The Perfect Rose

by tom117z

7 - Rule of Three

Perfect Rose hated mornings.

Of course, she hated nights too. Why did she have to go to bed when she could be adventuring with Fluffy? It made no sense! But now she was sleepy and snuggled up to said stuffed manticore, and that was good too. So, the silly lights poking through her curtains could stop, because she wasn’t moving. Not an inch. She refused. No. It wasn’t happening.

The griffon opened her eyes, just a crack, seeing Fluffy staring at her in bemusement.

“Sleepy…” the young griffon muttered. “Shush…”

The manticore kept staring.

Perfect Rose grumbled to herself, turning her back on Fluffy and trying to ignore her favourite stuffed animal. She screwed her eyes shut, cuddling up to the pillow and wrapping her wings around it. It was too early, she just wanted to go back to the dream place where things were happy and fun.

Fluffy stared on, Rose feeling the glare on her back.

“Ugh! Fiiiine,” she moaned in defeated, sitting up and turning to give Fluffy a look of defeat. “We can adventure here, I guess. Where shall we go? The stairs of doom? Kitchen of yums? Oh! Maybe Mr Time Catcher has cookies?”

Fluffy’s lifeless eyes stared on in agreement.

“Cookies! Yay!”

Her lion-like tail swishing happily, Perfect Rose reluctantly released herself from her snuggly covers and nestled Fluffy comfortably between her wings. She vaguely remembered her being a little bigger…

Her Dad did say she was getting big. Maybe she would be as tall as the Princess someday? Oh! Or a giraffe!

Perfect Rose liked giraffes. But Fluffy was better, nothing could beat Fluffy.

The griffon hopped down from her bed. The thought of making it did briefly come into her mind. But then she decided that was boring, she had adventuring to do.

But where to start?

She looked around the room, which at present was neat and orderly, having been tidied by the family’s butler the night before as she was being put to bed. Her first port of call was a toy chest in the corner, the young girl throwing the lid open and placing her manticore toy on the side so it could see in as well.

“Storytime? Oh, but words are weird and hard.” Her parents kept trying to get her to read some, and she could do a couple. But the big ones made her head hurt. She preferred it when they read for her, they were awesome at stories! “Wonderbolts? Princess plushies? No. What about Mr Miney the Minotaur the Third? Gah, where is he…?”

She looked at Fluffy, the manticore sitting lifelessly on the side of the box.

“You’re right, Miss Fluffy! We need light to see!” she agreed to the voiceless reply. “Mr Time Catcher can open the curtains. Oh! Or we could do it! We’re big and smart, right?”

Rose took hold of Fluffy in her beak and turned towards the curtains obscuring the window to the outside world. That world mostly consisted of their own back garden, but to the griffon that was practically a continent in its expanse.

She stared up at the curtains, her eyes narrowing in contempt. It would be so easy if she had the glowy stuff that her parents did. She still didn’t entirely understand why she couldn’t do it, something about being a ‘griffon’ while they were ‘unicorns’, but she didn’t really get what the difference was. It wasn’t fair!

She did have the two feathered wings on her back, though. Like the Princess, or the pretty pegasus ponies in her storybooks! Her black feathers bristled with anticipation as she unfurled her wings, crouching down low like a predator preparing to pound upon its prey, her flank wiggling back and forth eagerly as she put all the power she could into her hind legs and jumped! Her wings kicked into action, the griffon soaring up and her talons made contact with the curtains!

And then she found herself hanging there, not entirely sure what to do next.

This had been a bad idea.

“Fluffy! Help!”

Fluffy didn’t move.

She gave a betrayed whine, her talons digging into the curtains as she hung on for dear life.

Riiiiip.

Perfect Rose plonked back to the ground, her eyes staring up in shock at the large gashes left in the wake of her descent, her claws having done quite the number on them.

“Uh oh.”

At least there was more light coming in now…?

Bashfully, and more than a little worried of those disappointed looks her parents would give her that made feel sad and like a bad filly, Rose took hold of the curtains from the ground and pulled them aside.

They opened without issue, letting sunlight grace the room in its entirety.

That would have been easier from the start, she realised.

Learning!

Eager to put some distance between herself and the scene of the crime, Perfect Rose started to slink towards the door to continue their adventure.

Only to find a new issue.

Reaching the door handle.

Crossing her arms indignantly, Perfect Rose gave off a loud noise that was somewhere between a squawk and a chirp.

“Oh!” she heard her father’s voice exclaim from outside. “Seems the rascal is awake. Time Catcher, we’re not ready yet!”

Ready? For what?

Perfect Rose hoped it was hugs. She liked those.

“Time Catcher!” Cash Counter addressed. “Distract!”

“As you wish, Sir.”

The door handle shifted, Perfect Rose taking a step back as the butler himself slid into the room and closed the door behind him.

