Rosa

by awf

Chapter 84: Slow Recovery

The house was nice. Like, really nice! Better than Rosa had any right to expect, considering they had just given it to her and Sky Light. It was a bit 'squished' between a greengrocer's and another home, located in the lower levels of Canterlot, just a short walk from the edge. The city was built right up on the mountain! These Equestrian ponies were completely bonkers, but Rosa had to admit the view was spectacular. Of course she couldn't see it from any of her windows, but she could walk to the edge and lean on the wall and just look over the landscape.

How different it was from Earth, though! No drab, gray, blocky cities, no boring asphalt roads going everywhere, no cars or planes in the sky. Well, there was an occasional zeppelin of all things, and there were trains, but most of the traffic was on foot - or rather, on hoof. There were a few carts being pulled around and the richest ponies could afford a flying carriage, but there was nowhere nearly as much traffic as the humans produced.

Everything seemed a lot more relaxed. Laid back, almost. One of these days, after Rosa had settled in, she planned to check out that little restaurant right on the edge of the city, where she could have a fruit cup and just watch the land far below. For now, she was still busy getting everything ordered in the house. Celestia, or rather one of her staff, had shown Rosa to the place and given her a bag of gold coins, but she didn't get much more guidance than that. Luckily Fluttershy and her friends had been there, only too eager to help Rosa get the essentials: bed sheets, pillows, blankets, crockery, toiletries, food.

Despite it being gold, the money she had gotten was barely enough. Hopefully what Starlight had said was right and she would get another in a couple of weeks. 'Government stipend', she had called it. Every pony, newly arrived from Earth, got one for as long as they needed it. Rosa's roommates were in a similar situation, though she hadn't seen much of them in the last few days. Settling in, just like her and Sky Light, Rosa assumed. Amethyst and Iskra were living together a few blocks from her place, then there were Valentina and Felicity, each in her own tiny apartment across the hall in a larger building.

Paolo was still in the Castle, for the time being, while the government ponies tried to find him a place. It seemed like Canterlot was the place to be and everyone wanted to live there. Space was a scarce resource and without Celestia commanding it, none of them would have been able to stay there. Rosa wouldn't have minded living in one of the smaller settlements, but the Princesses still wanted her to meet with them regularly and tell them everything she could remember about the human world. In return, Rosa was learning a bit of the awful history between the two peoples. She had learned that the war had persisted this long partly thanks to Cadence and her petty revenge, but mostly due to some horror which had happened early in the war, and the humans were disinclined to any kind of diplomacy Celestia was trying.

Rosa didn't know what exactly had happened. She had asked, but neither sister had been willing to speak on it. She had tried getting the information from Starlight Glimmer and Twilight Sparkle, but they hadn't been very forthcoming either. All the ponies seemed determined to forget it had ever happened. It was really weird, but Rosa was determined to get to the bottom of it, even if it took years. Still, it was not that important compared with the immediate business of living. Hopefully the diplomacy efforts would yield more fruit now that Cadence was no longer wreaking havoc on Earth. It hadn't surprised Rosa in the slightest that the revenge-driven alicorn had been lying in her reports to Celestia, especially after Luna was captured.

Rosa couldn't imagine how she could have gotten that bad, but Twilight had told her that Cadence had gone a little bit crazy after her husband - Twilight's own brother - had been killed early in the war. He had left the Princess alone with her unborn daughter. Maybe Celestia was right and Cadence would eventually come to her senses. Flurry Heart was a few years older than Rosa, but it was plain to see that she really missed her mother.

---

Rosa had time to mull all that over on her way back from the general store down the street. She had gotten some more of what Sky Light called 'posh stuff'. It was just a few essential oils, some scented candles, bubble bath and a bit of makeup. Rosa might have splurged a little on perfume for herself, but it had smelled so alluring and she would be meeting Paolo for dinner in a couple of days! Besides, she was bound to get some more of those 'bits', as they were called, soon. She knew they wouldn't just let her starve. The ponies in Equestria were really nice and she couldn't help but think the world of Celestia and Luna. She was going to be fine, money-wise.

As always, Rosa took a few seconds to pause in front of the house and enjoy a good look. It still felt unreal that the place was hers. Well, 'hers'. She had been given it on loan, but until someone said otherwise, she would use it as her own. It looked a bit cramped from the outside, pressed against the two neighboring houses as it was. There was barely enough room for a door and a window on the ground floor and two windows on the first floor.

After a brief discussion, she had let Sky Light have that room. She enjoyed sitting on her bed and just watching the street. All those ponies going about their business. She said it really helped her believe she was no longer on Earth. Rosa's room was in the back and the two windows there looked into a back alley. It was not as busy, but that was okay. She could always sit with Sky Light if she felt like watching their neighbors.

Surprisingly, the top floor included a bathroom just large enough for a bath tub. Rosa was anxious to try it out. She hadn't had a bath - a proper, hot soak - ever since she was in the nursery at the school, where the Instructors had washed the younger ponies in a tub because they were too young to shower by themselves.

The ground floor had a small kitchen with a table that could barely sit three ponies, and a tiny but comfortable reading room. Fluttershy was sleeping on the couch there for the time being. Rosa had offered her the room upstairs, but the pegasus insisted Rosa take it herself. After that, Rosa has invited her to sleep in bed with her and Fluttershy said she would consider it. She did do it, sometimes. It was really nice to cuddle up with someone.

Some days Fluttershy went with her friends back to where she used to live. 'Ponyville', it was called and Rosa couldn't help having a good chuckle about that when she first heard it discussed. It seemed these Equestrians really liked reminding themselves that they were ponies! The good news was that Fluttershy's old cottage was still standing. The bad news was that all the animals had left when she didn't return, and the place was in dire need of repairs. Rosa could see that her mother would like to move back there and she hadn't decided yet if she would go with her, or stay with Sky Light, or maybe even find a place of her own with Paolo.

