//------------------------------//
// Chapter 27: Homeless 
// Story: Rosa 
// by awf 
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Evening found Rosa in circumstances she would never have imagined even that morning among the cows. It had taken Sky Light most of the day to lead her through fields and patches of trees and finally hidden alleys, until she had brought Rosa into the city. The progress had been slowed some more by Rosa's insistence to avoid the highway and the suburbs. She was afraid she'd meet the pursuit, so she hid every time they heard a car or a human voice, which was quite often. Maybe there wasn't a manhunt for a missing pony, or maybe Sky Light was skilled enough at stealth so they didn't encounter any. Whatever the case, Rosa reckoned she was hidden pretty well at their destination.

It looked like a dry, abandoned water canal in an industrial district. Rosa didn't know if people used the buildings she could see around them, but she doubted it. The whole area had a dilapidated look about it. Sky Light's 'home' was in a broken down van under some kind of a concrete overhang. The doors didn't shut properly and it stank of urine, but she assured Rosa that it was warm and safe. There was an old mattress in the back, where her friend slept, and the cabin which the pegasus had made her own. There were even a few of her gray feathers hanging from the rear view mirror.

The human she had mentioned wasn't around, but the mare just jumped in the van and flopped around until she had gotten herself out of the post office uniform. Then she
rummaged in the compartment on the passenger seat side until she brought out a battered can. "Here, we'll share," she said as she threw it down from the cabin.

Rosa had to scurry to clumsily catch the thing before it hit the ground. It was beans. She could barely make out the label, so it was probably way past its 'best before' date, but canned food didn't really go bad, did it? In any case, Rosa was certain she would smell if anything was wrong.

"Um... how do we open it?"

There wasn't a can opener in sight. Sky Light leapt lightly out of the van, brushing Rosa's flank with a wing as she landed. "Come, I'll show you," she said, taking the can from her new friend's unresisting hooves.

Rosa followed Sky Light around the back of the vehicle, noting how all four tires were completely flat and the back door was hanging open from just one hinge. Sky Light roughly pushed the metal away and brought out a blackened pot. It didn't look as if it had ever been cleaned and Rosa could smell it had been used to cook meat, among other things. It stank, but she was starving so she didn't say anything. Sky Light placed the pot on the ground, then held up the tin so Rosa could see.

"Can. Pot," she said, pointing with a feather. "Car. Now watch."

She placed the tin against a jagged piece of metal, which was sticking out from somewhere under the van, then smacked it with a hoof. The clang made Rosa jump up in fright. Beans splattered against the van, but then they slid down into the pot. Sky Light upended the container and shook it until most of the goop was out. Then she fiddled with the jagged edges of the split tin to open it some more and let the last few bits plop out.

"Voila," the mare said proudly.

Rosa was not overly enthused by the method, nor the fact that the spike and van were both dirty, but she kept her mouth shut. Sky Light obviously knew more about surviving than her.

The other mare magnanimously pushed the pot toward Rosa first. "Here, just remember to leave half for me."

"Shouldn't we, uh- cook it?" Rosa asked.

Sky Light shrugged and looked around. "If you wanna, but then we have to wait for Terry. Can't work a lighter with hooves, you see..." She pointed to a patch of ground and Rosa saw a rusted bottom of a metal barrel. It was covered with soot and she could smell ash inside, but there was no fire.

It only took Rosa a minute to decide. The beans smelled heavenly after her two day enforced diet and Rosa couldn't wait any longer. She tried not to breathe through her nose and put her muzzle in the pot. The goop was slimy and cold, but the beans were still delicious.

She started lapping up the water from the can, but a hoof pulled her back. "Hey! Half for me, remember?" Sky Light complained.

Rosa licked the last few drops from her muzzle, as she watched the banquet wistfully. It had been a long, tiring day after that granola bar the pegasus had given her. While Rosa watched her friend eating, her stomach growled for more. Eventually she couldn't stand it anymore.

"D-Do you have some more?" she asked quietly, afraid the answer would be 'no'.

