Rosa

by awf

Chapter 79: Reunions

Rosa had never really expected to see the place again, but there she was. A very uneasy and somewhat worried young mare, standing in front of the dark and quiet dorm building at the Pony School. Crescent Flitter had managed to fly an incredible distance with the Beacon so that Princess Luna was able to open a Bore right in the School grounds. It was no wonder the stallion was dripping sweat, but the weird thing was that he didn't seem completely exhausted. Weird pegasus military training, Rosa guessed.

She glanced up at the windows where she herself used to sleep, not that long ago. She wished she could go and say hello to her friends, but she couldn't. She was there for a much more important reason. Getting her mother out of this place and back to Equestria.

It was a good thing Rosa had help. There was Luna, of course, and Starlight Glimmer, both of whom she knew and trusted. Besides Crescent Flitter, there was also Almond Hooves from Zephyr's old command and two other ponies, Misty Glow and Sapphire Lightning, whom Rosa had met briefly at the resistance camp but didn't know too well. They were both unicorns and Rosa was pretty sure they were a couple.

The Princess was standing next to her, observing the dorm building for a while before turning back to give some orders. "Starlight, you have experience with surveillance. See if you can find the night guard's office and disable the cameras. Meanwhile, Almond Hooves, you scout out the area and let us know if any humans we are not aware of are patrolling around."

Rosa swallowed a lump when the Princess to glanced at her. "C-Can I help?" she mumbled.

"Of course. You can tell us where we should start looking."

Her question was unexpected and Rosa's ears flopped down. "I d-dunno," she admitted. "I've never seen more than the dorms and the classrooms."

Luna gave her an encouraging smile. "In that case, we know where not to look." She went back to observing the School and Rosa turned to follow her gaze. She was staring at a solitary lit window on the ground floor of the administration building. Rosa wondered which one of the teachers or staff could be up this late. Maybe they were grading some test answers, or finishing up the paperwork for the day. Rosa didn't have a clock, but it was certainly past nine, otherwise some windows on the dorm building would have been lit.

"Perhaps we can ask for directions..." Luna said quietly, mostly to herself.

"What do you mean?"

She was still looking at the lit window, but now she addressed the soldier ponies. "Sapphire Lightning and Misty Glow, you can teleport into that room, correct?"

The unicorns didn't hesitate before saying: "Yes, ma'am!"

"Good," Luna replied. "As soon as Starlight is done with the cameras, you will do so and capture any humans within."

"Are you g-going to, um, k-kill them?" Rosa stuttered nervously.

"Of course not," Luna said and the two unicorns looked shocked at the suggestion. "Tie them up, prevent them from raising an alarm. Then we will simply ask them some questions."

The pegasus, Crescent Flitter raised his voice, if a little hesitantly: "What if they refuse to answer, Princess?"

Luna smiled and the look on her muzzle chilled Rosa a little. "I can be very... persuasive. Call it a remnant of the Nightmare."

"Understood, ma'am."

Rosa didn't exactly like what the alicorn was suggesting, but they were trying to do something very important and if Luna had to put the fear of, well 'alicorn', into the staff, it would be a worthwhile exchange. She was not going to torture them, Rosa was certain of that much. Cadence might have, but Luna wouldn't. Intimidation would be the worst of it.

Things went quiet again as the group waited for Starlight. Very soon Rosa found her eyes wandering back to the dorm building. She sought out Paolo's window and imagined that she saw a slight flicker of light. They were probably watching a movie on their iPad or something. What wouldn't she give to be able to go up there now and snuggle down next to the pegasus colt and watch something romantic with him.

Luna caught her expression and stepped closer to whisper: "Something on your mind, Rosa?"

Rosa shook her head. "N-Nothing."

Unfortunately the Princess had spotted the blush and grinned knowingly. "Ah, that colt you like."

"What?! How do you know that?!"

Luna rolled her eyes, but her smile widened. "I can walk dreams, little Rosa. Although you needn't worry, my ponies' secrets are quite safe with me."

