True to his word Roma took me somewhere, to a place I didn’t even know existed. There was a huge hill-top, just outside of town, where you could see Canterlot in all its metropolitan glory. It was wonderful at night. Walking or riding down the street, I would always think the city was beautiful, but I never knew it was this pretty. I never knew how the city looked like it was made of mirrors and fireflies. I certainly never knew how fun a motorcycle was to ride.
The view was intoxicating. We stood there, staring out over the wondrous vista of cityscape, and neither of us said a word for a very, very long time. But it was Roma who spoke first.
“I’m sorry.” The statement took me by surprise, to say the least. I did not expect him to apologize.
“For what?” I asked, not really sure where this was going.
He sighed, and leaned back against the motorcycle. “Everything. Ignoring you, pinning you against the lockers, threatening to knock you out. All of it.”
“It’s all good. We’re friends now, right? Frie–”
“We aren’t friends, Vinyl. I know your name, you know mine, and we took a ride around town on my bike. That doesn’t make us friends.” A look crossed his face that seemed pained, but I couldn’t really tell, with all that hair hiding it from me. “Starting Monday, we go back to the way things were.”
“Why?” I asked, and moved to stand beside him.
“Because I don’t need friends.”
“Roma, everyone needs friends. Tavi taught me that,” I said calmly, and noticed that he wasn’t looking me in the face. He was staring off to the side, trying to avoid me.
“Get on the bike, I’m taking you home. It was a mistake to bring you here,” he said with a scowl, then turned and swung his leg over the bike. As he swept his hair away from his face, I swear I saw something wet on it, shining in the light from the city. And I know I wasn’t mistaking his earrings for it, because it was way too far forward. But before I could examine it, he pulled his helmet on and started up the Ninja. “Vinyl, get on.”
“This is not over,” I said, and complied. As I raised my right foot up to hike myself onto the seat, it dawned on me that I was wearing a dress. Not my normal one, that I always wore shorts under, but a regular, mid-calf length, fluttery, flared out dress, with a slit halfway up my thigh. “Uh, Roma?”
“What?”
I blushed, not really wanting to ask, but I had to. “Has there been anyone behind us tonight? Like, on the road?”
“No. Don’t worry, no one saw your underwear. Though I would suggest riding side saddle if you are concerned,” he said, and I swore I heard a faint amusement in his voice.
“Um… okay,” I said, and adjusted myself so that both feet were on the same side, but for it to be comfortable, I had to face backwards. “Go slow, okay?”
“Alright, but hold on to my shoulder anyways,” he said, concern flooding his vioce.
One I told him that I was secured, he took off slowly, then maintained a decent cruising speed. The bike was surprisingly smooth for a sport model and there wasn’t much… discomfort during the slow trip. The ride was pleasant, as neither of us spoke, and the only sound we could hear was the bike’s quiet engine, and the wind whispering in our ears. My dress fluttered behind me, giving the whole scene a kind of poetic feel. I loved when real life acted like that; it allowed me to lose myself in my own little fantasies. I usually had music to accompany my imagination, but my mp3 player had been in my car, so I let my mind take over.
I was flying. I was flying, and there was a man beneath me. I was riding on his lower back, with my legs held in a demure pose, keeping my knees together. My mount beat his wing powerfully, causing his long red hair to flutter as we undulated in the air. My dress, white as snow, flowed behind us as the wind threatened to tear it from my body. And while he wore no shirt, no trousers, he was clad in a simple cloth around his waist, acting in a similar manner to a kilt. On his hip was a simple sword, one he would use to protect me when the other angels threatened to take me away. We had committed the ultimate travesty, by falling in love. He, as an angel, was forbidden to love me, a mortal woman. We mortal beings were unclean in the eyes of the archangels, therefore to love one was something akin to mating with a dog. My lover did not care, and had even offered to be rid of his wings to be with me. I had told him that he should not throw away himself for me. To lose his wings would make him mortal, just as I was. I glanced down at him, and admired his physique; the way his back muscles rippled whenever he flapped his wings was enticing. He was a muscular man, with somewhat broad shoulders, and slightly thick arms, all toned to peak tightness. When he stood before me, he towered over my small, thin form. I loved my angel with all my heart, and he returned the feeling in kind...
