Roseluck lay down in shock. "Well, this is horrible. Just horrible."
Lily looked over the letter a second time. "S-so your, your...," she began shakily. She cleared her throat and steadied her voice. "So his other mare is head of one of the largest flower companies in all of Equestria? But dear, you had no way of knowing."
"I had no idea," Rose whimpered. "He just said she was somepony I didn't know who lived in Appleloosa."
"And the company thinks we drove him out of town to keep them from setting up shop here," Lily said.
"He knows what he didn't tell her," Daisy said through gritted teeth. "This is good old-fashioned revenge. And Vice President? I wonder how he got there so fast. I'm sure his love for Lady Slipper is totally selfless."
Rose looked through the letter again. "What do they mean by 'criminal'? We're not going to be arrested, are we?"
Lily answered. "I wouldn't worry about that. Slander's a civil matter, one pony suing another. It's only recently that the courts even deal with that. In Equestrian law, the judge is basically an arbitrator to provide a fair resolution. It's up to each side to make up their own case. In principle, I hate that lawyers get brought into it, but in our situation that will definitely be helpful. Now, if they could somehow prove we spread lies specifically to shutdown their business as some kind of hardball strategy, that's a crime. I'm sure that's what they're getting at with this letter, but we know there's no such proof. Besides, if they had any, they wouldn't be suing us first."
Rose deliberately kept her eyes off Daisy as she spoke. "But what do we do about this? The slander part of that letter is true...sort of. And we did want him out of town."
"Well, not so fast," Lily said. "Let's keep a lid on our assumptions and motivations. The facts of the case, as far as the court's concerned, will be whatever Ponyflora can prove, plus whatever we stipulate to."
"But we don't dare do anything other than be honest," Rose warned. "Everypony knows what happened."
"Correction," Lily said. "What everypony knows is their own little piece of it. It's up to us to put it all together. Of course we'll be honest, but we have to find out what's going on. Rose, talk to your new friends and anypony else you care to, and find out exactly what they heard. And don't worry about keeping the suit a secret. It won't be for long, and the other side is probably already out looking for witnesses. But be careful not to tell anypony not to testify, or if this case turns criminal, we could be charged with obstruction. Just find out what they knew."
Lily turned to Daisy. "Daisy, get with Fine Print about this. A lot of the focus will be on the exact words you used and who you said them to. I'll dig into Ponyflora and see if they have a history of shutting down competitors with lawsuits. If so, we may be able to get this written off as frivolous."
The three ponies sprang into action at once. Lily left first, headed for the Town Hall archives. Rose quickly arranged dinner with Cherry Berry, Sassaflash, and Caramel. At supper, Daisy reported that she'd spotted Fine Print with the mayor and made an appointment with him for the next day.
The following night, they discussed their findings and weighed their options. "From all I can tell, Ponyflora operates pretty squarely, no other suits." Lily said. "That Lady Slipper is a hard worker. Her company ran a heavy track at the start, but she kept going. It seems she tends to let her personal life control her business decisions, though. Outside of major cities, every store they've opened up has been in a town where she has family. Her parents retired to Appleloosa three years ago and she moved corporate down there. She must've had her eye on Ponyville because of Sunburst." Lily looked in Rose's direction. "My guess is he was stringing you along as backup until he got a proposal or a VP slot, and he ended up with both."
"I was a side dish," Rose said bitterly.
"So what'd you find out?" Lily said.
Rose gathered herself. "Cherry Berry heard that Sunny put me in the hospital; she doesn't recall who told her. Sassaflash only heard that he dumped me. She got that from Dizzy Twister. Caramel didn't hear anything at all, or if he did he doesn't remember. A couple other ponies I talked to heard I was mistreated, but they didn't assume it was physical." Rose smirked. "They still thought he was scum, though."
Lily was taking notes. "This is good news. Let's get Fine Print a list of ponies who heard things right, and wait for his clearance before talking to anypony else. We don't want to overstep here. Daisy, how did things go?"
Sullen, Daisy sat at the far end of the table. "Based on what I told Bon Bon, it'll be up to the judge. Rose, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I've doomed our new business, and what if this turns criminal?"
Rose got up to comfort Daisy. "That's only one possibility. We're still at the very beginning of this."
Daisy took a couple deep breaths in and out to compose herself. "It wasn't a calculated accusation. I meant it to be ambiguous but here's why: Rose, we knew you were depressed and that you were hiding things from us. When I talked to Bon Bon, it was just the day after you told us your story. What you'd said just didn't seem like enough to me. I wasn't sure, but I suspected he might have done something terrible. I didn't want to say too much, but I knew I had to get him as far from you as I could." She began to break down again.
