The three of us sat in silence for a while. Sunset fidgeted uncomfortable where she sat, constantly casting nervous glances over at Roma, while I sat beside her, calmly sipping on my Coke. Roma had insisted on me coming, though he assured me that it was more for Sunset’s sake than his own.
“So,” Sunset started, sitting her drink down on the table, “Roma. Why would you, of all people, want to talk to me, of all people?”
“I want…” Roma trailed off, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Ugh I really should have thought about what to say. Look, I can never forgive what you did to me, the same way I’m sure you can nev—”
“Already have,” Sunset said sharply.
“Um… what?”
“You heard me, Roma. I forgave you a long time ago. You were justified in your actions,” She explained, grabbing a breadstick from the middle of the table. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m still terrified of you. Hard not to be after that. In fact, it’s taking everything I’ve got not to bolt right now.”
“Was it really that bad?” I asked. When both of their gazes turned to me, I shrunk down in the booth without even realizing it.
“I broke her jaw.”
“And my arm,” Sunset added, pointing her breadstick at Roma.
Roma turned towards her. “I think I cracked your pelvis too, didn’t I?”
“In two places. Several ribs too.”
“So,” Roma said confidently. “I messed her up pretty bad.”
I stared at them both in surprise. They were being so… blasé about this whole situation. I knew for a fact that Roma was nervous about this, and Sunset had just flat out admitted to being terrified. What… what the hell was going on?
“Yeah, he fucked me up p—” Sunset was cut off by Roma’s middle finger snapping against her forehead in a savage thump.
“Language, Sunset. Language,” he said sternly, giving her a deadpan glare. “You know how I feel about profanity.”
“Ow… How… how can you possibly thump harder than before?! Really!”
“Physical therapy made my hands really strong,” Roma explained, giving a light shrug.
“Sorry…”
“No worries, Sunny, it’s in the past…” Roma trailed off, putting on a pensive expression. “…which is exactly where I want to leave it! Sunny, I want us to be cool again. But to do that, to be that, I have to let go of my hatred, and you need to let go of you completely rational fear… think that’s an option?”
Sunset cupped her chin between her thumb and forefinger, staring at the table for a moment. Finally, she lifted her chin and looked straight into her ex’s eyes. “No,” she said coldly, prompting Roma’s face to fall. “That can’t happen; not completely. What we did to each other, there’s no letting it go. We have to live with those mistakes, Roma, and we have to accept that we were both different people then… That, Roma… that is something I can do. Can you?”
Roma’s response was immediate. “Of course. I’ve accepted that you’ve changed… but what makes you think I have?”
“When was the last time you got into a fight?”
He winced at her question. “Jackie,” he said quietly.
“Why is she the last one?” Sunset asked, scooting over next to Roma. I smiled warmly at them both, although I’m sure they had completely forgotten my presence.
“Can’t bring myself to make a fist in anger… Can’t bring myself to hurt someone like I did you…” he said, gritting his teeth in an angry snarl. “Can’t bring myself to let go and be… that thing again…”
Thing? My smile disappeared, and I leaned forward. What thing? What as Roma talking about? I didn’t ask, for fear of breaking their focus on each other.
“And that there is my proof. Before, when we were together, you had no qualms about slipping into that state,” She said soothingly and put a hand on his shoulder. “And now, it bothers you to even think about it.”
I leaned forward a bit more, hoping they would talk a bit more about that ‘thing.’ It never came. Instead, Roma held up his right hand in front of Sunset.
“We cool?”
“Not yet… But we will be,” she said, smiling warmly at him and shaking his hand.
“Yay! Warm fuzzies all around!”
All three heads at the table snapped up to look at a waiter. She had pink skin, blond hair and matching golden eyes. I was acquainted with her by her association with Rose and apparently, so were Roma and Sunset.
“Hello, Lily,” Roma said casually.
Sunset was less formal. “’Sup.”
“The old usual for you two?” Lily asked, flipping her notepad out.
“Yes ma’am,” Roma answered politely, and then turned to me. “You ever been here?”
“Uh… ‘low protein,’ remember?”
“Oh! Um… she’ll have the mezzaluna,” he said, turning back to our waiter and pointing his thumb at me.
