//------------------------------// // Chapter 86: Complicated Relationships // Story: Rosa // by awf //------------------------------// Rosa waved a hoof in goodbye to her coworkers and made her way to the dressing room which also served as a tool shed. It was impossible not to smile as she stripped out of her overalls. Working Celestia's gardens and her hedge maze and the floral clock was rewarding on any day, especially when she saw ponies strolling around in wide-eyed wonder and with those grins on their muzzles. Of course the grounds were open to the general populace. Just a year ago, when Earth had still been fresh in her mind, that would have felt wrong. Now it made perfect sense. Why lock beauty away so that only a privileged elite could see it? It had to be beautiful, now more than ever. Rosa was doing her bit to help. Celestia had finally managed to convince the humans that Cadence's actions hadn't been intentional, nor sanctioned. They were sending a delegation to meet with her and it was very important that everything looked perfect. Any human diplomat having a stroll through the palace gardens would find only the best Equestria had to offer. Okay, so maybe it wasn't the most important bit, but it was her part in the whole thing and Rosa had done her absolute best! Depending on how those talks panned out, it might lead to freeing more ponies. Perhaps her other friends from the School or maybe even Maribelle. It hadn't taken more than a few weeks of talking with Celestia for Rosa to become fervently convinced that the only possible future lay in friendship. Both sides had done wrong. Both sides had suffered. The way forward was through forgiveness. That last thought made Rosa a little sad. Cadence was still locked up in the same dungeon where she had first visited her. She was clearly languishing, but both Celestia and Luna seemed determined to keep her there. It was nowhere near Rosa's place to speak up, but she was starting to think that she should go and have a word with them. Plead a little on Cadence's behalf. She should have been imprisoned, Rosa agreed with that part, but perhaps she could finally be given some basic comforts. Like a shower and a proper toilet for start. Shaking her head to clear it of the sad thoughts, Rosa hung her overalls in her locker and headed out. There was such a lot to do, even outside of her job. First she had to meet up with Paolo at the Post Office. He would have gotten off work before her, but he would be waiting there like always. Such a good colt! After that, she and him were meeting up with Sky Light back at the house. She would take Iris and they would all go to that restaurant on the edge for dinner. Rosa was also planning the Thing that night and even without thinking about it directly her heart started going crazy. Doing somersaults or something. It was a piece of luck her ribs didn't break. Knowing what she was going to say made her whinny a little in delight and do a quick little prance. One of the passing high-society unicorns shook her head in dismay, but Rosa just kept smiling and the lady shrugged to herself before continuing into the gardens proper. Telling Paolo her news would be the best thing ever! Then, to top everything off, Fluttershy was coming to visit! The Elements were going to be there for the diplomacy, so Rosa's mother was arriving tomorrow morning on the first train! Granted, she'd have to go straight to the Castle, but Rosa would still meet her and the rest of the gang on the train station. Then, after the talks were done, she would stay around for a day or two so the two of them could catch up. Was this the best week of Rosa's life or what?! Her pace quickened as she turned down the main street. Paolo would not have much longer to wait, after all. Paolo was standing in front of the Post Office, just like Rosa had been expecting. He was chatting idly with one of his coworkers, but he must have been keeping a close eye on the street, because the second she came into view, he gave her an enthusiastic wave. He finished his conversation while Rosa hurried toward him. She didn't speak as they met, opting instead to give him a kiss. It still made her blush, even though they'd been kissing in public for months now. When she reluctantly withdrew, Rosa leaned her muzzle against his neck and sighed in contentment. "Missed you!" "You too!" "Love you!" "Love you too!" She couldn't help noticing how firm