The half-cutie mark Rosa had gotten was still making her wish for a gardening job and Luna had made good on her promise. Rosa was going to meet with the Canterlot Castle head groundskeeper, a certain Mr. Green Hoof, to talk about possible employment. If she landed that job, she would be inclined to stay in Canterlot. Rosa had expected she would feel more sad at the prospect of being separated from Fluttershy once more, but somehow it was different. Maybe it was because she would always know where Fluttershy was, and she would know her mother was happy and doing what she loved, and they would both be only a short train ride away from each other.

Anyway, that was still months away. Rosa was not taking any job until Sky Light had her daughter. She really needed her help. The mare was completely lost in this strange world, not least because all her experience up to that point had been about surviving on the streets of Earth. As Rosa had foreseen, Sky had frequent breakdowns and spent a lot of the time just crying. There was not a lot she could do for her friend, except be there and offer her shoulder as support. Fluttershy also helped, but it was Rosa who had made the promise so it was not fair to let her mother carry that burden.

Thankfully, things were improving and Rosa thought Sky Light was doing a bit better lately. It was hard to tell this soon, but the other day Rosa had caught her chatting amicably with the greengrocer next door. He had even given her a fresh carrot, which actually brought a smile to the mare's face. Rosa had decided to invite him and his wife over to dinner someday. She had never had neighbors before, not proper ones, and she wanted to do it right.

---

As soon as the front door closed, Rosa let the bag slip from her back and thud on the wooden floor. She could put the things away in a minute, but first she wanted to go and check on Sky Light. The mare was probably in her room again, staring out the window.

"Hey! I'm home!" she shouted out to give Sky a heads up.

There was no reply, so Rosa just made her way up the twisty staircase. It always caught her by surprise how quickly she got to the top. The rooms were sized for ponies, which still felt a bit claustrophobic after being used to human-height ceiling all her life. There was a very tiny hallway on the top of the stairs with a small cupboard in the middle. Fluttershy had put a vase with some flowers in it and they always made Rosa smile when she smelled the fragrance. She turned to her left and gave the door a gentle knock.

"Sky Light?"

"Come in," came the reply.

Rosa pushed it open and squeezed into the small room. There was a bed, a writing desk and a simple wardrobe, currently empty. Rarity had offered on multiple occasions to take Sky Light out clothes-shopping, but the pegasus had so far refused. She was sitting on the bed and looking out the window, as Rosa had surmised. She would have seen her, had she really looked at the house when she approached, rather than be lost in memories.

Sky Light's ears turned toward Rosa, but she didn't glance in her direction, so Rosa just jumped up on the bed and put her hooves around her friend. "How are you doing?"

"You know," the mare said, keeping her voice carefully level. She put a surreptitious hoof on her belly, but Rosa didn't draw attention to it.

"Well," Rosa said, looking for a way to distract her, "I got us some scented bubble bath and some fragrant candles. We can have a hot bath tonight, okay?"

Sky's muzzle twitched up into a half-smile for a few seconds and Rosa knew she'd hit jackpot. She had suspected that Sky Light had had even fewer chances for a good soak than herself.

"Yeah, a foamy bubble bath, nowhere to rush, just... relaxing. You can go first!"

"Mmmm, sounds nice," the other mare said.

"After that, I got still some of Fluttershy's casserole. I'll just heat that up."

Sky Light nodded. "Yeah, it was delicious!" After a few seconds' thought, she added: "Where is Fluttershy?"

"She had to go oversee the repairs on her cottage. She said she'll sleep in Twilight's castle and come back tomorrow for lunch."

"Oh. Okay."

"I thought we'd take a walk to the edge in the morning. There's this place I wanna try, Rainbow Dash said they do a 'mean sundae' and the view is 'awesome'. Whaddya say?"

Sky shrugged, then gave Rosa a tentative nod. "Yeah, I'd like that."

It was good progress. Rosa was trying to get her out of the house as often as she could, but only when Sky was comfortable with it. She didn't want her friend to end up like some kind of a shut-in.

"Gonna invite your coltfriend?"

"Wha- Paolo isn't my coltfriend! Well, not exactly! We're just seeing each other sometimes, okay?"

This actually made the mare giggle. "Don't lie to yourself, Rosa. Look, I appreciate all you're trying to do, but maybe I'd just like to have a quiet evening every once in a while. Alone. How about you send Fluttershy off to have some fun with her friends, and then you take Paolo out to dinner?"

Rosa had to admit that it did sound nice. "Okay, yeah. Maybe. He has asked me out. Okay, day after tomorrow, deal?"

"I won't mind if you bring him back, okay? Even if you're... ahem, loud."

There came the blush. It seemed whenever Sky Light talked about Rosa and Paolo, she ended up embarrassing her. Rosa wondered whether she would ever get used to it? Still, she didn't complain because it made her friend smile, and put some of her old twinkle back in her eyes. That was worth a bit of embarrassment.

"No, that'll wait. We're just dating, okay? Fine, yes, he is my coltfriend, but we're just dating at least until Iris is born."

The name made Sky Light sigh and grip herself around the belly again. Rosa knew exactly what she was thinking. "Don't worry, she'll be very happy here. You're gonna be a great mom and she'll love it in Equestria. Much better than Earth, you'll see."

"You think s-so?" the pegasus asked plaintively. "About me being a- a mom?"

"Sure! You basically brought me up on the street and look how I turned out!"

Sky couldn't help but laugh out loud at that. "Yeah, a smart ass who got mixed up with the wrong crowd! We broke into a government place, remember?"

"Maybe, but it brought us here and gave us this sweet flat!"

There was no counter to that. "Okay, fine," Sky said, then looked for a way to change the topic. "So, what do you wanna do until dinner?"

