//------------------------------// // A cappella // Story: Tacet // by Horse Girls Are Watching //------------------------------// Roseluck should've been back by now, you thought, taking note of the sun hanging low in the sky. You let your watering can down with a clink and wiped the sweat from your forehead. The Amaryllis, Tulips, and Zinnias all sat in their rows, neatly trimmed and watered, new soil piled up carefully around them. The front screen door slapped against its frame and your sister, Daisy, gave a glance at your work. ”Good job. We got them planted late but they’re growing fast with that new fertilizer. We may be able to capitalize on seasonal dye colors with Rarity still.” You rolled your eyes and gave a shrug. It felt like sometimes your sister took all the artistry out of being a florist. Each bed was a certain allocation of bits, an investment of time and energy, rather than a labor of love. Though you had to admit, if not for her, you and Rose would have been out of business long ago. Still... Your sister leaned down, examining the petals of one of the lilies before stopping on one in particular and plucking it out. She twirled it in her hooves, a quiet look of peace on her face before she turned to you. Daisy placed the flower in your mane and swiped the dirt from your coat in her own, rough but sisterly way, then gave an affectionate smile before trotting back into the house to finish dinner. You smiled to yourself. Your sister may be more focused on bits, but she still did love you and Rose. You wouldn’t give up your sisters for the world. “Speaking of which, where is Rose? Market should’ve closed by now,” you mumbled to yourself. You turned and looked toward the sunset, where the market was held in ponyville everyday. Why the heck was she this late? The market closed an hour ago. Just as you were about to head off to look for her, Rose shuffled out of a side street into view, the flower wagon empty. Your face lit up. Hey, must have been a good day. No leftovers. You raised a hoof to call out to Rose, but stopped. Your sister trudged through the streets toward your house, face staring at the ground. Her eyes seemed faded, and her mane and tail hung limp. In the back of the wagon lay two bottles—cheap Red Madeira wines from Home Brew’s bar down the street. Your hoof drifted back to the ground and your smile melted. Oh Rose… Your sister came up to the shop and shrugged off the wagon harness, before turning and grabbing the two bottles with a blank expression. “Hey, Rose, uh… how was the market today?” you said, perking up as best you could. She meandered past you and lazily slipped inside, letting the screen door slap behind her. “Rose?” you said, coming in after her. Rose headed to the living room, past the table already set with a steaming fresh vegetable dinner, and flopped down on the couch. She curled up, facing away from the room. You and Daisy shared a worried look as you sat at the table. ”Hey, Rose?” you said, keeping your voice gentle. “Daisy made dinner. Slow roasted potato casserole and green beans, one of your favorites. Why don’t you come to the table?” “I’m not hungry…” she said, her voice sounding raspy and tired. “Come on, you’ll feel better with some food in you.” Rose didn’t answer and instead uncorked one of the wine bottles. She took a sip, and you could see her shudder, then let out a series of small coughs. Your sister wasn’t much of drinker. You let a breath out through your nose and sat on your haunches. It hurt to see her like this. Every so many days she’d go down to market, despite you suggesting someone else take the shift. But no… each time she looked off toward the market like a little lost puppy, and you know you didn’t have the heart to stop her. ”Leave her be,” Daisy said, sitting down with you. “I’ll make her a plate she can warm up later if she wants. We can talk about the herding thing tomorrow.” Rose perked an ear up and rolled halfway to look over at the two of you. ”It’s not what you’re thinking, Rose. We’ve just been considering some of the single colts around town.” “...like who?” “Timer Turner, Lucky Clover, Noteworthy, Thunderlane…” “... and Anon?” she said, sitting up now. Daisy paused, fork halfway to her mouth. She sighed and set it down. “Rose, we’ve had this conversation. No. Not Anon.” Roseluck furrowed her brow, and frowned. “Why not?” ”Because, Lily and I just don’t feel that way about him. If we’re going to herd, we have to at least all have feelings for him.” “You’re not even going to consider him?” “Consider him?” Daisy gritted her teeth. ”Rose, this is absurd,” she said. “We’ve had to watch you torture yourself over him for weeks now. Can’t you think of anyone else? Besides, even if Lily and I had feelings for Anon, are you really willing to share him with us? Can you look me in the eyes and tell me that’s what you actually want?” Rose turned her gaze to the floor, her eyes hidden by her mane. She pursed her lips and drew herself inwards. ”It’d be better than nothing…” The room fell quiet, only the clink of your silverware eeking out as you idly pushed your peas around. Rose sniffled and you glanced over to see her shivering. Tears drifted down her cheeks, staining them dark. Daisy worked her mouth, searching for something to say. She grumbled, put her plate up by the sink, and started up the stairs. “Daisy, where are you—?” you said. ”I can’t watch her self destruct like this day in and day out. I’m going