Paolo's body was. Oh, he could be soft and she'd had countless cuddle sessions on the couch to prove that, but flying for the Post Office had really gone a long way to define Paolo's muscles. It had been Sky Light who had put the idea in Rosa's head that time when she first met Paolo in the resistance camp, and Rosa couldn't help admiring his flank each time she saw him. In her defence, it was a very good flank. "So, we still on for dinner?" Paolo asked, interrupting Rosa's unashamed staring. "Wha-? Oh! Yeah, we're picking Sky Light and Iris up at the house, then I have a reservation. I got us a table right at the edge!" She was still not all that comfortable with heights, but Rosa knew both pegasi would appreciate it. Well, all three of them. It was a bit hard to tell with Iris, but Rosa thought she liked looking out over the city wall at the vast panorama under Canterlot. "Great!" Rosa's treacherous mouth nearly blabbed the surprise right there and then, but she managed to rein it in at the last second. "Come on, I've been digging up weeds the whole day and I'm starving!" He took the lead, chuckling as if Rosa had said something funny, and she fell in step with the pegasus. Rosa's salad was absolutely delicious! It always was, but maybe the big news she was sitting on that day had somehow helped the taste. For that matter, Paolo's omelette was pretty good, too. Of course he let her taste it, just like Rosa had let him taste her salad. From the look on Sky Light's face her vegetable stew wasn't bad either. Plus she had pancakes coming right after. She remembered those weird few days when they both lived with Pavo Basilius and his family. Rosa couldn't stop eating for some reason. Whereas now... Yes, she'd given pancakes a thought, but decided against them. Now Rosa was only slightly regretting her decision. It didn't matter. She had something much sweeter to look forward to. Just thinking about it brought a fresh smile to her face. "You're in a good mood," Sky Light commented, pointing with her spoon. "Yep." Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why?" she asked. Was this a good time? Rosa cast a surreptitious glance around. Both herself and Paolo had finished eating and Sky seemed to be on her last mouthful. "Well, I've been thinking..." Rosa began. Somehow Paolo sensed this was about him and began to stare at Rosa with undisguised curiosity. There was a faint smile playing across his lips, but other than that she couldn't tell what he was thinking. Did he know?! Had he guessed?! Rosa shook her head and plunged on. "Paolo, I was thinking..." His ears perked up even more and Rosa didn't even know how that was possible. He had been at full-perk already! It must have been some of that mythical Post Office training. "I think it's time you move in!" she blurted out. Paolo blinked a few times, dumbfounded, as if unable to quite grasp what she was saying. Luckily, Rosa kept her smile up and to her eternal gratitude, Sky Light didn't make an inopportune comment at that point. She wanted to, Rosa could tell from her twitching ears, but she didn't. "You mean..." Paolo tried to wrap his mind around the concept. "Yeah! Move in with me and Sky Light!" "About time..." Sky muttered under her breath, but not quite low enough. "Wow! Oh. Um- yes, of course! I mean- wow!" the colt fell all over his words. It was cute and Rosa gave his nose a little kiss. Something occurred to him and his ears splayed out. "Um, do you want me to sleep on the couch?" he asked timidly. "I mean, it's okay! I don't mind, the couch is okay." This time Sky Light actually groaned. "Oh, give the puppy a bone, Rosa," she told her friend firmly. "Better yet, take his bone, won't you? It's been over a year, you stupid girl. It's a wonder he even stayed with you this long, considering all the fine filly flank in this town!" Paolo was blushing at what the mare was implying, but so was Rosa. "Not on the couch," she said, focusing on simply answering Paolo's question. "My bed is wide enough, right? I mean, it's not a big room, but we can make do for a while." "F-For a w-while?" Paolo squeaked in alarm. Rosa gave Sky Light a faint smile, wondering how she would take it. She had been meaning to tell the mare for a while, but had never quite worked up the courage. Well, it seemed like it was now or never. "Well, yeah. I guess we'll move somewhere - I mean, in a few months, once Iris is-" Sky put a hoof on