Rose nuzzled Daisy's neck. "Daisy, if you hadn't done what you did, Ponyflora would have set up shop here, and he'd have found a way to put us all out of business anyway."
"Daisy," Lily said gently, "I know this is hard, but it'll help us out here. What, precisely, was said when you talked with Bon Bon?"
Daisy looked up. "I thanked her for her card and for coming to the party. I told her Rose really appreciated it. Then she said, 'I need to tell you, in case it comes up later, that I saw Rose with...him...going into his house the night before you took her in. Are they going out?' I said, 'Not anymore. You should have heard what he said to her.' Then she asked, 'He didn't hurt her, did he?' My answer was, 'Yes, I'd never seen her so upset.'"
Daisy turned to Rose as her story continued: "I started to say, 'When we saw her...' I was thinking of how you looked when you overdosed, but I knew that was inappropriate so I told her, 'I probably shouldn't say any more, but I don't think she'll be safe until he's gone.' I forget what name she called him after that, and that was it."
A beat passed, and then Lily spoke. "Rose, forgive me for asking, but if there's anything you haven't told us, now's the time. We'll believe your answer either way. Did he ever? That night or ever before?"
Rose's answer was firm. "No. I almost wish I could say he did, but no." Rose knew her answer didn't help their case, but she saw immediate expression of relief on Daisy's and Lily's faces.
A hug or two later, Lily composed herself and looked through her notes. "Fine Print isn't cheap, so we need to make the best use of his time. Let's all meet with him tomorrow. First, we need to make sure this stays in Ponyville, no changes of venue. Second, I'd like to get the hearing moved up as soon as possible. Ponyflora has plenty of money, we don't, so it's to their advantage to drag this out. And I want to call their bluff. They say they already have evidence; let's see it. Daisy and Rose, each of you put together a written statement for the court of what happened from your perspective. Recall exact words if you can. And we'll have Fine Print look them over."
Rose asked Lily, "What's our best outcome here?"
"I'm not worried about myself, since I was out of the loop on this. But I'd like to see you and Daisy publicly exonerated. Thing is, that would mean going through the whole process, which is beyond our resources."
"That's okay. Everypony who matters already knows the truth," Rose said.
Lily continued. "A settlement's out of the question. Sunb..., uh, the Plaintiff, won't be happy with anything that would let our business survive. So we'll want to get the charges dismissed somehow. But that depends on what evidence Ponyflora thinks they have."
"And we'll get that right away, won't we?" Rose asked.
"Probably not. It's considered good form, but in a civil case, discovery's not required until the first hearing. That's a holdover from the days when this was done through informal arbitration. But don't worry. If we can't get the case dismissed, we'll still have plenty of time to look over whatever they have."
At the meeting, Fine Print was amenable to Lily's suggestions and helped all three ponies put together honest but presentable affidavits for the court. In the days that followed, a few statements arrived from Ponyflora's lawyer, along with some newspaper articles, but nothing of substance. "That's a good omen," Fine Print said, "but we need to be prepared for anything."
***
The hearing came three weeks later. Sassaflash and Caramel met the three flower ponies outside the courtroom. Rose's face brightened when they arrived. "I'm glad you're here," she said.
"And we'll be here no matter what happens," Caramel replied. He watched Daisy slip into the courtroom. "You know I don't agree with everything that happened," he said, nodding toward where Daisy had been standing. "But none of you deserve to be persecuted like this."
"Thanks," Rose said. Her eyes searched the lobby. "Where's Cherry Berry?" she asked. "She said she'd be here."
Sassaflash gave an apologetic look. "She gets really uncomfortable in these situations. She told me she's not strong like you. I'm sure she's here in spirit." The pegasus reached up and patted Rose's mane. "But look at you. You're smiling."
Rose replied, "I know everything's going to be alright."
"Don't assume," Lily warned. "This is all up to the judge, and there could be a stunt or two pulled. It could all be over in an hour, or we could be in for the long haul."
Rose was unfazed. "I don't know what will happen, but I know I won't be alone."
Inside the courtroom, Rose got her first look at Lady Slipper, a tall and slender white unicorn with a silvery blue mane and tail. Her elegance was a sharp contrast to her burly orange earth pony consort. Rose felt an odd stir of emotion. What? Do I...miss him? At the very moment he's trying to destroy me? She reached over and put her hoof over Lily's for comfort. To her surprise, she could feel Lily trembling slightly. Lily met her eye and whispered, "Thank you."
