//------------------------------//
// Chapter Four - Paradise Lost 
// Story: My Little Pony: Shadows of the Setting Sun 
// by Starswirl the Beardless 
//------------------------------//

Nova Obscura stirred awake, looking up at the ceiling of Hollyhock’s bedroom. The room was still dark, the lack of light sneaking through the window signaling that daytime was still far off. She had never been the heaviest sleeper, and found it especially hard to sleep in unfamiliar beds, so she was not surprised at her inability to sleep through the night. Her mouth was dry; she tried swallowing, but found she was too parched to do so. Still half-asleep, she sat up in bed, thinking to go and get a drink of water from somewhere.

She looked around the room as best she could to get her bearings. She could see Sunset sprawled out in the bed next to her, sound asleep and snoring loudly. For some reason, Sunset’s snoring had never bothered her; perhaps she was just used to it after all the years they had spent together. She could see the faint outline of the dresser near the bed, and that of the foldable bed further away. 

As she looked at the bed, however, she noticed something that seemed a bit odd. She could have sworn that the blanket had been thrown back, and that the pony that should have been underneath it was gone. Curiosity helped rouse Nova from her drowsiness, and she decided to investigate. Very carefully, she pushed back the blanket covering her and slid out of bed. 

She slowly walked over to the other bed, her hooves making almost no noise on the old floorboards. When she finally got close enough to get a good look, she found that her suspicion was correct: the bed was unoccupied, and Hollyhock was gone. Nova craned her neck and lifted her ear into the air, trying to hear if Hollyhock had simply gotten up for a drink like she had. She could detect no noise coming from the rest of the house, which only made her curiosity increase. 

She walked over to the bedroom door and gently pushed it open just enough to poke her head out. Again, she could hear nothing to suggest that Hollyhock was walking around the rest of the house. She pulled herself back into the bedroom, closing the door quietly. She wondered what she should do next. Should she just go back to bed and wait for Hollyhock to return? Should she go looking for her? Where had she gone, anyway? 

Just then, Nova thought she heard a faint noise coming from outside the window. She froze, listening with as much concentration as she could muster. There was no doubt about it; there was definitely a sound out there: the sound of hoofsteps. Nova moved over to the window, which was covered by a simple curtain. She raised a shaky hoof to the curtain, pushing it open enough to let her peep out into the world beyond. 

Compared to the darkness of the farmhouse, the area beyond the window seemed bright, thanks to the light of the moon and the stars. Nova could see the clearing stretch out from the back of the house to the small wooded area a short distance away. From the direction of the trees, she could see a shadowy figure approach. She couldn’t tell who it was for sure, but she could hear the light crunch of their hooves on the dirt as they walked. 

The figure moved closer to the house, their steps becoming louder as the distance shortened. Nova watched unblinking, barely even allowing herself to breath. She could feel her heartbeat quicken as she watched the unknown pony approach her. When they got close enough, Nova could see that the pony was walking toward the side of the house, presumably headed for the front. 

Just when Nova thought that the pony would walk out of her view, they froze, their head turning to stare directly at the window. Nova panicked, stepping back from the window and allowing the curtain to fall back into place. She put a hoof over her mouth to keep herself from making a noise. In that brief moment as she and the pony had looked at each other, Nova had realized that she recognized her. Even in the darkness, Hollyhock had a very distinct figure. 

Nova stood there in the darkness holding her breath, straining to hear anything other than the beating of her heart and Sunset’s snoring. The seconds ticked by slowly until, eventually, she once again heard the sound of hoofsteps moving along the side of the house. Nova breathed a sigh of relief, but knew she wasn’t out of the woods yet. 

As quickly as she could without making unnecessary noise, she moved back to her bed and got in. She pulled the blankets back over herself, turned to face away from the door, and closed her eyes tight, pretending to be asleep. She continued listening, trying to determine what Hollyhock would do next. The soft creak of the front door echoed in Nova’s ear, heralding Hollyhock’s return to the house. 

Nova heard the sound of her hooves on the floorboards as she moved to the bedroom, stopping in front of the door. Slowly, the door creaked open, Hollyhock stepping inside and closing it behind her. Nova did not immediately hear Hollyhock do anything else; as far as she could tell, she was merely standing there, looking over the room. She had no way of knowing for sure, but Nova felt like she could feel Hollyhock looking over at her and Sunset. 

After what felt like an eternity, Nova finally heard Hollyhock move over to her bed and lie back down, the bed squeaking slightly as she did. Hollyhock settled into position, the noise eventually stopping and the room going quiet, not counting Sunset. Nova remained alert, but for what, she was not sure. 

Minutes passed by, and Nova was eventually rewarded with the sound of deep breathing from the sleeping Hollyhock. Nova’s questions from earlier still floated around in her mind, but she realized that there was no sense in pondering them now. Forcing her worries out of her head, Nova did her best to calm herself down. Her heartbeat returned to its normal rhythm, her breathing to its normal intensity, and Nova drifted back to sleep.





“Sunset,” whispered a voice in Sunset’s ear. “Sunset, it’s time to get up.” The voice was accompanied by the gentle prodding of a hoof on her shoulder. She grumbled, trying her best to ignore the interruption and continue sleeping. The pestering did not stop, however, and Sunset was eventually dragged back into the waking world. Her eyes fluttered open lazily, letting a stream of morning sunlight into her eyes. She was greeted with the sight of Nova standing over her at the side of the bed. 

“Come on, sleepyhead,” said Nova. “We’ve got a big day ahead of us!”

“What time is it?” Sunset grumbled.

“Well, it is a bit early,” said Nova, “but it’s not that early. Rosemary and Hollyhock have been up for a while already. I suppose that’s just part of living on a farm.” After a good deal of grumbling and stubbornness on Sunset’s part, Nova was eventually able to get the sleepy pony to abandon her pillow. 

Sunset sat upright on the bed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. “I’m hungry,” she said, her stomach feeling very empty. “Please tell me there’s breakfast.”

“Don’t worry, there’s breakfast waiting for you,” said Nova. “I just finished helping Rosemary prepare something for you before she headed out for the day.”

“Thank goodness,” said Sunset, cheering up a bit. She moved to get up from the bed and leave, but Nova stopped her. 

“No, no, Sunset,” chided Nova, “you know what comes first.” She produced Sunset’s hairbrush that she had brought back from the ship the evening before. 

Another heavy groan came from Sunset at the sight of the brush. “Come on, Nova,” she said, “we’re not in Canterlot. Nopony’s gonna care if my mane is a bit messy.”

“I’ll care,” said Nova firmly. “And besides, you need to keep up appearances. We can’t have the royal ambassador looking like she just rolled out of bed, now can we?” 

Sunset was forced to give in, and allowed Nova to get on the bed behind her and help her brush out her long hair. Several boring minutes passed as Nova gradually molded Sunset’s mane into its normal, presentable state. After that, she moved on to Sunset’s long, red-and-yellow tail, brushing out the knots and tangles that Sunset inevitably acquired after a good night’s sleep. When Sunset looked about as nice as Nova could manage, Nova finally released her from the torture and escorted her to the dining room for breakfast. 

Sunset took her place at the table while Nova fetched her meal from the kitchen. That morning, she was presented with a warm bowl of porridge with honey and toast smeared with jams made from strawberries and blueberries. Nova did not eat, having already had something earlier. She told Sunset that Rosemary and Hollyhock had gotten up before she had, and that Hollyhock had left for the fields before she had gotten a chance to see her. Rosemary had stayed behind to make breakfast for her and Sunset, which Nova had assisted her with.

As she spoke of Hollyhock, a twinge of worry appeared on Nova’s face. She hesitated, unsure if she should bring up the events of the previous night. She decided to go through with it, thinking that Sunset would probably want to know about it given her previous suspicions of Hollyhock. “Sunset, I need to tell you something,” she said.

Sunset looked up from her food for a moment. “What?” she said, her mouth full of food.

“Last night,” Nova began, “I saw Hollyhock walking around outside the house.”

“Really?” asked Sunset, swallowing. “Was she sleepwalking or something?”

“I don’t think so,” said Nova. “All I saw was her walking out of the grove behind the house and coming back to bed. I didn’t even know it was her at first, but I was able to see her through the window when she got close enough.”

“Did she see you?” said Sunset, suddenly very interested. 