With a mixture of mortification and anger, Rosa tried and failed to remember her dreams. Hopefully she hadn't been doing anything too embarrassing. While she was trying to come up with a different topic, she got an idea and her breath caught. "Um, Princess? C-Could we, maybe, um, rescue some po-ponies from the School?"

Luna gave this some consideration. "I have thought about this, yes," she finally said and Rosa's heart swelled with hope until she sensed the 'but' coming. "But," the princess continued, "from what you have told me, most ponies in this place are firmly convinced that the humans are doing a good thing. They would be liable to call for help when they see us."

That sounded depressingly true. A few months ago Rosa would have done the same if she'd found some strangers walking the halls at night or breaking into her room. Still, she was not quite ready to let go of her hope. "M-Maybe just my old r-roommates and, uh, those colts? They trust me, I could convince them to come..."

Luna was silent for a while and Rosa got another idea. "There are also some ponies who work as servants. Some of them are old enough to remember Equestria."

"You said there is only a single guard here each night, correct?"

"Yes!"

The Princess paced a little as she thought about her proposal. Finally she spoke: "We will find Fluttershy first, then we will see. If we are not detected, and if we know where to look, I will consider it."

It was not a yes, but now there was a chance Rosa might get Paolo out of the School and to Equestria with her. It almost made her prance, but she forced her hooves to remain still. Her ears lowered with a flash of guilt and she quickly added her roommates to the list.

After another minute of waiting they heard rustling and looked just in time to see Starlight Glimmer coming back across the grass. "All clear," the mare announced. "Their cameras won't work and I used a stun ray on the guard. I don't think there's any other human in this place."

Luna shook her head. "There is at least one more, I think, but they will not be a problem. Sapphire Lightning and Misty Glow, you are on. We will follow as soon as Almond Hooves is back."

The two unicorns bowed their heads for a second, then walked off at a brisk, if quiet pace.

Starlight watched them go. "Should I go and help?"

"No," Luna replied, "If anything goes wrong they will need us and I would like to keep the element of surprise."

Though she inclined her head in silent acquiescence, Rosa could see Starlight found the command a bit doubtful. They went back to waiting quietly, but Rosa's gaze kept getting drawn to the window where she imagined she could see the flickering light of the iPad screen.

Starlight joined her. "What are you looking at?" she asked softly.

"I think those colts are still awake and watching movies on an iPad."

They both stared at the building for a while, but Rosa didn't think Starlight saw anything. She didn't know which window to look at and the glow was quite dim. For that matter, Rosa might have imagined the whole thing anyway.

"Cute," Starlight finally said and turned back to Princess Luna.

A moment later there was a fresh rustle and Almond Hooves walked up. "All clear," the stallion reported.

"Good. Let's go after Sapphire Lightning and Misty Glow," Luna commanded and Rosa fell in step behind her while the other three ponies flanked them. It was happening! A part of her couldn't really believe it and thought this was just a dream.

The Princess led the ragtag group to the Administrative building with the lit window. Rosa tried to keep her heart from hammering, but it was useless as she pressed against the wall. There shouldn't be any more humans at the School, she thought, although it was impossible to be certain. Rosa looked around and saw that Starlight Glimmer was right beside her.

"There's no more humans, right?" Rosa asked nervously.

"How should I know?!" the mare hissed back. "You're the one who used to live here!"

Rosa forced herself to calm down and think. She hadn't been too adventurous in her years at the School, but she'd spoken with ponies who were. Bits and pieces, but over time they'd built up a whole picture. "Yeah, yeah, you're right," she whispered, "just the night guard and whoever that is. I guess working late and catching up with their paperwork."

Luna spent a few moments listening, then her horn glowed and she opened the window. She didn't hesitate and stuck her head in to have a look. Right after that she visibly relaxed and looked around at the rest of the troop. "It's safe. Come on," she said and jumped.

