When Lingual Rose awoke, her eyes had to blink several times to adjust to the harsh brightness of the day. She saw the sun beaming down upon her as it never had before. It looked like a lovely summer day, which made the pony smile. She laughed and stood up slowly, flexing out her legs and her wings. They looked lovely in the summer sun; they had the color of mint ranging to a dark forest color at the tips of the feathers. She yawned and wondered why she had just done so. Perhaps she had slept well the night before. Smiling, she went for a fly.

Extending her wings, she took off in an instant, leaving only a cloud of dust behind her. The pegasus sped up towards the clouds above, her pony tail flying back behind her as she rose. The yellow gem that held the end of the ponytail glimmered in the sun as she rose higher and higher still, as if Icarus had ascended once more. Finally, when she was amidst the clouds, she began to flap in place, taking in all of the scenery around her. The sky was a lovely clear blue this day and the clouds seemed all the more white and fluffy for it. Laughing once more, she settled on one of the clouds. Her hooves adjusted, as only a pegasus' hooves could, to the density of the cloud and allowed her to maintain a standing position upon it.

Looking down upon the crowd below her, Lingual Rose studied all of Ponyville. Then, it dawned upon her that something was missing. For a long moment, she puzzled upon it. What could be missing from this wonderful day? Then, as she gazed down, she saw a lovely pink earthpony with a lily in her hair. Flitting her wings, Lingual Rose flew up from her cloud and smiled widely. She flew directly downward like a falling comet and continued to descend downward without any thought to her safety. Then, as she never had before, she landed like a professional flyer upon the ground, wings proudly displayed for all the world to see. She smiled.

Working quickly, the pony scanned the crowd for her friend. Within the instant, she found what she was looking for. A pink pony with a golden mane stood in the town square, selling her usual flowery wares. Lingual Rose trotted up to her confidently, grinning like a fool. As she approached she yelled:

"Hey there, pretty pony!"

The other turned her attention to her, and smiled when she saw who it was. With a hoof extended, she held out a lily for the pegasus to sniff. Lingual Rose did so and sighed deeply, as if inhaling and digesting the scent. This time, when she reached out her hoof, the earthpony did not turn away but instead up her own hoof on top of the other's. Her eyes closed gently, as though she were savoring the moment.

"Hello darling," said the earthpony, her eyes sultry and sweet.

Lingual Rose felt her heart flutter and she hugged the other, feeling her soft body against hers. It felt right. Blinking, she drew back to look upon her lovely lily. As ever, she was smiling and happy. Lily gestured for Lingual Rose to follow her and together they walked side by side through town. The sun beat down in all its glory as the day went on and on. It almost seemed never ending. Then, the green pegasus began a conversation.

"So, Lily, how was work today?"

Lily responded that it had been wonderful.

"Lily, did you know that my hydrangeas can go over a week without water? I specially bred them so that they would…"

"Hey, darling, Lily-billy, did you have time tomorrow for…"

After many questions and many short responses from the pink earthpony, the conversation grew sullen for a moment. Then, giggling, Lily said:

"You know, I don't think I've ever heard you so chatty, Lingual Rose."

The pegasus stopped dead in her tracks. Lily, seeing that her partner had stopped, did so as well, though she urged her on even as she did so. The green pony felt her heart quicken in her chest and counted every heartbeat. (Beat). Yes, that was right…. (Beat). She had never spoken so much before… (Beat). And, in English no less…. (Beat, beat, beat). Lingual Rose pushed away from Lily and the image before her faded entirely. The bright sun went black and the world grew cold. Suddenly the world became encased in thorns. The image of Lily began to snicker as Lingual Rose ended her happiest dream.

All the while, the real Lily had been running around the garden frantically, screaming her head off. She wasn't sure what exactly she should be doing. The vines still held her friend far above her head and she had neither the magic nor the power of flight to go up and release her. After a few hours, she saw that within the cocoon of vines her friend had started to twitch and move. The golden eyes of the earthpony brightened; Lingual Rose was alive still! So, there was hope yet for them. Lily, though frightened of confrontation and violence, began to kick and bite at the thorny vines. She winced as they attacked her in return, slashing at her with their thorns. She wanted to cry and run, but knew she could not.

Thinking quickly, Lily thought of one thing she could do, the only thing really. Using all of her mustered strength she began to scream, but this time for a purpose.

"Lingual Rose! Lingual Rose!"

The tiny pink pony began to weep as the vines attacked her ever still, but she would not cease her screams. Something had to appeal to the creature inside of that cocoon. For all her physical weakness, she could not and would not surrender. How could she?

From inside the cocoon, Lingual Rose had already ended her wonderful dream and, instead, had woken up to a nightmare. All around her the darkness entered, whispering sweet nothings into her ear. She wept and wept, knowing the cold truth that Lily would never return to her. Not only that, but that even if Lily did return she would not have the strength to repel the roses, so that she could be with the one she…

The roses began to mock her in every language they could conceive, chanting and cursing her as she struggled to maintain her sanity. Suddenly, admits the noises of Swedish, Swahili, Japanese, and Korean, there came a sweet call of English. It wasn't the language that made her happy so much as the meaning it relayed and represented.

