Chapter 1: Unsettling news

Her name was 'Rosa'.

It wasn't pronounced like most people would say it - 'Rose', except with an 'ah' at the end instead of 'eh'. The instructor to whom she was assigned came from a distant country where they spoke another language. She said it was pronounced like 'Rossa' and meant 'Morning Dew'. She liked both versions of the name. One of the older pony maids had said it was a proper pony name, such as they had in their old world.

All Rosa knew about the old world was that it was called 'Equestria' and it was where ponies had lived before they came to Earth. Why they had left was a mystery and the older ponies, those who still remembered Equestria, wouldn't say. They didn't like to talk about it much. Besides, Rosa was sure the humans wouldn't like such things discussed. Since they couldn't or wouldn't tell her any pony history, Rosa had just learned what she could from the human history books instead. History and art and writing and even a bit about computers and maths. Her main class, however, was Profession Training. She had been picked by her instructor, Martha, to become an Assistant Pony. The instructor had said she selected Rosa for it because she had kind eyes and a gentle voice.

Profession Training was where they taught her how to be a good helper.

There were humans out there who weren't doing well. Rosa had been learning all about anxiety attacks and diseases such as Asperger's and Autism. Also, some people were fine in their heads, but had damaged or incomplete bodies. Her job would eventually be to lend them a hoof. She would wash and clean and cook for them. She would be there to comfort them and make sure they were alright.

It was an important responsibility and Rosa was determined to do it well, so she always paid close attention in class. Some of the other fillies and colts in the Pony School would go on to work with machines, or help humans with manual labors. That was what usually happened to earth ponies - the ones without wings or a horn.

Actually, there were no unicorns in that place. They could use magic and the humans said it was too dangerous. Such ponies were sent elsewhere upon birth, to find a different profession, so Rosa was told.

She was special because she was an earth pony, but like Martha said she wouldn't have to work with her hooves. Rosa had Empathy and that allowed her instructor to place her in specialized classes. Sometimes She worried about letting her Person down - whoever it might eventually be - but mostly she was excited that she would get to help some poor human in need.

The face in the mirror stared back amicably as Rosa finished getting her mane in order. It was black, which Martha assured her was very pretty and went well with her purple coat. She also often said what lovely, green eyes Rosa had. The compliment never failed to make the mare smile and wag her tail. Just the memory was enough to make the corners of her mouth twitch up now. Last week Martha had gotten her a simple silver pendant with a bit of opal in the shape of a drop. She had said it was Rosa's birthday.

The pony had been thrilled, but a little sad as well. Every time it was her birthday she asked Martha if she could meet her mother, but the Instructor just looked at her sadly for a moment and said no. Those were the Rules. Ponies were not allowed to know their dams or sires. In fact, most of the time the dams didn't know the stallions with whom they'd conceived their foals. Then, right after birth, the babies were taken and cared for by their human Instructors.

Rosa don't know why it had to be so. She would have liked to see her mother, tell her how much she loved her and give her a big hug to thank her for bringing her into such a nice place. Some ponies on Earth didn't have it nearly as good, Rosa knew. In one of her classes, Mr. Marston, her history teacher, had shown them how ponies were treated around the world and told them how lucky they were to be born in a good country. Elsewhere the ponies were starved and beaten and forced to lug heavy carts and plow fields, or they were made to work at assembly lines. Of course, some of Rosa's classmates would end up doing those jobs, but they would be well cared for, get lots of breaks and wouldn't be overworked. It was paradise compared to some places.

Others, like Rosa herself, would go to needy humans, to help them with everyday lives. Still other ponies, the prettier mares mostly, and the ones with softest, most beautiful coats and manes, would be sold to rich families. They would do light housework and mostly go on pony shows to compete against other beautiful fillies and colts. Rosa was a bit jealous of a few of her classmates, who would end up being caretakers of young children for those humans who were too busy with their work.

She would have liked to work with children.

Martha said there was a slight chance Rosa would be assigned to a disabled child, but that she shouldn't count on it. It would be so wonderful. She knew she could really help a young human, and her heart broke when she read about some of the ailments which afflicted the poor things. She was sure, however, that the humans would assign her where she could do the most good. The Instructors and the people who ran the School were very smart and Rosa trusted them with her future.

She finished her examination in the tiny bathroom she shared with five other young mares her age, then opened a small drawer with her name on it and fetched out a soft brush and a box of powder. Rosa almost giggled when she remembered her first fumbling attempts at makeup, just after Martha had taught her. She had learned a lot since then and now skillfully dabbed just a touch on her muzzle and nose to 'enhance' - as she'd heard one of the older students say. It was important to always look her best. Humans went to such lengths to care for ponies because they were cute, Mr. Marston had said once.

There, nearly perfect. Rosa put the brush back and brought out the perfume bottle. Another gift from Martha, it was rose-scented, but very diluted. Most humans wouldn't sense anything until they were close enough to hug her, but Rosa smelled it and it gave her confidence.

There was a knock on the door and an impatient voice quavered: "Rosa? Can you please finish up, I really have to go!"

Rosa could almost imagine that yellow, scrunched up muzzle of Felicity as she hopped from hoof to hoof, legs nearly crossing with the effort to hold in her pee.

"Yeah! Sorry!"

She hurried up and put her things away, then pulled the door open. The handle was wide and low, easy for a pony to operate with a hoof. Before she could even leave, there was a yellow and gray streak that shouldered Rosa aside and Felicity was suddenly sitting on the toilet. She didn't seem to mind her roommate there, so Rosa knew it must have been pretty urgent. Most of the time she and the girls did their 'business' in private, but it was not uncommon to shower together if time was short. After all, they didn't usually wear clothes so it wasn't indecent, like with humans.

"Why didn't you say before?"

Her friend was looking straight ahead as she let go a mighty stream. It took her a few moments to process Rosa's question. "I was... sleeping," she admitted and blushed a little. "I just woke up."

Rosa almost gasped. It was nearly nine in the morning! By now the ponies were supposed to be up and ready for their classes! Now that her attention has been drawn to it, Rosa saw that Felicity's mane and tail were in tangles and her coat was matted and sticky in places.

She hadn't showered and brushed herself while Rosa was at breakfast like she'd originally surmised!

"You're gonna be so late!"

"I know!" Felicity squeaked, finishing and flushing the toilet. She jumped down, faced her roommate and put her hooves right on her shoulders. "Come on, tell me Rosa - can I skip shower do you think?"

Rosa tried to gauge her state. Maybe she could pull it off. if she brushed the worst parts of her coat and untangled her mane. Some of the teachers couldn't see all that well. "I t-think so. Here, let me help you with your tail. I'll let you borrow my perfume afterwards, but you gotta brush your teeth like right now!"

The filly nodded and reached into her own drawer under the sink. In moments she was busily cleaning her teeth, while Rosa grabbed her hairbrush and started working on her tail.

"The others have left already?"

The other fillies in her room didn't usually get breakfast, choosing instead to sleep thirty minutes longer. That gave Rosa free reign of the bathroom both before, while they were still in beds, and after, once they'd woken up, gotten ready and left. She liked to freshen up after breakfast, so she could look her best for class. Being cute was Rosa's main asset and she couldn't afford to disappoint Martha. She was the one who would have final say over her assignment once Rosa graduated.

"'essh!" Felicity confirmed, then spat out the foam. "Yes!"

"Why didn't they wake you?" Rosa was done with her tail and started on her gray mane with white streaks. Luckily, it wasn't as long as her own, so there was less to untangle.

"I don't know!" the filly wailed. "They're just mean!"

It didn't sound like their roommates. Rosa knew for a fact that Amethyst was a sweetheart, because she had the same instructor as her and was also training to be an assistant pony. The others - especially Maribelle, who was an unofficial leader of their group - wouldn't have just let their friend be late for class. Rosa felt like something was wrong. Yes their friends and her sometimes played tricks on each other, but this went too far.

"I don't think they were being mean..."

It was then she heard the door creak and hooves walk in their dorm room. The bathroom was still open and Valentina came into view, pale and trembling a little. Beside her, Amethyst stood stock still, as if in a daze.

Rosa's stomach shrivelled and the hairbrush clattered on the tiles as she lost her grip.

Something dreadful must have happened!

Felicity and her mane forgotten, Rosa came out and carefully nuzzled Amethyst, who was nearer. "What happened?" She was almost afraid to know the answer. The other filly turned her head to look at her roommates and Rosa noticed her wings were trembling against her barrel.

"It- iiit's- it's Maribelle!" Amethyst managed to choke out.

Rosa's heart nearly stopped. Not sweet, beautiful Maribelle! She didn't think she could stand hearing that something had happened to her. "W-What?! Tell me!"

With a small sigh, Amethyst curled up on the floor, but Valentina had the presence of mind to answer. "S-S-She... Maribelle- s-she got her- her cutie mark!"

Rosa's gasp was echoed by Felicity, who had slowly come out of the bathroom to stand beside her. She unconsciously stepped closer until their flanks touched and Rosa was grateful for her comforting presence.

"God, no!"

It was with great relief that Rosa noticed Martha come into the room and close the door behind her. Her eyes scanned the group of gathered fillies. "Where iz Iskra?" she asked in her thick accent. Rosa shook her head because she don't know, but luckily Valentina did.

"S-She left early to practice her German with Mrs. Ingeburg."

The woman relaxed a little. "Okay, zat is good. Come, help me get her on the bed," she ordered and pointed to Amethyst. Rosa easily lifted her on her back with Felicity's help and took her to the nearest bunk bed. There was no way they could get her up the ladder, though, so they simply deposited her on the bottom mattress.

After a moment Rosa climbed up with her and put a leg around the poor, stricken pony.

"Now girls," Martha said in a calm, authoritative voice, "you probably heard zat Maribelle has gotten her cutie mark, correct?"

There was a chorus of squeaks and nods, all affirmative. Maybe it was easier for Rosa and Felicity because they'd only just heard about it and the shock hadn't yet had time to work through their minds. It was going to be alright, now that Martha was there. The instructor would know what to do.

"There is nothing to be afraid of, do you understand?"

Rosa wanted to believe it.

The official story was that ponies who got their cutie marks while in the School were taken for special training and placed according to their newly-revealed talent.

They were very rare.

It was a little strange, because the older ponies - the ones who had come from Equestria, all had their cutie marks. They didn't want to talk about that either, but Rosa had heard here and there that most ponies used to get a cutie mark when they were around ten years old.

Here on Earth, almost no pony ever got their cutie mark, and if they did, it was way later. Maribelle was seventeen, the oldest in Rosa's group by nearly a year.

Rosa begin to worry that she might also get a cutie mark. The unofficial story, whispered around the dorms, said that ponies who manifested their talent like that were put in a lab and studied for a while, before they were simply killed. It was ridiculous, of course. It was just like the other spooky stories some of the colts across the hall liked to tell each other at night! If cutie marks were so dangerous, why did the humans allow old Equestrian ponies to walk around freely with them in plain view?

True, they were servants, but no one was studying them in a lab and most certainly they hadn't been killed! Then again - Rosa had never, ever heard about any colt of filly who got their cutie mark coming back, ever! It was as if they completely vanished.

"W-What was her- um, Maribelle's cu-cutie mark?"

Martha sighed and reached out with her hand to pat Rosa. "I do not know zat, but I'm sure she will be fine."

The young mare took comfort from her Instructor's words, even while the butterflies were swarming in her stomach. The reality sunk in and her ears dropped. She'd never see Maribelle again. She wouldn't even get a chance to say goodbye! As her tears began to flow, Rosa clung to the feeling of Martha's hand in her mane and her soothing, cooing voice. It was just like with her mother, except it was worse, because she had known Maribelle. She had seen her, talked with her just the previous day as they were preparing for bed.

It wasn't fair! Why did she of all ponies have to get a cutie mark?! As Rosa broke down, so did her friends around her. After Maribelle, Rosa was the oldest and so they would look to her for guidance. It was a burden Rosa absolutely don't want!

"Zere, zere," Martha said soothingly and sat on the bed beside her charges. "I'll speak with ze teachers and excuse you from your classes today, yes?"

Rosa knew it was hopeless, but she had to try anyway. "C-Can we see Maribelle? J-Just to say goodbye? Please, Instructor Martha? Please!"

The woman sighed and pulled Rosa's head against her side with her hand. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but you know zis is impossible. Ze rules..."

At least, Rosa managed to think before giving in to grief, Felicity wouldn't be late for her class.

Chapter 2: Clandestine Invitation

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It was nearly noon and Rosa had left the unbearable solitude of her room. The others had gone their separate ways, some to study in the Library and the others to look for their friends and tell them the news. All except for poor Amethyst, who had kept crying until Martha took her to see the Councilor. Rosa hoped she would be alright.

She had been wandering the halls for a while and eventually found herself in the mess hall. It was nearly lunchtime, so some of the ponies were already arriving in groups of three or four. Most gave her sympathetic looks, but so far none had approached her. Once, one of the cooks had come over to offer her a cup of tea. Rosa had said her thanks, but hadn't yet touched it. It was getting cold on the table next to her. She was lying on top of the thin cushion with her legs folded under her. Hooves on the furniture were frowned upon, but Rosa suspected the humans were turning a blind eye just that once, and it was not difficult to guess the reason. Every now and then she spotted groups of ponies looking at her with wide, fearful eyes as the news spread.

Maribelle had gotten her cutie mark.

Rosa was jarred from her thoughts as an older earth pony stallion came by, pushing a broom with his mouth and dragging a small cart with supplies. He paused right next to her and looked at the young mare for a while. She didn't really want to talk to him, so Rosa just keep her eyes on the floor and her ears down, hoping the pony would get the hint and leave.

No such luck. He opened his muzzle and sighed. "You know, before... this-" he gestured with a shaking hoof around the mess hall, "it was a wonderful thing when a filly got her cutie mark!"

He sounded bitter and Rosa's ears perked up. She didn't get to hear about the before times too often and she treasured each chance, despite the gravity of the moment.

"Yes?"

"It didn't use to be a curse," the old pony grumbled. Rosa sneaked a glance at his cutie mark - it looked like some sprouting plant, which jogged her memory. "Mr. B-Bean Stalk?"

The pony gave a nod. "'ats right. I'm sorry you're stuck in this place. I wish the Princesses would do something about it." His head lowered and he heaved another sigh. "It must be true what they say - they're all dead."

Rosa only knew the barest scraps about the old pony leaders - the 'all-horn' princesses. She glanced around, but so far no human had taken notice yet. It wasn't exactly forbidden for the old ponies to speak with the trainees, but it wasn't encouraged either. Most of the time, a human would casually stroll over and gently remind all participants of what they should be doing. The servant-ponies were corralled and led away each night, then brought back in the morning to help keep the school. Rosa didn't know where they went and so far no one had told her.

It was a rare opportunity, so she searched her memory for something to say. She was hoping she could get Mr. Bean Stalk to reveal something more. "Um, Princess Celestia and Princess, um- Moon?"

"Luna", the grumpy old pony corrected. "See? You don't even know their names!" He sounded disappointed.

"Luna," Rosa repeated to herself, committing it to memory.

"Well, if they were still alive, they wouldn't allow this! It's a perversion, is what this is!"

Surely he was mistaken! The humans were nice to the ponies, they wouldn't be doing something bad to them, would they? Rosa was about to ask, but spotted a security guard ambling their way. Luckily, Bean Sprout saw him too and fell silent. He pierced Rosa with a gaze and said loudly enough for the guard to hear across the room: "I'm sorry about your friend. Guess I'll see you around!"

Before she could reply, the stallion had pushed on, broom once again in his mouth.

Despite the old pony leaving her alone, the young man in the dark blue uniform came closer. "That pony bothering you?" he asked.

"N-No! He was just saying he's sorry about m-my friend."

"Oh, that's right. The one who got the cutie mark."

The guard was barely old enough to have a job, it looked like. Rosa lowered her ears and tried for some sympathy. "P-Please, mister. Is there any chance I could-"

Even before she had said it, his face fell and the human sighed. "Sorry, miss. The rules..." He took a seat next to her and returned his watchful gaze to the other ponies in the mess hall.

"I just miss her so! Maribelle was my friend and now she's gone..." Rosa didn't have to fake her eyes filling with tears, nor the slight sniff as she tried not to cry again.

The guard put his hand comfortingly on her withers. "Sorry, miss. Nothing I can do."

It was useless to keep trying. All she'd achieve would be to get him angry.

"Here," he said and reached into a pocket to produce a big, shiny, green apple. "Snagged it at breakfast, if you want it."

A growl from her stomach reminded Rosa that she hadn't eaten since that morning. It felt like a lifetime ago. She carefully sniffed the apple and the young man bumped it against her nose. She took a small nibble, crunching into the sweet, fruity flesh.

"There's a good girl!" the guard said kindly and switched the fruit to his other hand, so he could pat her head. These moments of kindness, even from the guards, were what made Rosa believe the humans were nice. Her hunger was awoken and she took a larger bite and started to slowly chew it.

"There, isn't that better? I'm sure your friend will be fine."

"Yes," Rosa managed around a mouthful, "but I'll never get to see Maribelle again!" She sniffed again at the thought, but the hand found her ear and teased it up, so it could scratch behind it. It really did help a lot and she leaned into the touch.

"Who knows, maybe they'll change the rules someday?"

"D-Do you know where she went?"

The man shrugged. "It's a secret, even from us, sweetheart." He looked down at the young mare for a moment, then gave her a small smile. "What's your name?"

"Rosa," she replied, making sure to pronounce it clearly.

"Lovely name," the guard complimented. "Tell you what - you get yourself a proper lunch and I'll see if I can sneak you some jelly beans from the snack machine before I finish my shift, okay?"

That was a rare and very prized treat. The small, colorful pieces of candy were treasured in the dormitories whenever they could be obtained. Rosa's mouth watered a little as she remembered the rich, sugary flavor. "T-Thank you..."

"You be good now, okay?" he said and wiped his palm on his pants. While he was talking, Rosa had finished the apple and gotten a bit of saliva on his hand. His words had a very precise meaning, which only slightly spoiled the comfort this human had given her: 'Don't talk with the old ponies.'

Her ears lowered once again, almost without her awareness, as the guard walked away. Yeah, it wasn't exactly a rule, but it was heavily implied that they shouldn't speak with the old servant ponies. At the very least, they shouldn't believe anything they said about Equestria. All the youth really needed to know was that the place had been the ponies' home until recently, but now it was uninhabitable. The people of Earth had been kind enough to accept the refugees to their home, but there were some conditions. Like the mother and foal thing, or the cutie mark thing. Rosa was not sure how she know, but something told her that those were - at least partially - responsible for Equestria's destruction.

Maybe the reason the humans forbade her seeing her mother and took away ponies with new cutie marks was to prevent such a thing happening on Earth, too? Rosa wished they would explain in more detail, but she'd seen ponies punished for no more than simply asking the questions. These days, she tried not to think about it and focused simply on her studies.

The apple and cold tea had been enough. Rosa could have gotten something else to eat, and the kitchen was serving what smelled like broccoli soup that day, but she really didn't want to deal with other ponies, or humans for that matter. She was thankful to Martha for getting her out of her classes for the day. She needed some time to think. To digest. To get over her loss. It was very important she got over it before the night, because the next morning would be a very important one.

The next day, she would have a very special class, one Rosa had been looking forward to ever since Instructor Martha had told her about it.

The Children would be visiting.

It would be the first visit since Rosa had been moved to Martha's Assistant Pony class and it would be an important experience for her. A nearby school for special needs children had an arrangement with the Pony School to bring over one of their classrooms every few months, so the humans could interact with ponies and vice versa. Even thinking about it was enough to make Rosa's heart beat faster. She would brighten those poor children's day, she just knew it!

She would be extra soft, extra cuddly, extra smiling - just extra extra. Anything to make them forget their broken bodies or minds for a short while, the poor things. Some of the older ponies had told Rosa that the disabled children weren't always nice. Especially the ones with Asperger's or such - they pulled, or hit, or threw tantrums over the slightest things. That made her a bit nervous, but she was still sure she could handle them. Rosa was an earth pony and she was strong. If it came to that, she could easily restrain a child from hurting themselves or someone else.

Martha had shown her and Amethyst some appropriate holds, but cautioned them both not to use those unless it was really necessary. It would lower their grade if the ponies couldn't deal with the children without resorting to physical force.

Rosa wanted a good grade in that class.

A day with the children would be nice, but she wanted a special, needful human of her very own to mind, and get to know, and care for. Someone who depended on her. Rosa wanted to give back for all the nice things the School had given her, such as the comfortable, warm beds, good friends, delicious food, even the colorful cartoons the ponies got to watch every Saturday morning with all their classmates.

The thought of that next special day distracted her from Maribelle. In fact, Rosa was so preoccupied that she bumped into another pony in the hallway.

"Oh! Sorry!" she squeaked, but then fell silent when she saw who it was.

The pegasus colt from the other end of the hallway. Rosa quickly put a name to the face. Paolo.

"Oh. It's you."

"Heeey," the colt drawled a little, thinking it made him sound cool or something, "how've you been? I heard about Maribelle - such a shame."

There went Rosa's happy thoughts.

The colt was at least clever enough to spot her soured mood. "Sorry," he said and lowered his ears a little.

"Yeah..."

He stepped closer and sat on his haunches, so he could spread his forelegs in invitation.

Rosa walked into his hug, but at least she was not going to cry again.

Paolo wasn't a bad sort. Like all the colts at the School, he liked to joke a lot, but he was really nice otherwise. Rosa had spent a bit of time talking to him here and there between classes. Enough to know his name, but not enough for much else. For that matter, she hardly knew any of the other ponies in his room!

The way he nuzzled her was nice, though. If the humans picked her to have foals, Rosa wouldn't mind if it were with someone like Paolo.

"Thanks. I miss her."

"Yeah, Maribelle was cool," the colt confirmed as he pulled back. He looked the young mare up and down and his smile returned. "Wanna join me for lunch?" he asked. "I've got free time until two. When's your next class?"

Rosa shook her head. "No classes today," she explained. "And I just came from the mess hall."

Paolo barely skipped a beat. "Oh. Some other time then?"

The 'no' was already on her lips, but Rosa thought better of it and nodded. "Y-Yeah, maybe."

He was giving her an appraising look, as if trying to decide about something. Rosa was about to ask, but he spoke up first. "Maybe tonight? After dark?"

That was very much against the rules and Rosa's ears went flat with trepidation. "I d-don't think we should- why after dark?!"

His grin was a bit crooked, but his eyes were full of delight. "Promise you won't tell anyone?"

It was a secret! Rosa quickly glanced up and down the hall, but there were neither ponies nor humans nearby. All the doors were closed and if they whispered nobody would hear. Secrets were exciting! "I p-promise!"

The colt also checked that no one was listening in, then he brought his muzzle closer to Rosa's ear. "Martin - you know Martin, right?"

She nodded quickly, impatient to hear the big secret. "Yes. Earth pony, Indigo coat, right? Green eyes?"

Martin was very memorable. Rosa never told anyone, but he was a bit of a bully. He liked to push other ponies around when the humans weren't looking. Luckily, he mostly took it out on his classmates and the colts in his room, but Rosa had always felt a little uneasy around him.

"Yeah. He scrounged a bottle of beer from a guard. We're gonna drink it!"

Her hoof flew to her mouth as Rosa stifled a gasp. She had heard about alcohol, but she had never tasted it. The most the young mare had gotten out of Martha was that it was very bad and made people do stupid things and act funny. Mrs. Sandie, who taught her Psych class, had promised she would have a couple of lectures on how to deal with drunk humans. As helper ponies, they were expected to know such skills.

It had felt strange at the time that Rosa wasn't allowed to try it and see what it was like. Surely it'd be easier to deal with a drunk person if she knew how they felt? Maybe - just this once - a little illicit experimentation wouldn't be that wrong? After all, some rules were interpreted more loosely than others.

For example, the students were expected to turn their lights off after ten at night, but sometimes one of the dorm fillies had to stay up and study for an important test and no one ever got punished for that. Surely, if Rosa had a small taste, just to see what it was like, she wouldn't get in trouble? Besides, no one would even know. The young mares in her room surely wouldn't tell on her!

Her heart was beating like crazy and Rosa found a nervous smile on her muzzle. Paolo could see it too and he winked. "So I guess you're coming?"

"M-Maybe..."

He gave a slight chuckle and stood up. As he passed her, the colt stepped closer and brushed almost his entire length against her side. He even smacked her lightly on the nose with his tail.

"Hey!"

Before Rosa could slap him for his insolence, Paolo was already running away, giggling.

It just went to confirm her theory. No colt could stay serious for more than about ten seconds. No wonder the humans picked mares exclusively for the assistant jobs. If the colts tended to get dirtier, harder jobs - well, it was entirely their fault, wasn't it? Despite his nonsense, Rosa realized that Paolo had given her something exciting to look forward to. Maybe she even felt a bit less sad about Maribelle. The young stallion's enthusiasm and naughty glee were infectious and Rosa decided that she was optimistic about the future. Her friend was okay. Her cutie mark wasn't something dangerous - she was just elsewhere, doing another, specialized job.

The humans would find a good place for her new talent, Rosa was sure of it! Maybe, once they got to know Maribelle and saw that she was an absolute sweetheart and the kindest pony they knew, they would let her get in touch again. Yeah! Rosa decided she wouldn't give up on Maribelle. No pony had ever seen anyone who had gotten their cutie mark on Earth, but maybe she would be able to speak with her on a telephone, or send her a letter.

It was still strange how only the young ponies with cutie marks were taken, but the old ones were allowed to go mostly free. Well, they were led away at night and there was always a human nearby, but Bean Stalk hadn't looked beaten or tortured.

Anyway, Rosa pushed all those thoughts away as she arrived at her dorm room. She had to catch up on the day's classes and then get ready for the next day and her meeting with the young humans! Good thing she hadn't promised Paolo she would definitely come. Maybe sneaking around before such an important occasion wasn't the best idea.

She would have to think about it, first.

Chapter 3: Beer and Excitement

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Rosa lay in her bed, perfectly still and pretending to be asleep. It wasn't difficult, especially since the other girls in her room were breathing deeply and one of them, probably Felicity, was snoring softly. The night guard poked her head in for a few seconds, then decided everything was in order. It was Alice this time, which meant she would check all the dorms at the start of her shift, then spend her night sitting in the office and watching soap operas. Maybe that was why Paolo and his roommates had picked that day to have their little party. Rosa didn't know how they had found out when Alice was going to be on guard, but it wouldn't be the first time those colts surprised her with their ingenuity.

The most impressive trick had been that time they somehow managed to smuggle in a pizza. It took Rosa days to wheedle out how they had done it from Paolo. Yes, it had been a stupid idea, but it had worked. One of the colts - they never admitted who - stole the keys for the balcony from the night guard and Paolo flew down to a payphone and ordered it. Once the poor delivery human came, they talked him into giving the pizza to a pony. Paolo said later that part had been easy. If the boy came back without the money, he would have to pay for the delivery from his own salary.

Foolish, but ingenious. Rosa still remembered the smell which had lingered in their room the next morning. It had been mouth-watering. They offered pizza sometimes in the mess hall, but there was something different about an illicit pizza. It smelled way more delicious than the one on the menu.

Well, it was beer this time. Rosa wondered what the colts would think of next, and also how red their rumps would be once they were found out. They would undoubtedly be discovered, sooner or later. One of their pranks would prove to be too ambitious and the Instructors would hear of it.

She hoped the colts wouldn't be in too much trouble. They weren't bad ponies, just too mischievous by half. Not that she was any better, though. Yes, Rosa had decided to go and have a taste of that beer. A small sip wouldn't hurt and she really wanted to sample it. Some of the older ponies talked about apple cider back in Equestria and Rosa wished she could have tried that, too.

Maybe someday, although it was incredibly unlikely.

She lifted her head up and listened to Alice's footsteps out in the hall. By the sound of it, she was done with the girls' dorms on this floor and was heading over to the other side, where the colts were housed. Ten more minutes to check on them, Rosa reckoned, then about another hour for the top two floors.

Luckily, there was no chance of her falling asleep. Her heart was hammering wildly and the young mare could hardly stay still. She hadn't even told her roommates where she was going! There was still a chance to change her mind. All she had to do was simply fall asleep and wake up in the morning. Whatever trouble the colts' room might get into, at least she wouldn't be a part of it.

Yet, Rosa had pretty much decided she would go and check it out. A brief visit, a sip of beer and a bit of chatting with the colts. She hadn't spent much time with them since she had started her Assistant Pony training. Other than Martin, Rosa kinda liked the guys.

She heaved a sigh and settled down for the wait. Out in the hallway, a door closed gently and the guard began to walk up the stairs. Then there was the muffled sound of traffic from the street under the dorm window. Felicity snorted, mumbled something in her sleep, then turned over. After a moment her quiet snoring was back. Rosa couldn't help smiling to herself. The five of them had spent most of the evening cuddling on Amethyst's bed and talking in whispers about Maribelle.

Each of them had told a story and they all giggled at the good memories. The consensus was that Maribelle would be alright - maybe she'd even find a way to write to them from wherever the humans were keeping her now. It was probably just a formality, one that took a while as they checked what her cutie mark was and that it wasn't dangerous.

Maybe the reason no one ever heard back from a pony getting their cutie mark was that whatever checks the humans did took a long while and their friends had left the School before it was all done. Rosa chose to believe that friends got back in touch through the Instructors, at least eventually. She just had to think of it as Maribelle going to a different school, where she would develop her talent and learn a different profession. Of course she would be busy and by the time she could write, her friends would all probably be employed elsewhere.

Rosa made a mental note to ask Martha to send her Maribelle's letters when they arrived.

The chat had done wonders to put all of the girls at their ease and they were in a good mood when they went to sleep.

Lifting her head a little, Rosa strained her ears to try and hear Alice walking around upstairs. She thought she heard footsteps, but it was hard to be sure. The School dormitories were in a big, old building with very thick walls and it was hard to hear things even from the room next to theirs, let alone the upper floor. Rosa considered turning a light back on and reading for a bit, but she didn't want the others to wake up. None of her roommates had been invited by the colts and she didn't want to get them in trouble too. If the party should go awry, then her friends didn't deserve to be punished.

After a minute of intense listening, Rosa flopped back down to her pillow and heaved a sigh.

"You can't sleep either?" a voice whispered.

"Iskra?" Rosa asked tentatively. Her heart was trying to burst from her chest. She had thought she was the only one awake!

"Yes," the pegasus filly confirmed. "I can't stop thinking about Maribelle."

"Y-Yeah... same," Rosa lied.

"You think she's okay?"

Rosa tried to make her voice as convincing as possible. "Sure. She's probably just busy, you know? Moving to a new school, new classes. She probably has so much to catch up on!"

It was dark, but she could swear Iskra was smiling. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I just wish we heard from her, you know?"

"I'm going to ask Martha to send us her letters, or call us if- when she hears from Maribelle."

The pegasus was smart and quickly reached the same conclusion as Rosa. "Oh! You think the others tried to get in touch but their friends weren't in the School anymore?!"

Having it repeated made them both believe it all the more.

"Yes!" Rosa said and nodded happily.

There was a quiet groan from the other bed. "Ugh, mind keeping it down you two? Some of us have classes in the morning!"

Despite the words, the speaker didn't sound annoyed.

"Sorry, Amethyst!"

Iskra echoed the sentiment: "Yeah, sorry Amethyst!"

Rosa needed the girls to be asleep, so she fell silent and sternly resisted the urge to talk about Maribelle some more. Not for the first time she wished they had one of those digital clocks in the room, so she could see how much time had passed. At the very least, Rosa thought, the hands on the wall clock should glow in the dark!

Settling back down, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. If she drifted off, then that was what would happen, she decided.

Rosa hesitated as she stood in front of the colts' room. She could definitely hear conversation inside, but the words were muffled by the thick door. Eventually she reached up and knocked on the old wood. The chatter inside the dorm stopped instantly. A few seconds later came the sound of hooves on hardwood and she took a step back. She was very nervous. After all, she would be alone with these colts, at least one of whom used to bully her.

The door opened before she could change her mind and scurry away, and a white colt with startlingly blue eyes peered out into the hallways suspiciously. It took Rosa a moment to remember the name.

"O-Oh. Jon. Um-" she stuttered.

Luckily, Paolo, the closest thing she had to a friend among those ponies, heard her voice and piped up: "It's cool, I invited her."

Jon pushed the door open and stepped aside to let her enter. Rosa did so, if a little hesitantly, giving him a nervous little smile.

The room was much like hers, except a lot messier. There was a pillow in the corner, saddlebags against the wall and two distinct games of cards on the floor, both apparently in progress. The table was piled high with books and there were papers strewn about in apparently random places. It was dark, because the light was off, but the window was facing the street and letting in some faint illumination from the streetlamps. It wasn't much, but Rosa could see quite clearly by it. She saw that the young stallions had pushed two of the beds together so they'd have someplace soft to sit in a circle. Rosa could clearly tell where one of the beds used to be, because the floor was covered with dust. Her nose wrinkled before she could control it. They could have at least swept the hardwood!

She could see a glint of white in the middle of the bed, between pony bodies, but it was quickly hidden from view as Martin blocked her sight. "What is she doing here?" the oldest stallion asked angrily.

Paolo slid from the bed and came to stand protectively beside her. It helped make her a bit less nervous. Behind her, Jon stuck his head out in the hallway to look around, then closed the door. "She's alone," he announced at last, then sat on his haunches and pushed hair out of his eyes. For some reason, his mane had always reminded Rosa of a wet, used mop.

Some of the colts relaxed a little, but not Martin.

"See?" Paolo said with only a tiniest bit of relief in his voice. "I told you she can be trusted!" The colt nudged Rosa's hind leg with his hoof and she managed a weak smile.

"Y-Yes, of c-course! I won't give you away, I promise!"

Their leader scrunched up his nose in thought, then shrugged. "If you do, we'll beat you up. Even if you are a girl! Understand?" He sounded so calm and sure of himself that Rosa gulped in fear, but no one was paying her any attention anymore.

Jon hurried past her to take his spot in the circle again and the colts all bent their heads down. She was really curious what they had, but Paolo placed himself in her line of sight. His grin could only be called 'smarmy'. Come to think of it, this was the first time Rosa had ever been able to use the word. She whispered it to herself in wonder.

"So..." he began, but didn't know immediately what to say.

"So."

"How's PT working out for you?"

Rosa remembered the special day she would have tomorrow and began to smile. "I love it! I'm happy I can help, you know? Martha says it's a real gift!"

For a moment she thought the pegasus wasn't even paying attention, despite the way he was staring at her, but then he replied: "That's cool! What gift?"

Rosa knew she was blushing, but she said it anyway. "She says I have k-kind eyes..."

That made one of the other colts bark a laugh and Paolo glared at the lot, before turning his smile back on Rosa. "She's right, you know?" he whispered, making her blush deepen.

She didn't know what to say from there, since she never had much experience with colts, aside from a few chance meetings in the halls. As to what happened between mares and stallions, all Rosa had to go on were those few embarrassing classes with Mr. Greiner in Biology. That had been entirely the wrong thing to think about, and now Rosa was blushing even more and could hardly meet Paolo's eyes!

"Here, would you like some beer?" he offered. It was, after all, the main reason he had invited you.

Again Martin piped up: "Hey! That bottle's mine!"

Paolo flattened his ears and turned around to face his friends. "I'll pay you back for it, okay?"

The other colt considered this. "Headphones. You can have it if you get me headphones."

Rosa had absolutely no idea where Paolo might find headphones, nor why Martin would want them, but the pegasus colt agreed quickly: "Yeah, okay. Deal." Then he flashed her an embarrassed grin. "Wait here!"

It wasn't as if she was planning on going anywhere, at least not yet, but now Rosa sat down on the floor and watched the colts. They were all staring at the bed in front of them. Surely they weren't-

The thought made her blush even more. Iskra had once told her that colts liked to compare how long their... tools were.

Surely not?!

Despite herself, Rosa craned her head to get a better look and then her breath caught in her throat. "Is that a TV?!"

The bit of white plastic she'd seen earlier turned out to be a thin device with a screen. Rosa couldn't see what was on it, but the image was certainly moving.

"iPad," Paolo explained and placed a green bottle on the floor before her.

"How did you guys get an iPad?!"

Other than the strictly-controlled school computers, human gadgets were absolutely forbidden. No pony was allowed to have something like that in their room! Martin gave her an appraising stare and it didn't look like she'd get an answer, but one of the other colts blurted it out, almost proudly.

"We stole it!"

Rosa put her hooves on her muzzle in shock.

Martin heaved a sigh. "Idiot!" he muttered.

"It wasn't like that," Paolo went to explain hurriedly. "Some human kid threw it in the bin and a janitor pony gave it to Martin. It's not a big deal! Besides, the speaker is busted. No sound."

Well, at least that explained why Martin wanted headphones.

"Where are you going to get headphones?!"

"Don't worry about it. I'll figure something out," the colt said, his smile creeping back as he pushed the bottle closer to her.

"For that matter, where did you get a charger for it?"

This time it's Martin who answered her directly: "Traded for it with a guard."

Another insidious question loomed up in her thoughts. "D-Do you have Internet?!"

"No Wi-Fi in the school," Paolo answered. "We tried."

That was a shame. Rosa would have loved to browse the Internet without the filters. The school computers couldn't answer most of her questions about the human world and ponies on Earth. Questions she didn't quite dare ask her teachers.

At long last she focused her attention on the bottle. It really was beer. Rosa almost hadn't believed it when Paolo had told her in the hallway.

He glanced at it uncertainly. "Um, hold on. I'll open it." The colt tried to put his teeth around the cap, but the bottle slid across the floor until he gripped it with his hooves. Grunting, he jerked his head to twist the cap off, but only managed to pull the bottle away from his forelegs. He ended up whimpering in pain. "Ow! Ow ow ow! My feef!" he whined, unwilling to close his muzzle.

It was a tiny bit funny, even while Rosa winced in sympathy. On the bed, Martin heaved another sigh. "Give it here," he ordered in an exasperated tone.

Paolo passed the bottle up wordlessly, then the older colt hugged it to his belly with his hind legs and snagged the cap with a forehoof. Rosa tried to see exactly how he would do it, but all it took was a quick jerk and the silvery bit of metal flew off to smack Jon on the muzzle. Then Martin lifted the bottle up and took a swig.

"Hey! We had a deal!" Paolo complained, but the older colt just took a few swallows before pulling the bottle away and holding it out. It was nearly half empty.

As Paolo carefully took it with his forelegs, his friend burped hugely. The other colts laughed at the vulgar display, even as Rosa shook her head in disdain. Colts would be colts.

"Sorry about that," the pegasus murmured and pushed the prized beer closer to you. "You go first."

Now that it was time, Rosa was curious. The smell of beer was already wafting in the room and she found it... intriguing. She didn't need to be asked twice. Gripping the bottle by its neck in her wrist, as she had seen Martin do, Rosa lifted it up to her muzzle and tipped it. The glass almost slipped, but she steadied it with her other hoof. The fizzy drink hit her tongue and Rosa hurriedly lowered the beer again.

It was bitter. She kinda liked it!

Paolo was studying her face intently, but when he saw her expression he started to smile. He nudged the bottle back up with his hoof. "Try some more!" he urged.

Rosa obeyed and took another sip. There was a certain something beside the bitter taste, an aroma she couldn't quite place. Maybe that was the alcohol? It also tasted a lot like grain and Rosa found that part very pleasant.

"I like it!" she admitted. A second later she realized she was being rude and held the bottle out to Paolo.

He took it and lifted it up. "Yeah, it's not bad," he agreed once he had swallowed a mouthful. Rosa guessed he had drunk beer before. "Here, you can finish it if you'd like!" the colt offered generously.

Again, he didn't have to beg. She plucked the bottle from him and took another swig. This time she knew what to expect, but she still swirled it around her mouth to appreciate it fully. She wondered how she would know if she was drunk, but then Rosa got worried. Maybe doing this was a bad idea. Until now, she had always been the model student and a good pony. Today, right before her big class with the children, she was in the colts' room, getting drunk.

Paolo saw her expression and smiled at the poor mare. "Don't worry, you won't get drunk from half a bottle! You probably won't even feel it much!"

The certainty in his voice calmed her down. "Oh. Thanks."

There was a bit left in the bottle and she lifted it back up to her lips. This time she had to raise it almost vertically to get everything out. Rosa did her best to savour the bitter liquid as it splashed on her tongue. She even licked her lips a little to catch every stray droplet. As she was putting the bottle down, her elbows pressed lightly against her barrel and she felt her stomach swell. Before she could react, the mare let out an embarrassingly loud burp.

It made all the colts giggle like crazy even as she blushed.

"Good one!" Paolo whispered proudly.

Rosa shook her head at his childishness, but couldn't help feeling just a tiny bit proud of herself. She felt like she was a part of the group now. As if she had passed some kind of a trial.

The bottle finished, Paolo got up to his hooves and Rosa guessed was time to leave. After all, he had invited her for a beer and that was now gone. She stoop up, too.

"Come on! There's plenty of room!" The pegasus was trying to get her up on the bed with the others!

Maybe it was sheer shock, but Rosa didn't say no. Instead, she let herself be pulled up on the covers. That have her a better perspective to see the screen.

"Come on guys, make some room," Paolo demanded even as he nudged Jon aside. The other colt reluctantly moved a little, which left almost enough space for the two newcomers. Paolo took his seat and patted the bed beside him.

Blushing some more, Rosa squeezed in between Paolo and Jon. It was a curious feeling. She had hugged Iskra many times before, even cuddled with her during cold nights. She had come to enjoy the warmth of her feathers around them both. For that matter, a few times Rosa had even napped squeezed between two of her friends.

It was different when it was colts. Paolo's feathers seemed stiffer and sharper than Iskra's. Come to think of it, Jon's fur felt different from a mare's too! Despite the little wonder of technology in front of her and the undoubtedly interesting movie it was playing, all Rosa was aware of were the two boys pressing against her sides. They were quite warm and she couldn't help feeling their tiny movements as they breathed. She wondered if they were also aware of her body in the same way.

"Ugh, hold on," Paolo grunted and freed his wing from Rosa's side. She hadn't even realized she had been pressing against him that hard.

"Sorry!"

"It's fine," the colt assured her. He stretched the feathery appendage out and then wrapped it around her back. It was... not unpleasant, even while Rosa was hyper-aware of each feather as it brushed against her shoulders, and of the incredibly warm patch of his fur where Paolo's wing used to be.

The colt shuffled again and she wondered if his other wing was also trapped between Martin and himself. He wasn't hugging the other pony, though - just her. Maybe she should have complained?

Before Rosa could open her muzzle, Martin spoke up: "Smooth."

She didn't understand what he'd meant by it, but it made Paolo blush a little and his wing pulled her closer.

It was not bad.

Rosa tried to focus on the small screen before her thoughts could stray and embarrass her even further.

It was a movie about people fighting. That was about as much as Rosa could gather after about thirty minutes. Not terribly interesting, especially since she couldn't hear any dialogue, but the colts were enjoying themselves immensely.

"Oh! Oh!" one of them right opposite Rosa exclaimed, bouncing up a little and flapping his wings excitedly, "I like this part. He's gonna kick him right in the balls!"

The other ponies rolled their eyes. "Yeah, thanks Adonai," Martin commented dryly. "We know."

Next to Rosa's ear, Paolo whispered: "We've seen it before. There's only two movies on that thing and the other one is some romantic drama."

Rosa couldn't hold back a small gasp. "Ooooh! I'd like to see that, please!" she trilled.

"Well, you ain't," the colt leader told her firmly. Paolo opened his muzzle to argue, but Rosa beat him to it, giving Martin her best, most disarming smile.

"Do you think me and the girls could borrow the iPad for a night so we can watch it?"

The colt peered at her with deep distrust. "You stupid girls will just break it. Or worse - a guard will catch you and take it away! Then we'll all be in trouble!"

"We won't! I promise!"

He seems doubtful, so she tried to think up something more enticing. "I can get more movies on it!" she lied.

Martin didn't quite believe her, but the prospect was tempting. The other colts murmured excitedly.

"How?" the lead colt demanded.

"I... know a guard. We've been talking in the mess hall. I'm sure he'd put some movies on it if I asked nicely..." Rosa made her tone confident, oozing certainty from every syllable.

Martin bought it. "Hmm. Maybe," he grudgingly agreed. "I'll think about it."

She almost clapped her hooves together in excitement. A romantic movie - the girls would love that. Not to mention, she herself would love that!

"What kind of movies are you going to get?" Adonai asked, quite excited for something new, even if it was a long shot. "Can we get something with airplanes and-" He froze up and his ears moved around. His muzzle scrunched up in worry. "Guard!" he hissed.

Rosa was astonished at how coordinated these colts were in a crisis. Paolo and Jon jumped to either side of the bed and quickly slid it back to its place, even with ponies still on it, while Martin scooped up the iPad and shoved it in the closet. Rosa looked around for the beer bottle, but Adonai had beaten her to it and already hid it under a pillow.

Her heart was hammering out of fear and shock. If the guard caught her in the colts' room she would be in deep trouble. She could even be expelled! A small whimper escaped the young mare and she looked for a place to hide.

Luckily Paolo noticed her plight. "Come on," he whispered urgently, then jumped back up on the bed beside him. Rosa was sure it wasn't his bed, but no one seemed to mind. The others were already pulling the covers over themselves and Adonai drew the curtains together, plunging the room into darkness. She heard his hoofsteps and then the squeaking of a mattress as the pegasus climbed into another bed.

"Come on, come on!" Paolo urged, pulling the covers while Rosa stood on them. His hoof found her flank and nudged quite hard to wake her up. It probably wouldn't work, but Rosa had nothing else to try! She shuffled off the blanket and Paolo guided her down against himself.

"Try to look small!" he ordered and pulled the cover over her head. Almost without realizing it, Rosa grasped the colt around his waist, buried her muzzle in his back and tried to tuck her legs as close to her body as she could manage. Maybe, with luck, Alice wouldn't notice that the bulge in Paolo's bed was slightly too large. Hopefully she wouldn't hear Rosa's thundering heartbeat, either! She felt certain it should have been rattling the windows!

She clung to the warm body as the steps came up to the door. There was no knock, but the hinges squeaked a tiny bit when the guard looked in. Rosa didn't see anything in the dark under the cover, but she could imagine light spilling around Alice from the lamps in the hallway. 'Please don't turn on the light!' she begged silently.

There was a shuffle from the bed nearest the door. "Mrs. Alice?" Martin asked, voice bleary and slurred with sleep.

Rosa was quite impressed with the acting, despite the danger.

Paolo shifted a little in her grasp and she squeezed him harder to keep him still. The one thing she didn't want the colt to do was draw attention to himself.

"It's okay, go back to sleep. I'm just checking up on you," the guard murmured softly.

"Oh," Martin replied, but was apparently interrupted by a huge yawn. "-thanks, Mrs. Alice."

Rosa nearly applauded his acting.

The woman didn't reply, but Rosa heard the door shut softly and then footsteps going away.

One of the colts giggled nervously, but Martin shushed him up. "Quiet! Quiet until we count to a thousand!"

Rosa tried to do it herself, too, but kept losing track of the numbers. The danger seemed to be over, but her heart was still speeding along. Paolo shuffled again and this time she relaxed her grip and allowed him to turn to his belly.

After a moment he lifted the blanket a little. "I think you can come out now," he told her.

Just to be on the safe side, Rosa stayed under the cover with her hooves firmly around the colt's rump for a while longer. Her muzzle was pressing right into his flank, right where his cutie mark would have been, she thought. That reminded her of Maribelle and she sighed deeply.

After the first time, the colt didn't ask her to come up. Rosa kept listening for Alice, but heard nothing further. She guessed she must have gone back to her post and the young mare finally managed to relax a little.

"One thousand," Martin intoned with some relief in his voice. "Okay everyone, the coast is clear."

There were more squeaks from the springs as the ponies stood up and shrugged their blankets off. Rosa took it as a good sign and crawled forward until her head poked out next to Paolo's.

"Thanks," she whispered to him and gave him a brief, grateful nuzzle.

"Y-Yeah," the colt muttered back.

Now that the danger had passed, Rosa felt a little dizzy from all the excitement and adrenaline. She let out a quiet giggle. "You boys do this sort of thing often?"

Jon went to the curtain and twitched it aside a fraction, letting streetlight into the room once more. It didn't make the room as bright as before, but Rosa could see the colts and their expressions. Martin looked smug, most of all. Rather than answering her, he went to Adonai and hoofed him on the shoulder. "Nice job!" the leader praised and his pegasus friend grinned widely.

"We'd be busted so many times if it weren't for your ears," Jon agreed.

Finally, Martin turned to the young mare. "Nice job hiding," he complimented and her heart swelled with pride. Maybe he wasn't such a bad sort, she thought. A bit of a bully, but that was just his way, right?

"Thanks!"

"I think you should go back to your room - just in case Alice decides to check out the girls' dorms, too," Martin went on.

Rosa agreed wholeheartedly and nodded at him. "Yeah! Um- thanks for the beer!"

He inclined his head, just once. "We'll talk about the iPad tomorrow," he promised.

The thought made her smile wider. She leaned down and threw her hooves around the colt. "Thanks for inviting me!" she whispered to him.

"Y-Yeah, no problem. Y-You can come any-anytime," he stuttered.

Rosa briefly wondered what was wrong. The pegasus hadn't moved an inch since she had let him go. "You okay?"

"Fine!" he squeaked hurriedly. "I'll see you around!"

She shrugged to herself a little and stood up to go to the door. She paused there and leaned her ear on the wood, trying to catch any sign of the night guard walking about. Meanwhile the other colts had come up to Paolo.

"Move," Martin commanded. "That's my bed!"

"In- uh, in a minute," Paolo managed in a faint voice.

Rosa glanced back in surprise. His behaviour was very strange and she couldn't make heads or tails of it. Whatever had gotten into him?

A second before she went back to check, Martin started chuckling. "Ooooh!" the colt said knowingly, pulling the cover off the prone Paolo. "I get it!"

There was a whimper from the pegasus and Rosa wondered what was wrong with him. It didn't sound serious, not with the way his friends were laughing. "Is he okay?" she asked anyway.

"Apparently," Martin said, with a big smirk on his muzzle, "Paolo has a thing for fillies grabbing him around the waist. Don't you, Paolo? Or is it just Rosa?"

The prone colt had his ears as flat as they would go and threw Rosa a pleading look. He didn't speak, aside from a slight eep at the accusation.

"What does that mean?!"

Martin quickly put his hooves on Paolo and pushed him to his side. Rosa got a glimpse of something large and floppy before the pegasus covered himself with his wings. "No!" he squeaked alarmingly.

The others just burst out laughing and Martin left the poor colt alone. "He got a boner because he had a girl in his bed for five minutes!" he explained.

Realization hit her and Rosa almost squeaked as well. She was unable to meet any of their gazes. "I'm s-sorry," she managed to force out, then she quickly opened the door and fled the room, trying to get out of their leering sights as soon as she could.

"Wait!" Paolo whimpered and Rosa paused, glancing back. "I'm sorry- I didn't mean to... it just happened!" he tried to explain. He had been very nice to her the whole night, Rosa remembered. She couldn't hold this against him, not when it was an entirely involuntary reaction. After all, she had been in real danger of creaming herself as well when Paolo had put his wings around her.

It had been only the fear of getting caught that had kept Rosa from thinking about it again when she was in bed with him, otherwise she wouldn't have been much better off than the colt.

"It's okay! I'll talk to you tomorrow!" she promised. With that she pushed the door closed and scurried back to her dorm.

The last thing she heard was Martin chuckling some more and Jon intoning: "Paolo and Rosa, sitting in a tree..."

Rosa knew how the rest of it went and it made her muzzle nice and pink. It was a good thing the hallways were empty this late.

Back at her own room, Rosa paused for a moment to catch her breath, then opened the door with extreme care. It wouldn't do to wake up her friends. She shut it after herself, then slowly moved hoof over hoof towards her bed.

Almost...

Just as she was climbing up, one of the young mares shuffled and Rosa heard a yawn. It made her freeze in terror.

"Rosa?" Felicity's voice came from the nearest bed. "What are you doing?"

Her mind raced for an excuse. "Um, I had to use the toilet!"

Either she was too sleepy to wonder why she hadn't heard the flush, or Felicity assumed she had slept through it, but the filly sighed and answered: "Oh. Good night."

"Yeah, good night."

Rosa slipped back between her covers and tried to slow down her racing heart.

Paolo. She had never even suspected he might have a crush on her. He had always just been a nice colt from the dorm.

Tonight he had invited her, and no other filly to visit the colts' room for beer. Come to think of it, he hadn't always been that nice, but he had been pleasant compared with Martin's bullying and the others' teasing.

Did she like him?

The question made Rosa gulp in fear.

Affairs such as this were very much discouraged in the school. She remembered a couple seeing each other like that a few years ago. They both got a whipping when they were found out in a broom closet one night and then the colt had been sent to another school. Rosa didn't want to get Paolo in trouble. More than that, she couldn't risk her future, even if she did kinda like that colt.

A sad sigh escaped her. She would have to find him someplace alone the next day and have a talk with him. Make it clear nothing could happen between them two. Of course she would be his friend, if the pegasus could settle for that, but absolutely nothing more.

Rosa closed her eyes and let out another sigh. Nothing had happened. She hadn't even known about his feelings until about five minutes ago. Why did it feel that bad? Why did she feel like the worst pony ever for deciding her and Paolo couldn't have anything between them? The feelings were very confusing and Rosa wished she could talk to Maribelle about it. She would have known what to do.

As it was, she would just have to muddle through it. Somehow. Her future was too important, even for a nice colt like Paolo.

He did have very cute flanks, though. Soft and firm and warm, Rosa remembered. Nice yellow mane, too. Lovely violet eyes. Shame, really, that she couldn't explore these emotions at least a little...

Chapter 4: Morning Routines

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Waking up was a bit harder than usual. Today of all days Rosa would have liked to sleep in, but the alarm clock was blaring mercilessly at her. She could also hear her roommates shuffle and pull their pillows over their heads to shut out the noise. Same as every morning, really. Stretching and yawning, both at the same time, Rosa shut the clock off and then rubbed her eyes to try and get the sleep out of them.

It was a very important day!

The children would be there at nine, but Martha had asked the young mare to be in her classroom at eight, so they can go over some ground rules and last minute instructions. The clock read seven, which gave Rosa half an hour to shower and get ready, then allowed her just enough time to fetch a quick breakfast. She looked back at her warm, welcoming pillow in deep thought. Maybe she could skip breakfast this day and catch thirty minutes of extra sleep?

Yeah, staying up late and going to the colts' room had been a mistake.

Rosa pressed her lips together in determination, shook her head, and firmly slipped out of the bed and down to the cold, cold floor. She wasn't about to turn lazy, not on this day, no matter how surprisingly chilly the floor was even through hooves! She could make up for lost sleep in the following night.

Over on the other side of the room Rosa saw Amethyst looking at her. She was awake, but didn't seem inclined to move. Rosa jerked her head in a quiet invitation to join her. After all, they both had the same instructor and the same class today. She gave this some consideration, then shrugged and nodded.

It was a good result. Her friends didn't usually take breakfast with Rosa, which meant that they were always impatient and fidgety before lunch. The only redeeming fact was that Rosa didn't share classes with them that often. It really didn't seem worth being cranky the whole morning, not for a few minutes of sleep. Rosa was glad that Amethyst would join her today. They both needed to be on their best behaviour for the children. Martha had said she would be grading them and the result would affect their futures.

Now that she had woken up a little, Rosa was almost giddy with excitement and nerves. She hurried into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. No evidence of her drinking the previous night. Come to think of it, she hadn't even felt any different, so Rosa guessed that Paolo had been right. It apparently took more than a half bottle of beer to get her drunk. She wondered idly if she would ever need this information in the future.

Silly musing aside, Rosa stepped into the shower and pulled the curtain shut. Then, keeping well away from the shower head, she nudged the handle toward 'warm' and opened the water. Those first few seconds were always shivering cold and she kept well away from the spray. Only after gingerly checking the temperature on her leg did the young mare step under the water with a grateful sigh. A hot shower felt very nice. Rosa took a few moments for herself and just stood there, soaking up the warmth. The water left pleasant trails down her legs, making her moan in delight.

After a few moments she sat on her haunches to free her forelegs and turned the water off. Then she reached for the shampoo bottle. There was ever only one, so Maribelle had set up a rota where each filly had a turn to choose the scent. Mint and lime - that had been Iskra's latest pick a few weeks ago and it was nearly out. It was actually kinda pleasant. Maybe when it was Rosa's turn, she'd pick the same.

For now, she squeezed out a bit over her head and started rubbing it in. Sitting like that, the mare had learned, would let the lather stream down her back, which helped her use less shampoo for her coat and tail. Waste not, want not, Instructor Martha always said.

The bathroom door opens and Rosa paused mid-scrub. "Um, Amethyst?" she asked, voice echoing in the small, tiled space.

"Yes. Can I come in?"

"Sure!"

An extra hoof was always welcome in the shower. Well, maybe the unicorns wouldn't need it, but Rosa suspected they would still appreciate the company. Any pony would! There was something undeniably bonding about spending some quiet time ministering to each other.

The curtain twitched aside to admit her friend and Rosa scooched over to let her sit under the shower head.

"It's warm, right?" Amethyst asked, just to be sure.

"Mhm!" Rosa nodded. "Do my tail?"

Her friend was only too happy to oblige. She turned the shower on, then squirted some more of the bottle on Rosa's rump. "Huh, nearly empty," she commented. "Who's next?"

It took some thought for Rosa to remember the rota. "Um, you, aren't you? Last time it was Iskra and before that it was Felicity."

"Oh! That's right!" her friend said enthusiastically.

Rosa wrung some of the lather from her mane on her chest and started rubbing, all the while Amethyst was working on her tail. "Any idea what you'll get?"

Amethyst rested her hooves on Rosa's flanks as she thought about it. "Dunno. Maybe blueberry? Haven't had that in a while."

"Oh, I love it!"

"You? It was supposed to be Maribelle's turn after me, but I guess..." She left it unsaid because they both understood.

"I know," Rosa said, then tried to brighten the mood. "I was thinking this one again. I kinda like mint."

Amethyst gave this some thought. "It's nice," she agreed as she poked her roommate's flank to turn her around, "but it gets a bit samey, doesn't it?"

Rosa obligingly shuffled so she was facing her and extended a foreleg, which Amethyst quickly washed with the leftover lather on her hooves.

"Switch," she commanded and Rosa put her leg down and lifted the other one.

"Well, we'll have your blueberry next, and then after me it's Valentina's turn. Plenty of variety."

The young mare wasn't swayed by this, but she was willing to agree. "I guess," Amethyst said. "Okay, done. Me next!"

The fillies deftly maneuvered around each other to switch places. That brought Rosa back under the most welcome warmth of the shower, which began washing away the soap. The last few squirts in the bottle went on Amethyst's head and rump. She started lathering up her mane while Rosa got started on her tail.

"All out. I'll go to the Bursar's office after class and get some more. Oh, remind me to tell the others we're out." Rosa had been on the receiving end of that mishap too often herself. She had stepped in the shower and got nice and soaked, only to discover there was no shampoo left. There was just no way of getting her mane in order after something like that. It was better not to get it wet at all!

"Okay. Here, let me rinse off!"

Rosa was a bit reluctant to leave the comforting warmth, but she sidled away to let her friend take her place. If she stayed close, would still got a trickle of hot water, plus she could help Amethyst rinse off.

"Oh, almost forgot. Leg?" Rosa offered.

Amethyst shook her head. "It's okay, already done."

They stayed together in the shower, enjoying the few extra minutes of hot water they were both getting, then Amethyst shut the water off and pulled the curtain aside. There were plenty of towels, so Rosa stepped out and reached for two of them, passing one to her friend. The next few minutes they couldn't really talk as they were both vigorously drying their manes.

Soon the two were done with that and laid the soft fabric over their flank. The goal was to soak up as much water as possible, so there'd be less to do with the hairdryer.

Amethyst reached for it first, so Rosa decided to take care of something else during that time, and sat down on the toilet. "Um, you don't mind, do you?" she asked, just in case.

"Nah, go ahead. I'll go in a minute, too," the other mare said agreeably.

On the plus side, any unpleasant noises would be covered up by the whine of the hairdryer.

She got started on her mane and Rosa let go. Maybe she should have done it before the shower, but the need hadn't been too apparent until she had heard all that running water. Maybe the urban myth was true? Rosa wondered if the colts had ever tried putting a bowl of warm water under a sleeping pony's hoof to make them wet the bed. She decided to ask Paolo later.

The 'business' didn't take her too long, so she wiped herself dry with a tissue and flushed. Amethyst was still busy with the dryer, so Rosa just stood behind her, catching a stray stream of air every now and then. It was all just to make her morning routine a bit quicker.

"Gonna join me for breakfast today?" Rosa asked, raising her voice over the noise.

"Yeah, sure! I'm up, so I might as well!" the other mare agreed.

"Great! Looking forward to class?"

"Mhm!" Amethyst bobbed her head up and down with a smile. She didn't seem as nervous as Rosa felt, but maybe she was just hiding it that well. "Here, do your mane, I have to towel my tail off anyway," she offered.

Rosa didn't bother replying, just nodded as she accepted the loud device. The handle was a bit awkward, but sitting on her haunches allowed the pony to grip it with her forehooves and angle it at her face. The hot stream of air hit her right in the muzzle and she spent a guilty few seconds with her mouth open and biting the wind. It was just so much fun!

Amethyst shook her head a little, but she was smiling, too. Anyway, she usually did the same thing when she thought no one was looking. Probably every pony did.

Rosa stopped goofing around and got down to the business of drying her mane and fur. There was still the brushing left, as well as some makeup and the scent. She really hoped she would have enough time.

The mess hall was mostly empty in the mornings, so the mares had their choice of tables. Rosa picked one against the east wall, so they could sit in the morning sun. It was a lovely day outside, without a single cloud in the sky. A glorious spring day. Rosa hoped she'd have a chance to go outside for a bit in the afternoon. A walk around the enclosed school grounds would do her good.

Amethyst, for her part, blinked in the light and didn't seem quite as happy, but she was ravenously devouring her apple. She had gone for an all-fruit breakfast, claiming it was less likely for her to be sick if things got... 'too excited'. The way she had said that made her roommate worry a little.

"Why... 'too exciting'?" Rosa asked, a very faint tremor in her voice.

"Well, I talked with Jasmine - you remember her, right?"

It took Rosa a moment to recall the pale blue muzzle with its frame of luscious, blonde mane. "Oh yes. She left last year, no?"

Amethyst nodded happily. "Helping in a kindergarten."

They both sighed. It was a dream job, really, especially for a pony who loved children.

"Well," the young mare went on, "she told me that these... um, 'special' classes can get a bit hectic. You never know what the kids might do." She leaned over and lowered her voice. "Some of them can't control their strength so they can grip very hard. If one of them tries to hug me, I really don't want to throw up all over them, you know?"

Now that she had put it that way, Rosa looked at her bowl of muesli with some concern. Maybe she should have gone for half a bowl only? Just in case? Well, it was almost done, so it would have to be about three quarters, Rosa estimated as she pushed the dish away.

"Good point. Thanks." She didn't know what else to say, so she gave Amethyst what she hoped was a brave smile and glanced at the wall clock. "Five minutes. I think we should get started."

Her friend was finishing her banana, but she nodded and stood up. She followed suit and Rosa slid the tray to her back without spilling a single drop, a skill both ponies had practiced. It wouldn't do to get a demarkation for leaving a mess today of all days.

"Um," Amethyst said and Rosa stopped in her tracks as she remembered that her friend hadn't taken a tray. They had shared one and now she was stuck with an apple core and a banana peel.

"Oh, sorry! Just put them on!"

By way of apology Rosa crouched a bit to lower the tray under the table's edge, so Amethyst had an easier time sweeping her leftovers on it. Then she hurried to return it to the kitchen while her roommate waited at the entrance. Before they left the room Rosa glanced around to see if her newest friends had made it, but she didn't see any of the colts in the mess hall. They probably had the same idea as her other roommates.

Rosa smiled at Amethyst as she caught up. "Okay, Martha said we're in one-bee," she remembered. Both mares knew the way and they stepped smartly so they wouldn't be late.

Chapter 5: The Test

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"Now zis is really important," Instructor Martha was saying for the fourth time in the past half hour. "Say it back to me!"

Both Rosa and Amethyst were quick to obey. This was the most important test of their life and they had to ace it. "The children come first," both intoned at the same time.

"Good. I cannot stress zis enough, girls. Being a helper pony means putting ze human first."

"Of course, Instructor Martha," Amethyst said in her sing-song voice. She really did sound sweet.

"Even if zey grab you too hard, or poke, or even bite. You understand zat?"

"We've trained for this, Instructor."

Finally the woman relented and gave them both a smile. "You two will do a wonderful job. Trust in yourselves."

Just to be on the safe side, Rosa repeated the instructions once more to herself. Be polite and kind. Let the children pet her and touch her as much as they want. If they get too violent, she would endure it.

She was allowed to protect herself from being really injured, but never by harming the child. If it came to the worst, she was to free herself gently. She had to remember that she was much stronger than most humans. If that happened, she was to go to the Instructor for help. That all sounded super scary, so Rosa's heart was hammering in nervous anticipation.

"All good?" Martha asked.

Rosa nodded and saw from the corner of her eye that Amethyst was doing the same. Despite her trepidation, they were both eager to get started. It probably wouldn't be so bad. The children would be enthralled to see a pony and all they would think about would be petting and hugging them. Both of those things were fine.

"Okay, let's go," the Instructor said and stood up from behind her desk. Amethyst and Rosa followed suit and slid from their chairs. Amethyst caught her friend's eye and they shared a small grin. They would be there together, that was the important bit to remember. They had each other's backs.

The woman went to the door and grabbed the handle while Rosa took the initiative and stepped in front of Amethyst. She had just enough time to take a deep breath before Martha opened the door and ushered them into the play room.

Immediately there were delighted squeals and several children yelled 'Pony!' at the top of their lungs. It was only a bit unnerving and nothing Rosa hadn't imagined beforehand. This was where her future would be decided. She put on her best, most charming, most disarming smile and stepped forward.

"Hi kids!"

Amethyst was right on her hooves and joined her friend in the room. The clamoring intensified and the nearest children rushed forward to touch both ponies. Many small hands grasped her coat and her mane, but Rosa kept her smile even while she was reeling a little inside. She was quickly surrounded by grinning faces.

"Now, now," Amethyst was saying, raising her voice a little to be heard above the din, "calm down, children. We have a lot of time to play with you!"

Rosa couldn't help noticing that some of the children were sitting by themselves and peering at her with distrust and suspicion. They could wait a little until the current excitement died down, but she was determined to go and meet all of them. The quiet, shy ones probably needed her attention more than the others.

Meanwhile, there was a girl tugging at her mane and Rosa stepped closer before it was ripped out. "Hello little girl," she cooed to her, trying to get her to let go. It worked and the child clapped her hands together in delight.

Rosa caught Martha's approving glance and her heart soared in delight. It was working! She was doing well! That made her even more determined and she sat down with no less than three children holding on to her. One of them had his face buried in her side and was drooling a bit, but she don't mind. She would have a shower before bed anyway.

"What is your name, little girl?"

Now the child was all shy and bashful as she blushed. It was kinda cute.

"Don't be afraid, we ponies are really nice, you know?"

"Anna," she vouchsafed.

Rosa had practiced this and gave her a big smile. "Oh, such a lovely name! How old are you?"

More blushing and this time she lowered her gaze to the floor. "Six," she said, quietly.

On her other side, one of the boys was waving a crumpled piece of paper, trying to get her attention, so Rosa let the girl relax for a moment to get more comfortable around a pony and focused on the boy. As soon as she looked, the intrepid child stuck his paper right in her muzzle, which made her eyes cross as she tried to see.

"Look, pony, I drew you a picture!" he bragged.

It was crude, but the thought warmed her heart. "Oh my, thank you!"

There really hadn't been any reason for Martha to be worried. Yes, the children were all trying to touch her, but they weren't mean. They just liked the feel of soft pony fur. Who wouldn't?

Movement caught Rosa's eye and she saw that Martha had taken her seat. The class was going splendidly! A hand grabbed her hind ankle and she almost tried to shake it off before the mare caught herself. It was just one of the overexcited children, trying to pull her back, closer to them. Rosa sought out the boy, who refused to meet her eyes, yet still tugged on her leg.

Normally she wouldn't have minded, but if he didn't stop she was liable to fall back and possibly trample one of the other kids.

"Little boy-" she tried to say.

Before Rosa could get his attention, someone tugged hard on her tail and she nearly stumbled.

"Gently now," the young mare gasped, "there's enough of me for everyone!"

The two children, almost literally fighting over her, were liable to get themselves and the others hurt with their antics. Rosa gently dislodged a pale-haired girl who was hugging her neck.

"Just a moment, sweetie," she told the child, "I'll be right back with you."

It was a bit of an effort to turn around, but she managed to flop on her rump without sitting on a human. The grip around her ankle didn't lessen and now her leg was being painfully twisted. Her breathing was getting rapid and Rosa was desperately trying to stay calm, as she looked for a way out of that situation. She laid a careful, gentle hoof on the hand which was gripping her with quite some strength.

"You don't have to pull, little boy. Come, let me give you a proper hug!"

The boy apparently didn't hear and tugged again, more strongly. It slid Rosa a few inches over the carpet.

"Hey! That's not very nice, young man!" she tried to make her voice stern but nonthreatening.

He still didn't want to look at her, so Rosa gripped his hand between her forehooves - gently so she wouldn't hurt him - and pulled her ankle free. The result was immediate and startling. Thwarted, the boy started screaming at the top of his lungs. Some of the children near him shuffled away, looking around in alarm, but most of them just ignored it and kept poking or holding her.

It had been a big mistake! Rosa came closer to try and nuzzle the kid, all the while apologizing. "No, no, don't cry sweetie. I'm not mad, here let me give you a hug!"

He didn't want one and a flailing hand smacked her hard on the muzzle. She hardly even felt any pain in her sudden panic. She saw Instructor Martha getting up with a disapproving frown on her face. It made Rosa's throat constrict. Not sure what to do for the crying child, she brought her muzzle closer and gently touched his hand.

"There, there, it's alright," she cooed in her best, friendliest voice.

Success! The fingers spread and patted her nose. The boy stopped yelling and finally focused on her face. She gave him a big smile and lightly licked his wrist.

"Eww!" the human grimaced and wiped his hand on his shirt, but then he reached out again. This time Rosa let him grip her mane and pull her closer. It looked like the hug would be on his terms, or not at all. The tugging was painful, but she don't mind, not when she had come that close to failing!

"There you go. What's your name, little boy?"

There was no answer and Rosa started to suspect he had one of those illnesses she had learned about with the Instructor. That was fine, too. Some of the children afflicted with those just liked to hold on to something soft. If her presence made the kid calm, then that's what she would do.

Anna would have to wait, and the few children around the edge of the room as well. That was okay, Rosa had time. At least until lunch, Martha had said, and possibly longer if the class went well. There would be plenty of time to meet all the younglings and make a good impression.

These children would spend their afternoon babbling happily about 'the ponies' to their parents, this Rosa swore to herself!

Martha was still keeping her eye on the mares, but she slowly sat down again. It seemed the danger was over.

"My name is Rosa," she intoned with correct pronunciation. "Would you like to play a game?"

She caught Amethyst's glance. The other mare seemed to be having an easier time and was actually talking with one of the boys. She looked to be enjoying herself and Rosa returned her grin. The child who was still gripping her mane pulled her a little closer and brought his face right up against her neck. He inhaled, smelling her gentle perfume. Rosa hoped it would help him relax.

"That's right," she praised, "nice pony. I'll be your friend, okay?"

There was still no visible response, but the death grip on her hair had relaxed. Free, she made sure she didn't leave immediately, but stayed near the needy kid.

"Very good! Would you like to pet my mane?"

For the first time the child looked her in the eyes and his face transformed into an expression of wonder. He put his hands on her head and stroked her mane, if a little jerkily. Rosa's heart went out to him. All he needed was a soft pony to keep him company. Who knew, maybe in time she could get him to respond. Maybe even talk. There had been some stories about the healing powers of ponies whispered around the school.

"Mmm, that's nice."

Rosa remembered the drawing she had been offered earlier. Sometimes these ill children preferred to express themselves through art, rather than words.

"Here, come with me. Do you like to draw? Let's go draw you a nice picture to take home, okay?" She stood up, but the boy instantly whined and grasped her again. He pulled on her mane to keep the young mare in place and she sighed inwardly. "Okay, okay, I won't go anywhere!"

It seemed she was not getting away, not for a while. Her only hope was that the child would get bored or tired, and then she could go and speak with Anna some more. She also prayed that Amethyst could pick up the slack with the other children in the meantime.

The test might not be as easy as Rosa had first assumed, but it was nothing they couldn't handle together. Martha was watching her critically and Rosa beamed to reassure her she had the situation in hand.

The other boy - the one who had pulled her tail - came around to her other side and she focused her smile on him. "Hey! Come sit with us." Rosa invited and patted the floor next to her.

The boy flopped down and started stroking her back. He was a bit rough, with his fingers digging in, but at this point she didn't mind. Just as long he didn't pull on her tail anymore. Martha had been very strict about the 'rear' area. The Instructor hadn't said anything, but Rosa glanced up on a whim and quickly spotted a couple of cameras. They were probably there to help the Instructor grade them later.

"There you go, isn't that nice? A bit more gently, please!" Her words had exactly zero effect, so Rosa just sighed and accepted the rough treatment. It wasn't like they could really hurt her.

Encouraged that the two children occupied with her mane and coat were now happy, the young mare sought out the boy who had brought her the picture.

"I love your drawing. Would you like to make me another? Oh, why don't you bring the crayons and we'll draw together, okay?"

It worked and the boy clapped his hands together in excitement and rushed off. There were a few low tables against a wall with all the supplies they might need. Some of the other children got the idea and joined him, jabbering in excitement.

It looked like Rosa had salvaged her misstep from before and she allowed herself to relax a little. The class would go perfectly fine. She would get a good grade!

She and Amethyst both!

Rosa didn't know how well she did, which was the worst part about a test. She didn't even mind the mess her mane was in, nor the fact that there was a piece of chewing gum stuck to the fur on her chest, but she really wished Instructor Martha would have at least given her a clue. Instead, she told both mares to get cleaned up, get some lunch and take the rest of the day off. The grading would come the next morning, after she had had a chance to review the tapes.

It made Rosa anxious, not knowing how she did.

After that incident with the boy right at the start, things had gone well. At least she thought so. She was not absolutely sure, and that was the part that irked her! She kept going over it in her head to try to gauge how well she did.

She had sat with the child for almost an hour, until her entire rump was numb, but at long last he grew tired and let her go. Stretching had felt nice, but Rosa didn't indulge too long. There were a couple of shy kids who had needed her attention and she also wanted to spend more time talking with Anna. There were hugs to be shared, names to be learned and pictures to be drawn.

Instructor Martha had pulled both ponies out of the room after about four hours and Rosa was completely exhausted by then. So was Amethyst she couldn't help but notice. By unspoken agreement, they both decided to skip lunch, at least for the moment. They needed a shower, first. Rosa had just enough presence of mind to swing past the Bursar's office and pick up a new bottle of shampoo. Blueberry, just like Amethyst had wanted.

By the time she made it to their room, Amethyst was already standing under the water and Rosa hurried to join her roommate.

"Don't lean against me!" Amethyst cautioned. "Sticky."

Rosa puffed out her chest so her friend could see. "Not gonna. Bubble gum," she explained.

The other mare looked at the mess then started chuckling. There was nothing particularly funny about the situation, but Rosa couldn't help joining in. It was either that or start crying.

"Tell me that wasn't awful."

Amethyst shook her head and put a gentle hoof on Rosa's withers. "Well, there were a lot of kids. It was meant to be hard, Rosa. You did great, by the way."

She got a grateful smile in return. "So did you. I swear, if you hadn't come to grab that one - what was his name again? Peter? Yeah, if you hadn't grabbed him, he might have dislocated my leg." Rosa shuddered at the memory. She hadn't dared free herself and risk another outcry.

"Well," Amethyst pointed out, "you took a lollipop in your mane for me. I say it makes us even."

That reminds Rosa of the failed maneuver. "I was trying to catch it before it got either of us," she explained.

"Well, I'm still grateful. Okay, let's see about your gum."

Rosa was afraid to even touch it, lest she ground it further in her fur. She didn't even know how to begin getting it out. "What do I do about it?" she asked.

"Here, lemme get water out of my eyes. You step under the shower," Amethyst offered and the mares switched places. She examined the problem in minute detail while Rosa soaked up some welcome warmth. "Hmm," she frowned a little in thought.

She was cute that way, muzzle all scrunched up and head leaning sideways, Rosa thought to herself.

"It's not stuck very deeply," Amethyst pointed out. "Hold still. This may sting a bit."

To Rosa's surprise, Amethyst reached forward and grabbed the thing with her teeth. Despite her warning, Rosa give a little squeak as she pulled a few of her hairs out together with the sticky ball.

"I can't believe you did that!" Rosa exclaimed when her roommate spat out the mess.

The gum landed in the toilet and Amethyst made a face. "I can't either. Okay, lemme see now."

Rosa spread her forelegs and leaned back, so the other mare could get a better look.

"Almost," she murmured. "Let's shampoo it and see how it looks. Maybe I'll need to cut a bit of fur, but I think I got most of it."

It was a relief. "I'll never be able to repay you."

Amethyst grinned and rubbed her hooves in anticipation. "You will if you tell me where you went last night!"

The question made Rosa gasp in shock. "You saw me?!"

"I couldn't sleep. I almost said something, but I didn't wanna wake up the others. I saw you leave, but I must've fallen asleep before you came back. How long were you out?"

Rosa shook her head in wonder. "Why didn't you say before now?!"

"Didn't want you to worry before today's test."

That sounded very reasonable and Rosa was glad to have a friend like Amethyst. She wasn't too sure about telling her about the secret excursion, but it didn't seem as if she had a lot of choice. The young mare already knew Rosa had gone somewhere and done something. Who knew what she might imagine if she wasn't told the truth? Besides, she was right. Rosa did owe her. Amethyst had had to do most of the work with the kids once the grabby one had caught her.

"Okay, deal," Rosa agreed.

Amethyst squeed with delight and reached for the new shampoo bottle. "Okay, hold still, maybe it will come out."

It probably wouldn't, not with how sticky it felt, but Rosa was happy her friend was willing to try. She would also need her help with the scissors, if it came to that.

Heh, when it came to that, actually.

For now, she resigned herself to a few minutes of spirited rubbing. In a way it was almost like a massage.

Chapter 6: The Forbidden Kitchen

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"So, if I can talk some human into getting us a couple of movies, they'll let us borrow the iPad," Rosa finished telling the story.

Amethyst was watching the ponies coming out of the school after their classes, as the two sat on a bench nearby. She didn't answer straight away.

"Please don't tell anyone, okay? It's not like anything really happened, I just had a taste of beer and watched part of a movie."

At long last the mare looked up. "I think Paolo has a crush on you," she pointed out.

It made Rosa lower her ears and heave a sigh. "I know, but we shouldn't. We could get in a lot of trouble."

"Yeah," Amethyst agreed, deflating a little. "It's still cute, though. Will you visit him again?"

Rosa opened her mouth to say absolutely not, but hesitated. Her friend was easily able to read the doubt on her face. "I... shouldn't," she said, but it sounded lame even to her.

Amethyst gave this some serious thought. "I think I'd like to watch a movie." She was silent for a while, obviously making up some kind of a plan, judging by the way she was staring into the distance. Rosa kept quiet and let her finish. "I might know a way... to get some stuff on an iPad..." she finally said, enunciating the words very carefully, as if she wasn't entirely sure herself.

"Yes?"

Rosa's heart was beating faster in excitement. That would give her an amazing treat for herself and the girls, something they all needed after Maribelle. Another thought, small and red and hidden, said she would have an excuse to visit Paolo after dark again.

"I've been helping in the kitchen and there's this part-time guy," Amethyst explained. "Student. We've been talking a little and I think he kinda likes me. I'll ask him if he can get us some movies for an iPad." The mare thought of something else and put both hooves on Rosa's shoulders. "Oh! You said they had a charger - is it one of those that has a separate USB cable? I mean- we'll have to hook up the iPad to a laptop somehow."

Rosa had to admit that she didn't know. She hadn't seen the charger and she didn't think to ask the colts. "I'll find out. What if it isn't?"

Amethyst shook her head. "Dunno. Maybe Will has one? Or maybe he can borrow one."

It was a fair guess that 'Will' was her kitchen friend. Rosa almost couldn't believe she was allowed to speak freely with some human who was neither a guard, nor a teacher, but maybe the people running the school hadn't expected a pony to volunteer in the kitchens. In either case, it was news to Rosa!

"Wait a minute! Since when are you helping in the kitchen anyway?!" she demanded.

Amethyst waved a dismissive hoof. "Oh, it just happened. I took my tray in one day, but everyone was busy, so I just washed the plates myself. Mrs. Evelyn gave me a cookie and thanked me. I've done it a few more times. It's not official or anything, but I don't mind if I have time, not for a cookie!"

"That was nice of you."

"Yeah! It's been what... about two weeks now. I've gone to lend a hand almost every day."

That showed initiative. Rosa couldn't help being proud of her roommate for her thoughtfulness. Instructor Martha was right when she said Amethyst was a sweet girl and deserved to be in the Helper Pony program.

"So," the young mare went on, "what do you wanna do until dinner?"

Rosa gave this due consideration. "Dunno really. Maybe read a little? I still haven't started on 'Waiting for Godot' for our English class."

"Yeah, that's a weird one," Amethyst said.

"You read it?"

She shook her head. "I started it," the roommate explained, "but it's just so... weird."

That gave Rosa a great idea. "What if we read it together?"

Amethyst didn't have to think about it. Her muzzle split into a grin and she nodded. "Yes! Yes! Let's!"

It sounded delightful. A fun, relaxing afternoon with one of her closest friends, and they would both do something productive.

Besides, it should take their minds off the test and the upcoming grade.

As the two ponies waited in Instructor Martha's office, Rosa couldn't keep a slight tremble from her legs. She thought about sitting down, but decided against it. The news was too important for that. The Instructor's expression still wasn't giving anything away and that worried Rosa. The woman was usually very open and friendly with her students.

Amethyst, on the other hand, was sitting on the floor beside, looking much calmer than Rosa felt. If it wasn't for the nervous flicker of her eyes as her gaze darted around the room, it would be quite easy to believe she was completely confident.

Rosa shifted her weight a little, trying to inconspicuously press her rump to Amethyst's shoulder in silent support. The mare acknowledged the gesture with a tiniest hint of a grin and pushed lightly back against her friend.

"Now girls, I have gone through ze tapes," Martha said, leaning on her desk. She seemed positively looming above the two.

Rosa lowered her ears and she saw from the corner of her eye that the other mare did the same.

"D-Did we do w-well?" Amethyst asked.

"Quite well," the woman intoned and Rosa allowed herself to relax a little. Beside her, Amethyst exhaled and lifted up one ear.

Martha shuffled a few papers and read from one. "Zere was zat slight problem at ze start - Rosa, anything to say?"