“Ooo… good choice. I’ll be back in a sec with some more breadsticks,” Lily said cheerfully, before taking our menus and leaving in a hurry.
“So…” I started, scratching at the back of my head, “What exactly is mezzaluna?”
“It’s… hard to explain. My recipe is different from Chrysalis’s,” he said calmly, before quickly scanning the room. As he let out a sigh, I briefly wondered why he’d be afraid of this Chrysalis person.
“So, who's this Chrysalis person?” I asked, and instantly regretted it.
“I am.”
My head snapped around to see a black-skinned woman with toxic-looking green hair sitting in the booth with me. She was clad in a tight green t-shirt and black jeans. Resting around her neck was a silver chain with a pink heart pendant, matching the engagement and wedding bands on her right hand. On her ears were pinned two green, skull-shaped earrings.
“Vinyl, this is my old friend Chrysalis Queen,” Roma said casually, gesturing at the woman beside me. “She’s the one who taught me to cook, and is the owner of The Changeling Queen.”
“W-where the hell where you hiding?!” I nearly shouted, causing the woman to grin wickedly, revealing a pair of pointed fangs.
“I wasn’t. I walked up to your table and sat down.”
“Look, Vee, just… don’t think too hard about it,” Roma said, putting his hand to his forehead, “Sunny and I came here every Saturday for six months and we never figured out how she does it.”
“I heard about the break up.” Chrysalis leaned forward and folded her arms on top of the table. “You know, Fluffle’s sist—”
“NO!!!” Roma shouted, standing and slamming his hands on the table, attracting a number of stares from other patrons. “Never again, Chrys, never… again… Besides, the prospect of somehow becoming even more related to you is a frightening one.”
“Speaking of which, how is my little monster doing?” Chrysalis asked, her grin spreading even further. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say her face was actually shifting it’s form… but that was impossible, right?
“My sister is doing well. Cadence is taking good care of her at Crystal Prep.”
“Good, good. I should stop by and see her soon…”
“Yes, you should,” Roma said, throwing a bit of bite into his words. “She misses her ‘other mother.’”
“I’ll be by Saturday. Now, your food is ready, so I’ll leave you to eat. I hope you enjoy it.”
“Here’s your food!” Lily sang as she strolled up and sat three plates on the table. “Funny, as soon as Sunset walked in, they started cooking this. And fortunately for you, Vinyl, mezzaluna is pre-cooked every morning, so it didn’t take long to prepare.”
“Thanks Lily. I think we’re good for now,” Roma said as our bubbly waitress sat three plates down in front of us.
“No problem! See you guys later!” As Lily turned and strode away, Roma and Sunset looked after her and both smirked.
“I still think we should have asked her…”
“Lily’s not like us, Sunny. She’s straight, and that’s all there is to it.”
“Yeah, but she liked you!”
“She’s twenty-seven, Sunny. It would’ve been statutory rape.”
“Ugh. As stubborn as ever, I see…”
“Naturally.”
“Wait!” I said, loud enough for them to stop their little back-and-forth. “You!” I pointed at Roma. “You said, ‘She’s not like us.’ And then you said, ‘She’s straight!’”
“That is correct,” Roma replied with a devious smirk.
“You’re not…” I muttered, though it was still loud enough to hear.
“It’s a little more complicated than ‘I am,’ or ‘I’m not.’”
“What are you saying?” I asked. I was terrified to know the answer (as though I didn‘t already), but I had to. I needed to know.
Roma leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table, while his fingers laced together. “It’s like this, Vee. Sexual preferences, they don’t really exist for me. I’m what you might call pansexual.”
“So… what? You’re attracted to everything?” I asked, and smiled when he nodded. That was good. That meant I still had a chance. Wait, a chance at what? Sex? Love? A few-month-long fling? If I did somehow get with him, how long would it last? Would… Would it even be worth it?
“Yes, attracted to everything, and nothing. I’m not a very lustful person, unlike my former flame, here. For me, a relationship is built around trust, love, honesty, and loyalty, even if those things turn around and stab me in the back.” Roma stopped for a moment and put a hand to Sunset’s shoulder, assuring her that he was still over everything. “If I get laid, then I get laid. It’s really of little or no consequence to me.”