“I...I don’t know,” said Nova, replaying the events in her head. “Maybe. I got back in bed and pretended to be asleep before she got back. She didn’t confront me about it, and I didn’t try talking to her about it because I didn’t want her to think that I was spying on her. I thought about asking her this morning, but I didn’t get the chance.”

Sunset listened intently to Nova’s story. The concerns she had had the day before over Hollyhock’s behavior had been overshadowed by the drama between her and her mother. Hearing about Hollyhock’s late-night stroll, however, brought back those thoughts and magnified them tenfold. She was very curious about where Hollyhock had gone, and for what purpose.

“Nova,” said Sunset, “I think...we shouldn’t talk to Hollyhock about this. At least, not right now. I can’t imagine what she might have been doing, but I don’t want to jump to any conclusions. It could be nothing, or...maybe it’s not nothing. Either way, I’d like to know a little bit more before we do anything. For now, let’s just pretend we don’t know anything, okay?”

“Alright,” said Nova hesitantly.

Sunset finished her breakfast quickly, now very motivated to get out and speak with Hollyhock some more. When she was done, Nova cleaned up her dishes while she went to fetch the books that Nova had brought from the ship. When they were ready, the two stepped out of the house and returned to the fields. 

The early-morning sun was still low in the sky, yet it was already starting to warm up. Sunset could see a light coating of dew sprinkled across the petals of the flowers spread out before her. Once again, Sunset couldn’t help but stop and marvel at just how beautiful the valley was. Of course, seeing what stood to be lost should she and Nova fail there only made her all the more anxious. 

Sunset and Nova began the walk out to the north field, where the infection had been occurring. Nova, who had not gone out to the field the day before, was unnerved at the sight of the patches of bare earth where the wraithrot had left its mark like a scar. As they approached the large clearing, they saw Hollyhock and Rosemary walking amongst the flowers nearby, their heads turned toward the ground.

Rosemary noticed them when they got close enough and looked up to address them. “Well, hello girls,” she said.

“Good morning, Rosemary,” said Sunset. “How are things going out here?”

“To tell you the truth, I’m not entirely sure,” said Rosemary, a concerned expression on her face. “Take a look around and tell me what you see, or rather, what you can’t see.”

Sunset was confused by Rosemary’s response, but did as she asked. She looked around her, her eyes darting about the flowers, trying to identify whatever it was Rosemary had been referring to. Try as she might, she couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, just the same, beautiful flowers she had seen everywhere else in the valley.

And then it hit her: she shouldn’t be seeing bright, colorful flowers, she should be seeing a whole bunch of pale, sickly flowers infected with the blight. She started looking around more frantically when this realization hit her. She had already been feeling anxious with everything else going on; she desperately wanted to believe that the universe was not throwing yet another curve ball at her. No matter where she looked, however, she couldn’t see a speck of that strange shade of white she had seen the day before.

“W-what’s going on?” Sunset asked. “Where are all the sick flowers? Did you two pick them already?”

“If we had, we wouldn’t be out here lookin’ for them,” said Rosemary. “It was already like this when Hollyhock and I got out here.”

“But what does this mean?” said Sunset. “Did we...did we do it? Is the blight gone?”

“I wouldn’t be so hopeful,” said Rosemary. “It is true that this is the first day since the outbreak that we haven’t had any new infected to deal with, but I’m not about to let my guard down. I don’t think the blight would just up and disappear after all this time for no reason. More than likely, it’s just popped up somewhere else in the valley, which is why Hollyhock and I have been givin’ every petal a once-over just to be safe.”

“Well, we’ll help you look,” said Sunset determinedly. “Won’t we, Nova?” Nova signaled her agreement. “With all of us together, I’m sure we’ll be able to find it if it’s out there.”

“I wish I had your optimism,” said Rosemary, a slight smile on her lips. “You three start up here and work your way south. I’ll head to the south field and start lookin’ there. If we’re quick, we should be able to cover the whole valley before the day is out. And if we don’t see a speck of blight anywhere, well...I suppose we can rest easy tonight. I might even allow myself to celebrate a bit. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Let’s get a move on, girls!”

Sunset and Nova got to work combing the field while Rosemary headed off back toward the house. Sunset had to explain to Nova what they were looking for, her being the only one of the two to have actually seen the flowers. Occasionally, Nova called her over to ask her if a certain white flower was infected or not, but every time it turned out to be a false alarm. Sunset searched diligently, hoping against hope that Rosemary was wrong and that the problem had finally righted itself. 

Minutes stretched into hours as the three young mares searched. By the time midmorning came around, they had covered a large amount of the field, but had not found any trace of wraithrot anywhere. Sunset paused her search for a minute to stretch and check the time via the position of the sun. As she did, she noticed that she had strayed a good distance away from Nova and had gotten fairly close to Hollyhock.

Sunset’s suspicions of her came flooding back into her mind, but were tempered with the memory of the incident at dinner the night before. She didn’t want to bring up Hollyhock’s late-night stroll with her, but she figured she might try to see how she was feeling about her mother. Sunset walked in Hollyhock’s direction, keeping her head down to make it look like she was still searching. 

When she got close enough to speak with her, Sunset slowed and attempted to strike up a conversation. “So...you find anything yet?” Sunset said nonchalantly. 

“Nope,” said Hollyhock tersely, not even looking up from the flowers. 

Sunset sighed. “Hollyhock, I know you probably don’t want to talk about what happened at dinner last night,” said Sunset, “but I just wanted to make sure you’re alright.”

Hollyhock raised her head and took a deep breath. “I’m fine, Sunset. Really,” said Hollyhock. “And I’m sorry you had to see that. I shouldn’t have blown up at her like I did, and I certainly shouldn’t have dragged you into it. It’s just that...that mare makes me so gosh-darn angry sometimes,” she said, stamping a hoof into the ground for emphasis. 

Sunset walked a bit closer to her. “Look, I may not be the best pony to give you parent advice,” began Sunset, “but if you ask me, you shouldn’t worry too much about what your mom thinks. She’s gonna have her own way of looking at things, and you can’t always change that, but what you can control is your own life. You have to decide for yourself what you think is right and what you want to do. And you shouldn’t let what other people think hold you back, even if it is your own mother.”

“You make it sound so easy,” said Hollyhock. “I’m not used to doin’ things like that, just standin’ up and sayin’ I don’t care what anypony else thinks of me, especially not where my mama is concerned.”

“Hey, if I can stand up to the princess and make it out alright, then I bet you could stand up to your mom any day of the week,” said Sunset, giving Hollyhock a nudge and a smile. 

Hollyhock looked a bit shocked at Sunset’s choice of analogy, but her expression quickly changed to an embarrassed one when she recognized the flattery in it. “Gosh, would you look at me?” she chuckled. “I’m the older one of us, but here I am relyin’ on you for moral support. I’m not sure whether I should be laughin’ or cryin’.” Hollyhock did neither, merely taking a deep breath and giving Sunset a smile. “Thank you, Sunset. I don’t know what I’d have done if you hadn’t come along.”

“Oh, you would have been fine,” said Sunset lightheartedly. “Now come on! If we finish looking quickly, maybe we can head down to the river for while when we’re done.” Sunset moved off on her own again to resume the search. 

“Yeah...maybe,” said Hollyhock under her breath. 

Sunset scanned the flowers as she moved back toward where Nova was. She tried to pay attention to the task at hand, but found it difficult to avoid thinking of Hollyhock. She genuinely felt bad for her, which made her even more conflicted about being suspicious of her. All the factors at play were starting to really frustrate her. The blight, her inability to combat it, its sudden disappearance, the conflict between Hollyhock and her mother, and Hollyhock’s suspicious behavior all buzzed around in her head and muddled her mind. She needed answers, and she had an idea of where she could get them.

Sunset met back up with Nova a good ways away from Hollyhock. “Nova, I need you to cover for me,” said Sunset.

“Cover for you?” said Nova, looking up from the flowers. “What ever do you mean?”

“I’m going to head back to the house, and then I’m going to find out what Hollyhock was doing in the grove last night,” said Sunset. “If she asks where I went, just tell her I had to take care of something.”

“Okay, Sunset,” said Nova hesitantly, “but what do you think you’ll find out there? Did Hollyhock give you any hints?”

“Well, no,” Sunset admitted. “I don’t know what she’s up to, but I have a hard time believing it could be something bad; she doesn’t seem like that kind of pony to me. I think she’s just confused and frustrated, but she means well. But that just makes me wonder what she could possibly have to hide.”