The mare knew she looked contrite already, but she lowered her gaze to the floor. "I shouldn't have pushed the child's hand away. I'm sorry."

"Good, you realized your mistake right away, so I didn't deduct any points," the Instructor continued. "Also, zere was zat time you, ducked away and almost let zat little girl fall, Amethyst."

Rosa remembered - it had been the lollipop incident. "I caught her, Instructor. Amethyst went to get a tissue so we could clean the child up."

"Yes, zat was good teamwork," Martha agreed, "but you should not be afraid of a little dirt, Amethyst."

"Sorry," the mare intoned.

The woman studied both ponies for a moment. "It was not ze big deal, but I have to make note of zeese things, understand?"

Neither of the girls made a sound, holding their breath to receive the verdict.

"You have to understand, girls, zis is not up to me. The Agency is very strict about ze program."

"Yes, Instructor Martha," Rosa said.

"You did very well with ze drawing - ze both of you. So I've decided to give you, Amethyst a ten, and you, Rosa, a nine and a half. Congratulations, girls."

It took them a moment to process this, but then both mares squeed and hugged each other.

"D-Does that mean-" Amethyst asked.

Rosa already knew both her question and the answer: "Yes! We can go into the program!"

The woman nodded, smiling at the sight of the mares' joy. "Indeed," she confirmed, "you both did extremely well and made me, and ze school, very proud."

Rosa tried to find words good enough for the occasion, but couldn't think of any. She finally settled for: "Thank you, Instructor!"

Amethyst also added her own: "Yes! Thank you so much! We won't disappoint you, we promise!"

The chair rattled as the woman pushed it back and came around her desk. She crouched down so both mares could give her a hug and Rosa also licked her face in her exuberance.

"Very good," Martha said. "Now hurry off to your classes. You've skipped too many as it is."

"Of course, Instructor Martha! Thank you!"

Rosa didn't let go immediately, enjoying the moment of triumph for a few seconds longer. The woman leaned her face closer and whispered: "As a special reward, I will put a little something under your pillows today. You may have it for yourself, or share it with ze roommates, okay?"

The mare released the woman and beamed at her. "Thank you, Instructor!"

"Thank you, Instructor Martha," Amethyst echoed.

The woman stood up and walked over to the door. "You're both good girls, remember zat," she assured them as she pulled it open.

It was a bit cheesy, but Rosa couldn't stop herself from speaking up: "Only because we have such a fantastic Instructor!"

It made the woman laugh in delight and Rosa decided it was worth it. Even Amethyst grinned at the result.

"Oh you!" the Instructor said and ushered them out.

As the door closed behind them, Rosa glanced up at the hall clock. Five minutes until the current period finished.

"What's your next class?" Amethyst asked when she followed her gaze.

"Um, Maths. You?" She should have known that by now, but Rosa was bad with memorizing timetables of her roommates.

"English. I think we're reading poetry today."

It was a shame - some of their classes overlapped, but it seemed not today.

"Meet you for lunch?"

The young mare bobbed her head up and down excitedly. "Yeah! I'll introduce you to Will and we can ask about the iPod!"

Rosa wasn't as sure as Amethyst about spilling a big secret like that to a human. It could get them both in trouble, not to mention the colts. Martin would be really upset then, Rosa had no doubt.

"Well, maybe. Surreptitiously, okay?" she insisted.

"Yeah, sure," Amethyst agreed. She stepped closer and brushed her muzzle against her friend's. "Great work, by the way! I'm so happy we passed!"

"Yeah, you too!"

They stood like that for a moment, sharing a close bond with a friend, before pulling away with a sigh.

"Bye!"

Amethyst trotted away, head held high and a noticeable bounce in her step. Of course, if she had English and they were just reading poetry, she didn't need her class things right away. The books were on the shelves in the classroom.

Rosa, on the other hand, needed to get her notebook and pencil from the room, so she turned the other way and began her brisk walk. It wouldn't do to be late, not today.

Lunch had been very good. On top of that, Rosa had the afternoon off, because it was Friday and she had no classes on Friday afternoon. No such luck for Amethyst, but at least they got to have lunch and an hour after it to spend together.

Perhaps Rosa had overeaten a slight bit, but she burped as she stood up which made the pressure in her belly lessen. She saw that Amethyst wasn't doing any better. She seemed a bit unsure as she picked up her tray.

"Ugh, a couple more meals like that and we'll all have heart attacks before we're thirty."

"Meh," Amethyst said. "We don't get fried stuff all that often, quit being dramatic." She glanced over at her own tray. "Besides, you practically licked the plate clean. We might not have anything to do in the kitchen today, you know? I don't think they really need to wash these."

Rosa was forced to agree. Deep fried food was a rare treat in the School so every pony polished their plates until they shone.

"Um, may I?" Amethyst asked.

Following her gaze, Rosa could see that she was staring at the small dish of tartar sauce. There was a tiny bit left in there.

"Huh? There's nothing left, what are you gonna dip?" Rosa asked.

Her friend took that as a yes and simply came around the table to lick it up directly.

"Yuck."

The mare grinned, a tad shame-faced for her display of gluttony. "What?! It's just so good."

Rosa agreed, the sauce was good, but not on its own. The mayo was a bit too rich and oily for her taste. "It's good if you have something to dip in it!" she asserted.

Her roommate just shrugged, apparently quite willing to disagree. Not that Rosa minded, really. If it made Amethyst happy, then she could drink the stuff straight, if that was how her fancy took her. Rosa began to wonder what other little snacks she might have enjoyed while she was helping in the kitchen. Maybe the cookies weren't even half of it!

She was already walking away and Rosa shifted her plate to her back and followed. It was the big day - Amethyst had said her friend, Will, had an afternoon shift today. Thinking about telling a member of the staff a secret like the colts' iPad still made Rosa uneasy, but she decided to go along with it.

Her roommate had promised she wouldn't say anything until Rosa had had a chance to meet this Will and see what he was like.

The mares passed by a table with two of their classmates, who waved in greeting. It would have been polite to stop and say hello, but Amethyst was already eyeing their tartar sauce dishes, so Rosa just gave their friends an apologetic smile and pushed her roommate along.

"I don't believe you sometimes," she grumbled.

It made Amethyst laugh. She knew the complaint wasn't meant in a bad way.

"Maybe if you spent some time in our room, instead of sneaking away all the time to be with colts, you'd know us better," she countered.

"Shhh!"

Rosa looked around to see if anyone had overheard, but the ponies were quite busy with the rare treat. Amazing how deep frying improved broccoli, which was already delicious on its own. The french fries were an added bonus.

While Amethyst was trying to muffle her excited giggling, they finally made it to the kitchen entrance. There was a sign on the door and Rosa hesitated. The picture showed a silhouette of a pony overlaid by a red circle and a line. No ponies beyond this point. Right beside it was the opening with the shelf where they were supposed to drop their trays for someone in the kitchen to take. There weren't many ponies left eating, so the window was empty. One of the staff probably checked it occasionally and took the trays as they came.

Rosa looked around the mess hall until she spotted the guard. He seemed to be talking with one of the cooks and wasn't paying the ponies any attention. Meanwhile, Amethyst just nudged the swinging door open with her muzzle and shouldered it aside so they could enter. It was amazing how she managed not to drop the tray from her back during her tricky little maneuver. The mare had good balance!

"Are you sure?" Rosa whispered urgently. "The sign..."

"It's fine. No one complains when I go in to help. I don't think anyone really cares, it's just the kitchen."

As Rosa walked past her friend into the Forbidden Place she couldn't help hunching her shoulders and flattening her ears in apprehension. She was expecting an outcry at any moment. It didn't happen and the door swung shut behind Amethyst. Rosa still couldn't relax and her legs trembled a tiny bit as her roommate took the lead again.

There were two humans in the white-and-stainless-steel room up ahead. All around them were large, bulky machines and tall counters, entirely unsuitable for ponies. The young mare watched everything with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

"Hi Mrs. Evelyn!" Amethyst announced cheerfully as she deftly lifted up her tray to a surface above her.

The larger human - Rosa saw it was the rather plump cook whom she remembered to have a permanently red face - turned around and smiled.

"Oh, hello sweetheart!" she replied, as her face split into a happy grin. The woman stepped closer and patted the mare on her head while Amethyst closed her eyes and pushed against the hand, very much like a kitty. Rosa was a little surprised she didn't purr!

"I brought a friend, I hope that's okay. She'd like to help me with the dishes today and I'd like to share one of the cookies with her!"

Rosa knew her face was properly fearful, which she hoped added to the illusion of a pony out to get some forbidden sweets. "H-Hi," she said, not even having to fake the tremor in her voice.

"Oh, but of course," the cook said, coming over to give her a pat as well. Rosa didn't push back, but Mrs. Evenly didn't seem to mind. "Heaven knows we could use a hand - or a hoof, as it might be!"

While she was being welcomed, her roommate lifted the remaining tray as well and set it next to hers. The woman leaned a bit lower to whisper to Amethyst, but her voice was loud enough for Rosa to hear as well, which was probably the intention.

"Tell you what - you two do a good job and I'll give you each a couple of cookies, okay? And maybe a few more for your friends in the room."The woman gave both mares a deliberate, theatrical wink, as if they were in on some conspiracy.

Amethyst smiled beatifically and Rosa followed suit, happy that it all seemed to be going well.

"I'll just say hello to Will and then we'll get started!" Amethyst roommate promised, but the cook was already straightening up and just waved her hand dismissively.

"Of course, dear," Mrs. Evelyn answered, before studying Rosa in some detail. "Hmm, what's your name, sweetheart?" she asked.

The young mare opened her muzzle to tell her, but the lady held up a finger. "Wait, I think I remember."

It would make sense for the kitchen staff to know all the ponies. They had to make a note of who turned up for what meal and when. There was a big ledger with all the names and faces at the start of the lunch line and one human or another was always there with a pen.

"Rose-ah, right?"

Then again, seeing it written down meant they didn't know how it should be pronounced. Rosa knew she had to correct the lunch lady, but tried to smile as disarmingly as she could.

"A-Actually it's pronounced 'Rosa', Mrs. Evelyn. It's not, uh, not a usual name."

She was afraid the woman would be offended, but her grin just widened. "What a lovely name! Now excuse me, I have the cooking pots to clean before we start getting ready for dinner. Your friend can show you what to do."

The lady went back to the tall sink and Rosa started to wonder how she would ever reach that high to offer any help at all. She looked around for Amethyst to ask her and saw an unexpected sight. The mare was sitting on the floor with a young man crouching down beside her. He was tickling her chest fluff with one hand and patting her mane with the other, while she was whispering something to him. They were both smiling. It almost felt wrong to intrude, but Rosa made her way there, stepping heavily to give them some warning.

When they spotted her, the young man removed his hands and Amethyst blushed a little. "Oh, um," she started, unable to find words right away. "Rosa, this is Will. Will, my roommate Rosa. She's in the Helper Pony program, too."

The human politely reached out his hand and Rosa placed a hoof in it for a shake. "Nice to meet you," she said, shifting her gaze from him to Amethyst. Rosa couldn't decide what exactly she had seen, but she put it out of her mind. They were there for another reason.

The man seemed friendly enough. He didn't look much older than her or Amethyst, even though she had said he was in college. Probably his first year, Rosa guessed. Some humans took part time jobs to earn a bit of extra money. She wondered why he chose to work at a pony school.

Actually, she didn't have to wonder. She was trying to get to know this guy! "So - Will - why a Pony School?"

He shrugged a bit and straightened up. It looked like his moment with Amethyst was over. "Well, the pay is good and I'm studying Culinary Arts, so working in a kitchen counts towards my extra credits."

That sounded reasonable, even if the young man didn't really answer her question.

"How about you," he countered, "why Helper Pony?"

Well, it was only fair she returned the favor of answering. "I like working with children and that's my best chance," she replied, shrugging a little.

"Why not something like Day Care Assistant Pony, or nanny? I heard there's always a demand," Will asked.

Rosa had been through that with Instructor Martha, as well as with Maribelle, several times. "There's not a demand. A lot of mares want that job and it's hard to get a good assignment. A brighter-colored coat and mane are preferred." Without a nice, colorful fur she wouldn't be picked, or would end up in a bad school with mean children. While Rosa thought she could easily handle one impolite child, twenty of them would be like...

Well, like the previous day, for a start! She didn't want to risk ending up with a job like that every day. At least a Helper Pony was only ever assigned to one child, with the rare exception when the needy little human had siblings.

"That's fair. I mean- not that you look ugly or anything, but I can see how little kids would prefer someone a bit more... colorful."

She gave the young man a nod, then glanced at Mrs. Evelyn who was still busy with her pots. "Um, maybe we should get to work now?" Rosa suggested. After all, they could still chat while they were washing dishes. That brought her to her original question for Amethyst. She turned to her friend, who had been watching approvingly as Rosa spoke with the human. "So, how do we reach the sink?"

The mare pointed with a hoof. "Stool. Um, Will, is there another?"

There was just one round, backless chair in the place. The temp nodded. "I'll get the one from the pantry.

Amethyst smiled at him with gratitude. "Thanks! We'll get started on the dishes in the meantime!"

True to her word, the mare pulled the chair over and jumped up on it. Rosa could see that the seat could rotate, but Amethyst seemed well used to it and deftly balanced on her hind legs until she could grab the counter. There was a clink as she put a dirty plate into the sink and the burbling of running water as she began to wash.

Feeling a little left out, Rosa reared up and leaned against the smooth, shiny surface. That brought her head just above the counter so she could see what her roommate was.

"So, what do you think?" she asked.

"Doesn't look difficult."

The mare giggled a little. "No, silly! About Will?"

Rosa looked around to make sure Mrs. Evelyn wasn't looking in their direction and that the human hadn't sneakily come back yet. "You like him!" she whispered accusingly.

Amethyst just smiled. "Yes. He's nice. You'll like him too, if you hang out with us sometimes."

That wasn't the way Rosa had meant it. She was worried her friend might have been getting romantically involved with the boy, which would cause them both a whole lot of trouble. It wasn't her place to tell Amethyst she should stop, though, just as it wasn't hers to tell Rosa to break it off with Paolo. That was, if she even had anything with Paolo. Maybe her friend was the same way with Will? Anyway, it wasn't a good time to talk about it, so Rosa decided to put it out of her mind for now and have a heart to heart with Amethyst later tonight, when they were alone. As alone as they could be, anyway. Rosa could snuggle with her tonight. The others wouldn't find it strange, since it happened quite often that two, or even three roommates slept in the same bed for warmth, or for comfort, when one of them got a bad grade or got yelled at by her Instructor.

Rosa returned to the present just as Will lowered another stool next to her. "Oh. Thanks!" she murmured to him and clambered up. The rotating seat nearly threw her off, but he grabbed the mare around the waist to steady her. His fingers were impossibly warm and the sudden touch made Rosa squeak faintly in surprise.

"Oh, sorry!" the human apologized.

"It's fine! It's fine. Thanks!" She knew she was blushing and so was the young man. The best way to keep her mind out of the gutter was to get busy and she found a dry cloth on the counter, close enough so she could reach it. Now that she was holding on to the stainless steel surface it was easier to balance on the rotating chair.

"Hand me that plate please?" she said and nudged Amethyst's leg with a hoof.

She obediently passed one of the clean plates over and Rosa wiped it dry. She looked around for a place to put it, but Will took it from her and added it to a stack nearby. With the three of them, Rosa realized, the job would be done in minutes. She cheered up a little. Amethyst had classes soon, but it didn't look like she'd be late.

There really was nothing to this helping and being on good terms with the kitchen staff promised treats and seconds in the future. Amethyst was an extremely smart filly to have come up with the idea! Speaking of the mare, she was humming a simple little melody, one Rosa recognized from the previous day. It had done wonders to calm the children down and now it was helping her relax as well. On her other side, the lad began to whistle in surprisingly good harmony with the mare. Rosa guessed they must have been practicing.

She was starting to believe her friend that this particular human could be trusted. After they were done done, she decided, she would ask him about getting her a movie or two and putting it on the colts' iPad. Then Martin would have no choice but let her borrow it sometimes to watch movies with the girls! Rosa could almost imagine it- huddled on one bed under a blanket to hide the glow, ears all focusing on the headphones, eyes glued to the screen...

Something funny and romantic - a love story. It was going to be so much fun! She caught her reflection in the shiny surface and saw that she was smiling widely. That was perfectly fine. Between the 'unofficial' benefits from helping out in the kitchens, some flirting with Paolo, training for the Helper Pony program, and an occasional movie night, Rosa's final year of school was shaping up to be quite spectacular!

Chapter 7: Movie Night With the Girls

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The group was nearly done with the lunch dishes when Amethyst excused herself and left for her afternoon classes. Rosa was tempted to follow her, but she still had the question to ask Will. Instead, she shifted to the other stool and started working on the final few plates and bowls, while Will took up drying in addition to stacking.

"So, you and Amethyst are roommates?" he asked after they both got comfortable with their new tasks.

"Yes. We also have some classes together," she clarified.

"That's cool."

Nothing further seemed forthcoming, so Rosa swallowed a lump and looked around for Mrs. Evelyn. The main cook was far enough so she wouldn't hear them. "Um, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

Of course the young man didn't pick up on her anxiety and continued to dry the plates she gave him without even glancing in her direction.

"Can you keep it a secret?" she ventured.

This time his hands stopped and Will looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Um... sure?" he replied, a bit uncertainly.

"Promise?"

"This is going to be something illegal, isn't it?"

Rosa scrunched up her muzzle in apprehension. How could he know?!

He looked at her expression for a few seconds, then he sighed and his shoulders sagged. "Okay, I promise I won't tell anyone."

Watch his face closely, trying to spot a lie, Rosa couldn't see it. To the best of her judgement, Will looked like a truthful and earnest young man. Maybe he was hoping for a little something with Amethyst, too, so he'd be extra nice to her friends? Not that he would get anything beside a bit of flirting, Rosa thought. The rules on that sort of thing couldn't be clearer, nor the punishment more dire. Amethyst knew it too, but just flirting, Rosa thought, might be okay.

"If some pony from the School asked me to get them a couple of movies for their iPad - could you help me do that, without telling anyone? It's not exactly allowed..." Her heart was racing as she waited for the outrage and the rush to tattle on her. She hadn't told him any names, so Rosa could just deny everything, she hoped.

He didn't seem inclined to get her in trouble and gave it some serious thought. "I guess," he said slowly, "if I brought my laptop in one day. Is that it?"

Was that it?! He sounded like she had asked for nothing of importance. Didn't he know the rules about electronics in the Pony School?!

"Um. Yes?" she ventured.

"Is that why Amethyst brought you in here?" the young man asked, quite shrewdly in Rosa's opinion.

"Yes."

The admission made her ears lower and that in turn made Will chuckle. "Don't worry about it," he said. "Your secret is safe with me."

Rosa scrambled to try and improve the impression she'd just given. "I still wanna come help sometimes. It's not hard work and I like cookies..."

That just made him laugh harder. "Okay, okay, I believe you. So, what kind of movies?"

Her ears perked up now that the plan had worked and she was about to get something nice for herself and her roommates. "Umm, a couple of romance ones, if you can? Maybe a comedy? Oh, and at least one action movie, please!" She needed to get something for the colts, or she'd never hear the end of it from Paolo.

Will nodded to himself. "Yeah, I've got a few suggestions. Okay, I'll get the movies and tell you or Amethyst when they're ready. I have to read up on how to get them on an iPad, too."

She reached over and hugged the young man in excitement. "Thank you!"

It was a good thing Rosa had just grabbed his shoulders, or the rotating stool would have thrown her off. As it was, she ended up giving Will a somewhat tighter hug than she'd intended.

"Oops, sorry!" the young mare squeaked in surprise.

He caught her around the waist - that was the second time in about as many hours - and again she felt how warm his hands were. She steadied herself with a hoof on the counter as quickly as she could and Will released her, much to the mare's relief. A little longer and she'd have started wondering how those hands would feel elsewhere.

Eep! Rosa looked around for something else to think about.

There was one dish left - a tartar sauce bowl. At least, she thought, Amethyst hadn't licked them clean as she washed. That would have really grossed Rosa out.

She finished the job and passed it over to Will, who wiped it dry and added it to the stack.

"There, I think that's all for now."

He inspected the dishes they'd cleaned up and grinned. "You're right. Good job!" he praised and then waved to the woman. "We're done over here, Mrs. Evelyn!" Will shouted.

The cook turned around and saw that the job was indeed finished, so she came closer to inspect the results. She examined the stack of plates and another of smaller bowls. "Nice job," she praised at last. "I didn't see Amethyst leave."

"Oh, she has classes. She was in a bit of a hurry, I think, so she didn't say bye."

The woman shrugged to herself. "Well, tell her thanks for me, will you? Now, let's get you something nice for your trouble!"

As the plump cook bustled away, Rosa shared a secret smile with Will and he patted her mane. "I'll see you around, I hope?"

"Yes!"

She'd have to remember to thank Amethyst later. Coming up with this idea to help the humans in the kitchen had been pure brilliance.

Carefully climbing down from the stool, Rosa gave the temp a big smile. "I'll come and help out sometimes if I don't have classes!" she promised.

He nodded at the young mare, then grabbed the stack of plates and took them away, probably to get them ready for the evening rush. Left alone, Rosa looked idly around the room, trying to guess at the function of some of those big, scary machines, until the cook returned with a small paper bag.

"Chocolate chip. You like chocolate chip, don't you?"

Rosa bobbed her head up and down in delight.

"Good. There's a couple for you and Amethyst and a few extra for your friends in the room. Don't tell anyone, it'll just be our little secret, okay?" The woman winked and Rosa nodded again, smiling happily. Even her tail swished around a little when the cook bent down and let the mare grab the bag with her mouth.

"'aanh 'oo!"

"You're welcome, sweetie. See you around!"

The ending credits started to roll and Rosa was finally able to budge her eyes from the tiny screen. The faint light illuminated just enough for her to see that there wasn't a dry muzzle under the blanket. Even her own eyes were wet and leaking. Next to her, Iskra sniffled and wiped her nose with a foreleg. Her wing, which had crept around Rosa and - undoubtedly - Amethyst on her other side, twitched in a faint hug.

"W-What is it called again?" the pegasus asked in a quiet, husky voice.

"Lake House," Rosa replied, not sounding much better.

Such a beautiful story. So very nearly heartbreaking there at the end, but so satisfying when Alex showed up just before it was over.

Rosa's gaze met Valentina's, who was lying across from her and they both smiled. For her the movie had been upside down, Rosa realized, but the mare hadn't complained.

Poking the device with her nose to stop it, Rosa couldn't help but let out a long, shuddering sigh. "That was beautiful."

There was a chorus of agreements and a few more sniffles. Iskra's wing pressed her friends against the pegasus once more.

"Can you get any m-more?" Felicity asked from the other side. She was perhaps doing better than the rest of the mares and didn't seem too affected by the romantic movie. She stood up and pulled the blanket off to get them all some much-needed fresh air.

The intrusion of the outside world dispelled the magic of the moment a little, but Rosa still nuzzled against Iskra, grateful to have her roommates with her. Had she watched the movie alone, she would undoubtedly have bawled her eyes out. It had all the makings of a very poignant tragedy and the happy ending just made it hit that much harder. It really put into perspective just how sad the movie could have been if Alex had in fact died in that car accident.

While Rosa was taking a couple of deep breaths, Iskra started talking with Amethyst in a reverential whisper. "Do you think they'll be happy together?" the pegasus asked.

Amethyst didn't even have to think about it: "Duh! Of course! Didn't you hear the letters?!"

As they discussed what they'd seen, Rosa gathered up the iPad and the headphones. Martin had kept the charger back so she wouldn't be tempted to steal the marvellous little device. In fact, she was to bring it back to them the minute the movie ended. It had been a condition for the mares borrowing it at all!

The headphones had worked pretty well, Rosa thought. Paolo had really outdone himself. The girls didn't even have to raise the volume all the way and the five of them had heard everything quite comfortably. Voices and music have sounded a bit tinny, but well worth the effort. It had been quite an experience.

"Um, I gotta take this back," Rosa explained as she slid the iPad into the small canvas bag one of the colts had scrounged up somewhere.

"Now?!" Valentina asked. "It's the middle of the night! Can't it wait until morning?"

Rosa had a suspicion she would try and watch another movie once the rest of the room fell asleep. The young mare had been positively entranced by the screen, even before they had started 'The Lake House'.

Taking the iPad away would actually be doing her a kindness, Rosa decided. "Sorry. I promised. I'll borrow it again sometime and I'll see if I can get more movies on it."

"I wouldn't mind watching this again," Iskra said. "It was wonderful!"

Amethyst reached over the pegasus so she could hug Rosa. "Thank you so much, Rosa! I love you!"

The young mare chuckled at the exclamation. They were all a bit emotional after the movie, but Rosa felt proud of herself for arranging that little bit of fun.

"Well, you helped me get it, remember? You're the one who knew Will from the kitchens!"

"Thank you!" Iskra exclaimed and wrapped poor Amethyst in her wings next. After a quick nuzzle she even started kissing her muzzle. "Thank you! Thank you!" she muttered between kisses.

Well, now Rosa knew what kind of movie to get to make Iskra happy.

Valentina stretched and slipped from the bed. "Anyway, I have classes in the morning, so if you don't mind, I'll turn in."

"Yeah, me too," Felicity added and followed suit.

Rosa scooped the headphones into the bag with the iPad, which just left the two ponies on Iskra's bed. That had been picked because it was the softest. Iskra had complained about her wings so she had gotten a special mattress for pegasi.

Right then, though, she and Amethyst seemed to be cuddling so Rosa just covered them both with their blanket and patted it a few times, gently, with her hoof. "Good night, you two," she told them.

She took the bag in her mouth, made her way to the door and leaned a careful ear to the wood. Now that she was thinking about it, maybe she should have left someone at the door in case the night guard came. On the other hand, both her and Felicity had good ears and they would probably have heard the footsteps.

In any case, it was too late for that, and besides, nothing had happened.

The hallway seemed quiet, so Rosa carefully pushed the door open and set hoof outside. It was tiles, loud compared to the carpet in the room, and she placed each step very cautiously so as not to make any noise. She shut the door behind her and started making her way down the hall to the colts' room.

As she was carefully walking, her ears kept alternating between fully upright to scan for any unusual sounds and completely flat out of guilt and embarrassment for all the rules she was breaking. It wasn't too bad what she was doing, Rosa told herself. It was just a fun movie for her and the girls and now she was taking the colts' iPad back to them. She was not disturbing anyone.

In fact, she was walking extra quietly so she wouldn't draw any attention. Rosa understood why the rule was there, but breaking it like this wasn't too bad, right? Still in deep thought, she made it to the correct door and gave it a very gentle knock. She heard a small gasp from inside and then hooves landing on the carpet. Rosa hoped it would be Paolo who opened the door.

It was! His familiar blue coat looked almost black in the dim light, but his mane was much lighter, unmistakably identifying the pegasus.

Rosa sat on her haunches and dropped the bag into her hooves so she could offer it to the other pony. "Hi! I brought the iPad back," she whispered.

"Oh!" The young colt smiled at her and that made her heart beat faster. She couldn't help grinning right back.

"How was the movie?"

Again Rosa sighed and closed her eyes as she remembered that last scene with the kiss. "We all loved it," she murmured. In the spur of the moment she laid the bag on the floor and reached over so she could hug the colt. "Thank you so, so much!"

She pressed his muzzle against hers while the colt stiffened in surprise. She gave him a quick nuzzle and that relaxed him right back until Rosa was almost worried he'd drag them both down to the floor. He couldn't, not a light pegasus like him, even if he was a colt, but his reaction almost made her giggle.

She guiltily remembered Amethyst's admonition not to get too close, but Rosa couldn't help it right then. The movie had been too romantic!

"Thanks," she whispered again and gave Paolo's cheek a small kiss.

"Mmmhm," the colt murmured, completely failing to say a word.

The young mare released him and nudged the bag closer to his hoof. Paolo didn't seem to notice it with his eyes closed and a cute little smile on his muzzle. He shifted and turned partly away, as if he was hiding something.

Rosa had a pretty good idea what he was trying to conceal and it made her blush heavily. Suddenly she didn't think it was a good idea to be out at night.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go back to bed. See you tomorrow."

That finally woke the colt up and he heaved a forlorn sigh. "Yeah. You can borrow this whenever you want, okay? I'll talk with Martin."

"Thanks!" She stood up and turned to leave, but Paolo's whisper made her pause.

"Um, Rosa?"

"Yes?"

When she glanced back, the colt couldn't quite meet her eyes. "Um, we could w-watch a movie... you know. Together. Sometime..."

He was having such trouble with the sentence that Rosa nearly giggled again. Her mischievous streak flared up and she knew the perfect reply. "Sure! I think the girls would like that!"

She was almost sorry when she saw the bewildered and disappointed look on his muzzle. "N-No!" he said quickly in a loud whisper. "I m-mean, um. I mean j-just us. You and, uh, me. You know?"

Rosa turned back to give him a quick nuzzle goodbye. "I know. Yes, maybe. Good night!"

With that she hurried away. She knew her hooves were loud and the sound seemed to echo across the hall, but for some reason she wanted to leave quickly, before her resolve weakened. Flirting was okay, but anything more serious would get them both in trouble. Paolo much more than her, in fact.

If she really did like the colt, she would make it clear to him that nothing could happen. Rosa decided she would let him dream that night and then have a heart to heart with him the next day after class. Who knew - maybe she could dream for one night as well? With the movie she had just seen, Rosa had a pretty good feeling what sort of a dream it would be.

Chapter 8: Momentous News

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Rosa was only a tiny bit sleepy after her late-night movie watching. It was nothing she couldn't handle and not even as bad as the few times she had had to study for a test until nearly morning. Today, however, the lesson was part of her Assistant Pony class and by all accounts a difficult one. She was on her way to the classroom when Rosemary caught up to Rosa and fell in step. She briefly bumped her flank against her sleepy friend in greeting.

"Hey Rosa," the younger mare greeted.

She was her assigned partner for the day's lesson and Rosa had just been thinking about how to find her. "Oh. Hello!"

Rosemary gave her a very friendly grin. "So, 'tard wrangling class today?"

The word made the older mare gasp. It was very, very discouraged to use it in the School, especially by Assistant Pony trainees, lest it slip out while they were on the job!

"Don't say that!" Rosa hissed in a whisper.

It just made Rosemary laugh and she tossed her orange mane out of her eyes. "It's okay, Rosa. Humor helps, you'll see."

Rosa didn't know what exactly she meant by it, but it was still best to drop the topic and pick another one. "You're almost finished with the program, right?"

"Mhm!" the mare answered with a happy nod. "Got my assignment the other week. I'm just helping Instructor Martha until the paperwork is done and then they're flying me away. East Coast." It sounded like she was happy with her placement.

"You already know what kind of a child you'll get?"

Again Rosemary nodded. "Sure! Twins, Down's. Six years old. Names Lucy and Sally."

It wasn't much to go on, but Rosa felt uplifted at the news. She envied Rosemary a little bit. "They sound lovely. I'm happy for you," she say with only a touch of a lie.

The other mare was perceptive and caught the words Rosa didn't say. "Don't worry, you'll get a good posting too, I'm sure! Especially after I teach you a few tricks today!"

Her envy quickly faded. Rosemary had worked hard to excel in her classes and deserved this chance.

"Thanks."

They both stopped at the classroom door, but then Rosemary simply pushed it open and went inside. Two humans were already present, Rosa spotted as she followed her classmate. Instructor Martha and a young man Rosa vaguely remembered who taught one of the other Profession programs. The middle of the room was cleared and all the desks and chairs had been pushed to the sides.

Their lesson today was a pretty 'physical' one, after all.

"Ah, zere you are, right on time!" the Instructor exclaimed and stood up from her desk. "Zis is Lucas, who will be helping us with our practice today." The man inclined his head and Rosa took a moment to mentally place him.

"Oh! The Delivery Pony program! It's nice to meet you, sir."

She extended a hoof upwards for a shake, but the human laughed good-naturedly and waved it away. "No need to get this formal with me, girl. Not with what we'll be practicing."

The memory of what the class entailed made her blush, but Rosa covered it with a grin.

Behind her, Rosemary slapped her forehooves together and smiled in expectation. "Okay, let's get this show on the road!"

Rosa gulped in an effort to try and calm down her breathing.

Luckily, Martha spotted how nervous the mare was and took pity. "Why don't we start with you, Rosemary?" the Instructor suggested. "Show us what you've learned."

The mare was happy to obey and stepped forward. Rosa hurriedly moved to the edge of the classroom and watched closely.

Lucas started by simply sitting down on the floor. For a moment Rosa thought that would make it too easy, but when Rosemary approached, his hand shot out and slapped her lightly on the muzzle.

The young mare giggled at the lucky hit, then darted forward, deftly dodging under Lucas' arm as he tried to push her away. In moments Rosemary was behind the sitting man, but he was already twisting his torso to follow the pony. It was too late - with incredible ease the mare hooked her forelegs under Lucas' shoulders and hugged him from behind.

Rosa thought she had already won, but the man didn't give up. He gave a little grunt as he pushed back and tried to dislodge the mare.

"Shhh, shhhh," Rosemary cooed to the man, as if he were one of the children from the other day. "It's okay," the mare said softly, "I've got you."

He wasn't quite willing to give up, so Lucas flailed his arms to try and land a blow on the mare. Rosa was not afraid he might hurt her, since earth ponies where strong enough to take even a grown man's punch with nothing more than a bruise.

"No, no, that's not fair!" Rosemary squeaked as she received a well placed slap on her rump. She quickly shifted her grip and managed to get her hind legs around the guy's waist.

Lucas grabbed her hooves on his belly and tried to pry them apart, but that was a big mistake. Almost effortlessly Rosemary shifted her forelegs around and pinned his arms to his body.

"Give up?" she asked, breathing heavily.

Lucas tried to free his arms for a few moments, visibly straining against the vice-grip of the pony wrapped around him, then he yielded. "Okay, okay, you got me," he said finally.

Beside Rosa, Instructor Martha clapped her hands together a few times in applause. "Zat was very well done," she praised.

Rosemary released her captive human and gave a slight bow. Both she and Lucas were grinning now and Rosa felt less nervous about her turn. Before he got up, the man patted the young mare on her back. "That was very neat, Rosemary. Good job."

She just nodded and returned to sit by Rosa's side. Her pink fur didn't seem any worse for wear, but there was a tangle or two in her mane - nothing serious.

Rosa hoped she would look half as good after her turn.

"You saw all zat, Rosa?" Martha asked.

"Yes, Instructor. Firm, but gentle," Rosa repeated the motto of this particular class. The moves Rosemary had demonstrated were nothing really new, and Rosa had practiced them before, but so far only on a child-sized doll, never on an actual human.

"Exactly right. Okay, now you show us."

Lucas grinned and winked at her! It threatened to bring the blush back, but Rosa shook her head and put her mind to the task. This time, it looked like he would crouch, no doubt to try and avoid her grip. Rosa approached him slowly. It would take cunning and strength to capture the man without hurting him.

Meanwhile, Martha repeated some of the lesson: "Remember Rosa - ze goal is to immobilize a problematic child as quickly as possible. You must not allow for ze furniture to get damaged, or especially for ozer people to get hurt, yes?"

"Of course, Instructor," the young mare confirmed.

"You must also grab ze child in such a way zat he might be administered medication or food while you hold him."

The grip from behind which Rosemary had displayed was a favourite. It put a young human entirely under a mare's control, until an adult could be summoned to take charge of the situation. Sometimes, Assistant Ponies were also expected to gently immobilize their charge until their parents could give them any pills they might need, or wash them, or change their clothes. For some reason, being held by a pony seemed more like a hug, or play-wrestling, than restraint to most of these poor, damaged humans. It caused them a lot less stress than if another human were to try it. It was a minor duty, but an important one. Rosa needed to impress with this.

She squared her shoulders and prepared her plan of attack for Lucas. Of course he wouldn't make it easy on her. If he did, Instructor Martha would be angry with both Rosa and him, and rightly so.

Before she had a chance to overthink it, Rosa lunged, trusting her instincts to do what needed to be done.

After all, it was almost like wrestling...

Rosa settled back into the rhythm of school life. The hole where Maribelle should have been, hurt, especially at night, but she kept going with her other friends. Luckily, it didn't seem anyone else was likely to get a cutie mark, so that was a relief.

There had been one particular night when Amethyst started crying and Rosa went to comfort her with a nuzzle, then ended up cuddling with her and swapping stories about Maribelle until morning.

God, she missed that filly!

Rosa pushed her half-eaten bowl of porridge away and sighed. That was fine, she wasn't really hungry and she also had classes in twenty minutes. There was just time enough to go freshen up in her room and say good morning to her roommates.

Getting up, Rosa slid the tray on her back and took it to the window in the wall. It took her a moment to recognize the cook who accepted it.

"Oh, hi Mrs. Evelyn," the mare greeted politely.

"Aw, something's got you down sweetheart?"

Rosa shook her head and forced a grin for the kind woman. "It's just early, but thanks for asking!"

The woman returned the smile and reached over the window to pat her. Rosa raised her head up to make it easier for her. A good head pat was always welcome, no matter her mood.

"Coming to help us for the evening rush tonight?" the cook asked hopefully.

Rosa wasn't planning to, but the question made her change her mind. There was a report she had to write and was hoping to get a head start in the evening, but it could wait until the next day. "Actually, I think I will. Maybe it'll take my mind off..." she said, but trailed off as she didn't want to whine.

The woman reached somewhere beside her and then looked around if anyone was watching. "Here," she said in a quieter voice and held her hand out to Rosa.

It was a sugar lump and the mare's moth chomped down on it almost without her conscious control. That brought a genuine smile back to her muzzle. "Thank you!"

Mrs. Evelyn simply chuckled and Rosa bowed her head to her before leaving. As she made her way up the stairs she mused at how strange the world was. Humans could be so understanding and kind, but then there was the mother-and-foal thing, or the cutie mark thing, or the bars on windows and guards at night.

Sometimes Rosa got a really bad feeling about the school and she was both afraid and ashamed of her thoughts. She wondered if she should mention them to Martha. The Instructor had probably heard all sorts of things from the ponies under her care, so she might know what it meant or what to do.

For some reason, the idea of explaining her fears to the human scared Rosa even more. She shook her head to dislodge the worrisome thought just as she arrived on her floor.

There was a very young filly sitting beside her door, but Rosa didn't pay her any mind. Maybe she was waiting for one of her roommates to wake up. It wasn't uncommon for the more diligent ponies to be assigned younger partners to help guide them.

"Morning," Rosa said politely.

"Oh!" the young thing squeaked, suddenly nervous. She didn't look the older mare in the eye. "Um, miss Rosa?" she asked.

"Yes?" Rosa stopped and glanced over at the clock above the window at the end of the hall. Time was moving and she couldn't spend too long chatting with random ponies.

"Uh, I'm here-" she began, but thought better of it. "Well, um, Instructor Martha asked me to get you... c-can you go to her office right away?"

This was very unusual. Rosa had never experienced being called like that, nor had she ever heard of anyone else being summoned in this manner. She wondered what urgent news the Instructor might have and her breath caught.

Maybe it was about Maribelle?! The mare had been in Rosa's thoughts for most of the morning, maybe that was a sign?

The filly seemed to be waiting for a response.

"Thank you for telling me. I know the way, you can go to your class. Uh, what's your name?"

"L-L-Lacey, miss," she squeaked nervously.

Rosa made sure to give her a warm smile. "That's a lovely name. What room are you in?"

"O-One Bee," came the shaky reply.

Rosa did a bit of mental mapping and nodded to herself. She was a floor below Rosa's room, a couple of doors away from being Rosemary's neighbor. "That's nice. Run along now, sweetheart."

In the spur of the moment she decided to save her cookies from helping Mrs. Evelyn tonight and bring them to Lacey and her roommates as a treat. After all, Rosa had fond memories of some older mare doing the exact same thing a few times when she was a little filly.

As her new friend scurried away, Rosa looked at her dorm room and tried to decide if she should powder her muzzle and put on the scent, but decided against it. If Martha had sent a pony to fetch her, it must be really important. It wouldn't be nice to keep her waiting a minute longer than it was necessary.

Rosa turned smartly and trotted back down the stairs and towards the Instructor's office.

Instructor Martha opened the door and flashed her a quick smile. "Oh, Rosa. Come in, come in."

She seemed a bit uneasy and that made the mare nervous as she followed her into the room. There were two other people present. She recognized Sally Gaeta from the Placement Office and Ian Freely.

The thin lady with a friendly face was the human who ultimately decided where each pony went. Beside her was the tall, bearded figure of Mr. Freely, the school headmaster.

Rosa was suddenly very aware of her illicit help in the kitchen and her shenanigans with the colts and their iPad. Surely they weren't going to expel her for that, were they? She nearly whimpered in fright and her tail tucked tightly between her hind legs even as her ears folded down.

"Come here, sit," Instructor Martha said and pushed a low chair closer to the pony.

Just in time, too. Rosa didn't think she could take another step, or remain standing for five more seconds, not with the way her legs had gone all weak. She sat down gratefully and tried her very best not to tremble. She risked a glance at the two faces before her, while the Instructor went back to sit at her desk. They didn't look mad. If anything, Rosa would say Mrs. Gaeta was worried and Mr. Freely was determined.

Despite whatever they were going to do to her, there was such a thing as manners. Rosa had been raised to be polite, so she did her best. "Um, h-hello," she managed with a very shaky voice.

"Yes, right. Rose-ah," Mr. Freely began. She didn't correct him.

The Placement Director Gaeta put her hand on the headmaster's sleeve. "Actually, it's pronounced 'Rosa', Ian."

The man inclined his head. "My apologies. Another one of yours, Martha, I see. You really do pick the strangest names."

The Instructor just grinned. "A small somezing to remind me of home, headmaster."

He had already forgotten about it and was addressing Rosa instead: "Now, Miss Rosa. The reason we asked you here today is to give you some good news."

Her muzzle fell open. Good news?! That was surely a joke, or a mistake. She hadn't done anything noteworthy and most of the things she had been up to lately were against school rules. If the man was trying to use humor to ease the punishment he was doing a poor job of it.

Rosa still forced her mouth closed and inclined her head. "Yes, H-Headmaster."

Sally took it from there. "It seems, Rosa, that a... unique position has opened up. An opportunity, really."

The mare glanced from the woman to Instructor Martha, but she couldn't read anything in their faces. "Op-Opportunity?"

The bearded Mr. Freely sighed and brought his hands together, crossing his fingers as if he was going to pray. His thumbs began to circle each other. "We don't want to beat about the bush, Rosa. A very important benefactor to this School has specifically requested your services. It's not exactly what you've been training for, but it's a limited duration contract and I think it would be a good learning experience for you."

It took a moment for the words to make sense. Rosa was a little afraid of the Headmaster so she addressed her question to Mrs. Gaeta. "I'm being p-placed, ma'am?" she squeaked.

The woman smiled, but Rosa could see it was forced. "That's right, Rosa. I know it's a little sudden, but the job is not onerous and you would be well cared for. The assignment is for two years and then you would come back to finish your Assistant Pony training." She leaned a bit closer in her chair and lowered her voice a tiny amount: "If you do well, I'll make sure you have a choice in your next assignment, okay?"

Rosa still couldn't make heads or tails about the situation, so she fell back on a certainty she did know: "B-But my t-training isn't done. I still have another y-year..." Her eyes sought out Instructor Martha for support.

The woman sighed and lowered her gaze. "Zat is true," she confirmed, "but you have been doing exceedingly well in your lessons, Rosa. Besides, zis is not an Assistant Pony position."

"What k-kind of a position is it?"

Sally answered that one: "This is more like a housemaid. Nothing too hard - dusting, sweeping, washing, laundry..."

The way her voice had trailed off told Rosa that there was more, but the woman didn't want to say it.

Again, the headmaster seemed to grow impatient: "Damn it woman, just come out and say it. You'll also have to take care of his two children, Rosa. There, that's it. A maid and a nanny, is that so hard to say?"

For a moment the mare was stunned. They had said it wasn't an Assistant Pony position. That could only mean...

"T-The children do not have Special Needs?" she quavered.

"No, nothing like that," Mr. Freely explained. "They're just two normal kids. Besides, they're seven and twelve, so at most you'll have to make them meals and clean up their rooms, nothing onerous. Really, Sally, you're making a bigger deal out of this than it has to be."

The people fell silent and waited for Rosa's response. She looked from the headmaster's impatient face, to Sally's uncomfortable grimace and then to Martha's impenetrable stony expression.

Still lost, she clung to what she knew. "B-But I'm studying for Assistant P-Pony. Some c-children with Special Needs... um, need me."

Sally got up from her chair and came to crouch beside Rosa. She laid a hand in her mane and the mare welcomed the comfort. Sally's face softened and she smiled. "You're a very sweet pony, Rosa. I promise you will get to do that, just - a bit later. We'll make sure no needy child goes wanting while you're on this assignment, okay?"

"Jesus, it's not like she has a choice," Mr. Freely said behind Sally and it made Rosa's ears flop down again. He was right. If they gave her this assignment, she would have no choice but to take it. It wasn't what she wanted, but at least there would be two children she would care for. Rosa could be a good pony and help them a little along the way. It would still put the skills she'd learned to good use.

Besides, she didn't want to let neither Sally nor Martha down in front of the Headmaster.

"I'll be happy to h-help, Mrs. Gaeta," Rosa said with as much of a smile as she could muster.

"That's a good girl," the woman praised. "Don't worry, there's still some paperwork to finish. You will start next Monday, so you can go and say goodbye to all your friends."

An unwelcome memory of Maribelle crept into Rosa's mind. She hadn't had a chance to say bye. "W-What should I tell them?"

"The truth," Sally answered. "It's just an assignment, Rosa. A bit unorthodox because Mr. Boone asked for you specifically, but still just an assignment."

Rosa hadn't heard the name yet, but she committed it to memory. Her new boss, Mr. Boone.

"Why m-me?"

Instructor Martha had the answer to that one. "He came to see your class with ze children a few weeks ago and he was quite impressed by how you handled ze situation."

"O-Oh."

Sally brushed her mane with her fingers and then leaned in to give Rosa's nose a kiss. "That's it. We're all very proud of your progress, sweetheart. You have my personal guarantee you'll finish your training for Assistant Pony and then..."

She looked back at the Headmaster, who shrugged.

Sally continued: "It's not exactly customary to let ponies pick their assignments, but we'll make an exception for you, okay?"

That would be an amazing boon. Rosa could choose the poor child where she would do the most good. She could make sure it was a young girl, because she thought those needed the most encouragement. She could even pick a family that wasn't well off, so they finally get something nice in their lives. The Assistant Pony program was partially financed by the Government, but most ponies went to wealthy families despite that, which made Rosa a little sad. People who would need her services the most would end up deprived.

Except now she could change that! It was already making her heart glow with warmth and the smile she gave Sally was genuine this time. "Thank you, Mrs. Gaeta."

She chuckled and bopped the mare on the nose with a finger. "Just Sally, okay?" Then she stood up and returned to her seat. "Great. Thank you for your help, Martha. I'll go and get the paperwork started."

"Yeah, you do that," Mr. Freely answered instead of the Instructor. "I'll go call Mr. Boone and tell him."

They both filed out of the room and Rosa was left with Martha, who watched her a little strangely. "I know zis is not what you thought would happen, but it is still a good opportunity, Rosa. Make us proud and you'll find your future a lot easier, okay?"

Rosa nodded to the Instructor.

"Now run along to your class. If zey ask you why you're late, tell zem to speak to me, okay?"

Again, the mare bobbed her head, but this time she added her voice so she wouldn't be impolite: "Yes, Instructor. Thank you."

Then she slipped from her chair and left the office. Rosa was still dazed from the momentous news she had gotten just then, but she decided she was feeling optimistic. True, the assignment would be easy and unworthy of her training and talents, but that didn't mean she couldn't do a good job. This Mr. Boone was a benefactor for the school, Mr. Freely had said. Perhaps if Rosa really impressed him, he'd donate more money and it would make life better for all the fillies and colts.

It was all up to her and Rosa was determined to to a very good job!

Chapter 9: Goodbyes

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Rosa's news came as a shock to all her roommates. Iskra in particular didn't seem to want to let her go as she sniffled with her face pressed against her neck.

"Hush, sweetie. It's just an assignment. A little earlier than I expected, but just two years."

The pegasus managed to unstick her muzzle long enough to give Rosa a sorrowful look. "Yes, but by then I'll be on my assignment and so will the others." Her wailing was really starting to affect everyone.

"We'll stay in touch, I promise! Instructor Martha said I can send her letters and she'll pass them on to you."

The pony squeezing her almost in twain wasn't too comforted by the promise at all. Rosa really wished Iskra would stop weeping, or else she herself might start as well. A glance at her other friends told her they felt the same. Even Amethyst, despite her forced smile.

"This isn't forever, okay? Who knows, maybe I can visit sometimes, and I already promised I'll write," Rosa argued.

Valentina gathered up her courage and stepped closer to pry the crying pegasus off her friend's shoulder. "We know, Rosa. We trust you."

"Besides, this is an amazing opportunity. I'll have two little humans to watch over and Mr. Boone might donate some more money to the School. That way you all get nice things!"

It sounded hollow, even to Rosa, but such was life. She had always known she would part from her roommates someday. It had just been bumped up a little. This would have been her final year no matter what, but Rosa decided not to point that out.

"We're really happy for you," Felicity piped up with a brave smile on her muzzle. "We all believe in you, right girls?"

There was a chorus of vaguely affirmative squeaks.

Rosa decided to spill the surprise she had been saving up and lighten the mood. "Instruct Martha said we can have a going-away party. She'll get us some sweet punch and chips, and she'll let us borrow a few board games from the rec room."

The news helped a little and the roommates were starting to smile for real. Rosa still hadn't told Paolo, but at least that solved her indecision about the colt. Definitely nothing would happen with him now.

Her first real assignment. True, it was not one she had been expecting, but it was close enough. A bit of light housework, which Rosa didn't mind, and taking care of two lovely children.

Just as she started wondering what they would be like, Amethyst jabbed a hoof in her side. "Hey, snap out of it. You belong to us for the next four days, okay?"

The forceful way she had said it made Rosa smile. "Okay," she agreed.

"Good. So go get the iPad from the colts and let's watch another movie!"

It did sound good, except... "I'd love to, but I have to finish my homework."

"Subject?" Felicity asked curtly.

"Geometry."

The mare made her way to the locker beside Rosa's bed and opened it.

"What are you doing?"

She barely glanced back. "I'll finish it for you, while you get the movie started. I don't mind missing a bit of it."

That was completely not the point of homework and Rosa opened her muzzle to say so, but Valentina blocked her mouth with a hoof. "She's right," she said. "Who cares about homework now. Get the movies."

She also prodded the other mare at Rosa's side: "Amethyst, you probably have something from the kitchen stashed behind your bed, right?"

Rosa's head spun around. "You know? Since when!?"

"A few days," Valentina answered, blushing a little. "I asked Amethyst why she and you were late Tuesday night."

Her partner-in-crime didn't hesitate as she went to her bed. There was a scraping sound and a rustle as she moved it aside and brought out a chocolate. "I was saving this," she said as she hobbled back on three legs so she can hold the treasure out to Rosa, "but I think now is a good time."

It was one of those big, milky chocolate bars with hazelnuts. Rosa gaped at it for a moment, then looked up to Amethyst's face.

"Will gave it to me," she admitted, her normally apricot muzzle going pink.

Both roommates looked at Rosa expectantly and she wondered what they wanted.

"Um, the iPad?" Valentina pointed out.

"Oh! Right! Sorry!" Rosa nearly hoofed herself in the face.

Even Iskra seemed to be cheering up a little as Rosa made her way to the door. It was early enough that the guard hadn't yet come around to check on them, so ponies were still visiting with their friends in other rooms. Maybe it would seem a bit strange if whichever human was on duty tonight found her with the colts, but they probably wouldn't make a fuss, other than remind her to be back in her dorm before ten.

"I'll be right back. Let's hope they let me have it tonight..."

Felicity looked up from the desk. "Tell them it's your last week. They can't say no if it's your last chance."

It sounded reasonable.

"You're what?" Paolo asked in wide-eyed shock.

"I got my assignment. I'm leaving on Monday," Rosa explained again.

The other colts were also staring at her, but none seemed as disappointed as her pegasus friend.

"B-But you c-can't," Paolo stuttered a little. "I was- we were..." His words failed him and his ears flopped down. He even blushed a little. "I really like you."

"You can still do it, you know?" Martin pointed out. "Just hide in the shower. Adonai can stay at the door and listen for the guard."

Rosa's cheeks began to look as red as the wrapper on Amethyst's chocolate. So did Paolo's, for that matter.

The older colt looked from her to Paolo and back. "What? I thought you were going to do it. Should've done it, anyway."

"B-But it's-" Rosa mumbled, then fell back to more certain ground: "It's against the rules."

All the colts looked at her strangely after that. Then Martin and Jon started laughing and even Adonai had to hold a wing over his muzzle.

"I'm not like that!" Paolo muttered at his roommate angrily. "We were... just friends." The loss in his voice was palpable.

"Hmph," Martin huffed, then stepped between Rosa and the miserable pegasus. "Well, his loss," the large colt told her. "I can still give it to you good. Y'know, a going away present. If that featherbrain pipsqueak doesn't want it."

Her mouth gaped and Rosa unconsciously shrank away and hunched her shoulders, trying to look small and unattractive.

It didn't quite work and Martin leered a bit at her. "Got a cute rump there, I wouldn't mind giving that a go."

"N-NO!" she finally managed.

Martin shrugged to himself, but didn't seem too disappointed. "Shame, but suit yourself."

Rosa nearly rushed out of there, but she didn't want to face her roommates without the promised movie. "Can you let me borrow the iPad a few times before I have to go?"

The insulting colt leaned his head to the side and looked at her appraisingly. Rosa just knew he'd demand something in return. Something she would be unwilling to give.

She was just about to sigh and walk away, when Martin spoke up. "Sure."

"You will?!"

There was an inkling of gratitude working through the mountain of annoyance at his forward manner. She might be willing to forgive him if he let her borrow the iPad every night until Monday.

"You're leaving Monday, right? Bring it back before breakfast."

Rosa almost couldn't believe it. That sounded downright decent of-

"Oh," the colt interrupted her thoughts. "That is, if you'd do us all a little favour. Especially my good friend Paolo here." With that, Martin grabbed his pegasus roommate and pulled him into an unwelcome hug. Poor Paolo was still quite red in the face and wouldn't meet Rosa's eyes.

"What?" she asked slowly and cautiously, not wanting to appear as if she was agreeing to anything.

"Oh, nothing much," Martin said and his muzzle split into a wide, insolent grin. Even his eyes twinkled as he winked at her. "When you leave, just make sure to... sway a bit."

"S-Sway?"

He heaved a sigh at having to explain it. "You know, tail up, hips moving, give us a look at what this filly has to offer."

It was downright shameful and Rosa's blush undoubtedly said so. She wasn't sure if he was asking for it just to see her squirm, or if he might actually get some perverse pleasure from seeing her rump.

Even his roommates didn't seem too comfortable with the idea.

"Martin, I-" Jon started, but the leader held up a hoof and Jon fell silent.

"Come on, sweetie," he cooed gently, "it's not so much to ask, is it? You can have the charger too, so you and your friends can watch all the movies as much as you want, no?"

Rosa really did want to make her friends happy. It would make for amazing last few days, not to mention that they all had Sunday off so they could see some of their favourite movies over again.

Her ears couldn't go any lower, but Rosa swallowed nervously and let her breath out. Martin's grin widened even before she said it.

"O-Okay."

"Splendid!" the pony praised. "Adonai, give her the bag."

The pegasus was a bit slow to move, but after an annoyed glance from their unofficial leader the pony went to a locker and dug through some old notebooks. He brought out the iPad and accessories in their bag and took them over to Rosa. Their muzzles touched as she took it from him and he whispered: "Sorry about him," just before her pulled back. No one else could have heard it.

"Now your part of the bargain," Martin insisted.

Paolo tried to squirm free, but he couldn't win against earth pony strength. "Martin, don't-"

"Hush!" the bully commanded. "This is mainly for you, Paolo. It's what you've been clopping to in the bathroom, isn't it?"

The poor pegasus only whimpered in embarrassment.

In fact, Rosa felt so sorry for him that she don't even mind hearing about... what he had been doing. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, Paolo, okay?" she said, making sure she was smiling.

The pegasus just nodded.

Then she took a deep breath and slowly turned around. She glanced back where Martin was staring at her hungrily, while the others were modestly averting their gazes.

Paolo was squeezing his eyes firmly shut, determined not to look. Maybe he was a bit of a gentlecolt, Rosa thought. He definitely didn't deserve a roommate like Martin.

Still, she had made a promise even if her face was burning so hot that Rosa was afraid it might char the door. She took a step forward.

"Tut, tut!" Martin cautioned.

Her ears went down, but Rosa obediently lifted her tail up. With the next hoofstep she made sure her rump swayed from one side to the other. There was no more admonition from behind, so she focused her eyes on the door and tried to get through it as quickly as possible. She was unused to this strange gait, so Rosa nearly lost her balance a few times before she reached the doorknob and the safety of the corridor.

A wave of relief flowed through her when she slammed the door shut and clamped her tail back down as tightly as it would go. She could almost physically feel Martin's eyes on her... bits.

It made her feel dirty.

No one had said anything, even while she had been half expecting Martin to whistle or comment something inappropriate. Maybe the silence was worse. No doubt he had quite enjoyed the view. Not the others, she didn't think. They were all just as embarrassed as her.

It might be a good thing that she was leaving soon. Rosa was not sure she could look any of those colts in the face after that little show.

A word formed in her mind and she tried to push it down. Slut.

At the very least she got the iPad on loan for the next few days. Surely that was worth it, wasn't it? Its weight was reassuring in her mouth and Rosa quickly made her way to her own room. The guard might come to check and ask what she had in the bag. She hadn't really thought about that scenario and it suddenly worried her deeply. If she said it was some notebooks to help with her homework they shouldn't care too much, but there was always the danger that they might check.

That would be really bad.

Luckily Rosa saw neither pony nor human on her way and she was soon back in her room. Only then did she relax.

"You got it!" Iskra exclaimed. "Here! Try this!"

She rushed over on three legs so she could cram a bit of chocolate in Rosa's mouth. Her wing expertly hooked the bag so Rosa could spit it out just in time.

Sweet, sugary, chocolate-y goodness coated her tongue, taking away some of the embarrassment she had just been through.

"You okay?" Amethyst asked. She had always been good at reading other ponies.

"Fine," Rosa answered while chewing.

Amethyst leaned her head to the side as she didn't quite believe it. "Okay, if you say so."

She would undoubtedly drill Rosa about it later. Her only hope was that she'd like the movie and forget about her question.

"Here, set this up? I'll just grab a quick shower." Rosa had showered only that morning, but after the little show she had put on she really wanted one more. Maybe hot water would make her forget, and if that didn't work, chocolate and movies might.

Worth a try.

Rosa caught up to Paolo in the park, just after lunch. She couldn't keep her ears up, partly because of the residual embarrassment and partly because it was already Saturday afternoon and she hadn't had a chance to speak with the colt yet.

"Hey..."

He looked at her listlessly. "Hey," he replied, eyes and voice downcast. After a moment he glanced back at the mare with a small blush. "Um, sorry about Martin. He thought he was being funny."

"Forget it," she told him.

"I swear I wasn't-" the colt began, twirling around so he blocked Rosa's path. "I wouldn't... do what he said. You know. Thinking about you."

He didn't have to spell it out and Rosa gave him a quick hug, mainly to stop him from saying it. "Don't worry. I don't mind."

It came as a bit of a shock, but the thought of Paolo finding her so attractive he had to 'handle' it by himself in the bathroom was at the same time cute and strangely warming. Besides, she probably wouldn't see him again after tomorrow, so there was that.

"Rosa, I-"

She squeezed him harder. "Shush."

When she pulled back, he had tears in his eyes. "I really like you," he said, looking down at his hooves.

"I know. I like you too."

He heaved a sigh and sat down, right down on the pavement. "D'you think- if- if you didn't have to leave, we could... we might..."

Rosa touched her nose to his. "I don't know. Maybe. You know the rules."

True, she had been considering breaking it off with him just to play it safe, but now she was starting to think she would have let it happen. Slowly, carefully, but yes. The realization turned her cheeks nice and pink.

"Sorry it happened this way," she tried to get the dialogue back on the right track. "This is a huge opportunity for me - and for the School!"

Again he sighed. "Yeah, I know. I wish..."

He didn't finish, but Rosa knew what he had wanted to say. "Yeah, me too."

The colt sniffled and turned his tear-filled eyes on her. It nearly broke her silly little heart. "D'you think- maybe," he asked, hesitantly, "we'll see each other again? S-Someday?"

It took effort to keep her smile, but Rosa made sure she did. "I hope so. Maybe it'll be a different place. Maybe we can... get to know each other better."

"It's not fair, you know," Paolo grumbled, his entire body sagging so much that his wing feathers were starting to drag on the ground.

It looked like he might go full waterworks, so Rosa hugged and nuzzled him to distract the colt from his thoughts. "I know, but it's not so bad. At least- nothing happened."

She didn't think she could have stood it if there had been a romance between her and Paolo, which this news would have broken up so suddenly and prematurely. Maybe it was a piece of luck neither of them had moved faster.

"Yeah, I know," the pegasus agreed, sighing against her neck. His breath was incredibly warm.

Rosa didn't know why, but she pulled her face away, only a little, so she could catch his lips. It wasn't a perfect kiss. Probably not even a good one, since she didn't know what she was doing, really. It was just a kiss. It lasted a few seconds and then she withdrew. Belatedly she realized they were out in the open and glanced around hurriedly.

No one around, thank god.

That could have been a bad mistake.

At least it had been worth it. Paolo was left with his eyes closed and an almost-smile on his muzzle.

"Something to remember me by, okay? Who knows, maybe we'll come back from assignments at the same time."

The colt opened his eyes and Rosa couldn't help noticing what a lovely shade of violet they were. She had to glance away before she got lost.

"M-Maybe," he agreed, tentatively.

"If I do a good job on this, Mrs. Gaeta says I can pick my next appointment. I'll ask her when yours ends and if she can find me one that ends around the same time. Then we'll get a couple of weeks, okay?"

Her optimistic tone was working and the pegasus was now really smiling, even if it was a sad smile. "Okay."

"And who knows, if we both do well, we might get into the breeding program. You know they let you choose your first, right?"

His ears went all flat. Rosa wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment or something else, but Paolo turned away. "I d-dunno about that," he muttered.

"Well, they do. So- you know. Something to look forward to."

"Y-Yeah," he said in a husky, scratchy voice.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine."

Rosa swore she would never understand colts and their bouncy, rapidly-changing emotions. She gave Paolo a quick hug from behind. "Anyway, we're allowed to have a small going-away party tomorrow. I'll ask Instructor Martha if you can come, too."

"Okay. Thanks."

Lacking any other response, she gave Paolo's neck a nuzzle, then patted his shoulder. "Good luck, Paolo. I'll come say bye tomorrow if Martha says no."

It would mean facing Martin and the other colts, but she would brave that for a proper goodbye. Her sneaky mind supplied the word 'kiss' after 'goodbye' and Rosa blushed. It was a good thing Paolo wasn't looking.

"Bye!"

"Yeah. Bye."

He was acting a little strange, but maybe he was just trying hard not to cry in front of her. She had to leave before she made it harder than it needed to be. Rosa slowly turned around and went back to the dorm building, mind already returning to where it had been before she met Paolo on the way.

Amethyst had gotten her kitchen-friend Will to give her a few more movies. Something appropriate for a goodbye. She said they were about a dog called 'Lassie'. Rosa was kind of looking forward to them, to tell the truth. What little Will had shared with her friend had sounded very moving.

As she trotted, she started to hum a little melody to herself. She usually didn't notice it, and when she did Rosa couldn't remember where she had heard it. It was just something she'd always hummed when she was particularly happy, or particularly sad.

Maybe it was from TV or something, perhaps one of the few School-approved programs they were allowed to watch. Probably a commercial, Rosa thought. Those usually had catchy tunes. She put it out of her mind, but she kept humming it as she walked, nodding to both ponies and humans she met along the way.

Most of them waved back or smiled. By now they had all heard about her amazing opportunity and were happy for the chance she was getting. Rosa swore to herself she would do well by Mr. Boone and make sure the School got some more money.

If she was really lucky, she might even be able to suggest an improvement or two for the ponies when she delivered the news to Mrs. Gaeta and Headmaster Freely.

Chapter 10: The Household

View Online

It had happened too fast. No, really. Rosa had barely slept what felt like a few minutes after her going away party on Sunday and suddenly it was Monday morning and she was getting out of the car at the Boone Manor. It was the only title that sounded appropriate. The house was a big, decorated, and imposing affair in terracotta and stone, with what looked like miles of hedges and flowerbeds.

It was two storeys tall and the few glimpses she could catch through the windows showed her the lavish decoration inside. Rosa almost felt like she was dreaming. It was a wealthy and classy place, where the decor and architecture alone inspired awe. It was lucky for her to get to live there for a while!

Instructor Martha opened the door for Rosa and the mare jumped down from the seat. She took a quick glance in the shiny metal of the car door to make sure she looked presentable. Mane was still fine, tail nice and combed, fur almost sparkling clean.

It would do nicely.

While Rosa examined herself from nose to hooves, the Instructor opened the trunk and pulled out her bags. She didn't have much stuff, but all of it was in there. Mainly a mane brush, a coat brush, a tooth brush and a few pieces of cloth she owned. A scarf and a coat for cold, wet weather and a special umbrella wide enough to cover Rosa and which she could hold in her mouth.

Practical stuff.

There was also the simple make-up kit Martha had gotten her and what was left of her perfume bottle.

"Zere. All set?" the woman asked as she laid the bags over Rosa's back.

"Mhm!" She gave the woman a quick hug around her legs. "Thank you!"

Martha ruffled her mane, but Rosa didn't mind. Most humans found a bit of a ruffle more cute than perfectly combed. "Just remember all zat you learned and you will be fine. Now come on, let's get you introduced."

The pony followed her Instructor to the front door, where Martha pressed a button on the wall. A deep, rich-sounding bell played, just once.

Even the doorbell was classy!

It wasn't long before a balding man came to open. Rosa was wondering if the Boones had a butler, but Martha shook his hand and greeted, confirming the man's identity.

"Ah, good morning, Mr. Boone. I have brought ze pony."

The man looked Rosa over and stepped aside so they could enter. "Good. May I invite you for a cup of coffee, Mrs?" He left the unspoken question hanging in the air.

"Agnesha. Zank you, but I should be going. I still have some classes to teach today."

"Of course," Mr. Boone said with a nod. "Come on then, let's get you settled."

That last part was meant for Rosa and the mare scurried inside. She was not sure if she should offer to shake his hand or not, but Martha saved the moment again.

"You already know young Rosa. Please call me if she is any trouble, okay?"

Rosa's ears flopped down, but the man laughed at the good-natured joke. "I'm sure Rosa will do an exemplary job, won't you?"

"Of course, Mr. Boone," she hastily assured him.

The Instructor gave Rosa's new Master a card with her details, then said goodbye and left. Rosa imagined she felt her last scratch of her ears lingering for a while. She looked up at the man.

Luckily he knew how the situation should go. "This way. I'll show you where you'll sleep." He started walking and Rosa gratefully followed. Something to do made the situation a lot less awkward.

She still didn't like the silence, so she cleared her throat and tried to lessen it. "I u-understand I'll help out with chores around the house and with the children, sir?"

She was watching carefully and Mr. Boone nodded in approval at her initiative. "Yes. Nothing difficult, but I'll expect certain standards of behaviour from you. Benjamin is twelve, so he does most of the things for himself, but I will expect you to watch him despite that, understand?"

"Yes, sir. I'm looking forward to helping out."

Again the barest hint of a nod, before the man continued. "Then there's Lillian. I'm hoping you will get her to engage more. She's too quiet. We hardly know what she's thinking, most of the time."

By this time they had reached the top of the stairs and Rosa looked around curiously. The hallway had a purple carpet on the floor and a couple of cupboards at the end. On one side was a railing, which overlooked the living room below and on the other there were a series of doors. She wondered if one of them was hers.

Suddenly Rosa realized that she had been silent and Mr. Boone was waiting. "Oh! Of course. Most ponies are very good with children, Mr. Boone. I've had special training."

"Good. Now for some ground rules," the man continued smoothly and started walking again. "Number one: the safety of my children is far more important than yours, do you understand?"

Rosa gulped, but forced a nod. It was no different than what Instructor Martha had always taught her ponies, but she didn't expect a client to say it that bluntly.

Still, he had every right to be concerned, of course.

"Fully, sir. You can trust me with their care," she said meekly.

"Second, you are to do everything I or my wife tell you, without question or delay."

That one was also reasonable. When someone got a pony to help out, they had to be sure they could trust her to follow instructions. It was a little strange Boone didn't include his children in the list of people who could give Rosa orders, though.

"Yes. W-What about the children?"

For the first time, Mr. Boone smiled approvingly. "Nicely spotted. The answer to that is rather complicated. I want you to humor Benjamin and Lillian as much as you can, but use your common sense. If you're not sure, come to me or their mother, okay?"

"Fully understood, sir."

They had reached the last door and the man pushed it open. Rosa craned her head around the frame to peer curiously inside.

"One last thing," Boone said.

It was a luxurious room, at least compared to the School. The bed was a bit high, since it was no doubt made for a human, but the mattress looked a lot thicker than the ones in Rosa's dorm, even compared to Iskra's.

There was a lot of pristine, white furniture around - wardrobes, dressers, a writing desk, bedside table. Rosa looked down and noted with relief that at least the carpet was the same dark purple as in the hall. It would have been tricky if it was white. Humans could take their shoes off, but she didn't have that luxury with hooves, and every trace of dirt would have been instantly visible.

The bedclothes were, once again, white, but that was okay. Rosa looked around for a bathroom, but there was no door out of her room except to the hallway. She could ask about that later, though.

All those things paled in comparison when her eyes landed on the window. She couldn't stifle a small gasp of shock. It covered almost the entire wall! At the top there was a bit of a frame, but at the bottom it reached all the way to the floor.

Rosa wondered if it could open at all, but she couldn't see a handle or any hinges. Even if it didn't, the view was more than worth it! The window overlooked the back yard which seemed very green and inviting. There were a few clumps of trees with reclining chairs under them. There was a small, tiled roof with a barbecue pit under it. Strangely, there was no pool, but that was alright.

There were so many flowers, though. Either Mr. Boone or his wife must really enjoy gardening, Rosa decided. It had taken her a few seconds to take it all in, and Boone was already standing in the room and waiting for her to join him. The mare quickly scurried inside.

"Shut the door, please."

It sounded ominous, but Rosa was so happy with what she was seeing that she hardly noticed. She nudged the door with a hoof and it silently closed.

"Now, this is a very delicate matter and I will expect the utmost discretion from you, understand?

Her ears folded down and Rosa swallowed again. It sounded scary, but she steeled her resolve and nodded. "I promise, sir."

"Benjamin is at that... sensitive age for a boy. Lillian is younger, so it's even even more important with her, if you understand."

Rosa didn't but she hoped she would pick up more clues as he continued talking, so she just bobbed her head.

Mr. Boone opened a wardrobe and brought out a hanger with a small dress. Rosa tried to picture it in her head and suddenly realized it was shaped for a pony.

"You will wear this at all times, understand?" The man laid the cloth over the bed and Rosa looked it over. It was a maid's uniform, all black and white. The sleeves were lacy and there was a pattern of frills on the hem.

There were even black hoofguards! Rosa wondered how much it had cost, since all pony clothes she had seen so far were utilitarian, and this was a beautiful one! Another item landed on the pile.

White panties.

She looked up at Boone in confusion.

"At all times. You will cover yourself, do you understand? This is a polite house and I will not have my children exposed to any smut."

Rosa suddenly understood. A memory of Martin flashed into her mind and she couldn't help but blush. At least Mr. Boone was strictly against that sort of thing and Rosa was very grateful for that. True, wearing clothes all the time was going to feel strange, but she'd get used to it.

"Of course, sir. I completely understand."

He pulled out something else and laid it beside the maid uniform. It looked like a towel, except it was shaped like a coat.

"You can use this when you have to shower. The bathroom is two doors down. And-" He added yet another thing to the pile. This time it was something thin and silk and almost translucent.

"Pajamas. You are to sleep in them. Got all that?"

Rosa wondered why Boone was so strict. No other human she had ever known had commented on the ponies' nakedness. The ponies themselves hardly even noticed it, since it was just how they were. Ponies had fur to keep them warm and tails to keep them modest, after all.

On the other hand, it was his house, so Rosa guessed she would simply have to abide by his rules. If those were the worst demands he could make, then she should have no problems living there.

"Yes, Mr. Boone. I will follow your instructions to the letter," she vowed.

That earned her another approving nod. "Good. Make sure you don't expose my little girl to any... smut, and we will all get along very well."

She slid the pajamas aside and examined the panties. There was a hole deftly sewn into the back, a place for her tail to poke through. That was good. Rosa had been starting to worry just how uncomfortable it would be to have it bunched up against her rump all the time.

"Can I meet the children?"

"Soon. They are at school and will be returning after lunch. I suggest you get dressed and then familiarize yourself with the house. I have to go back to work, so you will be on your own for a while."

Rosa didn't mind that. It would give her a chance to explore a little and memorize the layout of the house in peace. "Is there anything I should do?"

"You can sweep the living room floor," Mr. Boone said with definite approval in his voice. "The brooms are in a closet downstairs - I don't doubt you'll find them."

She inclined her head and focused her attention on the dress again. A thought struck her. "Um, may I ask, sir, what if the dress doesn't fit?"

The man looked blank for a moment, but then shrugged. "I asked the school for your measurements and then had a tailor put it together. If it's not right, tell me and I will take you to get it altered."

It appeared as if the man had been really determined to get exactly her, and no other pony. That, and he had been very confident his request would be met. Obviously Mr. Boone had a lot of pull at the School.

"Thank you, Mr. Boone," Rosa said and inclined her head. "I will get dressed now."

For some reason, it would feel incredibly weird and uncomfortable if he was in the room to watch it, even though Rosa was currently wearing nothing except her saddlebags.

Strange how quickly she had started thinking about modesty after Mr. Boone had told her. Maybe he was right? Perhaps walking around with nothing on was very rude out in the world?

She wondered why no one at the School had ever mentioned it, though. Or maybe it was something for the final year. They couldn't expect fillies and colts to understand human sensibilities right away. Possibly, the teachers were just waiting until she had turned into a proper and polite young mare before telling her all the nuances of socially acceptable behaviour among humans. A mystery to ponder for another time, or maybe something to ask Martha in her letter.

Rosa's gaze strayed to the writing desk. She could see a cup with pencils and she had no doubt Mr. Boone would let her have some paper to write her friends, if she asked politely. Despite the confusion about the dress, it was still going to be a wonderful and exciting time for her!

Oh! Hopefully Mr. Boone or his wife would agree to take a photo of her in her maid's uniform, so she could show her roommates back at the School. Just imagining the look on Valentina's face made Rosa smile.

With the man gone, she carefully wiped her hooves on the carpet, then jumped up on the bed. She sank nearly to her ankles, then waded her way closer to the window. Yes, with a large garden like that, she was bound to have a nice time. Rosa could almost imagine curling up under one of those trees with a good book on a summer afternoon.

After she had done all her chores, of course!

Oh! And maybe with little Lillian leaning against her. She would read to her, Rosa decided. Some of her favourite stories. She clapped her hooves together and barely suppressed a squeal of excitement. She couldn't wait to meet the children!

Rosa ended up sweeping most of the downstairs, simply because she had nothing better to do and she already had the broom in her hooves anyway. It was weird to try and hold it with her fancy shoes, and the handle kept snagging on the uniform. The sooner she got used to it, the better, though. She tried to pay it no mind, other than pushing it out of the way every now and then.

On the other hand, the house was amazing and Rosa kept finding new wonders! She'd thought there was no pool? Wrong! It just wasn't visible from her room. On the side of the house there was a bit of overhanging roof with a pool under it, open to the outside. There were grooves along the floor and Rosa wondered if the walls could somehow be removed and then put back. That would be totally amazing.

Swimming in the pool and looking out at winter? The mere thought made her giddy with excitement. Too bad there was still the spring, the summer and the autumn to wait before she could give that a try. Oh, and she would also need permission from Mr. Boone. Maybe if she was a good worker...

Then there was the huge fireplace in the living room. Unused at this time of year, of course, but Rosa just couldn't wait for those long, cozy winter evenings, sitting around it and idly watching the big TV, or reading. The floor was mostly stone, which might be a little cold, but with the fire roaring all day Rosa thought it should warm up nicely. Anyway, she could get a blanket or something to lie on. There was a couple of big, comfy-looking couches under the huge, wall-covering TV, but but she would prefer to be near the fire simply because she had never had a chance to do that before. The kitchen, again done in dark marble, seemed to have all the modern conveniences without shoving all the appliances in her face. Rosa had carefully opened a few cupboards and found the fridge and the dishwasher, cleverly built into the counter itself. Other than the spacious living room, she also found a garage, which was empty at the moment, but spacious enough for two cars, at least if she was any judge. Once the mare was done with the sweeping, she put the broom and dustpan back where she found them and wandered upstairs to take a look around there, too. Unlike the bare stone tiles of the lower floor, most of the rooms upstairs had deep, soft carpets. She easily identified the children's rooms, as well as the master bedroom. There were two bathrooms, apparently so the family members didn't have to wait on one another. That was about it, except for another guest room. Everything seemed nice and clean, with the only real bit of clutter in young Benjamin's room. For a moment Rosa considered tidying up, but since Mr. Boone hadn't said anything about that, she thought it wiser not to disturb things. The layout of the place was pretty straightforward, so she didn't need more time to explore. Instead, she headed out to inspect the outside.

A sliding door from the living room led to the pool and the backyard. The first thing Rosa noticed was an almost overpowering smell of chlorine and she took a moment to scent it more closely. Until now, she had only smelled a bit here and there after the cleaning ponies were done with the bathrooms in the School dorms. The sharp tang of it made her sneeze and she turned away from the pool and headed properly outside. The air wasn't quite as warm as she'd like yet, but it was very pleasant in the sun and Rosa happily trotted around to take in all the sights. She really had to remember to tell the Mistress how nice her flowers were! She was just in the process of sniffing a yellow chrysanthemum when Rosa heard a car stop on the other side of the house. She smiled to herself and made her hasty way past the pool and back inside. There were voices as the people disembarked and the mare cast a quick glance down at herself to make sure her dress was straight and her shoes were clean. Of course she had been careful not to step in any mud, but she wanted to make extra sure.

Rosa waited in the middle of the living room for her new family to enter. Mr. Boone opened the front door, looking around and then giving her a slight smile when he spotted her. He ushered in the daughter, first.

It was probably love at first sight, Rosa thought. The child, a pale, fair-haired little girl stared at the pony in wonder. Rosa smiled extra sweetly, but remained still, so as not to startle her. Mr. Boone had said she was shy.

"Go on, sweetie," the man urged his daughter forward. "Say hello to the pony."

That woke her up and the little miss walked over, staring at Rosa. The mare couldn't help but admire her blue dress. She didn't know much about fashion, but it looked expensive and suited her quite well.

The training kicked in and Rosa sat on her haunches and inclined her head, just like she had been taught. Ears splayed a little for that extra welcoming pony look.

"Hello, young miss! My name is 'Rosa'!"

The girl mouthed the unfamiliar word to herself, then graced Rosa with a slight smile.

"Bah, what a stupid name!" a boy complained as he pushed past his father. Rosa guessed it was Benjamin. As humans went, he wasn't too remarkable. A little pudgy, with slightly messy, dark hair and wearing a sports jacket with blue jeans. He also had a thin, silver phone in his hand.

"Benjamin," his father said with a note of warning in his voice. The boy just shrugged, lifted his phone back to his face and calmly walked upstairs, apparently quite disinterested at the newest member of the household.

Mr. Boone was looking after his son with a very dark expression. Rosa had to defuse the situation before there was a row! She didn't want shouting in the first five minutes she got to spend with those kids!

"Ahem. Excuse me, Mr. Boone. I've swept the entire downstairs and I've familiarized myself with the house. Is there anything further you'd like me to do?"

The man blinked and forgot his rude son for the moment. "Oh. That- that's good," he mumbled. "Just stay with Lillian while I go change..." After that he walked up the stairs and turned toward the master bedroom to Rosa's immense relief. She had been worried for a bit he might go after the boy and scold him.

Meanwhile, the girl, Lillian, was looking at the mare with barely disguised wonder in her eyes.

"What is your name?" Rosa rallied, quickly bringing her smile back.

The way she blushed and looked modestly down was utterly adorable. "Ll'an," she mumbled, not remembering that her father had said it not ten seconds ago.

"Such a pretty name. And my, what a beautiful dress you have, Lillian!"

Her blush deepened, which just made Rosa smile some more. She shuffled closer to the girl and brought her muzzle near her hand. As she had predicted, Lillian laid her palm on Rosa's nose almost without conscious control. She didn't say anything, but her delighted stare spoke volumes. The child might have been shy and quiet, but she was not uncommunicative. One just had to know how to listen.

"I'll be staying with you for a while. Would you like that? A nice pony to talk to?"

This time the girl nodded and even flashed Rosa a small smile.

Victory!

Rosa already adored her ward and she swore to herself she would make her the happiest little girl in the world! For a while the mare was content to let Lillian pet her muzzle and mane, before she lifted her head and let the hand slide away.

"Let me take that heavy backpack from you and get you up to your room, okay?" Rosa offered.

The girl wasn't sure, but Rosa stepped beside her and with gentle urging Lillian slipped the backpack free of its straps. It wasn't a heavy pack, despite her words, and Rosa balanced it easily on her back. Lillian didn't move, so Rosa tried a different tact.

"Would you like to show me your room? I'd very much like to meet your plushy friends, you know?" She had seen the row of colorful cloth animals on Lillian's bed, but even if she hadn't that would have been a nearly certain guess.

Another nod and this time the young miss started walking. Rosa followed her easily, making sure Lillian could comfortably keep her hand on her withers. At the top of the stairs she looked both ways, but Mr. Boone was in the master bedroom, undoubtedly changing out of his work clothes, and Benjamin also seemed to have closed his door.

Lillian led the mare to her room where Rosa slipped the backpack on the chair by the desk.

The girl climbed up on her bed, but Rosa noticed she was careful to keep her shoes off the sheets. Very commendable! She reached for a bright blue teddy with a yellow muzzle and a black dot for a nose. Rosa was starting to think that blue was her favourite color.

"Um, this is, um, Mr. Fuzzbot," the girl said quietly. She had a very soft voice, one Rosa found very easy to listen to and which reminded her very much of Felicity. That just made her smile wider as she booped the toy's nose with her own.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Fuzzbot!" Rosa giggled at the unusual name.

The girl seemed comfortable just sitting there, holding on to the familiar plush and keeping her shoes well away from the bed.

"Oh, let me help you with that, sweetie." Rosa slipped down and deftly tugged Lillian's shoes off. By now she was good enough even with her black maid hoofguards. The girl didn't seem to mind and she smiled a little at the gesture.

