From the Chrysalis

by Extragoto10line

1.1 In The Beginning

My cocoon tightens, colors tease,
I'm feeling for the air;
A dim capacity for wings
Degrades the dress I wear.

A power of butterfly must be
The aptitude to fly,
Meadows of majesty concedes
And easy sweeps of sky.

So I must baffle at the hint
And cipher at the sign,
And make much blunder, if at last
I take the clew divine.

-Emily Dickinson (Time and Eternity, Poem 6: From the Chrysalis)

Lillith slowly opened one green eye, then the other. She rolled over and gave a slight groan into her pillow as she contemplated if it was worth getting up this evening. She knew she needed to try to make it into Dragonfly Village today, if only to acquire her latest list of gardening supplies and groceries.

If the ponies will even give me the time of day...

Lillith knew the moment she reached town many merchants would suddenly decide that it was time to close and go home. One or two might stay open if she had her large list rolled out, not for love of her but love of the coin she would spend. They also knew they could mark up anything she bought because her options in vendors was somewhat limited.

Lillith shoved her muzzle into her soft Griffin-down pillow and made a frustrated sound. She knew it was time to get up if she had any hopes of making it to the market. Maybe more vendors would stay open for her this time.

Right. Maybe I'll grow a lovely horn to match my wings too.

With a heavy sigh and a few choice words that she would never mutter in polite company she pushed
herself off her bed and into her water room. Tonight would not be a good night.

After her shower Lillith started to slowly brush out her straight, long mane. She considered her reflection in the mirror. Her almost perfectly white coat was enviable by most standards, if a bit difficult to keep clean. Her green eyes were clear with a feminine arch and long natural eyelashes.
Her mane and tail were a lovely shade of teal with very fine lines of sea green. Her Flutterpony wings were a faint white, with a swirling look to them similar to a fine pearl. She was a lovely pony by most standards. Soft, feminine, lovely really. Her eyes fell to her cutie mark and she made a sad sigh.

No, her looks were not what caused the Flutterponies of Dragonfly to avoid her. It was the dark purple flower and berries on her flank. She remembered the day that flower had appeared, how delighted she was to know her purpose. At last she had her cutie mark! Her joy was short lived as she told people what the flower meant to her.
Lillith was very talented with the Nightshade flower and it's berries. She could make them grow like no other pony could. She could make tonics, medicines, teas, and all kinds of things from this plant that were of great value. But the ponies of her village didn't understand this, all they saw was the poisonous plant that every young foal is encouraged to avoid. Lillith had not listened to her teachers when they had told her to avoid the plant and it's deadly berries.

She had harvested some of the wild plant and brewed up a simple potion and much to her parents horror, she drank it. She didn't die but it did cure the cough she had at the time. So she started to experiment with this unusual flower, not understanding the looks given to her parents. When her cutie mark appeared she knew this was what she was meant to do. She just didn't know it meant never having friends again. One by one her foalhood chums stopped speaking to her, many making a obvious effort to avoid her. Finally, having had enough she cornered a former friend and demanded an answer.

Her friends thought she was a freak. To be able to drink something that was 'poisonous' wasn't natural, wasn't normal. She had to be different, had to be possessed or maybe not even a real pony. Nopony should be able to drink that, much less like it.
So Lillith learned the hard truth the hard way. She was an outcast, rejected and avoided for the cutie mark and flower she loved so much.

Enough. The past is the past. I need my supplies more than I need to mope about things I can never change. Time to go.

With resolve she ran her brush through her mane one last time, grabbed her packs, and set off for the market and the ponies of Dragonfly Village.

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It was evening by the time Lillith made it into town but several merchants were still there. Many closed up as soon as she came into sight but a couple stayed open, their eyes reflecting their suspicion as well as their greed.
She was able to get her supplies, though at a much higher rate than any other pony would or should be charged. Lillith was used to this but it never ceased to irritate her. After her last stop to grab some groceries she made her way back to her cottage.

Money was never the problem, she always had plenty of bits. Her parents had been very wealthy and liked. When they had passed away they had left her the summer cottage on the hill as well as her childhood home and a substantial amount of coin. The home in town brought back too many memories of her parents as well as the scorn from her classmates so she had sold it at a very good price, further increasing her savings. She lived in the small cottage outside of town, where she would not be bothered and could keep to her own schedule.

She lived modestly, had no special somepony, foals, or pets. She rarely spent bits on anything but supplies and her flowers therefore she still had a small fortune to work through before she would ever be in financial trouble. No, money was never the problem.

It's the way they treat me. The way they look down their noses at me, the way they think they're better than me. What makes a rose so wonderful? Or a lily? The way they shine in Celestia's sun?
My nightshades look just as lovely in Luna's moon, if not more beautiful!

Lillith shook herself. No need to get worked up over something that would never change. They were set in their ways just as she was in hers. Let them be stuck up, why should she care? Their opinion meant nothing to her. She could only be who she was. With a decisive nod Lillith made her way back to her little cottage, her garden, and her life.

Author's Note:

Edit: I've decided the next chapter will be a bit more back story, just to give everyone a feel for Lillith.

The first few chapters won't be very gory but later chapters are going to be graphic, so I'm giving you fair warning now.

Will update as I can :)

Comments

[Diamond Sparkle]

You just got your first follower.

[Extragoto10line]

Thank you! Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it