Ponyflora's lawyer Tux & Tails spoke long and loud about the evils of slander and Ponyville's pattern of town-wide panics and misjudgments. He walked the court through the timing of the breakup, and the announcement in Appleloosa of Sunburst's appointment as VP. An article in Appleloosa's local paper had speculated that Ponyflora might have its eye on Ponyville a week before Sunburst's forced move. The lawyer asserted that the ponies' merger indicated a plan to monopolize the town's flower sales in the same way Sweet Apple Acres dominated Ponyville's apple market.
When Fine Print's turn came, he looked toward the bench as he began. "Your Honor, as you are well aware, this is the Honorable Court of Ponyville." He then directed his gaze to the plaintiffs' attorney. "And we have heard, at length, an outsider from Manehattan express his contempt for our fair town. Word spreads quickly here because we all know one another. Threats to the town are taken seriously because we care for one another. Ponyville collectively rose up to protect one of its citizens from a threat. I refer the court to Roseluck's written statement, in which you will find that Sunburst did indeed pose a threat to her. Though not physically abusive, an allegation that was never made or consciously implied by the defendants, his manipulation threatened her physical safety. You will find in the affidavit belonging to Daisy Wishes a statement that this was his pattern, and that he was known to hold grudges and, whenever he felt slighted, to seek payback."
"Objection," Tux countered.
Judge Gavel agreed. "Mr. Fine Print, please use caution in your words. The court takes it as a given that this case was brought in good faith."
Fine Print backpedaled a little. "We certainly do not wish to suggest that payback has anything to do with the case now before the court. But a reasonable fear of payback is what drove Miss Daisy's actions on the ninth of April. Again we refer to the affidavits as to the precise words she used in expressing her concern to a caring friend. This was not a business matter, and none of the defendants had any knowledge of Sunburst's connection to Ponyflora. This was, again, a matter of concern for a friend's personal safety. We have witnesses willing to testify as to what they heard that day, and to support the good character of the defendants."
Fine Print turned back to Tux & Tails. "What we have not heard today is the evidence the plaintiffs promised to provide that the owners of Ponyville In Bloom acted with intent to shut out a competitor, or that there was any reckless disregard for the truth in statements that Roseluck was hurt by Sunburst's deplorable actions. Out of respect for the court's time, I move that this case be dismissed for lack of evidence on the part of the plaintiffs."
Judge Gavel questioned Tux & Tails. "Thus far your case is entirely circumstance and hearsay. Do the plaintiffs have any evidence other than the timeline of events, and the affair the plaintiffs had behind the defendant's back, to indicate the intent behind Miss Daisy's statements?"
Tux spoke with resignation, "No, Your Honor."
"Do the plaintiffs have any evidence at all that Miss Roseluck or Miss Lily Valley had any involvement in the utterance or propagation of these statements?"
Tux replied, "No, Your Honor, but with more time to investigate..."
The judge cut him off. "You are not the police, Mr. Tux. This is a civil suit, and your original statement to the court said, 'The plaintiffs will provide evidence.' You have not."
Judge Gavel then turned to the defendants. "Ladies, you may go home happy today, but I advise greater caution in the future. This court makes no judgment about what you did or did not know, but the gossip you spread began already very close to an untruth and only got worse from there. This court takes a dim view of gossip and vigilante activity. Equestrian law holds ponies accountable when they harm others of poor character just as strictly as when they harm heroes. If your accusers could make their case, it may very well have cost you your company and possibly your freedom. As it stands, I hereby order this case dismissed without prejudice for lack of evidence."
Fine Print rose and was recognized. "Your honor, as you'll see in the motions, we have also requested that the court guarantee some distance be kept between the plaintiff Sunburst and my clients' affairs, in light of the unfair and adversarial action of bringing this unsubstantiated accusation against the owners of a fledgling business."
The unicorn judge levitated her gavel. "Indeed. Granted. I order Sunburst to have no further contact with Roseluck or any other owner of Ponyville In Bloom except with the court's permission, or you will face charges of harassment. This court is adjourned." The gavel fell.
It was all Rose and her friends could do to wait until they were outside the courtroom. Then they exchanged joyful congratulations and tears of relief.
***
Caramel caught Rose as she was leaving the courthouse. "There's a place Sass and I would like to show you, just the three of us." Rose accompanied her two friends through the alleys of an unfamiliar part of town. She quickly lost track of where she was. They had crossed a bridge at some point, so they were past the river. Soon she heard birds chirping and surmised she was nearing the edge of town, somewhere near the woods.