It was easy for her and Crescent Flitter. All it took for pegasi was a single flap of their wings to clear the windowsill and land inside. Rosa was in the process of crouching to try and jump, but Starlight pressed her back down with a hoof. "Hold on, I'll help."

Magic wrapped around Rosa's barrel and she could barely suppress a squeak as she was lifted right off her hooves, and floated gently into the room. She saw Almond Hooves following closely behind, but he seemed indifferent to the procedure, as if he was used to it. It beat flying, at least. Rosa was never letting a pegasus carry her around, unless her life absolutely depended on it. Even then she would give it some thought.

Shortly after it had begun, she and Almond landed beside Luna and saw Starlight following, wrapped up in her own magical glow. Rosa hadn't known she could do that. Wasn't it physically impossible to pick oneself up? It looked like magic didn't obey any of the usual rules, though. After watching the unicorn land, Rosa cast a glance around the room. It seemed like a perfectly ordinary office. She might even have been in it already, in what felt like a past life. It was impossible to tell whose it was, not without going out in the hallway and looking at the door tag.

Misty Glow was standing in the door connecting two offices together and waving them in. "We've got her," she told Luna. "No struggle. Sapphire is holding her in place, ma'am."

Luna glanced around to make sure they were all there, then walked through the door to see the prisoner. Her gait changed mid step and suddenly she was this haughty, regal, stern Princess going to survey her kingdom.

It took a bit of an internal struggle for Rosa to follow her, especially since she might know this person. In the end a mixture of duty and curiosity won out. Ears folded down, Rosa followed the Princess into the other room. When she spotted who it was, tied up with thick bands of magic in a chair, she couldn't hold back a little gasp.

Instructor Martha's eyes widened even more when she saw her. "Mmmpphh?!" she tried to exclaim, despite the cord of magic blocking her mouth.

"In-Instructor M-Martha?!" Rosa squeaked.

Luna looked at her, but she didn't seem particularly surprised. The other ponies did, but only until they remembered that Rosa had spent most of her life in this place. It would make sense that she would know anyone they encountered.

"If we allow you to speak, will you promise not to scream?" the Princess asked. After a moment's thought, the Instructor nodded.

"Do it," Luna commanded and after a few seconds the magic around the woman's face vanished. She gaped for a bit longer, then repeated: "Is zat you, Rosa? What are you doing with zese..." Catching Luna's eyes, the Instructor wisely didn't finish her sentence.

"It's- I'm not- Um, we're not going to hurt anyone!"

Her reassurance didn't help, but luckily Luna saw Rosa's discomfort and stepped in. "If you answer my questions, we will do what we came here to do and then we will be on our way, I promise. You'll never see any of us again."

Martha's lips pressed together and Rosa thought she was about to curse, or shout. Rosa saw Sapphire tense up, ready to plug the woman's mouth at a moment's notice. The instructor took a deep breath, then asked in a low growl: "What do you want?"

Without beating around the bush, Luna simply asked her question. "We know you have a breeding program here. We'll take the ponies home."

It didn't look like the Instructor was going to help at all, so Rosa stepped around the alicorn and gave Martha a pleading look. "Please help, Instructor. We just want to take those ponies. M-My mother..."

Success! Her face softened as she watched the mare, them Martha slumped a little. "We thought you were dead, Rosa," she said softly.

It was surprising news, especially since Rosa remembered Dr. Mason telling her that they'd gotten her records from the School. That had seemed to imply that she'd told the School they had Rosa. "B-But I was in that facility where they, um, with the implants and all that. Didn't they tell you they had me?"

The woman shook her head. "Not me, Rosa. Maybe Freely knew, but no one told me."

"Just tell us where my mother is, please? We'll get her, and-" Rosa looked up at Luna and corrected: "We'll get the ponies and go. No one will be hurt."

"Any more than they already were," Starlight Glimmer muttered, drawing a slightly irritated look from Luna.

Martha watched Rosa without acknowledging the unicorn's words. Then she almost half-smiled. "You were always ze favorite, do you know zat?"