Rosa's leg and smiled gently. "It's fine, Rosa. It really is." She held up her hooves to forestall the reply. "I mean, you're welcome to stay for as long as you want, of course you are. But I don't have a right to your life, girl. Iris and me will be fine..." The mare held Rosa's gaze for a moment, then her muzzle split into a grin. "... as long as you promise to visit! Often!" "Oh! Of course! I was thinking about looking for a place near there anyway. I like the neighborhood. So I can babysit and all, you know?" Paolo looked from Rosa to Sky, then back, then at Sky again. "You're talking about me- us moving somewhere together?! Like, just us?! Alone?! You and me?!" His befuddlement made Sky Light chuckle. "Try to keep up, sweetie," she told him. Rosa threw her hooves around the colt, gave him a quick peck on his ear, and sighed. "Yeah. Move in with Sky and me until I can get it all sorted, then a place of our own. We both have jobs, we can afford it, too." "That... actually sounds really good!" Paolo said, looking off into a distance and undoubtedly imagining it, just like Rosa had for the past week. "I don't mind staying with both of you, either." "Aw, such a sweet gentlecolt," Sky Light commented, reaching over the table to pat him lightly on the head. Luckily, Iris woke up in that moment which meant Sky was completely occupied for a few minutes to make sure her daughter was okay and didn't need anything. Just like Rosa had predicted, Sky Light made a great mother, if a bit fussy at times. Instead, Rosa turned in her seat so she was facing Paolo. "How about day after tomorrow?" "Huh?" "I'm meeting Fluttershy tonight and they have that diplomatic visit from Earth tomorrow. We'll probably do something together tomorrow night and she might sleep over. You can move in day after tomorrow." "Y-Yeah, sure. That works." She shuffled along her seat until she could lean completely against Paolo. He was still as warm as ever and his wing wrapping automatically around her felt divine, as Rarity would have put it. "You know, I'm happy the way things turned out for us, but I can't help thinking about everyone we left behind in the School. I wonder what Adonai is doing, and Jon. Even Martin, actually." Paolo gave this some thought, then shrugged, his feathers rustling against her side. "Dunno," he said. "I guess they're fine. We never considered ourselves slaves, right?" "I still hope Celestia can work something out." Before Paolo could reassure her, Sky Light poked Rosa's side with a wing feather. "Drop it, Rosa. You can stop working, okay?" "What do you mean?" The mare extended a wing to show off the panorama to her side. "Look out there. It's Equestria. We made it. Let Celestia deal with the rest, you can relax and live your life now." She paused for a moment to pick Iris up from the baby carriage and place her in her lap. The filly aimed a very thoughtful look at Rosa for a few seconds, before losing interest and turning to gaze out across the land. Sky Light continued: "You don't have to be responsible for everyone, Rosa. You got me out, you helped me with Iris. We're both happy. You can stop working now." "B-But, I have a job..." Rosa said doubtfully, unsure what Sky Light was getting at. It made the mare laugh. "You'll understand someday. Just- take it easy and enjoy your colt over there, right?" That was right! In another couple of days he'd be moving in and sleeping in the same bed! Rosa wondered what it'd feel like. What that would feel like. She had wanted it, badly. A few times she'd nearly given in. Then there had been the heat. It was a good thing Sky Light had spotted the symptoms and kept Rosa locked up, otherwise she would have done something she'd regret. Even so, Rosa thought her right hoof was never going to forgive her. Now? It was time. Sky was right. Iris was born and they were both doing fine. She was still seeing the Canterlot Medical's therapist once a month and she often cooked for the neighbors these days. She had made friends here and she had built herself a life. She had even found a job. Well, part of one. It turned out one of the fancier hotels in Canterlot had a roulette table and Sky was a natural for running it. They'd promised to keep a spot for her until Iris was old enough for day care. Rosa herself had fulfilled her promise to her and now she could finally be with Paolo. Thinking of him, Rosa was intimately aware of each small breath the colt