It was a rare opportunity, so Rosa thought fast. "How about we take a walk around the city? Maybe go pay a visit to Rarity's boutique, try on a few dresses? We'll be back early so we can take a bath!"

"Hmm," Sky Light was a bit uncertain, but then she brightened up. "Is there an ice cream place near that? I think I'm craving pistachio ice cream."

"We'll find one!"

Rosa was about to jump down from the bed, but Sky Light hugged her quickly before she could move. "Thanks. I don't think I've said that yet, but thank you Rosa."

The embrace lingered on for a few moments and Rosa gave her back a few pats. "You're welcome, Sky."

---

It had been a good evening. Rosa was settling into her new life as well as could be expected and Sky Light seemed to be doing better. So well, in fact, that Rosa had accepted Paolo's shy, tentative invitation to dinner. He had taken her to a place with a funny name where they ordered pasta in a tomato and basil sauce. It had been quite delicious, actually. Then they had gone for a walk around the city. It was still weird to see no humans around, only ponies. Rosa didn't think she would get used to that anytime soon. The date had ended once they reached her front door. The colt had watched her nervously for a minute while Rosa patiently waited for him to do what should traditionally be done when dropping off a girl at her house. At last he had worked up his courage and gave her a quick peck on the muzzle.

A part of her had wanted to invite him in and try for a real kiss, but Rosa had thought better of it. The date had been fun and she was already looking forward to the next one. There was no sense in rushing ahead, especially with Sky Light depending on her. She would need help more and more as it got harder for her to move around and do things for herself. True, there was Fluttershy, but she was busy rebuilding her own life and Rosa couldn't expect her to take over her own promise to Sky Light. Her mother still spent most of the nights with her and Rosa really enjoyed those quiet evenings, when they were sitting on the couch and Fluttershy was telling her about her life and adventures, both before she had been taken to Earth and after. Her adventures from before were a lot more interesting, though. Once or twice Rosa had even fallen asleep in the middle of the story, only to wake up in the morning, covered with a blanket and with Fluttershy bringing a cup of cocoa or some oatmeal.

She was away tonight, so it'd just be Rosa and Sky Light. Just like the old times. Rosa sometimes wondered how Terry was doing and if he was worried about the pegasus. Of course that got her thinking about the truck stop gang and all the other people she had met in what felt like a crazy past life.

Shaking her head to clear it of the sad thoughts, Rosa pushed the door open and headed inside. To her surprise, Sky Light was downstairs for a change. She was sitting at the kitchen table. Could she have made herself something to eat?

When Rosa saw what Sky had in front of her, her blood froze and her breath stalled.

There was a bottle of wine, open. The cork was lying beside it and Rosa could vividly see the few red drops on the tablecloth. A half-full glass was sitting in front of Sky Light and she was staring at it, motionless.

"Please tell me you didn't!"

The mare didn't look up, nor did she move anything other than her mouth. "I wanted to..." Her foreleg curled around the glass.

Rosa rushed forward and slapped the drink away from her hoof. Sky Light twitched as the glass shattered against the cupboard.

"How much did you drink!? How much?! Tell me Sky!"

She had to go to a doctor, fast! Rosa's mind started racing as she tried to remember how. There were no telephones. She would have to make a run for it and simply carry Sky Light on her back if she had to!

The other mare was looking at her, blinking slowly, as if in a daze. Rosa could see tears running down her muzzle, a sight which made her stomach clench into a tiny ball.

"I d-didn't... I didn't," Sky Light said shakily.

Rosa took a closer look at the bottle and saw that Sky was right. There was hardly any missing - about half a glass, Rosa estimated. The same half a glass she had just spilled.

Sky Light gripped Rosa's foreleg and gave her a panicked look. "I w-wanted it," she whined. "God, how I wanted it, Rosa! I t-thought a s-s-sip couldn't hu-hurt!" She broke out in sobs and Rosa brought both legs around her. "It wouldn't s-stop at a sip! I knew it wouldn't!" the distraught mare bawled against Rosa's barrel. "But I wanted to, so badly! I w-wanted to feel normal for an hour!"

Rosa glared at the bottle as if all this was its fault. Where did Sky even get it?! Rosa knew for a fact there was nothing alcoholic in the house.

"Where did you get it?"

Sky Light shook her head, as if it didn't matter. It probably didn't, but Rosa needed to talk and this question was better than 'are you fucking insane?'

"Come on, tell me."

"Shop down the street. I said it was for when we get guests. I didn't have any money, but I said you'd bring it tomorrow and they let me have it."

Rosa almost growled a little to herself. She knew the shopkeeper there and he knew her. She had bought enough necessities there over the weeks. She would go and have a word with them, and make sure they understood never to give Sky Light any booze. For that matter, Rosa thought about seeking out all the stores and bars and pubs and restaurants near the house and making sure they knew. They'd probably look at her like she was crazy, but Rosa had to do something. She knew she couldn't really stop Sky Light if she put her mind to it, but Rosa had to try something. Maybe she could cuff Sky Light to the bed?

"You didn't have any?" Rosa asked, just to confirm.

Another option was for Rosa to start trusting her friend. Yes, she had gone and bought herself booze. She had opened the bottle and poured it. However, she hadn't drunk it. That had to count for something, right?

Sky Light shook her head again. "I k-knew what it would do. Probably not the one glass, that's what I kept telling myself. Just a taste wouldn't hurt, but I knew it'd n-never stop at one glass... I knew what'd happen."

It had happened before, but Rosa didn't say that out loud. Sky Light was already thinking it, there was no need to make it worse. What Sky needed most of all was support, nor anger and accusation.

It was a struggle, but Rosa swallowed down the fear and the fury and let relief fill her voice instead. "Well, I'm proud of you. You gave me a bad scare, but I'm proud of you."