"M-Me?"

She didn't answer, but went on regardless: "You probably know who your mother is, correct?"

All Rosa could do is nod.

"Ze... nursery is in ze basement," came the answer and Rosa was sure Luna had also detected a slight hesitation. "Ze mares are kept near zere. Seeing zis," Martha explains, glancing at the glowing ropes around her body, "you probably don't need ze keys."

"No, we do not. Thank you," Luna confirmed.

They all looked at each other for a few seconds, then the woman asks: "What will you do to me?"

Swallowing, Rosa turned her pleading look on the Princess now. The humans here had lied to her, yes, but Instructor Martha had always been fair. The Princess gave Rosa a smile before replying. "Sapphire Lightning will leave this binding spell in place. I'm sorry, but we'll have to muffle you again. It will dissipate by morning and you'll be free."

That was a relief and Rosa relaxed a little.

"I see," Instructor Martha said, clearly unhappy with the prospect, but not really in a position to do anything about it.

"I'm sorry, we just want the ponies..." Rosa tried to soften the blow.

Luna turned to leave the office, but paused and looked back. "Will you tell me what you were trying to do here?"

It took the Instructor a long time to consider the question. Finally, she spoke: "We were trying to integrate ze pony skills into ze human society."

There was a flash of anger in Luna's eyes, but she could control herself pretty well. "Through slavery?!" she asked, voice only slightly clipped. "Forced breeding? Indoctrination?!"

Martha just glared, refusing to say anything more as she and the Princess stared at each other. At long last it was Luna who broke the silence: "Gag her again, Sapphire, and set your spell. We're going."

Before the stallion could obey, Martha spoke up, looking directly at Rosa: "Rosa! Your friends are worried about you! Give zis foolishness up and you can come home!"

Luna held up a hoof for Sapphire to wait while she watched what Rosa would do. It almost felt as if she was giving the young mare a choice.

Thoughts of her former roommates, sleeping peacefully about two hundred yards from where she stood, made Rosa swallow and fold her ears down. "I c-can't," she whimpered, "they n-need me. Sky Light needs me! Her f-foal..."

As if completely ignoring her words, Martha kept going. "Nothing bad will happen, I promise zis! You can come home and resume your studies!"

Wordlessly, Rosa turned around to show off her flank and her cutie mark.

"So it is true," the woman said. "We can still come to some kind of arrangement, Rosa! Don't be stupid! I'll let you visit your mother!"

How Martha was expecting her to talk Luna out of taking Fluttershy home Rosa didn't know. Maybe the human just saw this as her last, desperate chance. She walked up closer to the Instructor and laid a hoof on her knee. "You've always been nice to me, Instructor. To us. Will you tell my friends what has happened? Why they are here, and what those people at the secret facility are trying to do?"

Her face changed quickly from pleading, to surprise, then to an angry frown. "You know I cannot do zis, Rosa! I would be fired!"

Rosa shook her head. "I'm sorry. I have to save my mother."

Luna gave a nod to Sapphire and before Instructor Martha could say another word, her mouth was bound again. She made a few angry grunts and struggled a little, but there was no way to escape the magic.

After a few moments Sapphire's horn winked out. "There, it will last until sunrise," he proclaimed.

"Good. Let us go," Luna commanded and they all followed her to the door. A very brief flicker of her magic opened the lock and the Princess led her ragtag band into the corridor.

Once Rosa judged she was far enough from the Instructor so she couldn't overhear, she spoke up: "Um, P-Princess?"

Luna slowed her gait, but didn't stop as she looked at the young mare. "Hmm?"

"C-Can I go and say bye to my friends? I c-can sneak up so no one will see me..."

Her tears were falling unheeded. Rosa couldn't be this near and just leave them! She had to tell them that there was hope, that someday she would be back and they could go to Equestria with her.

