Corpse Flower

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.