Rosa

by awf

Chapter 51: Therapeutic

It only took a few days for Rosa to become an honest-to-God trucker pony. Sitting next to Pavo and watching what he was doing made her think she could drive a truck, if only she could reach the pedals. His explaining everything she asked had also helped a lot and to top it off, Rosa had been having a load of fun. Sky Light hadn't joined in and seemed to spend most of her time napping, or sitting on the far side of the passenger seat and staring at the distant horizon. Rosa's best guess was that her friend missed flying.

Every day was packed full of interesting things and Rosa usually fell asleep within minutes of lying down, so she hadn't really talked to her friend lately. Maybe, she thought, she should try and get some alone time with her soon. Sky Light seemed bothered about something, or maybe sad. It was hard to tell with her. Maybe she missed Terry? The fact that she had stopped offering herself to the driver was good, but it could also be a sign. Rosa watched her friend for a few seconds and decided they would have a heart to heart that night, but then she looked back to Pavo.

"So," she repeated what she'd just learned, "you're not allowed to go to any of the left lanes?"

"No, I'm allowed," Pavo corrected, "but it has to be empty and I have to get back to the right as soon as I can. Those lanes are meant for overtaking slower vehicles only."

"Right, right. And we're the 'slower vehicles' here?"

It made sense - Rosa could see a constant stream of traffic on Pavo's side and every single car out there seemed to be a lot faster than their truck. She had figured it was just because of all the heavy cargo, but Pavo had told her about speed limits that day. The whole thing was incredibly complicated and it was no wonder humans had to spend months just learning the rules and then a couple of years practicing.

"You got it, Rosa."

She couldn't quite keep her chest from expanding with pride. She was obviously good at this! "In which situations would you even need to go left?"

Pavo shrugged. "Well, if there's something even slower than us up ahead I'm allowed to overtake it. Or if there's an obstacle, like road works or something."

"Oooh. Right." Rosa looked over at the pegasus again, but Sky Light didn't seem to be paying attention at all. She was completely disinterested, so Rosa tried to engage her a bit. "You could probably fly faster than this, right Sky?" she asked.

The mare looked around, then lifted her shoulders a little in a weak shrug. "Dunno. I guess."

Her mood was starting to worry Rosa. Something was definitely wrong, but she was not sure she wanted to bring it up around Pavo. She glanced at the clock and then at the sky. He normally drove until it was dark out, then he looked for the next truck stop. Judging by the light, that seemed about three or four hours away. Rosa resolved to drag the pegasus out and have a chat about what had been bothering her. She would need to be focused for what they were planning up ahead. Pavo had said they would reach his company in about three more days and then, provided he could find someone to take them to White Pigeon, at their destination in another day.

Maribelle was coming closer. Rosa was wondering if those prophetic dreams would get stronger or more frequent now that the distance was getting shorter, but she hadn't had a single one since they started. Sky Light had been having some pretty intense ones, though. Several times Rosa woke up in the night when a hoof bumped her or a wing nudged her ribs, only to find the other mare tossing and turning and mumbling beside her. The first few times she had woken Sky up, but her friend had said she didn't remember anything. Lately Rosa had just hugged her and Sky had quietened down soon enough. Was whatever she was dreaming about connected with the reason for her preoccupied gloom during the day? When was the last time Rosa had seen her smile, for real? Was it that time they both had gone swimming in that lake? Really worrying. If the lack of sex was affecting her that much, maybe Rosa would have to go down on her to get her spirits up. Hopefully it was not that, though. It would be a last resort and Rosa probably wouldn't be able to look her in the eye ever again, provided she could even make herself go through it in the first place. Heh, provided she could figure out how.

Even Pavo had caught the heavy mood because he had stopped talking and was now searching the radio for some music. That was okay, since Rosa was suddenly not in the mood for trucker talk anymore, either. "I think I'll grab a nap. I didn't sleep all that much last night," she lied.

"Sure thing," the driver said.

Rosa picked the lower bed because it was less of a hassle than climbing up to the top bunk while the truck is moving. There was also something about it that helped her sleep better. Probably it was softer, she supposed while curling up and facing the back wall. She took a deep breath and it did wonders for calming down her worries. The radio started playing something upbeat, but Rosa didn't mind. It turned out she could fall asleep with pretty much any noise. She felt around with a hoof until she found Pavo's blanket and pulled it around herself. Not that she was cold, but it felt more snug and helped her drift off.

---

She had slept through the rest of the drive until Sky Light woke her up for a late dinner. It was pizza again, but Rosa didn't mind. Pizza was delicious. Despite that obvious and self-evident fact, Rosa couldn't help but notice that her friend was eating a bit listlessly.

"How's your slice?" she asked, at first intending just to make conversation.

Sky Light looked at her food as if she was seeing it for the first time, then shrugged. "Fine."

To get her attention, Rosa shuffled a little closer and licked a bit of sauce from Sky's muzzle. "What's wrong?"

Sky watched her younger friend for a long time, then shook her head. "Just bored, I guess."