The other mare pushed away and stared at Rosa as if she was crazy. "You what?! After this?!"

"Yes. Okay, so you fu- fouled up and nearly gave in, fine. I'm disappointed." Sky narrowed her eyes and Rosa sighed. "Okay, fine, I'm a bit mad." She booped Sky's nose with her own. "You didn't actually go through with it, did you? You resisted until I came home. Way I see it, you knew it'd be a mistake and you didn't do it."

Sky Light looked doubtful, but one of her ears lifted up, as if she wanted to hear more.

Rosa invented hurriedly. "We all have moments of weakness, Sky. It's not wrong to feel depressed or hopeless, but you didn't do it and that's what counts."

"I s-still want it," Sky whispered, letting her gaze fall to the floor. "Take it away, please?"

"I will, I will. Look, I won't leave you alone again. That was my mistake..."

Suddenly the pegasus sounded panicked. "No no no, that's not what I meant! I don't need you to babysit me!"

They both looked at the bottle.

"Really?"

The mare groaned in frustration and kicked one of the table legs, making the bottle rattle and nearly fall over. "Fuck! I don't know. I'm just a screw up. Just a junkie, what do I know?!"

Rosa let her go, but only for long enough to reach over and put the cork back in the bottle. "Sky, listen to me. You're not 'just a junkie'. You're not just anything, okay? You saw me through those streets and you've been the best friend I could have wanted!"

Sky was not looking at her, but Rosa saw fresh tears start to flow. For that matter, her eyes were getting quite wet as well. Maybe she hadn't really told Sky what she meant to her until now? Rosa gripped her friend's hoof between hers. "You're just about the most amazing pony I've ever met. Actually, make that 'person'. I'm including humans in that."

The mare barked a short laugh. "Yeah, what about Fluttershy?"

Rosa rolled her eyes, but joined in with a quiet giggle. "Well, okay. Fine. Fluttershy is amazing, too. But she's my mom and you're my best friend. It's different."

"I won't do it again," Sky Light said suddenly. "I swear, no more booze, no more drugs... as if I even knew how to get hold of them here." She stared at Rosa and for a second it almost looked like she was angry. "This fucking place is just so damn wholesome! Everyone is polite, the streets are clean. Do you know how many types of alcohol they have?"

Rosa shook her head.

"Three! There's this rose wine, there's a few kinds of cider and there's mead. That's it! I fucking hate wine, but it was all I could find!"

Rosa didn't really understand why Sky was angry. Was she seriously complaining that Equestria was too nice?! "Well, look at it this way: It's going to be a good place for Iris to grow up, isn't it? You'll be able to send her out to play with the other kids and you won't have to worry that anything would happen."

The other mare gave Rosa a long, slow look. She blinked a few times. "I g-guess?" she finally admitted.

"I know you miss Earth, but give this place a chance, okay? You're not alone here. You got me."

"Yeah, until that colt of yours takes you away..."

"Not gonna! Whatever happens between Paolo and me, I'll stay your friend, okay? That's a promise."

Sky Light started chuckling a little and Rosa waited impatiently until she told her why. Finally she opened her mouth: "So you'll be like a kind of aunt to Iris?"

The thought was so strange that Rosa couldn't help but laugh with her. "Sure. An honorary aunt, that could work. After she is born, I'll take you out and we'll go have a drink, okay? One drink. We can do it sometimes, nothing wrong with kicking back and enjoying life. Until then, if you get the urge, just - I dunno, make yourself a hot bath instead. You like those, right?"

The soak they had both enjoyed the other day had been almost a transformative experience for the pegasus. Even now her eyes went all vacant and dreamy. "Mmmmm."

"In fact, all our bills are being paid by the government. Why don't you take advantage of that and go have another soak right now?"

A slow smile spread across her muzzle and Sky nodded. "Y-Yeah, that actually sounds good."

Rosa released her hoof as she slipped from the chair. Luckily the smashed glass was on the other side. Once Sky was gone, Rosa opened the broom closet behind her and pulled out a mouth-held brush-and-dustpan set. She'd have to make sure to get all the shards. They wouldn't hurt their hooves, other than scratching them and making it annoying to sleep when the edges snagged on the blankets, but one of them might sit on her haunches when she was cooking, and cut herself. She also had to mop up the wine she spilled and then probably go over it with the cleaning fluid a couple of times so there was no stale wine smell in their living room.

That still left the question about what to do with the wine. Rosa didn't want it in the house and she'd feel kinda bad for tossing out a full bottle. She was certainly not going to drink it herself. An idea popped in her mind. Hadn't Citrus Blush and her coltfriend had some kind of an anniversary just the other day? Rosa didn't know if this wine was a good vintage, or whatever it was called, but maybe she'd like it. It was only a couple of doors down the street. Rosa could tell her that Sky Light had bought it by mistake, which was true enough anyway.

Then she would clean up the mess. Rosa really wanted the thing out of the house before she did anything else. She waited quietly until she heard the water start to splash into the tub upstairs, then she hooked the wine with her fetlock and hobbled to the door on three legs. Maybe it could make some ponies happy. That would be a much better job for it than bringing fresh tragedy to Sky Light.

---

Sky Light was sleeping in, so Rosa had risked taking the morning off. In any case, she had been doing a lot better after that wine incident. She would be okay for a few hours, especially with both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash in the house. The two were catching up, talking about old times before the Bores and all the Earth-craziness. Rosa was slightly curious to hear more about it, but at the same time it felt wrong to intrude, so she took the opportunity to go out and visit with her own friends. Out of her old roommates, only Valentina and Felicity had been at home and Rosa had invited both out for some ice cream.

As noon approached the three were sitting in one of the less busy streets in lower Canterlot, trying and failing to enjoy their delicious desserts slowly. Rosa barely had time to talk between spoonfuls. It was just fruit and whipped cream and ice, and there was no way it should taste that good! It was probably magic.

