!"

When she was done, she filled the watering can and carried it over to the rose. Phyllis hadn't told her to water it, but Posey felt an overwhelming urge to tend to it. Looking skyward, she stood in peaceful silence, taking in the sublime rose and the starry, moonlit night.

There was no doubt in her mind that it was the most beautiful flower in Equestria.

I'm so sorry, Posey, I didn't want it to be you, but I have to make Mommy proud! I need to be a pony again!

A root appeared behind her.

Sunny and the others had been waiting for Hitch by the Together Tree for a while. Spookily-dressed ponies with painted faces trotted by, enjoying the festivities with their friends. Loud party music and an occasional scream filled their ears.

"Here he comes!" Sunny told her friends.

"Finally!" Zipp said, stretching her wings. "He's an hour late!"

Out of breath, Hitch galloped to them and gasped, "I can't find Sparky! Sparky's gone!"

"What?!" his friends shouted.

"I tucked him in and I thought he was asleep, but then when I went to check on him before I left, he was GONE! I've been looking all over for him—where could he possibly be on Nightmare Night?!" Hitch frantically looked left and right.

"Getting candy with us," said a small, cheerful voice behind them.

Whirling around, the six ponies saw Sparky sitting on a large hairy black spider, flanked by a butterfly on one side and a ladybug on the other.

"AHHHH!" screamed Hitch, snatching him off the spider. "Oh, it's just you, Seashell," he said, blushing.

Giggling, Seashell, Glory, and Peach Fizz beamed at him.

"We were looking for you! Sparky was wandering around by himself, so we kept him with us till we found you," Seashell explained, removing the head of the spider costume she was wearing.

"I'm so glad you're safe, buddy!" Hitch exclaimed with relief. "I thought you were asleep—I didn't think you would sneak out! Now we're gonna go straight home, mister."

Sparky pouted and crossed his arms.

"We all have to go together, Hitch, as a team," insisted Sunny.

"I'll just put Sparky to bed and come back fast."

"That'll take too much time! And what if he sneaks out again?" Pipp pointed out.

"But he can't go with us, it's too dangerous!"

"What's too dangerous?" asked Glory, her ears pricking up.

"It's not important. You three should go have fun," replied Hitch, gesturing to the groups of ponies around them.

"If it's dangerous, it's important!" retorted Glory.

"Well, we can watch Sparky if you want," Peach Fizz suggested. "We were having lots of fun with him, right guys?" Glory and Seashell nodded energetically.

Hitch frowned and hugged Sparky tighter. Zipp put a hoof on Hitch's shoulder. "He'll be okay with them," she reassured him.

Hitch sighed. "Alright, I'll try to be back soon," he said as he put Sparky down. "Behave yourself, Sparky!"

Flying ahead of the group, Zipp reached Phyllis' garden first, just in time to see something retreat underground. She swiftly landed where it had been moments ago. Whipping out her phone, she turned on its light and illuminated her surroundings. Holes, fresh hoofprints, and deep gashes in the upturned dirt she recognized as clear signs of a recent struggle. All of a sudden, she felt movement beneath her hooves.

"Somepony's under here!" she yelped. Dropping her phone, Zipp dug furiously. Without warning, roots erupted from the hole she was digging and before she could react, they seized her.

"Aagh–let–go!" she protested, beating her wings to fight the roots' pull. They yanked her down, but she grit her teeth and flapped even harder. "Help!" she screamed as more emerged around her.

Pipp's ears swiveled toward the direction the scream came from. She shrieked, "That's Zipp!" and flew off.

Sunny rapidly transformed into an alicorn and sprang into the air after her. Izzy, Misty, and Hitch galloped to keep up with them.

Pipp dived at the roots that were threatening to pull Zipp underground, but a massive root shot out and coiled around Pipp's belly, pinning down her wings. She slammed headfirst into the ground and collapsed. The root dragged her into the dirt.

"Pipp!" screamed Zipp.

Pipp didn't answer.

"Hang on, we'll save you!" cried Seashell as she and her friends slipped past the fence. Sparky followed after them.

"What are you guys doing here?!" Zipp yelled. "Get out! Run!"

Ignoring her warning, Seashell leaped to Zipp's side and tore at the roots with her teeth. "Yuck!" She spat out bits of root. "It tastes like veggies!" But she continued to gnaw, barely avoiding roots that lunged out at her.

Peach Fizz and Glory each grabbed one of Pipp's forelegs and pulled. Pipp moaned and lifted her head, and realizing what was happening, proceeded to scream.

Sparky aimed his flames at the root that had Pipp, but it refused to let her go; instead it pulled her down faster. Babbling panickedly, he took hold of one of Pipp's forelegs and helped pull.

"We can't hold her anymore!" Peach Fizz cried as Pipp's hooves slipped from their grasp.

At that moment, a beam of golden light blasted the root that was pulling Pipp. Another beam got rid of the roots ensnaring Zipp. Firing her powerful magic, Sunny circled overhead.

"Get the rose out of the ground, Sunny!" Zipp yelled up to her, flying to Pipp's side. "Uproot it!"

"Nooo!" screamed Phyllis as she dashed out of the house. She threw her forelegs around the rose's stem. "Leave Sprout alone!"

"Move out of the way!" Sunny yelled down to Phyllis.

Hitch bucked open the gate and he, Izzy, and Misty rushed in.