Yes, Rosa thought to herself, they were going to get along famously.

Hearing a noise from the door, the mare looked up to see Mr. Boone watching them carefully. She kept her wide smile. "Hello. We were just getting introduced," Rosa explained.

The man gave her a single, approving nod, then spoke up: "Jennifer will be home in about an hour. Have both children down for lunch, okay?"

"Of course, Mr. Boone," Rosa said and inclined her head.

He left the mare to take care of Lillian and stepped out of the room. Rosa wondered if he was going to cook lunch, or maybe he was paying someone to do it. There hadn't been anyone in the house while she had been cleaning, but maybe the cook only came to prepare the meals and didn't stick around?

Whatever the case, she returned her focus to the little girl. "Oh, tell me about that one!" Rosa pointed a hoof at another stuffed toy - a pink rabbit, it looked like.

Obediently, Lillian reached for it so she could make the introductions.

At some point Rosa would have to go clear the air with Benjamin, but for now the little girl needed a lot of attention and encouragement.

Chapter 11: Settling in

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Rosa was not immediately sure what to make of the woman as the family sat down for lunch. They didn't set a place for her, but the mare didn't really mind. It was important they spent time together and she was just 'the help', after all. Despite that, Rosa sat on the floor near Lillian, just in case she needed her help with anything.

Mrs. Boone, though, was quite unreadable. She must have known they were getting a pony maid, but she didn't seem to care one way or the other. She wasn't happy about the fact that someone else would help with the house chores, but neither was she displeased with Rosa being there. There was just blank acceptance. Rosa really hoped that her and Mr. Boone hadn't been arguing about whether to get a pony or not and then the husband had just gone forward and gotten one. It could make life with Mrs. Boone very difficult. She was pleasant with the kids and Rosa assumed she loved them very much, even if she didn't really show it. She was polite with her husband, though they hadn't exchanged any pleasantries the mare had been expecting from a married couple. No hugs, no kisses, barely any touching. Rosa wondered if they really slept in the same bed.

As for the woman herself, she had an immaculate face and a very lush, expensive-looking hairstyle. She was blonde, which was probably where Lillian got it from. Her clothes looked elegant and expensive, and from what Rosa could see, Mrs. Boone hadn't changed out of her work suit when she came home. Her job, Mr. Boone had told Rosa earlier, was a news anchor for one of the local TV stations, which sounded very cool to the mare. Maybe, if she asked the lady a little about that, she would warm up to her?

The atmosphere at lunch seemed a little subdued, but Rosa had no basis for comparison whatsoever, so she didn't try to lighten the mood. The boy, Benjamin, just kept his eyes on his plate and focused on eating, but at least Lillian kept stealing glances at the mare and giving her small smiles. If Mrs. Boone minded, she didn't show it. Instead, she asked the children about school, about their grades and their friends. Nothing out of the ordinary, though Benjamin seemed to have some issues at Math. Rosa thought she might be able to help him there. She wasn't a wiz at that, not like Felicity or Iskra, but she had always done well in her lessons.

As the meal went on, Rosa went back to looking around the room. There were a few paintings on the walls, but she didn't recognize any of them as famous, at least to the extent old Mrs. Marston had taught her in Art History. There was a bookshelf in the living room and she could see a few of the shelves from where she was sitting. Maybe someday she would take a good look and see if there was anything she would like to read. Rosa also spotted a bit of dust under the kitchen table which she had missed previously. It was a good thing Mr. Boone hadn't noticed and Rosa decided to brush that up as soon as lunch was over.

The conversation around the table turned to their work and Rosa tuned out. It was all boring to her, especially the stuff about Mr. Boone's politics or Mrs. Boone's office dynamics, and how he was looking for a raise, or she was interviewing with a bigger station. The kids seemed to zone out as well, and the mare carefully slid forward until she could brush her muzzle against Lillian's shoulder. Her tiny hand quickly came to pat her nose and Rosa gave her fingers a quick lick. While she was smiling about it, she caught Benjamin's expression, just as he was rolling his eyes a little. It didn't matter, the girl seemed happy with the exchange and maybe the boy would find some humor in the 'illicit pats', which would make it easier for Rosa to bond with him later.

The grownups hadn't noticed anything.

Then, Rosa's young friend simply grabbed a baked potato from her plate and held it up to her.

The movement caught her mother's eye and she directed a stern glance at Lillian. "We don't feed the pets at the table, young miss!" she admonished.

Rosa really didn't want her friend to be in trouble, so she quickly tried to take the blame: "I'm sorry, ma'am. I shouldn't have been sitting this close," she said with her ears properly flattened in a textbook image of 'sorry pony'.

Despite Rosa's admission of guild, Lillian dropped the morsel back to her plate and lowered her face in shame.

The ice had been broken, however, and now the glare was directed at the mare. "Well, what do you eat anyway?"

"Anything, really. T-The School made sure we're not picky. Um, except meat."

The family was having some kind of casserole, which Mrs. Boone had prepared the previous night and Mr. Boone just heated up before lunch.

"Well, I'm not cooking special for you. You can have what's left of the vegetables, after you've done the dishes."

It was better than Rosa had feared. The way things were going, she had been half-expecting the Mrs. to get her a bag of dog food. Well, she had said 'pet', which stung a little, but Rosa let it slide. Good impressions, that was the key thing there.

"Think of Rosa like Mrs. Corwick. She'll help with the cleaning and the laundry," the husband pointed out. There was more, but he glanced at Lillian and shut his mouth.

Rosa thought she knew what he had meant to say: Maybe Rosa could get Lillian to open up a bit more. She would certainly give it her best. At the least, she was sure she could get her to smile more often.

The wife didn't seem too convinced, but she just shrugged. "Hmm. At least she's dressed properly."

Rosa was suddenly very grateful that Mr. Boone had thought ahead and gotten her the dress. After a while, she hardly noticed it anymore. It fit her quite well.

"That's right, dear. I made sure, of course," Mr. Boone said.

Jennifer put her fork down and stood up. Following her example, her son pushed his chair back as well and reached for his phone. He was engrossed in it even as he started walking back up to his room.

"No, Benjamin," his mother chided, "no games until you've done your homework. I'll come check in an hour!"

Either he was ignoring it, or he was lost in whatever he was doing and didn't even register the words.

"Um- if I may, ma'am... I did quite well in my studies - I can h-help."

Rosa got a calculating gaze in lieu of an answer. Maybe there was some grudging approval there, but it was hard to tell with Mrs. Boone.

"That's right," the husband said with a touch of relief in his voice. "After you've cleared the table and done the dishes, please help the children with their school work, Rosa."

She gave the man her warmest smile and a practiced, forelegs-only curtsy. "Of course, Mr. Boone. It will be my pleasure."

There was no more talking as the family dispersed. Rosa relaxed a little as she was left alone, even if there was a ton of dirty dishes to clean up. The smell of meat was a bit nauseating, but she powered through it and started to gather up the plates and stacked them on her back. Her new Master had specifically ordered her not to help set the table. Rosa guessed he didn't like the idea of hooves walking on the floor and then touching the silverware. It hadn't been talked about around the School often, but ponies were seldom picked for cooking and buttling jobs.

Rosa had had some basic lessons about how to use the household appliances, but that was meant primarily for herself, so she wouldn't be an extra burden on an already stressed-out family which got her. At best she had been told to expect cleaning and laundry jobs and it looked like Mr. and Mrs. Boone had the same idea.

Very soon she had all the dishes either in the sink, or on the counter next to it, if there was still some food in them. She found the trash bin hidden away in a cupboard, but Rosa wasn't sure if she should just toss organic waste in there. Hopefully one of the Boones would come around so she could ask, but in the meantime Rosa got started on the mostly empty dishes.

The bowl of potatoes, however, she saved for last. She had stuck her nose in there and it smelled absolutely delicious. She hadn't had anything since early morning, so her stomach was starting to complain a little as the scent filled the kitchen. Mrs. Boone's cooking was superb, Rosa had to agree. She mentally added that compliment to the one about her flowerbeds and hoped that would make the woman thaw a little towards the mare. Some of the spices in those potatoes Rosa had never even smelled before! She couldn't wait to try them!

There was a noise behind her and Rosa caught a glimpse of Mr. Boone looking in on her progress. "Oh! Sorry to bother you, Master - but is there a bin for organic waste?" Rosa asked politely.

The man walked over and pulled open a drawer. He picked up a roll of what looked like plastic bags. "Here," he told her, leaving them on the counter. "Biodegradable bags. There's a bin out front."

"Thank you."

He left without further comment and Rosa focused once again on her work. Of course she couldn't expect everyone to instantly like her. Young Master Benjamin would take some effort and his mother might take even more, by the looks of it. Not a problem. Rosa had had some training on how to deal with problematic humans. True, her lessons were usually about children, but surely some of the skills were transferable to Mrs. Boone, right? In addition, she would make sure sure to stay positive, polite and helpful which would undoubtedly win the strict, cold woman over. Rosa kept thinking about it as her hooves did the work almost without her conscious control. The afternoons in the School kitchen had been well spent, after all!

She began to hum her little melody as she finished the dishes and took her bowl of potatoes out to eat in the garden.

There she was - her first night in her new home. The bed and the room smelled strange and Rosa knew it would take her a while before she could comfortably fall asleep in that place.

The day had been busy, but now that she had some time to reflect, she was really starting to miss her roommates. Iskra with her soft feathers. Amethyst and her tickling mane and always-ready hug. Felicity and her happy little laugh. Valentina, with her near-permanent blush and quiet voice. Yes, even Paolo and his fumbling, awkward attempts at romancing her.

Rosa heaved a sigh as she gazed out the window. The garden was well-lit with small, cleverly hidden lamps, which bathed the scenery in soft, yellow light. If she wouldn't be able to get to sleep in half an hour, Rosa decided, she would go out and sit in the grass for a while. The night was a little chilly, but with her night gown on top of fur she would be okay. Besides, she hadn't had many such experiences in the School and absolutely never at night. The things she had read in the physics textbook and the pictures she had seen of the night sky made Rosa really curious to see it. Not in the Boone house, though. Too much light pollution.

Her hoof slapped the pillow in a vain effort to make it more comfortable and Rosa pushed herself around so she was looking away from the window. Maybe she should have drawn the curtains, but she needed them open in the morning to wake her up. There was no alarm clock in her room, though Mr. Boone has promised to get her one the next day. Yeah, that was another reason to sleep soon. Rosa needed to be up fresh in the morning to help the children get ready for school. She forced her eyes closed and tried to stop thinking, not that it had ever worked before.

Lillian was an absolute sweetheart, but Rosa was getting worried about Benjamin, who had looked strangely at her and said no when she offered to help him with his math homework. She had also proposed to clean his room, but he shook his head vehemently, without even looking at the mare. Then she had tried to ask him about his game, but he just sighed and turned away, as if speaking with her was this incredible, onerous burden. Rosa had escaped then and decided to think it over before trying more things. Unfortunately, that was what she was doing at night, when she should have been sleeping! Sighing, she close her eyes yet again and tried to clear her mind.

There was a rustling sound in the hallway just outside and Rosa's head shot up, ears focused on the door. She was sure she had heard something! Just as she was about to get up and go check, the door handle started moving. Rosa was grateful she had left the curtains open, because that meant she would be able to see clearly.

Someone was sneaking into her room!

She considered shouting out. Rosa didn't like the idea of waking up Mr. and Mrs. Boone, but she also didn't want to be kidnapped! In her indecision she missed the opportunity and her muzzle clamped down to choke back a squeak when the door swung open.

Rosa gasped out in a mixture of relief and apprehension. "Lillian?!"

The girl stood there, still and indecisive now that she was facing the mare. Rosa was getting more worried by the second. "Is something wrong? Come in," she invited the girl.

Finally the young miss trudged into the room. She conscientiously closed the door after herself and Rosa saw she had Mr. Fuzzbot in her hand. Whatever could have happened? Also, why had the girl gone to the pony she had met only that day, rather than her parents?

As Lillian finished her careful trek to the bed, Rosa rolled to her belly and brought her muzzle closer so she could peer into her little friend's face more closely. She didn't seem hurt, or scared. More nervous than anything else. Her expression could have almost been... pleading?

Rosa made a decision.

"Come, sit on my bed sweetie. You can tell Rosa what's wrong, okay?"

The girl deposited her stuffed toy carefully between the mare's forelegs, then clambered up on the bed. Rosa gave her a brief nuzzle while she retrieved the teddy bear and hugged him close.

"There we go. This is nice," she cooed to the girl.

Finally Lillian spoke up: "I was l-lonely." She put an arm around Rosa's neck and the mare inhaled sharply as the cold fingers dug into her fur. She also became aware that the girl was shivering. Her night dress was pretty, but it wasn't yet warm enough to walk around in it. Rosa also didn't know how long she had just been standing outside the door, gathering up the courage to open it.

She swiftly covered the poor thing with her blanket and scooched closer to her. "Here, let me warm you up a little. You're freezing!" Rosa almost wished she didn't have her bedclothes. Her fur would have been much warmer without the material in the way.

The girl gratefully accepted the nuzzle and then buried her small face in Rosa's mane. Her plushy was squeezed between the two, but Lillian wasn't complaining so Rosa guessed Mr. Fuzzbot was okay.

"Thank you, um, Miss Rosa."

She was very proud of the girl for getting her name exactly right so quickly, but the title made her giggle a bit. "Oh, you don't have to call me that, sweetie! I'm just 'Rosa', okay? I'm your friend!"

The child flashed her a slight smile and settled down, apparently for the night. Rosa should probably have taken her back to her own bed and tucked her in. Something told her Mrs. Boone would be furious if she saw this. Maybe even Mr. Boone, considering his little speech about 'impropriety'.

"Uh. Just for a minute, sweetie, but then you have to go to your own room, okay?"

"Why?" Her arms hugged the pony tightly, as if afraid she would toss her out of the bed.

"Well, your mother probably wouldn't like it if you slept here," Rosa tried to explain tactfully.

Lillian shrugged her shoulders, which Rosa felt more than saw. "She doesn't really care what I do. Mom and Dad are too busy all of the time..."

It was heartbreaking, but Rosa was starting to see why Lillian was quiet and shy. It was a very good thing she had an Assistant Pony now!

"I- uh, I really like you, mm- Rosa," the girl said, apparently with much difficulty.

Rosa returned her hug and gave her an extra nuzzle on top of that. "Aw, that's sweet of you. I really like you too!"

This next thing went against Rosa's training a little bit. As an Assistant Pony, she should always steer her child toward being open and trusting with their human guardians. Rosa was supposed to reinforce the bond between the children and their parents and their friends. She had even been told to try and improve their trust in the public establishments, the government and the healthcare system.

"Tell you what," Rosa whispered aware that it was wrong, but with Lillian it felt like the right thing to do. She kept her voice low, as if imparting a big secret, "you can come talk to me whenever you like, okay? You can tell me anything, I promise I won't tell your Mother or Father."

Lillian gave this some thought, then nodded, her nose rubbing against Rosa's neck.

The mare shuffled a little to get more comfortable until she ended up on her side, facing away from the girl. Lillian wrapped her arms around her neck and even tried to hug her with her legs. By that time they were both nice and warm and the child sighed happily.

It looked like this would be Rosa's night, then. It was nice, actually. It made her less lonely.

"Good night, sweetheart!"

Instead of an answer, a small hand clumsily prodded until it found her nose, then gave it a gentle pat.

Rosa smiled to herself. Lillian would probably be worth suffering through any amount of hostility or resentment from her mother and her brother. She could make a real difference in the life of that little girl. Of course she would do her very best with Benjamin and even Mrs. Boone, but Rosa decided right there and then that Lillian would be her top concern in that household. After all, ponies were meant to make people feel better, right? No one in that house deserved or needed it more than the little one.

The hand patted Rosa's muzzle again, then slid down until it was gripping her foreleg. Lying still and quiet like that, surrounded by Lillian's now welcome scent, Rosa finally drifted off.

Chapter 12: Routine

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Rosa was woken up by a light kick in her back. At first she didn't pay it any mind, thinking that it was probably just Felicity having a bad dream in the morning. Her foreleg was under Rosa's muzzle and she gave it a gentle lick to reassure her friend and calm her down.

It was then that Rosa realized a couple of things.

The limb she was resting her head on had smooth skin, not fur, like she had been expecting. There was a hand, twirling her chest fluff between its fingers. Even the kick had been far too soft for a hoof. Rosa woke up fully and realized she wasn't in her dorm anymore. She was in the Boone household and that wasn't Felicity breathing warmly against her neck. It was the daughter, Lillian. After swivelling her ear to the girl, Rosa quickly assured herself that Lillian was still asleep. Now that she was focusing on the child, Rosa could sense, as well as hear, the tiny movements of her slow, steady breath.

She looked out the window to try and gauge how early it was. She definitely didn't want to be caught with the child in her bed and especially not by her mother. The garden was still lit by the electric lamps, but the sky was getting brighter. It was clear, but Rosa didn't see any sunlight yet. Around six, maybe slightly past, she guessed. The family would be getting up at six thirty, so she don't have much time, but Rosa could do five more minutes, she thought.

Having decided that, she took a deep, luxurious sigh, revelling in the warmth and comfort of her bed and the little human cuddling her. There was a tug on her fur and for a moment Rosa thought Lillian had woken up, but there was no change in her breathing. The fingers in Rosa's fluff scratched a little, then went still. It was absolutely adorable and the mare smiled to herself. The child was sleep-scritching! She made sure to remain perfectly still, so as not to wake Lillian up. In a few minutes she would have to, and then she would escort the young miss to her room and start getting her ready for school. The hustle and bustle of life would begin shortly, but right in that moment Rosa could still enjoy a bit of silence and stillness. Her mind started wandering and Rosa tried to imagine what she would do that day. The ground floor could do with more sweeping, especially after she had so clumsily missed the spot under the table the previous morning, and she could also clean behind the sofa. Rosa had happened to glance back there after she was done with the dishes.

Maybe after that, she could water Mrs. Boone's flowers, or at least offer to. The lady might like that! They probably wouldn't want a pony making their food, so maybe Rosa would do laundry, or get started cleaning the upstairs. On the other hand, maybe the unthinkable might happen and she wouldn't have a whole lot to do, kind of like yesterday. That would mean she could take a book and go relax in the garden!

Wondrous luxury! To think how unsure and uncomfortable Rosa had been with accepting the assignment!

As she was imagining the nice, relaxing life she would lead with the Boones, Rosa couldn't quite keep herself still and her legs kept shifting a little. It was enough to make young Lillian yawn. Her knee came pressing up against the mare's back as the child stretched. Rosa watched how even her fingers splayed wide in the air for a moment, before she sought out her muzzle again for a pat.

"Morning, sweetheart," Rosa whispered.

Now that she was awake, Rosa could shuffle around to face her properly again. The girl still looked sleepy, but she was smiling faintly. "Morning," she whispered back. No stutter, Rosa couldn't help but notice. Cuddling with a pony was good for anxiety and shyness, it seemed!

Sadly, Rosa couldn't stop thinking about the world beyond her bed. "We'll have to sneak back in your room before someone catches us, you know?"

Lillian gave this some thought, then nodded. "Wha' time is it?"

"I don't know. Early, but the sun will be up soon."

The girl lifted herself up on an elbow to look out the window. That brought her face right above Rosa's and her hair brushed the mare's nose, making her sneeze. Luckily it didn't startle the girl. On the contrary, she giggled a little, grabbed a lock of her hair with her hand and tickled the prone pony again, on purpose.

"Hey! That's mean!" Rosa complained, but did nothing to stop her.

She had a beautiful laugh, Rosa couldn't help noticing. Pretty soon they were both grinning and suppressing giggles.

Then, suddenly, Lillian leaned down and planted a light kiss on Rosa's nose. "Um, thank you f-for letting me, uh, sleep here," she said, blushing again.

Rosa sat up and hugged her. "It's a pleasure, sweetie. It was nice."

A worrisome thought came into her mind and the mare had to act on it immediately. She pushed the child away, but not too far, and lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "It has to stay just our secret, okay? I don't think your parents would approve," she implored.

Lillian nodded solemnly. "I promise I won't tell!"

Rosa felt immensely relieved. She knew she could trust her not to slip up. She hardly even talked to her parents, after all. "Okay, let's get you to your room before anyone wakes up."

The young miss heaved a regretful sigh, but slid over to the edge of the bed. As Rosa followed her, she couldn't help but notice that Lillian hadn't brought her slippers. Of course, bare feet were quieter, but it must have been quite cold. No wonder the poor thing had been shivering last night!

"Did you wait in the hallway yesterday before you came in?"

Lillian blushed again and looked away, but she nodded.

"How long?"

She shook her head, as if to say 'not long at all', but she murmured: "I dunno..."

A few minutes at the very least, Rosa decided. She slipped her head under Lillian's arm to take the sting away. "Next time, don't wait. Just come in, okay? I don't want you standing around in the cold with nothing except this thin nightshirt."

Rosa suddenly realized she had said 'next time'. She had practically invited her back!

Well...

Would it really be so wrong? The poor thing needed comfort and someone to listen to her and take her seriously. That was exactly what Rosa had been trained for. In fact, Instructor Martha had said cuddling with her special kid could be a way to break through to them, hadn't she? No mention of sleeping in the same bed, but surely that wasn't that much different, was it? Well, Rosa had also been taught to think for herself and now she was putting her foot down. Hoof. She was putting her hoof down, even if she was doing it quietly so the Mr. and the Mrs. wouldn't notice.

She had been assigned to this family on Mr. Boone's specific request. He had known she was training for an Assistant Pony, so he shouldn't be too surprised that Rosa was acting like one. True, Lillian wasn't the kind of special child she had been taught to expect, but she needed her the most in that household, so there it was. Rosa was her Assistant Pony and it was her primary duty to keep the child happy and make her life better. Doing that would help not only Lillian, who would become more sure of herself, more confident, and find it easier to relate to other people, but also her family, who would have a happier, friendlier daughter!

There. It wasn't so hard to square it away in her mind and Rosa started to feel better about her unspoken promise to let Lillian cuddle with her every night. As long as she kept in mind never to let Mr. or Mrs. Boone find out. An 'Unofficial Assistant Pony', then.

She followed Lillian into her room. Just in time, too, because she heard the master bedroom open and footsteps coming out. By the sound of the long, heavy stride, it was Mr. Boone. He made his way down the corridor and Rosa quickly glanced at her night clothes. Rumpled, but still all there. She did not want to be caught in Lillian's room, 'naked'. She didn't have her hoofguards, but that was kind of like walking barefoot for humans, wasn't it? The top floor was fully carpeted, except for the bathroom floor, so Rosa supposed that was okay.

As she was looking at the door, the man poked his head in. "Oh, you're up already, Rosa," he said. He didn't comment on her clothes, or the lack of shoes. "You and Lillian get ready, breakfast will be in half an hour."

"Of course, Mr. Boone," Rosa replied and curtsied.

Behind the man she saw his wife pass by. She looked in, but didn't stop or comment. Doubtless she had heard the husband already give Rosa her instructions and didn't feel the need to add anything.

"Okay, good. We'll be downstairs," Mr. Boone finished lamely and left.

Rosa looked at Lillian and put her hoof over her mouth. The girl did the same with her hand and they both worked hard to keep the giggles quiet. Then, suddenly, Lillian looked around. "I forgot Mr. Fuzzbot!"

Rosa didn't remember seeing the plushy toy that morning, so doubtless he got pushed around the bed a little in the night. She wouldn't find it strange if he had fallen down. The girl had something better to clutch to herself, after all!

"Oh! He's probably still in my room. I'll go get him while you get dressed, okay?"

Lillian smiled and nodded at her, before going to her dresser and opening a few drawers. Rosa saw small socks in various colors, all neatly folded in pairs. Someday soon, she guessed, she would be the one doing the folding. With Lillian in mind, the thought didn't feel onerous in the slightest. Without further delay, she left Lillian to it and walked to her own room. As she had expected, Mr. Fuzzbot was on the floor, but on Rosa's side of the bed. No wonder neither of them had seen the toy.

She placed the plushy on the bed so she wouldn't forget, and went to get her maid's outfit. Maybe it would also be a good idea, Rosa decided, to have Mr. Boone get another one so she would have something to wear while the first one was being washed and dried. Then again, unless she accidentally got it dirty, Rosa's current one should be good for a while yet. No rush to bother Mr. Boone, then. It was not yet hot outside for her to sweat and her chores around the house weren't that strenuous.

As Rosa slipped her nightclothes off, she started humming her happy tune. Then she pulled the panties down. It was tricky, because the hole in them was a bit small and caught on her tail a little. Rosa widened her stance and tried to decide if she should change them. They didn't look dirty. The melody died in her throat as she considered. Getting her tail through that hole was a real pain in the rump! It was pure luck she had figured out a way to pull them almost all the way down and that was enough freedom for her to use the toilet without soiling them or the tail. If she kept being careful in the bathroom, there was no reason she couldn't keep them for two days, or maybe even three, before she had to go through the hell that was getting her tail through the tiny hole in the fabric using her hooves!

That decided, Rosa stepped on her tail with her hind hoof to keep it in place, and pulled the panties back up. Then she reached for the dress even as she resumed her humming.

Just like Rosa had guessed, the day was much like the previous one. A quick, subdued breakfast followed by the Boone family rushing off to their jobs or their schools and leaving her alone to clean up. The dishes were easy and after that she swept the ground floor twice for good measure. Then there was the laundry and while that was washing, she vacuumed the upstairs. The Boones had a clothes dryer, so Rosa just shifted the soggy fabric from one machine to the next and let it run. It meant that by twelve she was more or less free to do what she wanted, with the family not returning until two at least. That meant a couple of hours of sweet, sweet freedom! She inspected the bookcase for something interesting, but didn't recognize most of the titles there. They weren't the ones she had read at school. A few shelves were just political books, which didn't particularly interest Rosa, but there was also some fiction she wanted to check out.

To start with, Rosa picked out one of the thinner volumes which was titled "Minnow on the Say," and took it out to the garden with her. She found a heavy, sturdy-looking blanket with faded grass stains on a shelf in the laundry, which Rosa assumed was often used to sit outside in the garden. It was making her a bit too hot, folded across her back like that, but it wouldn't stay that way for long. Even with the Boones gone, she hadn't taken off her uniform. It would not do to get caught 'naked' by her adoptive family. It looked like the day would be nice and warm out in the sun, so she set up her blanket partly in the shade of a big elm tree. She would probably have to move it as the sun slid across the sky, but that was a problem for later. Rosa flopped down on the blanket, kicked off her hoofguards and opened the book at the start. If that was what life with the Boones was going to be like, she was all for it.

The sunlight on her black-clothed rump was too warm, just like Rosa had suspected, so she shuffled into the shadow. Then she let out a deep, relaxed sigh and looked down to her book.

"We're home!"
The call distracted Rosa from her book and she realized the sun had moved. She hadn't even noticed the heat and, more importantly, she had completely lost track of time! This was bad! Rosa scurried to get her maid's boots on her hooves. That made her roll around on the blanket a little, but she didn't care about looking too dignified at that point.

"Hurry, hurry... shitshitshit!" she muttered to herself as she struggled.

At long last she was done and galloped back to the house, leaving the blanket and the book to pick up later.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!"

She meet Lillian in the living room and paused so she could give her a hug, but then Rosa turned her head around until she hear Mr. Boone in the kitchen and lead the girl there.

"I'm here!"

The man was holding a glass of water in his hands and looked at her strangely. Her ears instantly flopped.

"I'm sorry I wasn't waiting at the door, Mr. Boone! I got caught up in this book and didn't hear the car! I promise it won't happen again..."

The man shrugged. "It's okay. Don't worry about it. Just as long as you show up shortly to help the children get changed and ready for lunch."

"Of course, sir!"

Rosa knew he meant primarily Lillian, since her brother didn't need, nor want, any help from the mare.

Much relieved, she smiled happily at the little girl. "Hey sweetheart! Did you have a good time at school?"

Her face scrunched up in displeasure and she shook her head. Then she leaned closer to whisper in Rosa's ear: "No, Janice was mean to me again!"

She obviously hadn't meant for her father to hear. Rosa looked at him, wondering if she should tell him, but the man just shrugged a little. She made a decision. Rosa needed the little girl to trust her and whispering the news obviously meant she didn't want anyone else to know.

"Oh? Let's get you to your room and you can tell Rosa all about it, okay?"

That cheered her up and she let the mare gently slip her backpack off and onto her back. Little fingers gripped her mane, but Rosa didn't mind as it made it easier to lead Lillian. Pretty soon she had the child in her room and sitting on her bed, with her shoes safely deposited by the door for brushing later.

Mr. Boone hadn't said anything about that, but Rosa figured it came under 'laundry'. Besides, she didn't mind doing it for Lillian.

"And then she said my hair is like straw!" the girl explained. "She said I should be careful so you don't eat it now that we have a pony!"

It was an imaginative insult, Rosa had to hand it to Lillian's classmate, but she was still very careful so she didn't laugh. "Well, I promise I'll never eat your hair, okay? No matter how delicious it looks!"

Rosa held her breath, hoping she hadn't pushed her luck too far, but the girl smiled and giggled. With considerable relief Rosa brought her head closer for Lillian to hug.

"You're funny!" the girl commented.

Both of them giggled for a moment, then Rosa nudged the child a little. "So, wanna get changed out of your school clothes? Your father said lunch will be in an hour."

Lillian nodded and scooched to the edge of the bed. Rosa let her lean on her as she slipped down and then followed her to the dresser. She was only doing it for the third time, really, but picking out clothes was kind of fun. Maybe she could ask Mr. Boone to get her some different outfits, so she could also choose for herself each day, depending on her mood. Some color would be nice, The maid's outfit was good, but it was a bit drab with it being all in black and white.

Lillian picked out a nice, green dress and held it up for Rosa to inspect.

"Oooh, that one looks nice. Yes!" the pony complimented.

While she was getting changed, Rosa left the room to give the child some privacy and went instead to check on her brother. His door was closed, so she knocked. There was no answer, so she tried calling.

"Um, Benjamin? Can I come in?"

Still no reply. Rosa decided to take it as a 'yes' and simply let herself in. The boy was sitting on the floor with his phone in his hands, apparently engrossed in some game.

"Hello," she said, standing in the door.

He glanced up at her with a slight frown, as if she was interrupting him, then he tapped the screen to pause his game. "What do you want?" he demanded.

"Uh, I came to see if you need any help. Um, with your homework?"

The boy stared at her in uncomfortable silence for a while, then looked back down to his phone. "Go away," he ordered. "Dad just got you because Lillian wanted a pony, you know that?"

His remark was supposed to sting, but Rosa didn't mind. She had already decided exactly that for herself, after all. The girl was her whole reason for staying with the Boones, now. In all honesty, Rosa didn't really know how to deal with Benjamin. He wasn't all that much younger than her.

"Maybe, but I can still help if you want it," she countered.

The teenager gave her a calculating look. "Will you do my homework instead of me?"

Rosa actually considered it for a moment. It might get her in Benjamin's good graces, even if it would be ultimately bad for him. It would also mean she would end up stuck doing it for as long as she lived with them, which would probably end in tears once Mr. and Mrs. Boone found out. No, this was the time to put her hoof down. Gentle, but firm. It would be good for both of them. "Not exactly, but we can do it together, okay?" she offered as a compromise.

The boy rolled his eyes and resumed his game. "Just leave me alone."

Instead of obeying, Rosa stepped closer and carefully touched his shoulder with her muzzle. "I really can help, you know? It'd be done much faster and you might even learn something so it's easier in the future!"

He didn't answer, apparently lost in his game once more. She nudge him a bit harder. "Benjamin? Please."

"Ugh," he grunted in frustration, pausing the game again. "Just leave me alone, okay?"

It looked like he was getting angry, which was something Rosa really didn't want. She would just have to keep working on it. At least this time he had spoken with her briefly. That was already more than she had gotten out of him the previous day.

Rosa decided to call it 'progress' and left it at that. There would be plenty of time to make friends with the boy and in the meantime his sister was already quite sweet on the mare.

Chapter 13: Awkward

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Rosa remembered to fetch the things from outside and was just putting the book back on its shelf when Mr. Boone found her.

"Rosa," he said, making her spin around so quickly that the blanket slipped from her back to the floor.

"Sorry, sir! I was outside for a bit after I'd done my chores!" she explained, unable to help feeling a bit guilty despite having done nothing wrong.

The man waved it away. "That's fine. Have the children finished their homework?"

"Yes, Mr. Boone," she lied. Then, on second thought, Rosa realized there was no way she would get away with falsehood for long, so she corrected it almost immediately: "Lillian has. Benjamin said he doesn't need my help."

Her ears were flat and Rosa kept her gaze on the floor. Surely the man would be disappointed. He had asked her specifically to help his son with Maths and she had just admitted she hadn't really.

The expected tongue-lashing didn't come. "Oh," Mr. Boone said. "I'll have a talk with him."

Rosa winced, but fortunately Boone couldn't see her face. Being forced by his father to accept her help wouldn't do her relationship with young Benjamin any favors.

"T-Thank you, sir," she mumbled anyway even while she hoped he wouldn't have any more bright ideas. No wonder, she thought, he was having trouble with his kids. Also, it was a good thing Rosa was there now to try and smooth things over.

"You have everything you need?"

Maybe that was her chance to get something she wanted? "Um, actually-" Rosa bit her tongue, but she had already started so now it had to come out. "I was wondering if I may write a letter to my friends at the School..."

Boone didn't answer immediately so she rushed on to explain herself. "It's just that I promised them and they'll be worrying if they don't hear from me. Um, if- if it isn't too much trouble, sir?"

She glanced up at his face and Mr. Boone seemed a bit confused. "Why would it be any trouble?" he asked.

Giving him the biggest, most pleading pony eyes and her best smile, Rosa explained: "Um- if you would be so kind to drop it in a mailbox somewhere, Mr. Boone? I, uh, I also need a stamp..."

Only then did he realize that she didn't really have access to postal services from his house and she wasn't really allowed to walk around on her own.

"Oh!" the man exclaimed, then shrugged to himself. "Have it ready by tomorrow morning and I'll take care of it when I go to work. Remind me to give you some paper after lunch."

This time her smile was happy and genuine. "Thank you, sir!" she trilled and waited for a moment to see if he would pet her.

Unfortunately Mr. Boone didn't seem inclined to do that. Instead, he turned and walked to the kitchen, only to pause in the doorway. "Oh, and bring the children down in ten minutes for lunch, okay?"

"Yes, sir!"

Rosa gathered up the blanket and inspected the tiles under it closely in case she had brought in any dirt or grass. Once she was satisfied that the floor was nice and clean she lifted the cloth up and slung it over her back again. It should go back where she had found it in the laundry, so Rosa headed there before going to fetch the children. She was not looking forward to lunch with Mrs. Boone again, and to be honest with herself, she was kind of glad that she wouldn't be sitting at the table. That would be worse, Rosa was sure.

Poor Lillian.

Maybe she could sit with the girl on her bed in the evening and read with her a little. The Boone grownups hadn't given her anything to do after washing up the previous day. She could also do with a shower and, while she was at it, new panties since she would have to struggle out of them anyway.

It was a very different life than what Rosa was used to, and she had to remind herself it wasn't all unpleasant. Now she could write about the good bits and tell her old roommates how she was doing, and ask them about the School and about Paolo.

Oh! Rosa had a better idea! She could write a letter together with Lillian and put in a short hello from her as well! She had no doubt the child would instantly like all the girls in Rosa's old room. Not to mention it was another small way for her to socialize more. Sure, it was only pen and paper, but before the week was over, Rosa vowed, Lillian would have four more pony friends!

Her mind was wandering as Rosa was staring, unseeing, into the mirror and brushing her teeth. The task used to take a lot of concentration on her hoofwork, but practice did make perfect and now she didn't really have to think about it. It was still funny to remember her early attempts with Instructor Martha guiding her hoof. Rosa had nearly knocked her teeth out on multiple occasions. Thankfully she had gotten a lot better at it over the years. The shower had been pleasant and she was looking forward to sitting with young Lillian and writing a letter to her School friends together. Rosa felt a bit of a chill on her hind legs and she guessed maybe she should have dried her fetlocks a bit better. It was okay, though, and with the towel over her back Rosa was nice and cozy overall.

The bathroom door suddenly opened and her head snapped around to look. It was young Benjamin, staring at her in confusion. She nearly panicked, but realized in time that she was fully covered with the towel. Despite that, Rosa's eyes strayed to the maid's dress on the floor and the panties discarded nearby.

The boy followed her gaze, then backed away. "Oh, I didn't realize you were..."

Was he blushing?! Rosa hurriedly spat out the toothpaste foam. "Don't worry! It's fine!"

It was silly how quickly Mr. Boone's weird notions of modesty had rubbed off on her. For a moment Rosa worried if she would even be able to go out in public 'naked' after her appointment was over. She would just have to keep her mind straight on this, she told herself. Ponies didn't usually wear clothes.

Rosa slipped from the stool she had used to reach the sink and the mirror, then stepped toward the young human with determination. Luckily he hadn't yet run away. She made her voice as nonchalant as she could. "Hey, nothing to be embarrassed about, Benjamin. I'm just a pony. We don't normally wear clothes. It's not weird!"

Too bad it sounded as if she was trying to convince herself, rather than the boy. He gave a half-hearted nod, but backed away further and turned. It was fortunate that none of the grownups were out in the hallway, so Rosa pushed her luck some more. Maybe sharing an embarrassing moment and then laughing about it would bring her and the young man closer.

"Here, you can go in if you have to. I'm basically done anyway," she assured the lad and tried to nuzzle his hand. The fingers jerked away, but at least Benjamin looked at her again. She was doing her very best to act nonchalant and casual, so Rosa walked back into the bathroom and started gathering up her discarded maid's uniform.

"Here, I'll just take this to the laundry. Um, the tiles are a bit wet - ponies have a lot of fur and it drips." By that point she was almost babbling, just to keep talking. If she were to stop, Rosa was sure the awkward level would go through the roof. "Make sure you don't slip, okay? I'll come and wipe everything down when you're done."

The clothes were soon on her back and she paused as she was walking by young master Benjamin. She gave him a big, natural-looking smile and poked his rump with her muzzle. "Go on. All yours! Um, I don't really mind, but knock next time just in case, okay?"

The boy mumbled something affirmative and stumbled inside. He turned around, as if he was going to say something else, but shut his mouth and then closed the door.

Rosa breathed a sigh of relief. That could have gone so much worse! What if he had gone and told his father, for example? Only her second day and she would already be breaking Mr. Boone's rules! She should have remembered her pony-shaped bathrobe! Either that, or she should take showers when the family wasn't home, just in case.

Right then she was still in danger, so she scurried to her room and closed the door. Only then did she relax. She let the uniform slide from her back, followed closely by the towel. Before anything else, she went to her closet and got out her nightgown. It was a thing of a moment to get it on, even if she was not wearing panties like Mr. Boone had ordered. With luck no one would notice and she could work on those in the morning. Getting her tail through that hole was just such a pain in the rump!

Literally!

Rosa took a moment to collect herself, then picked up the uniform and spread it over a chair so it wouldn't get wrinkled. It wasn't really dirty and she could probably use it one more day before washing it. Then Rosa fetched fresh panties from the drawer and laid them on top, so she wouldn't forget. She looked around for her old ones, but they weren't there. Uh oh. For a moment her blood ran cold. She had forgotten them in the bathroom in her haste! Hopefully young Benjamin wouldn't mind too much, but she would have to get them the moment he was done, before Mr. Boone could see. Rosa opened her door so she would hear when the young man was finished, then she went to sit on her bed to wait. Living with those humans was turning out more complicated than Rosa had thought. Not necessarily bad, she felt, just... complicated.

No doubt it would get easier as she settled into the routine. The mare was lost in thought when a noise made her look up. Of course, there were also rewards. She smiled at young Lillian.

"Hello!"

The girl came in and went right ahead to pat her mane. It was still damp, but she didn't seem to mind. "Um, hi..." she murmured.

"I was going to write a letter to my pony friends at the School. Would you like to help? You can write them a little something too!"

Lillian's face split into a wide grin. "Yes!" she said with enthusiasm, and Rosa's smile soon matched hers.

She led the girl to the desk and sat her down on the chair. She only had the one, so Rosa would have to stand on her hind legs and steady herself with her hooves on the desk, but that was okay. The door was left open and Rosa kept an ear on the hallway, so she could slip out and get her underwear the moment Benjamin left the bathroom.

Mr. Boone had already given her some lined paper and a pen. "Okay, so I'll start," Rosa told Lillian, then reached to take the pen in her mouth. She paused just before taking it when she got an idea. "Hey! Can you read what I write and make sure I don't make any mistakes?"

Why not help the girl with her writing and reading skills while she was at it? Especially if Rosa was able to turn it into a little game.

The child blushed and looked away modestly. "I'm n-not too good with cu-cursive yet..."

Rosa smile encouragingly. "That's okay. I won't write in cursive. We can practice sometime if you'd like! I also had a lot of trouble with it when I was little!"

The child was back to happy and nodded her head at the mare. "Okay!"

Such a good job she was doing with Lillian, Rosa thought. Now if she could do half as well with Benjamin, Mr. Boone would be sure to donate a ton of money to the School in gratitude! She really had to capitalize on the blunder earlier and get the boy to laugh it off. That would surely break the ice! For now, Rosa picked up the pen in her mouth and started writing while Lillian read the words aloud.

"Um, hello my fri- friends. I'm doing... doing well and am..."

Rosa paused when the girl fell silent, and spit the pen out. "Don't worry, it's a tricky word."

Lillian frowned in concentration. "Coo- Qui- um.. quite!"

She earned herself a little nuzzle as a reward.

"Am quite happy!"

"That's very good!" Rosa picked the pen up again, but this time she wrote slower so Lillian had an easier time keeping up. Despite her slight trouble Rosa decided not to make it any simpler. Seeing an occasional difficult word would ultimately help the girl, even if it took her a bit to grasp it. That was why Rosa was there to help, after all! Besides, it was barely sundown and they could spend an hour or two writing the letter. It wasn't like Rosa had anything better to do.

Chapter 14: Dreams

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The story from the previous night repeated itself. After everyone had gone to bed and the house became dark and quiet, Lillian padded over to Rosa's room, but at least this time she didn't wait outside for god knew how long. Tonight, the girl simply came in the room, walked up to the bed and asked in a whisper: "Are you awake, Rosa?"

Rosa didn't even have to answer. When she lifted up the covers, Lillian quickly slipped in and put her arms around the pony. She wasn't as cold as the previous night, which was good. Rosa had just finished setting up the alarm clock for an appropriately early hour, so she flopped back down and heaved a nice, relaxed sigh. The fingers caressed the fur on her side and in return she give the arm under her head a lick.

"Good night, Rosa."

"Night, sweetheart!"

It was even easier to fall asleep and before long her thoughts jumbled up and Rosa drifted away.

Rosa opened her eyes and looked around her. She had a brief moment of panic as she realized that she wasn't wearing her uniform. Mr. Boone would be mad if he found her out of her room naked! That thought gave way to confusion as Rosa realized that she didn't recognize the room she was in. It was too dark and she couldn't really see the walls, but it was definitely a room. She couldn't spot any stars and the surface beneath her hooves was soft and slightly yielding, like a carpet.

"Hello?"

Why couldn't she remember how she had gotten there?! Rosa swallowed as sudden fear gripped her. Who had taken her and for what reason? She heard hoofsteps behind her and twirled around to face whoever had done this to her.

"S-Show yourself!" she demanded, even while she wasn't quite sure she really wanted to know. Hoofsteps meant pony, right?

She couldn't see them and there was nothing but darkness around her, but as Rosa strained her eyes to pierce it, she felt like there could be a shape there. An impossibly tall shape. Not a pony then. Had she really heard hoofsteps? Maybe it had only been weird shoes.

Eyes opened in the darkness above her and Rosa took a step back. Her legs trembled. A fiercely cyan gaze pinned her down before she could even think of turning and running. Her muscles didn't seem to be obeying her anymore. Rosa still couldn't make out the shape of whoever stood in front of her. They didn't look like human eyes, but they were intelligent and far too tall to be a pony. She didn't know what that creature was. Maybe she should have screamed or cried for help, but right at that moment the only sound Rosa could make was a strangled whimper.

"We do not have much time," a voice said. It was definitely female, but it sounded cold and unyielding. It was used to being obeyed, Rosa felt, and her muzzle clamped shut while it spoke.

"This is a dream," the speaker, definitely female, explained. "Listen closely, Rosa."

Whoever it was, she knew her name and knew how to pronounce it correctly.

Rosa's thoughts ground to a halt. The stranger had said it was a dream? Suddenly Rosa remembered falling asleep with young Lillian in her bed in the Boone household. Her worry overpowered her fear.

"W-Where is Lillian?!" she demanded.

The eyes blinked slowly, as if unsure, but then they refocused on the little mare. A chill ran down her spine under that intense scrutiny.

"The human. She is safe, as are you. Heed my message, Rosa! We do not have much time!"

Rosa was not entirely convinced that the creature was speaking the truth, but she didn't argue. Maybe what it had said, the part about there not being much time, meant Rosa would be allowed to leave soon.

Not leave, wake up, Rosa thought to herself. She was in a dream. "W-What do y-you want?" she stammered.

"Do not trust the humans. They do not have your best interests at heart. You will have a part to play, soon."

Suddenly Rosa was angry. She took a step forward, but the shadow creature just glided backward, as if it was floating in the air. There were no further hoofsteps, making Rosa doubt what she had heard before. "Don't speak in riddles!" she demanded. "Tell me what's going on!"

Anger helped. That... thing had kidnapped her out of her bed and now wanted to give Rosa some vague, foreboding prophecy.

"That is not how this works. The future is fluid, Rosa. Not every word will do, it has to be the right word, at the right time. This is your 'right time'. Be wary of the humans and think for yourself. Watch and listen. Your time will come."

The eyes closed and Rosa took another step forward. "Who are you?!" she demanded.

There was nothing. The darkness was, once again, just darkness. There was no one before her. If it was all a dream, it was a damned odd one.

"How do I wake up?"

Something grabbed Rosa's ear and she gasped and twirled around, ready to kick or bite her assailant. She stared at eyes again, except these weren't the eyes from her dream. These were amber.

"Lillian?"

The girl smiled at her and scratched behind Rosa's ear. It was her hand she had felt and which had brought her out of the dream.

"You were moving," the girl whispered. "And mumbling something."

Rosa looked around the room to assure herself that she was in the right place. The soft light from the garden lamps lit her ceiling, confirming it beyond doubt. If that wasn't proof enough, there was no mistaking the girl patting her head. Rosa inhaled her scent gratefully.

"I'm okay. Just a weird dream," she assured Lillian.

The child leaned closer and planted a quick kiss right on Rosa's nose. "It's okay. I'll be here."

Rosa couldn't help but smile. Such a sweet little girl. She settled back down, but this time so that she was facing her friend. She yawned as she closed her eyes. "Thanks for waking me up, sweetie. I really appreciate it."

The hand patted her nose and Rosa gave it a light lick. She didn't think she would sleep very soon, but she was determined to try, despite the storm of thoughts raging through her mind. What had the dream meant? Strange how Rosa had known it was a dream. A mare in her final year had told her about 'lucid dreaming' a few years back. It sounded interesting and Rosa had tried to do it a couple of times, but could never actually achieve it. In the end she had decided it had just been a fanciful tale and gave up.

Except tonight she had known it was a dream. She was supposed to be able to control it, right? Too bad she hadn't thought of that. At least she could have shone some light at the tall, cyan-eyed creature, to see what it was. Rosa distinctly remembered a hoofstep, but when it had moved later there was nothing. As if the thing was floating, or immaterial. Also, she had never heard about a pony being that big. It had to have been a human, or at least human shaped!

It was all just so confusing!

Rosa hoped she wouldn't have more of those dreams. There was enough weirdness with the change of scenery already, she didn't need any more! Besides, the thing had talked cryptically about foreboding and prophecy and fate and so on. A load of nonsense. Maybe it really had just been a weird dream? Rosa opened her eyes and assured herself that the girl was sleeping once more. Then she looked at her new bedside clock. Two in the morning.

She decided to forget about a silly dream and focus on getting back to sleep. A little less than four hours and then she would have to take Lillian back to her own bed. Not to mention she would have to struggle back into her panties and get dressed in her maid's uniform. Most importantly, Rosa had to take the letter she and Lillian had written and give it to Mr. Boone before he left for work. With luck, they would get a reply from her friends in a couple of days! She had asked them to send pictures and Rosa hoped Instructor Martha would be kind enough to take them with her phone and print them out. It would be really nice to show Lillian her friends. For that matter, Rosa had even asked for Paolo to be in the picture. She wanted to see that colt again, even if it was just a photograph.

She leaned in and gave Lillian a light kiss on her forehead, She didn't wake up, but Rosa could have sworn she smiled in her sleep. Then she closed her eyes again.

In the morning Rosa went back to what was quickly becoming her new routine. She hurried Lillian back to her room, then slipped into the bathroom before anyone else, so she was ready in case the humans needed her. It didn't take her very long in either case. She splashed some water on her face, toweled it off, quickly brushed her teeth and the young mare was done. Only then did she remember that she was under-dressed in just her nightie, and ran back to her room to fix that. The panties were a struggle, as always, but Rosa wrestled them into submission and followed them up with the maid's uniform.

She was barely in time, too! Mr. Boone came by to check on her just as Rosa finished the last shoe.

"Oh! Good morning, Mr. Boone!" she said cheerfully, then reached to her desk. "I wrote that letter, if- uh, if you could send it!" She brought it over to him and he took it from her mouth.

"Do you know the address?" he asked.

That had her stumped. "Umm..."

"Don't worry, I can look it up."

"Thank you!" There wasn't anything else to say, so Rosa decided to show some initiative. "I'll bring the children down for breakfast shortly."

He was just about to say that and she couldn't help feeling a little bit smug to have guessed it. "Oh. Very good, Rosa."

She followed the man out of her room and turned first to Lillian's door. She made a show of knocking before going in, even though the girl was probably eagerly expecting the mare. She was sitting in her bed and Rosa went straight to her for a quick head pat and ear scratch.

"Morning, sweetheart!" she said, even if she had already whispered it to her when they woke up. Then Rosa went and opened Lillian's closet to help her pick a nice dress for school.

"That's a pretty song!" the girl commented. "What is it?"

Rosa realized she had been humming her melody again. "Umm, I dunno. Just a little something I've always known. I'm not sure where it's from."

"Well, I like it!" Lillian tried to imitate the humming, but the notes weren't exactly right yet. Rosa sang it again for her and Lillian dutifully repeated.

Then she spotted the son staring at them both from the door.

"Hi Benjamin! Good morning!"

He didn't answer the greeting, but rather said: "You both sound stupid," before turning and walking downstairs.

Lillian pouted and Rosa felt like glaring too. If he didn't like the song, he could have just stayed quiet! No sense in letting him get her down, though. Rosa brought her smile back for the little girl. "What does he know, huh? It's a lovely little tune!"

Despite her assurances, Lillian didn't try singing it anymore, so Rosa picked up the slack and hummed the rest of it while she laid out Lillian's clothes and fetched her shoes. The mare wondered what the day would be like. Some chores, probably. Dishes were a safe bet and then perhaps sweeping and laundry. Maybe even Mrs. Boone was warming up to her, now that she was 'pulling her weight', as Mr. Boone had called it the previous evening.

That was right! Rosa remembered what she was going to say to the lady of the house! She had decided that today was the day to ask her if she'd like Rosa to help with her flowers. She hadn't tended a garden before, other than a few potted plants when the ponies were learning about them in biology, but Rosa was sure she could do a good job with some minimal instruction!

If not - well, she still had most of 'Minnow on the Say' to read. A glance from her huge bedroom window earlier had told her that it would be another beautiful, sunny day. Going out to the garden and reading sounded absolutely heavenly! In particular the smell of grass and spring were invigorating, and the sun, even if a bit too warm, felt nice after the winter.

Chapter 15: Problem Child

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"You'd like to what?" the woman asked, staring at Rosa strangely with a glass of water in her hand.

"Um, I'd like to help with the chrysanthemums, Mrs. Boone," the mare repeated herself.

"What about them?"

Rosa gulped and tried to put on her best smile. "I thought they looked lovely. I'd like to try my hand at gardening."

Jennifer Boone raised her eyebrow a little quizzically, then took a sip from her glass. Rosa had come to ask her while the husband was putting the children in his car to take them to school. The lady gestured with the glass in her hand. "You don't have hands."

Rosa very nearly rolled her eyes. Didn't the woman know a figure of speech when she heard one?! "It was, um, just an expression, Mrs. Boone."

She had finished her water, so Mrs. Boone put the glass down on the counter and strode away. Rosa's ears folded down in disappointment. She had been so sure it would work! The footsteps paused and Rosa glanced up in sudden hope.

"You can weed the flowerbeds in the back, by the fence. That way no one will see if you mess it up," Jennifer told her.

Rosa's smile was back instantly. "Thank you, Mrs. Boone! You won't be disappointed, I promise!"

She just shrugged and left, leaving the mare alone with the dishes.

Today, Rosa decided, she would use the dishwasher, which would give her extra time. Doing it by hoof wasn't impressing the Boones anyway, so there wasn't much point. She listened to the cars driving away as she began stacking the silverware into the machine. There was no food left for her, but Mr. Boone had shown Rosa where they kept cereals and there was some milk in the fridge, so she knew she would be fine. The task was soon finished and the machine started whirring away. Rosa didn't know how long it would take, but two hours should be plenty, she decided. She would check on it later. In the meantime, there was sweeping to finish and laundry to put in the washer... and that was about it.

Yep, it certainly was the easy life...

Working with flowers was fun! Sure, it left her sweaty, hot and muddy up to her knees, but there was something subtly rewarding about it. Rosa hadn't known exactly what weeds looked like, so she did her best to guess. Anything with a flower or a bud on it stayed and the green shoots which didn't seem to serve any other purpose came out. The refuse ended up in a small pile because she didn't know what to do with it.

Presently she spat the last mouthful on top and inspected her work with a critical eye. It was kind of nice. The flowers still had enough green leaves so the bed didn't seem too barren, but the petals were much more prominent. Rosa still needed Mrs. Boone's verdict, but hopefully she would agree that the mare had done a decent job. Perhaps she would let her tend to her other flowers as well. Maybe she would even smile and say she had done a good job. A head pat was probably wishful thinking, but Rosa indulged in a brief fantasy. If she won over the lady of the house and then Benjamin, she would have made herself a nice, pleasant little home for a couple of years.

It was exciting stuff.

For the moment, though, it was nearly time for the Boone family to come from school, which meant Rosa needed to get her hooves washed right away! She glanced down and noticed, with some dismay, that there was some mud and green stains on her white apron as well. That was less good. She would have to wash the uniform, which probably meant getting into her nightgown a little earlier than usual. Rosa was not sure if she was allowed to wear that downstairs and decided to ask Mr. Boone at the earliest opportunity.

Speaking of the man, Rosa's ears caught a faint noise and she turned them, triangulating. A car was coming up the driveway! She put some hustle in her step and hurried inside so she could be sitting in the middle of the living room floor as the people came home. The mud on her hooves and the dress would just have to wait. Hopefully Mr. Boone would understand.

Lillian was first through the door and rushed Rosa for a hug. The pony did her best to keep her school dress from getting stained. "Easy, sweetie! I've been working in the garden and I don't want to get you dirty," she cautioned.

The child looked her over, then giggled. "You got mud all over you, Rosa!"

"Yeah, I hope you haven't been rolling around on the ground," Mr. Boone added from behind his daughter.

Rosa saw his grin and relaxed. "Oh, of course not, Mr. Boone! I have weeded Mrs. Boone's flowers for her. I'll go wash up directly!"

The man seemed a little thoughtful as he paused while shrugging out of his vest. "We'll have to get you another dress, so you have one to wear while you're washing the other. You can use the nightclothes for now."

Rosa knew her eyes had grown big and pleading, but she couldn't stop it. "Um, c-could I get, uh s-something with..." she swallowed and licked her lips to get them to work. "Something with a bit more color, sir?"

"Aw, don't look so sad, Rosa," Lillian commented and pulled her ears back up with her fingers.

For some reason that made her father chuckle. "Sure, I'll take you to the store on the weekend, okay?"

As he walked past her, Mr. Boone let his hand fall down and brushed it lightly through Rosa's mane.

She held her breath and her heart almost stopped. That had been a pat! She was certain of it! Yes!

Instructor Martha's voice came back from the depths of her memory: "Head pats are ze most important tool in a pony's repertoire of social bonding."

She had even told the ponies some of the psychology underlying that observation. Rosa didn't remember it exactly in that instant, but it boiled down to most humans liking soft, fluffy things to pat and hug.

"Here, put your bag on my back," Rosa told Lillian, unwilling to take it herself with her muddy hooves. She glanced around and saw that there were hoofprints on the floor. It would need another sweeping before Mrs. Boone came home, but Rosa had a few minutes to take the girl up and get clean herself.

"It's heavy," Lillian complained.

Rosa easily took the weight and the girl put her hand on her withers as the two walked up the stairs. Although Rosa didn't remember seeing him, she guessed Benjamin had slipped past while she was explaining herself to Mr. Boone. She picked up faint sounds of his game from his room.

"It's not too heavy. Us ponies are pretty strong," she explained.

Rosa soon had Lillian in her room, but she didn't go in herself. "I'll go wash my hooves first!"

The girl nodded at the explanation and helpfully lifted her backpack from the mare. Then Rosa made her way to the bathroom, but paused in the door and inspected the damage behind her. The upstairs carpet would need a quick vacuum, she decided with a sigh. Stupid, stupid. Next time she would have to leave herself enough time to wash in the downstairs bathroom after working with flowers. Of course, it was easier for humans, since they didn't need their hands for walking.

Rosa still liked working with plants, though.

The dress had to stay on because Rosa didn't have any replacement, but at least it proved to Mrs. Boone that she had actually done some work. She had told the lady about her progress before lunch and the Mrs. had said she would go inspect it later on. Rosa was both nervous and excited about the verdict. She knew she had done a good job!

Too bad Mrs. Boone seemed to have forgotten about it. Rosa wasn't going to remind her, at least not that day, no matter how much her curiosity burned. It would be too pushy of her, she judged.

That meant there was nothing for Rosa to do in the afternoon except for the dishes, but the machine was taking care of those so she was mostly free. It was a good opportunity to spend some quality time with her book. She would have preferred chatting with Lillian, or helping her with homework, but her mother had taken her to the town to buy some clothes and school supplies.

Mr. Boone was watching TV and Rosa didn't yet feel comfortable enough around him to try and join that, even though she was curious about movies. That left either the book or trying to get Benjamin to like her. Rosa had cowardly picked the former. There would be time for Benjamin, she told herself. The boy needed his space.

It was a peaceful enough afternoon, all in all. Every now and then Rosa heard a louder noise or an exclamation from the boy's room. She guessed he was either winning or losing at his game. There was also the faint sound of the television from downstairs. It was mostly people talking, with occasional scenes of exciting music and gunfire. Those parts made her ears flatten whenever she became aware of them. Rosa knew humans didn't have as good a hearing as ponies and sometimes she was a bit envious.

She was focusing on her book when Rosa heard Mr. Boone's phone ring. It had nothing to do with her, of course, but she lifted her head and unfocused her eyes in concentration. Curiosity wasn't a sin, after all.

Mr. Boone stopped his movie and answered his mobile. "Yes?"

It was too far for Rosa to hear the other side, but that didn't stop her from straining her ears and trying.

"Uh-huh," the man said. "I see."

There was more silence and then: "Yes, I'll have a word with him. Thank you for letting me know."

Rosa heard the tap as Mr. Boone put his phone on the coffee table, but he didn't resume his movie. Instead, the man got off the couch and walked to the front door. Maybe it was something about his job. It sounded like he had to leave suddenly, so Rosa closed her book and slipped off her bed. If he was going to be away for a while, maybe he would want her to give Mrs. Boone a message.

She was out of her room when Rosa heard Boone coming upstairs, so she paused and waited for him. As he emerged up the stairs, the Mr. glanced at her, but didn't say anything. Instead he just went into Benjamin's room. Very strange.

Rosa probably shouldn't have eavesdropped, but she stayed put in the hallway and focused her ears anyway.

"I just got a call from Mr. Peterson," the father said. His tone sent a chill down Rosa's spine and she took an involuntary step backward into her room.

The son didn't reply.

"Put that thing down and look at me!"

This time there was something between a sigh and a huff from Benjamin.

It didn't go over very well. "Don't you roll your eyes, young man!" Mr. Boone said loudly. "He said you'll fail Math if you don't get a D or higher on the final!"

At long last the boy responded: "I'll get it. Get off my back!"

"No," the word landed with some finality. "We've been 'getting off your back' since fall, Benjamin, and look where it got us!" There was no reply, so the grownup just continued: "Why haven't you studied with Rosa?!"

The son was also raising his voice in anger: "I'm not learning from a pony, dad!"

"Oh yes you are! Gimme that!"

There was a cry of outrage and Rosa guessed Mr. Boone had taken Benjamin's phone away.

"Give that back!"

"You'll get it back when your grades get better, understand?!"

By now her ears were completely flat, but she couldn't help overhearing some more. It was a small mercy that Lillian wasn't home, at least. Rosa could imagine what such angry shouting would do to her. She wondered if the girl had had to listen to it before. Probably.

"I'm not studying with a pony!"

Despite herself Rosa winced, expecting a slap at that tone, but Mr. Boone showed restraint and didn't raise his hand to his son. It was a relief. "You'll do your homework with her and you'll study for two hours every day. With Rosa, do you understand?"

"I'll run away!" the boy threatened. It sounded like he didn't mean it, even to Rosa's inexperienced ear.

"With. Rosa," the father repeated slowly and deliberately. "That's final. And I'm keeping this until you shape up!"

Mr. Boone stormed out and Rosa quickly ducked fully into her room, just as Benjamin shouted: "I hate you!"

His father didn't reply and just stomped back down the stairs. Rosa began to breathe again. She held her hoof up and saw how it was shaking. There was no way she could get back to her book after that. Her wandering gaze landed on the sleeves of her uniform and Rosa saw the stains again. Suddenly she wanted to be in the laundry room, as far away from upstairs as she could be. If Benjamin realized she had heard the whole exchange, he would hate her more than ever.

Rosa kicked her shoes off. She could step more quietly if she felt the floor right on her hooves. Naked, she thought, that was what she would be if she put her uniform in the washer. She slung the nightgown across her back, then tiptoed to the boy's room. The way down was past it. Rosa very carefully leaned her head into the open door.

The boy was sitting on the floor, facing away, shoulders shaking as he tried to muffle his sobs. Every now and then he hit a fist on the carpet. He couldn't see her, so Rosa hurried and slipped past the room, then made her cautious way down the stairs.

Mr. Boone had gone back to watching his movie, or whatever it was, and he didn't notice her as Rosa walked quietly behind him and past the kitchen. The laundry was a few doors down and she heaved a sigh of relief when she was finally there. Changing clothes there was a tiny bit risky, but Rosa didn't think anyone would come looking for her in the next few minutes. She wrestled a little with the uniform to get it off, then she slipped into the other gown. It was a lot more comfortable, too.

Then she bundled her uniform into the machine and set it to wash. She was so shaken she almost forget the powder. Once it had started turning and sloshing, Rosa sat on the floor and tried to get her head in order.

Benjamin would need extra careful handling after that episode, especially if she wanted him to retain any of the knowledge. Her best course of action was to pretend she didn't know anything had happened at all. Maybe she could start the boy thinking that the studying thing was his idea, or at least make him believe that was what she thought. It was going to be confusing, but maybe Lillian could help Rosa here. She and Benjamin rarely talked, but if Rosa mentioned it to her, the girl might say it at the table or in the car.

It was a long shot, but Rosa would take everything she could. Having Benjamin hate her would be really bad. She certainly didn't want Mr. Boone saying something like that to Instructor Martha. She would consider it a failure of her training, and rightly so!

Rosa could do this. She just had think of him as a problem child. There was a way to reach him, she would just have to find it! Soon! She wished she could consult with her friends, but she couldn't write anything because Mr. Boone might read it when he sent the letter.

"I wish you were here, Maribelle," Rosa sighed and closed her eyes.

Chapter 16: Grudging Approval

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For once Rosa was happy that Mrs. Boone had come home, because it broke the uncomfortable tension in the house. She couldn't make herself go upstairs to face Benjamin, so the mare was still in the laundry room when the car drove up to the house. When she heard Lillian talking, Rosa almost came out to greet them, but then she glanced at her nightgown and thought better of it. It would be best not to shove it in Mrs. Boone's face.

Rosa listened to the lady's footsteps as she went from the front door to the kitchen, pausing to talk briefly with her husband. She was probably going to make dinner and Rosa used the opportunity while the Mrs. was washing her hands to slip past the door. It was basically evening, so she probably didn't have to worry about her nightgown, but it was better to avoid these problems if she could.

Mr. Boone was watching his movie again, so Rosa just went upstairs to find the girl. Lillian was in her room, surrounded by bags and boxes. She heard Rosa come in and turned around, already smiling. "Hey Rosa! Do you like my new dress?" She was wearing a long dress with a pale green bodice, a very frilly skirt, and no sleeves. It looked nice and airy, perfect for summer. Silk, Rosa guessed with her inexpert eye.

"It's beautiful," she praised truthfully. Rosa wondered if she could get something similar, except made for a pony. A dress like that would make working on those flowers a great deal more comfortable than the stuffy, black, maid's uniform, especially with summer right around the corner. It also wouldn't show grass stains as much, if the dress itself was also green.

"I have a new hat too!" Lillian proclaimed and picked up another box to show her pony friend. It was a wide-brimmed, yellow thing which almost looked like it was woven from straw. Rosa leaned in to smell it, but all she could detect was a chemical mix of plastic and glue. If it really was made from dried grass, it had been treated with something, probably to make it more sturdy and lasting. There was also a band of red cloth around it with a bow in the front.

As she was inspecting the thing, Lillian just slipped it on the mare. Rosa had to lean her head uncomfortably far back to see her friend, because the brim covered most of her vision. "Hey!" she said in mock annoyance.

Lillian was already giggling, but Rosa just reached up and adjusted it so she could see better. Then she examined herself in the mirror on the front of Lillian's wardrobe.

"Actually, I kinda like it."

The girl inspected her with a critical eye, then nodded. "Uh-huh! You look pretty. You can borrow it if you like!" she graciously offered.

Rosa returned her smile. "Thank you! Maybe when I'm working in the garden, you know? So I don't get heatstroke."It could come in very handy in summer. She really should get Mr. Boone to buy her both a dress and a hat like that, especially if Mrs. Boone would let the mare help with her flowers more often. For the moment, though, Rosa removed the hat and dropped it back in the box. "So! Get ready for bed. Is your homework done?"

Lillian just nodded wordlessly.

"Good. Then I'll just go shower real quick and if you like we can read the book for a bit!"

Before Rosa could leave, Lillian gave her a hug around the withers, then started undressing. Rosa closed the door on the way out to give her privacy. As she was passing Benjamin's closed door she paused to think. She really shouldn't be putting this off, because it would just get harder and harder. Rosa reached a decision and, taking a deep breath, she knocked.

There was nothing for a while, then a faint, subdued "Yeah?"

Encouraged, Rosa reared up so she could reach the handle and open the door.

"Hi..."

The boy was sitting on his bed, glaring at her. "What do you want?"

Rosa was hoping he would mention something about his homework or tutoring, but no such luck. "I was, um, w-wondering if you... needed something?" It was lame and the boy probably sensed that, but it was the best she could come up with.

"No!"

Rosa took a step closer to bring herself within arm's reach. She wished he would just pet her and feel how soft and warm her fur was! Rosa was sure he would like her then!

"I don't want us to fight, Benjamin," she said softly. "I'm here to help."

He didn't respond, but at least it wasn't a flat refusal.

"Look - what are you learning in Maths class right now?"

Still no answer. Rosa stepped forward and slid her head under his fingers. His hand jerked away, but at least he spoke again: "Fractions."

"Good. I'm good with that."

A more direct approach was needed. After all, she was five years older than him. She really should show her age a bit more, servant or not. "Tomorrow after school, I'll come here and we'll do it together, okay?"

Benjamin just kept staring at her. Rosa kept his gaze for a few more seconds, then walked out as calmly and as nonchalantly as she could, even thought she couldn't keep her tail from swishing in annoyance. He probably didn't know pony body language, so it was fine.

She made her way to the bathroom and slipped out of the nightgown. That part was easy, but then it was time to face her arch-nemesis again. The panties. At least the shower would be nice and warm, and then she could put off another struggle with the wretched underwear until morning. Oh, and she shouldn't forget to fetch her uniform from the drier so it would be ready for next morning. It should be done by the time Rosa was ready for bed.

After the shower Rosa gave her mane a very quick brushing. There was no point in putting in serious effort, really. It would just get tangled up while she slept, so she would have to deal with it the next morning either way. After the brush, it was just a short job to clean her teeth, before...

Just as she was finishing with that, there came a knock on the door.

"Mmmpmh!" Rosa tried to yell out through a mouthful of foam. She quickly spat it out. "Just a minute!"

She twisted around to throw the nightgown over herself, then nearly fell from the stool. The clopping of her hooves probably sounded like tap dancing for a moment there. Rosa hurriedly pulled the dress on and straightened it out as best she could.

"Okay, you can come in!"

The door opened to admit the boy. "I need to use the bathroom," he said.

She was essentially done, although this was the second evening he had interrupted her right in the middle of brushing. Rosa wondered if that was going to be a common thing between them two. At least this time she was fully dressed and the boy didn't end up embarrassed.

"Thank you for knocking! Sure, go ahead. I'm done."

She walked out and the door shut behind her. Too late she remembered the panties lying in the corner. Ah well, Rosa thought, hopefully Benjamin wouldn't mind those and she could always get them later. She had more in her room anyway. Putting the strange little human out of her mind, Rosa went instead to Lillian's room, where the girl was already sitting on her bed. She lifted up the book and smiled when the mare entered.

Rosa went to her and tugged on her blanket. "Come on, under the covers. I don't want you to get cold," she told the child.

Lillian obediently slipped under the blanket, then held it up for her friend to join her. "Rosa," she asked quietly, "is Benjamin in trouble?"

Rosa froze, but then slid closer so she could nuzzle the girl. Her arm went around the pony automatically. "Um, what makes you say that?"

Lillian shrugged, then absentmindedly patted her on the nose. "I heard Mom and Dad talking about it..."

It would only be fair to tell her the truth, but it would also be a good idea to edit it a little bit. There was no need to worry the sweet child. "Well, he is having some problems with Math."

Lillian nodded sagely. "He doesn't like Math. He told me."

"Yes, and I offered to help, but he said no," Rosa explained.

"Why did he say no?"

That was a difficult one and Rosa had to think for a moment before replying: "I guess he didn't like the idea of learning something from a pony."

"That's silly!"

She smiled back at Lillian. "Yes, it is. But don't worry, I explained there's nothing wrong with accepting a bit of help, even if it is from a pony."

The hug around her barrel tightened for a moment. "That's good," Lillian commented, but then apparently put the whole thing out of her mind. She pulled the book closer until it was in reach of Rosa's hooves.

"Okay, so where were we? Let's see here..." Rosa fell silent when she heard footsteps approaching and looked up just in time to see Mr. Boone poke his head into the room.

"Oh, you're reading," he stated the obvious.

Despite the fact that she had done nothing wrong, Rosa's ears automatically flattened. "Um, yes. Just for a bit before bed, Mr. Boone," she explained.

"Good. That's good."

The man disappeared from view and walked over to Benjamin's room. The boy wasn't in, so Mr. Boone just sighed and went back to the master bedroom. That was probably a good thing - Rosa didn't want Lillian to listen to another argument between the two. She also guessed that this meant Mr. Boone condoned her cuddling Lillian in her bed and reading with her. That was also good to know. For a moment Rosa wondered why Mrs. Boone never seemed to check on her daughter, but it was not really any of her business so the mare shrugged a little to herself and bent down to the book again.

"Just one chapter, okay?" she told the girl.

Lillian didn't seem disappointed. "Okay."

That was probably because she would sneak over to Rosa's room anyway. She really hoped they never got caught...

Morning was nothing special. Rosa woke up the most comfortable she'd ever been in her life, then regretfully bundled Lillian off to her own bed before going about her starting-the-day routine. As she was leaving the bathroom she remembered the forgotten panties and went back to fetch them.

They were gone.

A frantic search later left Rosa sitting in the middle of the room and nervously biting on her hoof as she thought. Could Mr. or Mrs. Boone have taken them? Rosa knew the wife used to do laundry before she came, maybe she had just seen them and took them downstairs to the hamper? Not so much because she was being kind perhaps, but because she was annoyed at Rosa's negligence? Maybe it was simply out of habit. Could she have thought they were Lillian's? The hole for Rosa's tail wasn't really obvious if one didn't look closely.

The most important question, though: was Rosa about to get yelled at?

Maybe it had been Mr. Boone, who didn't want his children exposed to 'smut', as he had put it? Did he know Benjamin had used the bathroom after Rosa? The mare might be getting another lecture about propriety that day. Well, there was nothing to be done about that for the moment. It took an effort of will to calm herself down, after which Rosa went back to her room and struggled into her troublesome underwear and the freshly washed and dried uniform. Then she fetched Lillian and took her to breakfast. No one said anything about her mistake, so Rosa convinced herself that one of the grownups had indeed cleaned up after her, but they didn't know, or weren't annoyed enough to mention it, or simply didn't care all that much. Despite that, it shouldn't ever happen again. Rosa silently told herself to be more diligent in the future.

She was lost in her thoughts when suddenly the lady of the house spoke to her: "Rosa."

Her head jerked up her ears automatically lowered as Rosa tried not to squeak in alarm. "Y-Yes?" She swallowed a nervous lump and awaited her tongue-lashing.

"I've been to see the flowerbeds yesterday," Mrs. Boone said. "You left a pile of weeds right out in the open."

That was right! She had completely forgotten about those once Lillian had come home. Rosa blurted out: "I'm s-sorry. I didn't know w-where to take those and then I forgot. Sorry!"

The lady stared at her for a while, then went on. "Take it out front to the biodegradables bin."

"Um... is there a basket or something I can use?"

More silent scrutiny before the Mrs. spoke again: "There's a wheelbarrow, but you won't be able to use it. It's built for a human."

Rosa waited in case there was any other advice, but none seemed forthcoming. "I'll- I'll figure it out. T-Thanks for telling me, Mrs. Boone."

The woman was already focusing on her newspaper again and seemed to be ignoring her.

Maybe Rosa could get an old plastic bag or something to get the weeds out, but even if not, she would clean them up. She'd take them mouthful by mouthful if she had to! There was just one more thing she wanted to know. "Um, Mrs. Boone? Did I weed the flowers properly?" she asked.

The lady looked up, then shrugged. "I suppose. It's not absolutely terrible."

"Then - may I help you with the other flowerbeds, too?"

"Sure," she replied, not even looking at Rosa anymore. It was a bit insulting and ungrateful, but the mare was trying to make a good impression so she let it slide. It helped when she caught a tiny, approving nod from the husband.

The rest of the breakfast passed in relative silence. Once it was done, Mr. Boone instructed Rosa to have the children down for school in five minutes, so she took Lillian up to get her backpack. On the way she pushed her hand against Rosa's nose and opened her palm. It was a piece of toast, which she gratefully accepted and swallowed in a single bite.

"Thank you, sweetheart!"

It reminded Rosa that she was hungry. There were a few more pieces of toast which didn't get eaten and she was looking forward to having them when everyone was gone. Maybe they wouldn't be enough, but she could just pour some cereal if that was the case. Rosa waited patiently for Lillian to give her a hug, before helping her with her shoes and taking her backpack.

"You have a good day at school, okay? I'll see you later!" she told her.

"Yes, Rosa! You too!"

She saw the girl to the front door, waited for a few more head pats and then waved her goodbye. There were no special instructions from Mr. Boone for the day. Rosa decided to clean up the mess in the garden first and then do the dishes from breakfast. After that she would weed a few more flowerbeds. It turned out she was actually looking forward to that. There was something about working with plants that was just so fulfilling. Almost like working with children.

She headed out into the garden and inspected the pile of leaves and plants in the grass. It was a bigger pile than she had thought and taking it by mouthfuls would be impractical. Rosa also couldn't just pile it up on her back without messing up the uniform again.

Sighing, she went back to the house and rummaged around the open pool. There was a plastic bucket which smelled strongly of chlorine. It would do. It didn't have a proper handle, but she could balance it easily on her back, after making sure the bottom was clean, of course. Rosa managed to pile up all the plant refuse in and then she took it out front. Luckily, the bins were labeled by drawings. One of them had a banana peel, some leaves and a circle made of arrows which usually meant recycling but this time probably stood for compost. It was a bit tall for her, so Rosa left the bucket in front of it and went to fetch the stool she used to do dishes.

Keeping her balance while standing on her hind legs and holding the bucket in her teeth was tricky, but Rosa managed it for long enough to lift the lid and dump the weeds inside. Then it took her two more trips to return the items back to their proper places and she was done. There, a job well done meant she had earned breakfast, so Rosa went to check out the leftover toast and butter in the kitchen. She decided to sweep up later in the day, in case she tracked any dirt or stones in the house, which meant that she had a mostly free morning after the dishes.

A thought occurred and Rosa walked over to the couch. The TV. She was really curious about it. She could go and see what kind of movies the humans had on it. Well, movie. Singular. Rosa didn't want to lose too much time to the thing. It had always been heavily discouraged, even forbidden, at the School, but she was out in the world now, without all the teachers and guards and Instructors looking over her shoulder. Surely she was allowed to watch a little!

Dishes first, though! Rosa couldn't afford to let her standards slide and become a lazy, useless nag. She was still excited about the movie, though, and she started humming happily as she headed back to the kitchen.

Chapter 17: Atrocity

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warning
This chapter hits a bit hard and isn't extremely relevant for the whole story. It's okay to skip it.
Features: description of ponies being enslaved for hard work, abuse and neglect, mentions of exploitation.
Everything from the bottom-most paragraph (horizontal line) is back on track and returns to the main story.

Rosa was one excited pony! She had finished with the dishes and the garden and had gotten herself a simple lettuce and tomato sandwich. Now she had about an hour and a half to spend watching TV before the Boone family came home.

The couch made a very satisfying plop noise when she jumped up. Then, deftly balancing her sandwich on one hoof, she reached for the remote on the coffee table. It was a bit tricky to hit those small buttons, but by placing it between her hind legs, Rosa was able to press them with the edge of her hoof. She turned the TV on and took a bite out of her sandwich. To most humans it would be a bit boring: bread, a bit of salt, and vegetables. To her it was delicious and Rosa didn't care what some random people might think.

The picture came alive to some men in expensive suits sitting around a room and talking. It looked like a movie, but it was the middle and Rosa didn't really know what was going on. She understood the basics of how a TV worked, mostly gleaned from overhearing conversations in the School, so she knew that she couldn't rewind whatever she was seeing to its beginning. Movies on computers and iPads worked like that, but not TV. Luckily, there was a large selection of channels for her to pick from. After a brief study of the remote, Rosa pressed a button and the image changed. This time it looked like a show about some heavy machinery, digging out some rocks. Curious, but not really interesting to her. She wondered if there was a channel with gardening on there instead. She kept going, skipping past some music, a couple more movies and a thing where people were cooking.

Then she spotted a pony and her hoof froze in mid-press. She had a pale gray coat and a mint mane, but what caught Rosa's attention most was the heavy, iron collar around her neck. As she watched the image changed to show a dimly lit hall with rows and rows of cages, most of them containing filthy ponies. Her ears flattened in apprehension and Rosa stopped chewing her mouthful of sandwich so she wouldn't miss a word. A woman was talking, but she couldn't see her on screen.

"... breeding mill despite the recent humane treatment law. The police had this to say."

The image changed to an uniformed man facing an array of microphones. Rosa swallowed, but didn't take another bite. As the man began to talk, her sandwich fell out of her nerveless hoof.

Rosa had known that ponies weren't treated very well in some parts of the world, but the images the TV was showing were heart-rending. Starved, wretched, miserable creatures, huddling on what looked like threadbare blankets on concrete floors. They mostly shied away from the camera, except for some who leaned their hooves on the bars and begged the reporters to take them away. Some of the ponies looked barely a few years old. The voice-overlay explained that they were only taken out of their jail-like rooms to work, and when they finally collapsed from exhaustion the ponies were simply thrown in a ditch, usually somewhere out of the way like the woods.

It struck right through her heart and tears dripped unimpeded on her legs and the couch. Yes, on some unconscious level Rosa had known about this, or at least feared it, but it was one thing to have vague suspicions and quite another to actually see the results with her own eyes. A lady came on and the text underneath said she was from something called 'SPCA'. She explained about a mare they had rescued from a farm when the owner had been arrested for cruelty to animals.

They showed the pictures of the pony and Rosa couldn't hold back a sob. Her limbs were so thin she could see individual bones! She was like a standing, trembling corpse! No pony should look like that, ever!

"Please, no!" Rosa whimpered, hoping she had been nursed back to health. The woman on the TV sighs and explains that 'Macy', as they had named the unknown pony, died the next night. Rosa's vision blurred and she missed the next part of the show.

One thing in particular horrified her. All of that was happening in the United States. She recognized the names of places and people as definitely American. The country her teachers had always told her treated its ponies well. Surely they hadn't lied to her?! Those atrocities happened in other parts of the world, backward, savage places like Africa and China, right? Not right in her country?! Rosa remembered her friends from the School. All of them were treated well, if a bit strictly. They were fed and warm and safe. None of them were overworked and certainly none were ever killed!

Maybe she should change the channel and not look at this stuff anymore, but she couldn't force herself to stop now. She blinked her eyes clear and concentrated on the TV again. Something was driving her to see the full horror.

Only a few words were needed for her to slam her hooves around her head in an effort to shut it out: "... sold as sex slaves. The illegal auctions take place in..."

Suddenly Rosa couldn't stand any more. She lashed out at the remote and the TV shut off. That was good. She had already heard too much and now she couldn't get it out of her imagination. Just thinking about it made her head swim and her stomach clench. The photograph from the TV was now burned in her memory. A pink mare with patches of her fur missing where she had been burned by cigarettes. There were cuts on her legs and belly and she had a haunted, beaten look. Her mane had been matted and her tail had simply been chopped off, it looked like. To give the men easier access. To make the pony easier to hose down each day. Her big eyes, round and pleading, had looked utterly defeated and devoid of any hope. That hadn't been a pony looking back at Rosa, just a shell of one.

"Gurk!"

She didn't get much warning before the sandwich came back up her throat and all over the coffee table. It burned her mouth, but Rosa scarcely felt it as she began to cry. It would have to be cleaned up before the Boones came home, she knew, but right at that moment Rosa couldn't really move. She wished she could forget it all. Take it all back. Never have seen that channel. How could anyone do something like that to another creature?!

A slight change in her luck and that could have been her!

Her stomach heaved again, but there was nothing left, except for a bit of bile, which left a foul taste in her mouth.

"Why?!" Rosa sobbed.

There was no one there to answer, of course, but she had to scream out her anguish.