"So, how are you and Paolo doing?" Valentina asked, trying to conceal a tiny little blush.

"Mmmph?" Rosa replied, then swallowed and repeated: "Huh? We're not- um, we're just dating, okay?"

Felicity was the only one of the two who believed her, it looked like. Well, she was the one who wasn't smirking knowingly. "A-Actually," she said, "I'm thinking about asking this guy out."

"What guy?!" Valentina blurted out, gaping a little in shock. "You never said there was a guy!"

Now it was Felicity's turn to blush. "Oh, this guy. You know, lives in 1-B. Ground floor. Um, he has that bow and arrow cutie mark?"

"Okay, tell!" Rosa said excitedly.

Valentina suddenly brightened up. "Oooh, the crystal pony?! Yeah, he's cool, even if he is a bit older!"

Rosa remembered Mystic Comet from the resistance camp on Earth. "Crystal pony?!"

Felicity rolled her eyes. "He has a name, you two! And age doesn't come into it."

After a short pause, Valentina prodded the other mare with a hoof. "Well, what is it then?"

Her blush deepening, Felicity let her gaze fall to the ground. "Crystal Arrow."

None of the other two knew what to say for a while, then Felicity spoke up again and broke the silence: "Anyway, I'm thinking of asking him out. He doesn't have a fillyfriend. Never married, either! He moved to Canterlot for a job."

Rosa leaned over and placed a hoof on her knee. "I think that's a good idea. You go for it, see what happens."

The mare flashed her a grateful smile and went back to sipping on her milkshake.

"You know," Valentina spoke up after a while, "sometimes I almost can't believe it's real. I mean look at it!" She gestured expansively to indicate the street, the castle above them and the lands beyond. "It's effing Equestria, Rosa! There's magic and unicorns and alicorn Princesses and a whole effing country of ponies!"

"Yeah, it does feel like a dream sometimes..."

"And what's with these names?!" Valentina went on. "I mean, seriously. Ponyville?! Las Pegasus? Canterlot?! Pony much?!"

All three of them giggled, having noticed the same thing.

"Well, I guess they just like reminding themselves who they are. Nothing wrong with that," Rosa explained her own best guess.

Felicity shrugged a little. "Yeah, makes sense."

"Anyway, we're here now, gotta make the best of it. By the way, how are the others doing? I tried to get all of you together, but Iskra and Amethyst weren't home."

"Oh, Iskra is probably still up at the hospital-" Valentina began.

"Hospital?!" Rosa interrupted. "What's wrong?! What happened?!"

The other mare waved a dismissive hoof. "Oh, nothing to worry about, Rosa. We're just getting these implants removed so we can get our cutie marks and all that. Iskra went yesterday and they said she'd have to stay twenty-four hours for observation. I think Amethyst went with to keep her company."

"Yeah, I'm going on Friday," Felicity added. "I wonder what kind of a cutie mark I'll get!"

Rosa relaxed. They should have told her, but she had to admit that she hadn't seen a whole lot of her roommates ever since she had moved in with Sky Light. The pegasus took a lot of concentration, and what little time Rosa had left she had spent with Fluttershy.

"I wonder if Paolo is going to do it as well. He didn't say..." Rosa wondered out loud.

Maybe he hadn't arranged a date yet, otherwise she was sure he would have told her on their date. She resolved to ask him.

"You know, I was talking with some mares in the grocery store," Valentina said, "they said not having a cutie mark makes me look like a filly. I'm thinking of not getting the implant removed, at least for a few years."

Both she and Felicity giggled, but Rosa looked at her own flank instead. "Dunno, having this thing is pretty cool. Shows me what I always wanted to do, even if I didn't know it."

"Yeah, weird how you only got one. Are you getting the other, do you know?"

Rosa shook her head. Dr. Mason had told her as much and the unicorn doctor who had checked her out that first day had pretty much confirmed it. "I don't think so. I don't mind, though. Maybe-" Rosa answered, remembering what Valentina had said, "I can use this."

"Use it how?"

"Well, I need to get a dress that only covers one flank. I'm sure Rarity can think something up. Then I wear it so I show either the blank side or the cutie-mark side, depending if I wanna look younger or not!"

They both burst out laughing and Rosa joined them after a few seconds.

"Way to go, Rosa!" Valentina commented when she was able. "Best of both worlds, right?"

"Yeah!" Rosa put the last spoonful of fruit in her mouth and looked down at her empty cup regretfully. "We have to do this again. This stuff is delicious!"

"I'll ask Iskra when she comes to visit. She promised she'll come tell me as soon as she gets out of the hospital. When are you free, Rosa?"

"I- dunno. Sky Light has it pretty rough. There's good days and bad days, you know? Maybe in the evening one day. If I leave her soaking in the tub she usually stays there for hours."

"Cool! Bring Paolo, too!" Felicity said.

Valentina added: "Yeah, and Fluttershy, if you can. I wouldn't mind meeting her again, she seems nice."

"Yeah, I'll ask them. A nice reunion, right?"

"Yeah!"

Rosa looked around for a waiter and grabbed her purse so she could pay. The government stipend had arrived and she had a lot more left over now that she didn't have to buy the essentials again.

Felicity saw what she was doing, however, and puts a hoof over Rosa's. "Leave it, I'll get it. You can pay next time, okay?"

It didn't matter a whole lot, so Rosa didn't argue and simply put her money back. "Thanks."

All three of them stood up and Felicity started counting out some bits. The waiter arrived with perfect timing to take the money and bid them a polite goodbye.

Rosa hadn't done this kind of thing a lot on Earth so she couldn't really compare the service, but it felt like everyone was a lot friendlier here. She followed her friends to the end of the street, where her roommates split off. They paused for quick hugs and nuzzles.