Sky Light lifted her muzzle, licking her lips clean, which made Rosa even hungrier and a bit jealous. "What?"

"M-More, please." She was blushing from the blatant begging and her ears splayed, but Rosa couldn't quite stop herself.

Sky Light watched her for a moment, then shrugged. "Dunno. I'll check if there's a chocolate left in there, but I'm not sure. We'll see if Terry brings anything."

She nearly went back down to finish her meal, but the mare paused and looked at Rosa again. Then, wordlessly, she pushed the pot to her with a hoof.

Rosa didn't meet her eyes as she dunked her muzzle again. There was not much left anyway, but she greedily swallowed it and then licked the pot dry, ignoring the smell of meat. Only when there was no more juice left did she stop. She still didn't look at the pegasus.

"Better?" Sky asked.

Rosa nodded, but her ears lowered all the way down. After all, Sky Light hadn't eaten either and for all Rosa knew, she had given away her breakfast that morning. Rosa felt incredibly selfish, but that didn't stop her from still wanting more.

"Um... the chocolate?"

"Oh!" Sky Light remembered and stood up. She went back to the cabin of the van and Rosa followed, tail swishing eagerly. She couldn't help pacing a little while Sky Light searched, until her new friend turned around. "Ta-daa!" she said triumphantly, and showed Rosa a half-eaten chocolate bar.

Just looking at it was making the mare salivate, but Rosa tried to control herself at least until Sky Light had brought it down. It was a bit disappointing when she broke it in half, but Rosa firmly squashed the complaint before it could come out of her selfish mouth. As soon as Sky Light handed over her half, Rosa stuck it in her mouth and started chewing. It was the best thing she had ever tasted!

Afterward, she was still blushing at her own behavior, but the pegasus didn't seem to mind. "Come on, I'll show you where you can get water," she offered and Rosa followed, glad that she hadn't brought up her gluttony.

Now that she was paying attention to it, Rosa could see how her ribs were showing. It was quite a contrast against her own chubby frame. True, pegasi were all a bit lithe, so they could stay in the air easier, but Sky Light was a little malnourished, now that Rosa was looking.

She couldn't stay silent about it. "S-Sorry... about before," she said.

The other mare paused and gave Rosa a strange look. "Why sorry?"

"The food?"

She realized what Rosa meant, but then Sky Light laughed a little and turned around to give her new friend a hug. "Oh, don't worry, sweetheart. You're not used to living in the streets yet. I don't mind."

It was a huge relief and Rosa gave the pony a very grateful smile. "Thanks. Um, just tell me no, next time, okay? I promise I won't mind."

"Will do, sweetheart!" Sky Light promised cheerfully, then let Rosa go and resumed her walk. "Come on."

She led them to what looked like an industrial pool, full of water. There was some scum floating on the top and Rosa was not quite sure she wanted to drink that.

"This way," Sky Light said and waled around the pool. She stopped next to a pile of metal and pipes, and tapped the contraption with a hoof. "Tap. You put this bucket here-" she nudged it a little closer, "then twiddle this handle."

She moved the straight piece of metal to a side and the thing squeaked dreadfully. After a couple of seconds some water sloshed into the bucket. When it was almost full, Rosa's new friend pushed the handle back to where it was.

"I don't know if I wanna drink that," Rosa admitted.

For a moment Sky Light seemed confused, but then she followed Rosa's gaze into the reservoir. "Oh, that!" she exclaimed. "That's not where the water comes from!"

"It isn't?"

The pegasus shook her head. "No, this pipe goes down lower. There's a water line for the city. Terry rigged it up, you know? He's good with machines and stuff."

Rosa tentatively scented the water in the bucket and it did indeed smell clean.

"Don't worry, it's not rainwater. It's the pipe for the city," Sky Light explained. "As long as we don't leave it open, no one should notice. Terry says the meter isn't precise enough to detect a few gallons every now and then."

It was good news, at least. Clean water could have been an issue, Rosa's stay with the cows had taught her that much at least.

Maybe Sky Light wanted to show that it was safe, or maybe she was just very thirsty, but the mare drank first. She slurped up some water, then lifted her head up for a burp.