“Vinyl.”
I forced myself out of the fantasy. I felt my face burning red with blush, and my heart beat psychotically in my chest. He shouldn’t have been there, he shouldn’t have invaded my fantasy like that.
“We’re almost there,” I heard him say, and I barely registered it until the bike slowed down and turned onto my street. A moment more passed, and he pulled into my driveway, stopping next to my wreckage pile of a car.
“Thanks for the lift.” I mumbled, and received a nod as I scrambled off the bike and briskly walked over to my door. I turned just in time to see Roma let the bike roll backwards freely into the street, and take off without ever looking in my direction. He wasn’t the angel in my fantasy. I had just projected Roma’s red hair onto him because it had been on my mind.
What had happened there? I didn’t know, but I was going to put the ordeal behind me.
I heard the door open behind me, and a pair of muscular grey arms wrapped around my shoulders. “Vinyl, I was really worried about you.”
“Sorry, Tavi. Stuff happens, ya know?” I said, and turned around so I could hug her waist.
“So, who was your friend?” she asked, pulling away and retreating into the house.
“Just a guy Rarity sent. Don’t worry about it,” I replied, and followed swiftly.
“Really? He looked like that fellow–”
“He was. His name is Roma, and he is a total ass; he said so himself,” I said, following Tavi into the kitchen. “Hey, question.”
She turned to me with a curious look in her eyes. “Yes?”
“Have you ever had a daydream… about someone you can’t stand?”
“A few times. I once fantasized that I was beating Lyra senseless with my cello for talking with her mouth full,” she said with an amused tone.
My face went red again. “Not that kind…”
“Oh? Oh. That Rome fellow I presume?” A grin crept across her face at the prospect.
I sat down at our little kitchen table as she went to work at the counter. “Roma. Like the tomato. And it wasn’t like, sexual or anything… but yeah. It was him.”
“I have never had one like that. I… was never one to believe in destiny, but with what happened with Sunset and the Dazzlings, I question such things now. Maybe it’s a sign?” she said softly, before turning to sit a salad in front of me. “Sorry for the lackluster meal, but I wasn’t going to cook if it was just going to get cold.”
“It’s cool, Tavi. I like lettuce,” I said sarcastically, and took a chunk on my fork.
“Vinyl, did he do anything to you?”
I nearly choked. “What the hell? No! like I would freakin let him.”
“I’m sorry, it’s just, he’s so big, and I saw him pin you against the lockers… I was worried.”
I felt all the blood drain from my face. “You saw that huh?”
“Why didn’t you call out? He could have done whatever he wanted to you. Vinyl, you are not strong. With your con–”
“Don’t. You promised you wouldn’t think less of me,” I said harshly and glared at her. Like they say, if looks could kill…
“I’m not! I’m worried! Vinyl, please, it’s getting worse! Why won’t you go to the doctor?”
“Because there’s no fucking cure! I’ve been to every goddamn doctor my parents could find that had any remote knowledge of it!” I said, almost screaming at her. I stood up and slammed my fork down on the table. “Yeah, it’s getting worse! What, you want me to lie and say I’m getting better? This low protein shit isn’t working, Octavia! I wish more than anything I could make it go away, but I can’t! No one can!”
I saw tears forming in my friend's eyes, and very quickly, they streamed down her cheeks, like someone had turned a faucet on behind her face. Her mouth hung open slightly, and her arms hung limp at her sides. “I… Vinyl…”
“I’m sorry… I just…” I couldn’t form a sentence. Now my eyes were starting to get wet, and my cheeks followed suit, almost as fast as Octavia’s had.
“It’s… it’s okay. I’m here, and I always will be, okay?” she said quietly, and walked around the table to me.
“Tavi… I’m scared… I’m really scared… I can’t even pick up my computer tower anymore…”
“Well, to be fair, the thing weighs fifty pounds,” she said with an encouraging smile. Her arms wrapped around me and pulled me close to her, forcing my head against her sizable bosom. “I’ll be your strong back, my little DJ, so don’t worry about a thing.”
“I can’t ask you to do that… you have a life to live, and I’m not gonna burden you like that.”