"It's been great catching up, guys! I'll let you know when we can do it again, just as soon as I figure out how to use the post."

"Yeah, same! You should ask Paolo, though," Felicity suggested.

"Why?"

"He was training for postal work back on Earth, no? Well, he said he'd like to do the same thing here. I wouldn't be surprised if he's already gone and talked with ponies at the Post Office, or the Royal Mail or whatever it's called."

That actually made sense. Rosa hadn't spoken with him all that much back at the School, but she knew for a fact that he had been excited about being a messenger-pony. He would get to fly a lot and see all kinds of landscape and places, he had said.

"Good idea. I'll ask him when I see him."

With luck, he would come around in the next day or two for coffee and she could bring it up. She could also ask him the question about his implant and cutie mark. Right now, however, Rosa had to go and check on Sky Light. She had probably woken up already. Maybe she could bring her some of that pistachio ice cream Sky loved so much? It was not that far out of her way.

"Well, have a good day, girls!"

"You too, Rosa!"

Picking up her pace, Rosa started humming her happy song as she cantered toward home.

---

Rosa was greeted by a most pleasant sight when she got back to her street. There was Sky Light, sitting on the doorstep and apparently in an animated discussion with the greengrocer. She was eating an orange, or maybe a grapefruit and Rosa got the feeling she hadn't had to pay for that one either. These equestrian ponies were very friendly and generous.

They spotted her approaching and Sky Light waved. "Hi Rosa!"

Rosa couldn't help but smile at her apparent good mood. "Hi. Slept well? Want me to make some breakfast?" she offered.

Her friend shook her head in polite refusal. "Thanks, Mr. Cinnamon gave me this grapefruit, so I'm good."

Rosa gave the greengrocer a friendly nod and joined her friend on the doorstep. It was a nice day and it was not yet too hot outside, so it was pleasant to just sit.

"So, what are you doing today? I wanna do something!" Sky Light suggested.

"Um, any ideas?"

"Actually..." She was avoiding Rosa's gaze, so whatever she wanted would probably be embarrassing or complicated.

Rosa gave her a nudge anyway. "Just spill it."

Her ears folded down and Sky cast a nervous glance at Lemon Cinnamon, before clearing her throat and suggesting: "Well, Rarity is taking Fluttershy to the spa. I was wondering if m-maybe we could go, too?"

"You mean like join them?"

Sky Light bobbed her head. "Yeah! I mean, if it isn't imposing. Or we could go separately some other time."

She had fallen in love with taking hot baths, so a spa day might be just what she needed. The only problem was that Rosa wasn't too sure what that entailed. It might be a good idea to have a guide or something, at least the first time they tried it.

"I'll ask Fluttershy, okay?"

The other mare cheered up immediately. "Okay! Thanks!"

All three of them wait in companionable silence, until it became a bit awkward and Mr. Cinnamon cleared his throat. "Well, I should get back to work. Nice meeting you."

He gave them both a nod and ducked back into his shop. There were no customers in there at the moment, but there was probably stuff to do anyway.

"Um, Fluttershy home?" Rosa asked.

"She went to get some groceries," Sky Light explained. Seeing her friend's uneasy look, she rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. I'm not falling off the wagon again, Rosa."

Rosa had to admit that Sky had been doing much better lately. Well, as far as she could tell. There was one other thing Rosa had been thinking about, but she didn't know how to broach the subject with Sky. She hated doctors and she'd probably hate this too.

"Um, Sky? I'd like to suggest something, okay?"

Almost immediately the older mare looked apprehensive. Her ears folded down and her wings rustled as she nervously shuffled. "Y-Yeah?"

"Hear me out before you make up your mind, okay? I'm not saying you should do it, it's just a suggestion."

"Okay?"

Rosa took a deep breath and tried to ease her into the idea. "There's all sorts of doctors there in the Canterlot Hospital, right? They're good at what they do. Hell, they have cutie marks to prove it."

Her friend was watching her nervously. When Rosa paused to think, Sky asked: "What are you getting at, Rosa?"

"Look, I'm just saying- maybe you- we! Maybe we should go and, you know, j-just have a chat with one of them."

"We're not hurt, though."

"I know, I know. I didn't mean... that kind of doctor."

Sky Light was staring at her blankly, so Rosa took a deep breath and just blurted it out, damn the consequences: "A psychiatrist! Maybe we should go and talk to-"

"What?!" Sky Light jumped up. "Rosa, I'm fine! I don't need a shrink! I'm not a loon. Jeez!"

"Will you hear me out?"

For a moment the other mare just bristled, but then she heaved a sigh and sat back down. "Fine. I'll listen."

Rosa tried to put into words something she barely understood herself. "Look, psychiatrists aren't just for crazy people, okay? The thing I'm saying," she quavered, "what I mean is- Well, they deal with stuff like that. You losing Zephyr, both of us coming to a whole new world." Rosa hated herself for saying it, but she had to add: "You d-drinking..."

The glare she got was completely deserved, but she still felt it had needed to be said. Sky Light remained silent, though, so Rosa tried to think up some more explanation: "Look, they deal with stuff like that. I'm not saying we should go into therapy, but maybe we just visit one and talk a little. Worst thing, we just waste a couple of hours, but we might get some advice on how to deal with... everything!"

Now that she had started, Rosa's mind was running like quicksilver and new ideas were popping up. "All we're doing is just getting a consultation, Sky. Hell, we don't even need to listen to any advice, but it can't hurt to have it." She gripped her friend around her withers before she could say no. "I mean, what you've gone through. Zephyr, and your daughter and what Cadence did. I don't even know how to talk to you about it, Sky! But I know you need to talk about it, otherwise it'll eat you up inside!"

Still nothing.

