//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Budding Rose // by RoseluckyCinor //------------------------------// “Rose, I just don’t know if there’s time for a gala dress,” Rarity said. A leaden weight seemed to dangle overhead, threatening to knock me down. Rarity had let us in to her boutique with no qualms. Only when we’d brought up the prospect of having a dress made did she start to seems a little hesitant. It had come to a boil when Lily flat-out asked if she could do it. “It’s fine, Rarity,” I said, not wanting to make a scene. Lily didn’t look happy with that: again she pleaded with Rarity. “Do you have anything you could just modify to fit her?” she begged. Rarity looked thoughtful and glanced around the room. When the two of us had started asking about dresses she’d taken us up to her workroom. The walls were lined with bolts of fabrics, stencils, cut-outs, and a plethora of other materials. An entire wall was taken up with parts and dresses in different stages of completion. “Could you piece something together for her?” Lily looked like she was on the verge of tears. ‘What an actress,’ I thought to myself. Rarity took to the closet, starting at one end and working her way to the other. It was sorted like the rainbow, red to violet. She stopped briefly in the blues to take out a cut-out colored a beautiful blue, like a sapphire. She trotted over to me and laid it over my back, so the fabric barely covered between my legs on either side. The fabric felt cold, like it had been kept in a cooler. It tingled my skin under the coat. Rarity was already looking for more color choices at the racks. “I really do hope I can help you, dear,” she said over her shoulder. “Anything you can do is good enough for me,” I said awkwardly. I felt bad that she’d had to do extra work for me already. Darn that Lily for inviting me to the Gala! Already she’d spent out of pocket for me when she didn’t have to. Sometimes she was my best friend but other times she was too protective. “Now,” Rarity said, snapping me out of my thoughts, “I was thinking of a nice blue dress to complement your mane.” She took a much longer piece of fabric and laid it over the first piece and left it to trail over my flank and tail. “Is it too heavy for you, Rose?” I shook my head. The second piece was just as blue as the first piece but had been embroidered in a floral design, sadly not roses. Rarity brought over a pin cushion and some thread, threaded the needle, and began to piece the cloths together. I sucked my belly in closer when Rarity started to work on the underside and she tsk’d me. “I need a looser fit, Rose. Nopony’s going to mind.” Reluctantly I listened to her and she began working again. “Who are you going with?” she asked, trying to start small talk. “Lily and I are going together,” I said. I noticed Rarity was blushing so I added, “as friends,” quickly. “I won two tickets,” Lily said from the side of us, “And Rose just had to go.” Rarity smirked. “I understand,” she murmured. “You know, I went to the Gala a few times, even with Twilight before she became a Princess.” “I never heard that,” I said, shocked. “What was the Gala like?” “Oh dear,” Rarity said, “It was pretty boring the times I went, so I stopped going. It’s a lot of stress setting up all the appointments and getting everything ready.” Rarity noticed me looking apprehensive. “But it’s a lot better now I hear. Twilight still goes of course, Pinkie too. Other than that the rest of us girls just stay in Ponyville.” “Are there always a lot of ponies everywhere?” I asked. The question had been hiding in my mind ever since I’d been invited along. “Yes,” she said without a second thought, “It’s the largest party in Equestria. There’s ponies everywhere.” I shrank down, worried about the party. “Rose, no,” Lily pleaded. Rarity looked at her, confused. “Rose is scared of crowds.” “I’m not scared of crowds,” I said, voice wavering. “I just don’t like them is all.” “The quickest cure is just to dive right in,” Rarity said consolingly. She offered a hoof to help me up. I hadn’t realized I’d fallen off my hooves to my side. My cheeks burned as I got up. “Sorry,” I muttered, face still rosy. “I’ve been telling her the same thing, Rarity,” Lily said, “But she won’t listen.” Rarity stayed silent for a moment, taking great care with the fragmented dress. She spoke, however, when she went to get another piece for it. “I don’t know if the Gala is the best place to get over her fears though,” she said. Rarity came back with a neck-piece and placed it over my head. She took a step back to where Lily stood. “Regardless of the idea of the Gala, I think this dress is a success. I just have to finishing attaching it. You two can run along. Let me help you out of it, Rose.” She stepped up next to me and took the dress by the front, pulling it over my shoulder and still damp mane. When I saw it floating in her magical levitation, I knew that it was going to be a beautiful dress. “I can’t thank you enough for doing this, Rarity,” I said earnestly. “I’m sorry I couldn't make you anything better,” she said. “This is already better than I could have imagined,” I admitted. I couldn’t help but watch as she placed the dress on a mannequin. “How much do I owe you?” But she wouldn’t hear a word of it. “It’s no cost, Rose,” she scoffed, raising a hoof to stop me getting my bits out. “I just threw some things together.” She shrugged. I grumbled silently, and felt Lily next to me. She was smiling weakly at me. “Rarity said it was fine, Rose.” She knew I was