"WHY!!!"

She folded down on the couch, not caring that she was lying on what was left of her sandwich and that she was smearing vomit from her muzzle into the cushion. Closing her eyes, Rosa started to cry miserably.

It was not fair.

This was supposed to be a good country for ponies.

People were supposed to be nice.

All she wanted to do was help them. Rosa was sure that was what all ponies wanted to do! They weren't supposed to be left in a ditch somewhere after they stopped being useful. She tried to stop the thought, but it came back. Again she retched dryly. In desperation, Rosa clutched a pillow and pressed it against her belly.

Two things she knew.

First, she would never in her life be able to forget all that.

Second, she had to somehow pull herself together. Lillian could not be allowed see her like that. More importantly, the girl should never know what was happening in the world. For that matter, neither should Rosa.

She began to understand why the School didn't allow TV. She should have obeyed.

This would be impossible to unsee, but Rosa still had to try. For Lillian.

The little girl immediately knew something was up. Rosa couldn't act well enough to fool Lillian, even if her father and her brother couldn't read the expression on a pony's face.

"What's wrong, Rosa?" she asked a few seconds after she gave her her welcome-home hug.

"N-Nothing. I'm fine!" the mare tried to convince her.

Lillian watched her thoughtfully for a moment. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

It was so close to the truth that it made Rosa wince before she could stop it, but she quickly tried to cover it up with a smile. "I'm just, a b-bit tired, that's all. Come on, let's get you up to your room."

Luckily Lillian was young enough to take her word for it and slipped her backpack off her shoulders. Rosa led her upstairs without really saying anything to Mr. Boone. Fortunately he didn't seem to mind. Rosa hoped she had done a good enough job with the couch. The stains had been fresh enough to come out cleanly. The rest of the sandwich, almost whole, she had tossed in the bio bin outside. No appetite after that. She had taken wet towels and cleaned up herself and her uniform as best as she could. The mere memory of why she had thrown up was enough to almost make her hurl again, but Rosa had managed to stop it in time. It hadn't prevent her from crying the whole time, though.

At the end she had been left with about three minutes to get her mane in order, wipe her face as clean as she could, and splash some water on her muzzle before the family came home. Her stomach was still queasy and Rosa was afraid for her future. Could she end up like those ponies she had seen? The School would supposedly find her good assignments, but maybe she could get kidnapped? Instructor Martha had always said how pretty Rosa looked. What if some perverted human wanted her badly enough and simply grabbed her when she went to take the trash out?

That was illegal, but now something told Rosa that humans wouldn't try all that hard to get her back. Lillian would be heartbroken and Mrs. Boone would probably tell her the mare had run away. In fact, that would probably be what they all thought and Mr. Boone would complain to headmaster Freely.

Rosa shook her head to try and dislodge the idea.

What she needed to do was put those images out of her mind and focus on the here and now. She hadn't been kidnapped and the Boones probably lived in a very safe neighborhood. She had Lillian to take care of and her brother to tutor. There was even some gardening she could do later to take her mind off the stuff.

Rosa suddenly realized she had been standing in the door of Lillian's room that whole time. "Oh! Sorry!" she forced a fake laugh. "Guess I'm more tired than I thought!"

The girl didn't mind. Rosa saw she had gotten ahead and kicked her shoes off and was already pulling her dress over her head. She took the discarded shoes and put them outside the room so she could clean them later. Lillian was already wearing her pink slippers for the house.

Seeing her expression, the child dropped her school dress on the floor and came over to put her arms around Rosa's head. She pressed her forehead against the mare's. "You should go take a nap," she whispered to her. "I won't tell Dad, honest!"

Being alone with her thoughts and with nothing to do was the last thing Rosa wanted right then, but the hug was very nice and she closed her eyes. "Mmmm. Maybe. I wanna help you do your homework first."

It would still be about an hour before Mrs. Boone came home and made lunch.

"Uh, Rosa?" a voice sounded behind them.

Rosa freed herself from Lillian and turned around. Mr. Boone was standing in the doorway. "Come here," he said.

His thunderous expression scared her a little and Rosa immediately assumed she was in trouble because she had been in Lillian's room while the girl was changing. His notions of smut and all that. Her ears went down and Rosa swallow heavily. "Y-Y-Yes, sir."

Following the man out of the room, Rosa gave the girl a reassuring smile before her father closed the door. There was no reason to worry the child, even if Rosa was in trouble.

"I'm sorry, I should have-"

The man didn't wait for her apology, but set off down the hallway. "Come!" he ordered.

Yes, he was taking her to her room, probably so that Lillian wouldn't hear the punishment. Rosa hanged her head and followed. She nearly bumped into Mr. Boone's legs when he stopped unexpectedly at Benjamin's door. When Rosa looked around wildly she saw that the boy was sitting at his desk with his notebooks and glaring at her sullenly.

"Math homework. Right now! Both of you!" the man demanded.

Rosa suddenly understood and heaved a sigh of immense relief. "Of course, s-sir! Right away!" She walked into the room and turned around to assure the man she would do her best with his son, but the door just slammed shut. Obviously Mr. Boone had gotten another call from the boy's teacher, she guessed.

There was just one chair in the room, so Rosa went and stood beside Benjamin's desk. He was still glaring at her. Time to work her magic. It took everything she got, but Rosa pushed the traumatic TV show as far down as she could and gave the boy a bright, happy, fake smile. It was a good thing he couldn't read her like Lillian.

"So... um, fractions? Here, let me see your homework and then we'll do it together, okay? It shouldn't take long."

That last was more for her own benefit than the boy's. Actually, she realized, maybe this was a good thing. Focusing on Benjamin's math and improving her relationship with him gave her something immediate to do and required all of her concentration. She might even be able to stop thinking about those poor ponies for a while. Rosa was almost grateful as she reared up and leaned her forehooves against the edge of the desk so she could see the things on it. The boy still hadn't moved, so she reached over and slid his textbook closer.

"Show me which exercises you need to do for homework," she urged him.

There still wasn't any reply. Benjamin seemed determined to be obstinate. It was going to be her fault, of course. Rosa was the older one and should have known how to bring a recalcitrant child to hand. That had been her whole training, after all! She thought back on Instructor Martha's lessons. After all, in some ways Benjamin was acting like a special-needs child right then.

There was one trick that might work there. Rosa slid closer so she could read his notebook. "Here, let me see..."

She made herself sound completely absentminded, but she ended up brushing her head against Benjamin's shoulder. She took one hoof off the desk and placed it on his chair, as if to steady herself. That let her almost hug the boy, without it seeming like she was trying to do it. The 'surreptitious embrace', Amethyst had called the move, for children too shy or nervous about touching her of their own accord. Rosa took it a step further by actually putting her muzzle on his shoulder. Benjamin stiffened under her, but that was a normal reaction.

"Hmm," Rosa murmured to herself, "let's see. Problems four to fifteen on page..."

It was working! Her soft, cuddly, pony magic was having an effect. The lad shifted unconsciously so she could lean closer to the notebook, but that just meant she was hugging him even more. Chest fluff on bare arm.

Time for her next trick. Rosa lifted her head and waved a vague hoof without even looking in the direction. "Here, grab that book, let's see what we have," she said matter-of-factly.

The boy obediently reached over to grab the item, but that just meant he had to put his arm right in front of her muzzle. Still pretending like she was reading his notes, Rosa ducked under it and voila - he was hugging her around the withers. Perfect.

Amethyst would be proud of her!

Of course it ended a moment later when Benjamin pulled the book to him and let her go, but he was sufficiently unnerved that Rosa could control him, to an extent. More importantly, he got to feel just how nice a pony hug could be. She would have to give him a chance later to pet her without obvious prompting, but Rosa felt that had been a good start.

Placing her hoof on the desk's edge again, Rosa started reading through the problems in the textbook. The math itself would take a lot of focus, so no more assistant pony shenanigans. It was okay. She had broken the ice quite well, especially judging from how Benjamin was fidgeting on his chair. He wasn't thinking about how annoyed he was at being forced to work with her. Instead he was thinking about the touch and the 'inadvertent' hug. Those were much better topics.

"Okay, let's try with this first one. Would you read it aloud for me, please?"

Now that Rosa had given him a task, the boy accepted it almost gratefully, just so he had something to do other than what must have seemed like groping her. Come to think of it, having a definitive goal was helping them both. Rosa already felt a little better about what what she had seen earlier. The horror receded, even while she understood it would never really go away.

Chapter 18: Nightmare

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Benjamin didn't seem to like her any more by the time they were done. After that first accidental contact he worked very hard on completely avoiding touching Rosa for some reason. She had struggled with him through his homework, but if Rosa were to be perfectly honest with herself, she was very glad when it was over. So was the boy.

"Um. Good job, Benjamin. I h-hope you, uh, you learned something," Rosa said, working hard to smile and look proud.

That boy just didn't seem to like ponies in any way at all! Maybe the best Rosa could hope for was tolerating each other. It wouldn't stop her from trying, but it had been an awful day and she just wanted to go and work on the garden for a while, alone. The way Benjamin had needed prompting for every single, minor calculation had really tried her patience to its limit. Not to mention that she was sore all over from standing on her hind legs and leaning uncomfortably on the desk. It had taken a lot longer than it should have!

"Are we done now?" Benjamin demanded, as if it were Rosa who had been slowing it all down to a crawl.

That was the straw which broke the pony's back!

"You know what?" Rosa said angrily. "I tried. Okay? I really wanna be your friend and I'm sure I can help you with Math, but if you don't want it, fine." She took a breath and turned away. She nearly walked out of his room, but paused with her hoof in the air. "When you get an F on your test, you explain to your father why."

"Fine!" he shouted after her. "I don't need your help!"

"Fine!"

Leaving his room, Rosa shook her head and sighed. It had been a mistake to let her temper snap, but the way Benjamin had actively fought against learning anything from her had been so damned tiring. He was just a spoiled brat! Rosa reminded herself that she really shouldn't start thinking like that. She needed some peace and quiet to re-center herself. First, however, she went to Lillian's room where the girl was lying on her bed and playing with Mr. Fuzzbot. The difference between her and her brother was almost painful. Rosa walked over and put her head on Lillian's pillow, right next to hers.

Her hand immediately came to pat her muzzle and Rosa licked her palm. "I'm sorry sweetie, but my head hurts. Is it okay if we read some other time?"

Lillian sat up and shuffled closer so she could put both her hands in Rosa's mane. She sought out her flattened ears and lifted them up so she could scratch behind. It felt amazing and some of Rosa's tension melted away.

"Aw, poor pony," the girl cooed. "Are you gonna take a nap now?"

Rosa still didn't want to, afraid of what she would see when she closed her eyes. It would still be a problem that night, but maybe, if she get tired enough, she wouldn't dream.

"I think I'll go and work on your mother's flowers for a bit. That'll help." Strangely, she wasn't lying to Lillian. Dealing with the weeds sounded just so relaxing right at the moment. It was simple and mindless and should leave her exhausted.

"Okay, if you're sure..."

"Lunch will be any second now, will you be okay by yourself?"

It was a silly question. Lillian had gotten along just fine before Rosa came, but somehow, in the past few days, she had grown so attached to the child that Rosa almost couldn't imagine life without the girl. She was sure Lillian felt the same way. She had even volunteered tidbits about her classes or friends here and there during meals, something Mr. Boone told Rosa she had almost never done before. Maybe she was only doing it because the mare was there, but it was good progress and Mr. Boone seemed very pleased about that.

Rosa promised herself that she would be right beside her again for dinner. She just needed this meal away from Mrs. Boone's stare, and a bit of time for herself to work through what she had seen. It was going to be fine, Rosa told herself. The TV people were probably way exaggerating everything. She hoped.

"Rosa?"

Again she realized she had been daydreaming while the child was talking. "Oh. Sorry. I'll go now. You're a good girl, Lillian." The child leaned down and put a light kiss right on the tip of Rosa's nose. It had never failed to make her smile and this time was no exception. "Thanks. I think I needed that."

Lillian waved her goodbye and lay back down, lifting Mr. Fuzzbot up in the air above her once more.

Meanwhile Rosa started gathering up her courage to walk past the Boone grownups and out to the garden. She remembered she should also take the plastic bucket for the weeds, so she wouldn't have to pick them up from the ground again later. With luck, Rosa would be finished with all the flowers in the back yard soon and then she could ask Mrs. Boone if there was anything else she could do. Maybe plant a few more? That would cheer her up immensely, Rosa felt.

While she was at it, she should probably water all the flowerbeds, too. Rosa decided to ask the lady about it. Then, before bed, she would check all of Lillian's clothes, even though the next morning was a Saturday and she didn't have to go to school. Despite that, Rosa would do the laundry and maybe even some ironing, just to put off the moment she had to go to bed. Maybe it would also be a good idea to tell Lillian to stay in her own bed that night. If Rosa did get bad dreams, she didn't want to hurt her by tossing and turning.

She should never have touched that damned TV...

Even though Rosa had just laid down, she already feared that she wouldn't get much sleep. The garden had tired her out and now her muscles ached from all that effort, but her mind was still buzzing and she couldn't stop thinking about what she had seen. It had gotten a little easier after she had convinced herself that the stuff she saw on TV was exaggerated, but Rosa was still afraid of sleeping and the dreams she was sure she would have.

There was a faint shuffle outside her room and Rosa lifted her head up to hear better. Before she could ask whoever was out there - Rosa had a pretty good idea, anyway - the door opened to admit the girl.

"Lillian, I told you to stay in your room tonight," Rosa whispered.

Unfortunately Lillian just pretended like she hadn't heard the mare and came to her bed. Rosa watched her for a moment, but as soon as she saw Lillian shivering in the cool, night air, she gave in and lifted up the covers. She caught a brief glimpse of a smile, then her friend was in her bed and hugging her for all she was worth. Rosa didn't even mind how cold Lillian's skin felt against her fur.

"Goodnight Rosa," Lillian murmured and reached up to scratch an ear.

Thoroughly defeated, the mare sighed and settled back down. Who knew, maybe the dreams wouldn't be that bad.

There was quiet for a minute or so, then: "Rosa? Why were you so sad today?"

It was not something she wanted the girl to know, so Rosa looked for a little white lie. "I miss my friends. I was hoping we'd get a letter back today," she said. It was not even really a falsehood, just a bit dishonest.

Lillian nodded and squeezed her harder. "I'm sorry."

Sleep seemed a long way off, so Rosa resigned herself to lying perfectly still and looking out the window. That way at least her ward could rest. She watched the softly glowing lamps in the garden for a while, until she realized she could see some of the flowerbeds she had weeded and watered today. That had been some good work, Rosa thought. Mrs. Boone hadn't said anything, but Rosa saw her expression when she went to inspect it and it was pretty telling.

Grudging approval.

Maybe she would actually win her over sooner than Benjamin. Having his mother on her side might even help Rosa with the boy. She decided she would ask Mrs. Boone if she could plant a few more flowerbeds, just for herself. Rosa thought she understood how to till the soil and make nice little rows. She would have to see if Mrs. Boone would give her any seeds, otherwise she would ask the husband to take her past a gardening supplies shop when they went to pick up those dresses he had promised.

Maybe she might even be able to plant a few vegetables. The thought of growing her own food strangely excited Rosa. She barely stifled a whinny of delight, just from thinking about it. She was probably rushing ahead, but Rosa started trying to figure out how much of each vegetable to plant.

Somewhere in the middle of lettuce she fell asleep.

Breath came in short pants as Rosa was running through the woods, pursuers right behind her. She could hear how they were trampling the undergrowth and brushing against the foliage. Twigs snapped beneath their boots and gravel crunched with every step. She was fast on her hooves, but she had to duck around bushes while the humans chasing her just ran straight through. It was impossible to escape, but Rosa had no choice. When they caught her, they would kill her.

A hoof snagged on a branch and she stumbled. Rosa managed to recover without falling, but she had lost a bit of her lead. As she looked back, she caught a glimpse of her tormentors. Instructor Martha, Mr. Freely and Benjamin, all with guns in their hands. Mr. Freely lifted his up to his face and looked down the barrel at the mare.

She barely had time to let out an alarmed squeak before the shot sounded. The bullet whizzed above her head and Rosa put on a fresh burst of speed. Already her legs hurt from the effort and her nostrils flared wildly with each breath she sucked down. She wouldn't be able to run that fast for much longer. At first she had tried pleading with them even while she ran, but her begging had only been answered by guttural snarls and grotesque laughter.

They wouldn't even tell Rosa why they were hunting her.

So suddenly that she was unable to stop herself, the forest ran out and Rosa was tumbling down a slope. She only caught a glimpse of what was at the bottom, but it made her scream in terror and scramble at the ground to stop her fall.

Pony bodies!

She landed on something soft with a solid thump which drove all air out of her lungs and made her vision go black. As Rosa lay there, panting, she expected a bullet to find her at any second. She didn't want to look.

Nothing happened for a while. There were no sounds, except for her laboured breathing. Rosa opened her eyes. It was some kind of a room, but she couldn't see the walls. There was no sign of the ravine she had fallen down, nor of her pursuers. In fact, the place was familiar. Rosa glanced down with considerable trepidation, but she was just lying on a soft surface which felt a little like carpet.

"I cannot keep you here long, but you will not dream again tonight, I promise," a familiar voice spoke behind her.

Rosa's legs didn't quite obey, but she managed to flop around until she was facing the other way. She was still breathing heavily and sweat was pouring off the mare.

"W-Who are you?" she demanded.

"A friend. You would not understand the full truth, not yet. I will not confuse you. Just understand that I am here to help."

All Rosa could see were glowing, cyan eyes up in the air, once again making her think that the creature was too tall. "Are you a human or a pony?"

There was a pause and the eyes winked out as the person blinked. "I am not human. Once I was pony."

"What does that mean?!"

Again Rosa was getting angry. Just who did she think she was, speaking in that prophetic riddle mumbo-jumbo?! She? Had Rosa known the speaker was female before? It was hard to remember a dream from another dream. She opened her mouth to demand more answers, but the eyes flared up with light and a word fell out of the sky, covering her like a thick blanket.

"Sleep."

Everything went black.

Chapter 19: Letter

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The ringing of the alarm clock brought Rosa back to the real world and her bed. Lillian was still gripping her around the barrel, but there was something else, quite uncomfortable in her side. Rosa shuffled a little and pulled it up.

A towel?! Where had that come from?!

The girl shifted and Rosa carefully disentangled herself so she could turn around and look at her. "Lillian? What happened?"

She opened her eyes and confusion changed to worry, then to relief. Her hands sought out Rosa's muzzle and brushed an errant strand of her mane out of her eyes. "Rosa! I was so worried!" the girl exclaimed. "You wouldn't wake up!"

Lillian did look frightened. For that matter, Rosa was a little weirded out herself. She remembered both of her dreams and she couldn't tell which one was scarier.

Rosa began licking Lillian's palm, reassuring both the child and herself in equal measure. "I'm okay. I was just having a bad dream, I think," you explain.

"You were crying," Lillian said. "I shook you but you wouldn't wake up!" She pushed the mare a little as if to demonstrate. "I was going to get Dad, but then you said 'sleep' and... went quiet."

Lillian paused her story and asked in a whisper: "What did you dream about?"

"Oh, just a silly dream about someone chasing me."

"But why wouldn't you wake up?"

Rosa shrugged. "I don't know. I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Lillian hugged her again, even tighter than before. She rested her face against Rosa's neck. "I was worried."

In part, that was why Rosa hadn't wanted her sleeping in her bed, but she'd come anyway. It was a good thing she hadn't tossed and turned in her dream, at least. "I'm sorry. Just a bad dream, okay? I'm better now." It was true, Rosa realized. What she had seen was horrific, but she felt like she could get on with her life now. The thing was to keep herself busy and not think about it too much. When she saw Instructor Martha again Rosa would ask her for the truth, but right at the moment the Boones - and the little girl in particular - were her first responsibility.

Even if she knew for certain that all those horrible things were happening to ponies, what could Rosa do about them? From helplessness would come acceptance, she supposed.

"What about this towel?" Rosa lifted it up to show the girl.

"You were sweaty, so I got it from the bathroom and put it on you," Lillian explained. That was actually good thinking and impressive initiative for a seven-year-old.

"Thank you." Rosa stretched a little which brought out a yawn. "Okay, let's get you back to your bed before anyone notices. It's Saturday anyway, so I'll go wash and then I'll come read to you, okay?"

Finally there was a smile! Lillian patted Rosa on the nose, then slipped out of her bed and padded away. Rosa took another moment to think back on her mysterious dream. Why would a figment of her imagination call itself 'a pony, once'? Just where were her dreams coming from? Were they a kind of mental defense against the nightmares? Why had she had one before this night, then? It was all just so confusing!

Anyway, it was time to go deal with her teeth and her mane and tail, and then her worst enemy in the house. At least this time Rosa had remembered to take her panties to the hamper after her shower. No more slip-ups for the Boones to find. As she was shuffling to the bathroom, Rosa started planning out her day. An hour or two sitting with Lillian in her bed and reading with her, then the family would probably have their breakfast. Rosa was starving after having skipped both lunch and dinner the previous day, so she would probably grab some vegetables and bread and go eat in the garden while they sat at the table, if Mrs. Boone didn't mind.

After that she would vacuum the upstairs and gather up any clothing so she could do the laundry after. There would be the lunch with the family, uncomfortable but bearable if she was with Lillian. Then, in the afternoon Mr. Boone had promised to take her to the town to get another uniform and maybe a lighter dress for the summer. Rosa would also try and get a hat, especially if she would be doing a lot of gardening. Which reminded her: she also needed to get some seeds if Mrs. Boone said she may start her own little garden.

Something told Rosa that Lillian would want to come with. After all, it sounded exciting, going shopping with her new little friend! That brought a smile to her lips, but Rosa quickly wiped it off so she could keep brushing. The face in the mirror was a bit haggard, but she was already looking happier as she focused on the positives and not on the bad stuff she had seen. After dinner, Rosa decided, she would try and talk with Benjamin again. All in all, it should be a full, busy, interesting day and with luck she would dream about shopping, rather than that horrible TV show.

She spat out the foam and sucked up a bit of water to rinse. An idea occurred. If she was going to spend some time with Mr. Boone in the car, she might as well bring up the problems she was having with his son. Discreetly and politely, of course, just so he was aware. In case her tutoring the boy failed, it would be wise to show the man she was making an effort, so he didn't blame her for not trying. She would have to 'steer' the father correctly and the last thing Rosa wanted was for him and his son to have another argument about her. Maybe she should just tell Mr. Boone that Benjamin didn't like being tutored by her, but that she would keep trying, so he didn't have to get involved?

As Rosa was splashing water on her muzzle to freshen up, she started planning out her words as much as she could in advance. She wiped herself dry with a towel, then headed back to her room to change into her maid uniform. It was going to be a bit silly walking around the town in that, but she should be fine.

A very loud stomach growl interrupted Rosa's reading with Lillian and made her blush and fold her ears down. The girl giggled, then slid to the edge of the bed and stood up.

"Come on Rosa," Lillian beckoned, "let's get you some breakfast!"

"Oh. Yes. Thank you!"

She followed the little miss down the stairs and past Mr. Boone, who was watching TV. Rosa glanced nervously at the screen and relaxed when she saw it was just some weather. Of course people wouldn't spend all their time watching ponies being mistreated on TV!

"Morning, sir!"

He looked around and returned the greeting: "Morning, you two. Oh, Lillian, your mother had to go into work, but she'll be back by noon. Just make yourselves something to eat, okay?"

It was better than Rosa had expected! Maybe she could even sit at the table this time! Lillian was obviously thinking the same thing, because she took hold of Rosa's mane and very gently tugged. "Come on, Rosa," she said.

The mare followed until they were in the kitchen and hopefully out of earshot for Mr. Boone. "Um, Lillian? It's not very polite to pull a pony by their mane," she explained.

The little girl covered her mouth with her hand for a moment, but then threw her arms around her withers. "OH! I'm so sorry, Rosa! I didn't know!"

Such a sweet child! Rosa patted her on the back with a hoof. "It's okay, it's okay. I don't mind. I'm just saying in case you meet another pony, okay?"

Lillian nodded and brushed her fingers through her mane before going to open the fridge. "So, what would you like?"

Rosa opted for something simple. "Are there any tomatoes left from yesterday? And then I'll just get a piece of bread and some salt. Would you like bread too?"

Of course she wasn't going to let Lillian handle a knife, even just a bread-knife. It didn't matter, though, because she shook her head. "I'll just have some cereal," she announced.

It should have been an easy guess for Rosa, since it was what Lillian had every morning. She fetched the bowl and the milk and poured it for herself and Rosa kept her eye on the girl in case she needed help. Luckily Lillian was wisely holding the carton in both hands so she wouldn't spill or drop it. Then she got the cereal box from a cupboard. It was on a shelf, but low enough for her to reach without a chair. She had to stand on tiptoe to mix it into the milk, but she managed without any problems whatsoever.

Meanwhile Rosa got her piece of bread, rather thicker than normal because she was quite hungry. She also salted it liberally and fetched her tomato. Salted bread was just the best! For added measure Rosa also took a carrot she had found in the fridge and added it to the plate. She lifted it all up with her mouth and took it to the dining table with Lillian right on her heels.

Before getting on a chair Rosa glanced toward the living room. You couldn't see Mr. Boone, but she heard the TV. It sounded like a movie or a show about policemen and it would probably keep going for a while, especially since the weather forecast had just finished. Rosa jumped up on the chair and Lilian took the one next to her. She stirred her bowl a few times, then simply started eating. Rosa quickly followed suit.

After a few minutes, when they were nearly done, the doorbell rang. Rosa glanced at the girl, but she didn't seem too interested, so she guessed it was nothing to worry about. They could hear Mr. Boone going to answer it and briefly speaking with the visitor. Mailman, Rosa decided. It only took a few moments, then Boone closed the front door and walked toward the kitchen. Rosa froze, expecting him to at least comment on her sitting at the table, if not outright order her down. Instead, the man glanced at the mare, but didn't even bat an eyelid. Rosa guessed it was just Mrs. Boone who saw her as a pet rather than a person. Well, the way Mr. Boone had gotten a uniform for her kind of demonstrated his stance on ponies.

"Here, this came for you, Rosa," the man said and held out a thick envelope. Rosa immediately knew what it was.

"The letter from my friends at the School!" she exclaimed.

Lillian caught her excitement and clapped her hands while her father put the letter on the table and then took the rest of the mail to the couch to look it over.

Rosa caught the girl's eye and slid the envelope to her. "Here, you can open it!" she offered graciously.

Lilian didn't need to be told twice. She grabbed the letter and quickly tore it open. There were two folded papers and several printed photographs, just like Rosa had asked her friends to send.

A gasp escaped from the girl as she inspected the first. "Oh, they're so pretty!" she commented, then pointed. "That one is a pegasus! Oh, and so is that one!"

Rosa leaned in so she could see. It was indeed the whole gang, sitting on the floor in her old dorm room. Even Paolo was with them, standing a bit to the side with a nervous grin.

"Oh yes. That's Paolo, there on the end. He's a colt - that means a boy pony. The other pegasus is Iskra, she's the one with the blue mane."

Lillian's grin threatened to split her face in half. She pointed again. "Who is this one?"

Rosa chuckled and decided to just spill it all. "Okay, so the first one on the left is Felicity. Then there's Iskra, like I said, then Valentina, Amethyst and Paolo on the right. Got all that?"

The girl traced the line of ponies with her finger and her lips moved as she silently mouthed the names to herself. She stroked the mane of one of the girls on the picture. "Yes, I remember! Amethyst is learning to be an Assistant pony. Iskra wants to be a delivery pony, Valentina is going to be a show pony and, um, Felicity..." Lillian looked up at the ceiling with the effort of recollection. "Oh, she wants to be a teacher's aide in a school!"

"Very good. It's like you've known them for years!" Rosa giggled.

Lillian's finger came to a rest on Paolo. "Um, what about him? You didn't tell me much about Paul!"

"Paolo," Rosa corrected. "He's um. I don't know him that well. His room is on the other side of the building."

The girl accepted this explanation, but kept peering at the colt for a while. "He's cute."

It was a good thing she wasn't looking, or she'd see Rosa blush a nice pink. There were more photos and Lilian put the group one down and picked up another. "Who is this?" she asked.

Rosa pushed the inappropriate thoughts away and looked. "Oh, that's Instructor Martha and that's Amethyst sitting in her lap."

The woman had taken a selfie, it seemed. Both she and the mare were smiling. Somehow that image in particular calmed Rosa down about the horror show she had seen the previous day. Maybe there were bad humans, but most of them were nice and kind, like her teachers and the rest of the School staff. What she had seen was an exception, not a rule, and it had been fixed. Maybe there were no more places like that. Rosa held on to the thought firmly and looked at the photo once more.

The picture made both her and Lillian giggle. "Okay, here's another one with just Paolo!"

Rosa wondered how the colt had gotten Martha to take it, or why the lady would have obliged. Had the girls told her about Rosa's crush?! Maybe they had taken the pictures themselves, because the colt was sitting beside Rosa's old bed and the image was captured from about pony head-height. His wings were outstretched a little to show them off to best effect. He looked a bit embarrassed, the way he was blushing with his ears completely flat. The tail was wrapped around him so it covered his forehooves.

What struck Rosa the most was how much longing there was in his eyes. That colt really missed her. She missed him too, she realized. Before she could stop it, Rosa heaved a forlorn sigh.

Lillian looked incredulously at her, then at the picture again. "Um, are you and Paolo boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"What?! No! How do you even know about things like that already?!"

Unfortunately Rosa's blush put a lie to her denial. Lillian hid her mouth with a hand and giggled. "That's so cute!"

The mare gave in and sighed again. "I like him, but we weren't anything like that. It's not allowed at the School. Besides, I'll probably never see him again." Looking off into the distance, Rosa tried not to mist up. "By the time I'm back at the School, he'll have gone to his own assignment," she explained.

"Aw," Lillian exclaimed and put her arms around Rosa's neck. "That's so sad!" She brightened up a little. "Maybe he won't? Or maybe I can ask Dad if Paolo can come live with us?"

Rosa very much doubted Mr. Boone would like the idea, but she didn't want that little girl to be sad. "Maybe. Don't worry, we'll stay in touch with letters. Instructor Martha promised."

That cheered her up a little and Lillian took the last photo. It was taken outside, in the little park in front of the school. It was just the girls that time and they were lying comfortably right in the grass.

"They're so pretty!" Rosa's little friend commented again.

"Yes."

She put the last photo down and picked up the sheets of paper. It looked like two separate letters and Rosa wondered why, until she spotted the signatures. One was from the girls and the other was from Paolo.

"Hey, wanna go up and read these with me? Look, they're addressed to you as well!" she pointed out.

"Okay!" Lillian agreed immediately.

"Okay, take them upstairs, I'll just clean up after us quickly."

Rosa munched up the last bits of her carrot and tomato, then, glancing around to make sure she was alone, she tilted up Lillian's bowl and finished her cereal, too. It was a bit too sweet for her, but Rosa liked the taste of chocolate. Then she put Lillian's now empty bowl on her plate and picked them both up. It would feel so good to hear from her friends!

For a moment she was worried Paolo might have written something too personal, but the colt had known Instructor Martha would probably read the letter before sending it. Besides, he had addressed it to both Rosa and the little girl. He wasn't stupid. Rosa was sure it would be okay for Lillian to read it. She quickly washed the two dishes and Lillian's spoon, then wiped her hooves on a rag and hurried after the girl. Vacuuming and laundry could wait for a bit!

Chapter 20: Obstinate

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Rosa had spent as long as she could choosing dresses. Well, at least until Mr. Boone had started looking impatient. It wasn't polite to make the man wait, but it was just so much fun trying things on. The store specialized in pony apparel, which meant the choices were basically endless. Rosa really wanted to see how each piece looked on her! Lillian had been a great help and told Rosa what she liked or what was too flashy or too drab for her. The girl had a good sense for fashion.

By the time they were finished, Rosa's saddlebags were noticeably bulkier with the dresses and accessories she had picked. Mr. Boone had paid for all of it, but never complained, which was something Rosa was very grateful for. Now she had beautiful and airy things to wear for the summer!

On the way home she decided to broach a sensitive subject in the car. "Um, Mr. Boone? About Benjamin..."

The man glanced at her in the rear view mirror, then focused on the road again as was proper.

He didn't reply, so Rosa continued. "We've been studying, but I think he isn't taking me seriously yet..." she mumbled. Before Boone could form his own plan of talking with the boy and possibly ruining everything by demanding he pay attention to her, Rosa clarified: "I think he's... um, learning a lot, but he doesn't trust me."

"Do you want me to talk with him again?" Mr. Boone asked.

"Uh, no, sir," Rosa said with a squeak in her voice, "I'm sure I can change Benjamin's mind. I just wanted to... um, keep you informed."

He thought this over, then nodded to her in the mirror. "Okay. Let me know if you need my help."

She was relieved to hear that. It meant the man wouldn't interfere and there wouldn't be another argument, at least for now. "Of course, Mr. Boone."

That difficult task done, Rosa looked at Lillian who didn't seem to have understood their exchange. The girl had really come alive while picking out the dresses and hats which fit the mare, but she was back to her usual, quiet self in the car. Rosa would have to thank her properly once they got home.

With nothing more to talk about, all three of them lapsed into silence, and Rosa went watching the landscape slide past the window. It was mostly rolling hills and fields, with a few patches of forest every now and then. Things she wasn't used to from her life at the Pony School, but which she fond fascinating now that she had gotten her hooves dirty a couple of times. For a while Rosa tried to imagine what it would be like to have wings and fly above all of this natural beauty, but that line of thought quickly made her think about Paolo. If he really did make it into the Post Service, he would likely fly above the Boones' house every once in a while during the two years she would be working there. Somehow that thought filled Rosa with confidence. He was a good pony and she wished him all the best. Knowing he would be doing something he loved would make her happy. She would also have to remember to write him an encouraging letter. A small part of her, however, couldn't help imagining what it would have been like if he knew her house and landed in the backyard. Maybe when the Boone family was away in school and at work. Paolo could visit you for an hour or so.

They would kiss...

That line of thought was completely inappropriate and Rosa suppressed it as soon as she realized what was happening. It was too late to prevent the blush, but she sneaked a glance at Lillian and relaxed a little when she saw the girl was also staring out her window. It was still no way to behave for an Assistant Pony and Rosa tried very hard to clear her mind. She was supposed to think of her humans first and herself last, after all. It was just that... for a moment it had seemed unfair. Why should ponies be subservient to humans anyway?

Going back to watching the landscape, Rosa tried to let that feeling go. Her life wasn't bad, especially compared to some. Before she could stop it, the memory reared up and her ears went down.

"What's wrong?" Lillian asked. She must have spotted the movement from the corner of her eye. Even Mr. Boone glanced back at Rosa at his daughter's words.

"Oh, nothing!" she assured them both with a smile. No way she was telling Lillian what she had seen.

Luckily they seemed to take her word for it, but the girl still reached across the back seat and patted Rosa on the withers. The mare gave her arm a lick in return.

The rest of the drive passed in silence, except for the music on the radio and Rosa went back to thinking about her gardening. That was a safe topic which didn't cause her any more embarrassment.

Her reverie ended when they arrived home. Rosa gathered up her saddlebags and took them up to Lillian's room. Of course she had to stop there and try it all on again. The girl wouldn't have it any other way. Neither would Rosa, for that matter. To be completely fair, it was quite fun and Rosa didn't have any other obligations anyway, except for the laundry. Even vacuuming could wait until Monday.

"Here! Put this one on!" Lillian demanded with a big smile.

Rosa obliged and pulled the new maid dress up over her head. It was pretty much like the old one, no surprises there, but at least now she could wash one while wearing the other.

Lillian clumsily dropped the fabric on her head and Rosa shook it a little until she found the neck hole. The fabric was very light, so she was being extra careful she didn't tear it while getting her forelegs in the short sleeves. Then it was just a matter of straightening it and draping it over her rump. It didn't reach all the way to the floor, which was good. Rosa didn't want it to drag in the dirt.

She examine herself in the mirror again. "It's nice. Thank you for helping me pick it!"

The girl watched her with a big smile. "Yellow really suits you," she commented. It was true, Rosa had to admit. It went nicely with her coat. She wished her mane was a different color, but at least black didn't clash with the dress. She thought. She had never paid much attention to fashion, but Lillian seemed to know a bit and she approved Rosa's new look. For the final touch she put the hat on as well.

"How about now?"

Lillian gave her an appraising look, then just hugged the mare around the withers in lieu of an answer.

The gesture helped Rosa make a decision. "I think I'll wear this today. It's pretty warm."

Who knew, maybe if he saw her without the uniform even Benjamin would start thinking of her more like a person. The train of thought was interrupted when Rosa heard someone coming up the stairs. Slow, heavy footsteps. She guessed it was Mr. Boone even before she heard him breathing. She looked at the door just as his head poked in.

"Rosa? Please get the children, lunch will be ready in ten minutes."

"Of course, sir!"

Hoping the man would compliment her dress, Rosa turned to show him her side, but Mr. Boone just left. Well, he had seen it in the store, she guessed and turned back to give Lillian a nuzzle.

"Okay, you heard your father. Go wash your hands while I fetch your brother."

She walked with her to her brother's door, then continued on to the bathroom while Rosa took a breath and knocked.

There was no answer.

"Benjamin?"

Still nothing.

Rosa pushed the door open and peeked inside. The room was empty. She didn't remember seeing the boy downstairs when they came in, but to be honest she hadn't really been really looking. He might have been in the kitchen, helping his mother or watching TV in the living room. He didn't have his phone, Rosa recalled, so it was probably TV. That, or he was in the garden for some reason. Rosa was about to close the door and go look for him when a scrap of white caught her eye. A piece of fabric poking from under the boy's bed. Sighing, Rosa went to fetch it. She was going downstairs and would be doing the laundry soon anyway. She hooked the underpants with her hoof and lifted them up. Then she froze.

They weren't his underwear. They were her panties. The ones she had forgotten in the bathroom, Rosa was sure of it. That was why the grownups hadn't mentioned it.

Benjamin had taken them.

But why?

Surely it wasn't to keep her out of trouble? Even if that was the case, why would he put them in his room? Confused, Rosa turned the fabric around. She noticed the stain. Surely she hadn't sullied them like that? She would have spotted it when she took them off, no?

She brought the cloth close and tentatively sniffed. The scent made her muzzle scrunch up in shock and Rosa let the item fall to the floor. That certainly wasn't a mare smell! She had never smelled that before, but she knew what it was with chilly certainty. It made her legs tremble and her gut clench up into a ball of ice.

Her mind raced.

Should she tell Mr. Boone? After that speech he'd given her on that first day, the thought of explaining that she had forgotten her panties out and his son was using them scared Rosa badly. Of course he would think this was her fault! It was! The man had warned her and Rosa went and left her damned panties in the bathroom. She sat down on the carpet and tried to think. Obviously she couldn't tell Mr. Boone. Even less so Mrs. Boone, not the way she saw the mare at the moment. This would be the perfect excuse to get rid of her. No way she was springing this on Lillian, either!

There was just one thing to do. Rosa would have to speak with Benjamin and let him know this kind of behaviour was not okay. It was disturbing, to say the least!

Of course this wouldn't bring the two any closer, but if nothing else Rosa was certain he wouldn't dare tell his parents. If it all went wrong she might be able to scare the boy in line by threatening to tell on him. The mere thought of doing that to Benjamin made Rosa feel dirty, but her eyes landed on the panties and she pressed her lips together in determination. She needed every advantage she could get with that boy.

Still, she wouldn't use that unless she was completely out of options. That decision made it a bit better.

"Rosa?"

Lillian had finished and Rosa hadn't even heard her come in, so distracted had she been!
She kicked the offending panties under the bed again and turned around in place so she was blocking the view.

"Oh! Done already? Um, your brother isn't in his room - come on, let's go find him."

Rosa made sure her body was in the way at all times as she walked up to Lillian and gently prodded her out of the room.

"Is something the matter?" the girl asked, voice hesitant and worried.

"No, no! I'm fine," Rosa lied, "Just- um, admiring Benjamin's posters." She glanced back for inspiration and then continued the cover up. "I never knew there were robots that big..."

It worked and the girl was distracted. "Meh, it's just a stupid movie," she confided. "It's not real."

As soon as they were out on the hallway Rosa pushed the door closed. She made sure her smile stayed put and walked the girl to the stairs. "Okay, let's get you to the dining room and then I'll go find your brother. Here, careful down the steps."

If Lillian found it strange that Rosa was narrating her actions, she didn't say it. Her hand represented a bit of reassuring warmth against Rosa's neck and the mare just let her mouth jabber while she tried to get over the shock. It was true that Benjamin was at that age when young boys were discovering themselves and their bodies. She had learned a bit about that in biology, but stealing panties was way out of line. She had to straighten him out before his father found out, or they would both be in a world of trouble. She wished she hadn't found out his secret. Yes, it would still be a right mess, but at least it wouldn't be her mess. It wouldn't be she who had to deal with it.

Maybe she could pretend she didn't know? That way if Mr. Boone did find out, Rosa might be spared? No, that went against what she had been taught in School. If she noticed any kind of a problem with the child she was Assisting, Rosa was supposed to bring it to their parents' attention as soon as possible. In this case she couldn't do that, but she had to do something about it.

Maybe if she had a heart to heart with Benjamin he would understand?

Rosa really, really hoped so.

While Lillian was watching cartoons in the evening seemed like a good time to speak with Benjamin. He didn't have his phone, but it looked like he would rather sit in his room than watch whatever show his sister liked. Rosa knocked on his door, waited for him to answer, then went in. The boy was on his bed with a comic book in his lap.

"What do you want?" he asked, already annoyed at the intrusion.

Rosa had thought long about how to broach the subject, but so far her best plan was to just get it out. "I know you took my panties from the bathroom, Benjamin."

If she hadn't watched his face closely Rosa might have missed it, but the boy glanced down to the edge of his bed, checking to see if the fabric was poking out.

"No I didn't!" he lied.

"I know you did. I found them," Rosa countered and kept her eyes on him even though it was hard.

"What were you doing in my room?! You shouldn't be in my room!"

She sighed with exasperation. "Never mind that. What were you doing with my panties?"

The boy pretended to be engrossed in his comic so he didn't have to look at the mare. "N-Nothing!" he claimed.

Of course Rosa hadn't expected him to tell her and she didn't want to push it too far. "You shouldn't do things like that, Benjamin! It's creepy! Imagine if your father or your mother found out."

His head shot up and the boy turned wide, frightened eyes on Rosa. "D-Did you t-tell them?!"

"Of course not," she shook her head.

That made him relax, but just a tiny bit. The anger was back almost immediately. "Well, it's none of your business! Just leave me alone!"

"It is my business, Benjamin. What you're doing is wrong!"

"Shut up! You're just a slave! You have to do what I say!"

That one stung a little. It was true, technically, but most humans were polite enough not to put it that way. "I'm an assistant pony!"

The boy barked a laugh. "Yeah right! Leave me alone. If you tell Father I'll say you put them there. He's going to believe me over you!"

It was a vain threat and they both knew it. Rosa almost felt embarrassed for the kid, so she took a step closer. What Benjamin really needed, she thought, was a good hug and maybe someone to talk to.

"I don't want to be your enemy, you know? Look... promise me you won't do that again and we'll both forget about it, okay?" She was so close she could smell his breath. They had had chicken for lunch, which wasn't the greatest thing for a pony to smell, but Rosa ignored it. "Please? I know we can be friends. I'll help you get your grades up and everything!"

He was thinking about it! Her heart started to race as Rosa realized she was on the verge of a breakthrough. She brought her muzzle closer so he would have something to pat. The slap came out of nowhere and caught her completely by surprise. Rosa nearly lost her balance as she jumped back.

"Stay the hell away from me, you..." Benjamin said, but then paused to find a bad enough name. "Stupid animal! Stop going through my stuff!"

"I wasn't!" Rosa said back, trying hard to keep the tears inside for now. "I came in to get you for lunch and I saw them!" The words had stung and now she was getting angry at the obstinate child. "Anyone could have seen it! You're lucky it was me and not your dad!"

Benjamin gave her a disgusted glare. "Screw you! We don't want you here. Why don't you just go away?!"

"I can't! I'm a slave, remember?!" Rosa nearly shouted, barely succeeding to keep her voice down. She didn't want Mr. or Mrs. Boone to come up and see what all the noise was about.

The boy didn't have an answer for that, so Rosa took the initiative and stomped a hoof. "Stay away from my panties or I will go tell your dad!"

As she was leaving, the boy yelled after her: "I hate you!"

Rosa slammed the door shut, then sat on the floor to get her breathing under control. It hurt. She had never imagined how much hearing those words would hurt. She had never expected to feel that way toward anyone, especially a child she was supposed to care for. The anger ebbed and all she was left with was shame. She should have handled that a lot better. For a moment Rosa considered going back in and apologizing, but her sensitive ears picked up sobbing. If she saw Benjamin crying it would just make it all worse. Fine! The little brat could cry and think about what he had done! Maybe then he would be sorry and she would be able to have a normal conversation with him.

It was all going wrong. Rosa walked to the stairs and looked down. All she could hear was the sound of Lillian's cartoons and the girl giggling as she watched them. She didn't feel any desire to go join her right then. Rosa heaved a sigh and let her head fall, then dragged her hooves to her room and jumped up on the bed. Maybe Mr. Boone should have asked for Amethyst instead. She had always been better at handling children than Rosa.

Perhaps she should ask her for advice?

No, that was too risky. Mr. Boone might read the letters before he sent them, or Instructor Martha might read it before she gave it to her friends. Rosa had no one to turn to. Her only real friend in that house was the girl and she definitely didn't want to involve her in these problems. The mare sniffled and wiped her muzzle with the edge of her blanket. It sucked that Benjamin was so obstinate. She had thought she was prepared to deal with the most difficult children, but this teenager just didn't respond to anything. Maybe the best she could hope for was a kind of ceasefire between the two of them until her time with the Boones was done.

Unfortunately she still had to tutor him. God knew how difficult that was going to get now. Rosa almost gave up and went to Mr. Boone. She could tell him everything and let him sort out his troublesome son. Except that would make the boy even more difficult, she had no doubt. He already hated her and Rosa didn't want to push that even further.

Her assignment had turned into a right mess so very quickly...

Chapter 21: Unexpected Talent

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Rosa really wanted to be alone to think through her problems with Benjamin that night. She had been able to avoid Lillian while she did the laundry, but she knew the girl would come to her room at night. Was there a way to dissuade her?

Rosa didn't like what she was about to do, but she took a deep breath and went into her room. "Lillian, sweetie? I'm not feeling too good, do you think you could sleep in your own bed tonight?" She was already done with her evening ablutions and was sitting in her bed, waiting for the mare. "We'll read tomorrow, okay?"

Rosa didn't really have to fake feeling bad. The girl could plainly see on her face how troubled the mare was. "What's wrong, Rosa?" she asked, voice so full of concern it nearly broke Rosa's heart.

"I'm just- uh... my head hurts and I think it will be better after a good night's sleep."

It didn't make any sense and it was a complete lie. Rosa couldn't keep her ears up through it, nor could she look the girl in her face, but Lillian took it as truth. Rosa promised herself that she would make it up to her big time. She just needed one night to herself.

Lillian slid closer to the edge of her bed and threw her arms around Rosa's neck. She gave the pony a kiss on her nose. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow!" she said cheerfully.

It was done and made Rosa slump a little with relief. Having lied to her little friend made her feel dirty, but she made sure to return Lillian's smile. "Thank you, sweetheart. I'll feel better tomorrow, I promise. We can do something fun, okay?"

"Um," the girl said tentatively, "can we have a tea party?"

It sounded both incredibly cute and super fun, actually. Rosa's grin widened. "Of course! That sounds lovely, Lillian!" she praised. Then she gave the girl a quick nuzzle and tucked her in the bed. On her way out Rosa rose up on her hind hooves so she could reach the light switch. "Good night, sweetie."

"Good night, Rosa!"

After gently shutting her door, Rosa dragged herself to her room and took the yellow dress off. For a moment she considered not bothering with the night gown, but she really couldn't afford any more failures. Besides, the silk dress wasn't too difficult, even if she still wasn't fully used to sleeping in it. Rosa crawled into her bed, then realized she had forgotten to turn the light off. With a long-suffering sigh she got up again and did that, before climbing under the covers once more. Could the day just end already?

Rosa didn't want to think, but she couldn't keep it out of her mind.

Benjamin.

He seemed far too young to be causing her such problems, but then again Rosa didn't have much experience with human boys. She was supposed to have learned all about how to deal with children in the School, but there hadn't been a class like 'young humans and their sexuality' anywhere, unless it was part of the final year, which Rosa had skipped through her strange, premature appointment. On the other hand, maybe such a class wasn't needed? Rosa remembered Mr. Greiner explaining about the illnesses she would be dealing with. Wasn't one of the common symptoms a delayed puberty? Rosa barked a short laugh. Not even a week out of school and already she was forgetting things. No wonder Benjamin was such a problem.

What to do about him, though? It wouldn't let her sleep. Rosa lifted herself up, hoofed the pillow a few times in a vain attempt to make it more comfortable, then flopped back down on her other side. No help, she was still wide awake and replaying her conversation with the boy over and over.

Maybe it was time for some humility?

She had tried being outraged, she had tried being his mentor, maybe it was time to try acting like his pet? It left a bad taste in her mouth just thinking about it, but maybe Benjamin would accept her then? Rosa could work on changing his mind later. Instructor Martha had told her to do everything and anything to make her child stay friendly. If she had to resort to physical restraint, she would have already failed. The woman most certainly wouldn't have been proud of the way Rosa had spoken with the boy that day.

She obviously wouldn't get much sleep, so Rosa got up yet again, turned her light back on and got the book from her desk. Luckily she hadn't left it in Lillian's room after their reading time that morning. She took it to bed, curled up, and flipped to the last page she could recall. At least it would help pass the time.

Rosa woke up with a snort and pulled her snout out of the book. She didn't even remember falling asleep. Blearily she tried to read a few sentences from the page, but couldn't really understand any of it. Luckily the page wasn't messed up. There was a drop of drool, which she wiped away, and the paper was a bit wrinkled because she had been sleeping on it, but otherwise the book was okay. Thank God for that. Rosa didn't want to explain to Mr. Boone that she had ruined one of his books.

Then she glanced out the window and tried to decide how early it was. There was a solid wall of fog outside. Not much help. A look at her alarm clock told her that it was very early. Not even six, yet. Her light was still on, so Rosa got out of the bed, stretched her sore muscles, and went to turn it off. Might as well start the day since she probably wasn't going back to sleep now, the mare thought to herself.

She took the opportunity before anyone else in the house was up to grab a shower and then got her mane in order. It felt like the face in the mirror belonged to a stranger. Rosa had certainly changed in the past week, there was no doubt. She liked to think it was for the better, though, but she feared it wasn't, and the stress of her new job was starting to show. She wasn't doing a very good job in the Boone household.

Leaning in closer, Rosa inspected her eyes. Not too puffy, considering the night she had had. A tiny bit of red, but that could just be from the shower and the shampoo. As a little extra touch Rosa rummaged in the drawer Mr. Boone had given her for her things and brought out Instructor Martha's gift perfume. Since she would be spending most of the day with the family it couldn't hurt to smell nice, right? She squirted a few puffs on herself, put the bottle away, and then hopped down so she could push the stool aside. Rosa also conscientiously grabbed her panties before leaving. She was already wearing the night gown which she had put on the moment she was dry, just in case the boy had an early morning need of the bathroom.

With what she had learned yesterday, his staring that time he had walked in on her showering took on very concerning undertones. Rosa shook her head a little and made her way back to her room. The key was to stay optimistic. She would go apologize to the boy and have a heart to heart with him, Rosa decided. It was going to be a good day. She had to keep trying, it was her job, after all.

Almost without realizing she started humming the little melody as she gently shut the door behind herself. A strange lump on the bed caught her eye and Rosa fell silent. A moment later the bulge sat up.

"Lillian?"

"Morning Rosa!" the girl squeaked. "Feeling better?"

The optimistic mood took hold and Rosa jumped up on the bed to give Lillian a big hug. "Oh yes. I feel a lot better. Sorry about yesterday..."

The child was quick to forgive. Her fingers played with her mane, messing it up a little but Rosa didn't mind. "It's okay. Mm, you smell nice."

"Thank you! It's a special perfume Instructor Martha has given me. I can loan you a bit so you can try it on!"

Lillian nodded enthusiastically, but didn't budge. Rosa guessed it would be an activity for later. Right at the moment it seemed they both wanted to spend a few minutes just cuddling in the morning. It was still early, too. Rosa could go check on the brother in a bit. The boy would probably be quite cranky if she woke him up too early on a Sunday.

"So, how did you sleep?" Rosa asked.

Lillian wasn't quite sure at first, but then she smiled. "I had a dream about you!"

"Oh? Wanna tell me all about it?"

Through sheer luck Rosa felt a bit warm, so both she and Lillian had climbed up on top of the covers mere minutes before the father came to check on them. It probably wouldn't have been a problem, but Rosa wanted to step carefully for a while. In either case, it looked like Mr. Boone didn't mind the way Lillian was leaning against the mare as they talked, but he might have had something to say if they were huddled under the blanket together.

"Breakfast in twenty minutes, Rosa," was all the man said.

"Of course, Mr. Boone. I'll bring the children down."

He also hadn't noticed that Rosa wasn't fully dressed. It was high time to do that. Rosa gently let Lillian slide down on the bed and went to rummage in the drawer. Luckily there was plenty of clean underwear, so she didn't have to do laundry that day. At least for herself - she would have to check the hamper downstairs and then she could decide. It wasn't like laundry was hard to do, just shove it into the machine and start it.

Rosa deftly stepped into the panties and got them about halfway up. Then she sighed and rolled to her back. With all four hooves available, she had found, it was easier to get the tail. She grumbled a little under her breath as she struggled with it.

"What's wrong?" Lillian asked. She was grinning in amusement and Rosa poked her tongue out at her.

"Ugh, it's just tricky to get my tail through that hole..."

The girl slid from the bed and grabbed the fabric in one hand and Rosa's tail in the other. "Here, lemme help," she said.

Rosa froze and Lillian had her tail easily through in a few seconds. Sometimes Rosa was really envious of fingers, she remembered. After they both stood up, Lillian kept hold of her tail so Rosa had an easier time pulling the panties up. It was a snap, unlike when she had to do it on her own.

"Thanks!"

The girl patted her withers and Rosa licked her on her forearm.

"Now go and wash up and I'll help you get dressed for breakfast, okay?"

"Mhm!"

Meanwhile Rosa made her way to Benjamin's room and softly knocked.

"Go away!" the boy said, guessing it was the mare.

"Benjamin? Breakfast will be ready in fifteen minutes."

He just repeated: "Go away!"

Rosa shook her head sadly. It was imperative she got through to the boy, and soon! When there was no movement from the room she cleared her throat and lowered her ears. He couldn't see, but the gesture was automatic for what Rosa was getting ready to say.

"Benjamin? Um... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled yesterday."

There was no answer.

She sat on the floor, closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wood. "I'll talk with you after breakfast, okay? Just- I'm sorry."

Still nothing.

Rosa opened her mouth to try and say something else, but the bed squeaked a little as the boy got up from it. She pulled her head away just as the door opened and Rosa gave Benjamin her best, sorriest, big-round-shiny-eyes, flat-ears, lovable-pony look. It probably should have won her an Emmy or something.

"Fine. Go away," he said brusquely.

Rosa dared hope he was coming around. The 'fine' had sounded very promising!

Giving the boy a very bright smile, Rosa kept the ears down and the eyes large. "Thanks." She also leaned her head towards him, hoping for a pat. That would have been a true breakthrough.

Unfortunately Lillian came from the bathroom and hugged the mare from behind. Her smile widened.

"Hi, pony!" the girl said, as if she hadn't seen Rosa in a long time.

"Hey, little girl," the mare replied. "Let's get you ready for breakfast!"

When she looked back, Benjamin had already gone back into his room, but at least he had left the door open. Rosa saw him rummaging in his socks drawer.

"Fifteen minutes, Benjamin..."

He barely glanced at her. "Yeah, I got it. Now go away."

Maybe she was wearing him down, because it sounded like his heart was no longer in it. The 'go away' was perfunctory, without real venom in it.

Progress!

Rosa stood up and led the girl to her room. It was time to select for her a dress, hopefully something that would match Rosa's yellow one.

"So, here's an idea," she told Lillian, "I was hoping to do some gardening today for your mother - would you like to help? We can have your tea party after!" Rosa peered out the window at the impenetrable wall of white. "Well, if the weather clears up, anyway.

The help, of course, would involve Lillian sitting in the shadow and watching, or a bit of watering with the smaller can, or maybe putting a seed in a hole Rosa had dug. Nothing strenuous, of course. She would have to explain that very clearly to Mrs. Boone. It would be a fun activity for the girl, but Rosa would do absolutely all of the real work. There was no reason the mother would say no, and Rosa was already getting excited about their fun. Yes, it was shaping up to be a very good day indeed, despite how yesterday afternoon had gone.

It might still be possible for Rosa to salvage that family after all!

Rosa got permission and pretty soon she and Lillian found themselves out by the flowerbeds. Mr. Boone had been kind enough to hammer four sticks in the grass at the far end of the backyard and had tied a string around them to mark out a few square feet for Rosa's own 'garden'. Their tools were rudimentary, but Rosa's earth pony strength more than made up for what they lacked. Before long she had tilled the soil and picked out most of the grass. Rosa didn't know if she was supposed to do that, but it looked right. The first thing she could plant were some of Mrs. Boone's flowers, but the husband had already promised to bring her some seeds the next day after work. Carrots and lettuce and maybe some leek or onions or beets. Rosa didn't really care which, she was just excited that she could try!

Lillian turned out to be a good helper, despite Rosa's earlier intentions not to let her work. Fingers were just so overall useful and she seemed happy to pick out clumps of grass from the ground Rosa had overturned. It took some work with the spade, but she arranged the dirt into rough lines and poked a few holes at regular intervals. Rosa limited herself to just a couple for now, since she didn't want to run out of space for the vegetables. In a matter of minutes the pair had finished planting and then Rosa took Lillian to the side of the house where she had seen a faucet. Mrs. Boone had said they could use the watering can, but it was a very big one and Rosa couldn't let the girl carry it around by herself when it was full.

Lillian watched with admiration as the mare easily balanced the heavy thing on her back, which she had covered with a bit of old cloth to protect her grass from dirt. "How do you even do that? How come it doesn't fall?"

Rosa stopped and shifted her hips to keep the can upright. She had never really thought about it, if she was being honest. "Um, I don't really know. It just doesn't. I feel which way it's moving and I correct for it, I guess. It's just something ponies do."

The girl experimentally poked the can with her finger and Rosa had to sidestep wildly to keep it balanced.

"Hey!"

Rather than apologizing, Lilian giggled at the expression on her muzzle and Rosa couldn't help but join in. It wasn't like she could stay mad at her.

"Come on, let's get our flowers watered. You can put them in a vase in your room when they're grown, okay?"

"Okay!" Lillian agreed enthusiastically. It was a shame her mother had never tried introducing her to gardening. They could have bonded so much over it. Then again, perhaps she was that interested just because Rosa was the one doing it? Unfortunately they would never know, but it might be a good idea to involve Mrs. Boone in the future. It could change her disposition towards Rosa a whole lot. Maybe she could ask the lady for advice when she went to plant her vegetables? Like how deep to put the seeds and how often to water, that sort of thing. Rosa would have undoubtedly figured it out and something told her that she was good at gardening, but asking for help could bring the Mrs. around to liking her a bit more.

For the moment, Rosa focused on watering the few things she had gotten in the ground. There was far too much water for that, so she also freshened up Mrs. Boone's flowerbeds. Then, right at the end, she let Lillian take over and pour the last gallon or so herself. By that point the can had been light enough for her to manage.

"I can't believe you can just hold it with your teeth like that!" Lillian commented once the can was empty.

"It's another pony thing. We don't have hands and fingers like you," Rosa pointed out.

"Mhm."

Job well done, Rosa let Lillian take the watering can back to the house to store it with the other tools, while she went to fetch the shovel and the spade from her garden. She would have to clean them, so Rosa dragged the tools awkwardly back to the faucet to wash them. It didn't take long and Rosa left the implements leaning against the wall to dry while she went to inspect her handiwork again. Maybe she could even say 'hoof-i-work'? Would that be too cheesy?

Cheesy or not, seeing the neat little rows of brown dirt filled her with pride. She couldn't help smiling at her accomplishments. Rosa had been basically an "inside-pony" and had expected the rest of her life to pass mostly indoors, dealing with children, but she was so happy that she got this chance with the Boones. She might never have realized how much she loved working with green, growing things otherwise.

Rosa promised herself that she would think up some way to really thank Mrs. Boone, then went over to inspect the ground. There was still some grass growing here and there, but something told her that would sort itself out if she kept working that patch of ground.
It had all been so easy, too! Just digging and overturning earth, then raking a spade over it all to break the larger clumps and make neat rows. Seeing it all done filled the mare with pride.

Also, with heat.

Rosa glanced up and saw that the sun was nearly vertical. She had her straw hat, but it didn't seem to be working all that well. She was sweating as if she had just ran a marathon. Maybe it was time to get in the shade and have some water. Rosa headed to the faucet. She didn't mind drinking out of it. The water was clean and cool. After a few steps she swayed and had to sit down so she wouldn't fall over. Rosa felt dizzy and her head was spinning.

"Oh. Uh... Umm..."

She couldn't form coherent thoughts and for a moment she considered calling for help. She had never felt that bad before! Her stomach twisted and Rosa felt like she was going to be sick, but it passed in an instant and she just coughed dryly.

Was everything getting brighter?

She looked around herself and the world was definitely more full of light than it should have been just from the sun. It reminded Rosa a little of the School doctor with his super-bright light on the examination table. The colors seemed more... intense. Rosa nearly had to shade her eyes from all of it. The whites seemed to glow, the green of the grass was incredibly sharp, the red of the roof looked like fire.

Rosa opened her mouth to call out, but suddenly all the heat in her body concentrated in her rump. This time she did yelp, if only because it felt like someone was branding her with a red-hot iron. The mare jumped up to her hooves and twirled around to get away from whatever it was, but the heat followed her. She made a dash for the faucet to try and cool her burning side.

It was gone after a moment, leaving Rosa breathless and befuddled. The world returned to normal and she felt perfectly fine.

"What just happened?" she said out loud.

Had it been real?

By all rights, there should be a big, red burn on her rump somewhere. Rosa lifted up the dress and preemptively winced when she looked.

It wasn't a burn.

It was much worse.

"A cutie mark?!"

There it was, plain as day. A stylized image of a patch of dirt with a spade in it. Rosa twisted around and inspected her other flank. That one was empty, thank God. Unfortunately, one was enough. She was in a whole heap of trouble now.

"Rosa!"

The girl was calling for her from the garden. Rosa ducked around the house just before Lillian turned to look in her direction. She needed time to think.

Rosa suddenly realized she was in terrible danger.

"Oh, come on!" she moaned miserably. "On top of everything else?!"

Chapter 22: Dealing with the Cutie Mark

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Rosa needed time to think. The problem was that she didn't have any. Lillian was already looking for her and it wouldn't be wise to let the girl go search inside the house. Her parents might ask why Rosa wasn't watching her like she was supposed to.

As shocking and unsettling her new cutie mark was, Rosa had to put it aside, at least for the moment. She simply couldn't be confused and depressed around Lillian for the second day in a row, or she would definitely start asking questions. The family might even take Rosa to a vet, which would seal her fate pretty quickly.

She had to keep it a secret.

Rosa's thoughts ran like quicksilver now. At least for the moment, hiding it would be easy - she just had to obey Mr. Boone's commands to the letter and never let one of the humans see her unclothed. It was going to be tricky with Lillian, whom Rosa hadn't minded if she saw her flanks so far. She would have to hide from now on and somehow make it look natural. With luck, she could make it through the two years with them, even if Rosa had to resort to hair dye. Would it even work?

She would have to try.

The problems would start when she returned to the School. Rosa knew for a fact that she would have a full vet exam after each assignment, to make sure she hadn't been injured or caught something contagious to other ponies. It was very doubtful that she would be able to get though a vet assessment with clothes. Hopefully, her dye idea would work, or she would figure out something else by then.

Rosa snaked her head around to examine the mark. Was it like a tattoo on her skin, or was it that her fur in those places was now a different color? It looked like the latter. Rosa hoped it was, because then she could dye it. With a sinking feeling she realized she would have to deal with this problem for the rest of her life.

Right then, however, she had a little girl to reassure. Rosa just wished there was someone to comfort her, too. Also, she was reminded of something Instructor Martha had once said and which she had all but forgotten, until now. Suddenly it was bothering Rosa for some reason.

"Not all ze days will be good, Rosa," the woman had explained to the mare over a sandwich during a lunch break. "Sometimes zere will be problems. Remember always zat your child depends on you, okay?"

Rosa had nodded, but didn't speak, surprised at the sudden, unexpected topic.

"Zey rely on you to be always happy, always cheerful. Zat is why, sometimes, you will have to act - pretend."

Still Rosa had remained silent, while the Instructor took a bite of her BLT. After she'd swallowed, Martha pointed. "Zis morning - zere was a problem in your dorm?"

Rosa had almost forgotten about it by lunch. Valentina had left part of a chocolate out on the table and Rosa had inadvertently put her homework on it. The paper was ruined and she had had to skip shower to copy it onto a fresh sheet. It had just been a minor annoyance. Rosa was surprised the Instructor had picked up on it at all.

After she had explained, Martha nodded sagely. "Yes, your ears were hanging to ze floor. It is okay, but from now on, I would like you to pretend. It doesn't matter if you're sad or sick - only ze children matter, understand?"

At the time Rosa had nodded and agreed. She had always done her best to be cheerful and happy after that, until it became like second nature. Right now, Lillian deserved no less, of course.

Except...

It wasn't fair. Everyone had a bad day sometimes. Even Instructor Martha had times when she was particularly nit-picky and annoyed. Why did ponies have to hide when they felt a bit down? Rosa was a person. She thought of these humans as her friends, even Benjamin, after a fashion. She was allowed to be a bit sad every once in a while and spend a day by herself, wasn't she? Of course, it was only fair!

Then why had Rosa felt like scum when she had to lie to Lillian to get a night alone in her bed? She shook her head to try and dislodge those uncomfortable thoughts. They weren't helping, they were just making her more miserable! Even if Rosa thought it was unfair, she still wanted to be happy for Lillian. She loved that girl and didn't want her to be sad on her account.

"Roooooosa!" came the call, right around the corner. She was going back inside the house! Rosa took a deep breath, quickly rubbed her muzzle with a hoof and brought out her best smile before showing herself.

"Here I am!" she called out.

The girl, who had been starting to frown, instantly brightened up and ran over. "Where were you? I couldn't find you..."

Rosa glanced surreptitiously at her flank to make sure she was completely covered, then gave the girl a quick nuzzle while her fingers sought out Rosa's ears. Actually, the scritches were helping her relax. With Lillian at her side, Rosa could make it through the day. She would have some time to examine herself in the bathroom later on.

"Sorry, I had mud all over my hooves so I went to wash there-" Rosa pointed at the faucet, "and then I was looking for something to wipe them dry..." Another lie, which almost made her wince, but at least it was not too far from the truth.

"Oh," the girl easily accepted the falsehood, "okay."

Rosa remembered her wish from the morning and decided it would be the perfect activity to give herself some time to think. "So, wanna help me put the tools away and then we can have a tea party?"

Lillian jumped a little and clapped her hands in excitement. "Yes yes yes!"

"Actually, you can go and get everything set up, and I'll put the tools away. It's just the spade and the shovel."

"Okay!" the girl agreed and hugged Rosa around her head, burying her little face in her mane for one, beautiful moment. Then she rushed off and Rosa heaved a relieved sigh. It felt as if her cutie mark was burning, so she lifted up the dress and looked at it. Still the same, colors vivid and lines sharp. It was appropriate, Rosa knew now this was what she really wanted to do. The humans had been training her to be an Assistant Pony, but it was not her talent. Sure, Rosa could do it, even do it quite well, especially after Instructor Martha's tutelage, but it was not who she was. Her ears lowered as Rosa realized she would be doing something other than what she loved for the rest of her life.

Maybe she could somehow combine the two? Lillian had really responded well to the two of them gardening together. Maybe Rosa could make it a regular activity. One occasion wasn't much to go by, but she felt quite optimistic that she could justify it to the parents.

Her mind was already racing ahead.

If she brought Mrs. Boone into it and helped her bond with her daughter over this, then it would be something the three of them could do together as often as possible. Then, as her assignment drew to its end, Rosa could tell Mr. Boone that most of her success with Lillian had been because of that shared interest. No, why wait until then? Rosa could give him little 'progress reports' like she had already started for Benjamin.

With luck, the man would mention that or write it down for his final review of Rosa's services. Her breath caught when she remembered Mrs. Gaeta's promise to let her pick her next assignment. If she worded it properly, Rosa could easily convince her that growing veggies and flowers was a great tool for reaching some of the special children. With luck, for her next assignment Rosa might get another family with a house and a back yard! She let her head hang with relief. There might be a way to combine doing what she must together with what she loved. That was a relief.

Strangely - being prevented from gardening worried Rosa far more than getting caught. If the humans found out about her cutie mark they would take her away, but Rosa was not all too sure what would happen then. It might be that the rumours were true and she would be put to work according to her talent. In that case, 'getting caught' would be far preferable to denying herself her destiny. That was another feeling Rosa would have to explore and think about, but she was running out of time!

She went and picked up the tools so she could drag them back to the box by the pool. Weird place for them to be, but the room had no outside walls for most of spring and summer, exactly when the gardening things were most useful. That done, Rosa walked to the downstairs bathroom to wash her hooves for real. She passed the kitchen on the way and, feeling optimistic about the future, poked her head in.

Mrs. Boone was busy with lunch, but she heard the hoofsteps and looked over. "Yes?"

Rosa kept smiling. "I think Miss Lillian really likes gardening, Mrs. Boone!" she exclaimed.

There was a flash in the woman's eyes, almost like excitement, and Rosa knew she had struck gold, even if the Mrs. immediately hid it. "Oh. That's good. Hobbies are good."

Rosa just had to reel her in, now...

"Indeed! Um, I was wondering, if m-maybe. Uh, if you would be willing to check how well we did? O-Of course, if you have time..." Rosa lowered her ears modestly. She was sure she had done everything right, but a bit of humility could work wonders there. "I'm... very new to it. I would appreciate some, uh, advice," she explained. "Or, or, help - if you have time, of c-course."

The woman watched for a while, then shrugged a little to herself. "I'll go look at it after lunch."

The mare bowed slightly and backed out of the room. "Of course. Thank you!"

With her head held high she made her way upstairs. Finally melting through the woman's ice, it felt good! She glanced at Benjamin's closed door. Someday Rosa would figure out how to handle him, as well.

Maybe a cutie mark wasn't such a bad thing, after all? It was giving her new drive, making her think more clearly. Perhaps for the first time in her life, Rosa knew what she wanted - what she really wanted.

She. Rosa.

Not what some humans wanted from her.

By the time evening rolled around Rosa was markedly calmer. The cutie mark thing was a problem, true, but one she could work around. Doing something cute and ordinary, like having a tea party with Lillian and her stuffed animals had worked wonders to relax her. She had also examined her new mark more closely in the bathroom and Rosa was convinced it was just colored fur. That was good and it meant hair dye should work. The trick, right then, was both to find a shade that matched her coat color and also convince Mr. Boone that she needed it.

What could Rosa even tell him? The truth wasn't really an option. Maybe she could get some kind of an allowance and a bit of free time in a mall? Rosa understood the basic principles of how shops worked, so she was fairly certain she could find and buy hair dye for herself. Maybe she could go 'shopping' with Mrs. Boone and Lillian some day and then slip away and go look for a 'new bottle of perfume', maybe while the two were busy trying dresses or shoes or something? Shops which sold perfumes normally also had hair products, after all, and a bottle was a bottle. If Rosa played it nonchalantly the humans shouldn't even notice it in her saddle bag. She would work on it. She had almost two years to get it figured out, after all.

This time she made sure to put on fresh panties right after the shower, because they covered a bit of her cutie mark. Every little thing helped. Of course Rosa put on the night gown immediately after. She inspected herself in the mirror to make sure she was presentable, then unlocked the door and left the bathroom. Rosa made a slight detour to her room so she could drop off her day clothes beside her bed, then hurried to Lillian. She had promised her they would read some more. The girl had been working so hard and improving very nicely!

A clever little idea of Rosa's had been for each of them to voice one of the main characters. It had forced the girl to read faster, but it also made her more confident, both at reading as well as speaking. Not to mention they had both ended up giggling together like crazy on several occasions. It was one of her better inventions, Rosa had to admit.

The girl was waiting on her bed, book held in her arms and face expectant. She smiled the moment Rosa came in.

"Hey, sweetheart!"

"Come on, I found our place!" Lillian urged as she opened the book to the right page.

Rosa didn't have to be told twice. She jumped up on the bed and nestled against the girl's chest. Lillian put her arms around the mare and held the book so they could both see it. The position was quite comfortable, but Rosa sometimes preferred the feeling of Lillian leaning against her. There was something incredibly nice about having a warm human snuggle against her belly, where Rosa could put her hooves around them.

"Not too long, you two, tomorrow is a school day," Mr. Boone said from the door. Rosa had left it ajar, but she hadn't even heard the man approach. When she glanced down she soon saw why: Boone wasn't wearing his slippers. Humans could be quite stealthy in socks on the carpet, if they tried. She should remember that, Rosa though to herself.

"Of course, Mr. Boone!" the mare affirmed.

He left, satisfied, and the two could focus on their book again.

"Just till the end of the chapter, okay?"

"Okay!"

After that it would be the same rigmarole as every night, Rosa expected. She would go to bed, wait a little bit and then, when all was quiet, the girl would come to snuggle down with her. Rosa found she was actually rather looking forward to it.

That dream again.

At least tonight there hadn't been a nightmare before it. Rosa was starting to get worried about what these dreams could mean, but luckily her annoyance overruled the fear. She turned in a complete circle, trying to guess which direction her night time visitor would appear from.

"You have gotten your Mark," it said from behind her.

Of course. Drama. Rosa made a face while she was still turned away. "You didn't answer my question last time. Who are you?" she demanded.

"It does not matter. A figment of your imagination. A dream."

"Quit it with this... this..." Rosa tried to find an appropriate word that wasn't a swear, but failed. "This bullshit."

The creature stepped forward, but once again all Rosa could see were eyes, cyan and impossibly tall. The rest of it was covered in shadow. Either that, or maybe that thing was just a pair of disembodied eyes with no other substance? There came a single hoofstep, which tossed that thought right out the window.

It seemed like this was going to be another of those vague, forebodey prophecies like one got in movies or books. Sure, it sounded romantic and adventurous, but when it was happening to Rosa it was unsettling, rather than intriguing. She sat on the floor and sighed.

"Just say your thing and let me get back to sleep. I've got enough problems already."

For some reason Rosa was naked in the dream. She stood up and turned so the creature could see her cutie mark. Yes, she already knew about it, but Rosa was trying to make a point.

"You only got one," the thing noted the obvious. "I do not understand why that has happened."

There was nothing to add, so Rosa stayed quiet. She would have to think over those words, but that could wait until morning. The Boones would be away and she would have the house to herself.

The eyes closed in a blink, but then didn't return. Rosa stared at the patch of darkness where her dream visitor had stood, but there was nothing to be seen.

"Hello?"

The room felt empty. If it even was a room. Rosa didn't see any walls. Glancing up revealed only blackness. Surely, if the place was outside, she would see stars?

"How do I wake up?!" she demanded from the emptiness.

Rosa twirled around again, trying to find where the creature had gone to. She took a breath for another angry demand, but when she blinked Rosa found herself back in her bed. Lillian was asleep next to her. Rosa brought her muzzle closer and smelled the girl, just to reassure herself she was still there, before lying back and letting her breath out. Stupid, silly dreams. It had probably come from all those movies she had watched with her friends in Pony School. At least there hadn't been a nightmare before it. Rosa was slightly worried she would have one after the shock of getting her cutie mark.

Chapter 23: Slow Progress

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Rosa welcomed some solitude after the Boone family had gone to their various jobs and schools, if she was being honest with herself. As much as she loved the little girl, spending every waking minute with her was a teensy bit tiring. She was looking forward to seeing Lillian in the afternoon, of course, but for now Rosa was just as happy to have some time to herself. She was still bewildered about the cutie mark, but doing something normal and distracting was sure to help.

First things first - she went to check on her little garden. Of course there was no visible difference just yet, but Rosa enjoyed looking at her handiwork. While she was there, she also tidied up the garden beds a little, pulled a few more stems of grass to even out the shape, and carefully removed all the stones she could find. After that she fetched the watering can and lightly sprinkled the places where she and Lillian had put seeds the previous day. Rosa knew it wasn't a good idea to over-water them, but she wasn't sure how she knew. It was probably coming from the cutie mark.

Job done, Rosa sat beside the small garden and gazed upon it with pride for a while. It would be amazing when Mr. Boone brought her some vegetable seeds. Rosa hoped he would have time to do it that day, so maybe she and Lillian could plant them in the afternoon!

The sun was getting pretty high up in the sky and it was getting hot. After a few minutes Rosa got up and returned to the cool inside of the house. She went in the kitchen and made herself one of her trademark salted lettuce sandwiches, all the while humming her little happy song. Rosa decided to eat it outside and she took the plate to the pool room, where she simply settled down on the tiles so she could look out at the backyard. The floor was a bit chilly, but after the sun earlier it felt nice. Not to mention the sandwich was very tasty. Vague unease about the future kept trying to intrude on her serenity, but Rosa was determined not to think about it. She had a plan and was in no immediate danger. She would relax and be happy. It wouldn't make her problems any bigger.

After she had eaten, Rosa had to get the laundry from the drying machine, then sweep and vacuum, and then do the dishes. It sounded like a lot, but she knew from experience it wouldn't be too much bother. She could probably even read a little after she was done.

Rosa glanced behind her in the direction of the TV. She was still curious about it, but she was also worried she might see something she didn't want to, again. Maybe if she stayed away from the nature channels and the news and looked for a nice romance movie instead?

It was certainly tempting...

"Hi Rosa!" Lillian greeted as she jumped up on the couch.

The mare in question glanced around wildly, completely taken by surprise. She hadn't expected the Boones to be home as early as-

A small gasp escaped her as Rosa spotted the clock on the wall. Two?! Already?! She had just sat down what seemed like a few minutes ago, after she had found a movie just starting on the Classical Movie Channel. It was a shame she wouldn't get to see how 'West Side Story' ended, but Rosa absolutely couldn't shirk her responsibilities. Hopefully there would be a rerun someday. The promos during the advertisement break had led her to believe these old movies often repeated.

"Hey sweetie!" Rosa cooed and gave the girl a very quick, perfunctory hug. Then she slipped from the couch. "Wait here, I'll just go say hi to your father and your brother..."

She swiveled her ears around and heard both of them walking around upstairs, so that was where Rosa headed. Of the two, she picked the father first and turned to the master bedroom. The door was open, so she poked her head in. Mr. Boone was unbuckling his belt in the process of changing from his work suit to the clothes he wore at home.

"Hi, Mr. Boone!"

The man barely glanced in her direction, but he stopped undressing. "Oh, hold on a minute. I'll be right out."

He thought she needed something!

"Oh, it's okay, Mr. Boone. I just came to say hello. I'm sorry I wasn't waiting when you came in..." He wasn't looking at Rosa at all, but her ears folded down anyway to show how sorry she really was.

"That's fine. What were you watching?"

He probably wasn't really interested, just being polite, but Rosa answered anyway. "West Side Story, sir. It's um, a musical, I think."

"Ah..." There didn't seem to be anything else and Mr. Boone's reservoir of small talk was apparently exhausted.

Rosa took the initiative. "I'll go and say hello to Benjamin, sir. I'll help him with homework after lunch."

The man let go of his pants and started unbuttoning his shirt. "Good. You do that." Then he nudged the door with a foot so it closed in Rosa's face. Apparently he didn't like her watching, which she could understand, especially after what he'd told her about propriety.

She made her way to the son's room and knocked.

"Go away!" he called out, guessing it was the mare.

"I just wanted to say hello..." she said through the closed door.

There was a brief pause, then: "Hello. Now go away!"

Rosa shook her head sadly, but refused to obey just yet. "I wanna help you with your homework after lunch, is that okay?"

"I can do it myself!"

"Benjamin..." she sighed.

A shoe slammed in the door, making her jump a little. "I said go away!"

Rosa quickly looked around to make sure his father hadn't heard the commotion. She didn't want the man to think she couldn't handle one teenager. Then Rosa opened the door and gave the boy one of her finest glares. "That was uncalled for!" she hissed.

He just looked at her sullenly and Rosa searched his face for any sign of contrition.

"Listen, I'll help you with your homework and that is that. Or do you want me to get your father?!"

The threat worked and the youth paled. His gaze lowered to his lap. "Fine!" he growled, but kept his voice low out of fear of alerting his father. Rosa didn't like the impression she was making, but if he had to see her as a strict governess, rather than a friend, then so be it.

On second thought, maybe she could at least take some of the sting away. "If you promise not to tell your mother..." Rosa began slowly.

The boy looked up, surprised at her tone.

"... I can get you a bit of ice cream before lunch."

He was thinking about it! It was a good thing she had spotted the tub in the freezer earlier. Thanks to her small stature, she would need a chair to reach it, but that was not a big problem. She had always been a small pony in a big human world, so she was used to it.

The boy licked his lips a little, but then he quickly tried to glare again. "Fine!" he said, pretending to be exasperated.

"I'll be right back!" Rosa said, smiling genuinely as she slipped out of the room. Governess, yes, but not a strict one. A fair one. He had agreed to accept help with his homework, so he earned a bit of a reward. Rosa would have to make sure the father didn't spot the cup as she took it up, even though she didn't think Mr. Boone would mind much. While she was at it, Rosa decided to get Lillian an ice cream, too. A small one. It was only fair, if her brother was getting it. She made her way down the stairs, feeling happy that she was starting to figure out how to handle Benjamin. It just took a firm hand - hoof, Rosa mentally corrected herself - and a bit of kindness.

Strict first, reward after, that was the trick. She hurried to the kitchen to get the kids their treats before their mother came home or Mr. Boone came down from the bathroom. His shower had just been starting when Rosa came out of Benjamin's bedroom so she should have a couple more minutes, and then she should have enough time to wash up before Mrs. Boone returned home. That was good! Now if only her dream-visitor would stay away, and no one discovered her cutie mark secret, Rosa could make a good life for herself in the Boones' place. Especially once she grew her first, delicious batch of crops in her garden!

That thought reminded her! She and Lillian had to write a letter for her friends at the School and tell them all about it! Rosa had wanted to do it over the weekend, but so much had happened that she had completely forgotten! Maybe she could even ask Mr. Boone to make a few pictures of her and the girl with his phone and print them out. It was his work computer, but Rosa had seen the printer and it looked like one of those fancy color-laser ones.

She was sure all her roommates would absolutely love Lillian. Maybe she could even arrange to go meet them one day! The very thought was enough to make her giggle and prance a few steps!