A dark blue wing feather tipped her muzzle up and Rosa looked into Luna's gently smiling face. "Starlight Glimmer," she said and the unicorn jerked her head up. "Go with Rosa and make sure she is okay. We'll find the cells and free the ponies. It will take me some time to prepare the Bore, but be back within thirty minutes."

"Y-Yes, Princess! I promise!" Rosa almost couldn't believe she was allowing this, but she was not about to complain. Hurrying away before Luna could change her mind, Rosa was barely aware that Starlight was going with her.

The unicorn didn't seem annoyed or anything for having to babysit her, but Rosa still felt like she should clear the air. "I can't go without at least saying goodbye."

"I understand. Come on, I can unlock the main door. You know where the room is, right?"

"Of course!"

A few more steps took them out of the administrative building and Rosa led the way to the dorms. "Thank you."

---

Her heart was racing when Rosa lifted up a hoof to knock on her old dorm room. She hesitated and looked at Starlight Glimmer, who just smiled back reassuringly. It was time to get it over with. Swallowing a lump and folding her ears back, Rosa gave the wood a few gentle taps. Nothing happened for a bit, so she tapped it again. Finally a voice from the inside asked: "W-Who is it?"

It was Iskra and Rosa breathed a sigh of relief. It had always been a fear that the girls might have been moved to another room, but now she was sure they hadn't. There was a soft thud as one of her friends slipped from her bed to go check, but Rosa was faster and pushed down on the door handle with a shaking hoof. The lights in the hallway were dim, but it was enough to see into the room. It really was Iskra who had gotten up to check the door, but three other pairs of eyes watched Rosa from their beds.

She stepped inside and pushed the door closed before they could react. Hopefully they wouldn't scream. Starlight didn't move to stop her, so Rosa guessed she was okay with waiting outside for a bit.

"R-R-Rosa?!" the pegasus was the first to speak.

"Um... hi?"

It was not very original, but Rosa didn't have time for anything else as Iskra practically jumped at her. She caught the flying mare and let her topple them both to the floor. The other three scrambled out of their beds and rushed over as well.

"Rosa?! Where did you come from? How!?"

"I thought we'd never see you again!"

"They said that-"

She ended up laughing with relief as the girls simply piled up on top of her, some hugging, others nuzzling and one of them prodding with her hooves as if to make sure she was real.

"I missed you guys so much!" Rosa said, eyes already filling up with tears of joy.

They didn't seem to have heard anything she had said, so Rosa settled for simply returning the little kisses and nuzzles she was getting for long minutes, until the pressure vanished and the ponies backed off. It was Valentina who had pulled Amethyst and Iskra off and Felicity had stepped aside of her own accord.

"What are you doing here?" Valentina asked. "No one told us you're coming back. They said you ran away after you- um, got your cutie mark."

Iskra was reminded and jumped a little in place: "Yeah yeah, can I see it? I wanna see it! What is it?"

Before Rosa could turn around there was a click. Felicity had gone to the writing desk and turned on the small lamp there. It was enough illumination for them all to stare at Rosa's flank.

"So, you didn't get it?" Amethyst asked, making Rosa realize she was lying on the wrong flank.

"Oh, it's on the other side." She turned around and the girls gasped almost in unison.

"B-But aren't you supposed to get two?" Felicity asked, poking Rosa's flank with a hoof.

"Normally yes," Rosa said, only a touch smugly because of her recent expertise, "but I'm a special case."

"How so?"

She thought back on the facility and the revelation about chips. Should she even tell them? What Rosa really wanted to do was bring them all with her to Equestria, but would they want to go? She didn't have time to argue them into it and she didn't want her last thirty minutes with these mares to be angry ones.

Inventing rapidly, Rosa made up a small lie: "I- don't really know. Luna explained it, but I couldn't follow..."

"Who's Luna?" Valentina asked, forgetting the cutie mark for a moment.

She would have to tell them at least something, so Rosa sat down and let her ears fold. "Um, I have to tell you guys something. I decided to go find Maribelle after I ran away... and, well..."