“Hi!” Rose addressed cheerfully. “We’re going on adventures!”

“Good morning to you too, young Madame,” Time Catcher addressed, levitating the griffon up and placing her back onto the bed. “This is quite an early time for you, hm?”

“I wanted more dreamy time, but Fluffy was being silly,” she responded. “So, we went for adventure and cookies.”

“Cookies, you say?” he asked with a smirk.

“Yush! Cookies?”

He shook his head, not losing the smirk. “I’m afraid we’ll have to wait a few more minutes to find out.”

“Why?” she asked curiously.

“Just because.”

“Why?”

He raised his eyebrow. “Oh, we can play this little game all day long, but I think you’ll find my patience far supersedes yours.”

She went to argue, but then her brain flatlined as she tried to process the word he just used.

“Super- super… seeds? Do super seeds make super flowers? I wanna see!”

“No, ‘supersedes’. A single word, it means ‘better’.”

“Oh,” she said, her mouth forming into a surprised ‘o’ shape, or as much as it could given its beak nature. “Then why not just say that? Words are dumb.”

“Very,” the stallion jokingly stated. “But you will have plenty of time to learn all about them. Three years and counting, Madame.”

“Huh?”

His mouth formed into a wry grin. “Tell me, do you yet realise what today is, Miss Perfect Rose?”

She gave him a blank look.

“I see.” He hummed curiously to himself. “I suppose you don’t truly even recall this time last year with any degree of clarity, hm?”

“You’re using big pony words again.”

He chuckled. “I apologise. But what do you remember?”

“Um…” She scrunched her eyes, thinking really hard. But, to be perfectly honest, she used to have a tough time remembering things beyond a day or so. At least not important things, like who her parents were.

Weird.

“Fluffy forgot,” she claimed, shedding herself of all responsibility.

Fluffy sat silently in disappointment.

Time Catcher rolled his eyes. “Try not to blame poor Fluffy, she shouldn’t have to carry all the responsibility.”

Perfect Rose lowered her head. “M’sorry…”

“I assume she forgives you. But nevertheless…” he continued as he twirled a hoof idly. “I suppose it’s only natural, you are still young. I imagine you may remember more this time, though. If Sir and Madame play their cards right.”

“You are saying weird things and are weird.”

“Indeed. I’ll remember that when next dishing out those cookies you so desire.”

Her eyes widened. “But weird is funnyyy…!”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“We’re ready now!” came the muffled voice of Cash Counter from somewhere else in the house.

“Well then, it appears my job is done,” Time Catcher announced. “Do follow me, Madame. I believe your parents await.”

“Oh! Pony ride!”

The butler gave her a bemused, albeit endeared, look. “Oh, very well. I live to serve.”

“And Fluffy too!”

“Yes, and Fluffy too.”

“Yay!”

Time Catcher lit up his horn again, planting the griffon into his back as she held her favourite manticore tightly in her arms. With the both of them secured, Time Catcher turned and opened the door once again, this time making a swift exit while closing it up behind him again. The chick held a large happy grin on her face as she enjoyed her pony ride, Time Catcher moving slowly and deliberately so that his charge was both comfortable and having a good time. This was particularly prevalent as he started to descend down the stairs, making sure not to accidentally dislodge Perfect Rose as he went.

He made it to the ground floor, Perfect Rose’s eyes glancing in the direction of the kitchen.

“Yums!”

“Not yet.”

“Huh? Awwww. But yums!”

“That can wait, I believe you’ll forgive me for it.”

She huffed, disappointed as her stomach rumbled. What could be better than yums and cookies? Hugs and cookies? Why not both?

She was so caught up in her daydreams of hugs and cookies that she almost missed what awaited her as Time Catcher made his way into the living room.

Almost.

And she was very confused.

The room was decorated in balloons of all kinds of colours, a large banner hanging from the ceiling reading ‘Happy 3^rd Birthday, Perfect Rose!’. And to go along with this perplexing development, she spotted six ponies dotted around the room all wearing silly little pointed hats that were as colourful as the balloons.

“There she is!” Bit Collector announced, her grandfather blowing into a weird thing that made an even weirder noise.

“G-Grampy…?”

She saw both him and her Granny, as well as her Grandfather and Grandmother, both sets of grandparents giving her happy grins as her father and mother moved to flank either side of her and Time Catcher.

“Happy Birthday, sweetie!” Ebony Rose greeted jubilantly. “Three! She’s three!”

“I am…?”

“She doesn’t remember the last one,” Time Catcher explained helpfully.

“Well, it’s not too late for the dear to learn,” her Grandmother, Amber Rose, remarked. “Who wants to explain it to her?”

“I think that’s their job,” Fancy Mane mused.

“And ours to do the spoiling,” Gold Shimer added.