After an uneventful lunch Rosa found herself once again in Benjamin's room, except that this time she had a chair. He hadn't offered her it, but Rosa had gone to fetch the one from her desk.

"Okay, now the trick here is to get both denominators to the same value, okay?"

The boy wasn't stupid, but Rosa thought he was easily bored. Maybe he just had a bad teacher? Mr. Danhauer, her own maths teacher at the Pony School was old, but could still make the subject interesting because he taught from passion. Rosa and her roommates had always thought he should have retired years ago, but didn't for some reason. The ponies were actually glad about that. Everyone at the School generally liked Mr. Danhauer.

Rosa gave Benjamin a few moments to try and do what she had just told him while she leaned back and stretched out her legs. They had been at it for over an hour, but luckily they were nearly done.

"Okay..." the boy murmured, scribbling some random numbers in his notebook. It was obvious he wasn't even trying anymore. Well, he had put in a bit of effort at the start, and Rosa was proud of him for that. They could build on it.

"Tell you what," she suggested, "lemme solve these last two problems and then we're done, okay? You got the gist of it anyway."

That cheered him up a little. Rosa wasn't sure how he felt about learning from a pony after that session, and there was still the 'panties thing' hanging between the two, but it felt like they were both moving on. She hadn't spoken with Benjamin about that incident at all and Rosa was not about to try now. Maybe when the boy was a little bit more used to her... At any rate, he hadn't stolen any more of her clothes, so that was good. Rosa really just had to be firm with him and make sure he understood where the boundaries were.

She took the pen in her mouth and wrote down the answers, easily calculating in her head. "There."

The boy closed his notebook and pushed it away. "Finally," he said, incredibly relieved. He stood up and walked away without so much as a 'thank you'.

"Benjamin?"

He froze in the door and turned around. "What?" he demanded, sounding annoyed.

"You could say 'thank you', you know? I'm helping you get your grades up so you can get back your phone games."

It was a mistake to remind him. His lips pressed together and Benjamin glared at the mare. "I'm only doing it because Dad said so!" he growled.

Rosa sighed as her ears lowered. "Well, you could still be a bit more polite..."

The boy just stuck his tongue out and walked off. For a moment Rosa wondered why he was going to her room, but then she realized he was probably headed to the bathroom. She slipped down from her chair, then reared up and put her hooves on it. By luck it had wheels so she could easily push it back to where it should be. Then Rosa waited out in the hallway for the bathroom to be free. Benjamin had reminded her that she had to go as well.

He came out, but didn't say anything.

"Um, Benjamin?"

The boy paused and this time he didn't even look at her.

"You did well today. At this rate you won't have to put up with my tutoring much longer..."

"I hope so..."

Rude! Rosa almost said something back, but changed her mind. They both needed some distance from each other. Maybe it was time for her to take Lillian out to the garden and let her help water the seeds. That would take her mind of the recalcitrant boy. After that Rosa and the daughter could write their letter so that Mr. Boone could take it to the post the next day. The afternoon could only get better, right? Rosa was past the hump. That cheered her up a little.

Chapter 24: Bad Pony

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Lillian helped write to Rosa's roommates, but the mare wanted to add a little something just for Paolo. Something a bit more personal. Hopefully Mr. Boone and Instructor Martha wouldn't read it, but just in case she had to make sure she didn't say too much. Rosa took the letter she had written with the girl, as well as the photos her father had graciously printed out for them, to her room while her young friend was changing into her pajamas and showering. The pony figured she had about an hour before everyone was asleep and Lillian came sneaking into her bed.

As she settled on her chair, Rosa discovered an important fact. Her pen was still in Benjamin's room! Maybe she should have just let it go for the moment and write to Paolo next time? She shook her head angrily. No, Rosa could go and get her pen - politely/. Before she could change her mind Rosa walked over to the boy's room. The door was open and the light was off. It looked like he wasn't in.

That was actually good. That way Rosa could grab her pen without bothering Benjamin at all. Everyone won! It was probably still on his desk and he probably didn't want to touch it with her 'drool' all over it. Rosa also figured he wouldn't have tidied up by himself anyway. She flicked on the switch to see better and immediately spotted what she was after. For a moment she wondered where the boy was, but then she heard sounds of an 'explodey' sort of movie from downstairs.

Well, it was past eight so Rosa didn't think his father would let Benjamin stay up much longer. She had best grab her pen and get out of there as quickly as possible. She reared up, catching her balance by placing a hoof on Benjamin's chair. As her jaw smacked on the table the mare realized that hadn't been such a good idea. The chair was on wheels, after all. She rubbed her muzzle with a hoof and shook her head to stop it ringing. Then she nearly chortled at her own clumsiness.

Anyway, the pen had flown off the table and rolled under the bed. Rosa sighed and got down on her belly to go after it. She couldn't quite fit, so she reached as far as she could with a hoof and flailed around, hoping it hadn't rolled all the way against the far wall. She felt something, but it was not a pen. Curious, Rosa pulled it out in the open. Comics. Nothing exciting, since she preferred an actual book herself, but she knew Benjamin was a big fan. Rosa about to go down for the pen again when she had to do another take. These weren't comic books. They were magazines. She had mistaken them because they were quite colorful. The color was mostly pink, though.

Rosa swallowed and quickly removed her hoof from the topmost magazine. Now she understood why he had been keeping those under the bed. It was not the most imaginative hiding spot, but Rosa guessed it had been the easiest one for a teenager to think of.

Naked human ladies. Was it weird that she was not particularly surprised, especially after the other day? All Rosa had to do was push them back, fetch her pen if she could and get out of there. Then never bring it up again. She didn't really mind what Benjamin got up to in his own room in his spare time, as long as he wasn't playing with her clothes to do it. For a moment Rosa considered whether she should mention the magazines to Mr. Boone, but that would probably get the boy in significant trouble. It would make him really hate her guts!

Too late - she heard a footstep. "Rosa?"

The voice made her blood freeze and she hurriedly shoved the magazines back. "Yes!"

Rosa twirled around, but there was a telltale blush on her muzzle and her ears were all the way back. What was it with Mr. Boone and sneaking up on her lately?!

Too late to worry about it as the man took a step forward. "I heard a crash, are you okay? What are you doing in here?"

She followed the man's gaze and realized, with horror, that a corner of a magazine was sticking out in the open. She hurriedly shuffled so she was sitting on it, but it was no use.

"What do you have there?"

What was he even doing upstairs?! He was supposed to be watching the movie with his son!

"Nothing!" Rosa squeaked.

"Move over, let me see!" The man nudged her with his foot and Rosa had no choice but to shuffle away.

"Please don't make a big deal out of this, sir. It's normal for young boys to-"

It took Mr. Boone just a second to recognize what he was seeing. He leaned down and grabbed the nearest magazine. Then he held it up and flipped through it. "I see," he said flatly.

Almost unconsciously Rosa shrank away. Oh, he was mad. His face was already going red. "What were you doing with these?!" Boone demanded. His hand twitched and Rosa was afraid he might strike her.

"N-N-Not mine, s-sir!" she stuttered. Just in case he was about to turn violent, Rosa scooched a bit further away on the carpet. "I just c-came to get my pen... it rolled under the b-b-bed! I f-found these by accident!"

Mr. Boone got down on his knees and stuck his arm under there. He rummaged around for a moment, then pulled all the magazines out. "Asian Fever," he read, his voice deceptively calm. "Hustler." He swapped the stack around in his hands. "Barely legal?!"

He remained silent for a while. Rosa started to crawl out of the room, hoping to escape most of the man's wrath. "Um, I'll ju- just..." she said, swallowing, "I'll b-borrow a pen from L-Lillian."

You was almost out, but Mr. Boone reacted faster than Rosa had thought possible. He took a single step and his hand darted out to tightly grip her mane.

"EEP!"

It was completely unfair! None of it was her fault!

"I didn't know about t-these until just now, sir! Please!"

The man dragged her out to the hall, where Lillian was watching with wide, fearful eyes. Rosa wished she didn't have to see that.

"Daddy, what are you doing with Rosa?" the girl asked.

Boone barely kept his temper in check. "Go to your room, Lillian."

"But daddy-"

"NOW!"

The girl cast Rosa a frightened look, but vanished inside and closed her door. The mare was grateful for that much, at least. She had to keep trying to ease his temper, though.

"Mr. Boone, please. We can talk about this reasonably. There's nothing wrong with-"

"Shut up!" he growled and dragged her to the stairs. He still had the stack of magazines in his other hand. It was all Rosa could do to keep the pace down the stairs without tumbling. The wife encountered them at the bottom and Rosa was glad to see her. Surely she would stop this from getting too far out of hand!

"What is it?" the wife asked. Mr. Boone just wordlessly held the magazines out to her.

Rosa tried to plead with her, since the father wasn't listening to her: "Mrs. Boone, I can explain! Please, let's just talk about this for a minute!"

She didn't pay the mare any mind. "Where did you find these?" she asked her husband.

"Ben's room," came the curt reply. Then Mr. Boone raised his voice. "Benjamin, get over here!"

Rosa nearly started crying. This was going to turn into a big, horrible mess. The kid would blame her, of course. There would be a huge argument and she would undoubtedly end up involved. What was wrong with these people?! Playing with themselves was normal for boys that age!

Benjamin must have sensed his father's tone, because he was looking very worried when he showed up. Rosa guessed he had been in the kitchen, getting a glass of juice or something.

"What is it, dad?" he asked, cautiously. Then he spotted the magazines in his mother's hands and went completely pale.

"It's not a big deal! Please, you have to listen to- eeee!" Rosa's plea ended with a yelp as Mr. Boone pulled on her mane. His other hand pointed at the filthy magazines. "Where did you get these?!" he demanded from his son.

Benjamin looked from his father to the mare and his eyes narrowed. She could read the rage just under his fear and closed her eyes in defeat. Stupid, stupid parents! At that point Rosa didn't even mind the tugging as Mr. Boone kept pulling her mane higher and higher. She was standing on her hind legs, balancing awkwardly while the wife leafed through the magazines. She didn't say anything, but her lips pressed together and she kept glaring at the son after every page.

"Go toss those in the trash," Mr. Boone ordered and the Mrs left for the front door. Then he took a step closer to his son, who was backing away. "Care to explain this... this filth?!"

The hand in Rosa's mane slipped and her forehooves landed on the tiles with audible clicks. That made Mr. Boone think she was trying to run away, so he flailed wildly and grabbed her nightgown to try and stop her. This time Rosa was lifted up by the cloth, which was a tiny bit less painful. She stood as still as possible, grateful that her mane wasn't being tugged out anymore even while she was trembling in fear of what might happen.

"They're not mine!" Benjamin tried to lie. "She must have put them there!"

Lucky for Rosa, Mr. Boone saw through his son's falsehood immediately. "Yeah, right! I'll ask you again. Where did you get them? Who gave you those things?!"

The boy kept trying. "I was just keeping them for a friend! They're not mine!"

That earned him a slap and Rosa winced. All it would take is for Mr. and Mrs. Boone to listen to her for one fucking minute before they alienated their children forever! She almost growled to herself, as disgust and annoyance overpowered her fear for a moment.

"Honey..." came the wife's voice from behind them, full of sudden worry.

"What?!" Mr. Boone snapped irritably and turned around to look. Mrs. Boone was pointing with her finger. Right at Rosa's exposed cutie mark. The realization made the mare's limbs lose all feeling and her mind go blank.

"Oh no..." she whispered.

Mr. Boone put his other hand in her mane and gripped tightly again. "Jennifer, go get my belt..."

Rosa didn't know what he was going to do with it, but she was very afraid.

"P-Please, sir! That's nothing! It just happened, I didn't mean to. I'm still me!"

He didn't seem to be listening, focusing rather on keeping a very tight grip on her, but also holding her at arm's length, as if afraid she might bite or buck. For a moment Rosa wanted to, but she was not a fighter.

"It d-doesn't mean anything, I swear! Please, Mr. Boone, we can talk about this!" Rosa glanced at the boy, who had his hand over his mouth as he stared at her in terror.

"Benjamin, go up to your room. I'll deal with you later!" Mr. Boone commanded and the kid obeyed. He slipped behind his father, keeping as far away from Rosa as possible, then passed his mother on the stairs.

Mrs. Boone held out the belt to her husband, but he shook his head. "Put it around her neck and pull it as tight as you can..."

They were going to suffocate her right then and there!

"NO, no no no no, please no! PLEASE, Mr. Boone!" Tears were already flowing unimpeded. Rosa didn't even feel it when the man twisted his fist to yank on her mane in an effort to get her to be quiet. Rosa tried to move her head away as the wife pushed the belt around her throat, but Boone had a really good grip on her nightgown and her mane.

"Please don't do this! I'm not dangerous, please! I'll do anything you want!" she begged, voice nearly giving out. The loop tightened and Rosa took a deep lungful. The hand from her mane vanished and she tried to bolt, but Mr. Boone was faster and lifted the belt high up into the air. It cut off her breathing and Rosa danced on her hind hooves to try and put some slack in the awful thing.

She opened her mouth to scream, but couldn't get any air out. All that she managed to make was a gargled, choked half-cough.

This was it. She was a goner.

Just as the world was starting to fade out, her forehooves touched the floor and the loop around her neck relaxed a tiny bit. Rosa gulped down welcome lungfuls of air.

"What do we do with her?" Mrs. Boone was saying.

"Please don't kill me, please please please!" Rosa begged as soon as she was able. Her voice was hoarse and strained, but she had to keep trying for as long as she could. It couldn't end there! "Please! I love you. I love Lillian. I just want to help! I'm not a bad pony!"

She would have promised absolutely everything they wanted.

"Shut up and let me think!" the man barked and Rosa obediently fell silent. He was holding the makeshift leash up, putting just enough pressure in it so she knew it was there. It was all she could do to stay upright on her trembling legs. Mr. Boone finally seemed to have a plan. "Get the ropes from that tent we got Lillian last year," he commanded his wife. "We'll tie her up in the laundry room and I'll call the school in the morning."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Mrs. Boone asked, her voice full of worry and uncertainty. "I don't like the idea of that... thing in the same house as us."

The word 'thing' made Rosa physically flinch.

"It's gonna be okay," the husband reassured his wife. "I'll tie her up good and I'll lock the door."

There was no more room to argue. Rosa was glad at least they wouldn't immediately kill her, but at the same time she was even more afraid of the unknown that was coming as soon as the Pony School got her back. For now, she followed the human meekly as he led her away. Mrs. Boone went to fetch the rope. As Rosa was pulled into the laundry room, where she had washed their clothes just that morning, she couldn't help but start weeping openly.

How could it have happened so quickly?! Ten minutes ago all she had been thinking about was getting her pen and writing a little something to Paolo!

It was so unfair!

She folded down to the cold floor and covered her head with her forelegs as she sniffled. All the time she was aware of the strip of leather around her neck.

"How long have you had this?" Boone demanded as Rosa waited for the Mrs to return with rope.

"A d-day, sir!" she said meekly. Maybe he could still be reasoned with! "Please, sir... it doesn't make me a bad pony. It just means I'm good at gardening. I still want to care for Lillian and Benjamin! I'll- we can cover it with hair dye and no one has to know! Please!"

There was no answer, which gave Rosa a crazy, wild hope. "Please, I'm begging, sir! Don't send me back! They'll kill me!" She was not entirely sure about that, but she was trying to tug as many heart strings as she could. The man still hadn't said anything.

"You know me, sir! I'm still Rosa! The cutie mark doesn't mean anything! Please, let's talk about this!" She fell silent when Mrs. Boone returned. The husband passed her the belt and she gripped it tightly, choking the mare a tiny bit.

"Try to bite or kick and I'm strangling you, understand?" Mr. Boone asked as he looped the rope around a fist.

Rosa just nodded, tears streaming down her muzzle in rivulets. "I'm not a bad pony!" she whispered.

Chapter 25: Reluctant Freedom

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It had all gone terribly wrong. Rosa was tied up in the Boones' laundry room with a thin, chafing rope which was also cutting off circulation to her legs. A particularly nasty loop went around her neck to a sturdy radiator pipe in the wall. Maybe she could have gotten it off, but Rosa was worried it might bite into her flesh and suffocate her if she struggled too much. Even if she could get free, where would she go? Show her unescorted, cutie-marked flank anywhere in public and sooner or later someone would call the police on her. Yes, sometimes ponies ran errands, and some could even do their work in relative freedom, but they usually had uniforms and permit cards.

The fact of the matter, Rosa was starting to realize, was that ponies were tolerated as slaves, but humans were still uneasy seeing them walk around by themselves. She had been told to expect that on her assignments and to make sure her assigned human was always nearby. Maybe it was easier for pegasi, like Paolo, who would probably end up working as delivery ponies. He would get a post office uniform or something when he was out and about. No chance Rosa could do anything like that. Even her maid's dress wouldn't mean squat if she didn't also have a permit with which to back it up.

It was so very unfair. All she had wanted to do was help people. She had done so much for Mr. Boone and his family already and he couldn't even trust her enough to let her explain! Rosa grumbled and tried to stomp the floor, but the rope kept her leg pressed against her barrel. The most she could do was flop awkwardly around. It was going to be a very uncomfortable night. She sighed and tried to lie a bit more on her side. The tiles were cool, but she had fur so she could deal with it, at least for the moment. Besides, sleeping felt like a long shot with the uncertainty and worry about her situation.

Rosa glanced out the window, but the bit of sky she could see was completely dark. It was funny... she wished for the night to be over, but at the same time she was afraid of what morning would bring. Mr. Boone had said he would call the School and Rosa worried what Instructor Martha would do. They probably wouldn't let her say bye to her friends, so they'd just be left wondering what had happened to her. Exactly like it had gone down with Maribelle. Would they even tell the ponies that she had gotten her cutie mark?

Rosa tried to remember all the rumors about what was supposed to happen next. The official word was that she would be sent someplace with some scientists, who would try to find out why she had gotten the mark and what it meant. Then, supposedly, she would be reassigned to a different kind of work - one which included her special talent. That didn't sound too bad, but the fact that ponies who got their cutie marks were never heard from again didn't bode too well. That was probably what had started all those rumors of ponies being killed. Also, what was the deal with older ponies at the School? They all had cutie marks - two of them - and were allowed to mingle with the students. Clearly a cutie mark wasn't as dangerous as all that! There was much about the world that made no sense to Rosa. Would she ever get any answers?

Her thinking was cut short when she heard a noise at the door. She managed to lift her muzzle off the floor and focused her ears. That was definitely someone fiddling with the lock!

Maybe Mr. Boone had brought her a blanket or some water. Maybe she could talk with him, now that he had calmed down. Rosa understood that passions had been running wild when he found those magazines in Benjamin's room, and he had overreacted. Rosa would tell him she understood and there were no hard feelings. If he would just listen to her for five minutes, they could figure the cutie mark thing out together. She would keep performing her duties and he wouldn't have any of the tiresome paperwork or whatever he'd have to do when he returned her to the school. Rosa almost began smiling in relief as the door opened, but then her face froze in worry instead.

"Benjamin?!"

"Shush!" the boy hushed her and quickly closed the door again. Then he glared at the floor and sidled closer to the mare. His hands were bunched up in fists, which made Rosa a bit afraid of why he had sneaked down from his room in the middle of the night.

"W-What are you doing here?" she whispered.

Rather than answering, the boy crouched to inspect her a bit closer. He didn't seem afraid of her, but he was certainly angry. "He hit me, you know?" the boy admitted, "because of you!"

That was thoroughly messed up and Rosa was very sorry to hear it, but the boy couldn't really pin it on her if his dad was an abusive jerk.

"I'm sorry, Benjamin..."

"Everything was fine until you came along!" the boy went on.

"No, it wasn't," she pointed out. "Your father shouldn't hit you, ever! That's not okay!"

Benjamin knew that and despite her predicament, Rosa's heart went out to him. She struggled to shuffle a bit closer, so she could lay her muzzle on his slippered foot. "It's not your fault, okay? Look, we just need to sit down and talk this o-gurk!"

She had been interrupted by a swift kick to the muzzle. There wasn't much force behind it. The boy was just letting out his frustration, he wasn't really trying to hurt her.

"It's all your fault, you- you bitch!" he swore. "I told you not to go in my room!"

Rosa rubbed her muzzle against her knee and heaved a sigh. "Benjamin, knowing what your father is like, didn't you realize keeping porn magazines under your bed is a stupid idea?" He didn't answer, which Rosa decided meant 'yes'. Maybe she was finally breaking through to the kid?

"Look, I'm sorry about that, okay? I didn't want him to find out, it just happened! It was an accident!"

Unfortunately, the boy was her only hope of getting the father to listen, so Rosa had to make him see her point of view.

"I didn't think you'd have... stuff like that under there! I was just trying to get my pen, I swear. I'm really sorry, but your dad walked in at exactly the wrong moment!"

She wondered why the boy had even come down to see her. Was it just to tell her how mad he was, or maybe he was hoping the two of them could reconcile? Again, Rosa slipped her head on his foot and gave it a nuzzle.

"He checks my phone, you know?" Benjamin admitted quietly, staring off into the distance. "I don't get any privacy! I paid Eduard at school a hundred bucks for those magazines!"

"I'm sorry. I'll pay you back!" Rosa promised. She was willing to say anything at that point, just to get out of her predicament.

The boy sniffled, which Rosa took as a good sign. She nuzzled his bare ankle a little and even gave it a lick. "It's going to be okay. Just- please, go get your father. We have to talk about this. Please?"

The touching seemed to bring the boy back from whatever thought he was getting lost in, but not in a good way. He moved away from her lick and then kicked her again. It was not very hard, but it stung in more ways than the physical.

"I hate you! Everything was okay before you were here!" Benjamin repeated. He kicked again, this time harmlessly hitting a hoof.

"Hey! Please stop that! Let's just talk!"

The last thing Rosa wanted that night was a beating by the teenage son! The flurry of blows didn't stop and her only consolation was that Benjamin didn't know what he was doing, so most of the kicks ended up on her legs and hooves, where they didn't hurt very much. He was also only wearing a slipper over his bare foot, which helped.

The youth was openly sobbing now. "He said I'm never getting my phone back! He said he'll put cameras up in my room! It's all your fault! I hate you!"

If Rosa weren't tied up, she would actually have felt sorry for the boy. Not even she and her roommates had been under constant surveillance! It sounded absolutely horrible!

"Oof! No... Benjamin- ah! Stop, please!"

He landed a good kick in her soft belly, which made Rosa wheeze in pain, but then the blows stopped. The boy was breathing heavily. "I hope they take you away and put you in prison forever!"

Her tears were flowing, once again, but Benjamin didn't seem to notice, or care. He stepped away and turned to leave.

"Please," Rosa gasped, "let's just talk! I wanna help!"

The boy turned back, but he just spat at her. It missed her muzzle by inches, but the intent was very clear. "I hope you die!" he hissed and walked quickly away.

"Benjamin please!" Rosa called after him as loudly as she dared.

He ignored her as he slipped out through the door and a moment later Rosa heard the keys turning. Why did the boy hate her so much?! She couldn't stop weeping as she remembered his furious face as he kept kicking through her pleas. Whatever Mr. Boone had done to his son, it sure had stuck with the lad. Stupid parents with their stupid knee-jerk reactions! Rosa tried to stomp the ground again, but the ropes kept her legs from extending far enough.

What a messed up family!

What really hurt was that poor, sweet little Lillian was stuck there. Rosa really hoped Mr. Boone wasn't going to anything monumentally stupid, like hit her. He hadn't yet, Rosa was sure of that. She would have seen it in the girl. She should have seen it in the boy, too, if only she had spent a bit more time with him. If she had worked harder on befriending him, Rosa probably wouldn't be in this situation right now.

"Could have, should have, would have..." she mumbled miserably to herself.

Poor Lillian was going to be heartbroken without the mare. She wished she could say goodbye, but Rosa didn't think that would happen, not now. They would probably tell her some lies about how Rosa had became dangerous, or something, and had to be sent away. That thought started her crying anew, hurting her heart much more than the fear of what would happen to her.

Rosa woke up after a dreamless sleep to all her muscles screaming out in agony. The stone floor had been just as cold and uncomfortable as she had imagined. Tied up as she was, it had been impossible to rest comfortably. Despite that, Rosa had managed to fall asleep a few times out of sheer exhaustion and boredom. Now she was paying the price.

"Ow..." she groaned as she tried to wriggle some feeling back in her legs and back. Only then did she look around. It was still very early, with only the barest hint of gray out the window. Everyone was still asleep. Rosa hoped Mr. Boone would come see her before he called the School. Maybe, after sleeping on it, the man could be reasoned with. She sobbed, just once. All she needed was for the damned human to listen to her for fifteen minutes! Was that so much to ask!? Rosa was a good pony, dammit!

With some difficulty she flopped to her other side. Her ribs hurt a tiny bit less there and maybe she could get a few more minutes of sleep. Something told her that she was going to need it that day.

Just as she was drifting off Rosa heard the lock rattling again. There was her chance! She struggled into a neutral position on her belly, so that at least she could look at the human with her face the right way up.

The door opened and Rosa's ears instantly folded down. "Lillian?"

The girl stepped inside, staring at her with big, frightened eyes. She was keeping her distance, which broke Rosa's heart all over again.

"Please don't be afraid of me!"

The girl pushed the door shut and took a few steps closer, but she was staying out of reach of her hooves, or at least out of reach as she imagined it.

Rosa tears dripped to the floor. "Please, sweetie! It's just me," she sobbed.

Lillian wanted to believe her and took another step, almost unconsciously. "Mom said you bit her," the child whispered.

"I swear I didn't! Lillian, you know me!"

"She has a bandage..."

Rosa almost growled in frustration. That had been low, even for Mrs. Boone! She opened her mouth to argue, but then just slumped forward. What was the use?

Going to the Boones had been a big mistake. It was now obvious that getting Rosa had just been Mr. Boone's fanciful, spur-of-the-moment idea and it had gone against the wishes of his wife. The mare had been doomed to fail from the start.

Maybe her misery moved the girl, or maybe there was some affection left. Lillian came closer and put her hand in her mane to comfort her.

"I forgive you," she said and Rosa closed her eyes to enjoy the touch. "Daddy says he'll make sure they'll put you down. Mom said that's good."

Rosa knew she was telling the truth and her gut froze into a solid lump. Her lip trembled and she started breathing more quickly. Yesterday had been as close to dying as she had ever felt in her life and Rosa realized she absolutely didn't want to go. Not by some stinking human's hand!

"Please no...," she sniffled. The little girl couldn't help her, but Rosa was ready to try anything. "Please - can't you talk to your father? I don't wanna die!"

Lillian shook her head. "Dad won't listen when he's like this. He said he'd spank me if I came here, but I wanted to see you anyway."

The fingers found her ear and scratched behind it. Perhaps that touch was the only thing keeping Rosa from gibbering in fear. She suddenly hated that smug, pretentious bastard from the bottom of her heart. She would bite him, and kick him, the first chance she had. Give him something to remember his hypocrisy!

Lillian saw her expression and quickly stepped away.

"Oh, no! Sweetheart, I'm sorry! Please don't be afraid!"

Whatever Rosa might think about her father, she still loved the girl more than anything. They had only known each other a week, but that was enough.

"If- if I let you go, will you go away?" Lillian asked slowly.

Rosa lifted up her ears in puzzlement. Had she heard correctly? "W-What?"

The girl pointed at the rope. "I don't want them to kill you, even if you did bite Mom. But you have to leave us alone."

At that point, Rosa would have taken anything, just to save her life. "I promise!"

Lillian went to the door, but glanced at her before leaving. "Wait here, I'll come back."

As if she could go anywhere. Rosa focused her ears and heard her padding to the kitchen and rummaging in a drawer. Then her bare feet returned to the laundry room. She was carrying scissors, which made Rosa exhale in relief. She hadn't even known she was holding her breath. Lillian approached carefully and snipped the ties around her legs. Rosa wanted to stretch them out, but she also didn't want to make any rapid movements which might scare the girl away. She waited patiently as Lillian fiddled with the string around her neck. The scissors clicked together and suddenly Rosa was free.

She lifted herself up as slowly as she could, rubbing with her hoof where the rope had chafed her. She looked at the little girl with all the gratitude she could muster.

"I would never hurt you, Lillian," Rosa assured her.

She tried to bring her muzzle in to brush against Lillian, but she moved away, all the while watching the mare carefully.

"I love you very much and I'm sorry this all happened." The admission made her sob again, but Rosa blinked her eyes clear and stood up.

"You have to go now," Lillian said seriously. Rosa knew she would get in heaps of trouble for freeing her, but there was absolutely nothing she could do about that now.

The mare took a step forward, then paused. For a moment she entertained the idea of going upstairs into the master bedroom, sitting down on the floor and trying to talk with Mr. and Mrs. Boone. Was there any way at all she could still salvage this? Once she ran, she could never come back. Runaways weren't shown any mercy at all, that was a threat all the teachers had kept repeating. Rosa believed them. Best case scenario would be that they put her to work in some mine or something and the worst case that they just put her down like an animal. The step she was about to take meant she would be a fugitive forever. Rosa absolutely didn't want that, but what choice did she have?

Lillian had said Mr. Boone would ask for Rosa to be killed and she believed her too. She also felt in her belly that the man would make good on his promise. He had a lot of power, it seemed, so the threat would probably come true. As much as it pained Rosa to leave with Lillian thinking she was some kind of a monster, she didn't have a choice. There was no talking with the Boones. All that awaited the mare if she stayed, was death. At least if she ran, she would have a chance.

Rosa looked back and sought out Lillian's face. She gave her a sad smile as fresh tears welled up. "I'm so sorry, sweetie. Please, remember I love you. Remember the nice times we had, okay?"

She didn't answer as Rosa took a few steps, but then the mare had to pause and turn back, if only for a moment. "Please, sweetheart, stay safe, okay? Don't end up like them..."

Lillian's face softened for a moment, but then the uncertainty was back. Of course the child would believe her parents over someone she had only met a week ago, even if said someone was a pony. "Just go!" she ordered gruffly.

Rosa wanted to give her a last hug, but she had a feeling Lillian would just step away. That would really make her cry, so Rosa didn't even try it. Without another word she walked out the door and paused to listen intently. The house was still quiet. It was before six, she guessed.

Rosa made her way past the kitchen until she reached the door to the pool room. It was not locked, so it didn't slow her down much, but Rosa still took the time to close it gently behind herself. The backyard was fenced off on all sides, but the gate to the front yard wasn't bolted or anything. There was just a bit of metal holding it in place and it was the work of a moment to undo. Rosa dutifully closed it behind herself, then walked to the road and looked both ways.

Where could she even go?

Off to one side Rosa saw the skyline of the big city. That would be full of humans and dangerous. The other way there were just houses, but she spotted a hill in the distance. It looked like it was covered with a forest. Could ponies survive in the woods? Rosa guessed she would find out.

Her hoof froze in mid-air and she looked at the silent house behind her. It had been her home for only a week, but she would still miss it. No, actually - she would miss Lillian. What they had. She wasn't a special needs child, but she was the first human Rosa had looked after as her own. It seemed she would also be the last one.

"Goodbye, sweetheart," Rosa whispered, then resolutely turned away and trotted down the road. It was too early for humans to be going out yet, but she knew she should leave the road as soon as she could and head toward the woods she had seen. Rosa didn't know if they would search for her. There might be helicopters, so it would be a good idea to have some cover by then. She was heading for a completely different life and didn't know anything about it. What choice was there, though?

For better or for worse, Rosa was now a free pony.

She ran past the neat row of identical-looking houses in that little bit of the suburbs, looking all the time for a way to get off the street. Just as she was getting into her pace, a dog barked suddenly, right on the other side of a fence. It made Rosa jump and scurry off, worried that some human might come and see what was wrong. The furious barking seemed to chase after her for a while, but Rosa was having trouble hearing it above her own heartbeat and panicked breathing. Only when the house was far behind did she relax her pace again.

At long last the street ended in a circle of asphalt and there was a gap between the houses. Rosa didn't think, just aimed down it and sped up. She didn't know how long she could keep up her run. Rosa had always been somewhat fit, but the school had trained her to be an inside caretaker, not an athlete or a delivery pony. Already she was sweaty and gasping for breath. Running on soft grass took a bit more effort, so Rosa slowed down. Collapsing less than two miles from the Boone household would be really embarrassing. As she slipped between the houses she saw a light in one of the upstairs windows.

People would be getting up and going to work soon. She should really make sure to be gone by then! Luckily no one looked out to see her and Rosa didn't hang around, but as soon as she cleared the last building she paused for a moment to look around. There was a raised highway in the distance among empty fields. Some of them were covered with brambles and weeds and a few had been plowed. Or maybe they were already seeded, but nothing had grown just yet.

Trotting on grass was hard enough, trying to run on soft mud would be a nightmare. Rosa walked alongside the nearest field until she found a very small gravel path. It was better than the alternative of going the long way around. The stones crunched a little under her hooves, but she was far enough from the houses so no one should hear. She slowed down a little more and tried to make a plan.

The highway was a bad idea - too many prying eyes. Rosa scanned the horizon and focused on the hill she had seen. It was a solitary lump of earth covered by a sparse forest. Her best hope, the mare thought, was to head there, then see if there was a denser bit of woods further along. All other directions were either fields, the suburbs or the city, none of them a good choice. Having at least that much of a plan helped lift her spirits. Rosa focused her thoughts on other necessities. She was wearing her night gown, which should serve her as a makeshift blanket during the chilly nights. It was a shame she hadn't been able to bring her hat for the upcoming summer, though. She couldn't think of anything to do for a shelter, unless she happened to find a cave or something. Even so, Rosa would be wary to sleep in some hole in the forest. Were there bears in the area? Mountain lions?

No, that was stupid - the nearest mountains were thousands of miles away, unless her geography was completely wrong. Rosa realized she had absolutely no idea what kind of landscape was around her. She knew the broad geographical features of the country thanks to Mrs. Isaac's geography class, and she knew the names of the states and their major cities, but all of that was completely useless to her now. European cities also didn't seem very helpful at the moment. Rosa wished they had taught her a bit more about the local landscape.

So, that left the mare with a crude lean-to, which shouldn't be too hard to build in the forest, and her night gown to either wear or cover herself with. Together with her fur, it should be fine until the summer. Her next problem would be food. Rosa knew for a fact that ponies were quite able to eat and digest grass, even though it gave them wind. The only problem was - she had tried that once. After learning about it in Mr. Greiner's class, Rosa had taken her roommates' dare and tried nibbling on the grass in front of the dorm building. Maybe it had been the wrong type of grass, or maybe she just wasn't used to it, but it tasted awful and her stomach rumbled throughout the night. It also gave her diarrhea the next morning, so Rosa had never tried that again.

Food was going to be tricky, but maybe switching to a grass diet was just a matter of persistence until her body adapted. With luck, she could even fill out her meals with some berries or nuts. In theory she could eat raw mushrooms, but Rosa had zero idea which ones were poisonous, so she decided to stay away from those for now. Besides, looking at all those fields, there was bound to be grain and corn and maybe other vegetables growing soon. She could sneak back there and steal a few in the night. Winter would be more difficult, but Rosa had enough problems for the moment and decided to put that one off to think about later.

Making all those plans was good, but her heart kept sinking lower and lower. She started remembering all the comforts she would have to give up.

A soft bed, for one. Fried food. Fizzy drinks. Sweets.

Friends.

That last one hit home and her step faltered. Rosa couldn't keep the sob from breaking out as she sat down on the path. She wanted to curl up and cry, but the mare forced herself to get up once more and take a step. Then another.

She would never see her roommates again...

It left her feeling wretched as she continued walking the gravel path between the fields. This whole thing sucked, but Rosa didn't want to die. She would do whatever it took, sacrifice all her comforts, to survive. In her heart, a small, budding spark of determination started to grow.

Chapter 26: Aurora

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It was as good a place to stop and rest as any. Just as the land had started to rise up, there was a paddock at the end of a dirt road. There were some cows, standing around or lying in the sun and chewing cud. There was also a trough of water, which refilled itself from a blue, metal cistern. The road seemed at least somewhat maintained, so the cows were probably cared for. It was risky to stay, but Rosa decided to anyway. There was the water she needed to keep her strength up, and in addition she could be certain that the grass there was edible. If she kept her eyes and ears open, she could rest among those cows and spot any cars coming from miles away, which would give her plenty of time to run away and hide in the nearby bushes. Besides, the company was nice. They were just earth cows and they didn't talk, unlike what rumour said about supposed Equestrian cattle, but they seemed to accept Rosa among them. She was a four-legged thing, just like them. It was the closest to friends Rosa could get at the moment.

"Hey, ladies," she said politely as she crawled under the electric fence, "I'll just borrow a bit of your water if that's okay?"

Of course they didn't reply, but neither did they seem scared of a talking pony. Rosa stepped up to the watering trough, right next to a patchy, black and white cow.

"So, how are you doing?" the mare said.

No answer, so she dipped her muzzle and drank deeply. She had skipped breakfast and the water helped make her feel a bit less empty. That done, Rosa looked at the ground. There were a few cow piles strewn around and most of the grass was clipped short. She walked over to a patch which seemed a bit taller than the rest and looked at it for a while. Off to one side, a cow was patiently nibbling on a bit of green grass. Her tongue slipped out every now and then to grab a bushel.

Rosa heaved a sigh and lowered her muzzle. It didn't smell too appetizing, but it was better than nothing. She might as well start getting used to it. As her lips touched the green stems she paused and lifted her head back up. On the other hand, waiting longer would make her hungrier. Maybe it would be more palatable then?

Except - she needed to keep her strength up in case there was pursuit.

"Come on, Rosa... don't overthink it dammit!"

The grazing cow glanced at the mare, as if annoyed at the interruption.

"Sorry..."

A few mouthfuls, she decided, just so she could start getting used to it. Then some more water to wash the taste out of her mouth. After that she'd lie down in the sun to rest, but with her eyes on the dirt road in case some human came. Rosa peered in the distance and barely saw the highway as a gray line across the landscape. The suburbs were on the other side and the city was a smudge on the horizon. It was about thirty-five miles to Boone's house, she estimated. It was probably wrong, since Rosa was not used to distances, but it still didn't sound like much. Would there be a big search for her? Could they find her there?

Her legs were sore and even with a rest Rosa didn't know if she could go much further. At least there she had a few hiding spots in the thick bushes and easy access to water. The dirt road didn't seem well-traveled, but Rosa saw that the puddle holes had been filled in here and there. Most likely fixed by whoever owns those cows, she thought. Her purple coat would stand out if the humans used a helicopter to look for her, but maybe she wasn't worth the trouble. She had kept her ears turned back and hadn't heard any such sound the entire morning.

It was a difficult decision, but in the end Rosa opted to stay put, at least until the end of the day. At night her color would be less of a hindrance and more of a camouflage, especially with her black mane. Besides, the company of the cows was nice. It was not exactly like having her friends back, but it was better than nothing. At least it was keeping her from breaking down and crying, so that was good.

Right then, however, it was time to try and eat something. Rosa walked over to the grazing cow and gave her her best smile.

"Um, may I join you?"

She looked at the mare, but only for a moment before dipping back down to the grass. It was practically an invitation, Rosa decided.

Rosa woke up with a small groan. She could have sworn she was more tired than when she went to sleep. It was true that her previous night had been spent on a cold floor, tied up, but the dirt under her bush wasn't much better. It was hard. More than she had expected of grass. Wasn't it supposed to be soft?!

Whatever, Rosa had managed to catch a few naps over the night, so that was something, at least. She had thought about moving while it was dark to hide better, but the events of the past few days had caught up to the mare and she couldn't make herself walk. Perhaps that was a stupid mistake, but now she was well rested, even if she would be more visible in the open. She was happy it was morning. There hadn't been a pursuit, at least not one she could hear, so maybe she could take it a bit slower. She just needed to get into those thick woods she had glimpsed and then she would work on putting together something resembling a bed. Maybe moss, or a pile of grass. Or maybe some stones would be softer than the dirt. As Rosa got up on her hooves she stretched out each leg in turn and then tried to loosen her neck.

"Ugh..."

Before leaving her bush she checked the road, but it was still empty. The farmer, or whoever, hadn't come to check their cows in the evening, so they probably visited them in the mornings. She didn't want to be caught, but it was still pretty early, so Rosa risked slipping out to get a drink of water. The cows were mostly awake, but still lying around the water through, so she had to tread carefully.

"Excuse me. Sorry. I'll just- sorry."

She felt herself step on a few hooves and tails, but no one seemed to mind. They just watched the mare passively. Finally Rosa reached her destination and dunked her muzzle. The water was quite cool and refreshing. It smelled a bit of the cows but Rosa didn't mind that. The chill, however, did remind her of how cold the night had been and Rosa shivered a little. Her night gown had done almost nothing. It was a good thing she hadn't frozen to death!

As Rosa was about to leave, she spotted a small space between two of the cows. She thought for a moment, before heading there. Her ears had already lowered in embarrassment before she even addressed the ladies.

"Um, do you mind if I sit with you for a minute?"

They watched her, but didn't react, which Rosa decided meant that she could go ahead. She squeezed in between their two backs, trying not to touch any more than absolutely necessary.

"Mmmm... ooooh..."

It quickly became deliciously warm there and Rosa found herself sprawling just a tiny bit. It smelled strongly of cow, especially to her inside-adapted nose, but Rosa didn't care about that at the moment. After a while the exhaustion of the past few days and the uncomfortable, sleepless nights started getting the better of her and Rosa found her muzzle sinking down toward a large, brown flank.

She would just close her eyes for a minute and then she would be on her way.

Yes... a minute...

"Hello!"

The voice jerked Rosa awake and she straightened up with a small gasp. "What? Who?!"

As she glanced blearily around she spotted a pony watching her. It nearly made Rosa run away in fright, but she forced herself to be still.

"W-Who are you?"

The pegasus mare had a post office uniform and a couple of bulky saddlebags around her hips. Even as she watched Rosa curiously, she fluttered her wings into a more comfortable position. She must have flown overnight to get the feathers in such a disarray. Not to mention her mane. The pony was absolutely scruffy!

She was a pleasing gray color, which nearly made her vanish against the early morning sky, but her mane was a vivid dash of orange and gray streaks. It would be quite pretty once she got home and combed it. Rosa finished her quick examination by noting that her hooves were quite dirty. A very distant delivery, she guessed, and she had possibly walked a part of the way to rest her wings.

"My name is Sky Light. You?"

It sounded a bit odd, but Rosa couldn't immediately place her hoof on it. "Um, Rosa."

Too late she realized that delivery ponies might know about runaways so they could keep a watch out for them. She held her breath.

The other mare just smiled. "Nice to meet you. So you're the shepherd here or something? I've never seen one here. The guy just leaves his cows out here by themselves."

Rosa looked at the road in near panic. "G-Guy? Is he coming?!" The other thing the mare had said worked its way into Rosa's consciousness. "No, I'm not the shepherd. Um-" Yeah, she didn't know what else to tell her.

Sky Light looked around at the cows and then back at Rosa. "Okay, so what are you doing here, then?"

She really didn't want to explain to that pony that she had ran away. Rosa lowered her gaze and tried lying, even while knowing it sounded stupid. "I came in f-for... um, for a drink of water," she said lamely.

"O-kay," the post-mare replied with a note of skepticism. "And then I guess you slipped and landed on that cow. Oh, oh! I guess you knocked yourself out on the tough hide, right?"

Rosa didn't appreciate her mocking tone, but she didn't have a reply. The other mare laughed at her glower. "Hey, lighten up. Lemme guess - runaway?"

She still didn't really want to admit it, but Rosa give a slight nod despite her misgivings. She glanced back to see if her cutie mark was hidden by the night gown, then stood up and walked away from her warm cow friends. "Please don't tell anyone," she begged. "They were going to put me down."

There was sympathy on Sky's face and Rosa began to hope she might be able to convince this mare to forget she saw her. Ponies should stick together, right?

"I'm not gonna tell."

Rosa finally figured out what had been bothering her. "Wait a minute. 'Sky Light'? That sounds like an- an Equestrian name."

The post-mare bobbed her head up and down happily. "Yep! Humans called me 'Aurora', but I changed it. I'm no slave!"

Well, ponies weren't technically slaves, she was right about that. Not in name, just in fact.

Rosa lifted a hoof to point at the uniform. "Must be a decent workplace if they let you do that," she commented.

Sky Light made a face. "Pfft! No!" She used a wing to pick at her skirt, which caused her to reveal a picture of a four-leaf clover. "The uniform is just disguise so I can go out in public. Speaking of, yours doesn't look like much."

Rosa took a step back. A cutie-marked pony runaway? Just like her! Despite that, she was uncomfortable revealing her secret, even if the that strange mare was in the same situation.

She was staring and Sky Light noticed. "Oh, this old thing? It's a long story. What's yours like?" After Rosa hesitated, Sky rolled her eyes and went on: "Come on. I won't laugh, I promise. You wouldn't believe the cutie marks I've seen!"

Rosa sighed and reached a hoof back to lift up her nightgown. Sky Light inspected it expertly. "Cool. A farmer?"

"Gardener!" Rosa corrected with an irritable shake of her mane.

"Pardon. Gardener. How long?"

Rosa's ears folded down. "Two days."

That seemed to impress her new friend. Well, possible friend, Rosa decided. At the very least she wouldn't give her away.

"Wow, that's fast! Most of the ponies I've known took at least a week before they ran away after getting their cutie marks."

It didn't make sense. "Wait a minute. Don't humans take you away the moment you get your cutie mark?"

Sky Light shook her head, then paused and shrugs. "Dunno. Maybe. They didn't use to. Or maybe it's just some humans."

It looked like this mare knew a thing or two and Rosa's curiosity got the better of her. "So what's up with these anyway? Why are they so afraid of cutie marks?"

The pegasus watched her intently for a moment. "I'll tell you later, okay? First we gotta get someplace safe." She jumped a little in the spot. "Come with me, I know a good place. No one will find you there!"

It sounded very good, unless she was leading her to a trap. Then again, she did have a cutie mark, so she would be trapping herself, too. Rosa tentatively decided to go with her, but she would keep her ears and eyes open. If anything didn't smell right, she would bolt.

"Okay... I was going to hide in the forest..." Rosa admitted.

"Hmm, uncomfortable, but could work. What were you planning on eating?"

Looking around, Rosa pawed at the ground a little. "Um, grass? Nuts? Berries?"

It seemed Sky Light found that idea incredibly funny. "Ha! Good one!"

"What?! Ponies can eat grass, you know?"

The mare made a face, sticking our her tongue in distaste. "Ugh, yeah, if I was starving. Maybe. Come on. It's a good thing I saw you. Everything's gonna be alright."

If this new mare had an alternative to grass, Rosa was all for it. Maybe her hideout even had a bed! What if there was just one bed? Rosa wouldn't mind sharing, especially with how cold it got at night.

"You met other runaway ponies?" Rosa asked once she had crawled under the wire again.

"Mhm! A few! Most of them run away when they get their cutie marks. They can't stand doing something else all their lives, you know?"

Rosa glanced at Sky Light's flank, but couldn't see the clover anymore. "So, what does yours mean?"

The pony puffed out her chest in pride. "I'm a gambler! I'm good at it, too! One time, I won two hundred bucks on a lottery ticket!"

"They let you cash it in?"

This time she shook her head. "No, I got a human for that. Don't worry, you can trust him. He's... let's say 'sympathetic' to runaway ponies."

Rosa hesitated and stopped. Going to a human didn't sound right, even if Sky Light did have her cutie mark too.

"Come on, before the guy comes to check on his cows! Or do you want to be caught?" The pegasus came back and prodded Rosa forward with a wing feather. Then she brightened up. "Oh! I know, you must be starving! Here!"

She rummaged in her bags until she brought out half of a granola bar. The smell wafted and Rosa began salivating.

"Here, it's not much, but it'll help. The sugar."

Rosa took it in her mouth and chewed for as long as she could before swallowing. It was just one mouthful, but it was the most delicious thing she had ever eaten. She made sure to lick all crumbs from her lips. "Thanks."

"No problem. I got some more back home. You coming?"

The promise of more food was too good to resist. Rosa started moving again. If Sky Light trusted a human to keep her secret, maybe she could trust him too.

Except they were heading back the way Rosa had came. She stopped again. "This way?!"

Sky Light rolled her eyes and prodded Rosa's flank again. "Yeah, this way! There's nothing but miles of forest that way. I told you I have a hideout. No one is going to find you there, trust me!"

Rosa swallowed a lump as she hesitated with a hoof in the air. "Are you sure? My... um, Master- he's powerful. There's probably going to be a search. Posters and TV and all that."

"So? Believe me, no one will look for you where we're going. You can lay low for a while."

"And then what?"

The pegasus shrugged. "Dunno? Move to another city? I know this earth pony - he dyed his cutie mark and hitched a ride with a trucker. Turns out his special talent was navigation, so the guy took him on permanently. I see him sometimes when they pass through here. After about the first five minutes he doesn't even bother to hide his cutie mark anymore. Not all humans are paranoid about them, you know?"

It actually sounded like a solid plan. Maybe Rosa could find some human who needed help gardening or farming. If she covered up her cutie mark they might accept her. She didn't immediately believe Sky Light's other weird claim, but ponies weren't extremely common on Earth, so she could have a chance with people who would never qualify for an Assistant Pony, or who couldn't afford one.

That brightened up her disposition immediately. Rosa might even get to work with children, as well as a garden. Maybe there was still a way to achieve her dreams. "Okay, lead the way." She fell in step with the pegasus. "So - when did you get your cutie mark?" she asked to pass the time.

Chapter 27: Homeless

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Evening found Rosa in circumstances she would never have imagined even that morning among the cows. It had taken Sky Light most of the day to lead her through fields and patches of trees and finally hidden alleys, until she had brought Rosa into the city. The progress had been slowed some more by Rosa's insistence to avoid the highway and the suburbs. She was afraid she'd meet the pursuit, so she hid every time they heard a car or a human voice, which was quite often. Maybe there wasn't a manhunt for a missing pony, or maybe Sky Light was skilled enough at stealth so they didn't encounter any. Whatever the case, Rosa reckoned she was hidden pretty well at their destination.

It looked like a dry, abandoned water canal in an industrial district. Rosa didn't know if people used the buildings she could see around them, but she doubted it. The whole area had a dilapidated look about it. Sky Light's 'home' was in a broken down van under some kind of a concrete overhang. The doors didn't shut properly and it stank of urine, but she assured Rosa that it was warm and safe. There was an old mattress in the back, where her friend slept, and the cabin which the pegasus had made her own. There were even a few of her gray feathers hanging from the rear view mirror.

The human she had mentioned wasn't around, but the mare just jumped in the van and flopped around until she had gotten herself out of the post office uniform. Then she
rummaged in the compartment on the passenger seat side until she brought out a battered can. "Here, we'll share," she said as she threw it down from the cabin.

Rosa had to scurry to clumsily catch the thing before it hit the ground. It was beans. She could barely make out the label, so it was probably way past its 'best before' date, but canned food didn't really go bad, did it? In any case, Rosa was certain she would smell if anything was wrong.

"Um... how do we open it?"

There wasn't a can opener in sight. Sky Light leapt lightly out of the van, brushing Rosa's flank with a wing as she landed. "Come, I'll show you," she said, taking the can from her new friend's unresisting hooves.

Rosa followed Sky Light around the back of the vehicle, noting how all four tires were completely flat and the back door was hanging open from just one hinge. Sky Light roughly pushed the metal away and brought out a blackened pot. It didn't look as if it had ever been cleaned and Rosa could smell it had been used to cook meat, among other things. It stank, but she was starving so she didn't say anything. Sky Light placed the pot on the ground, then held up the tin so Rosa could see.

"Can. Pot," she said, pointing with a feather. "Car. Now watch."

She placed the tin against a jagged piece of metal, which was sticking out from somewhere under the van, then smacked it with a hoof. The clang made Rosa jump up in fright. Beans splattered against the van, but then they slid down into the pot. Sky Light upended the container and shook it until most of the goop was out. Then she fiddled with the jagged edges of the split tin to open it some more and let the last few bits plop out.

"Voila," the mare said proudly.

Rosa was not overly enthused by the method, nor the fact that the spike and van were both dirty, but she kept her mouth shut. Sky Light obviously knew more about surviving than her.

The other mare magnanimously pushed the pot toward Rosa first. "Here, just remember to leave half for me."

"Shouldn't we, uh- cook it?" Rosa asked.

Sky Light shrugged and looked around. "If you wanna, but then we have to wait for Terry. Can't work a lighter with hooves, you see..." She pointed to a patch of ground and Rosa saw a rusted bottom of a metal barrel. It was covered with soot and she could smell ash inside, but there was no fire.

It only took Rosa a minute to decide. The beans smelled heavenly after her two day enforced diet and Rosa couldn't wait any longer. She tried not to breathe through her nose and put her muzzle in the pot. The goop was slimy and cold, but the beans were still delicious.

She started lapping up the water from the can, but a hoof pulled her back. "Hey! Half for me, remember?" Sky Light complained.

Rosa licked the last few drops from her muzzle, as she watched the banquet wistfully. It had been a long, tiring day after that granola bar the pegasus had given her. While Rosa watched her friend eating, her stomach growled for more. Eventually she couldn't stand it anymore.

"D-Do you have some more?" she asked quietly, afraid the answer would be 'no'.

Sky Light lifted her muzzle, licking her lips clean, which made Rosa even hungrier and a bit jealous. "What?"

"M-More, please." She was blushing from the blatant begging and her ears splayed, but Rosa couldn't quite stop herself.

Sky Light watched her for a moment, then shrugged. "Dunno. I'll check if there's a chocolate left in there, but I'm not sure. We'll see if Terry brings anything."

She nearly went back down to finish her meal, but the mare paused and looked at Rosa again. Then, wordlessly, she pushed the pot to her with a hoof.

Rosa didn't meet her eyes as she dunked her muzzle again. There was not much left anyway, but she greedily swallowed it and then licked the pot dry, ignoring the smell of meat. Only when there was no more juice left did she stop. She still didn't look at the pegasus.

"Better?" Sky asked.

Rosa nodded, but her ears lowered all the way down. After all, Sky Light hadn't eaten either and for all Rosa knew, she had given away her breakfast that morning. Rosa felt incredibly selfish, but that didn't stop her from still wanting more.

"Um... the chocolate?"

"Oh!" Sky Light remembered and stood up. She went back to the cabin of the van and Rosa followed, tail swishing eagerly. She couldn't help pacing a little while Sky Light searched, until her new friend turned around. "Ta-daa!" she said triumphantly, and showed Rosa a half-eaten chocolate bar.

Just looking at it was making the mare salivate, but Rosa tried to control herself at least until Sky Light had brought it down. It was a bit disappointing when she broke it in half, but Rosa firmly squashed the complaint before it could come out of her selfish mouth. As soon as Sky Light handed over her half, Rosa stuck it in her mouth and started chewing. It was the best thing she had ever tasted!

Afterward, she was still blushing at her own behavior, but the pegasus didn't seem to mind. "Come on, I'll show you where you can get water," she offered and Rosa followed, glad that she hadn't brought up her gluttony.

Now that she was paying attention to it, Rosa could see how her ribs were showing. It was quite a contrast against her own chubby frame. True, pegasi were all a bit lithe, so they could stay in the air easier, but Sky Light was a little malnourished, now that Rosa was looking.

She couldn't stay silent about it. "S-Sorry... about before," she said.

The other mare paused and gave Rosa a strange look. "Why sorry?"

"The food?"

She realized what Rosa meant, but then Sky Light laughed a little and turned around to give her new friend a hug. "Oh, don't worry, sweetheart. You're not used to living in the streets yet. I don't mind."

It was a huge relief and Rosa gave the pony a very grateful smile. "Thanks. Um, just tell me no, next time, okay? I promise I won't mind."

"Will do, sweetheart!" Sky Light promised cheerfully, then let Rosa go and resumed her walk. "Come on."

She led them to what looked like an industrial pool, full of water. There was some scum floating on the top and Rosa was not quite sure she wanted to drink that.

"This way," Sky Light said and waled around the pool. She stopped next to a pile of metal and pipes, and tapped the contraption with a hoof. "Tap. You put this bucket here-" she nudged it a little closer, "then twiddle this handle."

She moved the straight piece of metal to a side and the thing squeaked dreadfully. After a couple of seconds some water sloshed into the bucket. When it was almost full, Rosa's new friend pushed the handle back to where it was.

"I don't know if I wanna drink that," Rosa admitted.

For a moment Sky Light seemed confused, but then she followed Rosa's gaze into the reservoir. "Oh, that!" she exclaimed. "That's not where the water comes from!"

"It isn't?"

The pegasus shook her head. "No, this pipe goes down lower. There's a water line for the city. Terry rigged it up, you know? He's good with machines and stuff."

Rosa tentatively scented the water in the bucket and it did indeed smell clean.

"Don't worry, it's not rainwater. It's the pipe for the city," Sky Light explained. "As long as we don't leave it open, no one should notice. Terry says the meter isn't precise enough to detect a few gallons every now and then."

It was good news, at least. Clean water could have been an issue, Rosa's stay with the cows had taught her that much at least.

Maybe Sky Light wanted to show that it was safe, or maybe she was just very thirsty, but the mare drank first. She slurped up some water, then lifted her head up for a burp.

Rosa followed suit. It was clean and chilly, which felt really nice after the day she had had. "Thanks."

"No problem," Sky Light said and pointed to the bucket with a hoof. "Fill it back up and bring it with, okay?"

Rosa certainly didn't mind helping and it was a good idea for her to practice with the handle, for when she wanted a drink next time. The metal was a bit more stiff than she expected, but certainly not a big deal with her earth pony strength. She was a bit slow with closing it, so some of the water sloshed out, which made Sky Light giggle as she stepped away from the puddle.

Embarrassed, Rosa examined the bucket and saw that it had a wire handle. She picked it up with her teeth and looked expectantly at her host.

She turned without further comment and led the way back. "Terry should be back any minute. Maybe he'll bring some food for us."

"Ohay-" Rosa mumbled around the wire.

"Then we can talk. I'll tell you what I know about cutie marks. I'm not sure why you only got one, but I'll try to come up with some theories," the mare explained.

"Mm-hmm."

It would help a lot if Rosa knew more about it. Had Maribelle gotten two cutie marks? The older ponies, the ones who had come from Equestria, all had two of them, and so did Sky Light, Rosa saw. Why didn't she also get two? It was confusing. Even her dream visitor had said something about only getting one cutie mark. She didn't understand it either, although that made sense. A figment of Rosa's imagination couldn't possibly know more than the mare herself, right? Rosa plodded along after the pegasus, thinking about the question and deciding on what other things to ask. Her new friend seemed to know quite a lot about the world. She was very lucky indeed she had met her!

The smoke tickled Rosa's nose even before the van was in sight and she stopped in alarm. Then she carefully lowered the bucket so it didn't make any sound and whispered to Sky Light, who was walking behind: "Someone is there!"

The mare rolled her eyes and butted Rosa's rump with her head. "It's just Terry. Come on."

She took the lead and Rosa followed a few paces behind. Now that the time had come to meet her friend, she found herself a little reluctant.

"Wait-" She said, dropping the bucket again, "he's homeless?!"

Sky Light leaned her head to one side and looked at Rosa as if she was some kind of an idiot. Well, when Rosa came to think of it, the question was extremely stupid. It had just never occurred to her until now.

"What gave it away?" the pegasus asked flatly. "The mansion we live in? Or the banquet I served you? Or the beautiful scenery?" She heaved a sigh and forced a smile. "Yes, he's homeless, but so are we? So what?"

Rosa had to admit her friend had a point there. She remembered the tone she had used and it made her blush in embarrassment. "Oh. Sorry."

"Just... let's go. It's been a long day and I wanna see if Terry brought us something to eat."

Rosa followed the other mare once again, but now her ears were flat in contrition. What business was it of hers to jump to conclusions like that? It wasn't as if she was a model citizen herself, right at that moment. As they emerged into the circle of light Rosa took a good look at the man. He was wearing a frayed, brown jacket and there were a few holes in his pants. He also had a nearly white beard and a mess of long, graying hair. The most prominent thing she sensed, however, was the smell. Rosa didn't particularly like it, but she was determined not to show it. Stale clothes, cigarette smoke, booze and urine in a very unpleasant mix. He couldn't help it, she reminded herself. There were no showers on the street.

For that matter, Sky Light wasn't a bed of roses either and Rosa hadn't minded her. Also, now that she was aware of it, she smelled strongly of cows and sweat herself. Rosa firmly put it out of her mind and walked forward with the bucket. The man spotted her, but didn't say anything.

"Hey. This is Rosa. She ran away," Sky Light explained, but all that she got from the man was a solemn nod. "We brought water," she added as she went to sit beside the makeshift fireplace.

Rosa saw a stack of planks off to a side. That was probably where the fuel had come from. "Um, h-hi!" she mumbled, having placed the bucket down. "I hope I won't be a bother..."

The old man studied her for a bit and Rosa became very conscious of her appearance. The mane was a total mess, complete with twigs and leaves. Her hooves and legs were spattered with mud up to her belly. She was still wearing the nightgown, but it was torn and dusty from having to crawl through bushes. There was no chance of washing it any time soon, either. At least her cutie mark wasn't sticking out, though Rosa didn't imagine the man would care about it. Sky Light had two, after all.

"M-My name is Rosa. Nice to m-meet you."

She wondered if she should offer a hoof to shake, but the man didn't move. "Terry," he grumbled, then turned to Sky Light. "We don't have any room."

The pegasus remained cheerful. "We'll share the mattress and Rosa can take the seat."

Apparently that answered his question, because Terry grunted and went back to staring at the fire.

"Did you get something to eat?" Sky Light asked after a while.

Rosa's ears perked up at the question. It was something she'd like an answer to herself. As if to punctuate the words, her belly chose that moment to growl loudly. "Sorry!" Rosa said, blushing.

Terry reached behind himself and pulled up a paper bag with the McDonald's logo on it. Sky Light nuzzled at his fingers as he opened it, reminding Rosa of nothing so much as a nosy and eager puppy. It was almost kind of cute.

"Ooh, my favorite!" them are exclaimed.

Terry brought out something else wrapped in paper. "Cost eight bucks. You owe me," he told the pegasus.

She didn't seem to hear that part as she nuzzled the paper open. Rosa watched hopefully, but then saw it was a hamburger. Well, at least Sky Light wouldn't have to pay the man any money, Rosa supposed. Maybe the two of them could find something edible the next day. She looked at the bucket and wondered if filling her belly with water would help her hunger, but then she heard munching. It was crazy, but the pegasus was actually eating the hamburger!

"Wait! That's meat!" Rosa warned her.

Sky Light gave her a deadpan stare as she froze for a moment. Then she chewed a few more times and swallowed, very deliberately. "So?" she asked when she could talk again. "Your point?"

"Ponies can't eat meat!"

She looked at the hamburger, then back at her new friend. "Says who?"

Rosa opened her mouth to cite Mr. Greiner, her old Biology teacher, but couldn't for the life of her remember a single instance when he had said that. "Um... doesn't everyone know that? We're herbivores!"

Sky Light took the burger from Terry's hand and walked over. She sat right beside Rosa and put a wing around the other mare's withers. "No, Earth's ponies are herbivores. We are actually omnivores. It's just... unusual. Takes some getting used to, but you can't be picky on the street, you know?" She held up the thing and Rosa's nose wrinkled in disgust. "It's a lot better than grass, you know? Here, try it."

Rosa swallowed nervously and tried to sniff the hamburger again. It was all kinds of wrong and it nearly turned her stomach. "I think I'll p-pass, thanks."

Sky Light shrugged and took another bite. "Your loff," she said with her mouth full.

Rosa tried not to look or smell, but she was very aware of what the mare was eating. Then she glanced up and caught Terry's amused eye. The man was nearly laughing at her! Frowning, Rosa took another sniff.

"Here, try a piece of bread with the sauce. See? No meat on this bit," Sky Light pointed out.

Her stomach growled again and Rosa leaned in. The pegasus seemed perfectly fine. Maybe she was right? What had she got to lose? Worst case, she would spend the next hour throwing up. Very gingerly, Rosa nibbled on a bit of bread, careful not to touch the meat. She withdrew as quickly as she could, so she didn't have to smell it so much. Then she pushed the morsel around her tongue for a bit, ready to spit it out the moment she gagged. It didn't happen. The smell of meat pervaded it, but it was not making her want to puke, not exactly. At worst, it didn't smell like something she would eat. It was just bread, Rosa told herself and forcefully swallowed.

The pegasus had been watching her closely. "See? That wasn't so bad. Want some more?"

Even without actual meat in her mouth, the taste was still there. Rosa shook her head and reached for the bucket to wash it down as best she could. Sky Light shrugged and went back to eating.

What a strange world she had dropped into, Rosa couldn't help thinking. A human who didn't mind ponies with cutie marks and then a meat-eating pegasus. Could it get weirder? She looked at the van where they would be sleeping and answered her own question. Yes, it probably could get stranger still.

As she thought back to Lillian, who was sleeping all alone with only her stuffed toys for comfort, Rosa's vision blurred. She couldn't hold back a sniffle, but she quickly wiped her muzzle with a hoof. She didn't want to cry in front of Sky Light and Terry. It was too late. The pegasus quickly swallowed her last mouthful and then pulled her into a hug. "Aww, what's the matter Rosa?" she asked.

Rosa shook her head, unable to answer. Would she even understand how much she missed her friends? Even the strict Mr. Boone, despite what he had done to her. The girls in her dorm, living the only life Rosa had ever known. Meanwhile, there she was, setting out to start eating meat and sleeping in a van. How long before she forgot the comfort of a bed? Sky Light's hug wasn't helping, but Rosa was beyond caring right at the moment.

"Hush, hush," the mare cooed gently. "Here-" She urged Rosa up to her hooves and led her to the van. "You had a tough couple of days. Me and Terry are used to it, but you're still new to it all. Come on, let's get you to bed."

She guided Rosa's hoofsteps to the van's cabin and opened the door with a wing. "Can you climb up?"

Rosa looked, then nodded. Despite her assurance, Sky Light held her around the barrel as she helped Rosa crawl into the driver's seat. She had to flap awkwardly with her wings to keep the balance, but Rosa ended up sitting in the van. A moment later the pegasus prodded her to move to the other side. The passenger seat was wider, sized as it was for two humans, and more than large enough for a pony to lie down.

"There, make yourself comfortable and I'll let you have my blanket, okay?"

Sky Light picked up the fabric from the floor of the van. It was dirty, but Rosa was beyond caring at that point. It felt as if the reality of her new life was finally sinking in. While she had been running away there was the fear of getting caught, and when she had been traveling with Sky Light at least there had been a goal. Rosa hadn't realized how much of her hopes she had pinned on that goal. It was supposed to make everything alright, but now that she was there, things were more wrong than ever. A dilapidated van, a rigged pump for water and scrounging trash for food. It was all so very unfair!

Rosa was barely aware of the other mare covering her up and nuzzling her face. "You have a good cry, okay? I'll be here in the morning and we'll talk. Everything's going to feel better then, you'll see!"

She didn't quite believe Sky Light's cheerful tone, but Rosa nodded anyway. She just wanted her new friend to leave her alone for now.

"I'll tell you everything I know about ponies on Earth and cutie marks and humans, okay? Just like you asked. And don't worry, you're safe here."

Rosa managed another nod. Maybe the crying fit was over, but she was suddenly exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sleep for a while and forget about the world.

"Good," Sky Light said brightly. "Sleep well, Rosa!"

There was no answer, so Sky Light jumped out of the van and closed the door shut. At least, Rosa thought to herself, she would have some privacy. The cabin was walled off from the back part, where Terry and Sky Light were going to sleep, and both the front doors were shut nearly all the way. She could hear the faint murmur of conversation as the pegasus rejoined her human friend at the fire, but Rosa couldn't make out the words. The seat she was lying on stank, and so did the blanket, but after a few minutes she hardly noticed it anymore. It was softer than the ground from the previous night, and the floor tiles from the night before that.

Having some fabric to cover herself also helped.

It was not alright and maybe it never would be alright again, but Rosa thought she should still be grateful for what little she had. Maybe she had made a new friend in Sky Light. Perhaps even in Terry, though she hadn't said more than two words to him. She closed her eyes and tried to pretend she was back in her bed in the Pony School. Tomorrow they would have a math quiz and Rosa hadn't practiced at all.

Funny how scared she used to be of bad grades. She would have traded this mess for any amount of bad grades right then. Rosa drew a shuddering breath and tried to stop thinking. It was just making her sad. Tomorrow would be better, right? That was what Sky Light had said. She knew more than Rosa about living on the street, so maybe she could be trusted in this matter. It didn't make it feel any better, but at least Rosa was not quite as scared. The pegasus and the human had been living on the street for a while, it looked like. They knew what to do. She was going to be alright. Rosa just had to start believing it.

Chapter 28: Realities of the Street

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It was her first day on the streets and Rosa was awake before her so-called hosts. The van seat wasn't the most comfortable of beds and she was quite done with it after about nine or so hours. It still beat a tile floor or the ground under a bush, though. Hopefully she would get used to it in time. For the moment, Rosa tried to loosen her muscles a little. The odd slant had caused her to sleep a bit crooked, so her neck now felt tense, but it should be fine once she stretched it out a little more.

First, however, she walked to the bucket and took a sip of water in lieu of breakfast. Then again, Rosa thought, there probably wouldn't be any breakfast. Looking at the sky, it seemed lunch might be nearer than breakfast anyway. She wondered if Sky Light had any plans for that and went to the back of the vehicle to see if the mare was awake yet.

The best Rosa could say was that Sky Light was in there, somewhere. The night had been quite chilly and it was not too strange that Sky Light and Terry ended up cuddling for warmth. Rosa would have done the same, if she didn't have both her night gown and the blanket. All she could discern was a mass of clothes, but she heard two people breathing and decided to leave them alone. They didn't look like they were ready to wake up yet, so Rosa went back to the dark, cold fire barrel and sat down to wait.

She also needed to pee, but it was not urgent quite yet and she didn't see a toilet anywhere nearby. Yesterday, on their way to this place, Sky Light had directed her to go behind some trash cans in an alley, but that was some distance away and Rosa didn't remember which direction. It would be rude to just pee near the place where they slept.

On the other hand, judging by the smell around there...

In the end Rosa decided to hold on to at least some decency for as long as she was able. Besides, the pressure wasn't urgent quite yet. She could wait awhile.

Maybe it was because of the good night's sleep, but Rosa felt better than the previous evening. The shock of being an outcast had worn off and now she was numbly accepting her new life. It sucked that she didn't have anything to do, though. She hadn't had many idle days in her life and Rosa was not used to it. Maybe she could find a few small jobs around the place to keep herself busy? For starters, she could flap her blanket around a few times and then fold it up. There was no reason to live like a slob, even if she was on the run. Rosa had always made her bed and even if said bed was now a car seat, it still counted as one.

That took all of five minutes, but then Rosa spotted how grubby and muddy the floor mats were in the van's cabin. Had they ever been cleaned, ever? Rosa didn't have a brush, but she still took the mats out and beat as much dirt out of them as she could, then shook the rest of it free by flapping the things around crazily. While Rosa was placing them back she heard the van's back door squeak open. At that point she was eager to have any company so she went there.

"What in hell are you making all that racket for?" Sky Light asked, sitting on the ground and rubbing blearily at her eyes. She had already pushed the door closed again to give the man a few more minutes of shut-eye. "Jeez, it's not even morning!" the mare grumbled, despite the sun being quite high above the horizon.

"Well, I couldn't sleep," Rosa explained. Her muzzle went a bit red, but she stood her ground. She wouldn't apologize for making their impromptu home a bit nicer! "We ought to clean up around here a little."

Sky Light looked at her with narrowed eyes, as if Rosa was some dangerous, escaped convict or something. She didn't look as if she would say anything, but Rosa returned her stare and waited. Finally, the mare relented. "Well, maybe, okay! But not this early, you lunatic!"

Victory! Rosa decided to let the jab slide, especially since Sky Light didn't sound as if she really meant it. "Um... speaking of clean - is there a toilet?"

Before her friend could answer, she let out a mighty yawn which made her stretch her forelegs as far out as she could reach. After a moment she stood up and extended her wings, nearly bumping Rosa on the nose with one.

"Number one or number two?" Sky Light asked, brushing her mane into a semblance of order as best she could with her hooves.

"N-Number one."

The pegasus shrugged, yawning again. "Jus- aah. Just pick a spot, it doesn't matter."

That did explain the smell around there, but Rosa still wasn't sure. "Just... right around here?"

"You can walk someplace else if you want," Sky Light explained, her tone conveying that she herself was too lazy to do that every time. "Actually, I need to go number two. Let me show you where and you can pee there as well, if you insist, your majesty."

That sounded a bit better, even with the sarcasm. A proper toilet would be much preferable, despite having to walk a bit for it. The pegasus set off slowly and Rosa fell in step with her.

"So, this is some restaurant or something that lets you use their toilet?" Rosa asked.

Sky Light stopped and gave her another of those long, studying looks. "Not... exactly. Come on, I'll show you."

As they resumed walking, the mare asked very carefully: "So, feeling better today?"

That reminded Rosa of how she had cried the previous night and her ears folded down in embarrassment. "Y-Yeah..."

"That's good," Sky Light said cheerfully. "You'll get used to it. We all cried at some point or other. Nearly everyone I ever met on the street, really."

That actually reminded Rosa about her promise. "You said you'd tell me about cutie marks!" she told the mare.

"Sure, but let's do the toilet thing first and then we'll see if we can scrounge up some breakfast. I'll tell you back at the van, okay?"

Rosa could wait a little longer and she nodded vigorously, before realizing Sky Light wasn't looking. "Sure."

Her pegasus friend led Rosa to a set of narrow, concrete stairs up from the canal. There was only room for one pony, so she went first and Rosa followed right after. It was a bit scary because the railing was missing in some places, but luckily Rosa was quite steady on four hooves.

"Slept well?" Sky Light asked about halfway up.

"It's a bit uneven," Rosa admitted truthfully, "so now my neck is a bit stiff."

The pegasus took the news in stride. "You'll get used to it. It's better than that lumpy mattress. If you don't believe me, we can switch."

Sleeping in the same bed with a human? Well, Rosa had done that with Lillian, but that had been different. She was a little girl and Rosa was her pony. It would be... awkward to do that with Terry. "I'm fine, I'm fine," she said hurriedly.

The tone made Sky Light chuckle, but she didn't push the subject. "We'll see how you feel during winter. Well, at least you've got some clothes. Before I met Terry all I had were my feathers and they didn't do the trick, let me tell you." She barked another laugh while Rosa was feeling sorry for her. "Good thing Terry doesn't mind sharing!"

"Y-Yeah." There was suddenly something more on Rosa's mind, but she was not quite sure how to say it. "Um, are you two..." she asked, not quite able to finish the sentence.

"Not really," Sky Light answered immediately. "I mean, we've done it. It can get boring out here. But we're not in love or anything."

Rosa blurted out: "Why not?" but stopped herself before going on to say that they seemed like a good match. That would be monumentally stupid and completely insensitive. For all she knew, the only thing Sky Light and her human friend had in common was that they were both homeless. That didn't sound like something people would bond over.

"Just not. I dunno, we just don't feel like that."

"But- you've, um, done it?" Rosa used Sky Light's own words.

The mare reached the top of the stairs and turned around to look at Rosa while she joined her on the upper level. "Your point? We're allowed to have fun, okay? Who are you to judge?"

Her ears went as flat as Rosa could make them and she couldn't meet Sky Light's gaze. "Sorry. I didn't mean to sound like that."

As she glanced up, she saw the pegasus still studying her intently. "Humans and ponies can- you know, do it," she explained. "It works, but we can't get pregnant, so that's good. I think I read somewhere that we can't even catch diseases from one another, so that's another bonus."

Rosa was blushing furiously at the unexpected and embarrassing topic and Sky Light quickly caught on. "Oooh, you haven't been with a guy yet, have you? How old are you exactly?" she asked, almost gleefully.

"S-Sixteen and a h-h-half," Rosa stuttered badly.

The mare came closer and laid a wing around Rosa's withers. "Don't worry, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Do you- uh, did you have a special colt, or a boy where you came from?"

Rosa almost shook her head, but then paused. It was making her muzzle bright pink, but she still told the truth. "Well, there's Paolo..."

"Colt or boy?"

"C-Colt."

Sky Light gave her one of the sultriest grins Rosa had ever seen. "Sweet! They're bigger than humans, usually. Most of them can't go for very long, but it's amazing what you can make them do if you know how!"

Rosa was not quite able to meet her eyes, which was quite a hard feat because Sky Light was hugging her and staring at her blushing muzzle from about an inch away. "Don't worry, girl, you're in good hooves. I'll teach you a trick or two!"

All Rosa could do was nod, completely and utterly mortified.

To her immense relief, the pegasus crossed her hind legs and grunted. "Ugh, right now I really need to go. Come on." She walked away and Rosa followed, grateful that the conversation was over. "Tell me about this colt," Sky Light prompted.

At least Rosa had thought it was over...

Sky Light let her guest go first, but that meant Rosa had to wait for her to finish while trying to ignore the sounds she was making. It was the strangest place she had ever been to, now that she had a moment to look around. Apparently the pegasus and her human friend were using an old, decrepit bathroom in an abandoned factory. Somehow the water installation was still mostly intact, which meant the filthy, grime-encrusted toilet could be flushed, but Sky Light told Rosa to try and use it during the day, if she could. She said it was too spooky at night, because none of the lights worked anymore. Not to mention all the jagged pieces of metal and wood strewn around the place. It was also dirty and it stank, but Rosa guessed beggars couldn't be choosers. She still wondered why Sky Light hadn't taken the matter into her own hooves and at least cleaned up a little, especially if she and Terry used the place often.

Maybe Rosa herself would do that one of these days, as a small thank you to the pair for taking her in. Well, if she could find any cleaning supplies anywhere around the place, she would. The building was relatively intact, but the floor was filled with old, rusty machines and boxes, some intact and some smashed. Rosa could probably remove most of the debris and sweep up a little, even if she couldn't find any cleaning liquid for the toilet itself. Strange that no one had wanted to take all that stuff out when the place went out of business. Rosa couldn't be sure, but she thought industrial machinery was usually quite expensive.

"So, how are you holding on out there?" came Sky Light's muffled voice.

Rosa looked around again, taking in the small, high windows, the broken down machinery and the pigeon-guano-covered floor. "Could be better, I guess."

There were no further questions, so she posed one of her own: "Are there rooms in here? I mean, like offices?"

"No good," Sky Light answered, guessing what Rosa was aiming at. "Full of pigeon crap and I don't trust the floors. Who knows how long this place has been abandoned."

"Well, maybe one of the other buildings?" Surely there was a better place to make their living than a broken down van, right? Like a broken down factory. At least it was technically a building!

"You're welcome to look, but the ones where we were able to break down the doors..." Her pegasus friend fell silent in the middle of her sentence.

"Yes?"

There was the sound of the toilet being flushed, then Sky Light came out of the tiny cubicle. "Anyway, the ones we could get into are pretty much like this. I guess anything with any value has been stolen by now and what's left is either rotten, or rusted, or both."

Rosa followed the other mare out the door but she paused to look back and make sure she remembered the way if she ever wanted to use the toilet by herself.

Now that the unpleasant business was done, she brought up the real question. "So, about cutie marks?"

Sky Light's head slumped a little and she exhaled, as if in exasperation. "Sheesh, fine already. Come, let's go to the city and look for some food, I'll tell you on the way."

Rosa followed the mare around the corner and down a cracked asphalt road. It looked like it passed above the underpass where she guessed Terry was still sleeping in his van.

"Right. So. Back in Equestria all ponies got their cutie marks when they were around ten, or eleven or something."

This was important and Rosa focused her ears on her friend so as not to miss a single word. "Okay?"

"It's supposed to be a sign of your true talent. What you're meant to do in life and so on. Like-" Sky Light paused and glanced back at Rosa's flank, even though the mark was hidden under her gown. "Yours, for example. I guess you're good at growing things?"

Rosa nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! I got it just after the Boones let me start a garden of my own!"

"See? Well, I'm a gambler, that's what this means," Sky Light explained, absentmindedly tapping her own flank. "Sometimes, if we have some extra money, Terry lets me buy a lottery ticket. We win more often than not, though never a whole lot." She chuckled then, as if she had said something funny. "I wish ponies could play poker. I'm sure I'd be great at that! Or blackjack!"

They walked in silence for a few moments and Rosa waited for the mare to get back to her story.

"Anyway," Sky Light went on, "Aiden - remember, I told you about him? He drives around with a trucker dude?"

She had mentioned a pony like that, but not by name. Rosa nodded her head anyway. "Yes?"

"Well, his cutie mark is a compass. He's like, super good with maps. Just let him take one look at a map and he instantly knows where he is and where to go. Last time I heard, the guy - the truck driver - they're really good friends. They drive that thing around the country all the time, so they spend most of their time on the road."

"So, why are humans this scared of cutie marks?"

Sky Light took a deep breath and her ears lowered. "I'm getting to that part. So yeah, cutie marks, special talent, destiny, blah blah. Got all that?"

Rosa bobbed her head again. "Yes, I think so," she answered.

"Well, back on Equestria, cutie marks were always a good thing. There used to be this thing, 'cute-ceañera'. It's like a party for when a filly or a colt got their cutie mark. One of the older ponies who was born there told me."

She still didn't know where Sky Light was going with all of that, but it was interesting so Rosa didn't interrupt her again. The next bit seemed to be giving the mare some trouble, though. Her hoofsteps slowed and her ears flattened even more. She gave Rosa a sad, soulful look, as if deciding if she could trust her.

At long last she spoke again, albeit in a quieter voice: "On Earth... not all cutie marks are good."

Her gentle tone sent chills down Rosa's spine. "W-W-What do you mean?"

The pegasus angled herself so her gait brought her closer to her friend. She was staring right into Rosa's eyes with a kind of burning intensity. "I guess it depends on society a little. Everyone was happy on Equestria - well, mostly. The cutie marks reflected that. Here on Earth, though..."

The fur on Rosa's back rose and she gulped, afraid of what Sky Light was going to say next.

"There's been cutie marks for-" Sky Light began, but then paused and looked around to see if anyone was watching. After making sure, she leaned in and whispered the final word: "-terrorism."

Rosa's legs felt like they were made of lead and she almost stumbled and fell. A cold, scary feeling took her insides in an icy grip. "T-Terrorism?" she squeaked.

Sky Light nodded, sagely. "Cutie marks for... killing people. Destroying stuff. Shit like that. It was pretty bad..."

Rosa could imagine. She herself had never touched a plant in her life, but once she got her cutie mark she instinctively knew what to do. She couldn't imagine what a cutie mark for killing people would have done to her. It would be her calling. Would she do it, or would she rather be miserable her entire life for not obeying her destiny? What could even bring a pony to get a cutie mark like that?!

She had to ask. "Um, w-what did ponies do to... to-"

"To get a cutie mark for killing people? I don't think it was what they did. It was more what was done to them, if you understand me."

Rosa remembered the show she'd seen and shuddered. How close had she herself come to... an evil cutie mark? It could have happened that day, by the sound of it.