I was pulled away from the warmth of boobs and Octavia looked me in the eye. “I don’t give a damn if you want it or not, it’s happening, so shut up and take it.” Suddenly, her face turned red, and I couldn’t help but smile.
I playfully pushed her off, and started laughing. “And you were worried about Roma molesting me?! Geez Tavi, if you want me so bad, just say so!” I managed through the now happy tears.
“Oh shut up! You know what I meant!” she said defiantly, and turned away from me with her arms crossed. “But I am serious, Vinyl. I’m here, whenever you need me.”
“I know. Thanks, Tavi.”
>Sagas<
Three hours later, I lay in my bed, staring at the ceiling. I couldn’t sleep, because I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Roma had actually been pretty dang nice tonight. I was also still a little riled up from my talk with Octavia, so there were two factors at play in my insomnia. Normally, my protein deficiency is treatable, with the right supplements and a low-protein diet, but I have it worse than most others.
My parents had put a lot of money into funding research for a cure, but there isn’t one, and the supplements and diets only go so far. Without enough protein, my body just isn’t very strong. I’m not helpless; I can walk, climb stairs, drive and other stuff, but lifting anything more than thirty pounds just isn’t happening. I don’t tell people because it usually puts me in an awkward position, since they almost always start treating me differently.
I wondered if Roma knew, would he treat me differently? Probably not, with how incredibly douche-y he was. But... he had seemed worried about me riding side saddle on his bike… What if he had issues too? Maybe something was wrong with him, and he didn’t want others to worry about him. That would make perfect sense, if he was intentionally pushing people away.
But there wasn’t anyone I could ask about it, so I decided to let it go for the night.
>Sagas<
Morning came, and I found an infuriating amount of sunlight beaming through my window. I sat up with a scowl that should have very well ripped my face in half, and somehow managed to work my way into a bathrobe before going downstairs. Tavi always got really mad at me for walking around in my underwear, so I tried to make sure I had something on to cover up.
“I freakin hate Sundays,” I stated blandly as I stumbled into the kitchen. Octavia already sat at the table, fully dressed and ready to head out for church.
“I know what could cheer you uuup…” she sang, and sipped from her blue coffee mug.
“I’m not going to church, Tavi. They get one look at me, and they’ll start throwing accusations around,” I countered, grabbing some toaster waffles from the freezer, and threw two of them into the little retro red toaster.
“Not if you get cleaned up, they won’t. I know you’re not a religious girl, but neither is Norman. He just goes because his grandmother asks him to.”
“Uuuugh! I’m not going. That’s final. Besides, the Rainbooms need me at AJ’s place.”
“Um, in case you haven’t noticed, your car is totaled.”
My face drooped, and the toaster chose that moment to ding. “Oh yeah.” I had legitimately forgotten about the night before. “I’ll walk?”
“I’ll call you a cab, Vinyl.”
“Or… I could ride with him,” I said, pointing at the white motorcycle sitting in the driveway, with it’s white-clad rider currently dismounting. Today, he wore a long white coat that reached his knees, had a zipper instead of buttons and red lining. He looked really cool.
“Wait, why is he here in the first place?” Octavia asked, walking over to the window and leaning against the sill. “Vinyl, go get my rapier."
“And you’re supposed to be the godly one. He’s probably here on behalf of Rarity, so chill,” I said, taking a bite of waffle.
Roma stopped mid-step, raised an eyebrow and, I swear, he smirked at Octavia. Changing direction, he walked up to the window and reached behind him. After fishing around in his bag, he eventually produced a simple spiral bound notebook, and pulled a marker out of his pocket. He scribbled a note on random page, blew on it to dry the ink, and slapped it against the window. “Rarity sent me. Her to take Vinyl to practice.”
I laughed and grabbed a napkin and a pen, and, with my waffle hanging out of my mouth, I wrote my own note, then slapped it against the window. “I think you mean ‘herE.’ ”
He blinked and after a moment, pulled his notebook back, and his face twisted in a sarcastic scowl. He flipped the page, scribbled another note, and slapped it to the window. “Oops. Can I come in? It’s a little chilly.”
I scribbled another note. “You’re wearing a coat.”
“White does a very poor job of insulating,” he wrote back.