"Lingual Rose! I'm here! I'm here!"

The voice was instantly recognizable. It had to be Lily. Upon this revelation, some part in the nightmare infested mind of the pegasus started and paused. Lingual Rose, from in her stasis, recognized this sweet call. Hope began to swell within her; it was true after all. Lily had returned for her! Whether this represented anything remained to be seen, but for now the pony, still trapped, could pause and see what happened. From the outside, the pink earthpony saw that the vines had also paused. It was obvious for the vines were no longer whipping at her. Seizing this opportunity, the earthpony had the idea to call out some more. All the things that she had been thinking, all of the emotions that she had kept to herself, began to ebb and swell until the wave came crashing upon the shore.

"Lingual Rose, it's me Lily. I'm sorry I left you, I really am. I just want you to know how much it hurt me too. I cried for days!"

At this, her eyes began to tear up. From within the cocoon, the pony seemed to be continuing the pause, as if waiting for Lily to continue. Her mind, still plagued by all the doubts and fears not only of her relationship, but of herself as well. The mind of the pegasus was racing with these doubts, letting all the languages mingle as they went. The endless void of her doubts was bubbling with anticipation, as if it would burst at any moment. One bubble, growing in size and strength, questioned the validity of the other pony's statements, but the hope that she felt quickly overwhelmed it. Deep down, from somewhere in the abyss, there was a spark of light. And it longed desperately to be validated.

"You are my friend, Lingual Rose!"

At this, almost immediately, the vines tightened around the cocoon and began to grow restless once more. The pink pony dodged one that swooped down upon her and one from her right as well. She could not afford to be taken down by such a thing at this moment. If she did, she would never be able to confess how she really felt. Based on the reaction she got when she used the word "friend" before, there could be no more waiting. So, from within her heart, which longed to be free once more, she sang out:

"I love you! I love you, Lingual Rose!"

There was no reaction at first, although the confession had been quite heartfelt. The pink earthpony, gazing up above at her friend, waited in anxious dread for some sort of reaction. For some reason, and no reason at all, she lingered at her spot for something awe-inspiring. There were words that this pony longed to hear as well. For any bird can call out with her song, but the beauty is in the response and the harmony that eventually follows.

A sort of metamorphosis, though slow-going, was happening within the bundle of vines. The pony within regained a sort of consciousness. Her mind was forming waves of consciousness which formed into one, slim, but strong, line: one thread of consciousness which was just enough to grasp. She took it. (And, though it was a part of her mind, and consciousness, the string of thought had no language. For once, there was no specific dialect—only thought).

Ah! I can feel myself once more. This touch, this presence here, makes me feel…whole. If I drift away into this ocean of thought…what would happen? Would I wake up upon the shore, upon the rough sand? Or, perhaps, would I drift endlessly in the cycle of these repetitive waves? I heard something. Yes, yes, do not forget that. I have heard something from…somewhere else. Ah, a voice, a voice from beyond this darkness. And what would happen if I extended myself beyond this void? Everything in this place nags me to remain as I am, let every language I know consume me. But now, but now something has changed, though I cannot place it.

"'I love you'."

Yes! This rings true from somewhere beyond this abyss. I hear this song and I know it to be true, though I cannot say why. And what is the truth anyways, but my perception of it? No, no, concentrate on the words…who said them? Yes, a "who" said them. Something fragrant provokes my memory: a flower. Yes, a flower is what comes into focus though I cannot say why.

No! The roses, the roses are evil. I can know them now as the darkness that surrounds me, the anxiety that will not let me be. How can I be at peace? Yet, yet, yet…. this smell that pervades me is not that of a rose. No, it is not a sultry scent at all, but one softer and hardly noticeable…and yet so sweet. A lily, yes, this is a lily.

She comes to me know. I remember this pony from the beyond and now she must be calling to me. This pony loves me? Ah, how my being leaps with joy! Lily's sweet love is everything I have ever wanted. Yes, a jewel like her cannot be misplaced. And yet, for all this I am not there with her, and where am I anyways?

The roses! I must be rid of these roses. Oh, Lily, you were right. I rejected a possible love between us due to my anxiety. The roses' control over me must cease. Although…. although I know that the roses are a part of my destiny, I can no longer continue to live in this nightmare. No, there has to be another way. The thorns upon my flank cannot represent this horrid form of life. There must be a way….and I know who can help me find it.

Lily! Lily! I choose you!

From the beyond, known as Ponyville, there was an earthpony watching in fascination as the rose vines began to slowly recede and descend. From within them there was a shining light, as though there were a star within. Then, all at once, a flash of light burst from within and the vines flew back, screaking for all to hear. There, standing in the middle of the gazebo, was a beautiful pony with a slim green body and flashing maroon eyes. And she spoke:

"Lily!"