"In any case, ponies on Earth were getting cutie marks later and later anyway. It was in the news - some study that cutie marks were dying out. Some ponies never got one, although that was rare and I don't think I really believe it. I guess the humans preferred that, so they started studying us to try and just- eradicate cutie marks altogether."

Despite the possibility of a cutie mark in terrorism, what Sky Light was saying sounded... evil. It was not a good solution at all.

"For a bit it seemed to be working. We got marks later and later in life. It wasn't bulletproof, though." The pegasus heaved a sad sigh and shook her head. "There was this huge massacre. It was in all the news. A pony did it," she says softly. "It went downhill after that. It became law to report young ponies when they got their marks. At first they were just studied, but later they were just taken away and never came back."

Rosa was about to ask, but Sky Light lifted a hoof up to forestall her. "The ones who already had good cutie marks were okay - the ponies from Equestria, or those of us who got it before the panic and so on. Just the new ones were problematic."

"But why do ponies who get cutie marks just vanish?!" Rosa blurted out. Surely once the humans had determined they were safe, the pony could come back to their life, no?

"Dunno about that one, really. It's just another law they came up with eventually, all ponies with cutie marks have to be reported to the police. No one knows where they're taken, or what happens next," the pegasus answers truthfully. "I got that post-mare's uniform to hide mine if I go out in public, just in case. 'Official' ponies are okay, you see?"

"I can also do this." Sky Light fluffed her wings for a moment then folded them back so they completely covered her flanks. She only held it for a moment before relaxing. "Not too comfortable, but it works in a pinch. Anyway, good thing you have that dress. Make sure it doesn't rip or something, okay? I'll try and get you some kind of an uniform, too."

Rosa glanced at the fabric. It was a bit flimsy, but mostly okay, just a bit dirty in places. It was silk, so she would have to figure out how to wash it without destroying it. She hoped Sky Light could find her something more permanent soon.

The other mare started walking again and Rosa followed, glad to be doing something, even if it was just following and thinking about clothes.

"Some people got really scared about ponies with cutie marks, no matter what they really were. Some people don't care. You get all sorts, but it's best to keep it hidden. Oh, and unicorns. All humans got really frightened about unicorns."

"Why unicorns?"

Sky Light gave Rosa a flat stare. "Can't you guess? Try to imagine: a cutie mark for killing people and magic powers. Okay?"

"Yeah, come to think of it, that does sound like a really bad combination," Rosa said with a shudder. "H-How do you know all this?"

She really really wished Sky Light was wrong, but somehow she didn't think that was the case.

The mare shrugged with her wings. "Well, I talk to ponies. There's a few of us living on the streets. Sometimes I go hang out at the trucker stop, and I talk with people. Some of the truckers let me listen to their radios. Then there's newspapers in the trash... you know."

For some reason Rosa's mind focused on the strangest thing. "What are you doing at the trucker stop?" she asked.

Sky Light gave her a blank look. "That's not important," she said.

"Tell me!"

She heaved a sigh before answering. "Look, sometimes it's between starving and doing something... unsavory."

It took Rosa a few moments to put two and two together.

"You go and-" she gasped, stopping and covering her mouth with her hoof. "With the truckers?!"

Sky Light shook her head. "No, of course not!"

Just as Rosa was starting to relax a little, the pegasus opened her mouth again. "Just a quick tongue job. They really like that."

Rosa groaned and closed her eyes, but it did nothing for the mental image. "Yuck! That's... low. You shouldn't-"

A wing slapped her muzzle closed. "Not a word!" Sky Light hissed angrily. "You don't get to judge! Doing that for five minutes means fifty bucks. That's meals for a week or two!" Sky Light's eyes narrowed. "We'll see how high and pure you are after a month without eating!"

Rosa made a face. "I'd rather eat grass!"

Sky Light shrugged. "Fine, but when you come crawling to me in the middle of winter, begging to teach you how to suck a cock, I get your first pay. All of it. Understand?!"

Rosa shook her head angrily. "I'll never do that!"

The other mare watched her sadly, then sighed, deflating. "I wish you won't have to, sweetie. I really do."

They looked at each other for a while. Rosa's heart was sinking as she imagined how bad the situation would have to become for her to seriously consider... that. Pleasuring men for money. She felt like crying once again.

Luckily, Sky Light hugged her and then pulled her up on her hooves again. "Come on - I'll show you where we can get some breakfast around this time of morning."

She set off once more and Rosa followed, lost in unwelcome imagination while her guide to the horrible world of homelessness kept explaining: "You'll probably complain, but the food is in wrappers and people just throw it all away when they're in a hurry or they've had enough. Plus, no one comes around to the trash cans except employees and I know all of them." She looked at Rosa's troubled expression, then chuckled. "Don't worry, they have vegetarian options, too."

Well, Rosa thought, at least she had that going for her.

Chapter 29: Food on the Street

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Even if she forgot disgusting, eating food from the trash was embarrassing! Rosa knew it was silly and she shouldn't care, but she was deeply ashamed when Sky Light tossed a wrapper out to her. She couldn't help looking around for people who might have spotted them and cried out in disgust. The feeling of being judged was so bad that Rosa let the package slip from her hoof to the ground. Maybe she could wait until lunch.

Except... lunch wouldn't be any better, Rosa feared. It was stupid to refuse good food. Despite knowing that, she still didn't pick it back up. Sky Light grunted and lifted herself back out of the large garbage container. She landed on her hooves with a flap of her wings, shaking loose a few bits of paper and a crumpled can. There was half of a hot dog in her mouth and the pegasus was already chewing industriously.

She sat on her haunches and took the food in her hooves so she could talk. "There. Dunno why these idiots don't sort their trash, but it comes in handy. Digging through the biodegradables bin is... bad." After a moment she spotted Rosa with the wrapper on the ground beside her. "Huh? What's wrong?"

Rosa really didn't know how to explain it to her friend, especially after she took another bite of her dog with every sign of enjoyment.

"I- uh... I'm not r-really hungry..."

It was an obvious lie and Sky Light knew that. She frowned a little at Rosa. "What are you talking about? It's not meat, I swear. Just a vegetable burger."

Rosa knew that. She could smell it and it was making her mouth water. There was nothing to do except stiffen her resolve, pick it up, and peel the paper away. There were a few bite marks, but about two thirds of the burger was still there. It was cold, but Rosa didn't mind that part, at least.

The pegasus got hold of the wrong idea. "Look, just eat around it. It's not like they blow their nose in the thing or anything like that. At worst it's just a bit of spit or a fingerprint."

Rosa wished she could adequately explain all that was wrong with what she was doing, but she didn't think Sky Light would understand. Not with the things she had had to do to survive. "I- I... It's-"

She gave up and let her hoof slump, nearly dropping the burger on the asphalt. Her ears flattened and Rosa kept her eyes firmly on the ground, unable to look her friend in the face.

Sky Light heaved an exasperated sigh. "What the fuck is it now, Rosa?! I swear to God..."

It was worse than getting whipped. The pegasus had offered her a life. She had taken Rosa in and now she was trying to keep her fed. Rosa was just being difficult because of her silly, nonsensical sensibilities. While she was staring at the ground between her and Sky Light, the other mare quickly shoved the last bit of her hot dog in her mouth and chewed. It was gone in moments and then she walked closer.

"What?" she demanded angrily. "It's been in the wrapper! It's clean. Besides, a bit of dirt won't hurt you!"

Rosa looked up at the mare, her eyes already filling up with tears. A lot of it was shame, but there was also frustration, disgust and a realization of what her life was going to be like. She didn't want any of it. All she wanted was to go back to the School, have her meals in the mess hall, spend evenings talking with her roommates, or reading, or doing homework. Teachers had once been so overbearing, but now Rosa wished they were there to tell her what to do. Before she realized what was happening, there was a wing around Rosa's withers and strong hooves pressing her head against pegasus chest fluff. It was quite soft.

Sky Light plucked the burger from Rosa's feeble grasp before it could fall on the ground. "There, there," she said, more gently. "I know it sucks, sweetie, but you gotta eat. Here-"

Through blurry vision Rosa saw the pegasus nibble on the vegetable burger. "Here, pretend it's mine and I'm full. Will you help me finish, please? No sense in tossing good food, right?" She brushed a bit of lettuce against her muzzle and Rosa opened for it. "That's it, just a small bite, okay?"

The moment it hit her tongue Rosa's mouth filled with saliva and she swallowed almost without chewing. Her belly gave an ominous rumble and Rosa realized just how starved she was. The beans from the previous night hadn't done nearly enough, not after two days of trotting with no food. She tried not to think too much about it, as Rosa put her hooves on Sky Light's and pulled the burger close enough so she could take a proper bite. It was easier that time. Imagining it was Sky Light's really did help. Rosa was still sniffling a little, but she quickly devoured the whole thing while keeping her eyes firmly shut.

Afterward she was still hungry, but both her and the pegasus understood it would be a bad idea for her to go dig up something else. Rosa was too ashamed as it was, so she just clung to her friend and waited until she felt better. Only this time it was shame at being so weak that Sky Light had had to literally hoof-feed her.

"I'm s-sorry," Rosa sniffled.

Rather than an insult she was expecting, she got a nuzzle. "Hey, it takes us all hard. I've had all these years to get used to it and I cried sometimes when I was starting, too."

"H-How old are you?"

"Ugh," the mare grunted, rubbing her muzzle thoughtfully. "Dunno, I kinda lost count. Thirty-something? Seven, maybe. Yeah, I could be thirty seven." Before Rosa could ask her next question Sky Light went on: "I've been on the streets since I was nineteen, I think."

Rosa couldn't help feeling sorry for the mare, but she was suddenly curious. It was something to distract her from the shame of having eaten food out of the trash. "Um, did you run a-away when you got your cutie m-mark?"

Sky Light shook her head. "No, I got mine at fourteen or so. Back then it wasn't such a big deal yet." She gave a mirthless laugh. "They poked and studied me for a week, but then I went back home," the mare explained. "No, I ran away after the bastard I lived with started hitting me."

Rosa had almost stopped crying, but now she was close to starting again as she heard that. "Why-"

Sky Light interrupted before Rosa could even say the whole question. "He started drinking after the divorce. I guess I know why his wife left him. I just don't know why the court gave me to him, rather than his wife. I actually liked her."

It sounded like Sky Light might actually have someplace to go.

"Why didn't you go to her when you r-ran away?"

She laughed again. "Didn't know where. I know it sounds stupid, but I didn't have the faintest idea where to look. Besides, I ran into a group of other runaway ponies and I was just getting into my rebellious phase, so I decided to stick around. We lived in some huge pipes on an old construction site, until the humans started building there again."

She released Rosa who could then look her in the face properly once more. She was grateful for both Sky Light's smile and her story, which had let Rosa know that she was not alone in her misery.

"After that," Sky Light went on, "some of us started train hopping. Moving from place to place, you know? It wasn't bad, especially in the summer. A few years later, I ended up here, in this city, and I met Terry. I was about twenty three, maybe twenty four. We stuck together ever since."

"Why?"

It was too many questions, but the pegasus didn't seem to mind. "Dunno - we just kinda work together, you know? Sometimes we do odd jobs for a spot of money. With the mail-mare uniform I can-"

Sky Light shut up, then shrugged a little to herself before continuing. "I can fly to other places, scrounge up a bit of cash... stuff like that. Besides, it's good to have company. I wouldn't have made it alone, I think."

Rosa was extremely glad to have her company right now. She was feeling a little better, so she stood up and Sky Light released her. She took a deep breath, but that caused Rosa's poor, undernourished belly to give a loud grumble. It just made her blush, but the other mare chuckled at her misfortune.

"Fatso," she chided gently. "Look, let's go back to the van. I have a piece of cardboard that says 'starving pony, please help'. With your big, sad eyes, people should drop a bunch of money in no time!"

It was outright begging on the streets, but Rosa had already fallen so low. What was a bit more? She nodded, if a little reluctantly.

"And turn the waterworks back on, that always hits them in the soft bits. Oh, and if you can make your stomach grumble again, that'd be great" Sky Light said with a big, shit-eating grin. Rosa wondered if she could get away with slapping her.

Sky Light went on: "Once we have enough, we'll buy a meal, okay? Would that make you feel better about it?"

Rosa blushed some more, but nodded again. Anything would be better than digging through trash. "Okay," she said quietly. "Um, should we get Terry something, too?"

Her friend smiled proudly. "See? You're already fitting in. We look after each other. Now come on."

Rosa hadn't quite believed her, but Sky Light really did have a cardboard sign in the van. It said 'starving pony, need help', drawn in big, sloppy letters. The thing looked almost as if a child had made it. That was the whole point, Rosa realized. Humans had a hard time telling how old a pony really was. The mare was banking on the people not realizing her age and thinking she was some young, vulnerable filly, fresh out on the streets. Her lithe, almost skinny frame just further enhanced the illusion.

Sky Light shrugged into her worn saddlebags and pushed them quite low on her back, so they covered up the cutie marks. "Your dress still okay?" she asked, walking around to check.

Rosa looked as well and saw that the night gown covered her side well enough. Despite that, she tried to straighten it out a little, so it didn't look too scruffy.

"Good," Sky Light said. "I'll take you to the trucker's stop tomorrow. A few of us ponies meet there. I'll see if I can get you a uniform or something."

"Okay?"

"It won't work for mooching, but it should be good for when you don't wanna be noticed."

"Okay."

Sky Light bumped Rosa with a wing. "Besides, you should meet the gang. It'll be fun, you'll see."

She didn't mind meeting other ponies, but in Rosa's mind the trucker's stop Sky Light had mentioned was irrevocably tied with what she had said about... It was a bad word, so Rosa paused before she could even think it. Prostitution.

Hopefully she and Sky Light could come up with alternatives before that became necessary. Maybe all she needed was a friend to motivate her to find something better for the two of them to do.

As the mares were leaving the van Rosa realized they hadn't met Sky Light's human friend. "Um, where's Terry?"

The pegasus looked around, then shrugged a little. "Dunno. He'll turn up - we usually meet back here for lunch." She didn't seem worried so Rosa wasn't concerned either. She followed her friend back to the stairs, all the way trying to imagine what it would be like to beg.

"Where are we going?"

Sky Light paused to look back, then pointed with a hoof. "There's a public park a few blocks that way. Three minutes flight or fifteen minutes trot. We'll set up on the grass next to the parking machine."

"What's that?"

The pegasus stopped again and leaned her head to the side. "You never seen one? It's where people can pay for their parking."

Rosa hadn't really traveled from the School at all, but she remembered it from a movie. "Oh. I think I know. Why, though?"

Sky Light grinned proudly. "It's an old hobo trick," she explained. "You see, people who take their own cars into the city usually have money. And paying their parking means they probably just got a bunch of change, so they can't lie and say they don't have any!"

It was actually quite clever. "Oooh!"

"Just don't push it, okay? Actually, don't even say anything. We'll use the card today. Get you used to it nice and slow."

"Okay."

Her warning had sounded serious and Rosa's ears lowered a little. She was about to ask, but Sky Light explained on her own: "People can get really pissy if you badger them for money. It's a fine line between getting a polite 'no' or getting a kick. Or worse - someone calling the police. Doing it just right is basically a form of art. Of course, it helps that we're ponies, but it still takes practice." The mare laughed a little. "My first month trying, I made about two bucks. Good thing Terry taught me a thing or two. And now I'm gonna teach you."

Rosa felt like she had to say something. "Thanks."

"Just stick with me, girl. You're gonna do just fine!"

She hoped so. Her entire life had been turned upside down and now Rosa no longer had a profession, or a calling. For all she knew, she was a fugitive from the law. She thought about saying something to Sky Light about that. Rosa had already told her about Mr. Boone and how rich he was. What if there were posters of her? Or maybe she was all over the news. Any one of those humans could recognize her. Rosa's hooves faltered and she stopped. Sky Light continued for a few more steps before realizing her ward was not there anymore.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Rosa took a step back down and let her head lower a little. "M-Maybe it's not a good idea for me t-to go..."

Sky Light cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? Why not?"

Swallowing, Rosa tried to steady her voice. "They may be, uh, looking for me. I r-ran away," she said the obvious.

The other mare chuckled. "Think a lot of yourself, don't you? Listen, sweetie," she said, not unkindly, and came back down the stairs to put a hoof on Rosa's shoulder. "They don't care. Most people won't even look at you twice. That's useful advice - people tend not to see someone who wants money from them." She lifted Rosa's gown a little to reveal the cutie mark. "Keep this under wraps and you'll be fine. Oh, better idea: let them see your blank side!"

It was a reasonable thought. Maybe if people saw an empty flank they'd automatically assume both were like that? It was actually kind of clever of Sky Light. She saw Rosa's indecision and smiled. "I'll keep an eye out for cops. Even on hoof, ponies run a lot faster than humans. They won't get you, okay?"

Reassured, Rosa forced a smile. "Ok-Okay. Thanks." She was still worried, but it was hard to be terrified in the face of Sky Light's certainty. The mare had survived on the streets for nearly two decades, she obviously knew what she was doing. It was going to be fine.

Most of the time during their 'mooch', as Sky Light had called it, Rosa spent with her muzzle firmly pointed down and a blush on her cheeks. It was not as bad as eating food from the trash, but she couldn't meet anyone's eye. Mostly she wished she weren't there at all. The two of them had set up on the grass beside the parking machine with the pegasus holding the sign upright in her hoof and smiling pleasantly at the people walking past. She had a plastic dish in her saddlebags and had placed it in front of the sign.

Most often someone would just drop a coin or two and silently walk on, but every now and then they had the people whom Sky Light called 'bleeding hearts'. Older ladies, in particular. They'd 'aww' at them both and bemoan how sad it was that the mares had nowhere to go. A few of them even reached over to pat Rosa's mane in what they probably thought was a comforting manner. One of them had given her an apple. It had just made Rosa blush some more. She still ate it, though.

At long last Sky Light lowered the sign and then folded it. "There, I think that's plenty. Don't wanna be standing here all day."

Rosa didn't reply, but she was grateful the ordeal was over.

"You are a natural!" Sky Light exclaimed as she tipped the plastic dish into her saddlebag. There was the unmistakable sound of many clinking coins. It took the mare a few more moments to slide the folded sign under the strap which held her bags in place, then she gave Rosa a hug.

Rosa didn't wait around for Sky Light to let her go, but simply stood up so she could get out of there as quickly as possible.

"Oh, right. Lunch," Sky Light remembered. "This way, I know a good place near here."

Rosa kept her eyes on the pavement and her ears flat until they were well out of the park. There were still a lot of people around, but just like Sky Light had said no one was paying them much mind. Despite that, Rosa knew she would feel a lot better once they left the busy streets. It was a piece of luck that they hadn't come across any cops so far. Regular people might have been too busy or uncaring to question who they were and what they were doing, but the police would surely be more nosy, right?

"How come p-ponies are just allowed to walk around like this?"

Sky Light flashed her a smile. "I told you, no one cares."

"But- but Instructor Martha said if I ever went out alone without my papers and a uniform, they'd catch me and put me in prison!" Rosa explained.

"Well, obviously she lied. I know plenty of ponies and no one gives them trouble. Most people don't even care if you're walking around showing a cutie mark!"

Rosa glanced at her friend. "You're hiding yours right now," she pointed out her low-riding saddlebags.

The pegasus glanced back, then shrugged her wings a little. "Better safe than sorry. Every once in a while you get some idiot who tries to make trouble."

It was a good thing Rosa was still safely hidden, then. Despite the reassurances, it was a bit of a relief when the two left the main street and walked down mostly empty alleys. All those people rushing around were making Rosa nervous.

"There, it's just around the corner," Sky Light said. She led them to an open door with a sign Rosa couldn't quite read. Letters weren't supposed to have dots on them, were they?

"Donner Kee-, uh," she gave it a try, "Kee- bab?"

Now that the ordeal with their begging was over, she was starting to cheer up. Nothing bad had happened and by the sound of those coins they had got quite a lot. With luck they wouldn't have to do anything else gross or embarrassing for a few days.

"Follow me," Sky Light said and simply walked into the place. Rosa paused at the threshold, trying to discern all the weird smells in the air. There was the unmistakable odor of burned flesh, but there were also spices, vegetables and an overall, stale smell she couldn't quite place. It reminded her a little of the kitchen in the Pony School, except it was much more pronounced here. Probably they didn't clean it as well as Mrs. Evelyn and her staff.

"Hey hey!" a jolly, fat man behind the counter greeted, making Rosa pause some more before entering fully. "My favorite customer!"

Sky Light barked a short laugh. "You say that to everyone."

Without skipping a beat the man explained: "All my customers are my favorite customers!"

There was a slight accent there, but Rosa couldn't quite place it. The man was more brown than she was used to - maybe he had some black ancestry, or maybe he spent a lot of time in the sun, the mare couldn't really be sure. His grin was accentuated by a very thick, black mustache, which provided an interesting counter to his vanishing hair.

"And who is your friend?" he inquired.

The pegasus beckoned with a hoof and Rosa walked over to her. "This is Rosa," Sky Light introduced the mare. "Rosa, meet my good friend Arda."

"H-Hi..." she was nervous, but the man's grin was welcoming and he came around the counter to offer a hand. It wasn't what humans usually did with ponies, so Rosa was a bit surprised at first, before she remembered herself and lifted up a hoof. A quick shake later and the man went back to his post.

"So!" he exclaimed and clapped his hands together, "what brings you two ladies to my humble `lokanta`?"

"Um," Sky Light said, suddenly appearing much less sure of herself than she was a minute ago. "Rosa and me-" she lowered her ears and looked at the floor, while Rosa stared at her in astonishment. "We're... um, hungry..."

The picture of a distraught, starving pony was nearly perfect, but the man, Arda, slapped his thigh and burst out laughing. "Good one!" he yelled and Rosa saw Sky Light's mouth curling up in a slight smile. The man wiped his face with a cloth, still chuckling. "You always try this, and it never works. I thought you would have learned by now!"

The mare shrugged. "It's worth a shot..." Then she turned her smile up to maximum sweetness. "Then... maybe a- a discount?"

Arda looked from the pegasus to Rosa, thinking. Then he grinned. "Tell you what. A dollar off-"

Before he could even finish the sentence, Sky Light shouted out: "Each!"

"Hey!" the man yelled in reply. His voice sounded angry, but he was still smiling and he gave Rosa a wink when she caught his eye. "I'm trying to run a business here! I can't go around giving away free food!"

"Bah!" Sky Light made a face. "You call this food?!"

The two watched each other, but then Arda's smile widened. Rosa relaxed a little. "Okay, okay, eight dollars for two kebabs. Now what'll you have?"

Rosa opened her muzzle to ask the pegasus about Terry, but Sky Light beat her to it. "Ten and you give us another one to go!"

Without skipping a beat, the man went: "Twelve!"

Sky Light jumped a little in excitement. "Deal!"

Rosa was not a hundred percent sure what had just happened, but she surreptitiously glanced at the menu and tried to figure out how much money Sky Light had just saved. It seemed they were ordering the first thing on the menu - a 'kebab', which meant they got nearly four dollars off the whole order. That was quite a bargain. The only problem now was that from what Rosa could see, all the food items there were full of meat.

"Um..."

Sky Light didn't seem to hear her. She was already ordering: "So, that'll be beef kebab for me and chicken for Terry. Everything on both, except onion."

The mare noticed Rosa looking at her and whispered: "I have to share a bed with Terry. Don't want onion breath." Then she winked.

"And for you, miss Rosa?" Arda asked, even while he started cutting into a big lump of flesh on a stand against the wall.

"Um..." she didn't know what to say.

"She's vegetarian," Sky Light explained. "Just fill up a bun with veggies and she'll be okay."

Rosa was only too happy to agree: "Yes p-please!"

"Hot sauce?" the man offered.

Rosa looked at her friend to help her decide and she gave a little shrug. She decided not to risk it, since she wasn't used to spicy food. "No thanks."

While Arda was preparing the food, Sky Light rummaged in her bag until she had fished out enough coins. She had to rear up on her hind legs to reach the counter, but she deposited the change there. The man must have trusted her, Rosa decided, because he didn't even check if she had given him the correct amount. Instead, he was bustling around, making whatever this 'kebap' really was.

"Well have ours here," Sky Light proclaimed. "They're best when they're warm and it's tricky walking and eating at the same time when you have four legs."

Rosa didn't mind either way. Now that she was used to the smell, the place seemed quite welcoming. Also, it was away from prying eyes. Strange how this Arda managed to stay in business when his eatery seemed deserted. Rosa looked around curiously at all the empty chairs.

The question finally got the best of her and she sidled closer to Sky Light. "Um, there's no one here," Rosa whispered. "Doesn't seem very profitable..."

Sky Light replied in a whisper as well: "It fills up in the evening. He's just opened for today and it'll stay open until midnight."

That would make sense. If Arda had his diner open late at night, other places nearby would be closed and people would come to him. At least that was what Rosa guessed.

"Oh. Thanks."

Very soon the food was done. Arda brought out two plates from behind the counter, along with a plastic bag with something wrapped in aluminum foil. Terry's lunch, Rosa assumed. After jumping up on the seat, she inspected her and Sky Light's meal with interest. They were triangular pieces of bread, slit on one side and filled with vegetables and, in the pegasus' case, meat.

Sky deftly picked up hers in her hooves. Rosa was about to remind her to go wash up, since they'd been walking on dirty city streets after all, but the bread was wrapped up in paper. The mare wasn't squeamish, Rosa knew that from that morning, and she just bit off a chunk before Rosa could speak up. It made her sigh and fold down her ears. Her eyes went unfocused. Her reaction made Arda smile a little, but then he looked at Rosa. Before he could comment, she gathered up the elaborate sandwich, careful not to touch it directly and nibbled at it.

There was tomato, lettuce, cabbage and some kind of sauce Rosa couldn't quite identify. It was definitely not bad and she was still starving. She forgot about the man watching and started cramming it in her mouth as fast as she could, barely pausing to chew properly. Luckily, Sky Light was taking it more slowly and talked softly with her human friend while Rosa stuffed her face. She was not even paying attention, though she caught her name a couple of times.

All too soon Rosa was done and licking the inside of the paper clean of its delicious sauce. Then she put it down and leaned back, feeling full for the first time in days. A small burp escaped her, making the owner chuckle. "See? And you said my food was bad!"

Sky Light waved the comment away with a hoof and focused again on her plate.

Rosa felt she could get used to 'kebap'. She echoed Arda's smile. "It was very good!" she praised. "Thank you!"

His huge hand ruffled her mane. "A friend of Sky is a friend of mine," he said.

Nodding, Rosa found herself in agreement. She was about to ask how he and Sky Light knew each other, but she heard someone entering the place so she stayed quiet and turned in her seat to look.

A couple of younger humans had entered with backpacks and Rosa guessed they were students. The man, Arda, gave her a final smile and stood up. "Welcome, welcome!" he bellowed at the newcomers and hurried back behind the counter to take their order. Rosa found the place less comfortable with more people in it and glanced at Sky Light to see how close she was to finishing.

She seemed to guess Rosa's thoughts, because she nodded and stuffed the final piece in her mouth. "Come on, we have to take this to Terry!" she said as she grabbed the plastic bag and slipped it into a saddlebag. It looked like the kebab might get squashed a little, but Terry probably wouldn't mind, Rosa guessed.

While the two newcomers were making their order, she and Sky Light slipped out behind them. The pegasus paused for long enough to wave at her friend.

"There, that was nice," she commented when they emerged back into the alley. "Arda likes to haggle and you can usually get a lower price. It's normal where he comes from."

"Where is that?"

"Turkey, I think."

Rosa tried to place it on her mental atlas. It was in that 'Middle East' area, as best she could recall.

"Anyway, no one around here haggles and he says it's driving him insane. Remember that - it'll save you some money if you come here to eat."

It made sense and Rosa nodded to her friend while she was trying to commit the alley to memory. "Thanks. Um, how much money do we have left?"

Sky Light shrugged a little. "About twenty bucks I think. We'll split it back at the van, okay?"

She hadn't meant it that way and Rosa opened her muzzle to tell the pegasus it was okay and she could hold on to the money. Then Rosa snapped her muzzle shut. Maybe it wasn't a bad idea for her to keep some cash on hand. She couldn't expect Sky Light to keep dragging her along everywhere she went. Rosa had to start learning to be more self-reliant. It meant she would need bags or something to keep her stuff in. Rosa wondered where she could get some, or buy them, but by then the two were back in the crowd of humans so she saved the question for later. All in all, the day was turning out better than it had started.

Chapter 30: Getting to Know Terry

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This time, when they returned to the broken down van, Terry was already there. Sky Light spotted him before Rosa and waved a wing. "Hey!" she greeted. The man still intimidated Rosa a little, but she followed her friend to where he was sitting on a piece of wood and smoking a cigarette.

"Got you some lunch," Sky Light said and sat on her haunches so she could pull it out of the bag.

Terry took it wordlessly while sucking the last bit of smoke into his lungs.

Rosa had never understood the appeal of that particular habit.

"Hoofprints all over it?" he asked on his exhalation.

Sky Light shook her head. "Nope. It's wrapped. We came straight here. Should be still warm."

Terry stubbed out his cigarette on the ground and unwrapped the aluminum foil. Without a pause he bit into the kebab.

Rosa couldn't help feeling a tiny bit hurt. He could at least have said thanks! It was her and Sky Light who had mooched up the cash for the food, after all!

"'s good. Thanks." The man mumbled with his mouth full.

Better than nothing, Rosa guessed.

"Actually, it was Rosa's idea. She doesn't like dumpster food."

The mare in question flashed Terry a nervous grin, but all he did was give a half-chuckle in amusement at the news. Then he seemed to recall something. "Oh, Hoover dropped by. Said to come see him."

Maybe Rosa was imagining it, but Sky Light seemed to sag a tiny bit. "Oh. When?"

Terry peered up at the sky. "Hour, maybe hour and a half ago." He offered nothing further as he continued eating, but by then Sky Light had a very strange expression.

"Um, Rosa?"

"Yes?"

She headed to the van and beckoned for Rosa to follow. Once there, she pulled the passenger door open, jumped up on the seat and bumped the glove compartment with a hoof to get at the contents. "I'll... uh, I'll have to go run a little errand, okay? You're going to wait here with Terry."

Rosa didn't really like the idea, but at the same time she couldn't expect Sky Light to keep her by her side all the time. She was a pegasus, after all. Rosa couldn't fly, nor could she ask Sky Light to ground herself just to provide Rosa a bit of comfort. Then again, the man in question was busily - and by the looks of it, messily - eating his kebab. The thought of having to sit there with him and make small talk scared Rosa a little.

"H-How long- how long will you be gone?" she squeaked with a voice rather more shaky than she had intended.

"Couple hours. Until night, at most. You'll be fine. Just stick around here. You know how to get water, you know about the toilet. If you get hungry, just tell Terry, okay?"

Rosa knew her ears were flat, betraying her emotional state, but Sky Light didn't seem to care. She was pulling objects from her saddlebags and stuffing them in the glove box. Probably so she would have an easier time flying with less weight on her back, Rosa expected.

"Can I g-go with you?"

"Sorry," came the answer, "I gotta move fast."

"Where? What are you doing for this- this..."

"Hoover," Sky Light finished. "We have a little deal, okay? I'm like- like a mail mare, okay?"

Rosa imagined people sending each other letters by pegasus-mail. It would be faster than the regular mail, if they had their dedicated flying pony.

Sky Light seemed to be done with her saddlebags so she jumped back down from the van. "He pays well. Don't worry, I've been working with him since forever. Here, take this."

She dropped a plastic bag full of coins on the ground next to Rosa. "That's from this morning. If you really, really have to, have Terry get you something to eat, okay? Or go see Arda again."

Rosa watched the money and swallowed. A nice dinner did sound good, but she had humiliated herself for that change and she didn't relish the idea of doing it again soon. The vegetable kebab had been good and filling, so Rosa thought she could last until the next morning.

Sky Light was already pacing away and Rosa hurried after her. "Wait!"

She stopped mid-crouch with her wings outstretched and looked at her young friend questioningly. "Yes?" she asked, voice clipped and impatient.

Rosa didn't know how to say it and she was a bit ashamed to be asking that at all, so she lowered her voice. "What am I supposed to do?!"

The other mare rubbed her muzzle and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then gave Rosa a piercing look. "You're a big mare," Sky Light said with a touch of sarcasm in her voice. "Just - hang around, okay? I have to go."

Before Rosa could get another word out of her muzzle, the pegasus leapt up into the air and flapped away. That just left Terry. Rosa watched as he finished his kebab and searched his pocket for another cigarette. Best to get it over with, she thought to herself. She tossed the bag with coins back up in the van, then closed the door and walked over. She sat herself down on her haunches a few steps away. Rosa wondered whether she should say anything. The man was looking off into the distance and she realized that it was in the direction Sky Light had flown. Rosa followed his gaze, but the pegasus couldn't be seen anymore.

The silence was really awkward, so Rosa tried for a friendly smile. "Um. Hi!"

The man transferred his gaze to her and took a slow, deliberate drag on his cigarette. "So, what's your story?" he asked. He didn't sound really interested, but it was something to pass the time, or maybe he was just being polite.

"I, uh- I r-ran away," Rosa stuttered.

There was another long, uncomfortable pause. "What from? Did they send you to bed without pudding?"

Maybe she should have felt indignant at what that human was implying, but Rosa didn't even really know what exactly he meant! Was he trying to say she was soft? Or weak? Or fat?! She was not going to get offended, though. The truth, or a part of it, seemed like a good counter.

"No, I got my cutie mark and they were going to lock me away."

Terry didn't answer. Rosa supposed it had given him pause to hear that she was in a real predicament. She hadn't run away on a whim! As the silence stretched on Rosa looked for something else to say. "Sky Light said she'll get me a uniform, s-so I can hide."

"Where did you run away from?" he asked, completely ignoring her comment. It would have been annoying, but Rosa was just glad to have something to talk about and maybe dispel some of the tense, awkward air between them.

"My assignment was with a family - Boone. J-John Boone. I looked after the children." She didn't add 'for all of a week.' Terry didn't need to know just how quickly she had failed.

He seemed to be giving it some thought while he pulled on his cigarette some more. "Assignment?"

"Mhm! I was training to be an Assistant Pony. I wasn't supposed to be sent out yet, but Mr. Boone asked for me specifically."

"Boone, Boone," Terry repeated to himself. "I've heard the name. City council?"

Rosa bobbed her head up and down. "Um- is that a problem? He might have people looking for me." It was only fair she warned this man what he was dealing with. She had warned Sky Light, who hadn't taken her seriously. Maybe Terry would.

He shrugged. "Shouldn't be. Most people can't tell you guys apart. Just stay out of sight until it blows over."

Rosa already knew that, but she still appreciated the advice so she smiled. "Okay. I'll do that!"

There didn't seem to be anything further, so Rosa went back to studying the canal around her. It was really deserted. She hadn't seen a single other person nearby yet. A gentle clink made her look back to where Terry had taken a small flask out of his coat pocket. The cap squeaked faintly as he unscrewed it. She watched as the man took a good, long swig from it. When he noticed her looking he held it out to Rosa in a silent offer.

It was alcohol in there. She could smell it, even across the distance. Rosa had only had alcohol once - that beer with the colts next door - but that didn't really count. She had hardly tasted that and hadn't even felt anything afterwards. The stuff Terry was offering smelled like something a lot stronger. Rosa idly wondered where he got it, but then curiosity got the better of her and she licked her lips in nervousness and anticipation.

"J-Just a small s-sip..."

Rosa stood up and approached, still a little wary of the man but lured closer by the offer of forbidden goods. Instructor Martha had warned the ponies about Drinking and Drugs. At the time Rosa had taken her words to heart, but now she wanted to at least try them before making up her own mind. Soon she was close enough that the fumes coming from the flask were making her eyes water. She took a gentle sniff and scrunched up her muzzle at the sharp smell.

"Ugh, what is this?!"

"Vodka," Terry told her. "Do you want some or not?!"

He sounded impatient so Rosa decided quickly and nodded. He waved the drink a little and she gingerly gripped it between her forehooves. The flask was flat which made it easier. Rosa carefully sniffed it again, but it was just as strong as before. She glanced around briefly for something to wipe the bottle - Terry had had it in his mouth, after all - but then she changed her mind. Any germs on it would have been long dead because of the alcohol, right?

It was time. Rosa wrapped her lips around the opening almost reverentially, then tipped the flask up and back down. It was enough to give her a splash of the liquid. At first it felt like warm, stale water. She sloshed it around her mouth experimentally. Then the true taste hit and she nearly gagged. It burned! Her tongue was on fire. Her eyes bulged out and Rosa almost spat, but she caught Terry's amused look and her resolve stiffened. With a herculean effort she swallowed. It felt like drinking liquid fire!

"GAH!" Rosa let her tongue hang out, trying to get some air to cool it down. It was lucky Terry had been prepared for her reaction, otherwise she would have dropped the flask in her panic. He retrieved it and took another nonchalant, calm swig.

Meanwhile Rosa thought she would throw up. She could feel the exact path the 'vodka' had travelled down her throat and through her insides. She could feel it burning somewhere deep in her belly. She suddenly became worried that she was going to die!

Rosa panted, urgently working to cool her throat down, while at the same time trying not to puke. It would taste worse if it came back up, she was sure of that. It took a minute, but the feeling passed. She no longer felt as if the stuff was corroding her insides.

"That..." she moaned, "that's foul!"

Terry just chuckled to himself before he lifted the flask up and drained it empty.

"How can you stand that?!"

The man shrugged, screwed the cap back on and returned the thing to his coat pocket. "Practice," he said.

Well, that had been way stronger than the beer. Rosa wondered what feeling drunk would be like. First, though, she had to make sure. "Um, how do I know when I'm drunk?" She had been waiting for it and had felt absolutely nothing from the beer. She wanted to be ready for it this time.

"Not from a single sip, unless you're even more of a lightweight than Sky," Terry told her.

All that and she was not even going to get drunk?! That was horrible! Well, Rosa was not drinking any more of that stuff, ever. If that was what it took to inebriate oneself, then she would pass.

"You did good, though. Sky puked her guts out the first time she tried it."

That, at least, made Rosa's chest inflate with pride. Thinking of the pegasus, she struggled with the question for a while before saying it out loud. "Do you- uh, do you know where Sky Light went? Who is that guy you mentioned?"

Terry watched her for a while, then gave a slow and exaggerated shrug. "Dunno. Some dude she hangs out with."

He was lying, but Rosa knew he was not going to tell her anything else. She would have to get it out of the pegasus later on.

"Smoke?" Terry interrupted her thoughts. He was holding out a cigarette for her.

Rosa firmly shook her head and he put it in his mouth instead. While he was lighting it she sat down on her haunches. She was much closer to him now, but then again she was no longer as afraid of him. Maybe the liquor incident had helped the two bond a little bit. Rosa started thinking about anything else she might be able to talk about while they waited for Sky Light.

Terry beat her to it: "Tell me about Boone."

It was not something Rosa would have chosen herself, but it would fill the silence and she had a few stories she could share.

"Well, he came to see me and Amethyst for our exam. Um, this one was for the Assistant Pony program, dealing with difficult children. Then Instructor Martha said he liked me and wanted my help with his two kids..."

Rosa had left out some pieces of the story, in particular most of her quiet, personal moments with Lillian, as well as the part with Benjamin and her panties. The former was much too precious for her to share just yet and the latter much too embarrassing. Why exactly she wanted to keep her relationship with Lillian to herself was a bit of a mystery. Rosa wanted to think about that before saying anything else to Terry. The girl meant a lot to her, even after what had happened. She hoped she might get to see her again someday. Not likely, but Rosa still hoped.

She realized she had been quiet for a minute so she took a breath and finished her story: "So I guess that's it. People are scared of cutie marks. Or at least of getting them. There's older ponies at the School who have theirs and no one is scared of them."

Terry probably knew already, but Rosa decided to explain anyway. "Sky Light said it's because some ponies got cutie marks for terrorism, so people got scared."

The man watched her for a short while, his mouth working as if he was trying to dislodge something from between his teeth. "Nah, that's not it," he said at last.

"Excuse me?"

Terry shrugged a little to himself. "Sky Light is full of crap. People ain't scared of ponies, nor of cutie marks. What Boone did makes no sense."

No, what Terry was saying didn't make any sense. The man was off his rocker. "But Mr. Boone said they'll lock me away! Maribelle just vanished! We were all terrified of getting it in the school! No pony comes back if they get a cutie mark!"

"Well, how many did you know?"

Rosa didn't have to think too much. She recalled all of them because they had been such big, scary news when they happened in the School. "Four. Well, five including me."

There had been Maribelle, the most recent and most painful. There had also been a colt about five months earlier. He was older than Rosa's group so she hadn't known him well. Besides them, she remembered one of the colts in Paolo's room telling her about a couple of pegasi some years prior. That had been big news because it happened to two of them at the same time.

She had just finished listing them in her mind in case Terry would want details, but instead he just asked: "All of them at that school of yours?"

"Um... yes?" Rosa said uncertainly, not sure where he was going with that.

"How many outside of your school?"

It struck Rosa that she hadn't even thought very much about ponies outside of the School. There were the ones who graduated and went to their respective jobs, but it felt as if she never really realized there were other ponies, not associated with the School.

"I- I don't know any." Her eyes slid to the pavement and her ears drooped a little at the admission.

"Trust me, it isn't a big deal." Terry explained. "There was a big outcry a few years ago, after that trouble with the unicorns. Shit got bad for a while but then it died down." He scratched his chin through the beard. "A few of the politicians were clever enough to use that fear and got elected. They had to keep promises to their constituents so they made some rules, but no one really gives a crap about that anymore."

Rosa shook her head, refusing to accept it. It couldn't be just that! Maribelle got dragged away! Mr. Boone nearly sent herself off to get put down! There had to be more to it than that!

"Believe whatever you want, kid," the homeless man kept going. "I'm just telling you what it's like out here in the streets. People don't give a shit. Except maybe that lunatic you worked for. Oh, and the idiots who run your school." He gestured a little with his arm, as if to encompass the whole city. "There's always a few nut jobs who go into a panic each time they see one of you, but most people don't have time nowadays."

"But the S-School..."

"Government institution, kid. They have to follow all sorts of crazy rules." The man barked a laugh. "Heh! Most of them are crazy to do a job like that."

Rosa had to know more. She remembered what the colts had told her. "Ponies are taken to labs and... um... experimented on?"

This time Terry just shrugged. "Dunno about that. Maybe. Who knows what's really going on." He flashed her a slight, yellow-toothed smile. "But you're out of that now. Just keep your head down and don't do anything stupid and you'll be fine."

Could it be true? The people in the School overreacting and sending ponies away because of some rule that was made in a panic? Sweet Maribelle sent off to a lab because a few ponies got the wrong sort of cutie mark back then and a few politicians used it to win elections? Was Mr. Boone one of them? That would explain his attitude, Rosa thought. That jerk and others like him had ruined her life. They had ruined Maribelle's too, and probably countless others.

"It's not fair!" she sniffled.

It wasn't a question, but Terry answered anyway: "Life's not fair, kid. Be glad you're out of it. It ain't so bad on the street."

Rosa hardly realized it, but she was shaking her head slightly. She hated the street. She wanted to go back to the School and keep living like she had before. It hadn't been a bad life. Rosa was training for meaningful service. She had friends and teachers and she was making a good future for herself. Now it was just eating out of a dumpster, begging for money and keeping her head down? Maybe she should turn herself in to the police. The humans would examine her cutie mark and see it wasn't dangerous, and then she could go back to her old life.

Except...

"Why don't ponies come back? Why keep them away if their cutie mark isn't dangerous?!" Rosa hadn't intended to say it out loud, but she was just so frustrated with the whole situation.

"Beats me," Terry admitted. "That's the first I'm hearing about it."

A desire began burning in Rosa's heart to find out. She had been through too much, suffered too much anguish not to. Her life had been ripped from her and she could never get it back, but the least she could do was find out why. Maybe someone at Sky Light's trucker stop would know? Those people travelled around and talked to people. Surely they might have some news? Rosa retreated back into her own thoughts while Terry brought out his fourth or fifth cigarette and lit it. It was getting late. She hoped Sky Light would be back soon.

The man patted his pockets until he found a bottle. There was barely a sip left in it, but he drained it anyway. Then he stared at the smooth metal for a while.

Rosa wasn't paying him any mind, until he spoke: "Got any money?"

"Um, y-yes?" she blurted out before thinking.

Terry seemed pleased as he climbed up to his feet. "Grab it and come on. We're gonna get us some dinner."

Now that she had been reminded, Rosa did feel hungry. She hadn't been planning on spending any more money that day, but with her stomach grumbling she quickly changed her mind. The kebab earlier had been filling, but it simply wasn't enough, not after days of starvation.

There was one other thing. When she saw Terry's smile Rosa remembered about her own. Then, as soon as she became aware of it, she couldn't get it out of her mind. Her teeth were fuzzy. She hadn't brushed in days and her mouth felt gross, especially after that vodka.

"Can we get, um, a toothbrush? And some p-paste?" Rosa prompted.

It made Terry laugh heartily, but then he reached down and ruffled her mane. "Sure thing. I'll set you up."

That was a lot better. Rosa wouldn't be allowed in most stores, even with the money. Maybe if she had a uniform she could lie and say her master had sent her out for supplies. Terry could buy the stuff she needed, though. Rosa went to the van and collected her plastic bag of change. She didn't know how much everything she wanted would cost, but surely she had enough for a few necessities.

"'ewe!" Rosa said and dropped the money in Terry's hand. "Here."

He hefted it and his face lit up. "You two have done well!" he praised. "So, something to eat and a toothbrush. Anything else?"

"Tooth paste!" she reminded him. "Oh, and a bag of gummy bears?"

"Sure thing," the man repeated and sets off.

Rosa easily kept pace with him. "Um, do you need anything? I'm sure there's enough money..."

The hand came down again to pet her. It stank of cigarettes, but Rosa didn't mind. "Mighty neighborly of you to offer, Rosa," Terry said, using her name for the first time. It made her smile. "This way, I know a place," he said and headed to the stairs out of the canal.

She was very happy to be doing something other than just waiting. Rosa's mood lightened and she decided to tackle her problems from a more optimistic angle. "Any idea how I could find out what happens to ponies who get taken away? I wanna find my friend Maribelle."

Terry paused for a moment and scratched his chin. "Hmm, I'll give it some thought. Maybe I know somebody..."

His words cheered her up significantly. She was also noticing that the man was a lot more pleasant after she had shared her story with him. Sitting with someone and talking for a bit could do wonders for a relationship.

Chapter 31: Cheap Wine

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Rosa was trying very hard to bottle her anger up before it could burst out. She really wanted to be mad, but she didn't want to sour things between her and Terry. He and Sky Light were friends and Rosa would have to live with them for a while, at least. It wouldn't do to get into a fight on her second night.

She was still miffed, though. He had spent all her money!

Yes, the man had brought her toothbrush and paste. He had even bought a couple of bags of various sweets for Rosa, not to mention a vegetarian sandwich. The problem was that he then went and got himself several packs of cigarettes and a couple of bottles of wine. Just like that all the cash was gone. That hadn't just been Rosa's money, half of it had belonged to Sky Light! Rosa had realized that too late and didn't want to ask Terry to some of it back. She hadn't been expecting him to spend that much anyway! Well, if she was being completely honest, Rosa was hoping the purchases would end up less than half the amount. Even if they had gone a little over, she would share her gummy bears with Sky Light and that would probably make it okay. Except now it was all gone and Rosa would have to explain to the other mare that she had let Terry spend all their hard earnings.

Hopefully she wouldn't be too pissed.

Even that wasn't the biggest problem. What Rosa hated the most about the situation was that she would probably have to go out with Sky Light again the next day and beg for some more. Another morning of silent, red-faced embarrassment while strangers took pity on her and give her money. Would Sky Light be angry enough to send Rosa out on her own? The sudden thought made her step falter.

Oh no! Rosa was not sure she could go through with it alone!

Her hooves felt like they were made of lead as she trudged after the man. She should have said something before he had gone into the store. Should have made it clear it was Sky Light's money. Now it was too late. If Rosa mentioned it now, Terry would just ask: 'Why didn't you tell me sooner?'

She wouldn't have a response to that, other than embarrassed silence, so Rosa didn't even try. It looked like she would just have to explain it to Sky Light and hope for the best. She would even let her have all the bags of candy, as well as the sandwich. Rosa had lost her appetite when she had realized her mistake.

The two of them came back down into the canal and walked over to the van. The sun was setting, but there was no sign of Sky Light just yet.

"Go grab some of that wood and let's make a fire. It ain't summer just yet," Terry told her.

"Oh. Okay."

Rosa listlessly dragged herself to the pile of planks and gave the problem some thought. She didn't want to grab one of those with her mouth, so she put her hooves on a protruding piece of wood and pulled. Once she had freed the plank Rosa struggled to drag it back. It was a slow process which involved her taking a step back, sitting on her haunches and using her forelegs to pull the thing to herself. Then she repeated the actions. In mere minutes she was at the impromptu fireplace, where she saw that Terry had already opened one bottle and was taking swigs while watching her work. Rosa clamped her muzzle shut before she could say something which would start an argument.

"There," she said sourly, dropping the thing in front of Terry.

"Break it into pieces," came the command.

Rosa rolled her eyes and lifted a hoof to grab the plank again, but then she paused and looked at the man. It had been her money. At the very least she would get some of the benefit. "Give me a drink first."

Terry wordlessly passed over the bottle and Rosa deftly gripped it with her forelegs. This one didn't smell nearly as bad as the flask. It was just fermented grapes, she reminded herself. Rosa used to love grape juice when the kitchen had had it for meals. There was also the alcohol smell, but it was not bad at all. She took an experimental swig. It was a tiny bit bitter, but at the same time sweeter than she had expected. It didn't taste very much like grapes, but it was not too bad. As an additional bonus, that one didn't make Rosa want to throw up. She lifted the bottle again and took several longer gulps. That much at once really brought out the alcohol and she was forcibly reminded of vodka.

"Whoa, easy there, girl!" Terry said and plucked the bottle from her hooves. Rosa didn't mind him taking it since she'd had enough anyway. She licked the remnant of the taste from her lips and lifted up the plank on a hoof. Then she pointedly looked at Terry and brought her other hoof down on the wood. It snapped in two, almost effortlessly. The action didn't have the effect she had been hoping for, but maybe the man looked a little bit impressed. Rosa's mouth quirked up in a smile and she changed her grip on the plank. The second bit snapped off just as easily. After a couple more whacks she ended up with a small pile of firewood.

"There," Rosa said with finality. She was not doing anything else, she decided. It was getting late and she had had a busy day. The mare sat on the ground opposite Terry and watched him stack the wood in the barrel.

He fished in his pocket for a lighter and held the tiny, flickering flame against the wood until it started to burn. Pretty soon they had a fire and Rosa started feeling a bit better. She didn't want to stay mad at Terry. It had been her fault for not making it clear that he wasn't supposed to spend all of the money. Rosa would apologize to Sky Light who would forgive her. Tomorrow would suck with no breakfast and the begging, but Rosa could tough it out. She decided to take it as punishment for not thinking more clearly.

She heaved a sigh and blinked. Her head seemed a bit lighter. Was she getting drunk? Anxious not to lose the feeling, Rosa stood up and walked around the fire to Terry. She pointed at the bottle, which was almost empty.

"Gimme."

He looked at the dark red contents with a calculating glance, then shrugged to himself and handed it over. Rosa considered dragging it back to the place where she had been sitting, but that seemed a bit too tricky. She didn't want to break the bottle or spill it. Instead, she just put the neck in her muzzle and lifted up. The alcohol taste hit a bit harder that time, but Rosa forced it all down until the bottle was empty. Then she burped. She wondered how long it would take. If that wasn't enough to get her drunk, nothing would be.

Was it just her or did Terry look decidedly impressed?

"What?" she asked brusquely.

"Nice going," he said, eyeing the empty bottle. "Drink often?"

Rosa shook her head and opened her muzzle to answer, but instead she burped again. It made her blush and cover her mouth with a hoof.

Rather than a reprimand, such as she might have gotten in the school or from Mrs. Boone, Terry just chuckled. "Well," he said, pulling out a cigarette, "you're a hobo now. Fire in a barrel and cheap wine, that's as good as it gets, kid."

Normally it would have been depressing, but the wine had spread from her stomach and was making Rosa feel warm all over. On a whim she lifted up the bottle, which rewarded her with a few drops of wine on her tongue. Rosa thought she could really get used to the stuff. After a while it just tasted sweet. She could ignore the alcohol in it. The leg holding up the bottle wavered and she lowered it before it could slip from her grasp. It was empty, anyway, but it reflected and refracted the sparkling flames and Rosa spent long minutes just watching it.

She was definitely feeling something by now. She turned to ask Terry, but just blinked in surprise. It was as if the picture from her eyes was lagging a little when she moved her head. It was making Rosa giggle. The empty bottle slipped from her grasp and clinked as it rolled away. That was kind of funny too! Rosa had been so sure she was holding it, but there it went, on the ground. Silly bottle!

Was that what drunk felt like? Rosa needed to ask an expert. "How- haa, how will I know... uh, how'll I know when I- uh..." She blinked as she lost the train of thought.

"Holy crap," Terry said, making Rosa giggle some more. "That was fast. When was the last time you ate?"

It took some concentrated thought before Rosa found an answer. "Arda- thing. Um. Yeah, tassit! Kee-bab thing, only... only-" she tried, but then leaned her head to the side so she could think better. "Eggs- ecks... 'cept no meat for me."

Terry put a hand on his forehead. "That was lunch, you little idiot. You just downed half a bottle of wine on an empty stomach. And you're not used to it."

Rosa scrunched up her muzzle as she tried to understand. Something told her that she should be ashamed, so she folded down both ears on general principles. Then she felt silly for doing it and lifted one of them up again. That was a good compromise, right? "Whaaat?" she demanded as Terry kept staring.

"Just don't throw up in the van, okay?"

Well, that sounded pretty easy. "'kay." Rosa remembered the sandwich and stuck out both forelegs toward Terry. "Gimme sammich!" she demanded.

He sighed, but pulled it out of his pocket. He had been kind enough to carry it for her since Rosa didn't have saddlebags yet. "Too late for that, but knock yourself out."

She couldn't help chuckling at the image. You couldn't knock yourself out with a sandwich! Just for the heck of it Rosa tried anyway and bonked the plastic-wrapped thing on her head a couple of times. "See? S'not hard enough," she explained.

Getting up with the sandwich in her hooves proved impossible. Rosa needed four legs to stand, but two of them were being used to hold the thing. It was a conundrum and she stared at the sandwich for a while, as she tried to figure it out. Oh, that was right! She could put the sandwich in her mouth and then she could lower her hooves to the ground. That was better.

When she pushed herself upright, however, the world spun around and Rosa found herself sitting on her ass again, facing the other way.

"Hoh?"

It should have worked. It had worked thousands of times before!

She tried again, this time really pushing up with her hind legs.

It was not entirely clear to Rosa how she came to be lying on her belly with her muzzle pressing into the dirt. She blinked her eyes and tried to make sense of the situation. On some dim level she realized she was drunk. Was that what it felt like? Everything was strange and blurry and she couldn't quite control her limbs. It should have been scary, but it was actually funny. She started chuckling, but it turned into full laughter when she heard the sound of her own voice.

"Yeah, you're completely out of it. I'll take this before you ruin it, okay?"

Terry gently lifted up her head and removed a soft rock which had been pressing against her neck. Rosa thought about getting up to see what it was, but in her current state that didn't seem possible. Instead, she rolled on her back.

"Oh! Ooooooh! Th' sammich!" she exclaimed, recognizing it. She had been wondering where that had gone. It was okay, she was not really hungry right then. She could have it later.

Then her gaze wandered and Rosa pointed an unsteady foreleg. "Sky Light!"

Terry followed her pointing hoof and let out a small sigh. "Thank God," he muttered under his breath.

The dot Rosa had seen grew larger and resolved into the pegasus. She landed right beside the pair, and stared with a faint smile on her muzzle. "Rosa?" she asked. "Why are you rolling around on the ground?"

Rosa had so much to tell her! She opened her muzzle to explain about the money, but Terry beat her to it: "She's drunk out of her idiot skull."

The other mare glared at her human friend. "What?! You let her get wasted?"

Again Rosa opened her mouth to tell Sky Light that she was okay. She was enjoying this feeling!

"I'm not her dad. She wanted a taste, I gave her a bit. Can't help if you fucking ponies go over after a single drop..."

Sky Light heaved a sigh and put her hooves around Rosa. She smelled strange, but Rosa couldn't quite place it right then. Sweat and... something else.

"Hi Sky Light!" she greeted her friend.

"Yeah, hi," the pegasus replied, rolling Rosa to her belly and then pulling her to her hooves. "Come on, let's get you to bed and then I'll bring you some water. It's gonna suck in the morning, but at least maybe you'll learn to take it easy on the booze."

"Don't let her throw up in the van!" Terry commanded, but Sky Light didn't give any indication she had heard.

Rosa's legs didn't quite work, but with the pegasus supporting her, walking was just barely possible. She followed the mare - well, Sky Light dragged her, but Rosa chose to imagine it as 'following' - to the van.

"Can you climb up?"

Rosa gave the van, the open door and the seat a critical examination. Then she nodded happily. It was just a matter of putting a hoof up there, and then...

"That's it, good girl!" her friend cheered her on. Sky Light pushed her rump up with her head and the world tilted crazily. For a moment Rosa was not sure which way was up or down. Her stomach really didn't like that and lurched up into her throat.

"Urk!" Rosa tried to warn the pegasus, but it was too late.

"ARGH! EW!" Sky Light yelped as she jumped away. The splash got her right in the muzzle. Rosa landed heavily on top of her with a small 'oomph'.

"I told you!" Terry yelled from his seat next to the fire.

Sky Light gave a small growl. "You could help you know?!" she shouted back.

The man barked a laugh before replying: "Nah, I'm good."

It made the pegasus growl a little more as she shook her head wildly to dislodge the partially digested wine.

Rosa blinked at the firelight a few times, then spat what she had in her mouth. It was absolutely foul. Her stomach felt a bit better now that it was gone, though. Maybe sleep wasn't the worst possible idea. Rosa looked at the van once again.

"Come on, let's get you up. Stupid filly. Hasn't anybody taught you how to get drunk?"

Rosa shook her head. "S'not allowed in, um... in School."

"Figures. They didn't teach you any life skills," Sky Light grumbled. This time, by pushing her friend's rump again, she managed to slide Rosa up on the seat. It was soft and warm and Rosa gratefully collapsed into the makeshift bed.

Her pegasus friend climbed up after and covers her with a blanket. "If you have to puke again, try and get it outside, okay?"

Rosa just stared at her blankly, but managed a nod on general principles. Sky Light sighed and rummaged on the floor until she found a plastic bottle. "I'll be right back with your water," she promised.

"'kay." There was something more and Rosa tried to think of it before she left. "Um, S-S-Sky?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks..."

Rosa felt a bit stupid that she hadn't remembered to thank the mare for taking her in, really. All she had done was be difficult and complain. Sky Light deserved more gratitude than that. Rosa had been a very unpleasant guest. It was a miracle Sky Light even still liked her! The mare was the best friend Rosa could ever want. It filled her eyes with tears and she couldn't stop a sniffle.

"Sorry I've... uh. Sorry. Been- been..." She tried to get the word lined up. "Diff-ult." That was most of it anyway. "Sorry..."

"Hush, it's fine. We all need a friend sometimes. This time that's me. Someday you'll return the favor."

Rosa nodded enthusiastically. Anything she could do for Sky Light she would! "Anyfink."

Sky leaned back in to give Rosa a pleasant nuzzle, even if it stank of her regurgitated wine. They both realized it at the same time. "Ugh. We're definitely visiting the trucker stop first thing tomorrow. The place has showers and the guy at the desk lets me rent one..."

That reminded Rosa of another problem and she froze. Her ears instantly flopped down. "The m-money," she said, realization pushing away some of the fog in her mind.

"Yeah? What about the money?"

Rosa couldn't look at her friend right at the moment, so she buried her muzzle in the seat. "It's gone."

There was silence and Rosa was expecting the mare to shout, or at least smack her with a hoof. She heaved a sigh, but it sounded more sad than angry. "We'll talk about it tomorrow. Just go to sleep, Rosa."

She was right. Rosa was in no condition to explain herself. She kept forgetting words and she needed those to tell her how Terry had tricked her! There was just one thing Rosa needed to get out before all that.

"S-Sorry... fer- forgive me? Din- din't mean to."

"It's fine," the mare sad testily. "We'll discuss it tomorrow. I'll get you some water."

She was gone before Rosa could say she was sorry again. Rosa took a deep breath and laid her head down on the seat even as she tried to ignore how much the world was still spinning around her.

She hoped it would stop soon, or else she might have to puke again.

Chapter 32: The Truck Stop Gang

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"Ow!" Rosa whimpered.

Quietly, of course, because loud noises meant pain. Actually, the mare corrected herself mentally, loud noises meant Pain, with a capital P. Waking up had been a mistake. Her mouth tasted like she had eaten a sewer rat and washed it down with some sewer water.

Rosa knew she was not great at metaphors right at the moment. It hurt to think.

Despite her queasy stomach, painful head, blurry vision and unsteady hooves, Sky Light was dragging Rosa all the way across town, or at least that was what it felt like. She insisted it was only a couple of miles, but Rosa assumed they must have walked about halfway to Africa by then. Well, that was her estimate based on the sheer suffering of the trip.

She was not about to admit that walking and fresh air were helping. Rosa wanted to be miserable for as long as possible. "Can we stop. Please?"

Before she got an answer Rosa simply let her rump hit the pavement. There was no way the pegasus could physically drag her, after all.

"Come on, Rosa, it's just around the corner!" Sky Light insisted, giving her friend a nudge with her hoof. "It's your own damned fault." She sat down in front of Rosa and brought her face close. Even through her bleary vision, Rosa could see she was not mad. Well, not exceptionally so. She just seemed annoyed. "You puked all over us both and now we need a shower," she explained matter-of-factly. "The only place I know we can do that is the trucker stop. You can't fly and I sure as hell ain't carrying you, so walk."

With a small groan Rosa struggled up to her hooves again. "Fine, let's just get it over with."

Wine had been a mistake. She decided she would never drink again. It had been fun for a while and the world had seemed a better, funnier place. Rosa had enjoyed that part. Not this bit, though. A hangover was absolutely foul.

"D-Do you have my, uh..." Rosa began asking, but then blushed when she remembered where the object had came from. "Toothbrush..." you finish lamely.

Sky Light patted her saddlebag. "Right here," she said testily.

Rosa felt like she had to clear the air between them. "I'm sorry-"

Sky Light rounded up on her before Rosa could even finish the sentence. "Just- drop it, okay?" She whirled back and walked a few paces before stopping. Her ears sagged and she slowly exhaled. "I should have known. It's my own fault. You're just a kid, what do you know about money? About surviving on the street?"

However hard Rosa tried to bite down, a sniffle escaped her. There was truth in her friend's words. Rosa had never been on her own. She had never had her own money. Maybe if she had more experience she would have known to keep hold of it.

The sound brought Sky Light back, but she was no longer frowning when she put her hooves around Rosa. "I'm sorry, sweetie," she said more gently. "It's not your fault."

Rosa opened her mouth to say that yes, it was, but a wing feather across the lips hushed her.

"It wasn't that much money. I'm just disappointed, Rosa. It's fine. I guess I expected a little more from you."

The younger mare nodded a little against Sky Light's neck. She was also disappointed in herself, especially with how bad she felt physically. Maybe she deserved it. "I'll- I'll make it up to you," Rosa promised tearfully.

There was no immediately answer, but after a few seconds Sky Light spoke gently: "Look, you don't have to. We both earned that money, so it was yours too. At least now you've learned, right?"

Rosa extracted herself from the embrace and bobbed her head again. "Uh-huh," she sniffled.

Sky Light looked at her for a moment before letting her hooves slip from Rosa's withers. "You mean that about making it up to me?"

That sounded ominous and Rosa was suddenly afraid. Sky Light was taking her to the very place where she- It didn't even bear thinking about, so Rosa settled for: 'did favors for money', but even that sounded dirty. Surely Sky didn't expect Rosa to repay her in that way?

The other mare caught Rosa's expression and smiled gently. "No, nothing like that, don't worry. Sheesh, I'm not going to whore you out for cash, Rosa. I'm pissed, but I'm not a monster!"

Rosa immediately relaxed and gave her a tentative smile back. That was a huge load off her mind. "Thanks," she murmured. "Yeah, I guess I meant it. As long as it isn't... that."

Sky Light pulled her back up to her hooves and nudges Rosa along. "Okay, then you're gonna finish one of my deliveries. How's that sound?"

That was a lot better than what Rosa had been fearing, so she quickly nodded, eager for the opportunity.

Her friend kept explaining: "I'll let you have my FedEx vest. It's got holes for wings, but we can put saddlebags over them so people won't see. You'll look just like an official delivery mare."

Rosa remembered the pegasus promising her a uniform, but she guessed that this wasn't it. The plan sounded like it should work, except for one problem. "Uh, I don't know this city." Rosa blushed and corrected: "Any city, really."

Sky Light shrugged a little. "I'll show you on a map. It's not hard to find, and you can always ask for directions. You'll be on 'official duty', remember?" She had signed the quotes around the words with her hooves. "Come on, let's clean you up and get a cup of coffee in you first."

That sounded good and Rosa followed the mare around the corner, where she quickly spotted the place Sky Light had meant. There was a patch of overgrown, grassy surface and then a huge parking lot, right next to the highway. There weren't very many trucks, but Rosa saw a few people moving about. Some were inspecting their rigs, others were sitting on foldable chairs and eating, still others were lounging against the vehicles in small groups and talking.

At one side of the parking lot there was a couple of small structures. A sign proclaimed one to be a general store, bar and shower. The other she recognized as some kind of storage. Sky Light's truck stop, Rosa guessed. A patch of color caught her eye and she spotted a strawberry red pegasus sprawled on one of the truck's cabins, sunning himself. A few moments later Rosa noticed a group of four ponies lying in the grass beside the buildings.

"Well, that's it," Sky Light announced, as she pushed through the last of the bramble. "Come, I'll introduce you to the gang."

Rosa followed after her, only a bit apprehensive about meeting those free ponies. If the pegasus trusted them, then Rosa supposed she could, as well. In any case, no one seemed to be paying Sky Light any mind as she headed for the buildings with Rosa in tow. A couple of humans glanced her way, but without much interest. The ponies they had seen stopped talking and watched, but they didn't move from their spot. Rosa saw that one of them had a plastic cup between her forelegs on the grass. She leaned down to stick her tongue in while Sky Light led Rosa their way.

"Hey guys," she greeted. The gang - all earth ponies - grunted something unintelligible in reply. The mare with the coffee lifted her head and looked directly at Rosa.

"Who's she?" came the question.

Rosa examined the group as discreetly as she could, all the while feigning nonchalance. In fact she was trying to copy Sky Light's attitude. The mare who had spoken up was yellow, with a green mane and tan, almost sand-colored eyes. To her right was a stallion with such a vividly-green coat that it almost blended into the grass. The brown mane completed the camouflage nicely. Right in front of Rosa and Sky Light, the pony who had been lying down climbed to his hooves to face them. He was dark red, almost burgundy. What could be seen of his mane under a baseball cap looked green-ish, if a little less poignant than the other stallion's coat. The last pony, also a stallion, was giving Rosa a fixed smile which she found slightly uncomfortable. Maybe the reason it felt weird was that his mane almost completely covered his eyes. It was black, just like Rosa's and went nicely with his indigo coat.

She might have found him quite handsome, were it not for his fixed grin creeping Rosa out. In fact, all four of them were staring at her by now. Luckily Sky Light knew what to do and put a wing around the younger mare. "Guys," she said, "I'd like you to meet my new friend Rosa." Then she used her other wing to point out individual ponies. "That's Velvet, Bluegrass, Pepper and Butch."

Rosa tried to commit them all to memory. Velvet was the mare, that part was easy. Strangely, the green stallion was called Bluegrass for some reason. The red one was Pepper and the one with the creepy grin was Butch. Rosa quietly repeated their names while she was looking at the faces, which helped her keep them in mind. She smiled, if a little nervously.

"Uh, h-hi!" she volunteered.

The group didn't move, but the mare turned a very insolent grin on Sky Light. "So," Velvet asked, "is she your toy or that human's you hang out with?" Her words made Rosa blush a nice, bright pink, which the other four found incredibly amusing.

"Tell me, Sky," the creep, Butch, said quietly, staring at Rosa without blinking from under his mane, "what's she taste like?"

The implication made Rosa 'eep' slightly and shrink back, trying to hide behind her pegasus friend.

Sky Light just chuckled a little and waved a dismissive hoof. "It's not like that, guys. We're just friends."

"Oh yeah?" Velvet piped up. "Which one of you got the other one drunk, then?"

"W-What?!" Rosa squeaked in alarm.

The yellow mare laughed pleasantly and came up, leaving her cup of coffee on the grass. "You can't deny it, sweetheart. I could smell you two across the parking lot."

That was right! Rosa had slept in it so she barely noticed it anymore, but both she and Sky Light stank of puke and stale wine.

"Tell us everything!" Butch demanded.

Sky Light shrugged. "Nothing to tell. Keep your dick inside, Butch. Rosa just got drunk as hell then threw up all over me when I was putting her to bed."

That was exactly the wrong thing to say and two of the stallions whistled in appreciation. At least they stopped with all the questions.

Velvet gave Rosa a wink and one of the sultriest smiles the young mare had ever seen. "Next time you want to get drunk, come pay us a visit. We're all very... mmm, social."

She didn't answer, but Sky Light came to her rescue. "That's enough, guys. We both need a shower and then we have work to do. We'll stop by for a chat another time, okay?"

The ponies settled back down, though there were still one or two suggestive glances thrown Rosa's way. Bluegrass and Pepper picked up their previous conversation and Butch stretched out his legs and rolled to his back with a luxurious sigh. Unfortunately that brought... 'him' into full view. Rosa only caught a brief glimpse before hurriedly lowering her eyes. Fighting the blush was all but impossible.

"I'll be looking forward to our... ahem, 'chat'," Velvet said, the quotation marks falling clearly in place. She came closer still, grinning at Rosa's mortified expression. Was every free pony a complete lunatic? Well, except for Sky Light, of course.

"Umm," Rosa mumbled.

The mare took pity on her embarrassment and let her smile slip. "Don't worry, we're just joshing you. Rosa, right?"

Rosa managed a nod.

"We're just a bunch of jokers, us. Don't pay us any mind, dear." She patted the younger mare on the back, then went back to her cup. It was a huge relief. Rosa didn't find those jokes all that funny, but it was good to see that ponies could be reasonable if they wanted to. Except that Butch - he worried her a little and Rosa decided never to be alone with him if she could help it.

"Okay, now that's settled, come on," Sky Light said and set off to the store. Rosa was grateful for that and quickly followed her, doing her best to appear calm and nonchalant.

"Don't mind the guys," the pegasus explained. "They'll give you hell until you stand up for yourself, then you'll be one of the gang. Just don't let them push you around, okay?"

Rosa nodded, but then realized Sky Light wasn't looking. "O- Okay."

The door slid open automatically and the two went inside. It was a small convenience store, but Rosa still stopped to look around in wonder. All the colors and the smells! She hadn't been in shops or malls often, so she knew about them mainly from movies and from the rumors at the School. They were magical places were she could get absolutely anything for money. Well, maybe not anything, but the selection of fizzy drinks, candies and potato chips looked pretty much complete. There was also a stand with sandwiches which caught her eye. Rosa wondered if they'd be willing to make her a plain tomato and lettuce sandwich with extra salt.

The short walk and the embarrassment outside had helped her nausea immensely, she realized. Now Rosa was getting hungry. There were a few packets of sweets back at the van, but she had promised them all to Sky Light as a small token of apology. Rosa had also let her have the rather stale sandwich in the morning.

Sky Light noticed Rosa's stare and grinned. "Wanna get something after shower?"

Rosa nodded most enthusiastically, which made Sky chuckle. "Okay, but that'll put you further in my debt. You sure you want that?"

That particular thought, of how much Rosa owed her, made her muzzle scrunch up in worry, but Rosa was starting to feel very hungry. "Yes," she said sadly, ears down.

"Don't worry," Sky Light said kindly. "Do the delivery for me and we'll be even, okay? Then we can go mooch after, so you got a bit of your own cash. That sound okay?"

It was not the nicest proposition, but at least it was not prostitution, Rosa guessed. She gave the mare a nod.

"Good."

Sky left her in the middle of the store and went to the counter, where a middle-aged man was watching them both impassively. The mare rummaged briefly in her bags and brought out a clean, crisp ten-dollar note. She reared up so she could drop it on the counter.

"Two for shower, please," she said politely.

The clerk looked from the bank note to the pony. "It's six each," he said in a very disinterested, bored tone of voice. His eyes focused on Rosa for a moment, then he went back to staring idly out the window. He hadn't even made a move to take the money.

Sky Light shrugged a little to herself and went back to the bag. In moments she added two more notes. "There," she said.

The man finally stirred into what probably passed for action with him and nodded toward a door. He didn't say anything further, but Sky Light knew what to do.

"Come on," the pegasus told Rosa and nudged her lightly with a wing. She led the way and held the door open for her friend. "Showers are through here," she explained.

The room ahead was tiled and there was a powerful smell of chlorine and mold. It was not the cleanest of showers, but right in that moment it was all Rosa could have hoped for. She ran her eyes past a row of what looked like small rooms. Each had a door, a small chair and a shower cabin with a curtain. Rosa was wondering about that for a moment but then realized how it worked. The humans probably undressed in the outer area - of course they'd need privacy, hence the door. Then there was the curtain to keep their clothes from getting wet as they splashed around.

Sky Light extended a hoof. "Pick any. I'll bring you the shampoo once I'm done with it."

In that moment Rosa realized there weren't any soaps or anything like that in sight, but it sounded like her friend had come prepared. She decided to do exactly as Sky Light said and went into one of the rooms, where she gently pushed the door closed. It took a bit of an effort to slide the small metal bar across, but then Rosa was as locked as she was going to get. It was a good thing the place seemed deserted at the moment. Rosa didn't think she could ever relax enough to take a shower if the room had humans in it.

To her side Rosa heard the water start as Sky Light began washing. It reminded her and Rosa quickly pulled the night gown off herself. She wondered for a moment if she could clean it there, but it was silk and water would undoubtedly ruin it. It looked like it would just have to do, for now.

She left her gown on the chair in the smaller area, then stepped into the shower and pulled the curtain closed. After that Rosa had to rear up to reach the tap, but she was used to that from the Boone house. It would be nice to get clean, she decided. She could also get her new toothbrush and paste from her friend's saddlebags and freshen up her mouth a little too. Not a bad start to the day, despite the hangover and the weird ponies outside. At that particular moment her money troubles didn't seem as bad. Rosa would even get a sandwich for breakfast out of the whole affair, she remembered.

The thought cheered her up nicely.

Chapter 33: Illegal

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Sky Light tightened a strap on the saddlebags. "Ugh, stop fidgeting!" she complained.

"It's too tight!"

The loops which held all the gear in place were a bit too small for Rosa's larger frame. When Sky had added her delivery uniform on top Rosa was not at all certain the belts would fit around her midriff. It also wasn't helping that Sky Light was buckling them on higher than they were supposed to go. She wanted to hide the wing holes, otherwise people might wonder what an earth pony was doing in a clearly pegasus-shaped uniform.

"Almost got it," Sky Light grunted and pulled a bit more.

It forced air out of Rosa's lungs, but then the belt clicked into place. She tentatively inhaled, expecting to be blocked about halfway there, but Rosa found she could breathe almost normally. She wouldn't be able to stay in the thing for long, not if she didn't want to have permanent grooves pressed into her ribs, but it would be fine for a short while.

"There, good as new," Sky Light lied. Rosa knew it looked ridiculous. She still had her nightgown to hide her cutie mark, and then a violet and gray FedEx vest on top of that. The saddlebags were much too high on her torso, but she hoped humans wouldn't notice. After all, they wore backpacks. Rosa's bags were approximately where a backpack would be on a human.

"Okay, but I can't stay like this for long!" She warned the pegasus.

"No need. It's not far. Just go down that street I showed you, take the second alley to the left and knock on number 407, okay? Got all that?"

Rosa murmured the instructions once more and nodded to herself. It didn't sound too complex. Why wasn't Sky Light doing it herself though? It would be a lot less hassle. Rosa decided to ask: "Um, why didn't you deliver it yourself?"

Sky Light paused and peered at her with narrowed eyes for a moment. Then she forced a grin. "It was kinda late when I came back yesterday and today you owe me. Does there have to be another reason?"

"I g-guess not?" Rosa conceded.

Her friend patted her on the rump. "There you go. Now get it done and come right back, okay?"

Rosa had seen the package Sky Light had given her. Something hard and plastic and blocky, wrapped in brown paper and sticky tape. She wondered why the extra wrapping paper. Maybe it was something embarrassing? Maybe whatever Sky Light was delivering for her friends were things people didn't want the post to handle or their neighbors to see? Sex toys came to mind and Rosa blushed a little when she imagined what might be in her pack. It was none of her business, but maybe she could sneak a peek if the person opened it in front of her. Unlikely, but a mare could hope, right?

"Good. A guy will open the door - a human. His name will be Viktor. Make sure it's him before you hand it over, okay?"

Rosa nodded again. She had this.

The pegasus sent her off with a bright smile. "Hey, Rosa? Thanks for doing this," she said.

It warmed her heart and Rosa was happy to help. "No problem!"

Then she set off. It wasn't that far, but it was still about twenty minutes trot across busy streets back the way toward the truck stop, except alone this time.

There was nothing to it but to put trust in Sky Light's uniform, Rosa guessed.

She found the right place without much incident. The alley was a bit dark and stinky, especially now that Rosa was clean for the first time in days. She was being careful not to step in puddles or other miscellaneous junk which littered the ground. Number 407 was a grimy, off-white door up a short flight of stairs with trash dumpsters on both sides. The smell was bad and Rosa hoped it wouldn't stick to her coat.

At the moment she just wanted to get the job done as fast as possible, get back to Sky Light and get out of the squeezy, restrictive uniform. She lifted up a hoof and knocked, all the while trying to slow her crazy heartbeat.

It wasn't very long before the door opened a crack and half of a frowning face peered out at her. "Yes?"

Rosa cleared her throat, acutely aware that her tail had pressed itself between her hind legs and her ears had flattened down. "Uhm- uh, d-delivery? For a Mr. V-Viktor?" she stammered.

The man eyed her uniform. "We didn't order any."

Luckily Rosa remembered what Sky Light had told her to say: "It's f-from Hoover. Um, courtesy of Sky Light? I'm filling in for her."

"Hold on."

The door slammed shut and Rosa heard the sound of the chain sliding out of its groove. Then she hurriedly jumped back so the man didn't smack her in the muzzle with the door as it swung wide.

"Give it here."

She hurriedly rummaged in her bag to bring out the package. In her haste and nervousness Rosa nearly dropped it, but managed to hold on to it just barely. She took a moment to get her balance, then proffered it up on a hoof.

The man snatched it and passed it to someone behind him. "Anything else?" he asked.

"Um, no?"

"Where's Sky?"

Rosa felt like she was being interrogated, but something told her it would be monumentally stupid to protest. She didn't like the look of this 'Victor' guy, what with his bald head and so many tattoos down his bare arms. She couldn't see his friend in the shadows behind, but Rosa was sure she wouldn't like him any better.

"B-Back home. I'm doing her a f-favour," she explained with a slightly shaky voice.

"Tell that bitch she still owes me a hundred bucks!"

She flinched at the word and was barely able to prevent a small gasp at the news. She quickly nodded to cover up her surprise. "Y-Yes, sir! I w-will!"

Even before he had dismissed her, Rosa's hooves were already stepping back. She flashed the man a weak grin. "I'll- I'll go tell her..."

All she got in reply was a grunt, then the door slammed shut. She closed her eyes for a moment and heaved a relieved sigh. For a while there she hadn't been sure she would be allowed to leave. Rosa had been getting ready to run away as fast as she could. Anyway, the package was out of her hooves, the job was done and Sky Light would have some pretty fancy explaining to do when Rosa was back.

If she had to guess, the whole transaction had been illegal. It had looked and felt really shady. Rosa was starting to worry just what kinds of jobs Sky Light did for this 'Hoover', whoever he was. The images her brain conjured up weren't very comforting.

Rosa shook her head a little and walked the way she had came, happy to be done with it. Hopefully Sky Light was at the van and she had left her a few sweets, because Rosa needed something nice to calm her nerves. They were being stretched taut, and she really didn't like to be walking around alone. Hell, even Terry would have been welcome company at the moment! It just went to show how shaken Rosa was.

She started thinking about what she would say to the hobo. He had practically stolen her and Sky Light's money, then essentially got Rosa drunk. It was a small mercy he hadn't taken advantage while she was pissed out of her mind, but the whole thing was still inexcusable. Thinking about that helped take her mind off what had just happened. It helped Rosa walk more naturally, without her legs trembling and her ears folded flat down. Humans probably couldn't read pony body language, but she didn't want to take chances. Sky Light's truck stop gang proved there were more ponies around than Rosa expected. Another thing she would have to ask her and Terry about.

Until Rosa had met her, she had a feeling that runaway, free ponies were exceedingly rare and hunted down on sight. It was quite a surprise that there were so many and that no one gave a damn. Rosa would have to get answers. Hopefully Terry would come through and get her some information, like he had promised. He had said he would ask around. At that moment in Rosa's life that was her biggest goal and she was not giving it up. For all she knew, it was the only thing keeping her sane.

First information, then Maribelle!

Making those plans helped Rosa feel better after the scary ordeal with Viktor.

When Rosa stumbled back to the van she came upon Sky Light and Terry sitting side by side. He was holding a cigarette to the mare's mouth while she took a long, luxurious pull, then he transferred it to his own mouth. It was a bit of a surprise to see that Sky Light smoked, something Rosa would never have guessed. It was probably just a 'sometimes' thing when she joined Terry.

"Ahem," Rosa cleared her throat to make her presence known.

Sky leaped upright and quickly came over to her, trailing smoke from her nostrils. "How'd it go? Did you make the delivery?"

The spectacle of a smoking pony was distracting enough that Rosa momentarily forgot her grievances. "Uh. Yeah. Um, what's with-" she pointed a hoof to Sky then to Terry.

Sky Light followed the gesture with her gaze, then snorted in surprise. A bit more smoke curled out of her mouth when she spoke. "What?"

"You smoke?"

For a moment the mare looked bashful. "Oh. Sometimes. What's it to you?"

Before Rosa could even say anything Sky Light began unstrapping her bags and the uniform. The release of the belts came as a huge relief and Rosa sighed, comfortable once more. "Thanks."

Sky clamped her teeth on the vest and Rosa backed up to get out of it. Once it was loose, Sky draped the garment over the saddlebags on the ground. "Wanna try?" she offered as she walked back to where her human friend was still sitting with the cigarette.

Terry looked at Rosa a little strangely, but held out his hand with the cigarette in an invitation. She was certainly curious, Rosa had to admit that to herself. She had seen humans smoke and it had always smelled absolutely foul. Maybe it was better on the way in?

