//------------------------------// // The Things We Do for Love // Story: 7DSJ: Crazy Love // by Former Unicorn //------------------------------// “Beware the silvery moon, And the stars that flicker in June, And what they portent.   “Four stars will aid her escape, Four burning points for jailbreak, To loose a monster.”   Nestled under the boughs of a sturdy acorn tree, Compass Rose composed a song; a request by a friend of her brother’s. Moonshine had asked for something that sounded reminiscent of The Doors and yet was something his band could call their own. So armed with her books and knowledge of poets, authors, artists, and other Romantics and Bohemians long gone, she set out in her task.   For now, she was contented by something she’d found in both the Matters of Britain and France: a tale of a long-forgotten civilization inhabited by creatures most fascinating and ruled by a veritable Queen of Magic. The amount of truth behind it was of course up for debate, but it was images like that, dreams of distant lands and scarcely-recollected tales that formed the crux of her li—   “Compass Rose, do you have a moment?” Adjusting her eyeglasses, Rose found herself face to face with one of the school's hunks, a boy named Forward Pass. He was a junior and a member of the Varsity football team; he was being scouted by several colleges for their football programs. On top of that, he was both smart and good looking, which made her wonder why he came looking for her. Not only was she plain-jane in her looks but more than a few people knew she was a lesbian.   “What can I do for you, Forward?” Rose asked, hoping this wasn’t about to be an embarrassing moment.   Sure enough, it was: looking at her, the football player asked, “What are you doing with my little sister?” Rose looked at him with surprise; she hadn't known he had a sister. It was only until he added, “Are you aware of how much of a problem you’ve caused for Berry?”   Recognition sank in. “You mean Boysenberry?”   “Yes. Boysenberry’s my kid sister. And now you’ve caused a huge mess for my family, you know that?”   “How?” The look in Rose’s face was one of complete confusion. “I don’t understand: How am I causing problems for your family?”   “Look, you don’t need to understand” the burly football player curtly stated. “Just leave Berry alone before yo—”   “WARD! GET AWAY FROM MY GIRLFRIEND!” Rose suddenly felt the abrupt, but not entirely unpleasant, sensation of lips on hers. Her mind briefly swam with delight before her “assailant” moved on.   Rose looked up to see Berry, as brazen as a lioness on the hunt, admonish her brother. Taller than others her age, from this angle she appeared as mighty as an Amazon fighting for her heart’s desire. The younger girl was more focused on her world than Rose was and it shamed the elder to know that.   “Berry, what are you doing here?” Forward asked.   “Saving my girlfriend from you,” Berry retorted. “Besides, it’s lunch, so I can go where I please.”   “But you’re not allowed to cross the field!” Forward told her, pointing at the grassy field that separated her part of the school complex from his.   “I am when you're picking on my girl!”   “She’s not your girl, Berry!”   “She is too! We’re even going on a date the first day of summer vacation and everything!”   The words were out of Rose’s mouth before she could stop: “We’re not going out then.”   “We’re not?” The look of sudden disappointment on the face of Berry practically drove a dagger through Rose as she stood up.   Forward sighed in relief. “So you finally came to your sens—”   “No, we’re going out tonight,” Rose interjected, a firm look on her face. “What time would you like me to pick you up?”   Forward dropped his jaw. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” “I’m asking a girl out,” Rose stammered, hoping her courage wouldn't give out now. “I’m allowed to do that.” “Not with her!” Forward seethed, getting right into Rose's face. “Now you’re going to forget about all this, leave my sister alone, or else—” “Or else what?” a new voice asked. All turned in the direction of the speaker to see her framed by the light of the early afternoon sun, adding a blazing sheen to her already fiery features. Sunset Shimmer. Forward stood there words failing him at the moment. “Or else what?” she asked in a sweet voice tuned with acid. “I mean, I’m sure there’s a valid reason why you’re threatening a girl a fraction of your size, right?” Forward, finally having found his voice once more but shut it as Sunset glared at him, her fiery countenance containing multitudes. “Look, I got no sleep last night, I’m having a bad morning, and I forgot my purse, so I have to skip lunch. If I were my old self, I’d be looking for a fight right now.” She punctuated her words with a punch into her palm. “But I'm not that person anymore, so all I’m going to do is to tell you to go pack sand, leave them alone, and bail before you give me a reason to go back to my old ways!” “Fine, you win.” He then angrily glared at Rose and finished with, “But this isn’t over yet.” “YES IT IS!” Berry shouted at her brother’s retreating figure. “I love him, but he can be such a buttmunch!” “Well, lunch time’s almost over, Rose, so say your goodbyes and we’ve got to get to class. I’ll let you take care of that.” With that