“I’ll admit, I’m curious too,” said Nova. “I’ll try to keep her from leaving, but be sure and hurry back.”

“Thanks, Nova,” said Sunset, “you’re a lifesaver.”

Sunset made her way to the path that led back to the house and set off at a brisk trot. When she felt confident that she was out of Hollyhock’s sight, she shifted into a canter, wanting to reach her destination as quickly as possible. She soon reached the farmhouse again, and was about to head towards the trees, when she saw Rosemary out in the field to the south. 

She was sitting at the top of a small rise in the field that had no flowers growing on it. Sunset watched her curiously for a moment, noticing that Rosemary didn’t seem to be checking on any flowers, or doing any other sort of work for that matter. When it had been a while and Rosemary still hadn’t moved from her spot, Sunset changed course and began walking towards her; she wanted to make sure the older mare was alright. 

Sunset walked slowly through the field, eventually arriving at the rise. When she got close enough, she could see that Rosemary was sitting with her eyes closed and a neutral expression on her face. Sunset began to ascend, calling out to her as she did. “Hey, Rosemary, are you alright?”

Rosemary didn’t answer; she didn’t even seem to notice Sunset’s approach. “Rosemary?” Sunset called out again, reaching the top and walking over to her. It was then that Sunset became aware of what Rosemary was sitting in front of. On the ground before them was an oval-shaped ring of stones that stretched several feet long and a couple feet wide. At the center of the ring had been placed a small sprig from a cypress tree.

“Oh,” said Sunset, her eyes widening and her cheeks reddening. “I...I’m sorry, I didn’t realize...I didn’t mean to...”

“Sunset,” said Rosemary calmly, silencing her. 

Sunset shut her mouth and swallowed, cursing herself for her awkwardness. A moment of silence passed, the only sound to be heard being the gentle breeze blowing by. Rosemary then opened her eyes and looked up at Sunset, a calm smile on her face. “You girls find something?” she said.

“Uh, no,” said Sunset, “not yet. I just...came to check on you, see if you needed any help over here.”

“Well, that’s awful sweet of you, comin’ to check in on an old mare like me,” said Rosemary. “Have a seat. You’ve been workin’ all mornin’. Rest your hooves for a spell.” Sunset cautiously sat down next to Rosemary, not wanting to upset her by declining. Rosemary turned away and looked down at the ground before her, Sunset following suit. Another quiet moment passed, and then Rosemary spoke again. “Did she tell you about him?”

“Yeah, she did,” said Sunset.

“I figured she would,” said Rosemary. “She hardly even remembers him, but she still loves him. I do too, for that matter.”

“What did you like about him?” Sunset asked.

“Oh, so many things,” said Rosemary. “His smile, his laugh, the way he could light up a room like it was nothin’. And he wasn’t too bad to look at, neither,” she said, leaning in close and speaking quietly as if she were a schoolfilly with a crush. “But if you ask me, I’d say his best quality was his sincerity. He never tried to be anything he wasn’t. He knew exactly who he was and what he liked, and he never tried to hide it. 

“I remember when he and I first met. He seemed like such a goofball, walkin’ up to me with his mane all scruffy and goin’ on like he didn’t have a care in the world. I ignored him at first, tellin’ myself that I didn’t want to be associatin’ with such a stallion. Funny how things change, ain’t it? Although, he was quite the flatterer. He was always tellin’ me how smart I was, and how pretty my mane was, and how my accent made me sound like a princess.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow at this last comment. “No offense, but the princess isn’t from around these parts,” she said.

Rosemary chuckled. “No indeed,” she said, “but then again, neither am I.” When Rosemary spoke again, her voice changed dramatically, her rural twinge vanishing and being replaced with a posh, refined enunciation. “I must say, I’m not sure entirely sure why he cared. It’s not as if there weren’t other young mares my age who spoke in a similar fashion. But I suppose I should consider myself lucky to have found a stallion who actually enjoyed listening to what I had to say.”

Sunset was astonished at her vocal transformation. “Y-you’re from Canterlot!” she said, immediately recognizing the accent that she had heard every day for years. 

“Very perceptive,” said Rosemary, shifting back into her normal voice. “Made me stick out like a sore hoof when I first came here. Took me a while, but I eventually managed to bury it.”

“When did you move to Paradise Fields?” said Sunset.

“A few years before Hollyhock was born,” said Rosemary. “Back then, I was livin’ the high life back in Canterlot. I was young, sharp, and didn’t take nothin’ from nopony. My friends and I went to the fanciest parties, danced to the finest music, and drank the sweetest apple cider. And to top it all off, I owned and operated one of the fastest-growin’ flower shops in the city.”

“Hang on a minute,” Sunset interjected. “You mean to tell me that, not only did you live in Canterlot, but you also ran a successful flower shop?”

“Sunset, I know what you’re goin’ to say,” sighed Rosemary. “I know how this sounds. But there’s more to it.” Rosemary paused to collect her thoughts; Sunset held her tongue for a moment to give Rosemary a chance to explain. “Back in those days, I wasn’t exactly...happy. Sure, I had more than my fair share of good times, and my work gave me plenty to be excited about, but it was never enough. I never felt...content. 

“I was constantly pushin’ myself toward bigger and better things, both in and out of my work. I was always lookin’ out for what would come next and runnin’ to meet it as fast as I could. And then one day, into my life strolls this silly young stallion from a little village called Paradise Fields. He was just there on a delivery, he said, but he always managed to find some excuse to come back to my shop. I didn’t take him seriously; after all, he had no money, no manners, and no future worth mentionin’.”

“Why’d you change your mind about him?” asked Sunset.

“Because, eventually, I realized somethin’: he did have somethin’ I didn’t have,” said Rosemary. “He was happy. As pathetic as I thought he was, he was perfectly content to be that way, and that’s what confused me. How could I, at the top of my game, be less happy than this pony? I couldn’t stop wonderin’; I couldn’t stop thinkin’ about him. And so, when he finally got around to askin’ me out on a date, I said yes. I had to find out just what sort of pony he was, or else I’d die of curiosity.

“We started small, at least, small by my standards. I wasn’t exaggeratin’ when I said he didn’t have much money. On top of that, he didn’t even know the city very well, but I was willin’ to accommodate him. No matter where we went though, no matter what we did, he always reinforced what I had been thinkin’. Somehow, this pony was able to get a hundred times more out of everythin’ than I did.”

“And you were jealous?” asked Sunset. 

“You might say that,” said Rosemary. “It really started to weigh on me after a while. I took a good, long look at myself in the mirror, and you know what I realized? It wasn’t him that was strange; it wasn’t him that was in the wrong, it was me. I was the one that was out of place; I was the square peg in a round hole, as they say. You see, when I first started out, I wasn’t tryin’ to become the pony I ended up bein’. I was a lot like Hollyhock back then: I loved the flowers for their own sake, and I loved how much happiness they brought to other ponies.

“I suppose, as things went on, I just got swept up in it all. Business was boomin’, and I let myself get carried along with it. I hadn’t learned yet that bigger isn’t always better, especially in this line of work. At the same time, I started hangin’ out with other up-and-comin’ young mares who didn’t quite have the taste for simple pleasures that I did. Eventually, I just lost sight of myself and forgot why I even went into flowers in the first place.”

Sunset had spent more than enough time around the young mares of Canterlot’s elite to know exactly what Rosemary meant. She had seen many young ponies get swept up in the fast-paced Canterlot lifestyle and come out worse for wear. “So...what did you do about it?” she asked.

“Well, after I realized that, I knew exactly what I needed to do,” said Rosemary. “I needed to start over; I needed a fresh start, and in someplace other than Canterlot as well. I knew that, as long as I stayed there, there would always be that temptation to go back, to just let go and lose myself all over again. And I didn’t want any of that to change him neither. 

“As it turned out, after all that time I had spent gettin’ to know him, I ended up doin’ more than just admirin’ him, I ended up lovin’ him. And despite all my faults, he ended up lovin’ me too. I guess he must’ve been sharper than I gave him credit for. He must’ve seen straight through to my heart and saw the pony I used to be, the real me, not the pony I had become. When he finally got up the nerve to propose, I said yes in a heartbeat. And for the first time in a long time, I was satisfied with where my life had taken me.” Sunset was not the most romantic pony, but even she found Rosemary’s love story sweet.