Perfect Rose blinked. “Huh?”

“Every year, you get just a little bit older,” Ebony explained to her daughter. “You did last year, and the year before. This is the day you came into our lives, so you get all the presents and cake you could ever want!”

“One day guarantee,” Cash Counter joked.

Now that got her attention. “Presents!? And yums!?”

It was like Hearth’s Warming! Again!

“Now she’s excited,” Cash noted upon seeing his daughter’s eyes suddenly light up and sparkle with glee. “We should have performed a full jump out surprise party!”

“And have a scared and crying three-year-old on our hooves?” Ebony deadpanned. “No thank you, dear.”

“Spoilsport.”

“Oh, enough with the hold-ups!” Bit Collector remarked. “We came all this way, set up all these balloons and party favours, and you’re talking about it? Give the girl her presents already!”

“You hear that, Fluffy?” Perfect Rose asked excitedly to her manticore. “We get presents! And yums! Best day ever!”

“It’s only just starting,” her father said, taking hold of the griffon and setting her down onto the floor nearby to several large wrapped gifts. “Take your choice, dig in!”

“We got a few things you might like,” Fancy Mane said with a wink. “Only the best for a grandchild of ours.”

“I’m glad you so think so, Fancy,” Bit Collector noted with a bit of ancient venom hidden in his words. “Funny how time can change one’s perspective, hm?”

Cash Counter quickly elbowed his father. “Let’s not bring up old issues, Dad. Don’t ruin it.”

“Sorry! Sorry,” he apologised both to his son and to a guilty-looking Fancy. “Anyway, open up! It’s all yours!”

Perfect Rose seemed somewhat… overwhelmed by this unexpected development. The adults just watched on as the young griffon glanced around in an attempt to figure out where to start. She seemed to turn to Fluffy to get her ‘opinion’ on the matter, causing them all to share a good chuckle as her parents stood back and started to speak in hushed tones.

“Well, I doubt she’ll be forgetting this time around,” Cash mused. “Speaking, walking… Soon enough she’ll be reading.”

“I hope so, we need to be sure she’s ready for kindergarten,” Ebony noted with a hint of worry. “It won’t be long.”

“They teach a lot of that anyway,” Cash assured her in turn. “But as is the rule of turning three, so begins the long grind of education.”

“She won’t be too scared with us not being around all the time, right?”

“Nah, she’ll be fine. It will be fun, she will get to make some friends.”

“One does hope,” Gold Shimmer remarked.

“What is that meant to mean, Mother?” Cash asked.

“There is a lot of talk around Canterlot. You know how the other nobles are,” she started to explain. “With the new generation soon to begin school, there has been gossip about our dear Perfect Rose. Some may not feel… comfortable with her being in the same schools the nobility send their young ones to.”

Ebony bristled. “Well, those ponies know where they can send their comfort. Our daughter will receive no less than the other kids do.”

“Would it not be such a bad idea to consider sending her to a school in the lower districts? With children not hailing from the nobility,” Fancy Mane added hesitantly. “I know after my first reaction to the poor girl I have little right, but the children and, more importantly, adults there are less likely to react poorly.”

“She may be more comfortable there,” Amber reluctantly agreed. “But no, she shouldn’t get any less than the other noble children receive. It’s just a question of where you think she would thrive better.”

“Bah, the other children should learn first hoof not to listen to their parents’ idle squabbling,” Bit Collector stated. “She’ll do fine.”

“Dad, maybe it wouldn’t be the worst idea to consider…” Cash Counter reluctantly said.

Ebony turned on her husband with a shocked expression, her voice raising enough to catch Perfect Rose’s attention. “Excuse me!? We will not treat her any different because she’s a griffon, Cash! You of all ponies-”

“Don’t start that with me!” he growled back. “I know full well, Ebony Rose. But frankly, I’m not sure I want our daughter to be around the foals of those fops who turn their noses up at the sight of us nowadays.”

“So what? We send her to an obscure school somewhere at the rear end of Canterlot as if we’re ashamed for her to be seen in public!?” Ebony asked indignantly, their respective parents starting to shoot them looks of concern. “No, Cash. I won’t do it!”

“Who is hiding anything!? There’s plenty of good schools in the lower districts!”

“Not to them! And if we start treating Perfect Rose differently, then how can we expect the rest of the nobility to learn?”

“Screw the nobility, they never learn!” Cash rebuffed. “Just because we send her to a different school doesn’t mean we’re treating her differently.”

“Oh, really?” Ebony questioned doubtfully. “Sending her to a school further away and out of sight? Sounds different to me!”

“She’ll be happier!”