"Please just think it over? All I'm asking is for us to go in there and talk to someone- somepony. It's not like it's even medical, really. It's just getting some advice."

Finally she released her friend. Rosa couldn't get her ears up and she was struggling to control her breathing as she awaited her reply. Sky Light looked all around before finally settling her eyes on Rosa. She was grimacing, but then she let her breath out in a long hiss. "Okay, fine," she said quietly.

"What?! Really?!" Rosa gasped. "I m-mean, that's great!"

"Just a talk, okay? If I don't like them or what they're asking, I leave."

"Yeah, of course! Just a talk and we'll see what kind of advice they give us!"

Rosa relaxed and so did Sky Light. It mustn't have been easy to accept even this much. Maybe it showed just how much she had progressed. Rosa couldn't help but smile proudly at the pegasus. "Hold on a second!" she told her on the spur of the moment.

Sky just watched as Rosa rushed into the house. She had some note paper and a pen in the kitchen, so she could jot down what groceries they needed, but now Rosa wrote a different message. 'Went with Sky to that place on the edge for lunch. Come meet us! Please leave this note up!'

Rosa rummaged in a drawer for a pin, then rushed back outside. She put the note up on the door, where the pegasus silently read it. "Place on the edge?" she asked.

"Yeah! I'm taking you out for lunch. You'll love it! It's right on the edge, so you can see pretty much all of Equestria. You can go stretch your wings while we wait for food."

The mare started to smile at the prospect. She hadn't really been too far out of the house since they arrived in Canterlot and maybe it was time for her to start exploring this new land. "Why that stuff about leaving the note up?"

Rosa was rather proud of her thinking, so she grinned happily. "It's for Fluttershy, but maybe Paolo will come visit later, too."

"Ooooh," Sky Light exclaimed. "That's clever!"

Rosa just nodded, graciously accepting her compliment. She already had her bag with money, so she was all set.

"How are you two doing, by the way?" Sky Light asked.

"We only had two dates! Nothing happened!"

"Shame," Sky commented. "Did he at least kiss you?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Good. Maybe the boy has some manners. Now, if you want my advice..."

She looks at Rosa questioningly, but all she got was a noncommittal shrug. Rosa had a feeling she was going say it no matter what.

"Well, colts are just like hardwood. Remember that."

"What?! Why hardwood?!"

The mare smirked and Rosa's ears automatically flattened even as her muzzle started to preemptively blush. She was aware of it even without a mirror.

"Well, just like a colt, if you lay the hardwood floor down really well the first time, you can then walk all over it for the next twenty years." The mare chortled with laughter and Rosa recognized it as one of her crude jokes.

It was not even one of her worst, so Rosa chuckled dutifully. "Yeah, funny."

"Well, there's a grain of truth in it, Rosa. If you want, I can give you some tips."

"Please don't."

She just kept laughing as they walked. It was a blessing there were no other ponies nearby to have overheard.

---

In the end Rosa decided to visit the spa alone with Sky Light. Fluttershy and Rarity probably needed some quiet time to catch up and it had felt wrong to butt in. She could invite both of them and Sky and possibly Paolo some other time. That meant it was just her and her pegasus friend in what Equestrian ponies called a 'steam room', but Rosa knew as a sauna. Whatever the name, it was fantastically hot and sweat was just pouring off her. Not unpleasant, though, especially with a nice, refreshing, cool bath right after it to wash off. Sky Light was sprawled on the wooden bench beside her, lying on her back and occasionally moaning a little.

"That good?"

The mare didn't even open her eyes as she nodded. "Fuck yeah. I seriously love this. Thanks again for taking me!"

"You're welcome," Rosa giggled.

At some point in the past she had stopped minding Sky's language, but now she was starting to notice again. Maybe because Equestrian ponies didn't swear at all. "Try to take it easy on the f-word, 'kay? They don't use that kind of language around here."

"Yeah, okay. Sorry."

That had been surprisingly easy. Rosa started to wonder... "So, I was thinking about going to see the dentist, make sure everything is okay in there..." she began, very tentatively.

"Okay?"

"Well, I thought you might wanna join me, have them take a look at you."

"Dunno, maybe." Sky Light sounded a tiny bit defensive, but at least it wasn't a flat-out refusal. Rosa wondered if she'd remember this once they were out of the sauna.

"Anyway, they got magic. Mr. Cinnamon told me they have this spell so you can't feel anything. Even better than nitrous the humans use."

This time Sky Light opened her eyes and gave Rosa a bit of a frown. "Fine, I said I'll go, okay?"

That had been... unexpected. Rosa had to know what had changed. "Okay, great. Um, mind me asking why the change of heart?" Hopefully she hadn't just reminded Sky why she hated all doctors.

Sky Light heaved a deep sigh, lazily rolling over to her side and holding up a wing in the air. Rosa kept her eyes on it as she started to fan it slowly from side to side. She wasn't doing it to keep cool, so Rosa guessed she was just trying to soak up more heat from the air.

"I- I dunno," the mare finally answered her. "Guess I have to keep myself healthy for the baby, right? Don't wanna go and drop dead on Iris when she's like seven."

"Yeah, that would suck pretty badly," Rosa agreed.

"So, maybe I could stand those medical loons take a look. Every now and then."

"That's probably a smart idea."

A droplet of sweat dripped from Rosa's chin to the wood between her hind legs. She could see the bench starting to glisten with her accumulated perspiration.

"Maybe it's time to get out of here? The pony at the reception said no more than thirty minutes if you're pregnant."

This time there was a sad sigh, but Sky Light did start rolling to her hooves. "Aww, already?"

Rosa took another look at the hourglass on the wall. She had remembered to turn it over when they went in and now the sand was just at the twenty-five mark. "Well, there's a minute or two left, but maybe we shouldn't risk it."