“Dude, you used to get laid a lot,” Sunset said, punching him in the arm. “because of those principals.”
“Yeah, well, when you got it, you got it,” Roma said with a smirk, leaning back and crossing his arms. “I can’t help that I’m awesome.”
I smiled at them, happy that they were friends again, but my smile was little more than a mask at that point. Inside my mind, a thousand different questions buzzed around in my head. Before long, we had finished our meals and we sat there chatting about pretty much nothing and everything…
It would’ve been perfect, if I weren’t so preoccupied with that one thought.
Would a relationship with Roma be worth it, even if it ended after a short time?
~ Healing ~
Later that night, I lay in bed, staring up at my ceiling, though, I wasn’t really looking at it. My eyes just happened to be facing that direction. Two thoughts fought each other in my mind; often, I was unsure of which one was winning.
It would be worth it.
No, it wouldn’t be worth the heartbreak if he dumps you.
Heartbreak is always a risk.
Nothing is worth heartbreak.
It’s been broken before.
You didn’t love Neon.
And? I still cared a lot about him. I mean… it could have become love.
And you were fucked over, weren’t you?
Maybe. But dad always said love was worth any risk.
…
Okay, you may have a point there.
Dad was awesome.
Yeah.
And I just won an argument with myself.
Yup.
Lovely. Goodnight crazy me.
Goodnight not-crazy me. Wait, real quick, I got a question.
What?
When did we decide that we love Roma?
Huh… that is a good question…
~ Healing ~
Monday morning came, and I received a welcome sight in my driveway. Rolling from the black pavement onto the white, was a very familiar white and red motorcycle.
As I approached, I noticed something off. He didn’t have the same air as he normally did. Typically, Roma had a very relaxed air, but today, he didn’t. for starters, he didn’t get off to greet me, as he typically did. His hands were gripping tightly onto the handlebars, and his shoulders were more hunched up than usual. I slowed down and came to a stop a few feet away.
As he removed his helmet, I was met with a face I knew a bit too well. He was angry. At what, I didn’t know, but his eyes burned with that hate-filled light, and it terrified me.
“Jackie knows,” he said calmly, despite his apparent rage. “And she’s pissed.”
“I can imagine,” I said quietly, stepping forward. “But how does she know? How could she possibly know?”
“Lily. You may not be aware, but they’re both members of Canterlot’s agricultural society. They’re actually pretty good friends.”
“I see. Do the others know?” I asked, climbing onto the bike behind him. Of course, I meant the Rainbooms. My crew already knew, since I’d told them the prior night.
“No. I asked Pinkie and she says she didn’t know. Being that she and Jackie are cousins, she’d be the first one Jackie would tell.” Roma reached his hand backwards and held out a bizarre looking collar with a clear tube ending in an ear bud hanging off of it. “Put this on. It’s a radio. My family uses them when we go mountain biking. Make sure the ends pinch the front of your throat. I already switched it on, so all you have to do is press the button and talk, and I’ll be able to hear you.”
“This is… some military grade shit, Roma.” I cautiously stretched the strip of plastic around my neck, and plugged my right ear.
“No, yours is civilian grade, trust me,” my gypsy friend said casually as he began donning his. “Although, mine is mil-grade, and a lot more expensive.” He paused for a moment, before his elbow rocketed back into my gut. “And watch that mouth, Vee. I do not like profanity.”
It wasn’t a hard hit, but it was definitely a hit; enough to make me lurch forward and clamp my arms over my stomach. And then I realized what kind of position I was in. I now found myself pressing my chest into Roma’s back, my chin sticking over his shoulder. I just happened to glance down at the mirror and see Roma’s crooked grin in the reflection. “Oh you so did that on purpose.” I received a chuckle in response, alongside a stretching smile.
“I have absolutely no idea what you mean,” he said nonchalantly, and plugged his right ear with the radio tube. “Check check, how’s the volume, check check?”
“Volume’s fine, jerk.”
“Good. Ready?”
“Yeah,” I said, and clamped my hands down on his shoulders. As the bike began rolling backwards, he suddenly chuckled, before he clamped down on the brake. “Wha-at now?” I said, my voice jerking with the bike. His chuckle turned into a full-on hysterical laugh. His shoulders shook, and his head ducked forward. What was crazy was that neither of our radios were active, and I could hear his laugh perfectly through his helmet. After a moment, he pulled his helmet off and began coughing violently into his forearm. He seemed to do that a lot when he laughed… why? “What? What’s so funny?!”