Finding herself unharmed, Pipp lead Sparky and the fillies out of the garden.

"Stay here where it's safe!" Pipp told them before she flew back to her friends.

Sunny landed. "Stand together everypony!" she shouted. Pipp swiftly fluttered down next to Zipp.

"LET GO, PHYLLIS!" Hitch commanded.

"I WON'T LET YOU HURT SPROUT!" Phyllis declared, tightening her embrace.

As if on cue, an army of roots surrounded Sunny and her friends and closed in on them.

"Now, everypony!" Sunny said.

With their hooves touching, the six ponies stood side by side and focused their magic at the rose.

Six radiant beams of magic unified into a rainbow of pure energy and blasted through the tangle of roots. The rainbow engulfed the rose and tore it out of the ground, sending Phyllis flying into a flower bush. Roots angrily undulated and writhed in the air as the flower was levitated.

"It's a freakin' octopus!" shrieked Seashell as she and her friends watched the rose block out the moon.

In a flash of brilliant light, the rose burst into a cloud of shimmering dust.

"SPROUT! SPROUUUT!" wailed Phyllis.

For a moment, nopony moved, petrified by the sickening sight.

In the gaping hole where the rose had been were half-buried pony bodies.

Without blinking, Hitch sat down where he stood, staring into the pit. Roughly brushing away a tear, he suddenly stood up and lunged at Phyllis, grabbing her foreleg. Yanking the sobbing mare off the bush, he snarled, "Come on! I'm going to put you where you belong!"

"You killed him! All of you killed him!" Phyllis cried.

"Take care of Sparky for me until I get back," he said over his shoulder to his friends as he dragged her away.

Sparky and the three fillies approached. Their eyes fell on the pit.

"W-Wha–what just happened?" Seashell stuttered, stepping forward.

Pipp quickly flew over and landed in front of them, spreading her wings to block their view. "We need to get you guys home!" she smiled, her voice slightly breaking. Blinking away tears, she took them in her forelegs and gave them a hug. "Everything's okay now," she lied. "I'll take you girls home. Izzy, maybe you should take Sparky home too?"

Izzy's lip was trembling, but she dutifully trotted over and scooped Sparky up. "Let's go home," she said, pretending to be upbeat.

Misty waited till they had left. Her shoulders heaving, she lay down and buried her face in her forehooves.

Sunny hung her head. "I failed them," she slowly whispered, a tear trickling down her face as her ears flattened. Her translucent golden horn and wings faded away. "How am I going to tell their families…"

Zipp closed her eyes. "Sunny—"

"Don't say it's not my fault! I'm an alicorn, Zipp! I'm supposed to use my powers to help others, and that's exactly what I didn't do! Those ponies needed me to save them and I let them die—this is completely, totally, my fault!"

Forcing herself to stop crying, Misty lifted up her head and said, "No, it's not, Sunny." Surprised, Zipp and Sunny looked at her.

They remained silent for a moment. Misty tearfully asked, "What do we do now?"

The three mares gazed at one another, searching each other's face for the answers they desperately needed. Finding none, they huddled together and wept.

"Now we need to tell the families," Sunny said after a while, "that we finally found them. They've been waiting so long…"

Gathering their courage, they stood up and somberly set off together, walking side by side, trying to think of the right words to say to the ponies who had lost their loved ones for good.

Something in the pit watched them leave the garden. Once they were gone, it pulled itself up with squishy, shiny red limbs, stepping on bodies to boost itself higher. It paused and stared at a deceased yellow mare before climbing out.

"M-momm-y… I'm ah-live," groaned Sprout, shakily standing up. He clumsily brushed a fleshy hoof over his head and made the startling discovery that he had no fur or mane. As he lowered his hoof, a chunk of flesh fell off his foreleg, and Sprout shrieked for his mother.

Attempting to run to the house, he took a step forward and stumbled, catching a glimpse of his new body. Reminiscent of a ripe tomato, his hairless red skin gleamed with reflected moonlight.

He regained his balance and concentrated on getting to his mother and not his disturbing physical appearance. Just as he was entering the house, Sprout remembered that he had heard her being taking her away. Stupid Hitch probably had her behind bars.

He dimly remembered a shortcut that would take him to Hitch's office quickly, but he would have to cut through the cemetery. He walked unsteadily into the night, with only faint memories to guide him.

After what felt like forever, he reached the cemetery. In agony, he staggered from headstone to headstone, leaning on them as he struggled forward. Bits of flesh fell off here and there.

His head throbbed, his stomach churned, his legs ached—his pain worsened with every step he took. By the time he was halfway through the cemetery, all his external flesh had sloughed off, exposing what should of been his skeleton. Sprout's bones had fused together into one solid, white mass.

But now he couldn't care less what he looked like. With a wail, he slumped to the ground and held his belly with his bony forehooves.

And then the pain exploded.

Sprout let out an ear-piercing scream as roots burst from his belly, blood spewing out as they tore through his organs. The roots plunged into the dark depths of the graveyard, taking with them what remained of Sprout. His body split apart as the swarm of roots spilled out into the soil. Out of the tangled mess, a single thin tendril made its way up to surface.

A tiny sprout popped out of the dirt. As it grew, a white bud emerged on top of its stem. With slow grace, the bud opened, displaying ghostly white rose petals.