took, each slight movement and tremor. A quick glance around showed her that no one else was near. Sky Light couldn't see through the wooden table. Before Rosa could think about it some more and chicken out, she grabbed Paolo's hoof with her own and dragged it into her lap. She placed it against her belly, then pushed it down until she could grip it with her thighs. To his credit, Paolo managed to hold back a surprised squeak, but his eyes widened in alarm. Rosa smiled and gave him a wink, and after a few seconds he returned her grin. Now that she'd made the decision, it was going to be a very long two days for Rosa... She hadn't made any dinner plans, which was a good thing because Fluttershy had invited Rosa and Sky Light to the Castle. Celestia and Luna were still in meetings with the human delegation, so they hadn't joined them. In the end it was just some of the Elements in the small dining room, the ones who didn't have to leave on some business or other. Rosa had finished the soup and the main course. She didn't know what it was called, except that there were potatoes in it and it was a little spicy. Now she was having cake. Fluttershy was sitting beside her, daintily nibbling on a bit of rose petal salad. Across the table were Rarity, who would never miss an invitation to the Castle, and Twilight Sparkle with Flurry Heart. While Rosa had met her a few times, she didn't know a lot about the youngest alicorn, but she looked a bit bored and sad. She was probably thinking about her mother in the cells somewhere below them. "So, the humans demanded that Cadence be turned over to them," Twilight was commenting, making Flurry's ears droop even further. "Auntie Celestia and auntie Luna aren't going to d-do it, are they?" the youngest Princess asked in a fearful, trembling voice. "No, of course not!" Rarity assured her. "Those brutes just want to execute her!" All of them shuddered at the thought and Flurry actually gave a tiny squeak. Luckily Twilight noticed and offered the young mare a wing-hug. "Don't worry, we're not letting that happen." "B-But what if they refuse to t-talk if they don't get..." Flurry asked, unable to even finish the sentence. Fluttershy smiled across the table. "Oh, don't you worry about that. Now that they're talking, Celestia will have them eating out of the frog of her hoof in no time, you'll see! They didn't say 'no' outright." "Yeah, if anyone can do it, it's Celestia!" Rosa confirmed. Flurry was about to ask another question when the door behind them opened. Rosa twisted her neck around briefly to see Luna. They must have finished. Hopefully they had made some good progress. "M-Mom?!" Flurry whispered and Rosa spun around again. Cadence was standing behind Luna, still bound up in her chains. Her head was hung low, but when she heard her daughter's voice she looked up, stunned. "Do not tell Celestia this," Luna said as she shut the door behind them, "but I think Cadence deserves a good meal before she goes back." Flurry was already rushing across the floor to her mother, but she dug her hooves in at the last second and stopped just short. Rosa couldn't see her face, but her ears went all the way flat and her tail tucked up against her belly. "Y-You're not giving her to the humans?!" the young alicorn asked. "Please don't, please, auntie Luna!" The Princess touched Flurry's cheek with a careful hoof. "Don't worry," she said quietly, but loud enough for them all to hear. "Sister hasn't even considered it. She only brought Cadence up so the humans could see she was really being punished." "Mom!" Flurry choked out and fell on the pink mare, who caught her with a jingle of chains. For a moment they just stood, embraced, but then Rosa heard Cadence sobbing. "Oh, I'm so sorry, my beautiful Flurry! I never should have left you!" "Go, eat. I should not keep you here too long," Luna said, but she was smiling a little at the sight. "I s-shouldn't," Cadence said, despite eyeing the table and licking her lips in anticipation. "The food in the dungeon will be even more horrid after this..." Luna gave her a pat on the back, completely uncaring of the grime. "Well, perhaps that part of your punishment will soon be over, Cadence. I will see if I can persuade Celestia to at least give you a room up here." Something clicked in Rosa's mind and she gasped. She covered her muzzle with her hooves, but it was too late. Everyone looked at her. "What is it?" Fluttershy