Rosa followed suit. It was clean and chilly, which felt really nice after the day she had had. "Thanks."

"No problem," Sky Light said and pointed to the bucket with a hoof. "Fill it back up and bring it with, okay?"

Rosa certainly didn't mind helping and it was a good idea for her to practice with the handle, for when she wanted a drink next time. The metal was a bit more stiff than she expected, but certainly not a big deal with her earth pony strength. She was a bit slow with closing it, so some of the water sloshed out, which made Sky Light giggle as she stepped away from the puddle.

Embarrassed, Rosa examined the bucket and saw that it had a wire handle. She picked it up with her teeth and looked expectantly at her host.

She turned without further comment and led the way back. "Terry should be back any minute. Maybe he'll bring some food for us."

"Ohay-" Rosa mumbled around the wire.

"Then we can talk. I'll tell you what I know about cutie marks. I'm not sure why you only got one, but I'll try to come up with some theories," the mare explained.

"Mm-hmm."

It would help a lot if Rosa knew more about it. Had Maribelle gotten two cutie marks? The older ponies, the ones who had come from Equestria, all had two of them, and so did Sky Light, Rosa saw. Why didn't she also get two? It was confusing. Even her dream visitor had said something about only getting one cutie mark. She didn't understand it either, although that made sense. A figment of Rosa's imagination couldn't possibly know more than the mare herself, right? Rosa plodded along after the pegasus, thinking about the question and deciding on what other things to ask. Her new friend seemed to know quite a lot about the world. She was very lucky indeed she had met her!





The smoke tickled Rosa's nose even before the van was in sight and she stopped in alarm. Then she carefully lowered the bucket so it didn't make any sound and whispered to Sky Light, who was walking behind: "Someone is there!"

The mare rolled her eyes and butted Rosa's rump with her head. "It's just Terry. Come on."

She took the lead and Rosa followed a few paces behind. Now that the time had come to meet her friend, she found herself a little reluctant.

"Wait-" She said, dropping the bucket again, "he's homeless?!"

Sky Light leaned her head to one side and looked at Rosa as if she was some kind of an idiot. Well, when Rosa came to think of it, the question was extremely stupid. It had just never occurred to her until now.

"What gave it away?" the pegasus asked flatly. "The mansion we live in? Or the banquet I served you? Or the beautiful scenery?" She heaved a sigh and forced a smile. "Yes, he's homeless, but so are we? So what?"

Rosa had to admit her friend had a point there. She remembered the tone she had used and it made her blush in embarrassment. "Oh. Sorry."

"Just... let's go. It's been a long day and I wanna see if Terry brought us something to eat."

Rosa followed the other mare once again, but now her ears were flat in contrition. What business was it of hers to jump to conclusions like that? It wasn't as if she was a model citizen herself, right at that moment. As they emerged into the circle of light Rosa took a good look at the man. He was wearing a frayed, brown jacket and there were a few holes in his pants. He also had a nearly white beard and a mess of long, graying hair. The most prominent thing she sensed, however, was the smell. Rosa didn't particularly like it, but she was determined not to show it. Stale clothes, cigarette smoke, booze and urine in a very unpleasant mix. He couldn't help it, she reminded herself. There were no showers on the street.

For that matter, Sky Light wasn't a bed of roses either and Rosa hadn't minded her. Also, now that she was aware of it, she smelled strongly of cows and sweat herself. Rosa firmly put it out of her mind and walked forward with the bucket. The man spotted her, but didn't say anything.

"Hey. This is Rosa. She ran away," Sky Light explained, but all that she got from the man was a solemn nod. "We brought water," she added as she went to sit beside the makeshift fireplace.

Rosa saw a stack of planks off to a side. That was probably where the fuel had come from. "Um, h-hi!" she mumbled, having placed the bucket down. "I hope I won't be a bother..."