upset on the inside, but I had no idea how much of it I was showing and whether or not she may have been reading my mind. Rarity trotted off to a sewing machine and began to work, silently telling us that we were free to go. “Should we come back later?” Lily asked over the din of machinery. “Come back tomorrow afternoon,” Rarity called back. With that she turned her head from us and began to work dutifully on the cloths, fabrics, and gems in front of her. I turned and trailed Lily out of the boutique and onto the Ponyville commons. The sky around us was turning a deepening orange as the sun got lower and lower in its run along the sky. The ponies that remained outside were all either going to eat or playing with each other. It was an idyllic evening, perfectly matching the rest of the day. I felt now, with Lily by my side, that I could do anything and be anypony. Lily was stretching her legs out as we walked along one of the wide Ponyville streets. “You want dinner, Rose?” she asked. I could see a of hunger in her eyes as she spoke to me. A fit of hunger made itself known in my belly, growling and roaring for something to eat. Lily noticed it too and started to giggle. “I’d love to,” I said to not much effect. She and I both knew we’d be getting dinner together anyways. It would have been rude, I imagined, to not take up her offer anyway. She’d been so nice today that I’d have to make it up somehow. Lily was walking ahead of me, back to her house, giggling and swaying her hips merrily. How could I ever pay back this mare, my friend? She’d bought me a spa treatment and gotten me a dress. Now on top of all that dinner included. She really was too nice to me. Lily’s house was down the street from mine and a lot nicer. Instead of a studio apartment above her store she had half a house with Daisy. It had always made me a little jealous when I’d opted not to join them but we were all happy so it wasn’t a big deal. Daisy and Lily lived in a two story house, both bedrooms upstairs with all the rest on the first floor. I was sitting on the couch awkwardly. Lily had told me to stay put while she threw something together. The living room was sparse by my standards, at least of places to sit. They had a couch and a single seat next to it. Around the room were various potted plants, all of them in full bloom. In front of the couch was a coffee table littered with magazines and unused coasters. I picked up a magazine, trying my best to ignore the aromas coming out of the kitchen. There was something sensuous about the aroma coming across my nose. It was a savoury smell, a smell of something that you knew wasn’t going to be good for you at all but you just had to keep taking one more bite of it. My poor aching tummy wasn’t having any of it, and it wanted some food badly. Lily had been adamant in not telling me what she would be making, and I was dying to find out. The magazine I picked up was a girly magazine, Daisy’s I imagined, and was dog-eared profusely around the how to be attractive section. My cheeks reddened at the thought of what might have been going through Daisy’s mind when she read this. Luckily it wasn’t all about sex, and I found a decent article on how to style your mane. I skimmed it, thinking about the Gala. What would my mane look like? I had assumed that I was just going to keep it the same, but was that okay? I told myself that I’d ask Rarity what she’d do to it and try that. Rarity knew what she was doing. “Dinner’s ready, Rose,” Lily called from the kitchen. I bounded off the couch and walked a little faster than I had to towards the dining room they had. The table was large enough for four ponies, each on their own side. On two connected sides Lily had set up places to sit. In the middle were candles already lit which gave the room and warm and close feeling. I sat down, back to the kitchen, wondering where Lily was. She came up behind me, placing her head on my neck. “Hungry?” she asked coyly. I nodded. I had planned on saying yes, but something had gotten caught in my throat with her being so close to me and talking in that manner. I reflected on why as she placed two plates in front of us. She’d made pasta with a dark sauce that steamed, and what looked like clams as well. I’d never been a mare for seafood but if Lily liked them I imagined I could too. She watched me as we ate, never staring too long however. I looked away, burying my eyes in the pasta before me. I focused, instead, on eating and enjoying the food. But it tasted strange, unlike how it should. There was a bitter taste to it. “Is it any good?” she asked. My face must have said something that I hadn’t meant it to. I looked up to her and smiled. “Yeah,” I lied, “it’s great, Lily.” She smiled at me. The light gleamed on her bright smile. “I’m glad you like it,” she said. She took another bite, savoring it. She added, with a smirk, “Don’t forget to save room for dessert.” I swallowed another forkful of the clam pasta. I had to shake myself out of my head. Lily’s my best friend, she wouldn’t try to pull anything over on me. But questions still pestered me. ‘What’s happening right now?’ was all I could think of. I had to just keep eating, a pit in my stomach that I was hoping to fill with food. I looked back at Lily, she wasn’t watching me like she had. Instead she had her head on her hooves and was staring dreamily into the candles. A smile flickered onto her like the candlelight she looked at. Already I was relaxing, the food tasted better and I felt happier being here. When both of us had finished