The words had a feel of a lie, but Rosa wasn't sure about pushing her, not on a flimsy hunch like that. Surely the other mare would have said something if it was a thing Rosa could have helped her with.

"You don't miss mooching, do you? We could try there at the truck stop tomorrow before we leave..."

Sky Light blinked in surprise and gave Rosa an incredulous look. "What?" she burst out, then began laughing. "Holy crap, that's a good one. No, I don't miss mooching!"

It was somewhat of a relief to see the mare at least amused, even if she was not happy. Rosa was also glad she wouldn't have to actually go through with it. She had gotten a lot of practice with the whole thing, but she still didn't like doing it. Her friend was smiling, so that was good progress. Rosa grinned right back at her. "Sorry, just a stupid idea. Wanna grab a shower?"

That gave the pegasus a pause and she lifted up a wing to sniff the feathers. "I could use one," she conceded.

"Damn right you could use one. I have to sleep in the same bed, you know?"

This time Sky Light looked embarrassed. "Yeah, sorry. I guess I forget when I'm... bored."

There had been a definite pause and it made Rosa doubt her claim even more. "You sure that's all it is? Just bored? You know you can tell me whatever is bothering you. Is it me? Pavo?" Rosa's muzzle scrunched up in distaste. "Is it cause you're not getting... y'know... any?"

Sky shook her head. "Nothing like that. Don't worry, Rosa. I'm fine! I swear!"

Deciding to lay off for the moment, Rosa promised herself to press her friend some more if her mood got any worse. After all, she needed Sky focused to get into the facility when they got there. According to Pavo, that was at most a few days away. About three or four to reach his company, then - if all went well - another day for someone to drive them to White Pigeon. Now that she was getting close, Rosa was also starting to feel excited. Eager, exhilarated and, most of all, anxious. Something was giving her a bad feeling and she didn't know why. Maybe that was what Sky Light was sensing, too?

"We're gonna be fine, right? In White Pigeon?" Rosa prompted.

Sky Light blinked at the sudden change of topic. "Oh, sure," she said dismissively. "Two determined mares like us? Pfft, they won't know what hit them!" It was bravado, but the mare did sound as confident as ever.

She held up a hoof and Rosa automatically bumped it with hers. "Yeah! We're getting Maribelle out of there and then we're getting some answers!" She just hoped it was not an unintentional lie. It had to be like every other human business, right? People worked in the day and then most of them went home at night. A few guards stayed around, like at the School, but those were usually lazy and it was not difficult to sneak past them. It was going to be tricky, Rosa was not about to fool herself, but she was sure they could do it. She had her earth pony strength and Sky Light could fly. If everything went bad, she could probably get both Rosa and Maribelle out in a couple of trips.

Her pizza was getting cold and Rosa quickly bit into it again. It was still good and she hadn't eaten a whole lot through the day. After that it was a quick shower, brushing her teeth and then sleep until Pavo woke up to drive again. Now that she was getting used to it, being on the road was kinda boring. Rosa felt like she understood what her friend was feeling. She was used to having the whole sky open to her. Now she was cooped up and had to watch the landscape slide slowly past. She was probably also lonely. Back in the city she had been a very social pony. She knew absolutely everyone and went to see them on a regular basis. No wonder she was going a bit crazy, locked up in the truck with just Rosa and Pavo and with nothing to do. Things would get better once they reached White Pigeon.

Yeah, Rosa felt pretty confident in that.

---

It was drawing nearer. One more night in the truck and then they would reach Pavo's company late the next day. Rosa was looking forward, if only for the change of scenery, but she was also a bit anxious. She had only just gotten used to life on the road and now it would be back to the street. Rosa wondered where they would sleep while the tucker arranged the next leg of their journey. He'd said he would and Rosa didn't doubt him, but it might take a couple of days before his military-cargo-driving friend showed up from his latest haul.

Haul - she was even starting to think like a trucker.

In a very small way Rosa was hoping they'd have a minor mishap, like one of the back tires going flat, so she could see how it was changed and maybe impress Pavo with her earth pony strength.

It was just as well her wish hadn't come true, otherwise they wouldn't have made such good time. Rosa found herself looking at the road ahead and lightly biting her hoof as the destination drew nearer. First Pavo's company, then White Pigeon, then... Maribelle. Rosa wondered what she would say when she saw her school friend again. She probably wasn't expecting that in a million years!

"Someone's getting excited," Pavo commented, seeing her goofy grin.

Flashing the man a happy smile, Rosa leaned her head closer so he could give her a scratch behind the ears. "Yes!"

Too bad Sky Light seemed to have gotten worse. Rosa was starting to get really worried about her. All the pegasus had done lately was sleep and it didn't seem healthy. Right at the moment she was leaning against the passenger window, looking out at the sunset and not saying anything.

Rosa pulled away from the scritches with a sigh of regret and shuffled over to the pegasus so she could nudge her with a hoof. "You okay, Sky?"

She didn't even react to the touch. One ear lifted slightly to focus on Rosa, but then went back down. "Yeah, fine," she lied.

"Really?"

"I said I'm fine!"