Before Rosa could make up her mind, Sky put her lips around the white stick between Terry's fingers and drew. The other end glowed bright orange. "Nasty habit," the mare explained, puffs of smoke blowing out of her muzzle as she spoke. "I only do it every now and then. Calms the nerves, but leaves you stinking for days."

Rosa licked her lips nervously but then remembered the previous night's 'fun' and changed her mind. "You're right. No thanks," she told the two.

While Sky Light savored her smoke and Terry pulled on the cigarette again, Rosa made her way near them and sat on the ground. The shock had worn off so now she remembered what she had wanted to say.

"What was the deal with that delivery?!" she hissed.

Sky Light looked at her strangely. "You said they didn't give you any trouble?"

"They didn't, but it was creepy as- as..." Rosa didn't want to swear, so she didn't say the last word.

Before Sky Light could reply, Terry piped up: "I thought you were going to tell Hoover you're out of it." He sounded reproachful and it made the mare blush and lower her ears.

"I will, don't worry. I just owe him one or two more jobs."

That reminded Rosa of another thing. "Oh, Viktor said you owe him a hundred bucks."

This surprised Sky Light and her eyes bulged. "What?! I thought it was fifty. Damn jerk, I said I'll pay him back!"

Rosa needed answers, and fast. She advanced on the other mare and stared right in her eyes. "Pay him back for what?" she demanded.

It didn't seem like Sky Light was going to answer, but Terry shrugged and gestured vaguely with his hand. "She used to have a drug problem. That's why she's doing these 'deliveries'. To pay off her debt."

The mare inhaled sharply in shock, but all Rosa could do was stare. The unwelcome news made her shuffle backwards and Rosa realized she was staring at her friend in fear, as if she was going to change into some kind of a monster.

Instead, Sky Light just stared at the ground and sighed. "Look, it's not what you think, Rosa. I got clean. I beat it. A couple more deliveries and I'm completely out of that, okay?"

Some things were starting to make sense. "Is t-that why you- why you..." Rosa gulped, unwilling to even say it. "A-At the truck s-stop?"

Now the mare was exasperated. She lifted her muzzle up to the sky and exhaled again. "Yes! Happy now?!"

Before Rosa could answer her, she got up and closed the distance between the two. Her hooves gripped strongly around Rosa's withers and her eyes filled Rosa's whole vision.

"I'm not proud of that, Rosa, okay? I got depressed and I started using. I saw what it was doing to me, so I stopped. That's the end of it. Got it?"

Rosa realized she had been judging her. She barely knew that mare and what her life had been like on the streets. She had no right to judge like that, and both her ears and her gaze lowered immediately. "Sorry."

"Good. That's the end of it, okay? I owe them a couple more flights and then we're even. Oh, you and me are even now, okay? Those guys can get nasty if you don't bring them the money you owe them. Could have been tricky if I showed up."

"So you sent me instead?!"

Sky Light waved a dismissive wing. "Nah, they don't know you. They wouldn't do anything the first time they saw you. Thanks, by the way."

Even if she didn't fully agree with Sky's logic, her reassurance was a slight relief, but Rosa couldn't stop herself from reminding the pegasus. "So, what about the hundred bucks?"

The pegasus sagged a little. Her voice came quietly, as if she didn't really want Rosa to hear. "I'll take care of it."

Of course, Rosa immediately jumped to a conclusion which she didn't much like. Almost without conscious thought her head shook. "No, not that," she said, horrified. The other mare didn't look like she was about to argue. Rosa grabbed her head and gently tipped it up so Sky Light was looking at her. "I'll help you mooch, okay? Until we have enough. I don't mind."

She would rather help Sky Light beg than have her go do the alternative. That earned her a smile. "You're a real pal, Rosa. Thanks," Sky said and it sounded genuine. "Just, next time, don't give it all to him!"

She was glaring at Terry, who spread his arms in mock innocence. "Hey," he countered, "both of you got something out of that deal."

"Like what?"

Terry flashed both mares a wicked grin. He pointed his cigarette towards Rosa first. "You got nice and drunk off your ass. Oh, and that toothbrush. I got you exactly what you asked for." Then he switched his gaze to the pegasus. "As for you, don't think I didn't see you gobble down those gummy bears!"

To Rosa's horrified realization it seemed to be true and Sky Light's muzzle went pink. "Sorry," she whispered to Rosa, "I really meant to save you some."

Rosa told herself she didn't care that much, even though she had been dying to taste something sweet a few minutes ago. "It's fine. I was my fault, anyway."

"Oh, and I asked around about that thing," Terry went on.

"The cutie marks? Maribelle?!" Rosa gasped, delighted.

"Yeah, that."

The man didn't immediately spill it, so Rosa tapped her hoof impatiently. "Well?!"

He shrugged a little and dragged on his cigarette, before stubbing it out and answering. Rosa wanted to kick the man to make him go faster, but she really needed to know what he had to say, so she somehow contained her impatience.

"Guy told me he had a temp job in a warehouse and they were supplying a lot of sheet metal to this place. He says it's something to do with ponies."

It was barely anything! Rosa felt like she really shouldn't have gotten her hopes up.

Terry saw her expression and shrugged. "Sorry, kid. Something like that would be very hush hush." He looked at Sky Light and frowned in deep thought for a minute. "Hey Sky?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

"You ought to get some of your trucker buddies to ask around on CB radio. Someone must be driving supplies up to these places and those bureaucrats sure as hell ain't doing it themselves."

Sky Light clopped her hooves together in excitement. "Ooooh, that's a good idea!" she exclaimed.

Even Rosa's heart sped up at the prospect. It was true! How come they hadn't thought of it themselves? "Thanks!" she chirped at the man.

Then she looked imploringly at the pegasus and Sky quickly guessed her thoughts. She chuckled and patted Rosa's withers with a wing. "Yeah, yeah, we can go there. Tomorrow, okay? The gang meets over there for coffee most days."

It sounded good and Rosa nodded enthusiastically. She wouldn't even mind meeting the weird group of ponies if it meant she was getting closer to her goal.

That left most of the day free. Rosa didn't really want to do it, but she made the hard decision to start helping Sky Light with her debt problem. "So... should we go and mooch for a bit?" you propose.

Sky Light grinned at her. "If you're feeling up to it. We'll be done in no time, with how cute you are."

Rosa was torn between feeling embarrassed and flattered.

"Can you bring me back a beer?" Terry asked.

Unwilling to promise him anything, but still thankful for the idea he'd given them, Rosa looked at Sky Light, who shrugged. "If we do good enough," she promised, then she picked up her saddlebags and the uniform, and took them to the van. "I'll get my sign and we'll be off. We'll try the bus station today, so we don't overdo the parking register, okay?"

Rosa followed her with a fresh bounce in her step. "Uh-huh!" she nodded, happily.

Chapter 34: Favor

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It turned out that 'The Look' worked on Sky Light. She had agreed to take Rosa back to the truck stop in the evening, after a very profitable session at the bus station.

The two had their first rude human, who complained how the pair were obstructing traffic with their sign and their plastic dish and their pitiful expressions. It really drove the embarrassment home, but Sky Light had said Rosa's blush helped a lot with the next few people who walked past. The pair of them made almost thirty bucks by the time Sky decided to call it quits. The sun had barely set and it was still light enough to move Rosa's new mission forward, so she gladly agreed to stop. As an additional token of thanks for her help, Sky had even gotten her a vending machine sandwich. Incredibly, there was one without meat, and with cheese and stale lettuce - a little rich for Rosa's taste but infinitely better than digging in the trash.

Sky Light had accused Rosa, in a joking kind of way, that she was making her eat better. If it were her choice, the mare had pointed out, she would have just picked up what she could find in a nearby fast food joint dumpster. She even gave Rosa five dollars in coins to keep for herself, although she was holding on to the cash until Rosa had her own bags. The rest of the money would go toward paying off her debt.

Rosa still didn't know for sure how she felt about Sky Light mingling with people who sold drugs, but she pushed that to the back of her mind and focused on the task at hand - at hoof, as her pony friend would say.

There were different trucks parked this time. The group of ponies from the morning were gone and there was no pegasus lying on top of a cabin, of course. Rosa wondered idly if he was with one of the drivers or a local pony. She had forgotten to ask Sky Light and right now it didn't seem important anymore.

As soon as the place came in view, Sky Light grinned and bumped her rump against Rosa's. "Lucky!" she exclaimed. "Come on, I know that guy! He's nice." She stopped and gave her young friend a serious, strangely calculating look. "Do what I tell you, okay? I promise it's gonna be fine."

Her words gave Rosa pause and she felt a strange sense of foreboding. "Why? What's gonna happen?!" she demanded.

"Just go through with it, okay? No questions! You want to find out what's happened to your friend, don't you?"

Rosa swallowed a lump and considered turning away. It was just a silly idea and it probably wouldn't ever work. Maybe it was not worth the risk of going around asking for secret government facilities. She shook her head firmly and clenched her teeth. Maribelle needed her. For that matter, Rosa needed Maribelle! It was not a silly quest and she would do whatever it took. Sky Light wouldn't lead her into outright danger, would she?

"Yes," Rosa answered her pegasus friend with a certain amount of conviction.

"Good. Follow me," Sky instructed and set off.

Rosa didn't know which particular vehicle she meant, but she followed her while trying to keep an eye on all the drivers. What Sky Light had probably meant was that the humans might want a favor in return. Rosa didn't have much to offer, but she did have five bucks and her earth pony strength and stamina. She could help them work on their trucks or something, or deliver messages if she had to. A bit of manual labor wouldn't hurt, especially if she got information which would help her find Maribelle. It was unlikely for anyone there to know anything about her specifically, but Rosa could hope, right?

The pair of them made their way to the parking lot. Several drivers were sitting in chairs next to their trucks, a few of them fiddling with phones, one reading a book and a couple sleeping in what looked like lawn chairs. Sky Light sat on her haunches and raised a hoof. One particular human waved back and split from the group to come greet the mare. He was a heavier man in faded blue jeans and a black pullover. He also had a cap which said 'semi king'. Rosa wondered what was up with that. Was he supposed to be like - somewhat a king? Why not just put 'full king', if he was going to lie on his cap?

"Hey! I was hoping I'd run into you, but I didn't think you'd show until morning. You don't usually come around this late!" the man exclaimed as he leaned down to shake Sky Light's hoof.

The mare didn't answer, but rather laid a wing across Rosa's back. "It's her fault," she said jokingly. "This is Rosa. Rosa, Pavo."

Rosa held up a foreleg for the man to shake. She liked how polite he was, even to ponies, but she was still a little intimidated.

Sky Light looked at her with a pleased grin. "Pavo will be able to help you."

That got Rosa's heart beating faster and she found herself smiling back.

"Oh?" Pavo asked. "Offering my services around, are we?"

The mare shrugged. "She'll pay."

Well, there went Rosa's money, but she didn't care all that much. She only hoped it would be enough. "I only g-got five dollars..."

This made the man laugh in amusement. Even Sky Light chuckled at Rosa's confused expression. The man's hand patted her mane. "I don't want your money, sweetheart," he said.

That hungry look in his eyes! It could only mean one thing. The one single thing Rosa had been hoping she would never have to do. Her ears instantly fell flat and she looked at the ground, unable to meet either of their gazes. Maybe she could still run away, even if it would mean never coming back to Sky Light.

"C'mere, let's go to my truck," Pavo invited and Sky Light nudged Rosa along. Her hooves didn't want to move, but she forced them.

In truth, Rosa was terrified of trying to tackle the streets without the pegasus. She didn't know where to go, what to do, whom to trust... If Sky Light wanted her to do this, maybe it was for the best. The sooner Rosa got over her stupid sensibilities, the better she would do in this new life. Sky Light herself had done it, and it was only a problem because Rosa herself thought it was. After all, it wasn't as if 'mouth stuff' was actually doing it.

Could Rosa go through with it? Only a few hours earlier she would have vehemently said no, but not her conviction was shaking. The matter-of-fact driver, Sky Light's injunction to do as she said, even the fact that they had all but promised the man. Rosa didn't want to do it, but she'd felt the same about begging for money. Once, she would have felt the same about eating from the garbage, or living on the street. This was just another thing she might have to do sometimes. Her heart hammered and her throat had gone dry, yet Rosa kept placing hoof in front of nerveless hoof. She was probably in shock, but maybe Sky knew what she was doing. This way Rosa didn't have a lot of time to work herself up into a frenzy over the whole thing.

Besides, she really wanted to find Maribelle, Rosa told herself. She was willing to do anything, even this. She just hoped it wouldn't taste too bad.

It was not far and pretty soon the man opened the cabin door. "Up!" he ordered.

Rosa looked at Sky Light, unable to help that feeling of betrayal. She had known how much Rosa disliked... that, but she had gone and practically offered the mare anyway.

Maybe Rosa could still say no? Faced with that open truck door her resolve fled. There had to be another way. "Sky, I don't think I-" she began.

The other mare gave her a stern look. "We all have to pay somehow, Rosa. It's your thing, so you do it this time, get it?"

Almost without realizing it, Rosa had taken a step back, but Sky Light was suddenly behind her, blocking her escape. Her expression was neutral, but Rosa could see her ear flick. She was probably nervous about what Rosa might do. "It's the only way," Sky Light said. "Sorry."

It was just her mouth, right? Rosa could wash it afterwards. It wasn't as if he'd...

She couldn't even think about the alternative.

"Well?" Pavo demanded.

Rosa took a deep breath and let it out in a mournful sigh, then placed a hoof on one of the steps. The cabin was a vertical wall of iron and the seat looked very high up. Could she even make it?

"Oh, sorry. Here, let me help," Pavo offered.

Before Rosa could even accept, his arms griped around her midriff and lifted her up. It was all she could do not to buck his face. She needed him. Rosa kept telling herself that. It may be the only way to find Maribelle. If she said no now, Sky Light probably wouldn't help her anymore. She might not even want her around.

Rosa would be dead in a week. This or death, she told herself.

It was still low of her and Rosa's muzzle scrunched up in distaste. Sky had known how Rosa felt about this kind of thing! It was not fair! She was very near tears when Rosa stepped on the passenger seat.

She barely had a moment to look around before the cabin swayed as Pavo put his weight on it. "Move over. In the driver's seat!" he commanded.

A real weirdo. Rosa's ears couldn't go flatter, her tail was completely pressed against her belly and her legs trembled in trepidation, but she scooched over.

"Oh, wait - one more thing."

Rosa looked around just in time for the man to drape his cap over her head. The shock of it made her gasp a little and jerk away, but it stayed on. Depraved, that's what it was. He was sitting sideways in the passenger seat and rummaged for something in the bag behind him. Rosa saw Pavo had a small bed built into the wall there and a traveling bag with presumably his clothes and other essentials.

There was a whoosh and Sky Light appeared at the edge of the seat, wings partly outstretched to keep her balance. Rosa didn't know how she was holding herself there, but the pegasus must have had practice.

"Hold on, I gotta see this!"

Was this mare for real?! She was grinning in anticipation. She was evil! Rosa couldn't suppress a small whimper. Suddenly escape seemed like a good idea, but they had her cornered now.

"Okay, now smile!"

The strange command made Rosa pause and blink in confusion. She spotted a camera in Pavo's hands.

"W-What?!" Were they planning on taking pictures while she-

"One hoof on the steering wheel, please."

The 'please' and the firm tone seemed to go straight into her leg and Rosa rested it against the black material.

"Good, now smile!"

She was losing grasp on the situation. It was not going anywhere near the way Rosa had expected! "W-What's happening?"

Now it was Pavo's turn to look bewildered. He looked at Sky Light, then back to Rosa. "I'm going to take your picture in that pose. What's it look like?"

There was a faint glimmer of hope. "J-Just a pic-picture?" Rosa nearly sobbed with relief.

"What were you expecting?"

She didn't know how to put it in words, but she tried anyway: "Oral..."

It was a good thing Sky Light and Pavo were not looking. Rosa was pink enough as it was, without their horrible laughter. The man was practically guffawing and the mare was slapping the seat with her hoof. "Priceless!" Sky Light gasped out, tears leaking from her eyes.

"Jesus Christ, you're evil," Pavo told the pegasus. "You made her think I was gonna-"

They were both laughing as Rosa stared in confusion. At long last Pavo brought himself under control. "Look," he said, "I'm flattered, but I got a wife and a son. I don't drive around looking for pony tail, you see?"

Rosa waved her hooves around in exasperation. "But you s-said- What's with all this then?!"

"My son is a big fan of ponies. I try to get him a picture whenever I meet one. These are his favorite-" Pavo gestured at her cap and at the steering wheel. "Truck driver pony. Get it?"

She was probably still in shock, but Rosa managed a weak chuckle. "O-Oh. Oh."

Sky Light slipped from the chair and Rosa heard her laughter from the ground. It sounded like she was actually rolling around, smacking the asphalt with a hoof! She still couldn't believe that mare. It was an awful, awful trick to play on someone!

The imminent danger was over and Rosa relaxed a little, then remembered the reason she had come. "And then you'll help us?"

"Sure!" Pavo exclaimed. "Anything I can do. Now take the pose again."

This time Rosa had no compunctions about putting her hoof back on the steering wheel. The man nodded. "Good, now a smile."

It was hard, but Rosa forced one for the camera. She tried to imagine a young boy, thrilled when his father brought him home pictures of ponies in his truck. It helped.

"Nice! A couple more. Just act natural." He snapped a few more photos while Rosa sat and smiled. A brief flash of inspiration made her stand up and put both hooves on the wheel, as if she was seriously driving the thing.

It was a massive hit. "Excellent!" Pavo yelled. "I love it!"

The photo shoot was soon over and the man took his cap back. "Nice work. Would you mind doing one outside? Better light. And then a couple together with Sky."

Rosa nodded. By that point she was certain that nothing untoward was going to happen, so she had managed to relax a little. "Okay," she said and went to step out of the driver's seat. Pavo didn't move out of the way, though, so Rosa stopped while she was straddling both seats.

"First, tell me what you need from me," he said.

Rosa got herself back in the seat. "I- um, we were wondering if you know any drivers who take things to um-" Now that she had to come out with it, the idea seemed a tiny bit preposterous. Rosa forced herself to say it anyway. "Drive stuff to... secret government places. Um, where they take ponies."

The man watched her for a moment. "And you need to know because?"

Rosa looked for Sky Light, wondering how much she could trust this man, but the mare was probably still down on the ground and Rosa couldn't see her. It couldn't hurt to tell him some, right?

"They took my friend and I want to find her."

"Whoa, are you in an action movie or something?" Pavo asked. "That's some top secret spy stuff, sounds like."

"Do you know any-anything about it?" Rosa prompted hopefully.

Sky Light piped up at this moment. "We were hoping you could ask around on the CB, Pavo. Someone must drive supplies to these places."

Rosa was grateful for the reminder, even though she was still furious for the trick she had pulled.

After a moment's thought, Pavo shrugged to himself. "Dunno if it'll work. There's usually NDAs for places like that, but I'll try." Rosa looked at him expectantly, curious to see what a 'CB radio' looked like, but the man barked a laugh. "Not now, sweetheart. I gotta get a shower before the stop closes. I'll ask around after that."

Her ears fell flat.

Pavo ruffled her mane. "Don't look so glum. Come by in the morning and I'll tell you if I find something. If not, I'll keep asking around. I usually come through here every couple of weeks, regular. Don't worry, us truckers see things and we like to talk. Someone is bound to let something slip, NDA or no."

Not finding out the same day was a disappointment, but Rosa hadn't really expected to get anything this fast. She made herself smile again. "Okay. Thank you."

"No problem. My son is gonna love you. Not many ponies with black hair, you see?"

That reminded Rosa of someone. "What about Butch? Uh, he comes around here sometimes."

"Oh, him," Pavo said, face falling a little. "Yeah, I know him. Dunno what, but there's something off about him."

Rosa wholeheartedly agreed. She was worried what Sky Light might say, especially if she considered the stallion a friend, but she voiced it anyway. "Yeah... me too."

There wasn't much more to be said. Pavo slid out of the seat and Rosa followed. The jump down was a little further than she was comfortable with, but Pavo griped her midriff again and lowered Rosa to the pavement. She was grateful about that this time. Rosa was not a pegasus to leap around like a maniac, after all. Earth ponies were sturdy, but she tried not to test just how much her bones could handle.

While she was looking around for Sky Light to give her a good glare, there was a click of the camera behind her. Rosa quickly straightened her face out.

"Cute. Now where did Sky go?"

The pegasus in question walked from behind the man. "Here. What do you need me to do?"

Rosa tried to stay as still as possible while Pavo arranged the two mares side by side and took more pictures. "Wait!" he said suddenly and came forward. He draped his cap on Rosa's head again. "Nice. Now put your wing around Rosa," he told Sky Light. The mare obeyed and the man peered through his camera once more. "Adorable! Smile!"

It didn't take too long. Rosa waited patiently for Pavo to retrieve his cap once more, then looked at him expectantly while he picked up his wallet and his phone from the truck.

"I gotta get that shower now," he said as he was closing the cabin door and locking it. "I'll see you two tomorrow. Take care! Nice meeting you, Rosa!"

Sky Light waved to the man in goodbye, then turned her mischievous grin on Rosa. "So, whatddya think?" she asked.

Rosa almost growled at her. "That was mean!" she said in a low voice. "Let's go back."

Before the nasty shock she had had, Rosa had been hoping she could ask more truckers for help, but now she didn't feel like it. Maybe she would be in a better mood the next morning. For the moment, she wanted to get Sky Light alone and give her a piece of her mind.

"Come on!" Rosa commanded again.

The other mare blinked, then expression crumbled and her hoofsteps sounded almost timid as she followed Rosa's determined stomps back towards the van. "I guess it wasn't very funny for you?" she prompted.

"No, it wasn't!"

"Sorry about that..."

Chapter 35: Avenues of Investigation

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"I can't believe you would do something like that!" Rosa hissed. She had managed to hold on to her temper until they were back at the van, but now she couldn't stay quiet any more. "I thought you were..." she muttered, "-that I'd have to..." Were there even polite words for what Sky Light had done?

Yes, it had been a joke, but an incredibly tasteless one and the mare knew it. She was looking at the ground with her ears folded flat. "I'm sorry," she said for the umpteenth time. "It really seemed funnier in my head! It's not like something happened, Rosa. I trust Pavo."

Rosa got a feeling that she'd never be able to explain her grievance to the other mare. It would probably be best to just accept her apology and her assurances it would never happen again, and move on. "Just- I just hope something comes out of it."

Sky Light brightened up a little. "Oh, Pavo knows everyone. Don't worry, if any trucker this side of the Rockies drove anything to a government pony lab, he'll find out."

It did mollify Rosa a little bit. Her voice softened and she stopped glaring quite so harshly. "Well... okay. Just please don't joke about stuff like that, okay?" For some reason Rosa was near tears. The relief had finally gotten to her and she couldn't suppress a sniffle.

To her credit, Sky Light was instantly by Rosa's side and wrapped a wing around her back. "Hey, it was a tasteless joke, but you're safe with me, okay? I promise." Her voice was soothing and confident, so Rosa believed her. The pegasus also had extremely soft fluff on her chest and Rosa gratefully nuzzled it. It was better than any warm blanket.

The only consolation was that the human, Terry, wasn't around to see Rosa shaken like that. Actually, the fewer people who saw her, the better. "Yeah," she managed. "Thanks."

"No more silly jokes," Sky promised again. She let Rosa go now that the mare had stopped sniveling. "Wanna take your brush and go wash up?"

Rosa gave her a nod. Doing something normal, like cleaning her teeth and her face was exactly what she needed. To pretend the world wasn't messed up for a few minutes.

The pegasus went to fetch her bags, talking all the while: "We'll ask some of the other truckers tomorrow. I think I know a few of those guys and if we bring them coffee in the morning they'll ask around for us." She paused and gave Rosa a worried look. "We won't get news until the next time they come through here. You okay with waiting a bit, right?"

Rosa had come to accept that fact. Life wasn't too bad under that overpass, with Sky Light and Terry and the summer coming in. She could hang around for a couple of weeks, just waiting. "Y-Yeah..."

"Any thought what you'll do if you get some news?" Sky asked. It was idle conversation, but it made Rosa's ears fold down.

"No..."

Sky Light gave her a bright smile as she finished buckling on her harness. "We'll figure something out. Even if it's like really far away - I'll show you how to hitchhike, okay?"

Rosa had read about that. It had always sounded so much fun, but she was starting to question what she knew. "Is that s-safe?"

Her worry was met with chuckles. "Not really, but it's super fun!" Sky answered. "You're an earth pony, Rosa. Act like it!"

She was not sure how to do that, but Rosa stood up a little taller and stuck out her chest.

"If any idiot human tries to grab you the wrong way, you just kick his face off." Sky Light was already walking to the water pipe and Rosa got off her rump to follow her. She paused by the stack of timber and looked at Rosa appraisingly. "Here, let's give that a try. Buck this piece of wood."

She was pointing to a plank quite high up - about as tall as a man's chest would be.

"How am I supposed to reach that?!"

Sky Light rolled her eyes a little. "Jeez, haven't you ever tried it? What did they teach you in that tard wrangling class?"

"Not how to kick the children to death, that's for sure!" Rosa was appalled at the very idea.

The other mare heaved a sigh. "Well- here, lemme show you." She faced the pile of planks and looked it up and down, calculating. Then she turned her gaze back at Rosa. "Watching?

"Y-Yes."

She quickly whirled around and threw her rump up. Supported precariously on her forelegs, the mare delivered a powerful kick to the lumber before dropping lightly back down with two faint clicks. "There. Now you try it."

She moved away and Rosa took her spot. She tried to estimate where the wood was, then copied Sky's movements. A whirl, a half-jump...

Rosa's muzzle smacked into the pavement, which made Sky Light chuckle. "No, silly. Dig your hooves in. Like trying to do a hoof-stand, okay? Lock your fore-knees in place."

By that time Rosa was determined to get it right, so she got up to her hooves and faced the target again. This time she made sure to keep her legs rigid as she pushed her rump up. She kicked with all the strength she had, but since Rosa didn't have eyes on the target she naturally missed. The momentum of her swinging hind legs made her lose her balance again.

"Ooof!" Rosa landed painfully on her belly.

Again her friend was amused. "Better, now you just gotta work on your aim. It takes practice, don't worry."

She would get it right! Rosa quickly jumped up again, except this time Sky Light pushed on her back to keep her still.

"Wait," she said. "Close your eyes. Remember how high the wood is?"

Rosa obeyed and tried to imagine the target behind her. "Yes, I think so..."

"Now kick about ten inches lower than that."

"Lower? I-" Rosa began, but her friend interrupted her.

"Just try it."

Rosa mentally readjusted where she thought her kick should land, all the while keeping her eyes closed like Sky Light had said. Again she kicked off from the ground and balanced awkwardly on her forelegs. This time when Rosa swung her hooves, something connected. There was a powerful splinter of wood and she opened her eyes in shock. The unexpected contact made her lose balance again and she fell to her belly.

"Wooo! Way to go, girl!" the pegasus praised.

Rosa turned around and saw that the piece of wood had been shredded. There was a clearly visible hoofprint - half of one, anyway - and the edge was badly splintered. She couldn't see the bit that broke off anywhere.

"Do that to a human and you'll kick his kidneys out through his nose! Damn, girl," Sky Light kept cheering, "I knew you earth ponies were strong, but... daamn!"

Her joy was infectious and Rosa couldn't help smiling in pride.

Sky Light smirked a bit. "Still gotta learn to stick the landing, but you've got the basic technique."

Something didn't make sense to Rosa. "Why did you tell me to aim lower?"

"Everyone kicks too high until they get it right. Your head moves down when you push your rump up, remember? Everyone thinks the target is higher than it actually is."

That probably made sense. Rosa resolved to practice a bit more some other time. Right at that moment, her muzzle still stung from the landing and her belly was dirty from falling flat on the street. "Thanks."

Sky Light gave her a quick hug. "Don't mention it. Those are some powerful hooves you got there, Rosa."

The praise made her blush a little, but Rosa really liked it. It made her feel good about herself.

"See? Nothing to fear from any human. Just give them one of those and they won't bother you. Like ever!"

That wiped the smile right off Rosa's muzzle. "I don't wanna kill anyone..."

"You won't," Sky Light assured her, "just remember to do it a bit softer, okay?"

It was too much to keep track of. Rosa really needed to practice until she could do it without thinking. "I guess?" she conceded, eyeing the broken plank.

"Now let's get cleaned up. Maybe Terry'll bring us dinner."

That reminded Rosa and her stomach growled a little. It was getting used to less food, but it was taking time. She also thought she was a bit lighter than she had been, but without a scale or a mirror it was hard to be sure.

"Oh, I know!" her friend proclaimed suddenly as Rosa started walking again.

"What?"

Sky Light gave her a knowing smile before explaining: "Bluegrass can ask his human to check on the Internet for that government pony place."

It was all news to Rosa. "Bluegrass? Human? Internet?!"

Her friend shrugged a little. "I keep forgetting because the others are- um... 'free ponies'. Bluegrass still lives with his human family most of the time and just comes to the truck stop sometimes to say hello and hang out."

Rosa had been meaning to ask about that, but now she knew the answer anyway. She had expected all four of them to be... well, runaways, like her and Sky Light. "They just let him go as he pleases?"

The comment elicited another small shrug from Sky Light. "I guess. They got him to keep the son company, but now he's in college so Bluegrass can pretty much do what he likes."

"Like Internet?"

"Yeah."

"He can find stuff out about top secret government stuff?" Rosa asked, not quite believing it.

Sky Light leaned her head to the side as she considered for a moment. "Dunno. Maybe? It's worth trying, anyway. Bluegrass is nice, he'll help you if he can."

The avenues just kept opening up. Rosa had almost forgotten the grudge she held towards Sky Light. "Well... thank you. I mean it."

She just smiled, easily guessing what Rosa was thinking. "So - forgive me for that little joke?"

There was no way to stay mad at that face. The mare was just being her silly self. It had been a funny joke, or it would have been if it weren't for Rosa's overactive imagination.

She exhaled in exasperation, but couldn't help grinning back. "Well, okay. But you owe me a bag of gummy bears!"

The mare laughed. "Deal."

She would spend money on that, which made Rosa feel a bit guilty. "We're mooching again tomorrow?"

"If you're up for it. After the truck stop. We can go to the court house - lots of rich lawyers walk past. Now, most of them won't give you a dime, but if you can get just one it's worth your while. With your face we might get lucky!"

Rosa nodded to herself. It sounded about right. Stingy, but quite wealthy, lawyers, or at least that was what she had heard. Something else was bothering her, though. "Why don't you pay the guys off by doing a couple more deliveries?"

Sky Light shrugged. "Can't. Hoover is the delivery guy - I'm already doing that. Viktor loaned me cash, so I gotta pay him back in cash."

"Well, why don't you get Hoover to pay you?"

The suggestion made Sky freeze for a second, then she rounded up on Rosa. "Absolutely not!" she hissed. "Doing deliveries for money is a really, really bad idea, okay? If you ever meet Hoover, and by God I hope you don't, never, ever take a job from him!"

Rosa swallowed in fear and shrank back a little from her anger. "W-Why n-n-not?" she stuttered out.

The glare persisted for a little longer, but then Sky Light's face softened. "It wouldn't stop at a couple deliveries for a bit of cash, Rosa. Guys like him - he'll keep pushing you until you're using, and then you're doing deliveries just for your next hit." She stepped closer. "Stay. The fuck. Away from him. Understand? For your own good!"

Rosa was scared now and she nodded nervously. "Ok-Okay..."

The two watched each other for a while, the pegasus breathing heavily and Rosa trying not to move. She swallowed a lump, but then Sky Light seemed to realize where she was once more. "Sorry. I'm just worried about you, Rosa. I like you- a lot."

It was flattering that the mare would go to such lengths to protect her. A bit creepy, but ultimately nice. In any case, that was no the time to ask why Sky Light was so afraid, Rosa understood that much. Some other time.

"Thanks. I appreciate it, really." she give Sky a bright smile and she seemed satisfied with that. Without another word she turned around again and started walking.

Rosa stepped carefully on three hooves so she wouldn't spill the plastic cup she was balancing on the fourth. It was easier for Sky Light behind her who at least had all four legs on the ground and the drink clasped between her wing feathers. The pair made their ambling, careful way to the grass where the rest of the gang was sitting around and talking with each other. Velvet and Pepper shuffled away to make room and Rosa gratefully took her place on the grass with Velvet to her right and Sky Light to her left. That brought Rosa eye to eye with the three stallions, but that was okay. Butch in particular she preferred to keep where she could see him.

"So, how are you two?" the mare on her right asked, idly poking her own empty cup with a hoof.

"We're on a Quest!" Sky Light admitted immediately with a goofy grin. That earned her instant attention.

Pepper, in particular, looked impressed. "Oh, wow! That sounds exciting. What is it?"

She glanced at Rosa and the others followed her gaze. Their expectant stares were a bit unnerving, but Rosa reasoned the more ponies who knew about what she was trying to do, the better her chances.

"I'm trying to find a place where they take ponies with cutie marks."

Bluegrass seemed the most surprised at the news. "They really do that?!" he asked, amazed. "I thought that was just an urban myth!"

"They took my friend from the School. I'm going to find her," Rosa said with more confidence than she really felt. "We're gonna ask the drivers to check on CB. I mean - even secret government places have to get supplied, right?"

Velvet looked a little doubtful. "Unless it's the military doing the supplying. They have their own trucks." Rosa's expression crumpled and Velvet scooched closer to briefly lean her head against her side. "Aw, I didn't mean to make you sad, sweetie!" she said. "Government and military aren't always the same thing, yes?"

That made Rosa feel a little better and she nodded happily.

"Good thinking about the CB," Pepper commended her.

Rosa was about to admit the truth, but Sky Light beat her to it: "Not my idea. Terry came up with that one."

Now the stallion was doubly impressed. "The old geezer hasn't drowned himself in booze yet?"

Sky Light didn't answer and Rosa couldn't quite meet her eyes. She was fond of the man and the rest of them knew that. At what point did playful jabbing become hurtful, Rosa wondered? The mare pushed past it and looked to Bluegrass instead. "By the way, we were wondering if you'd look around the Internet."

"Who, me?" the pony in question asked.

This made Sky Light roll her eyes in exasperation. "No, dummy. I was asking Rosa, since, you know, she's the only one here living in an actual house with actual Internet."

Everyone laughed and even Rosa couldn't keep a small chuckle from escaping.

"Dummy," Sky Light repeated, but she was grinning. The stallion smiled as well.

"Sorry. Yeah, of course I'll try. Anything in particular I should look for?" Bluegrass asked.

Rosa decided to field that one. She wanted to make sure he got it right. "Yeah, actually. See if you can find something about an earth mare named 'Maribelle'. Or if not, anyplace they take ponies who get cutie marks. Oh, and also why. Terry says it doesn't happen usually, but it was a big deal at the School."

"You keep talking about this school," Velvet asked thoughtfully, "what was it about? Is there really a school for ponies? Can just anyone enroll?"

Rosa shook her head. "It doesn't work that way. We're there almost from birth."

The mare frowned a little at the news. "Okay, so what do they teach?"

"Useful careers-" Rosa began, but Sky Light interrupted her.

"-like tard wrangling. That was Rosa's specialty."

It got a round of laughter, but Rosa didn't mind. The statement was true enough. "Well, Paolo was training for a delivery pony," she added. "There were different programs. Housekeeping, cooking, accounting." She remembered the most exciting one and smiled. "A filly I knew had a very nice voice so they trained her for voice-over work in movies and cartoons!"

"Wow. Busy place!" Pepper commented.

For the first time that day Butch made a comment: "Shame this 'Paolo' didn't escape with you."

Before Rosa knew it she was blushing slightly and lowering her ears. "W-Why?" she asked.

Everyone looked at the stallion, who shrugged and pointed at Sky Light. "He could help you with those drug deliveries."

This time there was no laughter. Rosa thought she had found the line which shouldn't be crossed, even in joking.

"Well. Anyway," Sky Light said, looking down at the grass. "Let's finish coffee, Rosa. Then we can go check if Pavo is up yet."

Rosa glanced at the man's truck, but the curtain was still pulled across the front window, so her guess would be 'no'. Despite that she didn't argue, choosing rather to dunk her muzzle into the cup and slurp up some of the tasty beverage.

"What did you get?" Velvet asked in an effort to lighten the atmosphere.

"A cappuccino," Rosa explained. "The cook at Pony School told me she likes them so I wanted to try one."

"Any good?"

Rosa nodded and smiled.

The other mare stared at the drink. "Can I try?"

There was about a quarter of the cup left, so Rosa just slid away from it and waved her hoof magnanimously. "You can finish it, if you like. I think I've had enough."

It had already been far more caffeine than she was really used to, so Rosa didn't mind Velvet sharing a little. She liked the mare.

"Oh, really?" she chirped happily. "Thanks!"

Rosa caught Pepper and Bluegrass giving her approving smiles and felt a lot happier in herself. "I guess I'll catch you later? Or tomorrow?"

Sky Light was already walking away, having apparently left Rosa to say goodbye.

"Probably tomorrow. Same time?" Velvet asked her friends, who all nodded. "Bye Rosa!"

Bluegrass lifted a hoof in farewell. "I'll try to find something on the Internet by then!"

"Thanks! Have a nice day!"

Rosa hurried after the pegasus toward the trucks where some people seemed to be moving around. It would be a good idea to ask as many of them for help as she could.

Chapter 36: Missing

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There hadn't been any real news from Pavo, but he had made some calls and promised he would tell them what he found out the next time he was in the area. He also directed the pair to some of the other trucks. Sky Light didn't know most of the drivers, but a few of them seemed willing to help out even without any payment, a fact for which Rosa was very grateful.

Some others yelled at the mares very rudely even before they had made their request. There were all sorts at the stop and Sky Light had told Rosa she shouldn't take it to heart. Some people were just jerks. The things they called her still stung Rosa a little, but the feeling was slowly passing as she followed her friend back to the van.

"Sorry for asking, but how many deliveries do you have to do exactly? For Hoover?"

Rosa was watching the other mare and her step faltered, but only for a moment. Sky shrugged her wings. "Two."

"Two?"

She sighed and glanced back at Rosa. "It's been 'two' for the past three times, but I put my hoof down the other day. Just two more and then I'm done."

It was probably impolite for Rosa to pry into it any further, but she was curious and couldn't think of anything else to talk about. "How did you end up- um..."

This time the mare kept herself under control and didn't flinch. Sky Light probably wasn't going to answer and Rosa couldn't really blame her. It must have been a very dark chapter of her life.

"You don't have to-"

"Train hopping," Sky Light answered quickly, interrupting Rosa. "Well, actually, I didn't meet him on the train, but I met one of his mules."

"Mules?"

The mare chuckled a little. "I forgot. You don't know the slang. A mule is someone who transports drugs around," she explained, then paused mid-step. "Come to think of it, that's me. Heh. I'm a mule, but I'm also a pony!"

It was not that funny, but Rosa laughed dutifully. It was putting Sky Light at her ease, which was as good a reason as any.

"Anyway, this guy - I don't remember his name - he asked if I wanted to make some money. Of course I said yes."

Her smile was derisive, but it was probably aimed at her younger self. Rosa didn't think there was anything to blame her for, but the mare was doing it anyway. Rosa came closer and brushed her rump against hers as a sign of comfort.

After a few steps Sky Light continued: "At first it was fine. I could fly, so taking packages was a snap. Hoover got me that FedEx uniform, so no one questioned what I was doing. I made a fair bit of money."

They walked in silence for a while, which gave Sky Light some time to collect her thoughts before she could continue. At long last she did: "I don't even know why I started using. Curious, I guess. I wanted to know what it feels like."

"What does it feel like?" Rosa was genuinely wondering. She would never do it, of course, but she still wanted to hear about it.

"Weird. Funny, but in a good way," Sky Light said thoughtfully, with a faraway look on her muzzle. "It's a bit like flying. You feel really good for a while. Not so much when you come down, but-" The mare shook her head forcefully. She was breathing more quickly and gave Rosa a frown. "I kicked the stuff. I'm not going back on it. Can we not talk about it please?"

Rosa hurriedly raised her forelegs up. "Of course! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to dredge up bad memories!"

"Anyway," the mare went on as if wishing to bring her story to some kind of a conclusion as quickly as possible. "Turns out drugs are very expensive and I ended up owing Hoover a ton of money. We made a deal I'd do deliveries for him until I paid it off." She barked a sharp laugh. "Should've known he'd cheat. I was so happy to be off the hook for the money that I didn't notice he never told me how many deliveries. Then, after a while I was just too scared to say anything."

"H-How many did you do?"

The one movie Rosa had seen about drugs and organized crime was making her very nervous about Sky Light tangling with this Hoover guy. Her stomach felt cold and her legs were trembling.

Sky Light gave it some thought. "Dunno. Forty. More probably. It's been going on for years, every couple of weeks, regular." She shook her head sadly. "I owed him a lot of money..."

Another thought had occurred to Rosa and now she tentatively voiced it: "Uh, w-when you found me, were you..." She didn't finish the sentence.

Sky Light stopped and sat down. She wasn't looking at Rosa and kept her muzzle pointed firmly at the ground. "Will you hate me if I said yes?" she asked quietly.

Rosa hurriedly walked over and put her hooves around her to give her a nice, friendly nuzzle. "Of course not. You probably saved my life. I'd have gone and got myself lost in some woods or something." By now she would probably be some animal's dinner, but Rosa didn't say that part out loud.

Sky Light sighed and returned the nuzzle. "Thanks, Rosa. It means a lot."

They stood like that for a minute, Rosa holding on to her sad friend, until she got to her hooves and shook Rosa off. "My turn," she said more cheerfully. "What will you do if you find out where cutie mark ponies are being held?"

That was something Rosa hadn't thought about very much yet. The whole prospect seemed so unlikely that she didn't really have a plan yet. "Go look for it, I guess? I have to find Maribelle!"

Rosa didn't know why, but it felt really important for her to do that. Her friend needed help and Rosa needed Maribelle. Together, they would be able to make sense of this crazy, dangerous world.

"Not much of a plan there," Sky Light pointed out.

"No. I guess I'll just wing it."

The two looked at each other and then burst out laughing together. It relieved a lot of pent up pressure and it felt good to be optimistic about the future. Even if Rosa's plan failed, she would have someplace to go. More importantly, she would have friends.

When the laughing fit had passed, Sky Light wiped at her muzzle with a foreleg, then grinned at Rosa. "I'm gonna come with."

That really lifted Rosa's spirits. The pegasus was clever, adaptable and quick on her hooves. She would be an invaluable friend on such a dangerous venture. "It could get risky," Rosa cautioned her.

"So?" the mare demanded with a scoff. "You're gonna need me if you're winging it. See?" She spread out a wing and flapped it a little up and down.

They both ended up laughing again.

For the first time Rosa felt like she might have a chance. Sky Light had met practically everyone and she knew her way around the streets. She was resourceful and tenacious. Together with Rosa's earth pony strength and stubbornness, they were bound to succeed!

"Come on, let's go see if Terry has some lunch for us," Sky Light invited.

Rosa was only too happy to oblige and followed her friend with a fresh bounce in her trot. After a few steps she started humming her tune.

"What's that song?" Sky Light asked quietly after a while.

"Dunno. I've always known it, but I can't remember where I heard it."

"It's nice."

Rosa smiled at the pegasus.

"Really uplifting..." she muttered, probably not having even intended to say it out loud.

Encouraged, Rosa kept humming it even after she reached the end of what she knew. Sky Light didn't seem to mind her simply repeating the few bars over and over.

They found Terry sitting in the back of the van with the doors open and a cigarette between his fingers. He was holding open a newspaper with the same hand, which seemed to Rosa a bit dangerous. He could have burned down the closest thing they had to a home like that!

Rosa glanced at Sky Light to see if she also saw the problem, then headed straight for the man to give him a piece of her mind. Politely, of course.

"Um, excuse me-"

He pointed a finger at the page he was reading. "That's your guy, isn't it? Boone?"

Rosa didn't know what he was talking about, so she decided to ignore it for now. "You shouldn't hold a cigarette in the same hand as that newspaper. It could catch fire."

He didn't pay her any attention, but he folded up the paper and turned it towards the mare. "Shut up and look at this!"

His voice was insistent and Rosa switched her gaze to the headline: 'Senator's daughter missing!'

For the first few seconds she wasn't quite able to process what she was seeing. Her eyes automatically slid down to the first paragraph, right next to the picture.

'believed to have run away'... 'family worried'...
'reward for any information'... 'search operation'...
'no amber alert'

Only then did Rosa really look at the picture out of which Lillian was smiling back at her. She looked even younger than she remembered. Her rump hit the ground almost without her awareness and Rosa felt a chill run through her belly as it clenched together in fear. "Lillian is m-missing?!"

Sky Light was by her side and took the paper from Terry, since Rosa wasn't capable of holding it right at the moment. The mare had a decidedly concerned expression.

"I don't- I don't understand."

"Oh boy," the pegasus said sadly, "this is gonna be tricky. What happened?"

There was a rustle of cloth as Terry shrugged. "They're saying she ran away from her school during break."

"Do they know why?"

Rosa had a frightening, terrible feeling that it had got something to do with her, but she was too scared to say it. If the girl got hurt and it turned out to be Rosa's fault, she would never forgive herself.

Sky Light put the paper on the ground and straightened it with a hoof. "Hold on, lemme read this."

While she was muttering to herself Terry answered her question: "It says there Boone was beating her..."

Rosa firmly shook her head. The man had been unreasonable when it came to her cutie mark, but he cared for the girl, that much Rosa knew for certain. "It's b-because of m-me..." she admitted, even if the words stumbled a little out of her mouth.

There was no proof, but what else could it have been? The girl had come to see Rosa that night before she had let her go. She had believed her parents that the mare was bad, but maybe she wasn't completely convinced. Maybe, after a few days, regret had set in. She had considered Rosa a friend. The two had gotten pretty close, even in the short time they had spent together. Rosa squeezed her eyes shut, but tears still fell unimpeded.

"How l-long?" Rosa asked, her voice cracking. "How long has she been missing?"

Sky Light answered that one even while she continued to read. "She didn't come back from recess yesterday morning. They found where she broke the hedge to get out of school grounds."

That was more than a full day! "We have to find her!" Nothing else was important right then. Rosa's friend needed her and she had to get the girl safely home, no matter what happened.

"Don't be stupid," Terry told her, nearly making Rosa growl at him. "What in hell can we do? It's on the other side of the city in the suburbs. It'll take us a day just to get there and that's if we even had money for the bus." He leaned a little closer and his eyes narrowed. "It's probably crawling with cops. Didn't you say they were looking for you?"

That much was true, but Rosa didn't care. "Sky Light can fly and l-look for her! They aren't looking for her! A-And I can hide..." She clutched the other mare around her midriff, but she just craned her neck to keep reading the article. "Please?" Rosa begged.

The mare let out a sigh and patted Rosa on the head with a gentle hoof. "Sorry, sweetheart, but I think Terry is right on this one. There's not a whole lot we can do." She pointed at the newspaper. "They got helicopters and nearly the whole police department out looking for her. Every TV and newspaper has her picture. She'll be fine, you'll see."

Rosa couldn't take the risk. Right now she might still have a chance to do something. In a day or two, it may be too late. She would never forgive herself if she didn't at least try. Even if she did try, she would blame whatever happened to Lillian on herself if she didn't come safely home. "I'm going..."

"What?" Terry asked incredulously.

"I'm going to look for her!"

Sky Light was giving her an appraising look, as if trying to decide if she was mad. "Rosa, don't-"

"I'M GOING!"

Shouting first had been a mistake. The pegasus suddenly had her hooves around Rosa's chest and was holding her tightly. Rosa would buck her off, but Sky knew how to grab a pony and Rosa couldn't find enough leverage on the ground.

"Help me out here!" Sky commanded her human friend.

He stood up, but didn't lay his hands on Rosa yet. "Why?"

"Let me go!" Rosa couldn't see very well through the blur of tears in her eyes. As she kept struggling she managed to land a feeble blow on Sky Light's side, but she still couldn't loosen her iron grip.

"Grab her legs or so help me God, Terry!" the pegasus growled.

"Fine, jeez!" he complained and reached for Rosa's foreleg. She tried to twist away, but the man was fast and surprisingly strong. She couldn't wrench free when they were both holding her.

"No!" Rosa screamed, starting to panic. "No! Let go of me! Let me go!"

It was all in vain. With Terry holding her forelegs up Rosa couldn't do much more than scrabble on the sidewalk. Defeated, she burst into tears and stopped struggling.

"Now what?" Terry asked pointedly.

It took Sky Light a minute to decide. "In the van."

Rosa was awkwardly moved along the ground and they rolled her into the back of the van.

"Ready?" Sky asked.

There was no reply, but Terry must have nodded, because they both shoved Rosa roughly inside. She jumped to her hooves and tried to bolt, but it was too late and the door slammed on her muzzle. For a moment she saw flashing lights before the pain subsided.

"Hold the door!" Sky Light yelled.

"LET ME OUT!" Rosa shouted back at her. She tried pushing the door, but couldn't budge it. Then she turned around and tried bucking it open. The metal rang as her hooves connected, but the van held. Rosa desperately looked around for another exit.

There was a small opening to the cabin, but it had a metal grid across it, even if the glass was long gone. It was also right under the roof so Rosa would never be able to reach it for a good buck. She still tried hitting it with her forehooves, but she couldn't get enough leverage to break the bars.

"Please," Rosa whimpered.

"Rosa, listen to me!" Sky Light commanded from just outside. Rosa tried not to hear, but she couldn't help it. The inside of the van was dark and bare. The mattress and a couple of blankets were the only things on the floor. There were no distractions to focus on in lieu of Sky Light's voice. "I know how you feel, but you can't just go rushing off like an idiot, okay?" the mare was saying.

Rosa ran at the back door again and threw her entire weight against it. There was a sharp pain in her shoulder which made her yelp. She had forgotten about the handle.

"Chrissake!" Terry said angrily. "Just let the bitch out before she wrecks the van!"

"No!" Sky Light insisted. "Rosa, listen to me right now!"

She gave up. It seemed everyone was conspiring against her, even those Rosa had thought were her friends! She curled up on the bare metal floor and let the tears come. Sky Light's voice was barely audible above her echoing sobs.

The mare outside was speaking softly now, her muzzle right near the door. "Sweetheart, you can't do this girl any good if you get yourself caught or killed! Think it over!"

Rosa shook her head, but didn't reply.

"There's a big search party - they'll find her, you'll see. Don't throw away your future because of some stupid little-"

"SHE'S NOT STUPID!" Rosa couldn't help herself.

"Fine! Sorry! I didn't mean it," Sky Light quickly apologized, "but you're staying in there until you calm down and start thinking rationally."

Sniffling, Rosa put her head on the floor and covered her ears with her hooves. It didn't help, but she didn't want to listen to Sky Light's betrayal any more and she couldn't think of anything else to do.

There was a longer silence and Rosa started imagining horrible things that might have already happened to Lillian. The images made her wail anew.

"Buck!" Sky Light swore quietly. "I'm gonna have to be stupid, aren't I?" She heaved a sigh and her voice softened when she spoke next: "I'll go search for her. Where I found you and the forests you were heading towards. She might have seen which way you went..."

Rosa lifted her head up and stared at the door in bewilderment.

Terry grunted before speaking: "You're both idiots..."

He was walking away from the van, but Sky Light was still at the door, speaking urgently. "I'll go search for her. You were right. I can fly and they aren't looking for me, okay? Just promise me you'll wait here."

Rosa didn't say anything, but a crazy hope blossomed in her heart.

"Rosa?"

"I want to help!"

"No. That's the deal. You're not thinking straight. You'd just get yourself caught or killed," Sky Light told her. "Take it or leave it."

Before Rosa could figure out a reply, there was a strange, metallic sound from outside and she looked up, focusing her ears.

"There, I've bolted the door," Sky said. "You're not getting out of there, so just accept it, Rosa. I'll go look for this girl. If you've stopped being crazy by the time I'm back, we'll talk about what to do next, okay? Calmly!"

Rosa heard hoofsteps moving away from the van and hurriedly ran back to the door. She hit it with her hoof a couple of times. "Don't leave me here! I can help! Please!"

It sounded as if the other mare was no longer listening. "Don't let her out!" she told Terry, who just grunted his acquiescence. It seemed that was good enough for Sky Light, because she made her way back to the van. "Don't hurt yourself in there, Rosa. I'll bring you some news as soon as I can. Please, for the love of God, think clearly for a minute, okay?"

Rosa didn't say anything. It was not like she could convince Sky Light to let her out.

"Promise me you'll think it through, or I won't tell you anything when I'm back!"

That frightened Rosa even more than being locked up. "I p-p-promise!" she hurriedly stammered.

"Good. Now sit tight, you gold-hearted little idiot."

There was a whoosh of her feathers and Sky Light was gone. Rosa considered begging Terry to let her out, but she didn't think it would work. She needed time to think. Sky Light was right at least with that much. Blindly running off was a bad idea. For instance, Rosa didn't even know which direction to go. She needed a plan. Maybe if she came up with a good plan, Sky Light would let her out and take Rosa with her when she went back to searching.

'Please,' Rosa thought to herself, 'come back quickly!' Then she lay back down on the floor as tears threatened to overwhelm her once again.

Chapter 37: The Search

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Several hours passed as Rosa waited in the dim interior of the van. Her only source of light was the small window to the driver's cabin up near the roof, so that was where she had been staring. The day had gone from early afternoon, to evening, and finally night. She had been listening intently for Sky Light's return, but all Rosa could catch was Terry walking around and, occasionally, drinking something from his flask. Every now and then he muttered to himself, but Rosa wasn't really interested. What she wanted to hear was the soft whoosh of feathers which would signify Sky Light returning with news. Rosa would also have settled for hoofsteps.

"Please..." she murmured to no one in particular.

At first she had tried calling for Terry to let her out, but he had just ignored her, so Rosa gave up. It looked as if Sky Light would be her only salvation.

"Please!"

Rosa wanted to stay focused on poor, lost Lillian, but now there was another pressure on her mind. Well, no so much on her mind as in her bladder. Pretty soon she would go back to begging Terry to release her, or else his mattress would end up... soggy. She heaved a forlorn, long-suffering sigh, and tried to curl up and forget her troubles for a while. It was exceptionally hard since there was absolutely nothing else to do in there!

A stray sound caught Rosa's ear and she lifted her head hopefully to search for the source. She focused on the small window, where the faint glow of the day was fading fast. There it was again! This time Rosa was sure! She jumped to her hooves and rushed to the doors. She lifted her hoof to start banging on them, but then paused in mid-air. If she started making noise and demanded to be let out, Sky Light might decide Rosa was still stupid and refuse to open the van. She was no longer stupid. The other mare had been right. Sitting in the dark had allowed Rosa - well, forced her, really - to think about what she should do. Running off to try and 'save' Lillian would just end badly. It pained Rosa to admit it, but she didn't know which way to go, nor what to do when she got there. Her friend had been right, after all. She really did need Sky Light's help.

By now she was willing to promise anything - anything - in exchange for her help. Rosa would do more drug runs. She would mooch with her every day for as long as she wanted. Hell, she would even...

Dare she even think it?

... prostitute.

Not so squeamish now, when it was Lillian's life on the line and it was all her fault. Morals be damned! Rosa was going to do her part to get that girl safely home. She forced herself to sit down on her haunches while, outside, Sky Light landed and said a tired 'hello' to Terry. It was perhaps the hardest thing Rosa had ever had to do, but she kept her trap shut and her limbs still.

Yes! She was coming over! All Rosa's muscles tensed up in expectation.

"Rosa? You still in-"

"Yes! Did you find Lillian? What happened?"

She had only slightly jumped the gun there, but that was okay. Sky Light didn't remark upon it. Instead, Rosa heard two gentle taps as she leaned on the door. "Sorry. I searched in a circle around her school, but no sign of her."

"H-How did you know which school?"

The mare barked a laugh. "It was the one with all the police cars parked in front. There were people combing the alleys with flashlights - if she was around they'd have found her."

Rosa's heart was sinking and it took two tries to get her voice working. "May-Maybe someone ki-kidnapped her?!" she squeaked out.

There was no answer.

"Sky Light?"

"Dunno. Not jumping to any conclusions. Maybe we're looking in the wrong place. Tomorrow I'll go the way I found you, okay? Maybe she went that way."

Rosa's ears fell flat at the news. It meant Lillian would have to spend another night outside, or wherever she was. Rosa didn't like the idea, but if she demanded Sky Light go search for her in the dark, she would just leave her in the van to 'cool off'.

"I'll c-ome w-w-with..."

"Don't be stupid," the mare said back. "It's gonna take me hours to fly all the way out there, you'll just slow me down."

"But-"

A knock on the van door interrupted Rosa. "Do you want me to look for Lillian, or do you want me to take you on a tour of the city, Rosa?! You can't have both, you idiot!"

It hadn't seemed possible, but Rosa's ears fell lower. Of course Sky Light was right. Sneaking through the city with an earth pony in tow, especially when the humans might be looking for a mare with her description, would slow them both down. The last time Sky had led Rosa from that field to the van it had taken them practically the whole day, and they didn't even have to hide very hard.

"What if we go at night?" Rosa suggested tentatively, even though it was a foolish idea.

Sky knew it too. She sighed again. "I swear to God, Rosa..."

"Sorry."

She was on the verge of tears once again and Sky Light seemed to realize it. "Look, I'm exhausted. It's been a long day and flying across the city and back takes it out of you, okay?"

By now Rosa was staring, shame-faced, at her hooves, even though her friend couldn't see her. "Okay."

"Good. I suggest we get a good night's rest, and then I'll start again tomorrow. You just gotta trust me on this one, okay?"

Rosa nodded, but then remembered that Sky couldn't see her. "Okay."

There was a metallic grinding noise and Rosa took an involuntary step away from the door. "I'm gonna let you out, okay? Promise you won't do anything stupid?" Sky Light told her.

"I promise."

The bolt Sky had used to lock Rosa in the van clanged against the ground and the door opened, making Rosa blink even though it was almost completely dark outside. She hadn't even realized how bad the air had gotten in the van, not until she smelled the fresh draft from outside. She almost gasped when she looked at the pegasus. Sky hadn't been kidding about being tired. She looked frazzled and sweaty, with her wings almost dragging on the ground. It took Rosa only a second to forgive her for shutting her in. The mare had ran herself ragged looking for the young girl.

She didn't want to worry her so Rosa stepped out of the van very slowly and carefully, trying to convey through her motions that she had no intention of bolting. Gradually Sky Light relaxed, before giving Rosa a wet, stinking hug. She didn't mind and held the other mare up.

"Thank you," Rosa said with tears in her eyes. She was still worried sick about Lillian, but the effort Sky Light had gone to on her behalf was quite heartwarming.

Sky was mollified by Rosa's gratitude and smiled back. "There, I said you needed to think it over. Let's go get a drink, then toilet, okay?"

That reminded Rosa of the pressure and she let Sky go while crossing her hind legs.
"Other way around, please?" she begged.

The mare chuckled and patted Rosa's head with a wing. "Don't worry, we'll find this girl, or maybe the search parties will. It's a big operation out there. Good thing her dad is this important."

Rosa nodded, fully in agreement. Mr. Boone's connections and power would come in useful for once.

Sky Light let her go ahead while she paused beside the fire, where Terry was smoking yet another cigarette. "I'm gonna need you to take the cabin tonight, Terry," the mare said. "I think Rosa needs someone at a time like this."

Rosa understood what she meant and her ears lowered. Sky Light wasn't completely convinced she had come to her senses, or maybe she was worried Rosa might relapse in the night. The problem was - she might. If Rosa had a particularly nasty dream, she could easily forget reason and try to sneak off to do... whatever. Knowing her own weakness didn't make it any easier to hear, but Rosa was still grateful that Sky Light would have her eye on her. With her friend sleeping beside her, the bad dreams might not even come. If they did, the pegasus would undoubtedly wake up if Rosa tried to leave. Smart of her, but it still made Rosa blush in embarrassment. It was a good thing it was getting dark.

Rosa waited while her friend rejoined her. "Come on. Toilet, then a quick wash."

"Uh-huh," she agreed.

"Rosa, I'm gonna need you to do something for me tomorrow, okay?"

The words sent her heart racing. The way Sky Light had said it, this couldn't be good. "Y-Yes?"

"I'll be out all day, looking for Lillian, but I still have to get Viktor his money, the sooner the better, okay?"

Rosa was starting to understand what Sky needed from her. It was not pleasant and she didn't know if she could do it alone, but she was determined to try. After everything Sky Light had done for her, Rosa owed her.

"I need you to go mooching for a bit. The parking machine, that's one of the easier spots. Can you do that?" Sky Light whirled to face her. "Can I count on you?"

Rosa swallowed a big lump, but then nodded. "Yes..."

Sky smiled and leaned in to give her a quick nuzzle as a reward. "Good. Just a few more and I'll be done with all that, okay? After we find Lillian I'm gonna finish the two deliveries and then I'm out of it."

Rosa wanted her friend to be out of that whole, messy business. She fond new determination and forced herself to smile back. "I'll do it. I promise."

That seemed to relax Sky a little. "Good. You're a good friend, even if you're a bit stupid sometimes, okay?"

That was high praise, coming from the world-weary pegasus, and Rosa grinned to herself as she once again fell in step beside her.

"Stupid, but a heart of gold," Sky Light repeated more quietly, as if to herself. "Once that's all done, we'll focus on your thing, okay? Some of those truckers should start coming back with news. Oh, and we also need to check with Bluegrass if he found anything on the Internet."

Rosa just nodded, even though the other mare wasn't looking back. They were both focusing on placing their hooves so they didn't cut them on one of the stray bits of metal which littered the ground around the abandoned factory. It was especially tricky in the dark.

"Dunno what we'll do after we find where your friend is being kept, but we'll figure something out, even if I have to call in some favors."

"Thanks. You're a good friend too, Sky Light."

The two reached the broken door and Sky Light ushered Rosa inside. "Go on, ladies first." The expression made them both chuckle, but Rosa was grateful for the courtesy. The pressure inside her was starting to get quite critical.

The mattress was a bit whiffy, but quite comfortable, especially, Rosa thought, with being bundled up in Sky Light's feathers. The mare was an absolute cuddler, which was quite nice, since the nights were still slightly chilly. Having her personal wing-blanket was a nice perk. She was the small spoon and Sky Light held her against her chest. Rosa did not complain, even if Sky Light's motivation was just to keep her in place if she tried to sneak away during the night. It was completely understandable that Sky Light didn't quite trust her after Rosa's display earlier.

In fact, Rosa didn't even trust herself not to do anything stupid. She apparently had a tendency to get emotional when people she cared about were in trouble, and it was hard to think rationally about those sorts of situations.

"I'm sorry. Um, about earlier," Rosa repeated yet again.

"Yeah, you said," her friend replied, her breath warm on Rosa's neck. "It's fine. Just try to be... less stupid in the future, okay?"

The blunt way she put it made Rosa giggle. "Okay, I'll try."

The van creaked and rocked a little as Terry climbed up into the cabin. Rosa heard him grumbling about it, but she couldn't make out his actual words.

Sky Light seemed to know what the man was saying, though. She lifted her head up and yelled: "You'll live, Terry. It's just one night, okay?"

Once again Rosa who couldn't suppress a small chuckle.

"Yeah, but back's gonna be shot," came the annoyed-sounding reply from the cabin. "These seats are crap!"

"I'll give you a hoof-massage!" Sky Light promised.

Terry didn't say anything to that, so Rosa guessed he had accepted the deal. The rocking stopped and the van went quiet. She wriggled a bit closer to her feathery friend to capture more of that delicious warmth between them.

"Oh, sorry," Sky apologized and dragged the blanket over Rosa.

It really stank, so Rosa pushed it away from her face. "We have to wash this."

Sky Light was quiet for a moment before replying. "It's kind of a hassle."

"Don't care. We're washing it, soon." Rosa hadn't said 'tomorrow', because it could wait until they were sure Lillian was safe, but right after that she would be putting her hoof down. Come to think of it, there was another thing: "We're also getting some sheets."

"Fuck, Rosa," the other mare complained, "this isn't a hotel-"

Rosa didn't wait for her to finish. "It's not a dump, either! It won't cost much and it'll make living here a bit nicer."

Sky Light heaved an exasperated sigh, but Rosa could tell she was smiling. She didn't say anything else to antagonize Sky Light for the moment, because she was just realizing that this place would be her home for the foreseeable future. It was not too bad, though. Terry was a grump and he had gotten her drunk, but he obviously cared for Sky Light. Maybe, in a small way, he was starting to care for Rosa too. Then there was the pegasus herself, and she made all the difference. There was absolutely no doubt in Rosa's mind that they were good friends. Today's debacle had proved it. Making their home a bit more livable was something Rosa could do right away to help out, so that was what she was going to do.

"Good night, Sky."

She got a nice nuzzle in return. "Good night."

This again.

Rosa didn't need this, nor did she want it. Not now.

The featureless room, the floating cyan eyes, the unnaturally soft and warm floor, the softly twinkling stars above.

"This isn't funny, you know?" Talking to herself now. Rosa almost hoofed her own face. Whatever this dream was, it was all fabricated entirely in her mind. It was just her, all over. She was doing this to herself.

"Either help me or go away!" Rosa realized she was still doing it, but it was hard to resist talking to whatever part of her that thing represented. Its gaze was unblinking and eerily silent.

Since she seemed to be stuck in this weird dream, maybe she could get something useful out of it? Maybe her subconscious mind had noticed a detail Rosa had missed and was trying to tell her in this strange way?

"You are troubled. The humans have betrayed you."

Rosa leaned her head to the side and stared. "What? What are you talking about?"

The eyes vanished and reappeared a moment later as the creature blinked. "White Pigeon," it - she - said.

Now it was Rosa's turn to blink in confusion. "What?!"

"Find the White Pigeon. Find me."

Rosa opened her mouth to ask the thing again what it was talking about, but the eyes closed and the room went completely dark.

Chapter 38: Bacon and Ear Scratches

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"You okay?"

This time it was Sky Light's voice intruding in Rosa's consciousness. She was already sitting bolt upright without any memory of waking up and the pegasus had her forelegs loosely around her waist.

"What happened?" Rosa gasped.

She could see the silhouette of the other mare in the faint light coming from the cabin window. The moon was up and the night was especially bright.

"Dunno," Sky replied, "you just yelled 'what' and jumped up. Bad dream?"

Rosa quickly remembered the weirdness of her dream and nodded. "I've been having them- um recently," she admitted.

Had it only been a couple of weeks? It felt longer. The first time Rosa had had that particular dream was when she started working for the Boones. In fact, she hadn't had one since she ran away. Why had it returned now?

Sky Light squeezed her a little just to remind her that she was there. "You okay now?"

It had been confusing, but it was just a dream. They didn't have to make sense. Rosa nodded at her friend. "I'm fine. Sorry for waking you up."

Seeing that she wasn't intending to run away helped Sky Light relax as well. They both settled back down and her wing came back to cover Rosa.

"What time is it?" Almost before the words were out of Rosa's muzzle she realized that Sky Light had no way of knowing. There was not a clock in sight.

Rosa was about to tell her to never mind, but Sky answered: "Hold on," and slammed a hoof against the side of the van. "TERRY! What time is it?!"

The sudden noise made Rosa jump a little. "You didn't have to do that!" she hissed.

There was a curse from the cabin as the man woke up. "Three in the morning!" he yelled back, then followed with: "Crazy horse!" The van rocked a little as Terry turned around on the seat, then all was quiet once again.

"That was just mean!" Rosa accused her friend.

Sky Light just shrugged with her wings, a gesture Rosa more felt than saw. "I've been asking Terry to get me a watch for ages. Maybe he'll finally do it."

Shaking her head a little at their relationship, Rosa settled her head back down to sleep. "Crazy horse," she repeated what Terry had said.

Sky Light just chuckled a little.

At long last it was morning. Rosa had been waiting, unable to sleep, for over an hour! After her strange dream she had managed to nod off again, but woke up not long after. Since then it had been a losing battle to recapture unconsciousness. She couldn't help worrying about Lillian and imagining where she might be. Maybe the girl was sleeping under a bush or a tree someplace, like Rosa had that first night herself? Was she cold and hungry? All Rosa wanted to do was to find that sweet little girl, warm her up and tell her it was going to be alright, even if that meant she would have to take her home. That would put Rosa at the mercy of the Boones and probably the authorities, but that was a sacrifice she was willing to make.

She drew a deep breath and let it out in a forlorn sigh.

"God dammit, Rosa," Sky Light whispered, "just go back to sleep already!"

Her ears flopped down and her breath caught. Rosa hadn't even realized the other mare was awake. "H-How long-"

"About ten minutes," she interrupted the question. "You?" Rosa didn't want to say, but Sky prodded her in the back with a hoof. "Rosa?"

"Couple hours."

There was silence for a while as Sky Light processed this. "Well, thanks for not waking me up sooner, I guess."

"Sorry."

Sky Light yawned and let her friend go so she could stretch. The lack of fur and feathers meant a sudden chill all down Rosa's back and side. That was right, she remembered, she had felt too hot so she kicked the blanket off herself, carefully so as not to uncover Sky, of course. Now, in the dawn chill, she was regretting it. Rosa sat up and looked imploringly at the pegasus, who had rolled on her back. She was covered to about mid-belly with the blanket and her wings were partially unfurled. They looked quite rumpled.

The mare followed Rosa's gaze and lifted up the feathers to her face to inspect them. "Ugh," she groaned. "I'll need to get my wings in order before I go."

Rosa would offer to help, but she had no clue what needed to be done. Luckily she got another idea. "I'll get us breakfast!" Rosa promised.

Sky Light smacked her lips thoughtfully a couple of times. "Okay, sure. Where from?"

It took about a second to run through the list of options in her mind before Rosa settled on the fastest and easiest. "I'll go to the bus station and get sandwiches from the machine! My treat!"

That last bit was intended to remind Sky Light that she was holding on to the money. She needed to get it out of her saddlebags, because Rosa didn't feel right about digging through them. She know the mare kept a few personal items in there and it would feel like a massive invasion into her privacy.

"Okay, let me get you your money," Sky Light guessed Rosa's thoughts. She rolled to her hooves and stretched out, nearly kicking Rosa in the muzzle with a hind leg.

While she worked her other limbs, Rosa pushed the van door open and let in the fresh, crisp morning air. It was definitely spring, but the sudden change of temperature still made her shiver a little as she stepped down to the ground.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Sky Light asked while she was digging through her things.

"C-Can you go the way you found me? Those fields and, um - that general area? Maybe Lillian went the way she saw me leave?" Rosa hadn't seen the girl watch her leave at the time, but she might have done so from the upstairs hall window. If she had tried to follow Rosa, she'd head for the wilderness. Maybe she had guessed her pony friend would want to stay away from people?

Sky Light dropped a bank note on the edge of the mattress. "Here, that should do it," she said. "Anyway, yeah, that sounds reasonable. I'll do that. What do I do if I find her?"

Another question Rosa was not really ready for. What she wanted to say was for Sky Light to bring the girl to the van, so Rosa could look after her. She wanted to see her, and smell her and hug her, before sending the little sweetheart home. Except it would be senseless and tiring for cold, starving Lillian to walk all that way. That would just be selfish. Rosa had to be strong and decide what was best for the girl, not what she herself wished for. It made her sigh sadly, but there was also a feeling of pride.

"I'll give you an extra sandwich and water for her. Make sure she eats and drinks, and then take her to the nearest people and have them call the police."

Sky Light easily read her friend's expression and jumped down from the van to give Rosa a nuzzle and a hug. "Good plan, Rosa. I'll do that. I'll take my uniform."

Now Rosa had unbidden tears in her eyes. She had really been hoping she would get to see Lillian again, but her decision was the right one. Her safety was way more important.

"Tell her I said hello and I love her, okay?"

"Will do."

Sky released Rosa, then turned back to the van to fetch the money. She looked at her friend again, trying to decide how she might carry it, but then shrugged and held it out so Rosa could pick it up in her mouth. She really would need to get some bags for her, and soon.

"'aank 'oo." Rosa dropped the bank note into her hoof so she could talk again. "What do you want?"

Sky Light decided quickly: "Get me a BLT, like last time."

The thought of meat still made Rosa's muzzle scrunch up a little, but the sandwich would be in a plastic bag and she wouldn't have to smell it. "Okay, I'll be right back."

Her friend waved Rosa off as she re-gripped the money in her mouth and started trotting away. She was not much of an endurance runner, but Rosa was determined to do her best. She would have the whole day to rest after that. As she was climbing the stairs out of the canal, Rosa saw that Terry had also jumped out of the cab and was ruffling Sky Light's mane in greeting. The mare looked up and said something, but it was too far for Rosa to hear. Then Sky went back to poking at her wings. Rosa didn't know exactly what pegasi did, but it involves their mouths and their feathers. 'Preening', it was called. Hopefully Sky Light would be done by the time Rosa was back with the sandwiches, so she could fly as soon as possible.

Rosa was hurrying back to the van with her head held high - not because of pride or anything, but because the bag with sandwiches and water was dangling from her mouth.

Yeah, she thought to herself yet again, real smart of her not to consider how she was going to bring all the stuff back. Luckily the lady in the small shop at the bus station had been kind enough to give Rosa a plastic bag for everything. There was a BLT sandwich for Sky Light, which Rosa still couldn't believe Sky actually liked, and another for Lillian. Well, Rosa hoped it would be for Lillian. If Sky couldn't find the girl, Rosa was going to tell her, she might as well have the other sandwich herself. It was the least Rosa could do.

She had also bought two bottles of water and one with some fizzy soda. Sky Light would appreciate the sugar, especially since Rosa had no way to bring her any coffee. Finally, there was a cheese sandwich for herself. Rosa hadn't brought anything for Terry because the money had ran out. Sky Light had only given her ten dollars, after all. She decided she would make it up to the man later, somehow. She might get him lunch after her mooching session at the park, or maybe she would get him a beer or something another day.

Right at the moment, the bag was getting heavy and Rosa's jaw was starting to get tired. She sucked it up and kept going because she was an earth pony and she didn't shirk from physical challenges, but she still picked up her pace to get it over as quickly as possible. Once she reached the canal stairs Rosa was nearly there. She practically slid down the steps, then took a moment to breathe at the bottom before heading on. Pretty soon she could see the side of the van, but she couldn't spot her friends. Surely Sky Light hadn't left already? Maybe she had gone to the toilet first?

A few more steps brought the entire vehicle into view and Rosa relaxed. Terry was sitting in the back with his legs on the ground and from the looks of it Sky Light was resting beside him. All Rosa could see was her tail dropping down under the open van door. It was good that she was resting as much as she could. Rosa needed the mare fresh and full of energy for her search. Her ears flattened as Rosa thought about Lillian again. Hopefully the child was okay. It hadn't rained in the night, so if she was dressed warmly she should have been fine sleeping under a bush or something. Rosa still tried hard not to think about wild animals, though!

She hurried back to her friends, both relieved to have finished the journey and slightly proud of herself for getting it all on her own. With a pair of saddlebags Rosa knew she could be completely self-sufficient. Not that she wanted that, of course. She actually liked Sky Light and derived great comfort from her knowing, experienced presence.

The sight before her gave Rosa pause, though, and made the bag drop from her mouth so she could smile. Sky Light was sprawled in the van with her tail hanging out, like Rosa had seen, but with her head on Terry's leg. He was supporting Sky's muzzle with one hand, but his other was busily scratching behind an ear. Rosa became aware of a low, growling sort of sound coming from the mare's mouth. It was like the world's slowest, most relaxed groan Rosa had ever heard.

Terry looked up, grinned at Rosa and gave her a wink. He removed his steadying hand to put a finger on his lips, before he reached back down and switched to Sky's other ear.

"Mmmm.. ohhh," she half-sighed, half-groaned. "That's the stuff..."

Rosa wouldn't be surprised to find that the pegasus was drooling a little.

That surely couldn't feel as nice as Sky Light was making it seem, could it? Lillian had pet Rosa sometimes and it had never been like that. It had been awesome, Rosa recalled, just not enough to melt her brain like it seemed to have happened to Sky Light.

Terry noticed her questioning look and his grin widened. "Magic fingers!" he explained, holding out a hand to show her. Rosa didn't see anything special about it.

His words and gesture alerted Sky Light to Rosa's return and she struggled to open one eye. "Oh. Hi, um... Rosa."

Even talking seemed to be a bit much for the poor mare right at the moment. Rosa grinned to herself and picked up the bag again so she could bring it closer. "Got you sandwiches," she explained once she had deposited her treasure in the van, right next to Sky Light's motionless body.

"Yeah, gimme a minute," she asked, then closed her eyes again.

Now Rosa was getting really curious. Terry had one hand free and she looked at him imploringly. Luck! He motioned for her to step closer, so Rosa placed herself right between his legs. He brushed her mane aside and she leaned her head to give him easier access. The fingers slipped behind her ear and Rosa wondered how he'd start. A gentle buildup of massage which would turn to scratches, or would he just go for it right off the bat? So far it just felt... alien.

His hand encircled her ear and Rosa was just about ready to pull away. Maybe it didn't work on all ponies, or maybe it was...

It was...

"Mmmm..."

There it was. Now Rosa understood. It felt like getting the biggest itch she had ever had finally scratched. She had never even realized, but Rosa's ears had been itching her entire life, and now there was the sweet, soothing relief. She didn't even know when she had started doing it, but Rosa was suddenly leaning her head into the pressure, wanting more. Terry obediently applied extra force and her breath caught.

There were no words, but Rosa tried to find some in the addled mess that was suddenly her mind. "F-F...," she swallowed and tried again: "Fuuuuuuck."

She gradually became aware of a rhythmic, snorting sound and forced her eyes open to see Sky Light's wings shaking as she chortled. As soon as Rosa realized what she had said she pulled away and blushed a vivid red. She could see the glow at the end of her own muzzle. Terry joined Sky in chuckling while Rosa tried to regain her composure. A bit of drool had escaped from her lips, which didn't help Rosa's self-image.

At least she got some respite when Sky Light slipped from the van and put her hooves around Rosa. "Don't worry, sweetie," she said, barely holding back laughter, "it takes us all that way. I guess it's your first time?"

Rosa just nodded, shame-faced and wishing she was someplace else, especially after the other mare leaned in, still with that silly grin on her muzzle, and whispered: "Wait till you try human dick." She winked at Rosa's mortified expression, then pulled away and started stretching. "Okay, let's see what we got here," she exclaimed as she went to rummage through the sandwiches. "Where did you get the bag?"

"Lady- um, shop. Lady in shop at the bus station," Rosa explained lamely.

"Clever," Sky praised. "We still need to find you some saddlebags, or a backpack or something."

"Backpack?"

The mare nodded while she was peeling open one of the BLT sandwiches. "Yeah! It's no good for me because of the wings, but it should be fine for you. Oh, and we need to get you something to wear."

Rosa looked down and blushed even more. The silk nightgown was torn and dirty. It would probably also stink, if Rosa weren't so used to it. When had she let her standards of personal hygiene fall so low? For that matter, she hadn't even brushed her mane in days, not since that truck stop shower! Was it that easy to slip? It would explain why Terry and Sky Light weren't bothered about living in filth. About the only consolation was that Rosa had been brushing her teeth every evening. She would be really worried if she stopped doing that.

"Sorry," Rosa squeaked in a small voice.

Her friend came over, shuffling awkwardly on two legs because she was holding the sandwich and biting into it at the same time. She draped a wing around Rosa's withers. "It's okay, sweetie. You can't be expected to keep a dress like that looking neat on the street." She paused for a moment, then chuckled. "Neat on the street," she repeated.

There was a sound from Terry and Rosa glanced over to see him unscrewing his booze flask. Weird how it always seemed to have some drink in it, even though Rosa had never seen him refill it.

Seeing her look, Terry held it out to Rosa, but she shook her head. She was not falling for that thing again. He hadn't taken advantage of her the last time, but Rosa didn't want to take any chances. Sky Light trusted the man, but Rosa didn't - not quite yet.

She looked back at her friend, who was wolfing down her bacon travesty. The smell was already reaching Rosa, but she resisted the urge to move away. Just a bit of rotting meat, nothing to worry about, she told herself.

Except that Sky Light suddenly caught Rosa looking and held her sandwich out.

"I've got my own," Rosa told her, shaking her head for emphasis.

Sky just shrugged a little to herself and took another bite. A thin strip of meat hung from her muzzle as she chewed and Rosa couldn't help but make a face.

"Whaff'?" Sky demanded with her mouth full.

Rosa tapped her face with a hoof to show her and her eyes nearly crossed as Sky tried to see her own nose. Then she patted the area with a hoof and unhooked the offending strip. "Here, taste this," Sky said, holding it out to Rosa.

This time Rosa did take a step back, muzzle already scrunching up in distaste.

"Come on, it won't kill you. It'll be a lot easier finding food. Most human things have meat in them, Rosa."

Maybe the mare had a point, but Rosa was not willing to make the effort. She shook her head.

Although... she was a tiny bit curious. The scent was awful, but a tiny part of her was wondering if it tasted as bad as it smelled. The indecision must have been clear on her face because Sky Light shoved the last bit of her sandwich in her muzzle, then hobbled closer to Rosa, hoof with the strip of meat still outstretched. She had a huge smile, even while she finished chewing and swallowed.

"Here, tell you what," Sky said. "I'm not going to force you, but at least lick it, how's that? Aren't you curious?"

Rosa glanced around for help, but of course there was none. Terry was watching them both with some interest, open flask in his hand. Rosa wondered if he had been the one who introduced Sky Light to this unnatural practice of eating meat.

"I-" Rosa didn't even know what to say.

She had wondered about it a few times before, what pony hadn't? Maybe Rosa could do what Sky Light said and lick it, once. Maybe she would stop offering then?

The way her ears folded down gave Sky all the information she needed. Her grin threatened to split her face open and she lifted up the morsel. "Just don't spit it on the ground, okay? If you don't like it, I'll eat it. Shame to waste good food."

Rosa was committed now. She carefully grasped the meat Sky was offering between her own hooves and brought it closer to her muzzle. Then she sniffed it, very gently.

It was unmistakably meat. Rosa didn't know what else she had been expecting. The chances of the smell changing into something nicer, just because she was holding it, were zero. She looked at Sky Light again, who was nodding with an encouraging smile. She was not doing it to be mean, Rosa realized. Sky genuinely wished her to experience something new, something which may help them survive on the street. The logic was obvious, even to Rosa. The more things she was willing to eat, the easier it was to find food.

She gave in and laid her tongue against the meat. The salt was nice. If it were just the salt, Rosa would have had no problem with it. There was also a faint aroma of smoke and the overwhelming taste of something fried. She had always liked fried foods, maybe because she couldn't get them all that often in the School. Then there was the flavor of meat itself. It was unmistakable, but... not as strong as Rosa had feared.

She had been worried the explosion of the meat taste would turn her stomach the instant her tongue so much as touched the thing, but it was not nearly as overpowering as she had imagined. Encouraged, Rosa nibbled at the corner, breaking a bit of it off. There wasn't much more to taste there - frying, salt and meat. Maybe it had been the idea of meat that was so revolting to her, not the thing itself?

Uh oh...