the pasta, Lily brought out the plates giggling devilishly. She left me sitting at the table, close to full, feeling incredibly warm and fuzzy. All the thoughts of Lily were gone, and now she was just my best friend again. Why had I ever thought she was up to something I wondered. She came back with a large bowl of ice cream, all different flavors, with chocolate coated strawberries littering the top. She only had one bowl, but two spoons. She placed it in front of me and sat back down. “I hope you like the sundae,” she said. I picked up a spoon and started to dig in. The ice cream was the perfect temperature, left out just long enough where it wouldn’t be frozen but easy to scoop. We had to work fast to eat it all before it would spill over the side of the dish and onto the tablecloth. The strawberries were a welcome difference in texture, to stave off a brain freeze. Lily didn’t say much of anything at all while we ate. She kept glancing at the candle and then back to herself. As the ice cream and the hunger faded they were replaced by a surge of sleepiness, and I excused myself to go lay on the couch. Lily nodded and hurried to put the dishes and such back in the kitchen. I sprawled out lazily on the couch, the whole length taken up by my body, hindlegs and head on the armrests. It was a warm and comfy couch, I reflected. One that I wished was in my shop instead of the old sagging one resting there now. I closed my eyes, wondering if I was going to sleep over at Lily’s tonight and get my dress in the morning. I heard Lily trot into the room, her hooves getting louder and louder. I wanted to say something, let her know I was still awake, but I was wiped out. The day had been surprisingly taxing for some odd reason, probably more so when I had been putting the roses for the Gala together than when I was pampered at the spa or with Rarity. The strangely familiar weight of Lily joined me on the couch. The only thing that pained me was when she rested herself right on top of me, squishing my stuffed belly. I giggled as her mane brushed up against my neck. She must have her head right above mine, I imagined. Why would she do that? Something strange brushed up against my narrowly parted lips. I opened my eyes in shock. Lily had her face against mine, eyes closed, lips touching. I reeled back in horror. She pulled back as well, eyes wide with fear. “What are you doing?” I squeaked out. I’d lost my voice suddenly. As if my mouth didn’t want to believe what had just happened. Surely it had been a mistake, she’d fallen, she hadn’t meant to do it. But Lily wasn’t looking at me, and she was blushing, I could see tears welling up behind her eyes. “Lily?” I asked again, louder this time. She murmured something I couldn’t hear. She was backing up against the other end, as if being next to me was poisonous to her. I tried to say something else, but I couldn’t. Everything was placing itself together. Of course she had liked me, how could I have been so blind? “I’m sorry, Rose,” Lily stammered out between lightly gasping breaths. She was up and over the side of the couch and landed on her back. The dam broke and she started to sob. “L-Lily,” I stuttered. My insides felt hot like an all too sunny day, but my blood was running cold as a river in winter. I swallowed every word I wanted to say. I had to get out of the room, out of her house. I leapt off the couch and started running. Running for home and safety from whatever had just happened. As I burst out into the cool night air I had nothing to do but process the situation. Why didn’t she tell me that she liked me? What if she loved me? The thoughts racing through my mind made me uncomfortable and queasy. I had never thought of the possibility of a mare and myself in a relationship, let alone Lily and I. But how could I have just left? What kind of friend did that make me? Lily wouldn’t have left me alone to wallow in sadness if I’d done the same to her. I stopped in my tracks in the middle of my street. In the distance I could see my place, warm and inviting. If I turned back now I would be in chaos for who knows how long. If I kept my course there wasn’t any chance I’d be able to look myself in the mirror again. I turned around, racing towards Lily’s. You’re so stupid, Rose, I admonished myself. I shouldn’t have left in the first place. I only hoped Lily was okay. When I got back into her house she was gone. I checked the kitchen, living room, and bathroom, all to no avail. Only when I got upstairs did I hear the light, muffled sobbing through her door. I tried the handle but it was locked. I contented myself with leaning my back against the door. “Lily?” I called out. The sobbing stopped for a moment. “Go away,” she said weakly. I sighed, hoping she wouldn’t hear. “Do you want to talk about it?” “There’s nothing to talk about. You must think I’m a pervert or something.” I shook my head unseen. “I don’t think that, Lily.” She must feel like the world’s against her, how could I do anything to help her now. A strange urge was building up inside of me. A compassionate glow begging me to say something to her, anything that could help her at all. “Two flowers can never be the same,” I started to say, the words were flowing without me even thinking about them. Lily didn’t know that I wrote poetry, but she knew I liked reading it. “You can bring them close, they’ll grow together, but more than that you’ll never see. Is it bad that they don’t meld with each other? Or was it the most beautiful that they stayed separate but together?” I