---

Mindful of her time limit, Rosa wrapped up the story within a few minutes. Several times Iskra opened her mouth as if to ask something, but closed it and shuffled nervously instead. In a way Rosa was grateful that she wasn't interrupting and making it longer, but it almost seemed like she was afraid to ask.

Rosa didn't want her friends to be afraid of her. "Go on, Iskra," she told the mare and smiled.

"Um, It's- we're- uh..." she stumbled over her words.

Amethyst rolled her eyes and spoke instead: "Lillian is here."

Rosa's eyes bulged out like someone had punched her in the gut. "L-L-L-Lillian?!"

Felicity misinterpreted her question and started explaining. "You know, that girl on your assignment? You sent us a letter with her photo."

Rosa shook her head urgently, while she tried and complete at least one coherent thought. "Lillian?! HERE?! HOW??"

The mares looked around nervously and Amethyst put a hoof on her muzzle. "Ssh," she hissed, "it's the middle of the night."

"I have to see her! Where is she?" Rosa demanded urgently, but in a whisper.

"Iskra, go get the hatch open. I'll explain and then we'll follow," Amethyst said, taking charge again.

Even as the pegasus headed for the door, Felicity gripped Rosa around her barrel again. "I'm so happy you're back, Rosa," she said. "Paolo was really sad when you went, you know that?"

At the same time Valentina spoke up: "So you're saying Equestria is real? That's - just wow. I guess I never really believed the old ponies."

The door opened and Iskra gave a small gasp as she backed away from it. "Um, there's a- a-"

Too late Rosa remembered Starlight Glimmer and struggled out of Felicity's hug. "She's with me! She's with me! That's Starlight Glimmer, she's helping!"

Now that the first shock had passed, the roommates stared at the new mare with curiosity and wonder.

"She's a- a- unicorn," Iskra stated the obvious. At her words the mares shrank back in alarm. All except Felicity, who took a step forward instead. "Can she do magic?"

Amethyst reached for her foolhardy friend and dragged her bodily back. "Iskra, t-that's a unicorn! Get away from her!" she hissed. At her words the mares pressed closer together, still keeping fearful, unblinking eyes on the scary unicorn.

"It's okay!" Rosa hurried to explain as she placed herself between the two groups. She turned to her friends and smiled frantically. "You can trust her, she's my friend! Unicorns aren't evil, please, you gotta believe me!"

Luckily Iskra would not be dissuaded and even though she couldn't shake Amethyst's grip, at least her expression wasn't fearful so much as it was fascinated. "Can she turn people into frogs?!"

"That's witches," Felicity murmured. "You're thinking of witches."

Iskra gave a slight nod at that. "Oh, right! Okay, what does a unicorn do then? OH! Rosa, can she heal wounds with her tears?!"

Her questions did more to dispel the fear in the room than Rosa's attestation that Starlight Glimmer was a friend. Everyone began to relax a little.

"Well, I can talk, you know? You can ask me directly!" Starlight said, but she was smiling to take any possible sting out of the words.

Rosa scrambled to introduce everybody. "Okay, so here's my old roommates, Iskra, Valentina, Amethyst and Felicity. Girls, this is Starlight Glimmer. She's a- friend." She had paused for a split second because she didn't know exactly what to say there, but 'friend' had seemed appropriate.

Hearing her casual tone, and seeing Rosa walk over to stand right beside the scary unicorn, the other mares relaxed and tentatively approached. There were still some fearful looks and more than one set of splayed ears, but there were a few smiles, too.

"Nice to meet you," Starlight said, nodding at the gang. "So, you ready to go?"

"No! Lillian is here and I don't understand how or why. I have to go see her!"

"Lillian? Lillian, Lillian," Starlight murmured as she thought, trying to remember where she had heard the name.

"The girl I've been telling you about! The one who went missing!"

"OH! Lillian?" the unicorn gasped in surprise. "What, here?! How?!"

"That's what I wanna know!"