“We talked about it for a while, me leavin’ Canterlot. He had nothin’ but good things to say about this place and the ponies who lived here. I even got to see what it was like for myself a few times. He was right, of course; the ponies here loved each other like family, and they loved what they did as much as I had in the beginning. My friends thought I was crazy when I told them I decided to move here, but that didn’t stop me. 

“I sold my shop and left the big-city life behind me. I came here, and Cypress and I were married. For a long time, I was happy. I had a stallion who loved me, friends who really cared about me and what I liked, and I even had a little foal of my own eventually. My days were spent tendin’ the fields, bringin’ beauty into the world just like I had always wanted. I thought it would last forever, but life had its own plans for me.” Rosemary extended a hoof and caressed the dirt within the ring of stones. 

“It was such a shock for me when it happened. He had always been such a constant in my mind. I felt like, no matter what happened, I could always count on him to be there, same as always. And when he wasn’t...” Rosemary paused and took a deep breath before continuing. “It was hard for a while, keepin’ things goin’ with just me and Hollyhock. Our friends lended us a hoof whenever they could spare it, and helped us manage until Hollyhock was old enough to start carryin’ her weight.

“And now, here we are, all these years later. All the hard work she and I put into this place, all the work he put in, might be for nothin’. And to make matters worse, she doesn’t even seem to care. She wants us to pick up and run off back to that same life I ran away from all those years ago. She wants to make the same mistake I did, and I just can’t sit by and let that happen. So go ahead, call me a hypocrite. Call me whatever you want. If I can give my daughter a happy life, then I don’t care what anypony else thinks of me.”

Sunset sat in stunned silence for a moment, trying to process Rosemary’s story. Several times she opened her mouth as if to speak, but stopped herself every time, not knowing how to follow up what she had just heard. Eventually she spoke, deciding to give her true feelings regardless of how they would be received. “Rosemary,” she said, “I don’t think you’re a hypocrite, and I don’t think you’re a bad pony, but I still think you’re wrong.”

“Oh, really?” said Rosemary, more curious than angry.

“Yeah,” said Sunset. “You want Hollyhock to have a good life, and you want her to be happy; there’s nothing wrong with that. But you can’t just keep her here for the rest of her life. She has to make her own decisions; she has to make her own mistakes. And yeah, she might end up regretting some things, but that’ll be her fault, not yours.”

“I don’t care whose fault it is, Sunset,” said Rosemary. “I just don’t want to lose her. She’s got her daddy’s spirit in her. She’s got his fire in her heart. If I had to watch that fire get snuffed out, it’d be like losin’ him all over again, and I don’t know if I could take it. I know it’s probably hard for you to understand; you don’t know what it’s like to be a mother.”

“No, I don’t,” said Sunset, “but I know what’s it’s like to be a daughter.”

Rosemary turned and looked at Sunset. “Well, I can’t argue with you there,” she said, giving her a weak smile. “I might not have changed your mind, but thanks for listenin’ anyway.”

“You’re welcome,” said Sunset, smiling back at her.

The two shared a quiet moment before Rosemary spoke again. “Well, I think that’s enough of a break for the both of us. We still have a job to get done before the day is out. Why don’t you head on back to the others now? I’m sure they could use your help more than I could.” Rosemary stood back up, followed quickly by Sunset. Sunset began to walk off back down the rise and into the flowers. As she left, she saw Rosemary linger for a moment, looking down at the ground, before moving off herself.

Rosemary’s story lingered in Sunset’s mind as she walked back to the farmhouse. The older mare’s opposition to Hollyhock’s dreams was starting to make much more sense to her. While she still took issue with Rosemary’s perspective on the matter, Sunset had come to realize why she was so attached to their farm. The added significance did nothing to alleviate the pressure Sunset felt, especially when her suspicions of Hollyhock were factored in. 

When she got to the house, she turned to look back at the field where Rosemary had been. Sunset could see that she had resumed her search for blighted flowers, and was not paying her any attention. A quick look in the opposite direction revealed that nopony was coming down the path from the north either. Whether this was because Hollyhock had not noticed her disappearance or because Nova had successfully covered for her she could not know.

Sunset quickly dashed to the back of the house, where she figured Hollyhock must have been. Sure enough, Sunset soon found a distinct set of hoofprints leading from the house to the trees and back. Similar sets of prints could seen in the area, some looking like they had experienced many days worth of weathering. Cautiously, Sunset followed the tracks across the bare earth until they came to the grassy outskirts of the farm, overlooked by the shady trees of the grove.

Sunset walked between the trees in the direction the tracks had been leading. She was, unfortunately, not a skilled enough outdoorspony to follow tracks left in grass, so she had to take her best guess. As she walked, she came to appreciate the serenity of the grove that Hollyhock had hinted at earlier. The trees were tall and large enough to provide adequate shade from the bright sun, but were not so dense as to leave the place looking dark and gloomy. The cool grass felt good on her hooves after walking on the warm, dry soil of the farm.

She looked around the grove as she went, although she didn’t know exactly what she was looking for. When nothing obvious jumped out at her immediately, doubts started to creep into her mind. It could have been that Hollyhock wasn’t up to anything out there, she thought. She might have just had trouble sleeping after her altercation with her mother and had gone out there to clear her mind. After all, Sunset had nothing else to go on than a hunch, really. 

Sunset stopped in front of a large tree directly in her path and sighed. After mulling it over, she decided that she was wasting her time just walking about aimlessly. She needed to take a minute to decide what to do before pressing onward, she thought. Noticing a comfy-looking spot at the base of the tree with a small pile of fallen leaves, she recalled what Hollyhock had said about resting beneath the shady branches. She moved toward the spot, resolving to rest her hooves for a bit while she plotted her next course of action.

She sat down on the grass and slowly lowered herself backward so her head would come to rest on the leaves. When her head made impact, however, it was not greeted with the soft crunch she had expected. Rather, her head made contact with something hard and solid, too much so to even be a part of the tree. “Ah!” Sunset exclaimed, jerking back up. The impact hadn’t hurt her terribly, being more surprising than painful. “What the...”

Sunset turned around to face the offending object, whatever it might have been. She reached out and brushed aside the pile of leaves, which turned out to be much less substantial than she had thought. Underneath, as she suspected, she found a large, flat rock laying at the base of the tree. Annoyed at having her moment of respite delayed, she took hold of the rock and lifted it up onto its side, meaning to move it out of the way.

When she had been younger, Sunset had enjoyed peeking under rocks in the castle gardens to look at the worms and insects that could be found there, much to Nova’s discomfort. But in all those times, Sunset had never found anything like the large hole that she uncovered, especially considering the items that she could see in it. She saw crumpled-up papers, tools of the sort she had seen in Rosemary’s kitchen, and several small flowerpots filled with very peculiar-looking flowers. 

After the shock of finding the buried treasure wore off, curiosity took over Sunset’s mind. Tentatively, she reached out and picked up one of the flower pots and raised it up to get a better look at it. The pot was small, just the right size for placing in a windowsill or on a desk, and had a small dandelion growing in it. The flower had a pale white coloration all over, similar to the diseased flowers she had seen, although not exactly the same. It still had faint traces of its original colors, as if it were only half-diseased, if such a thing was even possible.

Looking at the other pots in turn, she saw other flowers in a similar state as the first, all with various degrees of faded colors. Putting them aside, she then examined the various tools and containers that she also saw in the hole. She found a small pestle and mortar, a mixing bowl, an eyedropper, and several small jars of colorful powder. The jars had labels that bore such names as “moonbeam root”, “doogle leaves”, and others that meant nothing to Sunset. 

Getting no answer from the jars, she finally arrived at the various bits of paper strewn about the hole. Sunset chose one at random and flattened it out on the ground so she could read it. From what she could tell, the paper contained handwritten notes detailing the formulas for various mixtures of unknown use. The formulas seemed to make reference to the substances she had found in the jars, calling them by name and detailing certain measurements for each one. 

Most of the formulas had comments written alongside them, simple messages that said things like “too weak”, “needs more green”, “too strong, plant died”, and other such cryptic things. When she finished looking at one paper, she moved on the next, completely engrossed in the mystery. They all had similar contents, although it was hard to work out a definitive pattern as they were not ordered or labeled in any way.

One of the papers, however, stood out from the rest. The writing on the page stopped about halfway down, ending with a formula that had been circled. Next to this formula, a single word had been scrawled: “perfect”. Sunset turned the page over, looking for more information that might help her. She found nothing, however, leaving her with only her wits and the clues at hand, which were all pointing her towards a single, foreboding conclusion.