The old man studied her for a bit and Rosa became very conscious of her appearance. The mane was a total mess, complete with twigs and leaves. Her hooves and legs were spattered with mud up to her belly. She was still wearing the nightgown, but it was torn and dusty from having to crawl through bushes. There was no chance of washing it any time soon, either. At least her cutie mark wasn't sticking out, though Rosa didn't imagine the man would care about it. Sky Light had two, after all.

"M-My name is Rosa. Nice to m-meet you."

She wondered if she should offer a hoof to shake, but the man didn't move. "Terry," he grumbled, then turned to Sky Light. "We don't have any room."

The pegasus remained cheerful. "We'll share the mattress and Rosa can take the seat."

Apparently that answered his question, because Terry grunted and went back to staring at the fire.

"Did you get something to eat?" Sky Light asked after a while.

Rosa's ears perked up at the question. It was something she'd like an answer to herself. As if to punctuate the words, her belly chose that moment to growl loudly. "Sorry!" Rosa said, blushing.

Terry reached behind himself and pulled up a paper bag with the McDonald's logo on it. Sky Light nuzzled at his fingers as he opened it, reminding Rosa of nothing so much as a nosy and eager puppy. It was almost kind of cute.

"Ooh, my favorite!" them are exclaimed.

Terry brought out something else wrapped in paper. "Cost eight bucks. You owe me," he told the pegasus.

She didn't seem to hear that part as she nuzzled the paper open. Rosa watched hopefully, but then saw it was a hamburger. Well, at least Sky Light wouldn't have to pay the man any money, Rosa supposed. Maybe the two of them could find something edible the next day. She looked at the bucket and wondered if filling her belly with water would help her hunger, but then she heard munching. It was crazy, but the pegasus was actually eating the hamburger!

"Wait! That's meat!" Rosa warned her.

Sky Light gave her a deadpan stare as she froze for a moment. Then she chewed a few more times and swallowed, very deliberately. "So?" she asked when she could talk again. "Your point?"

"Ponies can't eat meat!"

She looked at the hamburger, then back at her new friend. "Says who?"

Rosa opened her mouth to cite Mr. Greiner, her old Biology teacher, but couldn't for the life of her remember a single instance when he had said that. "Um... doesn't everyone know that? We're herbivores!"

Sky Light took the burger from Terry's hand and walked over. She sat right beside Rosa and put a wing around the other mare's withers. "No, Earth's ponies are herbivores. We are actually omnivores. It's just... unusual. Takes some getting used to, but you can't be picky on the street, you know?" She held up the thing and Rosa's nose wrinkled in disgust. "It's a lot better than grass, you know? Here, try it."

Rosa swallowed nervously and tried to sniff the hamburger again. It was all kinds of wrong and it nearly turned her stomach. "I think I'll p-pass, thanks."

Sky Light shrugged and took another bite. "Your loff," she said with her mouth full.

Rosa tried not to look or smell, but she was very aware of what the mare was eating. Then she glanced up and caught Terry's amused eye. The man was nearly laughing at her! Frowning, Rosa took another sniff.

"Here, try a piece of bread with the sauce. See? No meat on this bit," Sky Light pointed out.

Her stomach growled again and Rosa leaned in. The pegasus seemed perfectly fine. Maybe she was right? What had she got to lose? Worst case, she would spend the next hour throwing up. Very gingerly, Rosa nibbled on a bit of bread, careful not to touch the meat. She withdrew as quickly as she could, so she didn't have to smell it so much. Then she pushed the morsel around her tongue for a bit, ready to spit it out the moment she gagged. It didn't happen. The smell of meat pervaded it, but it was not making her want to puke, not exactly. At worst, it didn't smell like something she would eat. It was just bread, Rosa told herself and forcefully swallowed.

The pegasus had been watching her closely. "See? That wasn't so bad. Want some more?"

Even without actual meat in her mouth, the taste was still there. Rosa shook her head and reached for the bucket to wash it down as best she could. Sky Light shrugged and went back to eating.

What a strange world she had dropped into, Rosa couldn't help thinking. A human who didn't mind ponies with cutie marks and then a meat-eating pegasus. Could it get weirder? She looked at the van where they would be sleeping and answered her own question. Yes, it probably could get stranger still.