Amethyst shook her head and forced her stare away from Starlight. She took charge again: "Okay, Iskra, go open the hatch and lower the ladder. I'll explain."

On Rosa's side, Felicity raised a hoof. "Um, want me to fetch Paolo so you can say goodbye?"

"Goodbye?!" the other girls exclaimed in surprise.

Felicity looked blankly at them. "Rosa said she's going to Equestria, weren't you listening?"

Iskra rushed back and gripped Rosa around the withers, eyes already filling up with tears. This news trounced even her curiosity about the magical pony in front of her. "You can't go, Rosa! We just got you back!"

Rosa sighed, ears lowering and eyes going damp as well. "Sorry, but I can't stay. The humans are looking for me and I've got a cutie mark, remember? They'll never let me stay and I'd rather go to Equestria than back to that place."

Her friend sniffled in her ear, but luckily Amethyst peeled her off. "Hatch! Now!" she ordered, gently but forcefully. Iskra nodded and scurried away.

"So, want me to get Paolo?" Felicity repeated her question.

Rosa swallowed a lump. Would she be able to look the colt in his face and then leave him? What if she fell for him like Sky Light had fallen for Zephyr Gale? Could she bear going away? Despite her misgivings, Rosa nodded. "P-Please."

Felicity rushed off, then Amethyst took a deep breath and started to explain. Rosa had to force herself to listen. "So, about two weeks after you were gone, I was coming late from helping in the kitchen and someone called me from the bushes," the mare said. "I went to look and it was Lillian. Well, I didn't know who it was at first, but she told me." She gave a soft chuckle. "I knew she wasn't supposed to be there and I would have gone to one of the teachers or Instructors, but the girl said she was looking for you. Rosa, she climbed the fence!"

"Looking for me? The entire city was looking for her! How did she get here?"

Amethyst smiled, almost proudly. "She got the address from the letter we sent back and she took a taxi. Resourceful girl."

"Yeah..." Even Rosa couldn't help feeling a touch of pride. "The taxi driver didn't just take her home or call the police?"

Amethyst shook her head. "Lillian somehow talked him into dropping her near here. She told him she's meeting her mother and apparently he believed it. Anyway, she didn't wanna go home. She begged us to hide her while she waits for you."

"How did she know I was coming back here?"

"I don't think she knew, but she really hoped. Anyway, staying with us must've seemed better than going home, I guess."

"So now you're hiding her?!"

Amethyst's ears folded down and she lowered her gaze. She knew as well as Rosa how wrong this was, but she couldn't help it.

"She knows you, Rosa. We all missed you, so I guess I made the first mistake when I hid her. Paolo came up with the attic, actually. And then it was too late. What was I supposed to tell Instructor Becky? 'Um, sorry ma'am, but we've been hiding this little girl in the attic and we're only telling you now because...?'"

Yeah, Rosa imagined it would have sounded pretty bad. "So what was your plan?"

Again, the mare blushed and looked away. "Didn't have one," she admitted. "I guess I never really thought about it."

"She's fine!" Valentina insisted. "We bring her food from the mess hall and whenever one of us has time we go and talk to her. Paolo got her a notebook and some crayons, and Iskra snuck her up some books, so she's not bored."

"What about clothes? What about showers? You can't have a little girl living in the attic! God, what about a toilet?!"

This time Amethyst looked proud of herself. "Well, we sneak her down every few nights to have a shower, and we got her an old pot to use, um, for... you know. One of us goes to empty it every morning before anyone wakes up!"

Felicity added: "We've been washing her clothes in the shower. It's not really that much work."

Rosa just kept shaking her head. The ponies' plan was at the same time brilliant and utterly, completely stupid. She needed to do something about it before she left, otherwise it might end very badly for all of them, especially Lillian.

"Guys, this can't go on!"

For the first time since they had started explaining, Starlight Glimmer spoke up: "Rosa is right. You'll get into no end of trouble. Besides, what if the girl gets hurt or ill or something? An attic is not a place for a foal!"