to bed.” She rushed up the stairs, the door at the top slamming shut. The clock ticked in the subsequent quiet, punctuated by a sniffle from Rose. “Rose... “ you said, turning to her. “There are other stallions. Why can’t you at least meet some with us. Daisy and I both have colts we like. We want you to be a part of that. Don’t you want to… be happy? Can’t you give THEM a chance?” Rose sat stock still, eyes cast down at the floor. You sighed, and moved to put your plate up and settle in for the night. Maybe tomorrow you could talk to her. ”Do you even believe me?” Rose said, half under her breath, like a thought that traveled too far. You flinched as if struck and your ears went back. “It’s not that we don’t believe you, Rose. It’s just…” A hoof moved to rub the back of your head. “Well… we don’t know what to think. You’ve been trying for so long, and he still doesn’t sing back, or even feel the same way. That’s never happened before, so what are we supposed to believe?” ”It’s so beautiful and painful at the same time, and no matter what I do, I can’t stop hoping that one day he’ll let me hear his side of the song. If only you knew what it felt like to be filled with it, Lily.” She reached for the wine bottle and took a heavy gulp, shuddering at the burn as it traveled down. Rose took a breath and looked you in the eye for the first time that night, tears in her eyes, and a sad smile on her face. ”If you had any idea…you’d have never asked me to see other colts.” You sat on Anon’s front porch, staring blearily in the evening light at his front door. Your face felt numb and hot despite the cool night air, and your throat still felt the burn from two and a half bottles of red wine. A bottle clinked to your right as you swayed into it, making it roll out of reach. It stopped against the side of his house with a hollow sound. Oh… Make that two bottles of wine. You turned back to the door again and blinked, trying to get your eyesight to stay steady. Your hoof drew circles on the wood absently. Why were you even here? You couldn’t concentrate through the fog in your mind to remember why exactly, but if you had to guess… Your thoughts started to wander to Anon’s smiling face today—the way he waved at you in the market, looking almost excited to see you. An ache welled up in you and your eyes turned back to his door. Anon... Before you could second guess yourself, you reached out a hoof and knocked. Some muffled voices echoed in reply behind the door and you heard hoofsteps before it swung open, revealing Lyra and Bon Bon. You could see past them a little ways into the kitchen, where Flitter and Cloudchaser leaned around a wall, trying to get a glance over their herdmates’ shoulders. What were they doing here? Shouldn’t they be at home? Unless… Your shoulders slumped as your sluggish mind put it together. Oh… Lyra and her herd were courting him. You felt your eyes sting and start to water. Th-That’s nice for Anon… Lyra was a really nice mare. He’d be real happy. Lyra looked at you with surprise, then worry, while Bon Bon’s expression soured. “We’ll be right back, girls,” Bon Bon said. “There’s something we need to take care of for a second. Go ahead and keep Anon company in the meantime.” She stepped out, closing the door behind her and Lyra. Bon Bon stood up straight, glaring at you. “What are YOU doing here?” She took a step closer and Lyra put a hoof against her chest, coming between you. “Hold on, Bonnie. Let’s just talk for a second,” Lyra said and turned to you, her inner eyebrows angled up. “Rose… why did you come to Anons house? We—” She paused and sniffed, then spotted the wine bottle. ”Is that YOU that smells like alcohol? Have you been drinking?” Bon Bon sniffed and circled to your side, then pushed your shoulder. You lost your balance and fell, catching yourself partway with your hooves. The world spun from the sudden movement and you groaned at the dizzying sensation. ”She’s completely smashed,” Bon Bon said. “What the heck were you hoping for, Roseluck, coming to Anon’s like that?” You gritted your teeth and clenched your eyes shut. Even in your drunken haze, you knew the answer deep down. Sun, you were so pathetic. She took a step closer. ”Were you thinking you could take advantage of him or something? What’s the deal?” “No!” you said. “I just…” Your bottom lip quivered and you barely suppressed a sob. The answer was there. You’d gotten drunk to try to not think, but you couldn’t avoid it. “I just wanted to see him,” you whispered. Bon Bon stiffened and snorted. “Oh I bet, you little liar.” “Whoa, relax Bonny…” Lyra said. ”Lyra, come on. After she pulled that stunt like she did with Anon, saying she heard a duet when he clearly didn’t have a clue what she was talking about? And now she’s here, drunk as only Celestia knows? I don’t trust her. She tried to manipulate him with something he knows nothing about. Can you really defend her after that?” ”Well… no,” Lyra said, rubbing a hoof against the back of her neck. You didn’t move a muscle, but it hurt just the same. Ponies didn’t say it out loud, but you could catch whispers of ‘liar’ or ‘how could she do that to him?’ You’d still held out for Lyra, hoping she may believe you, even a little bit. “But, we’ve known Rose for a while. I don’t know why she did that but, maybe she’s just lonely, and the way they just mesh sometimes… Well, imagine you had a thing for a colt real bad and—” ”I’d know how to control myself and not lie to everyone in town about something special.” Lyra winced. “Yeah… that’s probably the better thing to do, but…” She looked over at you and her expression softened. “When I see the way she looks at him sometimes, I think, maybe if he just saw a little of what she does in him, he’d give her a chance. What if WE gave her a chance?” She kicked a hoof out and cleared her throat. “Would you want to join our herd, Rose?” Your eyes widened and your heart skipped a beat. What…? "Lyra, you can't just spout offers like that." Your ears went back. Oh… You’d almost gotten excited. Ha. "But… she really likes him." "So do a lot of mares!” Bon Bon said. “So do I. And Flitter. And Cloudchaser. Being a herd is about being a sisterhood and only you know Roseluck well enough. Besides, we don't know if Anon would even take our herd with her in it." "Bonnie!" "I'm serious. Who knows what he thinks of her considering what she tried to pull." "But... I mean... gosh, Bonnie, she's right there." “No... She’s a liar. I don’t care how she feels, and neither does Anon!” A sickening pang went through your chest and your eyes widened. It felt like she’d struck you. Fresh tears came to your eyes and you sank the rest of the way to the floor. No… please… Don’t think about it. Your hooves curled up to your center and you lay there, water pooling to the side of your face. You wanted to throw up, to yell, to hit Bon Bon and make her shut up. You wanted to scream and break things and make her feel pain like you felt. You HATED her. But— You shuddered. None of that would change a thing. Because she was right. The door to Anon’s house creaked open, pouring light out over you. A male voice rung out, sending tingles through your skin. ”Rose…?” You froze, your eyes widening an inch, and slowly turned your head to look up at Anon. He looked down at you, worry marking his features. You put your hooves around your head and turned away, sobbing. Why’d he have to come out and see you like this… Couldn’t you be a miserable wreck without him? ”What the heck happened?” he said. “I just came out to check on what you guys were doing out here and…” He looked across the faces of the other two ponies. Lyra slumped her head down and sat on her haunches, looking like a scolded dog, while Bon Bon simply stood still, her mouth a thin line. Neither could look him in the eye. ”What was all that yelling. What happened?” Bon Bon worked her mouth, searching for words. ”I—I was just trying to defend you, Anon. What Roseluck has been doing to you is wrong, and—” ”What? The heck are you talking about?“ Anon said, crossing his arms. “Rose didn’t do anything to me.” A confused and wide eyed Flitter and Cloudchaser came around Anon’s legs ”What’s going on?” Flitter said. ”I’m trying to figure that out,” Anon said. “Bon Bon?” Bon Bon took a step back, shrinking away at his gaze. ”It’s just the song. Er, I mean, the one she lied about. It was wrong of her, okay! I’m just trying to stop you from getting hurt, and she was drunk so I thought she was trying to… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.” Anon relaxed, and rubbed his forehead. “Bon Bon, maybe your heart is in the right place but…” He slumped against the doorframe and let out a long sigh. You felt his eyes on you and you winced internally. He was going to tell you to leave. “I think I’m going to need my space tonight guys,” he said. “I need to talk to Rose, just the two of us.” Your mouth dropped and you peeked up at him. What? Bon Bon’s mouth dropped. “Huh?! Just the two of you? Alone?! But—!” “Bon Bon,” he said firmly. “I get that you’re worried but this is just something I need to do. Please respect that.” Bon Bon hesitated, looking between you and him. She frowned and opened her mouth to say something but Lyra came in front of her. Lyra stepped in looking up at Anon. “We can go for tonight. It, um. It was good getting to talk to you a little. We’ll see you tomorrow, Anon.” Lyra gave a short bow, and pulled Bon Bon with her, heading out down the path away from Anon’s home. Bon Bon balked at her herdsister, looking like she’d protest but instead followed her with a sulky expression. She spared the two of you a dissatisfied glance then gave a snort and continued with Flitter and Cloudchaser behind her. Anon leaned down, picked you up, and cradled you prince style. “Here, let me get you inside.” A groan escaped you as the world shifted and you grabbed at him for some stability. Sun, you would do something so unmarely. But Anon just chuckled and walked inside, shutting the door behind him. ”Sorry, Rose. I’d shoulder you but you can barely stand. This is easier for the both of us.” Your squirmed in his arms as soon as the indoor light hit your eyes. Stupid… candle things. Why were you being moved again? Everything felt hazy and strange, like a dream. Sun, you were so tired. Your tears dried at some point during the talking and you hung limp in his warm grip. You wanted so bad to nuzzle into him even a fraction more, but every part of you felt completely drained. Anon set you down on something soft as his face started to blur with each tired blink. “Hey… go ahead and rest, you look beat. We can talk in the morning.” You instinctively whined and reached up as his hands left you, but you hadn’t the strength to pull at him, your hooves instead falling limply to your sides. He blew a few hanging candles, and darkness fell around you. In mere moments, you felt yourself drift to sleep.