That was a bit too snappy, but Rosa had gotten used to it lately. Sky had seemed preoccupied and her dreams have been getting worse, so both Rosa and Pavo were worried.
He had told Rosa in whispers at the last stop when Sky had gone to the toilets. She glanced over and caught his frown.

"We'll be there soon, and then we'll get Maribelle out and we'll find out what's happening, okay?"

"Sure, whatever."

Rosa put her hooves around her friend and leaned her muzzle again her withers, but Sky Light shrugged her off.

"Please talk to me," Rosa whispered.

This time there was no reply, not even a lie that everything was okay. Rosa tried the hug again, but without nuzzles this time. It worked and at least Sky didn't shake her off. It allowed her to spend a few moments just feeling the other mare breathe slowly. Every now and then her breath caught, but she forced it out.

Something was definitely wrong, but Sky Light wouldn't tell. All she had done was insist that it was none of Rosa's business and that she was fine. Rosa reached over and gently turned her friend's muzzle to face her and look in her eyes. It was not a good expression and there were definite streaks of tears down her muzzle. Rosa quickly put herself between the mare and the trucker, since she probably wouldn't want him to see.

"What's wrong?" It was too quiet for Pavo to hear, but Rosa still turned her ears back and listened to him intently. Above the steady hum of the engine she could hear his soft breathing and the occasional creak of his seat. He didn't seem to be aware of their conversation. Meanwhile Sky Light blinked and shook her head free of Rosa's touch. She still didn't answer. Rosa couldn't do a whole lot, even with just Pavo it felt too public and open. "I'm feeling a bit tired, wanna catch a quick nap before we stop for dinner?"

Sky Light contemplated the offer while staring down at her hooves, then shrugged a little.

"Come on, let's get you into bed."

At first it felt like Rosa would have to carry her, but the mare came to her senses for long enough to crawl into Pavo's bunk. Over there she was behind the driver, so at least he wouldn't see. Rosa poked her head out and laid her muzzle on his shoulder to get his attention. "Hey, mind if we pull the curtain a bit? It's kinda bright still."

"Yeah, sure - go ahead," Pavo replied. It felt like he had sensed something was up, but he trusted Rosa enough by now to handle it herself.

She gratefully pulled at the little curtain until it was mostly shut, leaving her and Sky in the shadow. The mare breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks," she said.

"Wanna tell me what's got you down?" Rosa asked in a whisper.

Her friend shook her head.

"Please?"

Another no.

"Will you talk to me when we're alone?"

This time she shrugged, which Rosa felt was somewhat of an improvement. After a moment Sky sniffed softly and curled up. She pressed Pavo's blanket against her nose to muffle any further sound.

"Here, turn around. Just relax, I got you." Sometimes the best thing Rosa could be was just 'there'. Another little lesson from the Assistant Pony classes. Touch them, distract them and make sure they knew she was there. Never judge, never push. Her presence was enough.

It worked well on ponies, too, or at least on Sky Light. She turned until she was facing the back wall and Rosa tucked the blanket tightly around her. The cabin wasn't cold, but there was something therapeutic about being wrapped up all snug and warm. Then she lay down against Sky's back and put a hoof around her barrel. "There, I'll keep the bad dreams away, okay?"

The other mare leaned her head back and Rosa gladly accepted the nuzzle. She remembered another small trick Instructor Martha had told her about. She started slowly licking Sky's cheek. She froze, unaccustomed to this action in the absence of spilled food, but eventually she let Rosa push her head down on the thin pillow, all the while smoothing her fur down with her tongue. After a few moments Sky closed her eyes and let out a long, sad sigh. Rosa was aware how tightly Sky was clutching her belly. She guessed that maybe eating meat was starting to catch up with her?

"Does your belly hurt?" she asked.

Sky didn't open her eyes, but shook her head. Rosa slipped her hoof lower and tapped hers, until she relaxed her grip. Then Rosa let her clutch her foreleg to her chest instead. Maybe it gave Sky some comfort, so Rosa decided to leave it there despite the discomfort, and went back to gently licking her face. In a flash of inspiration she started humming her song under her breath. She couldn't be sure, but maybe her friend started smiling a tiny bit. The result was very encouraging, so Rosa didn't stop, even after Sky Light was clearly asleep.

All the while her mind was racing. What in the world was on Sky Light's mind? Rosa wished she would tell her. She still hoped it was just being cooped up in the same place day in and day out which was getting her down. Once they were in White Pigeon and could go for a real walk, she might start feeling better. Once Sky Light was in charge again. Maybe she needed to feel responsible to be happy? Could that be why she was helping Rosa at all?

Rosa decided to still get her in the showers when they stopped and try to have a heart to heart. Something told her that getting to Maribelle wouldn't leave room for error or incaution. In fact - and it was not a pleasant thought - she would rather go at it alone than with Sky Light the way she was now.

Comments

[BleuBlooms]

Uh! You getting after my heart with all these feeling's! Shame!

[Toxicmaster96]

Oh no She's*bonk*.....Zzz Zzz Zzz

[Mocha Star]

A ha, it's becoming clear now.