“Took me forever to get it right,” said a very familiar voice coming from behind Sunset. She froze, her mind going blank and her eyes widening. Very slowly, Sunset turned around and saw Hollyhock standing several yards away. Hollyhock’s expression didn’t look angry to Sunset. In fact, she seemed strangely peaceful, not excited or upset. A thousand thoughts were buzzing around in Sunset’s head, all trying to fight their way to Sunset’s mouth, but for the moment, she said nothing. 

Hollyhock began walking towards her, calmly and non-threateningly. “I almost gave up after a while,” Hollyhock continued, her tone feeling unfittingly casual, given the situation. “Somethin’ made me keep at it, though. I guess desperation’ will do that to a pony.” She reached the spot where Sunset was sitting and picked up one of the jars Sunset had set aside, examining it. “At least all that work wasn’t for nothin’.”

“I-It was you,” said Sunset quietly, finally finding her voice. 

“Yes, Sunset,” said Hollyhock matter-of-factly. “I shoulda known you’d find out eventually. From the minute we met, I could tell you weren’t the sort of pony to not ask questions. I bet if they’d sent some stuffy pencil-pusher from Canterlot like my mama wanted, they wouldn’t have given me a second glance. Not you, though. You just had to go and start carin’ about me.” A sad smile crept across Hollyhock’s face. 

The puzzle pieces were starting to fall into place in Sunset’s mind, but she needed to hear it straight from the pony’s mouth before she could be satisfied. “It was your fault,” said Sunset, rising to her hooves and backing up to face Hollyhock head-on. “You poisoned your own flowers with...whatever this is,” she said, motioning toward the items she had taken from the hole, “and your mother thought it was wraithrot.”

“Wraithrot,” Hollyhock scoffed, as if she found the word amusing. “I was really takin’ a gamble with that. I was worried mama was way too grounded to believe in an old ghost story, but as it turned out, she’d sooner believe that than believe her daughter would sabotage her farm.” Her lips started trembling and her eyes snapped shut, her head lowering. “That...stupid old mare.”

Sunset took note of Hollyhock’s emotional state, but was not in a particularly sympathetic mood. “How?” she asked flatly. 

Hollyhock took a deep breath to calm herself before continuing. “There are certain mixes that can change a flower’s appearance, old family recipes and whatnot. We use them sometimes for special orders; makes them really pop, you know? Anyway, I was able to fiddle with one of the recipes and come up with somethin’ that would match what I read in that book of mama’s. And I made sure to point her in the right direction when she finally saw my handiwork.”

“If it’s an old family recipe, why didn’t she notice?” asked Sunset. “She should have been able to tell what it was.”

“If she knew what she was lookin’ for, she probably would have noticed,” said Hollyhock. “But I guess the idea that I was sneakin’ out night after night to make our flowers look like they’d jumped out of the pages of an old storybook never crossed her mind. Or maybe it did, and she just didn’t want to believe it. Either way, she thought it was the real thing, which is what I wanted, I suppose.”

“Yeah, that was what you wanted, wasn’t it?” said Sunset sternly. “You wanted her to think your farm was doomed, because if she thought that...then she might be willing to leave.”

Hollyhock looked away, unable to meet Sunset’s gaze. “Yes,” she said weakly. “That is what I wanted.”

“But that’s not how things turned out, was it?” said Sunset. “Your mother didn’t give up, she doubled down. She dug in her hooves even more than before, didn’t she? She even tried to get the princess to send help from Canterlot, but you stopped her. You didn’t want any other ponies poking around here, because they might have seen what she didn’t. That's why you were so worried when Nova and I showed up.” Hollyhock said nothing, but the shame on her face spoke volumes. 

“You tried to get us to leave,” Sunset continued. “You tried to make us think it was no big deal so we’d turn around and head home. That’s why there were no new flowers this morning, wasn’t it? If we thought the problem was solved, we’d leave quickly before we found anything out. Am I right?” Hollyhock nodded meekly. “You weren’t out in the fields last night, you were out here, hiding all your stuff.”

“I thought my eyes were just playin’ tricks on me when I saw one of you at the window,” said Hollyhock. “I should have known better. It was Nova, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah,” said Sunset, “she saw you. She told me this morning, so I decided to come see what you were up to. I told Nova to keep you away, but I guess that didn’t work out, did it?”

“I’m sure she didn’t forget,” said Hollyhock, “but I didn’t even give her the chance. When I noticed you were gone, I slipped off into the grove all sneaky-like. I don’t think she even noticed me leave.”

“So now we’re both here,” said Sunset. “I guess that saves me a trip back.”

A moment of silence passed, neither knowing what would happen next. The tension was as thick as the trunks of the trees surrounding them. Eventually, Hollyhock couldn’t take it any longer; she summoned her courage and looked Sunset in the eye. “What are you goin’ to do now, Sunset?”

Sunset stood there for a moment, considering how to proceed. “I don’t like being lied to, Hollyhock,” she said, “but at the same time, part of me is glad that this all turned out to be nothing. You don’t know how worried I’ve been since I got here. And I don’t know if I was more worried about failing or about having to tell the princess that I failed. And that’s just me; I can’t imagine how worried your mother has been.”

“I’m sorry, Sunset,” said Hollyhock. “I am so, so sorry...for everything. I never meant for things to go this far, truly. I was just so gosh-darn scared, scared that I’d have to spend every last year of my life on this patch of dirt. And if I finally got mama to give in and agree to leave, then it’d all be worth it in the end. I did a fool thing, and I know it, but it’s over now.”

“It’s not me you should be apologizing to,” said Sunset. “It’s not my farm you were destroying.”

“Sunset, no!” pleaded Hollyhock, her eyes wide. “Mama can’t know about this. If she found out, it’d destroy her. She’d never look at me the same way again, she’d never trust me, and she’d never listen to me about leavin’, not in a thousand years.” Hollyhock moved closer to Sunset, placing a hoof on her shoulder and giving her a desperately hopeful smile. “We could just keep this between us; nopony else has to know! Things could go back to normal. And I swear on my life I’d never do anything like this again!”

Sunset looked deep into Hollyhock’s pleading eyes, her own face an expressionless mask. She wondered if she could bring herself to do that. Could she really just forget about the whole thing, just sweep it under the rug and pretend she knew nothing? And when she went back and told Celestia what had happened, what would she say? What could she say? And what about Rosemary? Could she just walk away and leave her like this, never knowing that the pony who almost drove her out of house and home was her own daughter?

She also considered the alternative. What would happen if she spilled the beans? If it was as Hollyhock feared, and doing so would destroy Rosemary’s faith in her, what would that mean for their future? Sunset knew that Hollyhock was right, that Rosemary would indeed see it as evidence that Hollyhock was not mature enough to face the world. Sunset would have loved to see Hollyhock get what she had wished for, but at what cost? Could she lie, hoping that it would lead to a better life for them? Could she tell the truth, knowing that it would only drive them further apart?

She wondered what Celestia would do, and what she would want Sunset to do if she could see her then. Of course, the answer to those questions was as plain as the nose on the face of the troubled young mare in front of her. Sunset lifted a hoof and gently brushed Hollyhock’s hoof off her shoulder. “Hollyhock,” she said sadly, “we can’t do that, we can’t and you know it. No more lies; no more secrets. Your mother needs to hear the truth; she deserves it.”

Sunset watched on Hollyhock’s face as her last hopes were brutally shattered. Hollyhock’s expression changed to one of confusion, then to fear, to anger, to sadness, and then back again almost too quickly and seamlessly to notice. She spun around in a flash and stormed off a few paces before stopping. Sunset heard her sniffling and breathing unevenly; her body trembled. “And if I don’t tell her, you will? Is that it?” she said, audibly trying to hold back tears. 

“Yes,” said Sunset in a gentle tone, “but I really wish you would.” Hollyhock’s willpower finally cracked like an old dam, a flood of tears flowing forth. She lowered her head and sobbed, loudly and ungracefully. Sunset cautiously approached her, coming up alongside her and wrapping a foreleg around her. “I’m sorry, Hollyhock,” she said. “I’m sorry it had to be this way.”

