Act II
What's the point? Everypony's going to believe Solace, nopony will ever believe me. Nopony will ever accept me, Roseheart thought as she laid on her bed. Solace will just continue to bully me and it w—
“Roseheart, are you awake? Solace's mother said it was okay for you and I to go to their house to sort all of this.” her mother said from the bottom of the stairs leading up to Roseheart's room.
“Yes, Mom, I'll be right down.” she replied, getting out of bed, tidying it, and proceeding to head down the stairs outside her doorway.
“Are you feeling any better, Rosey?”
“Mommmm... I'm not a foal anymore, please don't call me that. I'm not sure about my wings, but the rest of me feels okay.” Roseheart replied, blushing.
“Oh? But you'll always be my little Rosey, no matter what. C'mon, lets go see Solace and her mom so we can get this all sorted out.”
The cool, early-spring air was soothing. If anything, mom was wrong about having me stay inside. I need to be outside... I need to fly, Roseheart thought as she walked beside her mother. Solace's house, although her mother being the mayor of Cloudsdale, was exactly like hers—and now they were right in front of it.
“Mom?” Roseheart said.
“Yes, darling?”
“I'm not—”
“You don't have anything to worry about it's going to be okay.”
Arriving at the front door, they rang the doorbell. The mayor appeared a few moments later and lead Roseheart and her mother inside to the small table in the dining area. They waited for two minutes and then Solace appeared, coming down the stairs and into the kitchen/dining room.
The mayor must've told Solace that we were coming. I bet she has another great excuse this time and I'll look like a fool, Roseheart thought.
Solace took the last seat at the table.
“So.. are you feeling any better since that nasty fall I saw you took?” she asked.
Roseheart clenched her teeth together and let not one word slip from between her lips.
“Girls, we are here to settle this dispute before any more blame is put on the wrong pony,” the mayor said.
Any more blame is put on the wrong pony?! What? Does she think I'm lying about all of this? I should have known that— Roseheart thought.
Solace said: “Yes, Mother, before any more blame is put on the wrong pony. How are we going to figure this out?”
The mayor put her hooves up on the table and said: “We're going to sit here until one of you confesses. So you're better off telling us the truth now rather than wasting our time.”
Why does she have to look at me so much? It's almost like she's going to side with Solace anyway. Ugh, why does the rest of my day have to be ruined because of her? I could've gotten in tons of flight practice if she and her stupid friends would've just left me alone. This isn't fair at all, Roseheart thought, resting her head in-between her hooves.
Minutes passed as she stared at Solace, and Solace back at her, neither budging nor blinking. Roseheart's mind wandered away from reality. I'm getting tired of her pushing me around all the time. Solace and everypony else are always walking over me like I'm some sort of doormat. Solace doesn't even realize how much pain she's caused me. She's the one who deserved what she did to me. I have every right to make her feel how I feel, she thought. Finally ending their eye-to-eye confrontation, she focusing her eyes down at the table.
Solace finally broke the silence: "C'mon Roseheart, you and I both know what really happened. Just admit that you're lying and we can forget about all of this."
Roseheart's breathing accelerated and her heart began to pound nearly out of her chest. What? Why is she so mean? Why does she hate me so much? Why did she even pick on me? Why can't she tell them the truth!? Why?!
"Why can't you you tell them the truth?!" Roseheart bellowed, planting her front hooves firmly on the table. "Why did you even have to hurt me? I never did anything to you!" She got up onto the table and leaned in towards Solace. "How would you have liked it if you were enjoying yourself an-and I just came along and ruined your day?!"
Her mother replied: "Roseheart, please, get off the table and calm down."
Roseheart quickly turned her head towards her mother and said: "Shut up! You don't even really believe me, do you?!"
"Excuse me youn—" her mother said.
"And you!" The white filly yelled, turning her head and pointing her hoof at Solace. "This is your fault, you don't even deserve what you have. You're the filth, not me!"