I chuckled and grabbed a new napkin, and slapped another note against the window. “Well, it’s not like that’s the only color you own, right?”
His eyes shot to the ground. He slapped another note. “Actually, it pretty much is. I have one outfit that is blue, but I’m not wearing a tuxedo to take you to practice.”
I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at this. “Seriously? Wow. Alright. I will have mercy,” I wrote.
Roma let loose a sigh, unleashing a cloud of steam, then slapped a note. “Thank you!”
>Sagas<
“So, do you always do what Rarity tells you, or just certain things?” Octavia asked. She’d insisted on staying until I was ready to go with Roma. This, of course, would make her extremely late to church, and I’m pretty sure she was considering staying home. I, meanwhile, was standing at the top of the stairs, listening.
“Mm, most of the time. I owe Rarity a lot, so if she asks a favor, I typically don’t mind doing it,” the redhead replied, loudly sipping his coffee, which I had graciously made for him.
“What happened between you guys that you would owe her that much?” I cut in, trotting down the stairs with a brush currently tangled in my hair. Folks thing I don't take care of my hair, but it actually takes a lot of work to look like you just woke up.
“She saved me from my most desperate moment, and let’s leave it at that.”
“Well, that’s needlessly secretive,” My roommate commented. She stood up to untangle my brush. “Honestly, if you let it dry first, it’ll be much easier to brush.”
“Well, if your hairdryer didn’t spark whenever it gets too hot, I wouldn’t be afraid to use it.”
“Conair makes a pretty good one that comes with a diffuser. And it doesn’t spark.” We both turned to Roma in shock. “What’s with the looks?”
“You use a hairdryer?” I asked, letting my mouth curl up into a grin.
“You’re kidding, right? My hair's as long as Vice-Principal Luna’s,” he answered curtly, crossing his arms. “It takes three hours to air dry. So yes, I like to speed the process up. Hair’s actually a little damp right now.”
“Roma, how far away do you actually live?” Octavia asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
“About two miles, why?”
“Your hair was soaking wet when you left, wasn’t it?” I asked, leaning down in front of him. He avoided my eyes yet again.
“Perhaps. When Rarity asks a favor, I drop whatever I’m doing and come to her aid. Which in this case, also happens to be your aid.” His eyes finally met mine, and the dark, malevolent intensity that burned in them made me step back a bit. I won't lie, that look scared me a lot. It was like staring down a leopard at the zoo. You know it’s dangerous, and you know it could kill you, but you also know it won’t. It won’t kill you, either because it’s too smart, or because it can’t reach you. I think Roma was the first one.
“Well, I see. Vinyl, since you seem close to being ready, I will head out for church. Call me and I’ll come by Applejack’s with a taxi when you get done.”
“I’ll bring her home.”
“Oh, you really don’t have to do th–”
“I cleared out my whole day.”
“Alright. Have fun you two!” Octavia said, and ran out to door, dialing a number on her phone. After a few minutes, a brown cab pulled up to whisk her away.
“Your friend doesn’t like me much, does she?”
“Can you blame her?”
“Absolutely not.”
>Sagas<
The ride to Sweet Apple Acres was uneventful. Boring, in fact. Roma didn’t say a word, but he did lend me a really cool-looking leather jacket, for some reason. And yes, it was white, but with a few red accents on it. I didn’t complain, since it was pretty chilly, and it was a thicker coat than what he appeared to be wearing. There was one thing I didn’t like about it though.
It was stiff. There was this weird piece on the upper back that was kind of uncomfortable, and pieces along the sleeves, torso, and shoulders felt extremely rigid. It was almost like it was armored. The weirdest thing about it though was that it fit me. Like a frickin glove. Well, around the torso, anyway. The sleeves were a little loose and a bit long, and the shoulders were a bit wide.
When we finally did arrive at the farm, Applejack stood out front, waiting for us. She looked mad. When he pulled up next to the barn, he dismounted and stepped up a few feet in front of the cowgirl.
“Jacqueline.”
“Mornin, Gypsy Bastard.”
“I’ll be using one of your trees for shade.”
"And why would you do that?"
"I'd like to use my tablet. Sunlight makes that kind of tricky."
“Don’t pick any apples.”
“I won’t.”
“Get on then.”