The two stood there for a few minutes as Hollyhock’s crying slowly diminished from sobbing to whimpering to heavy breathing, before finally petering out altogether. “Alright,” said Hollyhock when she had finally calmed down. “I’ll tell her. I’ll tell her everything, I promise. Just...not today. Let me have just one more day where I can look my mama in the eye. Just give me that, Sunset. Please.”

“Okay,” said Sunset. “Tomorrow then. We can tell her together, how about that?” she asked, trying to be comforting. 

Hollyhock smiled. “Thank you,” she said, “but no. This is somethin’ I need to do on my own.” She turned her head and looked at Sunset, who smiled back at her. Sunset let go of Hollyhock and stepped back. Hollyhock glanced back at the hole and the items now scattered around it. “We should probably do somethin’ about all that.”

Sunset followed her gaze back and turned to face the hole. “Not a problem,” she said. Her horn lit up with its characteristic glow, and Sunset reached out with her magic. She swiftly lifted and placed the various items back into the hole, replacing the stone on top of it. “Won’t be needing any of that anymore, will we?”

“No, we won’t,” said Hollyhock. Despite all they had just been through, she looked strangely happy to Sunset. 

“We should probably head back now,” said Sunset, “or else Nova will start worrying about us.”

For a moment, Hollyhock looked as if she were thinking about something. “You go on ahead,” said Hollyhock tentatively, “there’s somethin’ I need to take care of back at the house.”

“Okay,” said Sunset, audibly puzzled. “Are you sure you don’t need me to come with you?”

“It’s alright, Sunset,” said Hollyhock. “I’ll be back soon, I promise.” Hollyhock told Sunset how to get back to the fields from where they were, and the two went their separate ways, despite Sunset’s reservations about leaving her alone. She didn’t think Hollyhock would try anything, she just thought Hollyhock would be better off having a friend with her at that time. 

A few minutes of walking in the direction Hollyhock had indicated brought Sunset out of the shady grove and back into the colorful expanse of the flower fields. In the distance, she could make out Nova, who had presumably noticed Hollyhock’s disappearance. Nova was wandering about, scanning the landscape looking for any sign of where she had gone. Sunset walked in her direction, and Nova soon noticed her and hurried over to meet her.

When they got close, Sunset could see that Nova had indeed been worried about them, as she had suspected. “Sunset!” Nova loudly called out as she approached. “Sunset, I’m sorry!” She stopped short when she reached Sunset and tried to catch her breath. “She...Hollyhock, she...I tried to watch her...I really did, but...one minute she was there...then she was gone!” she managed to get out in between heavy breaths. 

“Woah, woah, woah, take it easy, Nova,” said Sunset, trying not to laugh at Nova’s anxiety. “Take a deep breath.”

Nova did as Sunset asked, managing to calm herself enough to speak normally. “Hollyhock slipped off when I wasn’t looking,” she said. “She didn’t even ask me where you went. When I finally noticed, I looked all around, but I couldn’t find a trace of her anywhere. I didn't know whether I should go off and try to find her, or whether I should try to find you and warn you, or...”

“Nova, calm down,” said Sunset, giving Nova a comforting smile and placing a hoof on her shoulder. “It’s alright. You don’t have to worry about her anymore.”

Nova’s worried expression was replaced with one of confusion. “Then...she found you?” Nova asked.

“Yeah, but it’s okay,” said Sunset. “We settled things.”

“But what happened? Where is she?” said Nova.

“Hollyhock’s just back at the house; she’ll be here soon,” said Sunset. “As for what happened, I’ll tell you later; it can wait.” Nova’s curiosity lingered, but she seemed content to wait for the time being. “Just...when she gets back...be nice to her. And don’t ask her about what happened, okay?”

“Okay, Sunset,” said Nova hesitantly, “I promise.” She gave Sunset a weak smile, who smiled back at her in turn. The issue being settled, the two walked back out into the field to resume their work from earlier. Or rather, Nova resumed her search; Sunset made only a token effort in order to keep up appearances, knowing that she would not be finding anything.

When around half an hour had passed and Hollyhock still had not returned, Sunset began to get worried. As she had been the one to tell Nova not to worry about her, she felt hesitant to go and check on her. Luckily, she did not have to make that decision, as Hollyhock could soon be seen in the distance walking towards them. Sunset waited until she had crossed most of the distance between them, then went to meet her. 

When she got close, Sunset could see that Hollyhock’s eyes were red, too red to have resulted from their moment in the grove, but had a genuinely happy-looking smile on her face. “Hollyhock, are you alright?” asked Sunset.

“Believe me, Sunset, I’m doin’ just fine,” said Hollyhock. “Now come on, let’s get back to it!” Hollyhock cheerfully walked out into the flowers near where Sunset and Nova had been. Sunset was somewhat confused by Hollyhock’s change of mood, but did not dwell on it. She followed Hollyhock back out, and the three young mares resumed their search, if it could still be called that. 

Soon afterward, Hollyhock started making smalltalk with them as they went. She asked about what Canterlot was like, and what they did when they weren’t traveling around Equestria. Nova and Sunset were happy to oblige her, both thankful for a return to normalcy after the events of that morning. They talked about their lives growing up in the castle and relayed what interesting anecdotes they had. In return, Hollyhock shared stories of her life growing up in Paradise Fields. The conversation was lighthearted and fun, all three soon forgetting their troubles for a time and enjoying each other’s company.

They covered ground quickly, despite their diversions, mostly because Sunset and Hollyhock felt no need to take their time. Midday came and went, and the hours of the afternoon seemed to pass by in no time at all. By the time late afternoon had come, the three had moved far enough south to see Rosemary working her way towards them. They all finally met up near the house, just as the sun was beginning its evening descent.

Rosemary questioned them about whether they had found any more sick flowers, to which they replied in the negative. She had similarly found nothing, which did not surprise Sunset, of course. Rosemary’s cautious optimism resurfaced, and she allowed herself to abandon her chronic worry for the time being. Once again, she invited Nova and Sunset to spend the night, to which they both agreed. As Nova made the short journey back into to the village to inform the captain of their plans, the rest of them headed back to the house to prepare dinner.

Sunset tried her best to assist Rosemary and Hollyhock, as she had the night before. This time, however, she noticed that Hollyhock was much more chatty, especially with her mother. As she had with Sunset and Nova, Hollyhock pulled her into friendly conversation that covered various mundane topics. Rosemary’s newfound positivity made her more than willing to participate, and before too long, both mother and daughter were smiling and laughing together like old friends. For the first time since she had arrived, Sunset thought that they truly felt like a family.

Time seemed to fly by, and before she knew it, dinner was ready to be served and Nova had returned from the village. The dining room had a much different atmosphere that night as the four mares sat down to eat. Gone was the awkwardness and tension that had filled the air, replaced by the type of joy that comes when the end to a long and arduous struggle finally comes into view. They talked and ate and made merry until long after the sun had gone down. Rosemary even poured them each a drink from a vintage bottle of cider she had been saving for a special occasion. 

But when the hour had grown late and their eyes started to droop, Rosemary begrudgingly put an end to the mirth and declared that their bedtimes had come. She sent the three younger mares off to bed, opting to take care of the cleanup herself. As she left the room, Sunset saw Hollyhock give her mother a kiss on the cheek and wish her goodnight. Sunset, Nova, and Hollyhock made their way to the bedroom and prepared themselves for their nightly rest.

As Sunset was climbing into bed, the memories of that day’s events, which had been pushed to the back of her mind, began to come back to her. The night that had been so enjoyed by all of them developed a bittersweet tinge when she remembered what would be coming the next day. Sunset glanced over at Hollyhock, who had seemingly been having similar feelings, judging by the look on her face. Hollyhock returned her glance, giving Sunset a reassuring smile despite the sadness in her eyes. 

“Goodnight, you two,” Hollyhock said. “And...thank you for helpin’ me out today. For helpin’ both of us, I should say. I don’t know what we would have done if you hadn’t come along.”

“It’s our pleasure,” said Nova, settling into bed. “Sweet dreams, Hollyhock.”

“Goodnight, Hollyhock,” said Sunset, blowing out the candle and climbing into bed. Hollyhock followed suit, and the three mares had soon shut their eyes and begun their journey into dreamland. 





Sunset didn’t know how long she had been laying there, tossing and turning, trying to find the peace of sleep. It felt like it had been hours, although it might have only been a fraction of that in reality. It was abnormal for her to be so restless; even Nova had managed to drop off fairly quickly, despite her finicky sleeping habits. She had tried every trick she knew for falling asleep, but none of them had helped her. No matter what she did, she couldn’t stop thinking about Hollyhock and what she thought might happen the next day. She wondered, perhaps, if she had made the wrong call, and if she should have just looked the other way like Hollyhock had wanted.