“Ahem… I like them… They’re a nice size.”
“Like wh—” I stopped short and my face turned bright red. Oh my god Roma just gave me a compliment on my body. I fought back the heat rising in my chest, and smiled at him. He could see me in the mirror. I gave him a nice, soft, seductive smile, and wrapped my arms around his waist, clutching handfuls of his coat. “Yeah?” I pressed against him, and felt his entire body shudder at my touch. “How’s that?” I whispered, leaning my face over his shoulder.
“Exciting, much like this.”
“Like what?” Oh, how I wish I hadn’t asked. Suddenly, Roma was wearing his helmet, the bike was leaned sideways, and he gunned the accelerator while holding down the front break. “Oh no! No! Nooooo!” My cries were in vain as the bike’s rear tire screeched and we were suddenly spun seven hundred twenty degrees, before rocketing out into the street (Which was thankfully devoid of any cream-colored sedans). My arms clenched tight around his chest, and my face was buried into his back. I was afraid to open my eyes. But then, the world seemed to slow down. Partially, because the bike stopped.
“Sorry Vee,” Roma said softly over the radio, putting a gentle hand on my own. “I had to mess with you.” The bike rolled forward, and I instinctively gripped his coat again.
I slowly raised a hand to my radio and fumbled for the button. “Roma… Please don’t ever do that again…” My heart was pounding and I could feel it in my skull. It hurt. I don’t know why that had scared me so much… My hands were starting to hurt from gripping Roma’s coat so tightly. My knees squeezed Roma’s hips and I couldn’t bring myself to let go. Eventually, my mortal terror faded, but I still held on to his coat, Simply because it felt…
It felt right. And seeing as he didn’t complain, I can only assume that he didn’t have any problems with it.
The rest of the ride was peaceful, save for the odd flaw in the road jostling the bike every so often. But other tan that, it was nice. It was a clear day, no clouds in the sky… it was, as Roma called it, The Rider’s Day. Which made perfect sense, in my opinion.
~ Healing ~
The day up until free period was relaxed. We were only a few weeks from fall break, so curriculum was starting to slow down. All the teachers had planned in accordance with the usual three week break, but this year we would only get two weeks. As a result, lesson plans had been altered and were now spread evenly across the next four weeks.
It was nice.
But then, free period came.
I was cheerfully making my way towards the arbor, laptop in my arms, when Applejack stepped out from behind the hallway corner and started walking towards me. I scowled and turned to walk in the other direction, then ran when the sound of her boots got louder and faster. A strong hand clutched onto Roma’s jacket and pulled me backwards, sending my laptop falling to the floor, where it cracked on impact. I was thrown against the lockers, and met face-to-face with a very angry cowgirl. I glanced back down at my laptop.
“That was expensive, AJ,” I said calmly, though, I was panicking on the inside.
“Don’t care,” she said harshly. “What I do care about, is why ya’d help that bastard. I told ya’ll what’d happen to you if you stay with ‘im.”
“I’ll get hurt. But he hasn’t hurt me.”
“Not yet. Give ‘im time. He’ll screw ya’ll over just like he did me.”
“You ever going to explain that one?” I asked. She clenched her teeth, and I felt a fist crash against my right cheek, sending me sprawling across the floor.
“You think you got a right to smart off? That monster needs to pay! He hurt everyone!” she said, standing over me. “Git up, traitor.” My eyes widened at her accusation as I struggled to push myself onto my knees. Crap, I couldn’t do it! I weighed too much! My arms gave out from under me, and my face slammed into the floor. “Quit playing… around!” she said sharply, grabbing my collar and throwing me back against the wall.
“I’d advise you not do that again.” Mine and AJ’s heads snapped to the right, and saw Roma walking calmly towards us, in the process of taking off his trench coat to reveal his tight red t-shirt and the toned muscles beneath. “I may have to kick your ass.” As his coat fell away, he quickly pulled off his rings and deposited them in his pocket.