He complied, immediately heading off into the orchard to find a decent tree for shade, leaving an angry AJ in his wake.
“Hey Applejack Wh- HEY!” She suddenly grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me close.
“Look, Vi, I like you. You’re a good friend. That fellow ain’t. After today, stay away from him. I promise, he’s just gonna hurt you in the end,” she said sternly, her brow furrowing deeper and deeper with every word.
“AJ, we may be friends, but you can’t make me stay away from him,” I said, delicately pulling her hands off of the borrowed jacket.
“That’s why I’m asking you, as a friend, to stay the hell away from that monster.” The farmer stopped for a moment to rub where her eyebrows met before continuing. “Look, I don’t know what he told y’all, but he ain’t a good person.”
“Because he made Pinkie cry?” I asked, raising my right eyebrow. AJ seemed to pale at the question. “Why did he do it?”
“That ain’t why.”
“Then what?” I demanded, crossing my arms.
“I don’t… It’s none of your business, alright?”
“Then don…” I was distracted by an unusual sight, to put it mildly. Roma sat under the tree, with his hair tucked behind his left ear, showing off his little diamond studs, and he had taken his shades off. But those weren’t surprising. What was surprising was that he was smiling. He was staring at the tablet in his hands and smiling a little crooked half-smile. And it was beautiful. It was beautiful like a falling leaf. Sad and beautiful. Even at the current distance, I could see the sorrow in his eyes. I could see how his eyes glistened with the beginnings of tears, even though I knew he'd never let them fall.
“VI! Pay attention damn it!”
“Sorry, I got distracted,” I said, trying to hide my blush.
“Yeah, I noticed. Just get over to the barn. We got a lot of work to do. Wait, how are you gonna handle sound without your equipment?” she asked, her eyes growing wide in realization.
“All I need is two speakers, Jaqueline,” I said, making it obvious that I was annoyed.
“Don’t you ever call me that. EVER,” she said sternly, before grabbing my arm and pulling me off to the barn to practice.
>Sagas<
Practice was boring. We just played a bunch of songs we all knew by heart. Hell I knew them by heart and I wasn’t even a core member! Sunset kept looking solemnly out of the barn, presumably at Roma, and kept missing her lines and playing out of sync. Rarity kept throwing worried glances between me and AJ, like she was afraid we were going to kill each other. Fluttershy dropped her tambourine twice, and Pinkie…well Pinkie did fine. Rainbow Dash was glaring at AJ, and I didn’t give a crap about any of it. The only reason we were even practicing was because we had agreed to play background and intermission music at one of Trixie’s magic shows. I’d never admit it, but that girl was amazing with her illusions. Total bitch, but a great magician. It should be noted that we were more than surprised when she asked us.
Suddenly, Rarity sat down her key-tar, and walked in front of the band. “Why don’t we all take a break. We’ve been at this for a while, and I just don’t think we’re getting into the mood.”
Rainbow strode out of the barn, muttering something about pizza, and Fluttershy just sat on a nearby ladder. I didn’t see what the others did to occupy their time, because Rarity grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the barn and into the orchard. It was both surprising and really annoying how many people were taking me places that day.
Rarity and I wandered around among the trees, saying absolutely nothing for almost an entire half-hour. Neither of us really wanted to say what was on our minds, but it had to get put out there. I opened my mouth to say something, but I stopped when Rarity turned to me suddenly.
“He’s fragile, you know,” she said, a really, really somber look creeping into her eyes. “He’s very fragile after Sunset. Even before Sunset, he was fragile. But Sunset kind of… well, she broke him, to put it gently.”
“What happened between them?” I asked, absolutely desperate to know.
“Sunset met Roma almost right after she crossed over, and she immediately saw him as a threat. Why, I’ll never know, because he was as shy as he could possibly be. Sunset tried to make him submit to her. When he refused, she tried a different approach. She feigned becoming his friend. She got close to him, and after a few months, they dated. Then… she betrayed him. It was a horrid affair, really, and it got a little– actually, really bloody… Vinyl, do you want me to stop?”
“Not a damn chance. I finally have a chance to get to know the jerk,” I said, crossing my arms.