Two abashed muzzles glanced at Rosa and Starlight, then pointed firmly at the floor. No one corrected Starlight's terminology.

"Okay, here's what we'll do," Rosa said, making rapid plans. She fell silent for a few seconds while she thought ahead, then nodded to herself. "We'll sneak her down, right now. She has to go home to her family, even if they're not good people. Sorry, but she has to! We'll get her out of the School and send her into a police station. They'll get her home."

"But what about her parents? She said she ran away because they beat you, Rosa! She said they beat her brother, too!" Amethyst pointed out.

"Well, she'll tell that to the police and you can bet they won't dare do it ever again. I'll tell Lillian what to say and she'll get Child Protective Services on her side. She'll be fine and her brother-" Rosa swallowed and lowered her ears as she remembered her own failure with the boy. "I hope he'll be fine, too."

"R-Rosa?" came a new voice from the door and she spun around to see Paolo, staring wide-eyed. Beside the colt, Felicity was grinning widely.

"Um, h-hey, you..."

He took a tentative step forward and Rosa decided to just go for it. She grabbed the colt and gave him all the nuzzles. "I missed you! I really, really missed you! I thought about you every day, Paolo!"

He was a bit stiff at first, but then he returned her urgent nuzzles. "I missed you too! I was so worried! Where have you been?!" He didn't seem concerned about Starlight in the slightest.

"It's a really long story," Rosa told him and pulled away. Already her tears were spilling over and Paolo looked concerned. He opened his mouth to ask about it, but Rosa shut him up with a kiss. She didn't know what she was doing, but Rosa had sneaked some glances at Sky Light and Zephyr, so she pressed her lips to Paolo's and just... held him there. He was surprisingly warm and soft. After a few moments Rosa decided she liked kissing.

"Awww!" one of the girls murmured just as Rosa pulled away.

"I'm so sorry I have to do this, but I'm leaving tonight. I'm going to Equestria with my mother, Paolo. B-But I'll be back! I promise! I'll come back for all of you, okay?!"

The combination of the kiss and the news stunned him and Paolo just gaped for a while, before getting a happy, blissful smile on his muzzle. Sadly, it lasted only until his words reached his mind. "L-Leaving?!" he said miserably, ears drooping. "Please don't go. I l- I really like you, Rosa."

"I'm sorry but I can't! I'm a fugitive, the humans are looking for me. I have to go!"

Paolo sniffled, but then he looked up with fresh determination. "Take me with you."

"What?!"

"Take me with you. I'd rather go with you to Equestria than stay behind... again."

His voice was so sad. Rosa looked over to Starlight Glimmer, who gave her a slight shrug.

"W-We can ask Princess Luna..." Rosa proposed, heart filling up with crazy, impossible hope. She looked around at all her other friends, who seemed troubled. "M-Maybe I can ask her-"

Guessing what she was about to propose, Amethyst spoke up: "Um, thanks, Rosa, but I'm not sure. All we heard about Equestria are rumors and stories. I kinda like it here. Instructor Martha said I'll be getting my assignment soon and I'm really looking forward to it."

Felicity pipes up: "Yeah. We're all graduating in a few months. I'm not sure I wanna throw that all work away."

It was about what Rosa and Luna had imagined would happen, but at least they didn't seem inclined to go tattle immediately. "Y-You won't tell the Instructors that I was here, will you?"

Amethyst rolled her eyes. "Of course not, silly! We'd get into no ends of trouble for not calling for help!"

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Come on now," Amethyst went on and stood. "Iskra is probably done, let's go see Lillian."

Rosa released the colt and followed the mare. She was quite pleased when Paolo fell in step, very close on her heels, his muzzle brushing against her flank every now and then. It was comforting to have him there, and his gentle touches sent pleasant shivers up her spine.

Comments

[BleuBlooms]

[Mocha Star]

She is getting a lot of stuff going her way. Hope it continues!
Also you called Rosa Rose once here