Lily and somepony else

by Hyper44

Chapter 6

As the sun drew nearer to the horizon Rowan trotted home with Lily perched between his saddlebags. The stubborn Filly had her forelimbs crossed, her head to one side and her eyes tightly shut. Rising and falling hooves kicked dust into the air as one exasperated father made his way down the road. He wanted to try just one more time to reason with her but attempt after attempt had failed. Her innate stubbornness was both a quality and a fault and continuing the debate would only make it worse. Soon their house came into sight. Freshly cut grass waived in the breeze and a newly made tapestry hung beside the door. As the wind blew it shifted in the breeze almost creating the illusion that the bird was flying. When they reached the yard, Lily hopped off her father’s back and scampered off to find some hiding place. Rowan sighed and headed inside.

The rose bushes near the pond had been too well trimmed for a good hiding spot so she took off into the grassy field that bordered their property. The little mare quickly vanished into the tall weeds. Lily roamed deep into the field before plopping down with the decision to stay out there forever. It was the perfect place; she could hide from everything, forever.

For a while she did lay there listening to the wind stir the grass and watching bugs trundle in and out of sight. The moving sun filtered through the waiving stalks creating a golden hue. She didn’t think about much, she just let her mind rest. Then forever was cut short by the realization that she was getting hungry. She didn’t want to go back home and hear more of the same so instead she began shuffling through the field looking for some edible plant.

After a while it became clear that she wasn’t going to find anything. There was nothing in her hiding place except long dead grass. Quietly she began sneaking though the grass until she could peer through the stalks at her back yard. For a moment she thought that it was empty but the she spotted her mom humming to herself as she counted the little shoots of tulips that were springing from the earth and checking on the little buds that were starting to grow in the hedges. Lily watched her awhile, then she whimpered and slipped out of the grass. With her head low and her tail dragging the ground he plodded towards her mother She sat down next to her and snuggled against her side. Chrysanthemum kept humming as she wrapped a forelimb around her daughter’s shoulders. For a while there was nothing but the sound of her mom humming and the unexplainable comfort that only she could give.

“I’ve heard that you’ve had quite a day today.” Chrysanthemum said after a while. Lily just shrugged. “Aspen said that you wanted to be him and then Columbine said that you wanted to be her.” She continued as she braided her daughter’s hair. “Now your dad said that went to town trying to be like a group of ponies and then a minotaur. After that you tried to join the Wonderbolts and fly away. Is that right?” Lily nodded as she stared down at her hooves.

“I see,” her mom continued. “Your still sad so you decided to become somepony who wasn’t sad. When that didn’t work you got even more upset.” Lily nodded again with tears welling up in her eyes.

“Well, you know what Lily?” Her mom asked. Lily shook her head. “Others ponies get sad too. Aspen, Columbine, those ponies from down the road and even minotaurs. They just don’t always show it. Or their sad at times when Lily is happy.” Lily scratched her mane as she processed this in her mind. “Sometimes we will run into bad feelings that seem so unfair and impossible to ever be overcome but the fight is always worth it.”

Lily closed her eyes a moment to ponder this. All she could think of though was the present where sadness had settled inside her and not feeling happy in her own skin.

“Gramgram and Pawpaw loved Lily and would be sad to see her go.” Chrysanthemum said.

Lily just stared down at the dirt and the tiny green shoots before her. “Being Lily is being clumsy, plain and.. stuff.” She said.

“Do you see this tulip?” Her mother stated pointing at one shoot that was smaller than the rest. “Right now it’s just a tiny green leaf sticking out of the ground. It will get taller and taller until one day it will have a blossom on it. Even then it will keep growing and one day the bloom will open up into a flower. Now if it wasn’t the way I wanted it, say it was different from other tulips. I could paint it or try to mold the leaves into a different sort of flower but it would never be what it could as a tulip. Even if it’s a tulip that doesn’t quite fit in with the others.” Lily stared had at the tiny little bits of green poking out of the soil as she scratched her chin trying to comprehend.

“It’s not something for you to worry about now,” Chrysanthemum stated as she began rummaging through a bag at her side. “Would you like to do something that would make me and Gramgram and Pawpaw happy?”

Lily jumped to her feet and nodded enthusiastically. Then her face turned to confusion as her mom handed her plant bulb. “What is it?” she asked holding it loosely.

“It’s a lily,” Chrysanthemum replied. “Plant it and take care of it as best as you possibly can and see that it grows into the best lily that it can possible be. That will make us very happy.”

Without questions Lily took off, carrying the bulb carefully as she searched for a good place to plant it. Her mom sat back and watched her. “The best Lily that you possibly can. It's important for both you and others. Then perhaps one day you will realize just how wonderful Lily is and learn to love yourself,” She whispered.