Deep within the overgrown heart of the Everfree forest sat a house. It was not a big one, being small and constructed from rotting wood, but it was just enough to get by. The shanty was in the center of a small clearing in the woods, surrounded by vibrant red and blue flowers, quite in contrast to the building. Such a sight would have dazzled anypony, but stories and rumors of the strange old pony who lived there kept out most ponies, except for one.
A young, beautiful mare was the only one brave enough to venture to where the flowers were. She loved them; the colours, the shapes, the fragrant aroma they gave off. Each month she made the trip, much against the behest of her friends.
"He'll eat you!" they cried.
"He's a demon! You'll never make it back!" they pleaded.
But it was of no use, the mare went anyways. After all, she'd been doing it since she was a filly, and never even saw any sign of anypony living in the house. Just pick a few flowers and leave- that was what she would do. And what beautiful flowers they were...
Then, one month as she reached the clearing, the sky began to cloud up. She tried quickly to pick a few flowers before the storm began, but almost instantly did it begin to pour rain from the sky. The mare looked around frantically, there'd be no way to make it back to Ponyville in this weather. Slowly she realized her only option; she had to take shelter in the house.
She quickly got inside and set her flower bag next to the door. Water splashed the walls as she shook out her mane. Suddenly a noise in the corner spooked her- were they right? Was it really a demon pony that lived here? The mare readied herself for what was to come...
...but it was not what she was expecting. From the dark, dusty corner emerged a handsome green stallion. His mane was long...it seemed as though it had never been cut or cared for at all. The mare slowly started backing towards the door as he came closer.
"Wait!" said a gentle voice. "D-don't leave..."
The mare stopped, and regained herself. His voice was so calm, like the soft billowing of water in a stream. She found herself entranced, and for what reason? She did not know.
"I- I've seen you."
She looked a bit puzzled at this.
"What do you mean?" she asked him. This certainly seemed to be quite the opposite of whatever stories she had heard about the pony that lived here.
"My p-parents raised m-me here," he stuttered. "I used to watch, f-from the window, you w-would come t-to pick the f-f-flowers..."
"You saw that?" she said astonished. "I'm sorry, I didn't know anypony lived here!"
"Y-yes," he said. He seemed to have trouble speaking, stuttering often. "Just m-me. My p-parents died long ago when I was little...I-I've stayed here ever s-since."
She moved closer toward him, causing him to jump. Was he...afraid of her?
"What happened to your parents?"
"T-they were sick...both w-with the same illness. The s-same one I've g-g-got. Don't w-worry, it's not c-contagious."
He certainly didn't look sick, but there was his speech that seemed off..
"I'm so sorry, it must've been hard for you...how come you've never come to the town? We have doctors that may be able to help you..."
"N-no...my father always s-said, we are who we are. I w-was born like this. N-nothing can s-stop it."
The mare felt bad- to know your own fate and accept it like that took great strength. It made it seem like all of her problems were just trivial...and yet, she felt a strange sort of, attraction to him. She felt comfortable. Almost as if she were home. Outside the storm began to clear...how long had it been?
"I need to go," she said. "But, you can come with me if you'd like...I have an extra room you can stay in!"
"No. I c-can't go into the town. I must stay h-here. T-this is my home."
The mare looked around the dank room. There was hardly anything in here...surely he must need some help.
"Well then," she said with a kind smile. "I can bring some food to you, it's the least I can do for taking all of your flowers over the years."
"T-they grow back...they a-always do... I buried my parents b-both in the garden. Sometimes I t-think its them keep makin' them c-come back. Tryin' to remind myself of s-something. Tending that g-garden is just about the only t-thing I do."
"Either way, I insist," said the mare. "I want to help!"
"W-well I guess I c-can't say no then..."
She smiled and turned to leave. The mare was about one hoof out the door when the stallion said something else.
"T-thank you...f-for coming in..."
"You're welcome," she said with a smile. She was beautiful...after so many years of watching her through the window, she looked even more beautiful up close. The stallion looked down, embarrassed. With a small giggle, the mare left.
She returned to Ponyville- but not for long. At first she began going each weekend, taking food and other supplies with her back to the little house in the woods. The stallion seemed timid still at first, but with each visit he began to open up more. They shared stories and laughs, her telling him about life with other ponies, and him showing her various plants and animals of the forest. Soon her visits became more and more frequent- she began staying with him in the house for days on end. And as she came more and more, their bond grew closer. She had shown him how to be proper and take care of himself, and he taught how to just get by without worry.
Eventually completely left Ponyville behind. All she wanted was to be with him in the forest. Together they fixed up the house, and he tended the garden. It seemed that with each passing year the flowers grew more vibrant...as he grew more and more sickly. Soon he was completely bedridden. They both understood that there would come a time when he would submit to his illness...but it seemed like it was coming too fast. She loved him, and he loved her. As the nights would begin to pass where he lay in bed wheezing, the mare grew more sorrowful. He had been there for her the whole time, and she just now had found him...why did he have to go so soon?
Then one night the mare awoke to find him not in bed. A terrible storm wracked the house, almost as bad as the one that had first caused her to go inside the little shack. She quickly got out of bed and began to look around for him, but he was nowhere inside. He could hardly walk, where could he have gotten off to? She gulped and looked outside, fearing the worst...which is exactly what she saw. The stallion was out in the garden during the storm, slumped over and not moving as rain and wind wracked his body. She quickly galloped outside and with a surge of adrenaline pulled him into the house and out of the weather. She turned him over, his eyes were hardly open. He seemed almost delirious, and his once full and muscular body was now thin and weak. Tears welled up in the mare's eyes as he began to speak.
"I-I g-got this f-f-for y-you..."
As he opened his mouth, a flower fell out. The petals were wet from the rain, and her tears didn't help, but she could see it as it softly landed on his chest. The petals were a brilliant green, blending in with his coat. His eyes closed and he let out a long, raspy breath, finally leaving her. She held him closer and began to openly cry. They stayed like that for the entire night, until the storm finally left.
Once she had regained herself, she picked up the green flower and put it in her mane. Then, she began to dig in the garden.
She laid his body between the rows of flowers, just as he had done so with his parents. She looked at him once more and remembered what he had taught her, and what she had taught him...the memories they'd shared. The mare filled in the hole, and then took the flower out of her mane and planted atop his resting place. She smiled, and went back into the shack- no, into her home. Their home. She stayed there and decided to tend the garden until she died. Then they would be together, sharing all the time in the world amongst the blue, red, and green flowers.