heard something moving close to the door. “Did you read that somewhere, Rose?” Lily asked from beyond the door. She must have gotten off the bed while I’d been speaking. I smiled at her question and buried my head in my hooves. “No,” I admitted, “I just made it up.” The door opened a crack and I could see Lily trying her best to avoid my sight. “In that case it was really cheesy,” she said, giggling, tears still matting her cheeks. “You can come out, Lily. I still like you.” Lily still wasn’t catching my gaze. She sat down opposite of me in the other room, our backs against the same wall and I could see her through the now open door. “I’ve messed everything up, Rose,” Lily said almost calmly. At least she wasn’t crying anymore, that was a start. “I can’t believe I tried to kiss you.” A knot in my stomach flipped when she mentioned the kiss. My hind hooves pawed the floor while we talked. “I’m sure you had a reason,” I muttered. Lily mumbled in response. “I’m sorry I freaked out on you.” Everything I wanted to say just felt awkward and forced. I couldn’t help but beat myself up over the whole ordeal. If only I hadn’t been so blind to Lily in the first place. What kind of a friend am I? “Did you like me?” I asked. Lily looked up. “Rose? Yeah.” I swallowed my next question. Something deep inside of me wanted to know if she still did. Lily had stopped crying now, she was leaning with her eyes closed, drifting off to sleep if I had any guess. The only sounds came from the two of us breathing in our own emotions. “How did you know you...,” my throat tightened and I could even fathom speaking the next few words. My body shook with the force keeping my voice locked up inside. Lily opened her eyes and stared at me. Her gaze made it harder to speak. “How...” “Rose...,” she said slowly and quietly, “you can ask me anything.” I tried to speak again, couldn’t and gave up. I buried my head in my hooves again. There was no way I was going to ask Lily that question. I preferred the darkness covering my eyes afforded me, it wasn’t right in front of a pony who’d kissed me, the first pony ever to kiss me. I heard Lily dragging herself closer, but slowly. It made sense that she wouldn’t want to rush up to touch me in case I was still shocked. She was the most understanding friend I’d had. The familiar weight of Lily resting on me flooded into my head. All I could think about was her touch again. I could feel tears welling up in me. It felt like I was just a terrible pony for even thinking of asking Lily while she felt so bad herself. I could hear a small whine growing in my throat. “I’m sorry I’m a mess,” I said to Lily. My voice was wavering and weak. “Please don’t hate me.” “I would never hate you, Rose,” she said softly. “And if anything at least we’re both being messes together.” I wanted to ask her so badly, the question was burning in my head and clenching my throat shut with quaking fear. Lily rubbed her muzzle along my neck and it felt better than the massage. I took my head out of my hooves; I had to ask. “How did you know you... l-liked me?” I asked, forcing every word out. Lily scanned the room. “Um,” she muttered. Lily didn’t stop leaning on me, instead she pulled me closer in a hug. “I just realized that I had feelings for you, Rose. You were always there for me. I just started to fall in love.” Her explanation had a dream-like quality to it. The room was starting to get hot. I wasn’t sure if it was Lily leaning on me, she had never seemed to make me sweat before but I could feel the beads starting to form under my coat. “How did you find out you liked mares?” I blurted out. Immediately I wanted to take the words back and bury them deep. Oooh, she’s going to think I’m a creep for asking, or that I’m weird. Lily stopped searching the room and put her head next to mine. “I think it was just something I knew one day,” she stated matter of factly, like it was just as easy as that. “Why do you ask?” “I just... I never thought about it,” I said quietly. I hoped she’d hear something else and just take it as an answer. But she couldn’t hear it and she asked me to repeat myself. “I’ve never thought about it before,” I said louder. “But haven’t you...?” Lily began to ask, but she stopped and started to think instead. Around Lily and Daisy I’d never had any sort of romance, nothing to write home about. I had been a single mare all my life. It made me a little sad to think about that. Every mare and stallion I knew that was my age had been in a relationship in some manner, and I had nothing. “I never knew you were questioning yourself,” she muttered and pulled me in tighter. It struck me then how quickly the roles had been reversed. Why couldn’t I be as good as her? “I’m not,” I snapped back, harsher than I meant to. Lily seemed taken aback but she never stopped hugging me. “I just don’t know, is all.” “We can talk about this downstairs,” she offered. I shook my head. All I could think about was the awkwardness it would bring, how strange it was now. I felt lightheaded. I moved to push Lily off me so I could get up and get some air. I didn’t have to push her as she let go when I started to get up. “What’s wrong, Rose?” she asked. There was real compassion on her voice, but I couldn’t focus on that, or anything in the room. I needed nothing more than to clear my head. Lily stood back as I rushed down the stairs. Lily called out after me. “Rose?” I didn’t know what she was thinking. The room was spinning as fast as my head when I bolted out of Lily’s house into the now freezing night air.