“Ya’ll… Ya’ll think y’ can threaten me?” AJ demanded, her left eye twitching.
“Yes, I can. Because I have this.” Roma pat a small black pouch on his right hip, next to his multi-tool. I had no idea what was in that pouch, but Applejack seemed to. Her eyes widened and her teeth clenched even harder.
“You cheatin’ little—”
“Now, that’s not really fair, is it? Yes, I fight dirty; always have, likely always will. But at least I don’t beat up cute girls that are physically incapable of fighting back.” I scowled for a moment at him for divulging my sickness, but then I realized something.
He called me cute.
“What’re you talkin about? She looks healthy enough t—”
“I have a protein deficiency, Applejack. I’m no stronger than your sister,” I said sharply, cutting her off. Her eyes widened for a second, but then narrowed.
“Bullshit.” Her fist slammed into my face in a backhand, and before either of us knew what was happening; before I could even hit the ground, Roma was upon her. His right palm heel smashed against the center of her eyebrows, followed quickly by his left, causing her to stumble back several steps, until his right arm went between her legs, and his left hand clamped down on her shoulder. Suddenly, she was over Roma’s shoulder, and was about to be slammed into the ground.
It was then that I noticed Roma’s expression. His brow was furrowed, his lips were drawn back, and his eyes were wide and they burned with a hateful flame. Even when he had glared at me in the garage, they hadn’t burned that bright. His current snarl sent a shiver down my spine. He looked more like an animal than a man. Time seemed to stop as his eyes swiveled to meet mine. In that instant, his snarl changed into a look of surprise, then horror, then strain as he adjusted Applejack’s position, and hurled her several feet away from him, rather than at the ground.
She landed on her hands and knees with a grunt as Roma took a fighting stance, raising both of his hands in front of him as though they were claws. Applejack quickly back-stepped and took a boxing stance. She glanced between me and Roma as I managed to crawl to my knees, and stand up against the lockers. Tears started to well up in her eyes as she stared him down. Her face scrunched up, and she chose that moment to run, wiping her eyes on her sleeve as she went.
Roma sighed and fell back on his butt, then started laughing. It started as a chuckle, then escalated to a giggle, and in a few seconds, had become a full on fit of laughter, until he stopped to cough in his arm again. “You almost got me to do it, Vee…” he said hoarsely, staring blankly at the floor in front of him.
“D-do what?”
“Lose it.”
“That’s… bad, right?”
“Very… C’mon, we need to speak to the principals. Or rather, I do…”
“O-okay…”
~ Healing ~
I sat outside Principal Luna’s office in a plastic chair, curled up with my knees to my chest as I waited for Roma to finish his discussion with both Principals. He’d been in there a while. I had no idea what they were talking about, and I really didn’t care. I was thinking about that face Roma had made.
“Can’t bring myself to let go…”
He… he hadn’t let go, there… had he? No, no… that was something else.
“…be… that thing again.”
What was it? It was rage, to be sure. But there was more. There was something deeper; something… ominous lurking beneath Roma’s skin… and it scared me. What if that something got loose? What if it turned on me? What if it consumed him? What if… what if it… was him? No, that wasn’t possible. Roma wasn’t a monster.
“…you had no qualms about slipping into that state.”
I was painfully reminded of Sunset’s words at the restaurant. There had been a point when that state had possibly been second nature. And Sunset had seen it. No, she hadn’t just seen it… she’d been on its receiving end. She’d been its victim.
She knew what it was.
A sudden shout from the office drew my attention.
“Absolutely not!” cried a voice I recognized as Principal Luna. “I’ve seen what your fights have wrought! To willingly cause that kind of… carnage… I refuse to allow it!”
“LULU! Calm down!”
“No, Sister! I’ll not be calm! You remember what he did to Miss Shimmer!”
“That wasn’t a fight!” Roma shouted, causing me to raise my eyebrows at his tone. Well, monster or not, dude had balls.
Everything went silent again, and I began to wonder why they were actually shouting. That stopped when the door beside me opened up, and Principal Celestia poked her head out.
“Miss Scratch? We’re ready for you.”