In hindsight, it was probably fortunate that Sunset was still awake, staring up at the ceiling, when Hollyhock quietly rose from her bed and stepped onto the floor. When Sunset heard her, her eyes snapped shut, and she did her best to look like she was sleeping. Her act must have fooled Hollyhock, as she did not call Sunset out nor get back in bed. Instead, she walked as silently as she could over to her dresser and gently pulled open one of the drawers. The soft sound of wood sliding against wood was barely audible, and definitely would not have woken Sunset up if she had not already been conscious. 

Sunset dared not open her eyes to see what she was doing, not even a crack. Her only clue was the sound of something being removed from the dresser, before it was again closed. She then heard Hollyhock walk over to the door and oh-so-gently open it, stepping out of the bedroom. A moment of silence followed as Hollyhock stood there, the only sounds reaching Sunset’s ears being those of Nova’s and her own breath. 

Eventually, Sunset heard the bedroom door glide closed and Hollyhock move away. Sunset opened her eyes but remained motionless, not wanting to alert Hollyhock. She heard the sound of Hollyhock’s hoofsteps moving down the hall toward the front of the house, stopping around where Rosemary’s bedroom door was. Another long pause, and then she continued, moving to the front door, opening it, and slipping out quickly before closing it shut behind her. 

As soon as the noise stopped, Sunset leaped out of bed as quickly as she could without disturbing Nova. She was fully awake, single-mindedly focused on Hollyhock’s latest late-night escapade. Sunset silently cursed her, fearful that she was attempting something that would ruin the tenuous peace they had established. She quietly moved over to the door and exited the bedroom, following Hollyhock’s path to the front door. Peeking out of one of the windows on the front side of the house, she saw Hollyhock walking through the flowers on the path leading back to the village.

Sunset opened the front door gently, slipping out and shutting it behind her with barely a sound. A look in the other direction showed the Hollyhock had not noticed her. Sunset began walking toward her, slowly and cautiously. Luckily, Hollyhock was also walking slowly, so Sunset was able to gradually catch up with her. Her hooves made little noise on the soft dirt, and a gentle nighttime breeze helped to mask their sound, so Sunset was able to get within a few yards of Hollyhock before she was discovered.

Hollyhock’s ears pricked up and she stopped short where she was. Sunset stopped moving as soon as she could after noticing, but not before taking a few more incriminating steps. The two stood where they were, unmoving, as the night seemed to hold its breath, waiting to see what would happen. Hollyhock turned her head slowly, as if she were afraid to find out what might be behind her. When she looked upon the face of her pursuer, she turned around fully to face Sunset head-on.

The way the moonlight fell on Hollyhock’s features accentuated the haunting expression on her face. Sunset could detect shame, fear, and a strange defensiveness on that face; she looked like an animal that had been trapped in a cage, poised to either flee or to lash out at its captors. The worn saddlebags Hollyhock wore on her back told Sunset that she was not just going for a late-night stroll. They stared at one another for a while, each expecting that, and hoping that, the other would start talking first. 

Eventually, Sunset’s patience proved the lesser, and she broke the silence between them. “Why, Hollyhock?” she said quietly. “I thought we had settled this. We were going to make things right!”

“You don’t get it, Sunset,” said Hollyhock, shaking her head slightly. “I...I just can’t do it. I can’t stand up in front of my mama and tell her what I did. And I certainly can’t stand up to her about this, like I should have done at the beginning. I’m...I’m not strong enough. I’m not as strong as you.”

“Hollyhock, your mom loves you,” said Sunset. “She’ll forgive you, I know she will!”

Hollyhock closed her eyes and hung her head. “I know,” she said, barely above a whisper. “That mare’s too good to me. She raised me up all on her own; she gave me everything she had to give. And how do I repay her?” Hollyhock paused, sniffling a bit. “She’ll forgive me alright, but she’ll never trust me, never again.”

“And you think running away will make things better?” said Sunset. 

“Stayin’ here won’t do any good either,” said Hollyhock. “I know that now. I think I always knew it, but I just never had the courage to go for it. I’ve been waitin’ for the day that mama would break down and tell me I was right. I felt like I needed her approval to live my own life, to do what I already knew was right. Turns out, it was me standin’ in my own way. I was scared, and I let that keep me from followin' my own path. Not anymore.”

“I could stop you,” said Sunset flatly. “Part of me thinks I should stop you.”

Hollyhock looked Sunset in the eye. “You could,” she said, “but you won’t.” She was right, of course. Sunset had tried to have her cake and eat it too, with predictable results. Her choices had led her there, and she would have to live with their consequences. Deep down, she knew that, even if she dragged Hollyhock back by her tail, nothing would change. Hollyhock had made her decision, and despite all of Sunset’s abilities, she knew that she was powerless to do anything about it. 

Sunset smiled a bittersweet smile. “You said you couldn’t stand up to your mother,” said Sunset, “but you’re standing up to me just fine. I think you’re a lot stronger than you think, Hollyhock.”

Hollyhock smiled back at her as tears began to flow down her cheeks. “I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done,” she said. “If it weren’t for you, I’d have never had the courage to do this.” Hollyhock walked forward, coming in close to Sunset and hugging her. Sunset returned the hug, and the two shared a moment of quiet together. “Thank you so much. I’ll never forget you, Sunset Shimmer.”

“I don’t think I could forget you if I tried,” said Sunset. “But...where will you go?”

Hollyhock pulled back, breaking the embrace and facing Sunset with a determined look in her eye. “Well, I can be at the river by mornin’,” she said. “I could make it to Los Pegasus before the day is out. And from there...who knows?” Hollyhock’s smile grew even wider. “I wasn’t jokin’ around, Sunset. I am goin’ to big city. I am gonna show everypony what I can do. And as soon as I can, I’m gonna bring mama there too. I’m not abandonin’ her, not really. I’m gonna make things right between us, whatever it takes.”

“Good luck,” said Sunset, unable to think of anything more inspiring to say. “And if you’re ever in Canterlot, look me up.”

“You bet,” said Hollyhock, giving Sunset another quick hug. “We’ll see each other again, I know it.” 

“Goodbye, Hollyhock,” said Sunset.

“Goodbye, Sunset,” said Hollyhock, pulling back from the hug. She walked backwards a few paces, before her body turned to face away. Her gaze lingered on Sunset for a moment, before she finally managed to turn her head away and towards her destiny. Sunset watched as Hollyhock followed the path up to the top of the hill they had climbed to reach the farm. When she reached the top, she paused. Her head began to turn back around, but stopped, facing straight ahead once again. Hollyhock resumed walking, and the slope slowly carried her lower, until she had disappeared from sight. 

Sunset waited just a moment longer before turning around and beginning her own walk back. As she walked, her gaze drifted upwards, up to the starry sky above her. There, hanging like a spotlight, was the moon, showering the earth with its gentle light, and on its surface, the Mare in the Moon could be seen, looking down on her like a silent sentinel. “Keep an eye on her, would you?” she jokingly asked of the Mare. 

Sunset returned to the house, sneaking back in and returning to Hollyhock’s former bedroom without waking anyone. As she slipped back into bed, she saw that Nova was still sound asleep; she, at least, had had a peaceful night. Sunset laid her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes. This time, sleep came to her quickly, and she drifted off with a restful mind.





When she next opened her eyes, Sunset was greeted with the pale light of dawn sneaking in through the curtains. She rolled her head over, and saw that Nova was still asleep in the bed next to her. It was a rare occurrence indeed when she was the first of them to wake, Sunset remarked. She enjoyed the moment of peace, her body wrapped in the warm blankets and her mind wrapped in drowsiness, listening to Nova’s steady breathing.

Her peace was suddenly interrupted by the memory of what had occurred last night. She looked back over at the bed where Hollyhock had slept, now empty, the blankets laying messily on the mattress. Sunset wondered where Hollyhock was at that moment, and what she was doing. She wondered how she was feeling, going off to face the big, wide world all on her own. She also wondered if she had done the right thing, building up Hollyhock’s confidence and then giving her a perfect excuse to act on it. 