Sky dug her forehooves in the floor and arched up her back, much like a cat. She held the pose for a few seconds, then groaned and straightened up. "How soon until we can do it again?"

She had obviously paid zero attention to the receptionist!

"At least an hour."

"Okay, so what's next?"

This next few parts Rosa was really curious about, so she smiled in anticipation. "Quick bath to cool off, then massage."

The pegasus looked a bit skeptical. "Massage?" she asked, ears splaying out with unease.

"Give it a try. If you don't like it, you can always tell them to stop and go back to the bath, right?"

This eased some of her doubt. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Rosa opened the sauna door and stepped out. She had half expected clouds of steam to billow out around her, but there was nothing like that. The air outside was noticeably chilly, though, so she made a bee line for the small, round pool in the corner, and slipped gratefully inside. After the heat, the water felt merely lukewarm, but it was warmer than the air. Sky Light joined her with a small splash.

"You know, we should do this more often. A lot more often."

"Yeah, but it's pricey. We get money from the government, but at most I think we can do it once a month."

The pegasus looked immensely disappointed. "Well, how about I get a job, then?"

"Any thoughts on what?"

Sky twisted a little to look at her cutie mark. "No casinos in Canterlot, at least no legal ones that I could find. I think I'd like to try dealing blackjack, or running a roulette table, or something like that."

That was quite unexpected and Rosa couldn't help but gape. "Wait, I thought you wanted to play those, not run them!" she pointed out.

"Yeah, normally I would. I get pretty lucky sometimes," Sky Light began. Rosa could already feel the 'but' coming up. "Buut..." The mare flipped to her back and stroked her belly with both hooves. "Well, with Iris on the way, I don't wanna rely on luck. I'd rather do a steady job. I don't wanna mooch off the government forever."

Rosa opened her mouth to mention her mooching off people while she had lived on the street, but then she remembered some of those hot, grueling afternoons with hardly any money at the end to show for it. That had been hard work, even if it hadn't seemed so at first glance. Even worse, the pay had never been reliable.

"Yeah, I think I get it. Want me to ask Celestia about it next time she calls me over? Maybe they could open a small casino, or maybe one of the fancy hotels would put in a blackjack table for their rich guests?"

Sky Light brightened up. "You'd do that for me?!"

She was making Rosa blush again, but this time in a good way. Rosa patted her side with a hoof and gave the mare a smile. "Sure! I'll tell you if I get an answer!"

Out of the corner of her eye Rosa saw a couple of ponies in white garb standing around the door and chatting in an easygoing manner. She guessed it was the masseuses. "I think that's our cue," she told Sky.

The pegasus followed her gaze and her ears splayed again. "Okay, let's give that a try..."

They climbed out of the little pool and grabbed some of the towels nearby to dry themselves, or at least make an attempt. It took a lot of time and effort with all the fur. Rosa sometimes envied humans, who had it so easy!

The two ponies came over when Rosa gave them a friendly wave. They had contrasting colors which took some getting used to. Blue with a pink mane and pink with a blue mane. "Hi!" they said almost in unison, but then only the pink one continued: "I'm Aloe and this is Lotus and we'll take good care of you today!"

Rosa couldn't quite place their accent, but they definitely talked differently from the ponies in Canterlot. It was faint, but it was there. "Hmm, did you move here from elsewhere?" she asked, mainly to make some conversation while she and Sky followed the two to some massage beds.

"Oh yes!" the other one answered - Lotus, Rosa remembered. "Once we saved up enough bits, we sold the spa in Ponyville and opened one here in Canterlot!"

It didn't answer the question Rosa had, but she shrugged a little to herself and dropped the subject. One thing still stuck out. "Um, forgive me if it's a rude questions, b-but if you own this place, why do you still do massages yourselves? Don't you employ people for that?"

At first Rosa was a bit worried that she'd offended them, but the pair laughed pleasantly and Aloe waved a dismissive hoof. "Normally yes, dear, but we always provide the personal touch for special guests!"

Now it was Sky Light's turn to gape. "Special guests?! Us?!"

Her incredulity made Aloe giggle a little. "Of course! Mrs. Rarity is our best customer and she asked to take very special care of you! You're Mrs. Fluttershy's daughter, correct?"

"Y-Yeah?"

Sky Light gave her friend a grateful smile, but Rosa shook her head a little. When she had mentioned to her mother that she was taking her friend to the spa, she hadn't intended for her to use her influence to get them better service. It was still very nice of her, so Rosa wasn't going complain.

"Up here, please."

She followed Aloe's direction and lay on her belly on the massage bed. There was a hole cut out for her head, which made it incredibly comfortable. It meant she couldn't see what the spa pony was doing, but she seemed very competent. Sky Light copied her position on the neighboring table. Rosa was just barely able to see her from the corner of her eye and she saw her wings shuffling uneasily.

"Please to be relaxing your wings," Lotus told her. "We take good care of them, promise!"

The pegasus let out a sigh, but she stopped struggling and let the pony guide her wings to rest lightly on the massage table. They were about to start. Rosa was still wondering what exactly they'd do and how it would feel, when a pair of hooves pressed gently, but firmly, on her back.

"Just relax, dear!" Aloe murmured to her. "You are in good hooves now!"

Rosa believed her, too. The pressure increased and the hooves started to move.

"Mmmpmmphphpph!"

She didn't care that a bit of drool had escaped. Well, maybe she would care if she could think, but her brain must have thrown a cog because the entire world went away and all Rosa was aware of were the hooves kneading her back. Off to one side she was dimly aware of a prolonged, heartfelt moan. It sounds like someone was torturing Sky Light, but she was on her own. Rosa was not getting up from the table, ever!

Comments

[Mocha Star]

Longest chapter? Probably.
But, it was worth every minute it took to read.Great slice of life chapter showing their adaptation to their new life.