I nodded and followed her into the office. Awaiting me were Of course, both principals, Roma, and to my surprise, Sunset. My schoolmates stood on either side of VP Luna’s desk, watching me as I slowly entered. Soft orchestral music permeated throughout the office, no doubt to either mellow out visitors, or to frighten them. It had the latter effect on me.
“Have a seat, Miss Scratch,” Principal Celestia instructed, gesturing towards a vacant desk chair. “We have something to ask of you.”
“Um… okay,” I said, settling into the large leather chair. It was much to big for me, actually, so I kind of felt like a child in a grown-up’s chair. “Ask away.”
“We’ve reached an agreement, Vee,” Roma said, the shuttered light from the window casting a shadow over his face.
“We’ve decided that this is a problem that we ourselves can’t solve,” Sunset said calmly, clutching something to her chest. It was about the size of a textbook, so I assumed it was her magic journal.
“And so,” VP Luna said quietly, glaring at the desk.
Her sister picked up. “After much debate…”
“We’re going to ask the princess for help,” Sunset said, sitting the journal on VP Luna’s desk. “I don’t want to bring her into this dimension for no good reason, but Applejack needs her help.”
“Why… why does AJ need help?” I asked, folding my arms over my stomach. I felt sick.
“Jackie is, in many ways, like me. I abandoned my friends out of fear, and it has remained that way for two years. Thanks to you, I am at a point where I can get them back.” He paused for a moment, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Jackie, however, was different. She was the one to cut things off. She had her own reasons for hating me, and she’s even better at holding a grudge. She’s held on to that anger for over three years…”
“Vinyl, Miss Applejack’s anger will break her, if something is not done,” VP Luna said, her voice straining. “She will become as I once was.”
“And that is why we wish to bring Princess Twilight into our world again,” Celestia finished, gesturing toward the journal with one hand.
“What we ask of you, Vinyl,” Roma intoned coldly, “Is that you allow her to stay with you and Octavia. My family is too big, and if she stays with any of the other Rainbooms, she’ll be discovered immediately.” He turned and opened a single section of the blinds behind him. He hissed in pain and let them snap closed, before turning back to me, rubbing his eyes. “I don’t want to ask this, but you’re involved, Vee. It’s as much your problem as it is mine, now.”
“I’ll do it,” I said instantly, causing several pair of shoulders to drop in relief. “But…” Those shoulders tensed back up. “I want to know what happened.”
“With Jackie?” I nodded. “Big Mac happened. In their barn. I’m sure you can piece the rest together yourself.”
My eyes went wide, as did every other pair in the room at the revelation. “You… you fucked your best friend’s brother?!” I shouted, causing Luna and Celestia to glare at me.
“Yes, I did. Worst mistake of my life… and I’ve made some pretty big ones…” He stepped around the desk and leaned back against it, facing me. “Vee, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that what we discuss never leaves this room. You understand? Jackie can’t find out about the princess until we’re ready.”
I nodded. “So what’s the plan? How do we get her to my place without AJ knowing?” I asked, crossing my legs and moving my arms over my chest. Not going to lie, I felt pretty cool… but that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach was getting stronger.
“Gravity,” was Roma’s solitary reply. With a smirk, he specified. “My car.”
“Okay, now my last question,” I started and suddenly, I felt very unsure of myself. “is what happens… if she finds out?”
“Then Miss Applejack and Mister Heart will be drawn into a duel,” VP Luna answered coldly, glaring at me from under her bangs.
“Is that so bad?” My stomach suddenly felt very, very much like it had snakes squirming around in it.
“Jackie attacked you for helping me, Vee. If she and I fight, it’s going to be an end-all fight. One of us… One of us isn’t going to limp away.”
“You’re afraid it’ll be her?” I asked, leaning forward, resting my hands on the armrests.
“No, I’m afraid it’ll be me,” he said quietly, his voice cracking as he whispered his answer. “Vee, I scare people. It’s a fact. Sunset here, Pinkie, Fluttershy, even my own family… all of them. But Jackie… She scares me. She gets angrier than me, she’s every bit as strong as me, she a better melee fighter… and she isn’t afraid of me one bit.”
“So… she’d…”
“It’s very likely.”
“I… I see. Well then, let’s get the princess here ASAP.” I received a number of nods as that feeling in my stomach decided it wanted out. “Can someone hand me a trash can?”