asked. "D-Did Celestia just keep Cadence in the cells so she could show the humans how she was being punished?! Was it part of her plan?!" Everyone seemed stunned by the accusation, but Rosa could swear a tiny smile flashed across Luna's muzzle before she could wipe it away. "I don't care," Cadence said. "Even if that was her plan, I fully deserve this." Flurry was shaking her head even while holding on to her mother. "Mom, no..." Cadence patted her muzzle with a wing feather to silence her, then sighed. "No, sweetheart, I did some very bad things. Don't worry, this isn't forever." Seeing that Cadence still hadn't decided and then noticing how thin she was around the belly spurred Rosa to get up. She stood and grabbed a fresh plate from the end of the table. She quickly piled it up with the - what was it again? - Saddle Arabian potato dish. "Come on, at least have dinner with us." She was undecided, but Rosa saw a drop of drool escape from Cadence's mouth. Finally her ears folded back and she looked at the floor. "M-Maybe just a little something," she gave in. Rosa purposefully put the plate right next to her seat. Burned bridges were there to be mended, after all. "Here, sit with me, Cadence." She did so, followed closely by Flurry Heart who pushed another chair to her mother's other side. She wasn't speaking, but tears were streaming freely down her muzzle. Rosa didn't think she had had many opportunities to see her mother since- well, since she was born. She must have felt even worse than Rosa did before she had found Fluttershy. At least in her case, Rosa didn't know that her mother had purposefully abandoned her for the sake of revenge. Cadence ate quickly, if a little clumsily. Being an alicorn meant she hadn't had much practice with her hooves, at least not since her teenage years, but her daughter was attentive and helped out with a napkin whenever her mother spilled something on herself. They seemed... if not exactly happy, then 'content'. Hopefully they'd mend, with time. Seeing that alicorns lived practically forever, they'd certainly have a chance to, Rosa thought. "For what it's worth," she told Cadence, "Sky Light is very happy with Iris." The Princess froze and turned her head to look at Rosa. "Doesn't make what you did right, but I guess it turned out okay. I hope that helps." Cadence nodded slowly, then sniffed. "Please tell Sky Light how sorry I am. I'd like to say it in person, if she will see me." "I'll tell her and I'll ask." "Thank you." Across the table, Rosa saw Twilight give her an approving smile and a nod. On her other side, Fluttershy laid her hoof on her side in support. It felt promising. Clearing things up with Cadence and then with all of Earth. Maybe she would get to see her friends again before she died. Maribelle. Her other friends in the School. Velvet, Bluegrass and Pepper, the 'Truck Stop Gang'. Pavo and his family, Lillian. Arda and 'Mario'. Even Terry. Hopefully Rosa wasn't entirely done with Earth yet. "How has Auntie Twilight been treating you?" Cadence softly asked her daughter. The title made Twilight giggle a little and after a moment Flurry chuckled too. "She's fine, just a bit... you know." "Just a bit what, darling?" Rarity asked, grinning. "You know... bookish..." Everyone at the table laughed at that, but then Twilight raised an admonitory hoof. "Life can't all be flying around with colts, young mare!" Another bout of laughter. Cadence heaved a sigh. "I should be with you, sweetheart. There are some things a young mare should learn from her mother, not from an aunt." "Actually, Twilight has been really nice. She's not too mean or strict or anything!" Flurry pointed out helpfully. "That's what I'm worried about, dear." Again, everyone laughed at this. They were going to be fine, someday. Celestia had been right. Cadence could be completely rehabilitated, even if it took years. Whether she'd earn back Celestia's trust was another matter, but Rosa was kind of leaning towards 'yes'. After all, Luna had. Rosa's old roommates were already waiting for her at the railroad station as she was seeing Fluttershy and her friends off. She'd given her mother a warm hug, waved to Flurry Heart and Twilight and watched until the train was out of sight. "Now that right there is sweet," Amethyst commented. "Isn't that sweet?" The others murmured their agreement, which made Rosa a bit self-conscious. Maybe it was not the politest thing