Her mind now abuzz with worries and doubts, she gave up trying to enjoy the moment of restfulness and rose from the bed. She hadn’t noticed it before, but she now saw that the framed photograph of Hollyhock and her family was gone from the dresser. She sighed, and went to the window. Peeking out through the curtain, she saw that morning had indeed come; she estimated it was shortly after sunrise. 

Sunset’s thoughts turned to Rosemary; she wondered if the older mare had already risen. Resolving to find out, Sunset quietly walked over to the bedroom door and snuck out of the room. She walked down the hall to Rosemary’s bedroom, where she saw the door was ajar, with no sign that it was occupied. Through the process of elimination, Sunset figured that she must have been on the other side of the house. She walked past the front door and over to the dining room.

She found Rosemary sitting at her spot at the table. Her expression was blank, her eyes staring off into the distance. Her forelegs rested limply on the table in front of her and her head was bowed slightly. A piece of paper lay on the table, a long note written on it; the writing had been smudged in several places by liquid. Sunset wasn’t the best upside-down-reader, but she was able to make out the words “Dear Mama” written at the top.

Sunset stood opposite her at the table, but Rosemary gave no impression that she could even see her. Rosemary’s expression betrayed no emotion, yet Sunset could not begin to imagine the mental turmoil she must have been experiencing. She felt incredible pity for the older mare, accompanied by a heavy guilt, for she felt that she was responsible for what had transpired. Sunset desperately wanted to comfort her, say something that would help to heal the damage she had caused, but she was truly at a loss for words. “I’m sorry,” she said weakly, unable to do anything more. 

“No,” said Rosemary dreamily, not even looking up at her. “Don’t say you’re sorry. You didn’t do this.”

Sunset gulped. “How much did she tell you?” she said.

“Everything,” said Rosemary, lifting her head to look at Sunset; her red eyes felt like they were looking straight into Sunset’s soul.

“I didn’t mean for this to happen,” said Sunset. “If I had known, I never would have encouraged her.”

“It ain’t got nothin’ to do with you, Sunset,” said Rosemary. “If anypony’s to blame, it’s me.” An unexpected chuckle burst from her lips. “When you first walked through that door, I thought you were wastin’ my time. I thought, how can this filly possibly help me? How can she do somethin’ I can’t? How can she see somethin’ that I can’t see? Turns out, I was the blind one after all, in more ways than one.”

“You couldn’t have known,” said Sunset.

“I could have, and I should have,” said Rosemary sternly, “on both accounts. I took her for granted. I’ve been lookin’ at her like she was still that little filly who thought I was the greatest thing in Equestria. I guess, as time went by, she just outgrew me. She became her own mare, with her own dreams. Meanwhile, I’ve just been stuck livin’ in the past. Maybe if I’d have treated her different, things wouldn’t have come to this.”

“What will you do now?” said Sunset. “Are you going to be alright here by yourself?”

“I’m goin’ to do the only thing I can do: pick up the pieces,” said Hollyhock. “It’ll take a lot of work to get things back to normal around here. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep things goin’ without her, though; I’m not as young as I used to be. But I’ll tell you this: I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that, if that day comes, she has a home to come back to. I just hope that she’ll still be the same young mare she is today.”

“We could stay and help you,” said Sunset. “Or, I could. It’s the least I could do make up for what I did.”

A small smile finally cracked the surface of Rosemary’s bleak expression. “You’ve already done more for me that I could have hoped for,” she said. “It might not have been in the way you expected, but you did what you came here to do. You stopped the blight, and I thank you for it, for everything you’ve done for me.”

“I can’t just leave you like this,” said Sunset. “I have to do something.”

“You can, and you don’t. Just go, Sunset,” Rosemary said calmly. “Get on with your life and leave the worryin’ to old mares like me. Just don’t lose yourself out there. Don’t lose sight of who you are while you’re out chasin’ a dream. Remember who really loves you, and never take them for granted. Don’t make the same mistakes I have.”

Sunset was torn; she wanted so badly to fix things, to make things right, and yet she knew that she could not. She had come there to help that family, but all she had done was tear it apart, and worst of all, they weren’t even mad. They had thanked her, both of them had, for what she had done. Sunset had so desperately wanted to succeed on her mission, but she had not imagined that things could have ended the way that they did. 

As Rosemary and Sunset silently gazed at one another, they heard the sound of a door opening at the other end of the house. Shortly afterward, a sleepy Nova wandered into the dining room, yawning. “Oh, Sunset? You’re up early,” she said. “Have you already made breakfast?”

“Nova, go get our things, we’re leaving,” said Sunset flatly, not looking away from Rosemary. 

“Leaving?” Nova said, a puzzled expression on her face. “Why? We just woke up. Did something happen with—“

“Now, Nova!” barked Sunset, louder than she had intended. 

The outburst shocked Nova out of her drowsiness, leaving her eyes wide and her mouth agape mid-sentence. She recovered quickly, adopting the same polite, reserved manner that she used back at Canterlot Castle. “Right away, Sunset,” she said, backing out of the room and scurrying off back to their bedroom. 

Sunset’s expression softened as she kicked herself for yelling at Nova. She looked at Rosemary, who had returned to the position she had been in when Sunset found her. If she wanted her to go, then Sunset would do so; it was all she could do. “Hollyhock still loves you,” she said.

“I know,” replied Rosemary quietly.

Nova soon returned, their belongings slung across her back. “I’m...ready when you are,” she said demurely. 

Sunset took one last look at Rosemary, the image of her sitting there burning itself into her brain. “Goodbye, Rosemary,” she said with all the sympathy she could muster.

“Farewell, Rosemary,” Nova said politely.

Rosemary looked up at the two young mares, a smile returning to her face. “Goodbye Sunset. Goodbye Nova,” she said sadly. “Happy trails.”

Sunset tore her gaze away from her and walked away, Nova following behind her. They left the old farmhouse, shutting the door behind them and beginning their walk back to their ship. When they had walked a few paces, Nova piped up. “Sunset, what’s going on?” she asked calmly. “Why are we leaving like this? And why didn’t we say goodbye to Hollyhock?”

Sunset sighed, saying, “Well...it’s a long story...”





The wind whipped up Sunset’s hair as she stood on the deck of the Opportunity. The light of the midday sun helped warm her skin, but did nothing to warm her spirits. A gloomy expression haunted her face as she stood there, looking down at the landscapes flying past them. Despite being miles away from Paradise Fields, Sunset felt as if she were still there, walking amongst the flowers. She couldn’t stop thinking about Rosemary and Hollyhock, and where their lives would lead them after her visit. 

The ship was currently traveling on a routine patrol route as they awaited their next assignment. Sunset had already written to the princess informing her of the completion of the mission. Her correspondence had been purely professional, relating that the mysterious blight had been eliminated and that the village was in no further danger. She could not bring herself to discuss the other issues she had encountered, not then at least. 

Her ears pricked up as she heard the approach of Nova Obscura, who had just come up on deck to join her. Nova said nothing at first, merely taking her place beside Sunset and joining her in her moment of silence. She took note of Sunset’s mood, her not being a very difficult pony to read. Nova knew, of course, what was troubling her; Sunset had told her the whole story on the way back to the ship.

“You can’t keep beating yourself up about it,” Nova said eventually. “You did your best to help them; that’s all that matters.”

“Yeah, well...my best wasn’t enough,” Sunset grumbled. 

“You chose to tell the truth,” Nova said. “The rest was out of your hooves. No one could have done better.”

“Celestia could have done better,” said Sunset.

“You can’t compare yourself to the princess, Sunset,” said Nova. “She’s...well, she’s the princess.”

“I’m aware,” said Sunset.

Nova sighed. “Rosemary and Hollyhock had their differences,” she said. “In the end, Hollyhock just did what she thought was right. Just like you did.”

“Yeah, and look how that turned out,” said Sunset.

“I don’t know what to tell you,” said Nova. “You’re smart, Sunset, smart and powerful. You’re not used to not being able to do things; you’re not used to not having all the answers. But ponies are ponies; in the end, they’ll do what they want to do. That’s just something you have to live with. You can’t just cast a spell and make others do what you want. Nopony can, not even the princess.”

Sunset didn’t respond, prompting a defeated sigh from Nova. “I hope you’re able to work through this,” she said, “for your own sake.” Nova slowly turned and walked back to their room. Sunset remained, looking out toward the horizon, still thinking about the ambitious young mare who abandoned her home and her mother to go off in pursuit of her own destiny.