//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Desert Rose // by Lithe Kamitatsy //------------------------------// “I’m telling you, it DOES exist!” “Rose, you’re crazy! There’s no way a flower can exist without needing water.” “Why do you think it’s called the DESERT rose, Daisy? Deserts have NO water!” “Which is why it doesn’t exist.” Rose sighed as she looked at her two friends. Ever since she had read in a fantasy novel that there was a beautiful type of rose that only needed sunlight, Rose had become obsessed with finding it. She was CONVINCED it existed, and was going to add it to her rose garden. “You know, it wouldn’t hurt to be a little more supportive. The way the novel depicted it was beautiful- it had white petals with rouge rims, and when it blossomed it unfurled to look just like a star...” Rose gushed, stars in her eyes. “Rose, do you have ANY idea how ridiculous that sounds? There is no flower like that!” Daisy yelled. “All you’re doing is setting yourself up for disappointment!” “Ugh, would it kill you to say, ‘Gee Rose, that sounds great! I hope you find what you’re looking for,’ or maybe ‘Wow Rose! That sounds incredible! Why don’t we help you?’ I mean, you two ARE my friends, right?” Rose said, bothered by not receiving even the slightest bit of support. “Of course we are, Rose! We just think that going after some flower you read about in a novel isn’t exactly the best idea.” Daisy said truthfully. Lily trotted up to Rose, and let out a small sigh. “Look Rosie...we don’t want to see you get yourself hurt over something that doesn’t exist,” Lily said, placing a hoof on her shoulder. Rose shrugged her off. “I’m going to prove it to you both. I’m going to find that rose, and I’m going to bring it back here,” Rose then smirked slightly “...and if I do, you have to apologize AND take care of my garden for a month.” Not wanting to back down from a challenge, Daisy stepped forward. “Fine, you’re on. If you come back empty-hooved, you have to admit that you were wrong and you have to take care of BOTH our gardens for the next month,” Daisy said, returning the challenge. “It’s up to you. You can back out now, and we’ll just let this go.” Lily stood by Daisy, a look of concern adorning her face. Daisy then raised a hoof. “So what’s it gonna be?” Rose stared at Daisy’s hoof for a moment, and smirked. “You’re on,” she said, shaking hooves with Daisy. “You have one month.” Daisy said. “If you’re not back with this rose in hoof in one month, you lose, got it? No crying if you fail.” “Gotcha.” With everything said and done, Rose set off to do research. *~*~*~*~* Rose rummaged through every book she had in her house, but couldn’t find a single thing on the desert rose. “Ugh! It shouldn’t be this hard to find something this simple!” A thought crept into her mind. What...what if they were right? What if it DOESN’T exist?! Rose shook her head. No! I can’t give up so soon! I’m going to show those two that the desert rose exists! She began to look through her book-shelves with a renewed vigor. Heh, I can’t wait to see the look of shock on their faces when I bring it back and they’re tending to my garden for a month. This is gonna be great! She stacked up every single volume, document or guide on rose breeding she owned on her coffee table, and sat down. “Time to get reading!” *~*~*~* Rose woke up with a start, realizing she had fallen asleep. She looked out the window, and saw that it was already dusk. “Wow...how long was I out?” She looked at the stack of books and documents to her left- she hadn’t made a dent in the stack. “...I didn’t even make it past the first page...” she muttered, face-hoofing at her own stupidity. “Okay. Time to seriously crack down!” She grabbed the first document, and burned through it, pushing it aside a moment later. Nothing. She grabbed the next document off the stack, and did the same with the document before it. Nothing. This process went on for another two hours, Rose growing more and more frustrated by the moment. “Augh! I’m not finding anything! Oh, what did I get myself into...” She then let out a defeated sigh, and stood up from her table. “Maybe if I go find Daisy and Lily, they’ll let me back out of this deal...” she murmured to herself. She then looked up at the mound of papers and books, feeling even more defeated. “I think I’ve gone through more books than Twilight does on an average-” A thought struck her like a lightning bolt. Twilight! Twilight has an ENTIRE LIBRARY’S worth of information! Maybe she can get me the information I need! I wonder if she’s still open... Rose hurried out of her house, shutting the door and locking it behind her, hurrying off for Ponyville Library. Within minutes, she was at the doorstep. She knocked a few times. “Coming!” A voice said from within. A few moments later, Twilight appeared in the doorway. “Oh, hello Rose. Is there something I can help you with?” “Hi Twilight, and yes there is. Do you mind if I come in?” “Not at all.” Twilight backed up, letting Rose enter. Rose walked in and made her way over to the table resting in the common area of the library. “So what can I help you with, Rose?” “There’s a certain rose I’m trying to find, and I need your help doing so.” “Oh? Which type?” “It’s called the ‘desert rose.’ From what I hear, it doesn’t require water to live, only sunlight.” “Hmm...that does sound familiar. I think I read about it in-” Don’t say novel, don’t say novel, don’t say novel! “-one of those novels...” Of course. Rose groaned inwardly. Twilight then got up from the table, a hoof to her chin, beginning to move towards one of the many bookshelves. “I think I might’ve read about that in a history book...” Twilight immediately climbed one of the ladders, stopping in front of the section labeled “HISTORY.” She perused the titles, and found the one that she remembered. “I think this is the one.” She used her magic to pull it off the shelf, and levitated it down to Rose as she climbed down the ladder. Rose examined the cover. “‘History of Appleloosa: An Appealing Appendix of Astounding Agriculture’...” She read aloud as she touched the cover with a hoof. Twilight moved up next to her, and flipped the cover open. The two pored over the text, flipping page after page until Twilight found something. “Here...it says, ‘The adenium multiflorum, or desert rose, is considered to be a succulent plant, meaning it retains water within itself, requiring only sunlight.’ So it does exist!” “A-HA! I knew it! I already can’t wait to see the looks of shock on their faces!” Rose chuckled evilly, rubbing her hooves together. Twilight looked up. “That’s not all, though. It says here it is indigenous to the outer regions of the Mohayve Desert, right near Appleloosa. The problem is, is that the entire area is completely surrounded by vicious sandstorms, and the only way you can get to it is if you have a coat thick enough to withstand the constantly moving sand.” “Appleloosa, eh? Simple enough. I’ll figure it out. Thanks Twilight!” Rose said as she got up from the table, grateful for the new wealth of knowledge. She hurried home, and began to pack for her trip the next morning. Tomorrow, it’s Appleloosa or bust! I’m gonna go over there and get that rose. That’ll show them I wasn’t just being crazy! They’ll see. Rose laid down in bed, and quickly fell asleep, eager to begin her journey.