to do, rubbing the fact that her mother was in Equestria with her in their faces. After all, her roommates' parents were still somewhere on Earth and it was a long shot if they'd ever see them again. Well... maybe. After what Fluttershy and her friends and Celestia had done over the past couple of days, the chances of some kind of agreement with Earth had gone from 'completely impossible' to merely 'out of the question'. It was an improvement and Celestia had promised she'd keep working on it in the press release she had sent out once the human diplomats had left. Another piece of good news was that she had relented to Luna and Twilight's pleading and agreed to move Cadence from a cell to a suite in the Castle proper. She'd still be wing-bound and horn-ringed, but the manacles would be replaced by a spell on her room so she couldn't leave. She'd also be allowed visitors for two hours every week. It was not so much about Cadence, but Flurry would be able to start working things out with her mother who had been absent for most of her young life. On that topic, Sky Light had agreed with Rosa. She was still quite pissed with the alicorn, but having Iris really was helping. She had said she would think about going to see Cadence again. It was a promising start. Rosa shook her head clear of those thoughts and turned back to her friends. "So, where to?" The crystal pony at Amethyst's side offered a tentative suggestion: "Uh, if I may... how about that new place? Um, the 'Cupcake Nook'?" Rosa was not completely sure what the colt and Amethyst had together, especially since she sometimes saw him out with Valentina. Hopefully he wasn't lying to one or the other. To be completely honest, what with one thing and another, Rosa hadn't spent nearly as much time with her friends as she had wished. All of them were getting jobs and a few of them were seeing someone, from what Rosa could gather. For the moment, only Crystal Arrow was with the group since he lived in the same building as Amethyst. Felicity and Iskra were on their own today. "Actually, I could go for a cupcake. Do they make those blueberry ones?" Rosa decided. "Oh yes, if we're lucky we'll get some straight from the oven!" Iskra exclaimed, jumping up and down a little and fluttering her wings in excitement. "Sweet! I'll take a couple home for Sky and Iris!" As they started walking, Felicity fell in step with Rosa and asked: "Paolo isn't with you?" It was a bit stating the obvious, but Rosa interpreted it as a question. "Oh no. He has to work things out with his landlady. He's moving out." "Moving out?!" Amethyst gaped. "Moving where?! You guys haven't broken up, have you?" Rosa giggled at her sorrowful expression and at Iskra's thoughtful one. Without a doubt, Iskra would be all over Rosa's pegasus if they broke up. "Nothing like that. He's moving in with me." Before she could make two more steps Valentina spun around and hugged her, right in the middle of the street. A bell rang and a carriage had to make its way around them. The pony pulling it gave them an annoyed look, but didn't say anything. "So, how was it? Do tell!" Amethyst asked with a grin that reminded Rosa a lot of Sky Light's. She couldn't help noticing how she sidestepped and bumped her flank against Crystal Arrow's. Okay, so it was Amethyst and the colt. So that must mean he and Valentina were just friends. That was good to know. "Well, we haven't- you know. Not yet. We were waiting until we move in together." All the girls giggled at that. "You're too old fashioned, Rosa," Felicity commented. At the same time Valentina gave her a wink. "Girl, you don't know what you're missing! Oh boy, you're in for a sweet time! Well, maybe. Hopefully Paolo knows what to do." She walked over to Crystal and hooked a leg around the stallion. "Want me to have this lump give Paolo a few tips?" The two kissed and Rosa blinked in confusion. Wait, so it was Valentina and Crystal Arrow. Why would Amethyst have bumped flanks with him earlier? An accident? Rosa shook her head and pointed an accusing hoof. "Okay, okay. First of all, what the hell is happening with you three? I can't work it out." The crystal pony looked from her to Amethyst and then to Valentina, arching an eyebrow in confusion. "Which one of you is with him? Because right now, you're giving me kind of mixed signals here." "Rosa," Amethyst said softly while Valentina did her best to keep herself from outright