“Alright, then. You should know, that Roma and I were acquainted before the incident, as he often bought clothes from the boutique. He always manages to dress in style, despite being so horribly plain in his color choices. We weren’t close, still aren’t, really. He refuses to let me get close... But there was always something about him I liked,” She stopped and put her thumb and forefinger to her chin, while the other folded around her torso. “I think... maybe it was his sense of pride. He told me once during a fitting that his were a proud people, with a rich culture, and many dark times. He’s a gypsy, you know. The–”
“You’re avoiding the subject.”
She cleared her throat and blushed a little. “Quite right, Vinyl, quite right. Just promise me, you won’t think any less of Sunset.” She waited for me to nod before continuing. “Over the course of six months, those two became seemingly perfect for each other. He would play violin for her under the arbor, and she would listen with a childish grin plastered across her face. I think, that for a while, he could have changed her. If he’d asked her back then to change her ways, I'm sure she would have. I believe they cared a lot about each other. Especially Roma. He never dated someone he didn’t care for. On their six-month anniversary, she did the worst possible thing she could have. That Saturday, after Roma finished with tennis practice and everyone else had left the school, she led him past a broom closet, then pushed him inside and locked the door.”
“That’s not so bad.”
“He was there all night, all Sunday, and all of school on Monday,” she deadpanned, and crossed her arms. “And that is not, in itself, what was horrible about it.”
“Then what made it horrible? Stop beating around the bush, and just tell me!” I shouted at her, not even realizing how angry I was getting.
Rarity cut her eyes at me and grimaced. “Roma is claustrophobic to the point of debilitation. He had a panic attack in the back seat of a car, once. He can barely stay in Principal Celestia’s office without getting extremely anxious. He is weak, as he would say. Understandably, he has more than a little trouble trusting anyone, even me.”
I just stared at her. I couldn’t believe it. I vaguely remembered him saying he couldn’t do cars. It made sense. It all made sense now. He was scared of people betraying him again. That’s why he didn’t want friends. That’s why he was so cold, and such a douche. I swallowed the huge lump rising in my throat before asking, “There’s more… is-isn’t there…?”
“I was the one who found him Monday afternoon. I saw the blood under the door. I opened the door. I was the one to witness what Sunset had done to him!" She paused for a moment to calm herself down. "He couldn’t scream anymore, because his throat was raw from screaming all weekend. He couldn’t beat on the door anymore because he had used up all his strength before Monday morning came. Even if he’d had the energy, he'd broken his hands beating on the door, and ripped most of the skin off in the process. His hands were bloody and mangled when the door finally opened. I will… NEVER forget that sight,” she said as tears started trailing down her cheeks. “When I opened that door, he was sitting on his knees, slouched over, barely breathing, with his hands, broken and bloodied, laid out on either side of him. There was blood running down his cheek, staining his clothes, where he had a massive c-cut on-on the s-side… of his face…” Rarity dropped to her knees and covered her face with her hands, and quickly started sobbing into them. “Oh my god it was so-ho hooooribuuu-huuul… H-He alm-alm-almo-host ki-hilled himself tr-trying to escape…” I could see her makeup running down onto her forearm, and I immediately dashed over and put my arms around her shoulders. She wailed for a long time before we attracted the attention of a certain rainbow-haired bicyclist, with six pizza boxes strapped to the back of her mountain bike, which pulled up right beside us. “Ohhh Gooo-hoood Romaaaa-haaa…”
“She told you the story, huh?”
“Do the rest of you really have a problem with him?” I asked, not looking up from Rarity.
“No, it’s only Fluttershy, AJ and Sunset. He and AJ have… a history. And, like, not a good one,” she said, scratching the back of her head. “I mean, even I don’t know what happened between him and Applejack. Or why he calls her Jacqueline. It’s weird.”
“Maybe I should talk to him… Sunset’s different now, so he might for–”
“I won’t.”
The three of us turned to find our red haired subject walking calmly towards us, with his tablet tucked under his arm. His hair was no longer behind his ear, and it neatly framed his elegant face.
“Why not?” Rainbow asked, opening one of the pizza boxes to take a slice, then offered it to Roma. When he refused, she shrugged and bit into it herself.
