Short Shorts

by Coranth

132. Lily

"I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no you or me, so intimate that your hoof upon my chest is my hoof, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close. Get well soon, Lily, my little one."

When Roseluck read the note - and saw the vase of flowers sitting upon the table in the kitchen of their home - she was furious! When David came home that night, after work - assisting Cheerilee with teaching foals at Ponyville Elementary - angrily, the mare with the rose cutie mark confronted him. "What is this?" she snarled, angrily. "WHAT IS THIS? After all the years we've been together... you're seeing another mare? You... you damn cowardly, dishonorable SWINE! Who is she? WHO IS LILY?" Enraged, as David looked on, she tried to do the things a furiously angry woman would do; she smashed their plates - but David simply repaired them with his power and returned them to their place - and then she tried throwing things at him - but anything she threw was caught and simply returned to its place.

At last, a resigned sigh escaping him - "LET GO OF ME!" - David picked Roseluck up and then hauled her struggling form over his shoulder with effortless strength! She screamed, she kicked, she struggled, she hollered... but it was futile; she could do nothing as her human love carried her out of their house, through Ponyville to... "Gentle Sun's Foal Hospital?" Roseluck read the well maintained sign. "What are we doing here? Is this where Lily works? A nurse, I'll bet. Why bring me here?" David glared at her, his gaze near murderous--but only for a moment; the human snorted, shook his head and then hauled the recalcitrant adult mare inside. After checking in at Reception as a visitor - and checking Roseluck in as well - David bade her follow--and when she didn't, a swift smack on the rump got her moving! At last, wincing in pain, Roseluck was dragged hooves first into Room 601-A where at last she was able to confront the mysterious LIly.

A softened gasp escaped Roseluck, then, as the poor mare near-wilted with shame. Never had she felt so low; so like utter scum. David had been seeing another mare, but not an adult. A foal. A poor foal, slowly, inexorably dying of Leukemia. Her coat was pale yellow, but her mane color couldn't be determined because - to Roseluck's horror - it wasn't there; it had fallen out as a result of the radiation used to try to fight the horrific cancer of the blood. David was already at little Lily's bedside, coaxing the foal awake with petting, caressing, tickling. Weakened eyes opened--but then, upon seeing him, the little one perked right up! "You... you came!" Lily rasped. "Just like you promised!" David nodded and then, "Who's this?" Lily asked bluntly. David placed the images of a rose followed by a 'lucky' horseshoe in her mind, and almost immediately, the little filly chirped, "Roseluck?"

Said mare nodded. "Yes," she said, "I... I'm Roseluck."

Lily's expression brightened. "Y-You..." the little one coughed weakly; then after David had her sip from a glass of water, she began again. "You're my new mommy..."

Roseluck, blinking back tears, struggling not to cry, softly stated, "Y-Yes. Yes. Yes, I'm your Mommy..."

Lily looked to David, her adoptive Papa. "C-Can... can you take me home, please, Papa. I... I want to go home..."

David stood, looked around the sterile white room. This will not be the last place she sees. She will not go here... he thought, and thus the decision was made. Despite the protests of Doctors and Nurses, David and Roseluck walked out of that hospital. They were stopped at Reception--but David, sadly knew. He held up seven fingers... and whatever the receptionist was going to say died in her throat. "I... I understand. An expedited adoption later... and for seven wonderful weeks, Lily was the happiest foal in the world, David and Roseluck her wonderful parents. Whatever Lily wanted, she got. Anything she wanted to do, the little family did it. For seven wonderful weeks, David and Roseluck were Lily's world and she was theirs.

But then came the beginning of the eighth week. Roseluck woke that night to find her side of the bed empty; realization dawned and she raced to Lily's room--to find her in David's arms, the human petting, caressing, rocking, whispering so softly that only the foal could hear... but she would never hear. Never again. Horror and sadness gripped Roseluck's guts, robbed her of ability to breathe, as she watched David walk aimlessly about the room with Lily in his arms.

The Dam knows.

And Roseluck knew.

Poor little Lily... was dead.

Her foal - whom she'd barely known yet adored with all she was - was dead. Roseluck gasped, choked, retched bile... and then when David sat down upon the floor, Roseluck embraced the human's weeping, trembling form, nuzzling and nosing gently at her foal as David stroked petted caressed Lily to no avail. As she allowed her tears to fall, Roseluck - Dam of Lily - whinnied her grief, long and loud. In Ponyville and Canterlot, mares held their foals close as a dark alicorn stumbled into her sister's room, weeping; then was caught in an embrace before both went abed, clutching each other tightly. Because they knew. All Ponies knew. When at last, all was said and done, David and Roseluck stood at the small grave beside their cottage. The plain, unadorned headstone read:

Lily

Bravest of Fillies. Brightest of Stars.

Author's Note:

Comments

[Oddboy]

All the feels.

All of them.

[Blade Star]

*unmanly tears*

Oh, sweet Celestia! I haven't cried like this since Snowdrop died.

[ninjanaut1000]

no matter how many times i read it it never fails to make me cry.