laughing. "Rosa, I thought you knew! We both are." Well, that was... uh. They were b-both... "What?" Both mares hugged the colt, each from one side, except that Valentina was now chortling into his mane. Even Amethyst was having a hard time containing her giggles. "It's called a herd, Rosa. Well, they don't do it all that much around here, but it's gotten popular again in the Crystal Empire. There's more mares than stallions, we have to get it where we can, right?" She gave Crystal Arrow a very passionate kiss which ended with a good nuzzle. "It's not a problem, is it? You're not some kind of a prude, are you?" Felicity shrugged, looking strangely at Rosa. "She might be, guys. She hasn't even done it with Paolo and they've been together a year!" "Poor boy!" Iskra whined. "I wish I'd known, I could go and help him out." "What?! NO!" "You sure?" the pegasus went on. "We could, y'know, share him a bit. He has plenty of feathers to go around. Whaddya say, Rosa?" Rosa needed to take a deep breath before she started shouting and said something stupid and lost all her friends in the next five minutes. She put her hooves over her face to get a moment's privacy, then exhaled. "First of all: Iskra - no..." She looked so downcast and Rosa's eyes were drawn to Crystal Arrow, who certainly didn't mind being nuzzled by two mares at the same time. He probably didn't mind being... well, 'looked after' by the two of them, either. Cheeks blushing, Rosa revised her statement: "Look, this is all a bit of a shock right now, okay? I'm not saying 'no, never', just- give me a time to figure things out with Paolo and me, okay?" Her pegasus friend looked like she was on the verge of tears, but that last bit made her brighten up some. "I'm not saying yes either, Iskra! If you find yourself a nice colt, then go for it, okay? I'm saying 'maybe'. Someday. Maybe!" Her smile vanished and her ears splayed out, but the mare nodded. "Okay, I understand. I won't count on it, promise." That one sorted out, at least hopefully, Rosa turned her gaze to the happy couple- or was it a happy 'triple'? "I'm happy for you guys, really. It was just unexpected. Gimme a minute or two to get used to the idea. I mean, as long as you all agree, there shouldn't be a problem, right?" "That's right," Amethyst said firmly. It felt as if she was challenging Rosa to condemn what they were doing, so Rosa made sure to keep her expression carefully blank. "Okay. Now that's settled, all I need is for Felicity to tell me she's seeing a dragon or a griffin or something like that." Five perfectly impassive faces stared back at her. "Oh, for crying out loud..." "It's not official or anything, okay?" Felicity said. "I've just gone on a couple of dates." "Okay, so which one is it? Dragon or griffin?" Rosa almost stopped the next question from popping out, but it forced its way past her lips before she could bite it back. "Are dragons or griffins even - you know... 'compatible'? Down there?" Felicity giggled and shook her head. "Dunno. Actually she's a zebra." That was a bit less exotic than Rosa had feared, but she made sure not to show fresh shock on her face at 'she'. "Well, I'm happy for you. Everyone should be happy." A very scary thought popped into her head and Rosa gasped and covered her mouth with her hooves. "Girls, I need you to promise me something, okay?" They looked strangely at her, but after a moment all four of them relax and Amethyst spoke for the group: "Of course, Rosa. Anything for you." "Promise me you will not, ever tell Sky Light about herds, ever! At least while me and Paolo are living there!" If that mare found out about this sort of thing, Rosa thought she'd be looking for a separate apartment with Paolo within the hour. She could just imagine it. Sky Light would probably come knocking on her bedroom when she heard the two doing anything. She would probably offer to help. That reminded Rosa of something she had completely forgotten. Of course Sky Light would hear it all. Their walls might as well be made out of paper. She ground her teeth together in determination. She would still do it. She had waited long enough! She and Paolo would just have to endure Sky's little jokes the next morning. It probably wouldn't be so bad. Rosa heaved a long-suffering sigh. "This cupcake place, do they serve alcohol? I think I need a drink..." She wondered if it was just her, or were all her friends starting to sound like Sky Light?