“Thanks, but no, I’m on a diet. Believe me, I tried. I know she’s reformed; I’ve seen it with my own eyes. In fact, I like what she’s become, but I just can’t forgive her. Not after that,” he said, and glanced back at the pizza box. “Got three meat?”
“Damn straight.”
“Ah screw it. I’m not getting any thinner. I’ll take one of those,” he said, licking his lips as Rainbow opened up the second box and pulled out a piece laden with meat. “Oh, how I have missed pizza.” An almost devilish grin crossed his face as he opened his mouth to take a bite, but stopped and pointed a thumb behind him. “By the way, everyone’s anxious to get back to work.”
>Sagas<
After we returned, Roma made himself scarce by hiding behind a tree, where Sunset couldn’t see him. To my surprise, it worked. Sunset and AJ were both able to focus, and I actually enjoyed the song they were playing.
Normally I try to keep my head in line when I’m doing my job, but I couldn’t help myself this time.
I was standing in a field, watching two warriors as they prepared to duel. One bore a massive great sword, and the other, a straight saber. The wielder of the larger sword wore heavy armor, covering every part of her, save for her head, atop which rested a simple Stetson. The other, the wielder of the saber, wore lighter armor, consisting of a white long coat with a few plates of metal over his chest and back. Both had their weapons pointed at the other, and angry scowls adorning their faces.
“Please!” I begged, “Do not to this!”
The saber wielder turned to me, his crimson hair flowing around his face. “Sir Jacqueline made her choice, Lady Scratch.”
“But Lord Roma, why must you fight for me!?” I asked, putting my hands to my chest. I didn’t want them to fight, because I cared for both of them, and Sir Jacqueline was a far more experienced swordswoman than Lord Roma. She would destroy him.
“Because, My Lady, you are worth it,” was all he said to me, before turning back to his foe.
I was pulled back to my thoughts by Fluttershy, who had tapped me on the shoulder. She smiled sweetly and gestured at the rest of the Rainbooms, who were all putting away their equipment and preparing to leave. Geez, how long had I been daydreaming? I noticed Rarity had yet to leave and was sitting on her instrument case.
She looked so sad, the way she just sat there with her elbows on her knees. One hand held up her face in a way that squished her cheek up, while the other played with a piece of hay on the floor.
I stood, and was intent on talking to her, but a voice from the barn’s entrance stopped me. It was Roma, telling me it was time to go. I raised my index finger, telling him to give me a moment, to which he rolled his eyes.
“Hey.” Rarity looked up at me with a somber expression, and quickly dropped her gaze back to the ground. “You alright?” I asked, determined to make her feel better.
“No… no I don’t suppose I am. Sunset is a little angry that I told you about her misdeed,” she said, and began fiddling with a piece of hay on the floor.
“And? I was going to find out eventually.”
She sighed before continuing. “Yes, but as I’m sure you can imagine, that is a very sore topic for her. She would have preferred telling you herself, or having him tell you.”
“She’ll get over it,” I stated calmly. It may be a bit cold, but it was the truth. “Oh, by the way, thanks for sending Roma after me again. I’d hate to have to pay for a cab.”
“Vinyl, I… I didn’t send Roma. I thought you had asked him?” she said, arching her eyebrow as I shook my head. “I let slip that I was practicing with the band, and that I’d need to pick you up. He told me not to worry, and assured me he had it covered.”
“Weird.”
“Even weirder is the fact that your wearing his old racing jacket, darling,” she said with a smirk.
“Why is that weird?”
“Because that is designed as protective gear, to be worn on race tracks. He wouldn’t even let his sister wear it,” she explained, standing. She knocked on the shoulder, demonstrating the armored panels inside. “You must be special, for him to protect you like that.”
“Oh.”
To say I was confused was like saying Rarity dabbled in fashion.
>Sagas<
Roma pulled in to my driveway and allowed me to dismount. I started to take his jacket off and hand it back to him, but he raised his hand and told me, “Hold on to it.”
“You’re coming back tomorrow, aren’t you?” I asked, draping the jacket over my shoulders.
“…Yeah.”
“I leave for school at seven thirty, alright?”
I didn’t get an answer, just the vague impression that he was smiling under his helmet as he let the bike roll backwards into the street.
I couldn’t wait to see him again.