“You don’t know that! And all that will be seen is we’re so ashamed we can’t send her to the same school, all but vindicating what they think! And then what, Cash!?” she shouted. “Then when!? When she’s grown, what then? How will those kids see her? How will anypony see her? What happens if we don’t give her the same as the other children!? And how could we even look at ourselves in the mirror if we give in to the pressure!?”

“We’re NOT doing-”

Cash’s shouts of rebuttal were halted in their tracks by a sob nearby, only now realising the horrified looks their parents were giving them. This added in with the look of disappointment Time Catcher levelled their way deescalated their argument immediately.

And for good reason, both Cash Counter and Ebony Rose had their blood run cold as their attention moved on from the other adults in the room towards the source of the sob.

And there, cowering into the carpet while holding onto Fluffy for all the support the manticore could provide, was a crying Perfect Rose.

"It's n-not my fault, is it?” she asked between tears, rubbing her eyes with one of her claws. “I-I'm not... Have I been bad?"

Both of her parents had a sense of shame descend down onto them, each immediately moving forward to scoop Perfect Rose up into a family hug between the three of them.

“No, you’re a good girl. We love you so, so much,” Ebony assured the tearful child. “We’re sorry for being mean to each other. We’re the bad ones, we’re sorry.”

“Adults are just silly like that sometimes,” Cash agreed. “You have nothing to worry about, honey. We promise.”

Perfect Rose hiccupped, expending a few final sobs into the coats of both of her parents before her eyes finally started to dry up. She was still shaking, though, frightened by the sight of her parents arguing so violently. She’d never witnessed such a thing before, and definitely never wanted to ever again. So, they stayed in their embrace a while longer, holding their daughter until she could feel safe again.

If she couldn’t feel safe around them, they’d never forgive themselves. They’d have failed her.

“Perhaps…” Fancy Mane spoke up. “On the topic of her schooling, allowing her the same education as the other noble families would be for the best.”

“You think so…?” Amber Rose asked the stallion sheepishly.

“Both arguments have their merit,” he stated. “Sending her to a lower school certainly involves less risk… at first. But Ebony is right that it validates our opposition among the nobility. They will never accept her. A school more local is a road perhaps harder travelled, but…”

“But nothing worth doing ever is the easy road,” Bit Collector concurred. “Nothing will ever be simple for her. But she should be allowed to try and earn their respect. If not her, then where shall such change occur?”

“Celestia knows what you think about our peers, son,” Gold Shimmer said to Cash Counter. “But… they’re not wrong. And this isn’t about you, it’s about that little girl there.”

“Yeah, it is,” Cash agreed with a sigh. “Alright, I concede. I still have my reservations, but yeah…”

“Honestly, so do I,” Ebony admitted. “I’m scared to death about what might happen there. But… She is nobility, and she’s our child. They have to deal with that, one way or another.”

“Are… are you too all better now…?” Perfect Rose asked.

“We were never hurt,” Cash responded, nuzzling her on the nose. “And you are the very good little filly, correct pronouns be darned.”

“Yay! I’m a good filly!”

“The best,” Ebony said, bopping her with a hoof playfully. “Our very special girl.”

“Well, perhaps ‘good’ is a stretched statement,” Time Catcher said mischievously. “She can be a little troublemaker.”

“Hey! I’m a good filly!” Perfect Rose protested with a huff. “Even Fluffy says so! See?”

“And that’s why I saw your curtains ripped up as they were when I entered your room, hm?”

Perfect Rose stopped. He’d spotted that?

There was only one thing for it.

“Run, Fluffy!”

She bailed, manticore in tow.

The adults laughed among themselves, selecting to forgive the griffon for her earlier ‘accident’. The argument was soon forgotten, and the child eventually returned from her brief scarper to open up her presents and partake in birthday cake and other treats prepared specially for the occasion. In all, the birthday soon became one to remember.

But the rule of three was in effect, and a whole new frontier awaited her in the coming days…

Comments

[JMP]

Hey, she can talk now. Wonder if she remembers the Zap Apples at all. Her parents do raise valid concerns, but as always, I agree the sentiment of "fuck the nobility".

[The Voice in the Water]

Perfect Rose continues to be an adorable little ball of cute.

But, oh my, do her parents need to work on their timing for their arguments.

[dzamie]

Ooh, she's growing. Her mischief increases.

[Yordna]

I feel the anxiety of Ebony Rose and Cash Collector. There's no graceful solution to this. Quite the edge-of-seat pageturner you're crafting, here.

Good work.

I wonder if Perfect Rose does that thing where she fluffs up if she gets embarrassed.

derpicdn.net/img/view/2018/12/20/1913367.jpeg

[Scyphi]

“No, ‘supersedes’. A single word, it means ‘better’.”

The English major in me wants to argue that point, knowing that's not what it means at all...but then we're talking to a child here that's not going to understand, or care about, the difference, so...

[LightningChaser04]

10271807
Oh.. what does it really mean then?