said and a friendly wave, Sunset left the two in peace. Rose gathered her things before setting her eyes on Berry. “So, should I call you after school lets out?” “You can call me anything you want!” Berry answered coyly. Rose giggled and hugged the younger girl before walking back to the CHS campus building. ++++++ “Rose, how much deeper can you keep digging yourself?” an exasperated Scorch Bonnet asked her later. They were in English II and were currently discussing some recent novels they’d been assigned and were doing it in groups of four. “Scotch, can we please pay attention to class?” Rose pled. “Not until you tell me what's so special about this kid. You’re sixteen – you're supposed to jailbait, not cradlerob!” “But I—” “Then to make matters worse, you go from the flame-haired bitch to a place where the grass hasn’t even grown yet!” “But she—” However Scotch was just getting started. “And to top it all off, you piss off the most violent of the football thugs at school. Good job, brillia—” “HEY! YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE HER BEST FRIEND SO WHY DON’T YOU STOP RAGGING ON HER AND BE SUPPORTIVE, YOU DUMB CUNT?” Scotch turned in the direction of the aural assault and found herself face to face with the unrestrained utter terror unleashed via eyes of cyan. Fluttershy Stared at Scotch, the former’s gaze burning with a martial fury that must have only been known to her Japanese ancestors. To say the latter found it terrifying was likely the understatement of the year. “Fluttershy, dear, relax; I’m sure Scotch was joking with her friend as old friends are wont to do,” Rarity assured the sakura-tressed maiden. “You’ll have to forgive her; she gets like this sometimes when it’s the monthly inconvenience.” “That bad?” Rose asked, sympathizing. She never had an easy time of it either and envied those that suffered no issues during their periods. As she broke off her Stare, Fluttershy blushed in embarrassment as she admitted, “Rainbow calls it my ‘pre-menstrual samurai’ phase.” Scotch, still recovering from the baleful glare, gave no argument.   “Well, seeing as how we still need to do the class assignment, darlings,” Rarity said, trying to change the subject, “would anyone like to go first regarding the book they read?” Rose raised her hand and Rarity smiled. “Please, Rose, do tell us about your book.”   “Well,” she started as she held up the book, “Mine is Fractured Sunlight, by Oroborous.”   “Oh my, I’ve heard of him,” Rarity replied with a knowing smile. When Fluttershy looked at her friend quizzically, Rarity said, “He’s a writer of some of my favorite romances. Please, Rose, continue.”   Rose smiled and continued. “It's about a girl named Twilight who lost her childhood friend Sunset when they were ten. Years later, she comes across another girl by the same name who turns out to be a refugee from another dimension. The two meet and they fall in love....”   Rarity paused. “Do you, um, have the book on you, perchance, darling?” she asked. Rose nodded and handed it over; both Rarity and Fluttershy looked at the cover to see a girl with red and orange hair passionately looking into the eyes of a shorter girl with long indigo hair.   Fluttershy and Rarity looked at each other and groaned silently: the two girls even looked like Sunset and her adopted sister.   “I don't think we should tell Sunny or Twily about this,” Fluttershy whispered.   “Believe me, I'm quite in agreement, Fluttershy, dear,” Rarity agreed. ++++++   “You’re a freak!” a girl snarled at Boysenberry. “Girls should only date boys. My Mommy and Daddy say it’s in the Bible.”   “Is not!” Berry snarled back.   “Berry, don’t worry about it. Diamond Tiara’s a bitch,” Berry’s best friend, Giftwrap, told her. “Besides who you like is who you like. Don’t let her tell you who you can and who you can’t like.” Giftwrap then asked, “So you’re really going out with her? Your family won’t like that.”   “I know,” Berry admitted. “But I am a girl in love, Gifty, and a girl in love can’t be stopped from getting what she wants, right?”   “I just hope you know what you’re doing.”   “So do I, girl, so do I.” ++++++   “Do I look okay, Line?” Rose asked her brother. For her date, she wore a simple dress, sandals and a shawl. Her hair was in its usual twin pigtails and she wore her best glasses for the date. She also selected the purse that Matchie helped her pick out for the outfit and the perfume that Scotch got her for her birthday back in January.   “Yes, you look like a knockout,” Line told her.   “So, you’re okay with me borrowing your car?”   “Yes but I want my car back in one piece,” Line replied. “Also, remember that our older sister’s coming for a visit tomorrow, so be sure to clean your room. Otherwise she’ll give us both grief and tell Mum and Dad.”   “Understood. Anything else I should know?”   “Just be careful, little sister, and remember that I’m here for you.”   Rose grinned. “Thanks, Line.” She picked up the keys off the small table in the foyer then looked back at her brother. “Wish me luck!”   “You’re my kid sis; you don’t need luck!” he said with a laugh. She winked at him and left the house then got into Line’s car, a 2012 Toyota Prius.   Here’s hoping that I remember how to get to her place, Rose thought. This is going to be a night to remember!