As she thought back to Lillian, who was sleeping all alone with only her stuffed toys for comfort, Rosa's vision blurred. She couldn't hold back a sniffle, but she quickly wiped her muzzle with a hoof. She didn't want to cry in front of Sky Light and Terry. It was too late. The pegasus quickly swallowed her last mouthful and then pulled her into a hug. "Aww, what's the matter Rosa?" she asked.

Rosa shook her head, unable to answer. Would she even understand how much she missed her friends? Even the strict Mr. Boone, despite what he had done to her. The girls in her dorm, living the only life Rosa had ever known. Meanwhile, there she was, setting out to start eating meat and sleeping in a van. How long before she forgot the comfort of a bed? Sky Light's hug wasn't helping, but Rosa was beyond caring right at the moment.

"Hush, hush," the mare cooed gently. "Here-" She urged Rosa up to her hooves and led her to the van. "You had a tough couple of days. Me and Terry are used to it, but you're still new to it all. Come on, let's get you to bed."

She guided Rosa's hoofsteps to the van's cabin and opened the door with a wing. "Can you climb up?"

Rosa looked, then nodded. Despite her assurance, Sky Light held her around the barrel as she helped Rosa crawl into the driver's seat. She had to flap awkwardly with her wings to keep the balance, but Rosa ended up sitting in the van. A moment later the pegasus prodded her to move to the other side. The passenger seat was wider, sized as it was for two humans, and more than large enough for a pony to lie down.

"There, make yourself comfortable and I'll let you have my blanket, okay?"

Sky Light picked up the fabric from the floor of the van. It was dirty, but Rosa was beyond caring at that point. It felt as if the reality of her new life was finally sinking in. While she had been running away there was the fear of getting caught, and when she had been traveling with Sky Light at least there had been a goal. Rosa hadn't realized how much of her hopes she had pinned on that goal. It was supposed to make everything alright, but now that she was there, things were more wrong than ever. A dilapidated van, a rigged pump for water and scrounging trash for food. It was all so very unfair!

Rosa was barely aware of the other mare covering her up and nuzzling her face. "You have a good cry, okay? I'll be here in the morning and we'll talk. Everything's going to feel better then, you'll see!"

She didn't quite believe Sky Light's cheerful tone, but Rosa nodded anyway. She just wanted her new friend to leave her alone for now.

"I'll tell you everything I know about ponies on Earth and cutie marks and humans, okay? Just like you asked. And don't worry, you're safe here."

Rosa managed another nod. Maybe the crying fit was over, but she was suddenly exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sleep for a while and forget about the world.

"Good," Sky Light said brightly. "Sleep well, Rosa!"

There was no answer, so Sky Light jumped out of the van and closed the door shut. At least, Rosa thought to herself, she would have some privacy. The cabin was walled off from the back part, where Terry and Sky Light were going to sleep, and both the front doors were shut nearly all the way. She could hear the faint murmur of conversation as the pegasus rejoined her human friend at the fire, but Rosa couldn't make out the words. The seat she was lying on stank, and so did the blanket, but after a few minutes she hardly noticed it anymore. It was softer than the ground from the previous night, and the floor tiles from the night before that.

Having some fabric to cover herself also helped.

It was not alright and maybe it never would be alright again, but Rosa thought she should still be grateful for what little she had. Maybe she had made a new friend in Sky Light. Perhaps even in Terry, though she hadn't said more than two words to him. She closed her eyes and tried to pretend she was back in her bed in the Pony School. Tomorrow they would have a math quiz and Rosa hadn't practiced at all.

Funny how scared she used to be of bad grades. She would have traded this mess for any amount of bad grades right then. Rosa drew a shuddering breath and tried to stop thinking. It was just making her sad. Tomorrow would be better, right? That was what Sky Light had said. She knew more than Rosa about living on the street, so maybe she could be trusted in this matter. It didn't make it feel any better, but at least Rosa was not quite as scared. The pegasus and the human had been living on the street for a while, it looked like. They knew what to do. She was going to be alright. Rosa just had to start believing it.