Roseheart leapt off the table at Solace, knocking her off her chair in the process. She held her down with one hoof and hit her hard across the face with the other. Their mothers quickly got up and separated the two of them, but not before she did enough damage to her face. Solace had a small cut protruding from the crevice of her lips, a few other minor scratches, and a few small bruises. Her mother looked from across the room at Roseheart with an obvious expression of disgust on her face, as she held her daughter up to closely inspect her injuries. Roseheart's mother said absolutely nothing as she took hold of her by the hoof and left her defeated enemy's house.
As they left, a sudden fear took hold of her. Roseheart said: "Mom, I-I-I d-don't know wh—"
"Shh," her mom whispered.
Roseheart looked behind herself, watching the sun dip below the horizon as she walked along with her mother. It was all so fast. I don't know why I couldn't control myself. I even yelled at Mom for no reason at all. What's going to happen now? Why am I so stupid? Mom is the only pony that cares about me and I made her look bad. She's gotta be so mad at me right now, she thought, as she continued walking silently alongside her mother towards their home. It was shrouded in darkness: a ghastly silhouette. Her expression sank further and further as they approached it.
"Mom—"
"Don't say another word Roseheart, I do not want to hear anything from you right now. As soon as we go inside, I want you to go straight up to your room. You're honestly better off going to sleep," Her mother replied, taking the house-key from her satchel. She unlocked the door and they headed inside.
The young filly listened to her mother and quietly headed up the stairs. She walked through her doorway and crawled into bed. Tears crept down her face as she closed her eyes. Anywhere, I wanna be anywhere but here. Somewhere where what just happened doesn't exist. Maybe they'd be better off if I didn't. N-no, I can't think that way. Mom still loves me and she's all that matters. I wish you could be more proud of me Mom... Roseheart then drifted off into sleep.
As her body slept, her mind awakened into her dream. She was sitting alone in a vast and empty white space. No, she wasn't alone. In the distance, she could barely see somepony. Her focus on the object intensified. Her eyes opened wide and a smile appeared on her face as she recognized who it was: It was her mother.
"Mom!" she yelled, starting to gallop towards her.
The gallop intensified until Roseheart launched herself into the air, now flying increasingly faster towards her mother. She started to seem farther and farther away. Roseheart flew faster toward her mother.
I'm not going fast enough, I need to go faster.
She accelerated even faster than she ever had before.
I have to reach you, Mom, I just have to.
Finally, it looked like her mom was no longer moving away. Roseheart leaned into a dive and stylishly landed just in front of her mother. She grinned and jumped into her mother's warm embrace.
"I love you, Mom," she said.
Her mother replied: "I love you too, Rosey,"
Roseheart suddenly awakened as the sunlight invaded her room through her window. She got off her bed and tidied it up as she always did in the morning. She walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where her mother was.
"Good morning, Mom," Roseheart said, before looking over at the table.
Where her mother usually was.
"Mom? Where are you?"
No answer.
Maybe she realized that we were out of food and decided to go to the store or something, she thought, walking over to the refrigerator.
"The refrigerator looks pretty full actually, that's weird."
Maybe she left me a note?
Roseheart searched around the kitchen for any type of note, however she wasn't able to find one.
Mom will probably be home soon anyway, I should just go sit on the cou—wait, today's Monday. Shouldn't I be at school already? Whatever, she must have a good reason for keeping me home. It's not like we're forced to go anyway.
As she was heading over to the couch, she noticed a folded sheet of paper on the end table.
Oh, this must be the note she left.
Roseheart opened the note and read it:
My Darling Rosey,
I'm afraid that I must be very blunt with you: I am leaving and I'm not coming back. You're too young to understand why, but that's okay, one day you will understand why I had to do this. I'm telling you, this isn't easy for me at all. I love you, I really do, but it's time for you to be on your own and be a big strong filly for me, okay? I know things have been tough since your father died. I just can't bare any of it anymore. None of this was your fault. You're such a lovely pony, your father told me that the day that we took you home. Please stay strong and stay the beautiful pony that you are on both the inside and outside. I never meant for it to be this way, I'm so sorry Rosey. I love you so very much.
With all the love in my heart,
Mom
Tears were streaming down Roseheart's smooth face as she dropped the note and collapsed onto the ground, taken over by the feelings that now enveloped her very being.