As they stepped out from between two buildings, the view suddenly opened up. Rose found herself at the top of a hill overlooking the woods just north of the Everfree Forest. "This is one of Caramel's favorite spots," Sassaflash said.
"It's breathtaking," Rose replied as she surveyed the sea of treetops. The leaves, blowing softly in the wind, were just beginning to turn their autumn colors, and the sight was framed by the brown stones of Rambling Rock Ridge in the distance. For an instant Rose caught sight of a red phoenix flying through the trees before it ascended into the sky and blended in with the setting sun.
"All this is alive," Caramel said. "This is what life looks like. It's good. And the trees and animals out there may not know it, but they're beautiful to us."
"Now just imagine the alternative," Sassaflash said. "What if all those trees were dead and bare, and the animals all gone?"
Rose immersed herself in her imagination. "A calamity. A valley of dreary nothingness. That's how I felt when I lost my aunt."
Sassaflash nodded. "And it's how we'd feel if we lost you. I never felt close enough to tell you when you were going through it, but I like to think of each pony's life as a story. In your story, you're the main character and only you see all the ups and downs. But if you were gone, it would be a tragedy in hundreds of ponies' stories all at once, even in those where you had only been in the background. A lot of ponies would never recover." Sassaflash then pointed out toward the valley. "Instead you offer us this."
"This is magnificent," Rose said. "How come I've never seen this view before?"
Caramel pointed behind them. "I don't know, you tell me," he said.
Rose turned around to see the back side of Ponyville Hospital. "It was right outside my window the whole time," she said to herself.
As they lay down in the grass to watch the sun set, Sassaflash put a foreleg around Rose. "It's no secret you're one of the most beautiful ponies around here," the pegasus said. "And I'm not just talking about the color of your mane. It's in your face when you smile. It's in your voice when you greet your friends on a sunny day. It's in the flowers you grow and the poems you write. You are a beauty factory for everypony in Ponyville."
Caramel smiled at Rose. "How's that for a definition?"
Her eyes still fixed on the trees, Rose saw the phoenix once again. "I'll take it."
***
The next day, Rose took her lunch time to visit Carrot Top. "I'd like to thank you for all you've taught me these last few months," she told her counselor. "But at this point, my support and my life lessons are coming from my friends, so I don't think I'll be needing sessions anymore."
"From what I hear in our little talks, I think you're ready," Carrot Top said. "So what's the latest thing they've taught you?"
"That life itself is a thing of beauty. You told me once that I could use my need for assurance and hope to help other ponies. If I can remind them of that beauty through my flowers, or by anything I do, they can find hope in that, and so can I."
Carrot Top smiled. "Okay, now I'm learning from you. Y'know, if more ponies had friends like yours, I suppose there wouldn't be much need for counselors."
"To me, you've been both," Rose said. "And you always will be."
***
Rose was waiting at the front desk of Ponyville Hospital as Dr. Hardy Spirit came down from the third floor. "How can I help you?" he said.
"I don't know if you remember me," Rose began, "but thank you for the advice you gave when I was here six months ago for depression."
Dr. Hardy looked her over for a second. "Yes, I remember you. You're quite welcome. I don't often get patients returning just to say thanks. Was there anything in particular?"
"You got me asking questions I hadn't thought about before. Everypony had different answers, but just thinking about how I live has helped me. I'm happy now."
The doctor gave a genuine smile. "That means a lot," he said. "But if I remember one thing about you, it's that there's more to you than meets the eye. Did you want to ask something?"
"Actually yes," Rose said. "First, if you ever need a volunteer to speak to the patients, so that they can hear encouragement from somepony who's shared their struggles, I'd really like to. They're the ponies nopony thinks about, but there are some things I can say that may give them hope."
"We're always looking for speakers," Dr. Hardy said. "The long-term patients tire of hearing me and the nurses all the time, and a real-life success story is always uplifting."
Rose's heart raced as she realized she was fulfilling her purpose. "Also, our flower shop has been looking for a way to show beauty to those who most need to see it. We'd like to keep the psychiatric ward supplied with flowers for decoration, and maybe put up a few poems, with new ones taking their place every so often."
Rose saw the doctor's eyes quiver as he answered. "I'll set up an appointment with the hospital staff. This is truly a wonderful offer. Thank you...thank you."
As he left to retrieve the appropriate paperwork, Rose thought back to her conversation on the overlook behind the hospital. "They're beautiful to us," she repeated.