She had a piece of a dead pig in her mouth! Sky Light noticed Rosa's expression and quickly grabbed the strip from her nerveless hooves before Rosa dropped it. She popped it in her mouth, while Rosa spat out the piece she had bitten off.

"Ugh!"

"What happened?" Sky Light asked, chewing slowly. "You looked like you were fine there for a minute."

Rosa folded her ears down and looked at the ground between them. "I remembered what I was eating," she admitted.

"Oh," was all Sky Light said in reply.

Terry cleared his throat. He had been watching their antics the whole time. "Seems to me," he said carefully, "your problem is psychological."

Sky Light was nodding. "Yeah. You really shouldn't think about it. You'll be fine."

That last bit was said in a very knowing tone of voice, one that made Rosa worry. "W-What do you mean?"

The other mare put her wings around Rosa's head, making a small, private space just with the two of them. "Look, Rosa. I won't force you to do that again, but I'll understand if you want to experiment, okay? No one is judging you here. Don't be afraid to ask."

She was not going to, not again. Rosa imagined what would happen if she got the morsel down and then remembered what it was?! She would throw up, for sure. No, she was not eating meat again. Her curiosity had been satisfied. Now she knew what it tasted like, so she didn't have to do it ever again. Although, the earnest, hopeful look on Sky Light's face was quite moving. Rosa didn't want to shoot her down right away. It was something Sky really liked and wished to share with her.

"I'll ask if I wanna try it again," Rosa promised, which was absolutely true.

Her friend smiled and came close to give Rosa another nuzzle. "Great! Okay, take your sandwich and I'll be off!" She left Rosa there and went to put on her uniform and buckle on her gear.

Rosa returned to the van and rummaged in the bag until she found the cheese sandwich. She also pulled out the sugar soda and set it beside the plastic bag.

"Anything for me in there?" Terry asked. His hopeful tone made Rosa's ears go flat again.

"I'm so sorry, but I didn't have enough money," she explained. "I promise I'll bring you something when I come back from mooching, okay?"

If he was disappointed, he hid it pretty well as he took another swig from his flask. "Sure. Thanks, kid."

Rosa felt extra bad now after those amazing ear scratches. She had been going to ask for more, but now she felt like scum and decided not to. If she were a real friend, she would have given up her own sandwich to bring Terry one.

She suddenly had to show him that she wasn't selfish!

"Want me to also bring some smokes? Or a beer maybe?"

The man brightened up immediately. "That'd be mighty nice of you, Rosa."

She smiled back at him, relieved. Getting those things would mean she brought less money back to Sky Light, but Rosa was okay with that. A few things for Terry shouldn't cost more than about ten dollars, she figured. Last time she and Sky had made nearly thirty, so if she could do at least twenty on her own, Rosa wouldn't feel bad about spending half of it on food and drink for herself and Terry.

Sky Light returned in her full FedEx uniform together with bags. "Okay, good to go!" she proclaimed.

Rosa picked up the bottle and held it out to her. "Here, w-while it's cold," she explained.

The mare lit up. "Ooh, Mountain Dew. My favorite!" She stuck the container between her forelegs with practiced ease and twisted the cap off with her teeth. There was a hiss of escaping gas.

"I figured you might need the sugar, y'know. All that flying."

Sky didn't answer because she was busy lifting the drink up and chugging it down noisily. She dropped her head when there was about half of the bottle left. "Good thinking," she said, then belched loudly. It made Rosa blush, but Sky just giggled. "Good stuff."

Then she expertly hooked a feather around the plastic bag's handles and lifted it neatly to herself. The contents went in both her saddlebags, as evenly as she could make them to keep a better balance. The empty bag she held out to Rosa. "Here, you might need this," she said.

That reminded Rosa of her final instructions for the mare. "There's two water bottles and a sandwich for Lillian. If you don't find her by tonight, you can have it, okay? So it doesn't go to waste."

Sky nodded her understanding. "Gotcha. I'll do my best, okay?"

Rosa believed her. Before she could leave, Rosa stepped forward and brought her hooves around the mare. "Thank you so much for doing this!" she told her, eyes already filling with tears.

Sky Light just embraced Rosa back for a while, then freed herself and took a few steps away. Rosa remembered her drink. "You forgot-"

"You and Terry share the rest of it, okay?" Sky Light said magnanimously. She crouched down, flashed Rosa a smile, then kicked up. In moments she became just a distant speck and then that, too, was gone.

Rosa heaved a sigh and looked at the nearly half-full bottle of Mountain Dew. "You can have it if you want," she offered Terry.

He shrugged a little to himself, then leaned down to get it. Meanwhile Rosa was steeling herself for the job in front of her. Begging, only this time without the experienced pegasus beside her. The cardboard sign was leaning against the side in the van and the plastic plate was next to it. Rosa put the plate in the empty bag and slid the sign out.

It was a bit of a hassle to hold it all in her mouth, but she could make it work. Dragging it to the park would be a chore, but maybe when people saw the effort she was going through they would give more readily. It might be worth it just for that.

Before leaving, Rosa looked at Terry and gave him a nervous, sad smile. "I guess I'll be back after lunch."

He nodded at her, but then went on with his task of lighting a cigarette. "Good luck."

Rosa felt like she was going to need it.

Chapter 39: Dangerous Types

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Her plastic bag jingled with coins as Rosa was making her way back. Every now and then there was also a faint clank of bottles. The haul was good, but she had mixed feelings about the whole ordeal. Most of the people hadn't paid her much attention, but the ones who had were either very kind or very... assholes. At least that was what Sky Light had called them and it seemed appropriate. They had told Rosa to clear off, or just started threatening with calling the police.

Nervous as she had been on her first solo mooch, Rosa had apologized to those angry humans, packed up her sign and her plate and moved to a different part of the park. That left a hole in her earnings, but she still broke twenty dollars, even after the expenses. It seemed that a lone pony was a more heart-wrenching sight than two together. It still hadn't felt good to be the focus of that kind of withering scorn and anger. A few of them had nearly driven Rosa to tears.

She heaved a sigh and plodded back to the van. Now that she was moving, no human seemed to really look at her, despite the oversized sign she was dragging beside. Sky Light had been right about that part - people just didn't care that much. They may have ignored her so far, but Rosa still tried to stay away from police officers. If she saw them in the distance she took a different road. If she saw a police car, she ducked into the nearest alley as soon as she could. Luckily there weren't many patrols around, so it was not a big problem.

She stopped at a corner and put the bag down to rest her jaw. The money itself wasn't heavy, but Rosa had stopped at Arda's because that seemed safest. The man knew her, after all. It had been pure luck that he could also sell her a couple of bottles of beer for Terry. She got the cigarettes at a kiosk, the second one she had found, because the human in the first one had yelled at her until she left. It seemed that a lot of people didn't care about ponies, but neither did they want them in their shops, nor did they want anything to do with them sometimes. In any case, that was everything Rosa had been going to get and she still had a lot of money left over for Sky Light. The mare would undoubtedly be proud and grateful.

The hardship was nearly over, but it was also getting quite late. The sun was well on its way down from its peak and Rosa imagined that Terry was probably getting quite hungry. For that matter, so was she. Rather than eat in Mr. Arda's shop, Rosa had asked him to wrap up both kebabs for her to take. She could eat with Terry at the van. She would be more relaxed, too. The shop had had several people in it, mostly younger, who were watching the mare with curiosity. Rosa hadn't liked the scrutiny.

As she made her way down into the concrete canal, Rosa's spirits lifted. She had nothing else to do for the afternoon. She was not going to the truck stop without Sky Light who knew all the people there. Not to mention that she didn't want to run into Butch while she was alone. Terry was company enough, and Rosa felt like she knew what to expect from him. The van was a safe place and she had a bed there, so Rosa could take a nap while she waited for her pegasus friend to return.

She had gotten up pretty early, after all.

Somehow Rosa was even optimistic about Sky Light's chances of finding Lillian. Maybe the mare was back already and would tell Rosa how she had found the girl and took her home. A good second best would be news that someone else had found Lillian. As long as she was safe, Rosa would be happy. She even hummed a few bars of her tune as she came to the van.

The first indication that something was wrong was when she didn't spot Terry. That in itself was not unusual, since the man spent a lot of time each day doing god knows what. Someone else was there, though, and Rosa's humming faded when she saw the stranger. She looked over the man standing in front of her and subconsciously started to step back. If she had spotted him earlier, Rosa wouldn't have even come close.

He was bald and big, with the kind of muscles that came from concentrated training. His face was clean shaven and he was grinning, but it didn't look like a friendly smile. He was wearing black pants and a black tank top, which displayed his arms to best effect. There was a word tattooed on one bicep, but Rosa didn't have time to read it.

"Well, what do we have here?" he said, making Rosa's ears flatten and her tail press between her legs. If she could fly she would have been out of there, but something told Rosa that running would be a very stupid idea.

The man moved his arms so one hand came to rest on his hip, and Rosa spotted the grip of a gun. It was enough to make her blood freeze completely and the bag with her lunch fall from her mouth. She was afraid that she was about to die. Rosa tried to say something, but her mouth didn't seem to be working.

The man's grin widened at her discomfort and he crouched down near her. "Aw, don't be scared. I'm just gonna ask you a few questions. Everything's gonna be fine."

Rosa lowered her gaze down to the ground and gave a slight nod. It was just about all she was capable of for the moment.

"I'm looking for Sky Light. Do you know who that is?"

Another nod.

"Where is she?"

This time talking was unavoidable. Rosa swallowed, then licked her lips to make them work. "N-N-Not h-here," she stuttered.

"Nice guess, genius," the guy said a bit impatiently.

Rosa couldn't stop herself from glancing at the gun. Unfortunately she hadn't been looking at the stranger's hands, so one of them lashing out to grip her mane came as a complete shock. All Rosa could do was freeze in terror, but it was enough...

There was a trickle as her bladder released.

For some reason that made the human laugh in amusement. "Aw," he cooed again, "I'm not that scary, am I sweetheart? What's your name?"

"R-Ro-Rosa..."

"Pretty name," he commented.

He released her mane and she started breathing again, but Rosa's legs still didn't work well enough to take her away. Besides, she absolutely did not want to make a sudden move with this guy.

The man meanwhile rummaged in the bag she had dropped and brought out one of the kebabs and a bottle. "Oh, you got me lunch? That's mighty friendly of you, Rosa."

She didn't say anything as he unwrapped it and bit into it. If the food would save her life, then she didn't mind giving that and the beer, and all the money. "Take it," she managed to say, needlessly.

He rummaged in the bag some more and pulled out the money she had made. It was mostly coins, but there was a five dollar bill in there. She had been quite proud of herself when a nice lady had given her that one, after chatting with her for a minute.

Rosa still didn't complain when the guy slipped the bank note into a pocket. He let the other coins spill to the ground. "I see that old bastard Terry's been teaching you his tricks."

This time Rosa saw his movement, so it didn't catch her by surprise. She still stiffened when his hand gripped her muzzle and lifted it up. "Look at me when I'm talking to you," the man demanded with his eyes narrowed and a touch of anger in his voice.

Rosa felt tears of pure terror slide down her cheeks, but she managed a nod.

"You ought to come work for us, instead. I'm sure we can pay you better... Rosa."

Not wanting to say no outright and knowing that he wanted her to say yes, Rosa was in an impossible situation. She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to keep herself from sobbing, but then she remembered his warning and forced herself to look at his face.

He didn't seem to be aware of her internal struggle. "Well, think about it. I'm sure we'll see each other again."

He released her and stood up while biting into the kebab again. Rosa waited while he chewed and the crumbs sprinkled the ground in front of her. She waited in silence while he swallowed noisily, and tried not to shiver too much. The kebab smacking on the ground made her jump a little. He had simply dropped it!

"Tell Sky Light Hoover wants to see her," the man said coldly. "Thanks for the beer."

Rosa suppressed a glimmer of hope and nodded weakly.

"I w-w-will..." she said, then kept staring at the ground, where the sauce was leaking from the kebab, all the while she listened to the receding footsteps. She didn't dare look in case the man didn't want her to see which way he had gone. As the danger passed her breathing quickened and Rosa started whimpering involuntarily. What was left of her bag and the sign lay forgotten on the ground. The ruined kebab stank of meat, but Rosa didn't care. She didn't even notice the smell of her own piss, staining the concrete and her tail alike.

She didn't want this kind of life, not anymore. To think she could have been killed so easily...

Rosa climbed into the van and pulled the door closed, curled up on the mattress and started crying.

Fucking Sky Light!

She had tangled with dangerous people like that - and that guy Viktor - and now she had dragged Rosa into it as well! Now they knew about her. They might just kidnap her and make her carry their drugs around for them, or worse. Stupid pegasus! She could have just left Rosa alone when she had found her in that field! Rosa hadn't wanted any of this! It was one thing when she was helping Sky make some money to pay her debts, but now these people were coming after Rosa, with guns!

She screamed out in frustration and kicked the side of the van. Fucking streets and fucking Sky Light and fucking criminals!

All Rosa wanted was to be back in the School with her friends, or at the Boone house with Lillian. She had been happy back there. People hadn't come around threatening to kill her!

"I fucking hate this!" she moaned to no one in particular.

Rosa didn't know how much time had passed. At some point she had heard Terry come and give a slight exclamation at the mess. She had just yelled at him when he opened the door, and he hadn't bothered her since. A while later she had heard him take the other beer bottle, open it and start drinking. She also thought he had picked up all the spilled change and the kebab which was still wrapped, but Rosa didn't care a whole lot.

Maybe if she didn't see the hobo she could pretend that she was just napping in her bed at the School. She had stopped crying, but Rosa still kept imagining that gun. Whoever the man was, he could have taken it so easily and just... ended her. Would it have hurt to die? Well, the bullet would hurt, Rosa knew that much, but she couldn't stop herself from thinking about what it would be like. Would it feel like falling asleep, or would she know she was dying?

A new sound caught her attention: a swish of wings and four hooves landing on the concrete. Rosa's ears lifted up, but she didn't budge. Maybe Sky would have news about Lillian. Rosa could do with some good news right at the moment. Still, despite her curiosity, she didn't want to go out.

"What the fuck?" Sky Light said quietly to herself. Louder, she followed with: "Terry? What happened here?!"

The man sighed and Rosa could almost see him lower the cigarette from his mouth. "Beats me," he replied. "She's in the van. Damn near bit my head off when I went to ask."

The hoofsteps came closer. "Rosa? Is everything okay?"

She still didn't answer. The pegasus would come in, then she would act all worried and stuff. As if it weren't her fault Rosa had been threatened like that!

There was a sniffing sound and Sky Light raised her voice again: "Terry, did you piss near the van again?!"

The man grunted in annoyance before answering: "That wasn't me. Must've been your pet pony."

Pet?! She was not Sky Light's pet! The casual insult sent her blood boiling again and Rosa embraced the anger. It was a lot better than the numb, hollow fear. "I'm no one's pet!" she shouted.

Sky Light knocked at the van door. "Rosa? I'm gonna come in."

There was no reply to that. It wasn't like Rosa could stop her anyway. The door opened and she was blinded for a moment. The sun was going down, but it was still bright outside, much brighter than the dim interior of the van. Rosa held up a foreleg to shield her eyes. Before she could see what Sky Light was doing, the mare was sitting on the mattress before Rosa and touching her shoulder with a hoof.

"Leave me alone..."

"What happened, Rosa? Did someone hurt you while you were out?"

How close, yet how far she was. "No! He was waiting for me here!"

There was a moment's silence as Sky Light thought it over. "Did you pee on the ground?" she asked finally.

Rosa groaned in exasperation, put her head down on the makeshift bed and covered it with her hooves. "He stuck a gun in my face!" It was a lie, but saying that he had a gun in his pocket and hadn't been actually threatening her with it sounded a bit weak now that Rosa came to tell someone.

"Fuck!" Sky Light swore. She picked her friend up and pulled her into a hug, which Rosa didn't resist. The tears were starting yet again. "Who was it! Tell me who threatened you, Rosa!"

Rosa didn't know the guy's name and said as much, but gave Sky the best description she could think of, considering that she hadn't looked very closely at the man's face even when he had commanded her to do so.

It seemed to be enough. Sky Light sighed and patted Rosa on the back. "I think I know him. He works for Hoover."

There was a moment of silence as the mare collected herself, then she began, tentatively: "Listen, I'm sorry-"

"You should be!" Rosa barked. "You dragged me into this! You got me delivering drugs and now criminals are coming after me with guns!" She pushed herself free from Sky's grasp and glared at her. "I didn't want this kind of help! I don't wanna get mixed up in this!"

The pegasus pressed her lips together into a thin line as she frowned. She didn't try to hug her again, even though Rosa slightly wished she would. The hug had helped.

"Well," the mare began, slowly, looking for words as she spoke. "I'm sorry. I didn't intend for you to get mixed up. I'll go talk with-"

"Forget it! Now they know about me. He said they'll make me deliver drugs for them!"

Another lie, but Rosa was far too scared and angry to think straight. She just wanted to drive home to Sky Light how much she had screwed her over. She wanted the mare to be sorry!

"As I was saying," Sky went on, "I'll go talk to them and tell them you're off limits."

"As if they'll listen to you! They got guns, Sky! Guns!"

Sky Light kept glaring at her and took a deep breath before speaking again. "Okay, then what do you suggest?"

Of course Rosa had absolutely no idea. She just knew she didn't feel safe around the van anymore. She didn't feel safe with Sky Light and Terry. "I wish I never came here!" she spat out.

Sky Light's ears lowered and she swallowed, before shuffling away from Rosa and holding out a leg through the van's open doors. "Then go," she said simply. "I was only trying to help."

The casual way she dismissed Rosa really hurt. She had been expecting her to apologize again, after which Rosa would forgive her. Sky Light had done a lot for her and even as bewildered and angry as Rosa was, she couldn't forget it.

Her tone just made Rosa dig her hooves in further. "Fine! I'm leaving!"

"Fine."

"Fine!" She jumped down from the van, blinking in the setting sunlight. She saw Terry watching with a smirk on his face, which just made Rosa more furious. "By the way, Terry has your money from my mooching today," she said, hoping to incite an argument between the two.

The pegasus followed her down from the vehicle. "Terry," she said slowly, "give Rosa her money back."

"But-"

"Do it!" Sky interrupted him.

Despite his grumbling the man rummaged in his pockets until he had two fistfuls of coins. He brought it over and looked for a place to put it. The plastic bag was gone, but Sky Light rummaged in her pack until she found the one from that morning. Terry wordlessly dropped all the coins inside, then the pegasus laid it at Rosa's hooves. "Here. Take it."

"I don't want it!"

"TAKE IT!" Sky yelled.

Her anger scared Rosa a little, so she bent down and picked up the money with her mouth.

"Now get out of here, you ungrateful little jerk!"

Rosa just growled around her mouthful.

Sky Light turned pointedly away from her and her wings drooped. "I didn't find Lillian, by the way. I searched all day, but there was nothing."

Rosa couldn't hold back a sniffle, but she suppressed the next one. Maybe the girl had gone home, or someone else had found her. She had to hope that. It was fine, though. Rosa would go look for Lillian herself.

Without another word she walked away from Sky Light and the van. She could almost feel hers and Terry's eyes on her back until she started climbing the stairs. Then they were lost to Rosa's sight in the canal and she was on her own.

Chapter 40: Crawling Back

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Maybe Rosa was still in shock over how quickly things had fallen apart, but she felt calm and in control. She had made herself a place to sleep on a bench at the bus station. There were toilets, which - if a little disgusting - were open all night, and there was the sandwich machine, which had given her her dinner. It had taken most of the coins, but Rosa didn't care. She could mooch up a few more bucks in the morning and then she would buy provisions for her journey. It still wasn't exactly clear to her which way she needed to go, but Rosa was determined to make do. Maybe she would ask someone.

For now, what was left of the silk dress was enough to keep her warm through the night. The weather had been fine all week and the nights were getting quite warm this time of year. She refused to let herself think about Sky Light and focused on Lillian instead. She would go look for the girl back the way Rosa had initially been planning on going, before the pegasus had found her. Undoubtedly she would do a better job of it than the airborne Sky Light, who probably hadn't even looked all that closely. She just flew circles around the area, hoping she would spot the girl.

Lazy, ungrateful bitch!

Rosa put her hooves over her ears in a thoroughly useless attempt to shut out her own thoughts. It was not fair to think about the other mare like that. She had been her friend.

"I'm s-sorry," Rosa blubbered.

She turned around to get more comfortable on the hard, wooden bench and forcibly closed her eyes. Slowly, very slowly, exhaustion caught up to her and Rosa managed to fall asleep.

Voices woke her up. For a moment Rosa believed it was another dream, but then she realized that she was staring at the peeling paint of the wooden backrest. Someone laughed and Rosa froze up. Strangers. A group of them, right on the next bench! She turned her head very slowly, afraid of drawing attention to herself. Maybe they hadn't spotted her yet.

As she got the people in sight, Rosa held her breath to try and keep herself under control. They didn't look the friendly sort, or at least that was the way it seemed to her. One of them passed a lit cigarette to another.

He exhaled, then laughed again. "So, what did you do?" the smoker asked, obviously continuing a conversation from before.

Another one answered: "Told her to go fuck herself. I already got her the chem answers for free. Either pay up or put out, am I right?"

Everyone in the group laughed at that.

Rosa's lungs were burning, so she very carefully exhaled. It was a struggle against her own body to take the next breath calmly, without gasping, but she managed. There was a strange smell in the air - tobacco smoke and something Rosa couldn't quite place.

"Here, lemme have it," one of the young men said and reached for the cigarette. It looked like they were all smoking the same one.

Rosa glanced around for ways she might be able to sneak off. It was too bad everything was paved around the place, because it would be a pain in the ass to move carefully so her hooves didn't make a sound. Most of the area was pretty well lit, too. Her bench and the one with the teenagers were the only two in partial shadow. They would be bound to spot her the second she moved.

The situation was nearly making Rosa cry again. All she had wanted was to be left alone for one god damned night, but these guys just had to settle on the bench next to her for whatever it was they were doing! It was just so unfair!

A snippet of conversation caught Rosa's attention and woke her up from self-pity: "... saw another of those ponies again the other day."

Stupid! She should have been paying attention.

One of the boys - an older one, Rosa guessed by his deeper voice - chuckled. "Male or female?"

The original speaker gave this a moment's though. "Dunno. I didn't bend down to check."

"Did it have a collar?" someone else asked. "Or a uniform?"

"Nope. I think it was one of those feral ones."

"Idiot," one of his friends chided. "They aren't animals. There's no such thing as 'feral' pony. They're more like... hobos."

The entire group laughed at this, while Rosa's heart was trying to climb up her throat. She wanted to be anyplace else, but she was too afraid to move a muscle.

The deep-voiced one went on: "If you see it again, try and catch it. I heard you can fuck them."

This time a small whimper nearly escaped her. The other group was silent and Rosa clamped her hooves over her muzzle, afraid they might have heard her.

"Don't be gross, Mike," someone said. "Yuck. They're like animals. The fuck is wrong with you?!"

One of the boys turned her way and spat but didn't see Rosa.

"Well, I'm just saying," the one she guessed was called 'Mike' said defensively. He didn't get much further, because one of his friends interrupted him.

"You're fucked up. Just shut up and roll another one."

Grumbling, the young man fetched things from his pockets. Rosa heard a rustle of paper and they all gathered around to watch. It almost looked like some ritual. That might be her chance! She slipped from the bench, taking extra care not to let her hooves ring on the concrete. Then she took a gentle step. The plastic bag with the remainder of her coins was sitting there, but Rosa didn't dare take it. They'd jingle and give her away.

The group of humans had started talking again, but Rosa was not paying attention to the words. She slowly turned around so she was facing them. She would not let them out of her sight if she could help it.

It was working!

They had finished what they were doing and Rosa saw the flare of fire as they lit another cigarette. She reached out with her hind leg, but the ground wasn't where she had expected it to be. She really should have looked the other way. Rosa almost lost her balance as she stepped into a pothole and her hooves rang loudly in the night.

"What was that?!" one of the guys yelled and they all turned her way.

Rosa gave a squeak, turned, and ran away as fast as her legs would carry her. She prayed the head start would be enough and that the surprise would give her a few precious seconds.

"Please don't let them have a car! Please don't let them have motorbikes!" she whimpered to herself.

At the first opportunity Rosa ducked between two houses and kept running down the back alley. There were gardens and she trampled the flowers, feeling bad but doing it anyway. Hooves on earth were quieter. She was several blocks away before she slowed down to catch her breath. She didn't hear any pursuit and there was no sight of the gang.

It looked like she had gotten away - if only just barely. The whole experience was making Rosa shiver as she looked around, trying to see into every shadow. She really didn't want to be out at night, alone.

Her thoughts turned back to Sky Light.

Maybe she should go back and apologize? Was Rosa making too big of a deal out of what had happened? Yes the man had been scary, but he hadn't actually threatened her with the gun, had he? He just wore it where Rosa could see. Maybe it wasn't even intentional? In a job like his, maybe he had to keep it visible to deter people from attacking him? Had Rosa misunderstood a simple offer to give her some jobs?

She shook her head, trying to break out of this cycle. She kept going from anger, to regret, to fear, then back to anger. She couldn't stand this and Rosa knew she would never dare go to sleep anywhere in the city by herself again.

With a sinking feeling Rosa realized that she was going to go back to Sky.

Her plans to rescue Lillian by herself were stupid. She would never survive on the street. She was just a stupid filly without any world-smarts, intuition or instincts. She didn't have what it took. Maybe in a few years she could make it, but now Rosa was like a child. The thoughts almost tasted bitter as she admitted them to herself. Even now Rosa was sure she would go back to Sky Light and apologize. The pegasus was the closest thing Rosa had to a friend in this world. Yeah, Terry too.

She might have overreacted when she yelled at her. A bit.

There was a lighted clock above the entrance to a metro station. Past eleven. Ears lowered, tail hanging limply down and hooves dragging on the asphalt, Rosa started making her way back. She absolutely hated the feeling of helplessness, but she also didn't want a gang of humans to catch her and...

The thought was scary and Rosa's mind shrivelled away from it, but she thought it anyway: rape her.

Even if she avoided that, Rosa didn't want to die to a stray dog, or starvation, or some drug addict trying to rob her. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but there was not much choice. Anger had been making her stupid.

Well, at least Rosa had realized her own helplessness in the end, if not exactly in time to prevent her from storming out on Sky Light.

Could the mare even forgive that?

Rosa had to try. It was her only chance of making it in this dangerous world. Maybe not the only chance - Rosa could still try the pony gang at the truck stop - but she really didn't want to tangle with Butch. She would try grovelling to Sky Light, first.

The thought made her laugh mirthlessly. A few minutes ago she had been calling her a bitch and now she was thinking about what she would say to make Sky forgive her.

Pathetic.

Trailing tears of both fear and shame, Rosa made her way back to the canal in the dark. Every now and then she had to stop and just concentrate on breathing, before another sobbing fit could overwhelm her. This was something Rosa wasn't looking forward to. The anxiety grew as adrenaline slowly drained from her system.

At long last Rosa made it down the canal stairs. She had paused midway to look at the van, but it was dark. She guessed they had already gone to sleep. Rosa took a few steps, then stopped and turned around. Maybe she would let the two sleep and come back in the morning? She could hide for a few more hours in some bushes or something. After all, Rosa had said those awful things to Sky Light.

Her hoof was already on the first step, but Rosa heard a weird noise from up above and froze in terror. Had something moved because someone was following her, or was it just the wind? Had the gang found her?

She swallowed a lump and changed her mind yet again to go home. The closest thing she had to one, anyway. Just in case, though, Rosa kept her ears turned back so she would hear if anyone tried to follow her.

Maybe that was why she hadn't noticed it at first, but there was something happening in the van, too. The back door was open and Rosa heard an occasional wet, squishy, slurping sound. She cocked her head to the side as she tried to understand it.

Were...

Were Terry and Sky Light kissing?!

Rosa thought for a second that she should go away, but then she heard the human give a sound between a grunt and a moan and curiosity got the better of her. Only a few more quiet, careful hoofsteps were enough, then Rosa stretched her head around the side to look.

"Eep!" She couldn't hold the surprised squeak in.

Sky Light lifted her head from Terry's midriff, flaring out her wings in fright. There was a bang as one of her hooves slipped from the mattress and hit the metal floor.

"Fuck!" Terry cursed and hurriedly started pulling up his pants. "Shit, shit, shit!"

Sky Light jumped away from the man, nearly pushing herself out of the van.

Rosa stepped aside, just barely avoiding getting slapped in the muzzle by a flailing wing.

In moments Sky spotted Rosa as she cowered behind the van's door. "Fucking shit, Rosa!" the mare swore, hurriedly wiping her muzzle with a foreleg. "Fuck your sneaking up on people!"

There was some jingling from inside as Terry buckled his pants, then a flop as he fell back on the mattress. "God damn it!" he said to no one in particular.

Sky Light advanced on Rosa, making the younger mare press herself against the ground in fear. "I'm sorry! I didn't-"

Rosa was seriously scared she might hoof her right in the muzzle. She would deserve it, too!

Luckily, Sky Light lowered her foreleg, folded up her wings and hanged her head down. She was panting from the fright she had just had. "What the fuck are you doing back here?" she demanded angrily.

Rosa's eyes were filling up and she couldn't quite master her tongue. "S-Sorry!" she wailed.

"She's back, isn't she?" Terry asked from the van.

Rosa still couldn't see him and she was a little grateful for that. Her muzzle was burning with shame and contrition.

"Yeah," Sky Light said forlornly. Then she pierced Rosa with another stare. "You can't even run away like a mare!" she hissed.

"I'm sorry! Please!" Rosa repeated, that being seemingly all she could say.

"Not even a single night," the pegasus went on, as if the other mare hadn't spoken at all. She thumped the flat tire with a hoof, making Rosa jump and squeak in fright.

This was it. She was about to tell her to go away and then Rosa would die on the streets. It was her life on the line, so Rosa swallowed the last bits of her pride and crawled closer. "Please don't make me go, Sky Light!" she bawled.

Her hooves found Shy's leg and clutched it. She even gave the fetlock a kiss.

"I'm sorry! I overreacted! I was wrong!"

"Yeah, I know," Sky said. She wasn't boiling with rage anymore, but she was still pretty mad.

"I didn't mean to sneak up like this! I got s-scared. I thought someone was following me! Please- I'm sorry!"

This close Rosa could smell... Terry on Sky's muzzle. It was not something she would ever admit, though. Rosa would do her very best to forget what she had seen. Sky Light with her mouth right around-

The pegasus read her expression like a book. "What do you want?" she demanded.

"Please let me stay! I'll do what you say, I promise!"

Sky started to sit on the ground, but then froze and straightened back up. Rosa become aware of the other smell. It was one she had occasionally scented from her older roommates, but only in the shower and only after one of the girls had been talking about a cute colt. Rosa knew what it meant, but she would never admit it.

Terry and Sky Light had been planning to... She was getting...

Rosa swallowed and forcefully dragged her mind back to the present, where Sky Light was thinking about her judgement. Rosa didn't dare make a sound, lest it might displease her.

"Fine. Fuck me, but fine. You're an idiot and an asshole, you understand that?"

The flood of relief almost made Rosa cry again, and she let out the breath she had been holding and grabbed the other mare around her withers. "Thank you!" Rosa whimpered.

After a moment Sky patted her back. "You're a piece of work, Rosa," Sky Light said, but there was not as much venom in it as before.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"As long as you know it," the mare said, then pushed Rosa away. "So what? Suddenly you're no longer afraid mobsters with guns are gonna get you?"

Rosa almost lied to her again, but then sighed and lowered her head. "I am. But I won't make it- out t-there... alone."

If her admission had shocked her, Sky Light didn't show it. She watched Rosa thoughtfully for a moment, then shook her head. "No, you wouldn't. At least you know it. Maybe you can grow up..."

That sounded hopeful.

"I'll make it up to you, I swear! I'll go mooching until you can pay Viktor back."

"Good. And I'll go and talk with Hoover to leave you alone, okay? We have- an understanding."

Rosa heard the pause there, but she didn't think about it further. She stood up and took a hoofstep to the van, wanting nothing more than to go to bed and have this horrible day end.

Sky Light's hoof stopped her. "Not so fast," she said. "First I need you to go to the toilet and wash up. Brush your teeth or whatever it is you do. Just make sure to stay away for an hour. No one will bother you in the old factory."

"B-But why-" Rosa started, then suddenly understood and the knowledge colored her cheeks a nice pink. "Oh."

"Yeah. At least an hour, understand?!" Sky Light ordered.

Rosa's ears were as flat as they went, but she still couldn't believe what Sky was implying. "You're going to-"

"YES!" the mare said, entirely out of patience. She pushed her annoying young friend away with a hoof and Rosa stumbled a few steps. "I'm horny as fuck and I'm gonna do this, understand?! I don't care what you think! Just go away and give me some privacy damn it!"

Rosa swallowed and opened her mouth to say something else, but the mare stepped closer and pushed her again. This time Rosa kept her footing, but she still took a step back.

"Not one word, do you understand?!" Sky Light said firmly. "Get lost before you see something you'll regret!"

As a matter of fact, Rosa already had, but she didn't want to see any more. Yes Sky Light had told her she... did it with Terry sometimes, but Rosa had never imagined she would ever see it.

She couldn't keep herself from whimpering softly as she hurried away. She didn't have her toothbrush, but now that she was moving Rosa was not going back to the van for at least two hours! She would wait, far enough so she wouldn't hear - or smell - anything, but near enough to run back if anyone tried to hurt her. The factory was abandoned, anyway. Sky Light had said no one would bother Rosa there and she believed the more experienced mare.

She heard the pegasus climb back up in the van and say: "Now, where were we?"

Her tone and her words made Rosa pick up her pace.

Chapter 41: Reconciliation

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Morning rolled over and the first rays of the rising sun poked right into Rosa's eyes. She was not ready to wake up yet, so she turned around and pressed her muzzle into the seat. She didn't even want to know how late she had came to bed the previous night. Perhaps 'last night' was even the wrong label there, Rosa decided after becoming aware of the taste in her mouth. She had waited at the abandoned factory for as long as she dared before her nerves gave out, then she sneaked back. The van was dark and quiet, so Rosa came closer. Whatever Sky Light and Terry had been doing, it seemed to be over. Rosa had gratefully crawled in the empty cabin and flopped on the seat. She hadn't even bothered with a blanket, since the night was warm enough with just her fur.

Things were back to normal, she guessed. Sky Light had accepted her apology, more or less, and now everything would go back to the usual routine. Except - was there even such a thing as a routine on the streets? No two days had been alike so far. A part of Rosa missed the schedules and structure of her days back at the School.

In either case, sleep was impossible now that Rosa had woken up and started thinking, so she rolled to her back and stretched her hooves above her head. The motion brought out a yawn, which was covered by a sudden noise as she inadvertently kicked the van's passenger door. Rosa froze for a moment and listened for any angry yells from the back. She hadn't meant to wake up Sky Light and Terry, but she also wouldn't be awfully sad if she had. Rosa was getting hungry and she was anxious for news about Lillian. Unfortunately there were no sounds from the pair, so Rosa sat up and carefully opened the door. Her hooves clopped against the ground, but it was not overly loud. Now that she was upright, Rosa stretched again, focusing on each leg in turn as she pushed them out as far as she could.

She made her sleepy way to the back of the van, but paused when she saw that the door was open. Surely Terry would have gotten back in his clothes after... well, after, right?

With almost exaggerated care Rosa peeked around, biting her lip all the while to keep herself quiet if she happened to see something she shouldn't. She nearly sighed with relief when it was just Terry and Sky Light, cuddling. The man was fully dressed and the mare was almost hidden as the small spoon. As Rosa watched, Sky's hind hoof, which was sticking out from under Terry's coat, twitched.

The mare murmured something and jerked her wing with a rustle of feathers, but didn't wake up. As if responding, Terry reached up and patted her muzzle, after which Sky licked his fingers. Then they were still again.

It was actually kinda cute. "Aww," Rosa couldn't help saying. Luckily it was quiet enough not to wake the pair up.

There was nothing else to do, so Rosa decided to go get a drink of water and use the bathroom while she waited. She was very worried about Lillian, but neither her thirst nor the pressure in her bladder would help the girl. Maybe Rosa could get a newspaper or something at the truck stop - if Sky Light would take her, Rosa added mentally. She might still be cross with her for a while longer until Rosa could properly make it up to her. Anyway, she was not going to the truck stop alone. Those teenagers last night had put a fear of getting... abused in Rosa and the mare couldn't help being afraid of Butch. She wondered why the others even hung out with him. That pony was trouble if Rosa ever saw it.

Almost halfway up the canal stairs she heard hoofsteps behind, so Rosa stopped and let Sky Light catch up to her. "Morning," she greeted her pegasus friend.

She seemed to be in a better mood. The mare was yawning and Rosa couldn't help but adore the way Sky's tongue poked out and curled at the end just when her mouth was open the widest.

"Aahhh!" Sky Light concluded, then blinked at Rosa. "You didn't have to wake me up, you know?"

"I didn't- I'm sorry."

Apparently Rosa had not been not as quiet as she thought she was, which made her blush a tiny bit. She really should remember that other ponies around her could hear just as well - if not better - than her. Rosa had gotten too used to the human hearing acuity.

Sky reached Rosa's step and prodded her rump with her muzzle. "Keep walking. I really have to go."

She obeyed and Sky Light followed right on her heels, while Rosa tried to come up with something to say. "Did y-you have... f-fun?" she ventured.

"Mhm!" the other mare confirmed: "Every now and then you just need a good rutting, y'know?"

Rosa didn't, not really, but Sky's comment made her think of Paolo for some reason and she felt a light tingle down her belly. "Okay..."

The pegasus chuckled and nudged her rump again. "You'll understand once you've had it a couple of times. Don't worry about it."

Part of Rosa wished Sky would stop talking about it and embarrassing her, but at the same time she was extremely curious. "Um, did you ever- y'know... with a pony?"

Her friend didn't even need to think about it. "Yeah. Sometimes you need something a bit larger. Now your average human can go for a while - which is great, don't get me wrong - but it's not as... umm," she said and paused to think. "It's not as filling," she finally finished. "Sometimes you just wanna feel it right up there, right?"

It was a good thing Rosa was walking in front, so Sky couldn't see how red her face was. She should probably have stopped her friend, but listening to what Sky Light was saying was giving Rosa a weird kind of guilty, tingly pleasure. "Okay?"

"Now the important thing is," the other mare went on, as if teaching Rosa vital life lessons, "stay away from stallions when you're in heat. Have you had your first heat yet?"

Either Sky couldn't see how flat Rosa's ears were, or she was purposefully ignoring them. Rosa considered not answering - those topics were incredibly impolite to discuss in company - but the mare had been a good friend! "Y-Yes..." The memory itself made her feel guilty when Rosa thought back on how she had acted. It had been very lucky that the School staff had enough experience to know what to do about it. They had locked her in a cell and didn't let her see any of her friends for a week.

That was good, because otherwise Rosa might have asked her roommates to do something very inappropriate. Later on, in Mr. Greiner's class, she had found out the real reason. Pheromones. If a colt had smelled it they would be very... discomforted. If one of them had approached Rosa that fateful week they would have done something incredibly stupid. Solitary confinement had been a bit harsh, but Rosa had all the desserts she could eat and books she could read. She had even been excused from homework and the Maths test which was the following week. She didn't tell Sky Light any of that, though. It was almost too shameful even to just think about all the things that had gone through her mind during those few days.

"Well, then you know what it's like."

Rosa swallowed a lump and nodded. "Y-Yes."

"Don't worry, I'll look after you," Sky Light promised. She fell silent for a few steps, then added in a lower, calmer voice: "If you still want me to, of course."

That sounded just a bit too passive-aggressive, and Rosa didn't want that sort of thing to build up between the two, so she turned around to face the mare. "I do!" she said quickly, "I'm sorry about storming away. I was stupid."

Her friend watched her warily for a moment, then she nodded. "Yes. You are."

Rosa lowered her ears and her gaze, trying not to sniffle. What hurt the most was that Sky Light was right, but before Rosa could even open her mouth to say she agreed, Sky tilted her head back up with a feather under her muzzle. "You're my little idiot, okay? Just- please trust me from now on. I'll go see Hoover today and that'll be the end of that, understand?"

Rosa gave her as bright and cheerful a smile as she could. Then she remembered another detail. "Um, I lost the money... last night," she admitted.

The other mare cocked her head to the side. "Oh yeah, I've been wondering about that. What made you come back so fast?"

Rosa gulped in fear and lowered her voice: "I was gonna sleep at the bus s-stop," she explained. "I thought could get sup-supplies from the machine. But there were these guys..."

Sky Light nodded sagely. "Oh, right. It's nearly summer. Pot heads. They come out when it gets warm enough. It's either the park or the bus stop."

"Pot heads?" Rosa remembered a very stern lecture from Instructor Martha. "Oh! Weed? They smoke weed?!" So that was what she'd smelled!

"Mhm," Sky Light confirmed. "Stay away from those guys. Who knows what they might get it in their heads to do once they're stoned. Did they see you?"

The memory was making Rosa nervous and she shuffled her hooves. "I tried sneaking away, but I stepped in a pothole. Then I just ran for it. I don't think they chased me."

"Well, they don't come over to the abandoned factory, so you should be okay there if you have to pee in the middle of the night," Sky Light said, implying between her words that she didn't want to be woken up for that reason. "The van is also okay because of Terry. Most people stay away from the homeless."

That was a nice bonus. Rosa found herself appreciating the man a bit more. "Oh. T-Thanks," she told her friend.

"Now let's hurry up. I'm growing a second tail here!"

Just like that she was back to disgusting, which made Rosa blush, which resulted in Sky Light laughing at her. This time she didn't mind. Sky was just joking in her brash, uncultured way.

Rosa still turned toward her destination and picked up the pace, though. "Um, so you didn't find Lillian yesterday?" she started a more important topic.

"Sorry," Sky Light said and sighed. "I swear I poked into every bush between the suburb and the forest, but no sign. I also didn't see any footprints or anything. I guess she didn't go that way."

Rosa sighed sadly, but then cheered up as she remembered her other theory. "M-Maybe someone already found her? Or she went h-home?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah, could be," Sky Light said, brightening up. "Tell you what, we'll go grab coffee at the truck stop and I'll buy a newspaper. Maybe there'll be something about her."

Rosa twirled around once again and hugged the mare around her withers. She had to flap her wings to keep her balance, but Rosa didn't care. "Thank you!"

"After that, you owe me big, kid," Sky Light continued, trying to sound serious and cold, even while she was patting Rosa's back with a wing. "We'll mooch in front of the library and then the parking meter again, okay? We really have to get that money for Viktor together." She barked a short laugh. "I'm actually more worried about him than Hoover. The guy is a psycho."

Rosa pulled back and gave the mare a tiny, hurt glare. "You sent me to him with a drug delivery!" she said accusingly.

It made Sky Light lower her gaze and rub a hoof against a foreleg nervously. "Yeah, sorry about that. I wasn't thinking."

Well, forgiveness went both ways, right? "It's okay."

Rosa resumed her much-interrupted walk. After a few paces Sky Light moved in front and increased her pace. She must have really been in a hurry. Rosa almost had to run after the lithe pegasus to keep up. As she cantered behind the mare she caught a whiff of her scent. It made her nose wrinkle when Rosa recognized it.

"Might want a shower while we're at the truck stop," she murmured.

The other mare slowed down for a few steps so she could wave a wing along her side and inhale the result. "Ugh, you're right. I guess I got used to the smell in the van."

Rosa said nothing more as the two started walking again. Sky Light broke the silence after about a minute. "That's the downside, anyway. Sticky and leaking and anyone can smell it on you until you shower. Speaking of which, you could use one, too!"

Rosa happily agreed.

"Also, we have to find you something better to wear. That thing isn't doing too good," Sky Light said without even looking.

Rosa agreed with that as well. "I know..."

"I'll have Hoover give me one of the uniforms. He generally has one or two lying around."

That idea didn't sit well with Rosa. She really didn't want to be indebted to a drug lord. "That's okay, I don't-"

"He owes me," Sky Light said firmly, overriding her objections. "After one of his goons threatened you with a gun it's the least he can do, and my final two deliveries are also off the table! I'll give that bastard a piece of my mind!"

Rosa almost whimpered in fear. She had embellished the story a lot when she wanted Sky Light to feel sorry and now it was time to pay the price. She opened her mouth to tell her the truth.

"No one treats my friends that way!" Sky Light growled and Rosa shut her cowardly trap. She would tell her later, when they had both showered and had their coffee. It was too early to go admitting to such horrible lies.

Yeah... later.

The building loomed up above them and Rosa was grateful that she was able to stop talking with Sky Light for a while. She went in to do her business first and Rosa hung around, furiously trying to come up with some other topic of conversation.

Chapter 42: To Move On

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The newspaper wasn't very encouraging. 'Daughter of U.S. Senator Still Missing!' was the headline. Rosa quickly scanned the article to see if there were any clues, but it was more or less what she had expected from the heading. The Boones were distraught, the police were baffled and the whole city, it seemed, was worried. No ransom demand had come forth, which Rosa couldn't decide whether it was good news or bad. A kidnapping would have been horrible, but at least she'd know Lillian was alive. As things were, Rosa simply didn't know, which was perhaps worse. Not knowing left a cold, dark ball in her belly, making Rosa feel as if she wanted to puke, but something was blocking it. The feeling was so bad that Rosa didn't want her coffee anymore and left her cup practically untouched.

"Lillian," she whispered to herself with a dejected slump in her shoulders and her ears almost completely down, while Sky Light stood beside.

"She's going to be fine," she assured Rosa, but her voice didn't hold much conviction.

Rosa hardly even noticed when the other ponies joined them on the grass in front of the truck stop.

The first one to brush her side was Velvet. "Morning, Rosa!" she said happily. Shortly after, she changed her tone to one of worry and fear. "Oh dear, what's happened?!"

Rosa couldn't quite speak, but luckily Sky Light answered instead. "That senator's daughter in the news. Rosa was her guardian. Well, until she got a cutie mark and... well, it's a long story."

What Sky Light hadn't said, much to Rosa's relief, was that Lillian having run away was her fault. All Rosa could see was the picture in the paper. The girl looked so happy there!

"Don't worry, hot stuff," came a deeper, unwelcome voice from her other side, "I know how to cheer you up."

Before Rosa could really react Butch nipped her ear, which drew a sharp hiss from the mare and made her jump away. She opened her mouth to yell at him, but Velvet beat her to it and gave the pushy stallion a firm kick in his rump. It was strong enough for the jerk to fall flat on his muzzle.

"Idiot," muttered Velvet and placed herself between him and Rosa. "Don't mind him," she went on while she rubbed her flank against the younger mare. "He's just an idiot."

There was uncomfortable silence while none of the ponies looked at Butch. Finally Bluegrass cleared his throat. "Anyway, I went on the Internet for that government thing..."

Rosa was still distraught by her horrible imagination of what might have happened to Lillian, but Sky Light stepped closer to the stallion and picked up the conversation: "Okay, did you find anything?"

The answer flew past Rosa without really registering. She had stopped paying attention to them, certain that if there was anything important, Sky Light would tell her later. Maribelle could wait - Lillian was more important. Crazy schemes of getting the pegasus to lead her there were popping up in Rosa's head. Maybe she hadn't looked closely enough and the girl really was hiding somewhere in the fields. If not, Rosa could search the forest. She would eat grass if she had to!

"You okay sweetie?" Velvet asked, again nuzzling Rosa who was barely aware that Velvet was standing almost protectively beside her. A glance told Rosa that Butch had crawled away and was sitting there, watching them with some kind of a weird, scary little grin. It made her shiver.

"Why do you stay around him?" Rosa asked absently, mainly for something to say.

Velvet followed her gaze, then shrugged. "Eh, he's not so bad when you get to know him. Just make sure you never turn your back on him and you'll be fine."

"That's stupid."

The mare giggled a little. "I guess it is. You have to remember, it's just us on the street. No one will help us. You make the best of it."

Rosa opened her mouth to ask if the stallion was... having his way with Velvet, but then she shut it and shook her head. She didn't really want to know. It had been such a piece of luck that Rosa had ran into Sky Light and Terry, rather than someone like Butch, or those teenagers from the previous night. She started listening to what the pegasus and Bluegrass were saying.

"... like Area 51 or something!" the stallion was explaining in a quiet, rushed voice. "The web page said they do secret experiments on ponies there! It's shady as fuck and probably illegal, but you know they don't care!"

It really did sound like he had found something. Sky Light was nodding to herself, but when she noticed Rosa looking she gave her a wry grin and rolled her eyes. "Okay, can you give me an address?" she asked Bluegrass.

The stallion looked around, as if imparting a great secret. Rosa focused her ears in case it was something important for her to remember. "Somewhere out in Death Valley. No one knows for sure, but the blog said that's where it is!"

"Death Valley. Gotcha," Sky Light said, flashing Rosa another smile. She then wrapped her wing around the stallion, who looked incredibly proud of himself, and whispered something in his ear. It was making him smile widely and blush a fantastic pink.

Rosa was done socializing. The sun was rising and she wanted to be out and doing something about Lillian already, so she stood up and took a step toward the pegasus. A hoof tapped her on her back. "Rosa? You forgot your coffee," Velvet pointed out.

"Huh?" Rosa didn't care about that thing in the slightest. She didn't have any real appetite left, so she shrugged and forced a smile for the mare. "It's yours," she said graciously.

"Oh wow? Really?!" Velvet gasped in delight.

"Yeah, sorry it's gotten cold..." Rosa began, but didn't get much further because the other mare hugged her.

"Thanks! You're awesome, Rosa!"

Luckily her embrace didn't last too long - she was too eager to get to her beverage. Rosa nodded at her absently, already forgetting the coffee, and made her way to Bluegrass and Sky Light. "Um, we should go?" she suggested.

The pegasus leaned her head to the side, a bit curious but mostly worried. She obviously didn't like the expression on her friend's face, but Rosa didn't care care about that either.

"Okay," Sky said slowly and patted the stallion on his shoulder. "Good job, Bluegrass. Keep looking, see if you can find anything more exact, okay?"

He nearly saluted in reply. "Will do!"

Rosa could see that he was still blushing a little, but she didn't want to spend energy wondering about it. She just started walking away, barely glancing around to see if Sky Light was following. Velvet waved a hoof goodbye and so did Pepper. Butch just kept staring and grinning, which made Rosa shiver a little in discomfort. She made a mental note never be alone with that guy!

Her thoughts were interrupted when Sky Light spoke up: "Okay, your tail on fire or something?"

"No, I- huh? What?"

The mare rolled her eyes at Rosa's distracted, bemused stare. "What's the hurry?"

"Oh. I was thinking we could go- and the forest... Lillian might be hiding in the forest, we should search there."

Before Rosa could take one more step Sky Light hurried up and planted herself in front of her. Their noses almost touched before she could stop.

"Hey-"

"Don't you 'hey' me!" Sky Light almost hissed. "We're done with that stuff, understand?! I don't like what it's doing to you, so just snap out of it!"

"B-But... Lillian-"

"Enough," the mare interrupted again. "It's not healthy. You have an obsession, Rosa and it's going to kill you."

Rosa somehow knew what she was trying to say. She wouldn't help her anymore and she wouldn't let Rosa do it on her own. After her promise to Sky Light, Rosa couldn't just run away again, either. Even if she did, she would never make it on her own, and that fact was almost physically painful.

"B-But..." Rosa didn't even try to stem the flow of tears.

"No," Sky Light said firmly, but gently. "No butts, rumps or flanks, got it? It's done. We did what we could. Hell, we went above and beyond."

She started pacing up and down, but Rosa didn't move, keeping her eyes on the ground between them.

"An army of humans didn't find her and they have cars and phones and helicopters and shit. We can't do any better and trying will just end up in tears," the mare was telling Rosa. She corrected after a moment: "More tears, anyway."

Rosa didn't say anything, because in some way, deep down, she knew Sky Light was right.

"I know it sucks, Rosa, but it's time to let it go. We can still hope she'll be okay, but no more searching, okay? It's time to look after ourselves!"

It felt like betrayal, but Rosa nodded. Then the waterworks well and truly opened. She was hardly aware of wings hugging her.

"There. Cry it out and then you'll feel better, you'll see. We'll get the paper again tomorrow - maybe they'll find her, okay?"

Rosa managed another nod. The grief was hitting her hard, but Sky Light's presence was helping. Eventually she was able to climb back up to her hooves, even if she was standing a little shakily.

"Good. Meanwhile, let's get to the library. Don't worry, I'll do all the talking - you just keep looking like that. Maybe we can pay off Viktor and be done with it, right?"

Rosa didn't really care about that, but she nodded anyway. She had promised Sky Light to help her out, after all. She probably knew Rosa didn't give a rat's ass about her debt at the moment, but she didn't mind. The mare could see what this Lillian thing was doing to Rosa and she gave her friend a very welcome, comforting nuzzle.

"We'll keep trying to find your other friend, right? Another week and some of the truckers will be back, maybe they'll have news. If we find out for sure where this place is, we're sneaking in, okay?"

She was trying to cheer Rosa up and it was painfully transparent. It was obvious Sky Light didn't believe they would ever get anything concrete, so it was a safe promise for her to make. Rosa was a bit miffed at how well it was working, though. If she had failed Lillian, she at least had to try and do right by Maribelle! Rosa wiped some of her tears away with a hoof and gave another nod.

"O-Okay..."

"Good girl. Now let's keep going. Try to look sad while we mooch, it really helps. Might as well use it, right?"

Rosa remembered something from earlier and focused on it, hoping she would stop thinking about Lillian for a while. "W-What did you tell Blue-Bluegrass?" she asked, then clarified it a little: "When you whispered to h-him?"

Sky Light grinned. "I told him if he finds out more by tomorrow, I'll lift my tail for him."

It was so shocking and unexpected that it worked flawlessly. All thoughts of Lillian and the search flew right out of Rosa's mind as she gasped. "What?! Why would you do that? You didn't have to do that!"

The other mare chuckled at her friend's expression. "Don't worry, I was gonna do it anyway. I told you Terry isn't quite... filling enough. Now a colt like Bluegrass... Mmm, so cute when he's embarrassed. Oh, and so eager. I love me some young flank - don't tell him that!"

That mare...

Rosa shook her head, but couldn't help grinning in exasperation, even through her tears. Would she ever get like that herself? Probably not. Rosa couldn't stop thinking about Paolo for some reason. She really wanted to see that colt and just... talk. There was so much Rosa wanted to tell him and even more she wanted to ask. Mainly - did he still like her?

Sky Light interrupted Rosa's thoughts: "Come on, let's keep going. Library is usually best before lunch - then it's the parking meter afterwards, except on weekends. Restaurant row is best on weekends, but you gotta get there early to find a good spot."

Rosa was not really listening, but she nodded and made affirmative noises while the pegasus chattered as she led the way.

Chapter 43: Scare

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Apparently Rosa's miserable expression was the real ticket to wealth on the street. Sky Light simply couldn't shut up about it, even when Rose would have liked her to. "Man, that one guy actually had tears in his eyes! You're a natural, Rosa!" she praised.

Rosa just sighed sadly. Of course she was happy for her friend - she was one good mooch away from paying off her debt, after all - but Rosa couldn't stop thinking of precious little Lillian. Giving up their search felt like betraying her all over again. However much Rosa had tried explaining it to Sky Light, she just shot the idea down. She had said it wasn't Rosa's fault, but even her assurance wasn't enough to convince the mare. Lillian had run away because she missed her new pony friend, the timing was just too perfect.

That was the long and the short of it. Rosa still knew her street-wise friend was right and there was almost zero chance they could find the missing girl. Sky Light had done what she could and Rosa wouldn't help the girl any if she went out and got herself killed through stupidity. The best thing was just to move on and hope for the best, even if it was a hard thing to do.

Sky Light had gotten Rosa a salad from the fast food joint. It wasn't very good, but Rosa was grateful for it anyway. It had been a long time since the vegetables were fresh, but Rosa kept eating anyway. Sad or not, tasty or not, she couldn't ignore her body's needs for much longer. Besides, there was still Maribelle. If Rosa ever found her, it would take all her wits and strength to get her out of wherever she was, and that meant she needed to keep herself healthy and fit. Knowing that didn't make it easy, but Rosa kept repeating the reasoning in her mind and forced herself to eat and drink.

"Tell you what," Sky Light said, nudging Rosa with a wing to get her attention, "I know a Net Cafe where they allow ponies. Well, actually I know the guy that works night shift. Let's go and see if we can get some news about your girl, okay?"

Rosa's ears perked up and she looked at her friend incredulously. "Really?!"

"Sure!" Sky Light affirmed, wrapped her wing around Rosa's withers, and smooshed the hapless mare against her side. "I'm your bud, Rosa. We gotta stick together, right?"

All Rosa could do was nod.

"Incidentally, you gonna finish that?" Sky Light asked, pointing a hoof at Rosa's fizzy soda drink.

She grinned and slid it over. Sky Light would always be Sky Light. She loved her junk food and sugar drinks. Apparently she loved other things, too, but Rosa quickly pushed that thought away. Sky Light was uncannily good at reading her blushes.

This time she hadn't noticed anything because she was busy with the treat. She took the straw in her muzzle and sucked greedily. In moments she had emptied the cup, which she followed with a huge belch. It just made her giggle. "Man, I love the feel of bubbles on my tongue."

"It's a good thing you have any teeth left..." Rosa muttered.

Sky Light just shrugged. "My teeth are fine."

Rosa didn't comment. As long as Sky Light wasn't stopping her from brushing every night - well, nearly every night lately - Rosa didn't mind what the mare did.

"Whatever." Sky Light reached over and pulled Rosa's muzzle to face hers. "You seem distracted, Rosa. What's on your mind?"

She decided to tell the truth: "I was thinking about Maribelle..."

After a moment's thought to remember the name, Sky Light brightened up. "Good point. We can look around the Internet for that, too. Maybe we'll find something other than what Bluegrass came up with." The pegasus rubbed her muzzle a little and then rummaged through her burger wrapper for any bits of cheese stuck to the paper. "That colt is a nice guy, but he's too gullible by half. Did you know he sometimes gets his humans to buy groceries for the gang?"

Rosa hadn't. "He does?"

"Yep. This one time, he got Velvet a pack of aspirin for her headache when her heat was really bad."

That raised some questions and Rosa didn't really know which to ask first. Maybe the most troubling one. "How come Velvet doesn't have foals? You said heat and stallions... well- she's living with Pepper and Butch, no?"

Sky Light grinned knowingly and tapped the side of her head. "That's because Velvet is a smart mare. She knows what to expect, so she comes to stay with me when it happens. Nothing like a wing-pony to keep those pesky colts at bay!"

That actually sounded quite useful. "Oh. Okay. Um, does heat make your head hurt?" Rosa didn't remembers hers doing that. Maybe it took each mare differently?

"Not usually. That year it was bad because she had a cold at about the same time. Usually, all you get is some cramps, but they aren't too bad."

That was also something Rosa hadn't experienced. She tried to think back to the time she had spent in that comfortable, padded room. "How often does it happen?"

Maybe Mr. Greiner in Biology had told her, but Rosa didn't remember. That was what came from learning for a particular exam and then forgetting it all, she guessed.

"About once a year, usually," Sky Light answered. She seemed to think the same thing as Rosa and her ears stood up as she gave her friend a shocked look. "Are you- soon? When was your last time?"

It took a bit of mental calculation and the result made Rosa feel uneasy. "Um... about two and a half years ago..."

The other mare gasped through her teeth and her ears instantly folded down. "Oh. Yikes. That's- um..."

"W-What?" Rosa's voice was trembling in fear. Was there something wrong with her? She had never really talked about these things with her roommates or with Instructor Martha. She didn't know what was normal, but Sky Light had sounded so sure when she had said 'once a year'.

"It's... unusual," the mare said, trying to put Rosa at her ease.

It didn't work and Rosa gulped in fear. Had the humans at the School done something to her? Almost without conscious control her forelegs wrapped around her midriff. "I'm w-worried, Sky Light. What if-" Rosa swallowed a lump and tried again: "What if I won't have heat anymore? M-Maybe they did something to me..." It wasn't a welcome thought. Rosa might not have known much about feelings or urges, but she knew what heat meant. Childbirth. She had never really considered it, but Rosa had always known there was a possibility, some day.

Had it been taken from her?

Humans sometimes... The word now made Rosa shiver and whimper when she thought it: spay.

Humans sometimes spayed their pets.

"I'm sure you're fine," Sky Light said, once again reading Rosa like an open book. "Tell you what, we'll go see a friend of mine. She's a vet and she'll take a look at you. How many times have you gone into heat?"

"On-Once."

"Well, maybe you're just a late bloomer. It can be a bit irregular the first couple of times. Maybe you've had it, but it was so mild you didn't really notice?"

Rosa grasped the hope and clung to it as if to a life line. "M-Maybe..."

"You only got your cutie mark just now. You were supposed to get one a lot sooner. Don't worry, you're just a late bloomer," Sky Light repeated. "We should still keep an eye out for when it happens." The mare chuckled a bit. "Terry can help you out. I'm sure he wouldn't mind some cute, young flank."

Rosa was already shaking her head and her friend laughed heartily, mostly to dispel the tension. "Okay, in that case I'll help you out. I know my way around a mare, don't worry!" She gave her the kind of wink Rosa feared might set fire to her mane.

Almost without thinking she went to shake her head, but then paused. Between the two of her current friends, Sky Light might be the better choice. Rosa nodded, instead. "We'll- I'll see... maybe."

Sky Light's suggestion had worked, though. Rosa was not paralyzed with fear anymore, but rather slightly optimistic. Sky Light's explanation with her cutie mark made sense. Rosa had learned about puberty in Biology, and then once again from Instructor Martha. If her cutie mark had come in that late, maybe her heat would, too. That first one had probably been just a fluke.

Rosa relaxed and nibbled some more on her salad. "Thanks, Sky Light," she murmured, leaning against the warm, fluffy pegasus.

"Don't mention it. You're my little girl and I'll look after you, deal?"

She had gotten over her anger, but Rosa still felt like she should mention it. "Sorry about- running away."

The other mare laughed a little. "Don't worry. The haul we had today more than makes up for it. Thanks."

Rosa couldn't help feeling optimistic about the future. With Sky Light, anything was possible. "If we find where they take ponies with cutie marks, we'll go look for Maribelle, right?"

Sky Light nodded, which Rosa felt against her head rather than saw. "Sure. We'll go look for her," she confirmed and it made Rosa smile. "Now, how about some ice cream? My treat!"

Rosa smacked her lips appreciatively. "Mmmm, yes please!"

"Okay, finish your salad while I go get it. A growing mare like you needs all the food she can get."

She was laughing when she trotted off and Rosa stuck her tongue out at her, even though Sky Light wasn't looking back.

Maybe everything was going to be alright.

"Hey Mario!" Sky Light greeted the lanky, acne-ridden young man at the counter.

He jerked upright, as if he had just been dozing, then smiled at the mare. "Oh, it's you," he commented, feigning annoyance. "What is it this time?"

"C'mere, you goof," Sky said and the young man obediently stepped out from behind his desk and leaned down so she could give him a hug. "Mario, this is Rosa," she introduced. "Well, 'Mario' is just what I call him. His actual name is Taylor."

"Um, hi." Rosa offered a hoof and Taylor shook it politely, before focusing his attention on Sky Light again.

"What do you need?"

Sky lifted a foreleg to her chest and folded down her ears, as if hurt. "Need? Aw, can't a mare come around to say hi to an old friend every once in a while?" Unfortunately she couldn't keep her face straight, though, and giggled a little.

Luckily Taylor - 'Mario' - didn't mind. "Okay, what's up?" he asked.

"We're looking for secrets. I thought you could help us out - an Internet wiz like yourself."

The man looked doubtful for a moment, but the flattery made him grin proudly. "Okay, what are you looking for?"

Sky Light turned to Rosa and held up a hoof, as if giving her younger friend the stage.

Rosa hadn't been expecting that and swallowed nervously. "Um- I'm looking for my friend, Maribelle. She was... uh-" She looked around the shop, but there were no other humans in there. The cashier could probably be trusted, given that Sky Light had led Rosa to him. "She was taken because she got her cutie mark. I think the government has her in some secret lab or something."

Now the young man could no longer hide his excited grin. "Ooh, a conspiracy! Love me some of that kooky stuff every once in a while." He went to the nearest table with a computer on it and sat down.

Sky Light started to follow him, then looked back and gave Rosa an encouraging smile. "Come on."

Rosa took a step, but used the opportunity when they were away from the man to ask the question: "Why do you call him 'Mario'?"

The mare chuckled at the question and even Mario looked back, making Rosa blush in embarrassment. Neither commented and Sky Light just answered loudly enough for both of them to hear. "Oh, that's easy. I call him 'Mario' because it's his favourite video game. First time we met - man, that's funny story!"

It looked like the young man was blushing! Rosa stared at him, then looked back to the pegasus, who was sitting on her haunches and rubbing her hooves together in giddy anticipation. "Take a load of this," she told her, "I was mooching outside the shop one day and this doofus comes out with a doughnut and coffee for me."

That actually sounded kinda sweet and Rosa smiled at them both. "How nice!"

"Well, you'll never guess what he did next!" Sky Light went on. Rosa saw that Mario was hurriedly busying himself with the computer and pretending he wasn't paying the mares any attention. Too bad for him that they could see his ears turning red.

"What?" Rosa asked in a whisper, suddenly insanely curious.

"He asked me out on a date!" Sky Light laughed. "Can you imagine? Not just that - it was at his place!"

That would have sounded creepy, even to Rosa's inexperienced ears, but Sky Light saw her expression and waved a dismissive hoof before the air could become uncomfortable. "Don't worry, I saw he was harmless. Just really, really bad with girls. That's why he thought he might have better luck with a homeless pony."

Rosa shook her head. On the one hand she wanted Sky Light to stop - it was making Taylor obviously uncomfortable - but on the other hand she wanted to know more. Feeling guilty, Rosa kept her mouth shut and let the other mare continue.

"Anyway, we get there and - check this - he shows me his video games. Talk about a mood killer! We ended up playing something called 'Super Mario 64' until like three in the morning. That's why I call him 'Mario'."

Rosa rolled her eyes. Sky could have just told her that last bit, without embarrassing the man like she had. Rosa wondered why he hadn't said anything or gotten angry. Maybe she should have interrupted? She could have told him it was okay and Sky Light was just an asshole sometimes, but the mare in question spoke up first.

"I promised I'd teach him how to talk to girls and in return he'll let me surf the Internet every once in a while. How's Alison doing?"

At that the young man stirred. "She's fine. You should come over for lunch sometime."

"Alison? Who's Alison?"

Sky Light answered so Taylor didn't have to. "His girlfriend. What can I say? I'm good. I had to kick him over and then stomp on his foot to get a sound out of him, but he did great. They've been dating for what - four months now?"

"Five," Taylor corrected.

Sky Light nodded to that. "Yeah, five. Sounds about right. I could see she thought he was cute the moment I saw her. All he needed was to make a move." She nudged Taylor with a friendly hoof. "She's no pony tail, but that rump looked cute, even for a human."

Just like that his blush was back. Rosa gave her friend an annoyed look, but Sky Light just laughed. A thought occurred, but Rosa wisely decided not to ask. She was wondering if he and Sky Light had ever done anything. Maybe it was best she don't know. That mare was too promiscuous by half as it was. Rosa didn't need to meet all her ex-boyfriends. Besides, they were on a mission and they didn't have time to gossip.

A glance at the screen showed that Taylor had been busily searching while Sky Light was talking. It was a good thing that he took their quest a little more seriously. "Anything?" Rosa asked to change the topic.

He was glad of the distraction and pointed out a picture on the screen. It looked flat and gray, with some tiny, white smudges in the middle. "This says it's in Death Valley," he pointed out.

Sky Light nodded. "Yeah, that's what we heard, too."

Taylor was shaking his head. "It's fake. Just a kook with a conspiracy theory. He says they do experiments on ponies and crap like that."

The statement made Rosa swallow in fear, worried it might be true, but Taylor spotted her expression and put his hand in her mane. "Don't worry, I'm positive it's full of shit. Tell you what - I'll do some digging around on the message boards. Come by tomorrow and I'll tell you what I find out."

Sky Light slid her head under his arm as well and the man smoothly brought his other hand to take care of her ears, too.

The feeling made Rosa close her eyes and sigh in comfort.

"Cute," Sky Light said and Rosa blinked as she looked at her. She was smiling.

"What?"

"Don't move. Mario, get your phone, take a photo of this," the pegasus urged.

Rosa obediently froze, making sure she didn't move a muscle on her face. She wondered what Sky Light was seeing.

They waited while Taylor rummaged in his pocket and hurriedly aimed the camera at Rosa. Aside from turning her eyes to look at it, she was trying to stay absolutely still.

"Priceless," Taylor said at last.

He showed the picture to Sky Light, who chuckled. "Aww, you gotta print that out for me!" she demanded.

"What?! Lemme see! Lemme see!"

He turned the phone toward Rosa.

"Aww!" She couldn't help it. The picture was adorable, even if it was Rosa's own mug on it. Her ears were at half-mast, her nose was scrunched up in pleasant surprise, and her tongue was poking out. The weird thing was that Rosa didn't even remember doing any of those things. There was magic power in human fingers, it seemed.

"Yeah, sure. I'll make a couple of prints tomorrow," Taylor promised.

Rosa realized she wouldn't mind having one. If she ever saw Lillian again, she could give her it to remember her by.

While the young man was putting his phone away, Sky Light rummaged in her saddle bag and brought out a bank note. "Here, get us three coffees."

Taylor started shaking his head and pushed the money back toward the pegasus, but she glared a little and placed her hoof over his hand.

"God dammit, I can pay for coffee every now and then. Just take it and go do your job, you goof!"

Taylor grinned at the jab, but he still took the money and walked over to the bar.

"Thanks. I'll get the next one," Rosa promised her friend.

"Don't worry about it," she replied. "We earned this together, right?"

"How much more?"

Her eyes unfocused as she silently calculated. "I think we got about eighty bucks now. I'll have to count it at the van. I guess one more mooch tomorrow and we should be good."

"Do we need any money for- um... the vet?" Saying it made Rosa's ears lower. She felt too much like a pet when she thought about seeing a veterinarian about her problems.

"Dunno. Maybe if she has to run some tests. Rachelle is a friend, she won't charge for her time. We'll see when we see her, okay?"

There was hardly any shame as Rosa nodded to that. The life of handouts and favors was getting easier, at least when Sky Light was with her. Maybe it wouldn't be an absolutely horrible way to live, she thought.

Taylor came back with a tray and three coffees on it. One of them was a cup, but the other two were mugs. Rosa was grateful for that - it was much easier to grasp with hooves. She guessed Sky Light had taught him that.

"Thanks," the pegasus said, chose one and slurped it a little. Her muzzle came away white and Rosa had to a double take.

"Huh?"

Sky Light grinned. "Cream on top. It's a special recipe I came up."

The man sighed a little. "I told you, it's called 'mochaccino'. It's been invented before."

Sky Light just stuck her tongue out at him, which made Rosa laugh. She finally reached for her own cup and saw that it was the same as Sky Light's. It did look tasty, so Rosa carefully sipped a little. The cream really worked well with that coffee. Rosa let out a pleasurable sigh.

"See who about what?" Taylor asked, apparently having heard the tail end of their discussion.

"Oh, Rosa thinks they might have snipped her, so we're going to see Rachelle tomorrow." The way Sky Light had put it stung a little and Rosa looked down into her drink to hide her frown.

"Snipped?" Taylor asked, confused.

Sky Light sighed at having to explain it. "Spayed. Her tubes tied. Neutered."

That made the young man gasp and he quickly puts a hand in Rosa's mane. For a moment she wanted to shake him off, but his fingers around her ear were at least a small comfort. "Shit, I'm sorry Rosa. I hope it's not that, for what it's worth."

She just nodded sadly. The stupid insensitive pegasus had made her think about it again, just when Rosa had been doing so well!

Sky Light seemed to recognize her mistake and slid closer along the floor so she could hug her friend with a wing. "Sorry," she said sadly. "I didn't mean to put it like that. I'm sure you're fine."

All Rosa could do was just nod. Sky Light was just being Sky Light. She was very... direct. Rosa guessed that was what living on the streets did to you. The coffee was good, though, so she took comfort in that. Not to mention that the young man knew his way around a mare's ears. Rosa couldn't help leaning against his touch.

Tomorrow she would know for sure.

"Okay, now here's another thing we need you to look up," Sky Light said. "Remember that senator's daughter who went missing?"

"Say aaah!" the graying, but very friendly woman in the white lab coat commanded.

"Aaah!"

She pressed Rosa's tongue down with a stick of wood and looked at her throat. "Hmm," she said to herself. "Good."

Rosa was a bit nervous, but that was completely normal. Physical examinations have always made her feel uneasy, even back at the School. The good thing was that this Rachelle didn't seem to care about her cutie mark, nor the fact that she was homeless. The doctor seemed friendly enough and she obviously cared about Sky Light.

"I'd say you're in perfect health," came the verdict. "And such a good girl!"

Rosa blushed a little, while Rachelle pointed an accusing finger at the other mare. "I wish you came in for a physical every once in a while. The clinic has a free program for ownerless ponies, you know?"

Sky Light just shrugged. "I'm fine, doc."

"Fine like that time you got stung by a bee?" the woman asked. She looked over to Rosa and mimicked with her hands near her face. "Her neck was out to here before she came to see me."

Sky Light just groaned and looked pointedly away, but Rosa couldn't help chuckling. It absolutely did sound like Sky Light, alright.

"Okay, let's see about your problem now," Rachelle said and Rosa's laughter died in her throat. Up until now it had just been a regular examination. Now came the serious part.

The reason they were there.

To find out if the humans at the School had spayed her.

The mere thought left a foul taste in her mouth. Up until now Rosa had thought they were mostly good people, working on educating the ponies under their care and giving them nice, productive jobs. If they- if they had done this to her, that would make them evil. There was no other way to put it.

"Lie down for me, please," Rachelle said, pushing at her flank. Rosa obediently flopped to her side. "Lift," she ordered and tugged her hind leg up.

Again Rosa complied, but she kept looking straight ahead at a wall with a poster. Anatomy of a dog, it looked like. A bit gruesome, even if it was nice and colorful. Rosa still focused on it so she didn't have to think about her own inner parts. Rachelle's fingers prodded along her belly, making Rosa gasp and shiver as the doctor hit sensitive spots. A few times she nearly closed her legs, but Rachelle was keeping a firm hold on your hoof.

"Hmm," the vet said thoughtfully.

Rosa's blood ran cold. "W-What?"

"No scarring that I can see," the woman murmured. I'll have to do an ultrasound. Hold still."

Rosa kept her leg obediently in the air and caught Sky Light's sympathetic gaze. Now that they were in the clinic, she was not joking anymore. In fact, Rosa could see how the mare was biting her lip in worry.

A squeak of wheels made Rosa look over to where Rachelle was dragging a big, blocky machine over to the examination table. She detached a probe on a long cable and grabbed a bottle from the side. The blocky thing started to hum and whir.

"This will feel a bit cold, but it'll be fine in a minute," she warned Rosa and waited for the mare to nod before she applied some clear liquid to the device and pressed it against the sensitive skin on the belly. There was very little fur there and the touch of the goo-soaked metal made Rosa gasp and squirm. Luckily Rachelle had been ready for that and grabbed her hind leg in time. "Hush, it's fine," she said gently.

In a few moments it really was okay and Rosa relaxed again. She tried to look at the screen. She knew vaguely what ultrasound was, but she had never thought it would be used for something like this. She decided to ask; if nothing else, it would help break the tension a little. "Isn't ultrasound just for looking at babies before they are born?"

Rachelle chuckled and released her leg so she could give her belly a pat. "Normally yes, but it also allows us to see if there's any internal damage. Hold still now."

Again Rosa froze, hardly even daring to breathe. She had never thought about it before, but so much depended on this test. It could completely change the way her life went. The probe moved against her belly as Rachelle pushed it this way and that, inspecting the screen closely all the time. Rosa couldn't really read anything from it; there were just bright and dark shapes with absolutely no meaning to her untrained eye.

At long last the doctor took the device away and flipped the machine off. She handed Rosa a couple of paper towels to wipe herself dry while she sprayed another bottle on the handheld thing. She caught Rosa's inquisitive look and explained: "Disinfectant."

While she was finishing that, Rosa did her best to wipe down her goo-covered fur. It didn't stick too much, so it was not a big problem and Rosa didn't mind if she missed a few spots.

"Well, the good news is everything is fine down there," Rachelle said, thankfully without any ado.

Rosa breathed a huge sigh of relief and immediately smiled. "Thank you!" Before the doctor could continue, she sat up and threw her hooves around her. Already Rosa had tears in her eyes.

"However," the vet said pointedly and Rosa let her go, worry slamming back like a truck and her ears instantly pressed back down.

Rachelle repeated: "However, I don't know why you're not going into heat regularly. I'd like to do some more tests. I'll need a blood sample."

Almost before she had finished talking Rosa had already lifted up her head and presented her neck. It had been a standard thing at School so she knew what it entailed.

The doctor went to find a needle, and brought back a syringe, wipes and a disinfectant bottle. Then she reached around for an electric shaver. "I'll have to trim a bit from your neck - that okay?"

It didn't matter, not if Rosa would get some answers. She nodded quickly and lifted her muzzle again to give the woman easier access. The whirring only lasted a few seconds, then she sprayed the newly exposed skin with the disinfectant. It was decidedly cold, but Rosa didn't move. After Rachelle had wiped it off, she grabbed the needle.

"Ready?"

"Y-Yes."

Rosa barely felt the prick, but still stood perfectly still while the metal was in her vein. It only took a few seconds before the vet pulled it away and pressed gauze against the puncture. "Hold this," she ordered and Rosa placed her hoof over it. "Keep it there for at least ten minutes."

She held the vial up, then took a pen and labelled it. "I'll get the results in a couple of days - swing back whenever you can and we'll take a look, okay? It might just be a hormonal thing."

"Okay. Thank you, doctor."

She smiled and ruffles Rosa's mane. "Good girl. Now off with you two and stay out of trouble."

Sky Light was already rummaging in her bag. "How much do we owe you, doc?"

Rachelle waved it away. "Free clinic, remember? Hmm, maybe I should take your sample, too, while you're here. It's not often that you-"

Before Rosa knew what was going on Sky Light was already pushing her forward with her head. "Okay, thank you, doc! We'll get out of your hair now! Bye!"

They heard the woman chuckling as the pair left and Rosa made an educated guess based on Sky Light's expression. "You're afraid of the doctor, aren't you?"

"NO!" she replied, much too quickly for it to be anything but a lie. "I'm not afraid of the doctor! I'm fine! I just don't want her to spend time on me when there's ponies who really need her, you know?"

"My, how altruistic!"

Sky Light blew a raspberry and started walking back towards the van. Rosa just laughed as she followed. The news that she hadn't been operated on - spayed - was very welcome indeed. It made her very happy to know that, if she ever wanted it, she would have a chance to have a foal someday. Rosa hadn't even realized how important that was to her. How important it was for her to have a choice in the matter.

Funny enough, she had never really thought about it in the school. The right to breed was a coveted honor, earned only by the best and the brightest. Rosa had always assumed she would have that choice someday, especially since she had some of the best grades in her class, after all, and she was in the Assistant Pony program - the elite of the elite.

This thought, that she might not get to have children, had gotten her really scared. Now she felt okay again. It was a huge relief and there was fresh bounce in Rosa's step - well, in her hobble. She was still holding the gauze against her neck. In fact, she was falling behind!

"Hey, wait up!"

"Not my fault you let the doc butcher you!" came the snarky reply.

Rosa rolled her eyes but couldn't help chuckling at the joke. "Ass!"

All she got back was a raspberry. It seemed her joy was infectious.

As Rosa was making her slow way after Sky Light, she began to hum her happy tune again. She was still a bit sad about Lillian, and there had been no news the previous day, but Rosa chose to remain hopeful. The girl was smart and resourceful and tough. She would find her way back.

Rosa had to believe that.

Chapter 44: Wanderlust

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The next few days were mostly routine, at least insofar as that was possible on the street. Every morning Rosa went with Sky Light to the truck stop to look for anyone with news about where Maribelle might be, but there were no familiar faces. Sky had taken Rosa mooching twice more to get her money for Viktor finally together, and then she had left her in Terry's quiet, uneasy company while the pegasus went to deliver the cash. That had been the most nerve-racking of all, not knowing if Sky Light would come back or not.

Rosa had breathed a sigh of relief when her friend showed up and proudly pulled a post-mare's uniform from her pack. She said she had gotten it from Hoover, but when Rosa asked what she had to do for it, the pegasus went quiet and just stared at her. It probably had something to do with the lies Rosa had told her about the man with the gun, but Sky Light didn't bring it up and Rosa was too cowardly to mention it, not after all that time.

A day later her blood-test results had came back and Rosa had visited the doctor. That time she had gone alone. Sky Light didn't say why, but Rosa had a feeling she really disliked hospitals.

The results of the test were puzzling, but not bad. Rachelle hadn't quite understood it herself, but apparently - from what Rosa could gather from the explanation - her hormones were wrong. Her bloodwork looked like a small filly's, rather than a grown mare's. It would explain why she wasn't going into heat, Rachelle had told her, but she didn't have the faintest idea what could have brought it about. She told Rosa to come see her if anything changed or in six months, whichever came first. It was a little troubling and cast more doubt on the Pony School, but Rosa knew she wouldn't get any answers by fretting so she put it aside. Rachelle had said there should be no reason she couldn't have foals someday, even if she has to give Rosa artificial hormones. That was good to know and Rosa had left it at that.

Mainly she was focusing on looking for clues about Maribelle through the truckers, Bluegrass, and through Taylor, but Rosa was also hunting down every piece of news she could find about Lillian. The fact that she had given up on her search still stung and Rosa woke up some nights in cold sweat after dreaming of the horrible fate that might have befallen the little girl. It was getting easier, though. That part of her life was sliding into the past and holding on to it was doing Rosa no good. She had said a quiet, solitary goodbye to her School roommates one night while Sky Light had been fetching alcohol for herself and Terry. She hadn't commented on the tears in Rosa's eyes.

All in all, it felt like the streets were making Rosa grow up a lot faster than she normally would. She had started tentatively joking about sex with Sky Light and she was no longer quite so afraid of strangers. Wary yes, afraid no. She had been practicing on the wood whenever Rosa could find a free moment, and now she could quite reliably hit the mark with her hind hooves with enough force to smash clean through the thick plank. Any human - or pony - who might try something untoward with Rosa had better watch out!

On that particular morning Rosa found herself busily brushing her teeth and having a drink of water while Sky Light was off visiting the toilet. There was no sign of Terry and the pegasus hadn't said where he had gone. Rosa hadn't even heard him leave in the night. Sky Light didn't seem worried, so Rosa had decided not to fret about it either. The man had his mysterious ways and he had always returned before.

There hadn't been any more sign of Hoover's goons, so Rosa guessed that Sky Light had been right when she'd said she had some pull with him and his gang. That was another piece of good news.

Rosa heard hooves on concrete and turned to look. She smiled through the foam, then spat and pulled the brush out of her mouth. "Morning, Sky," she greeted.

"Yeah, you said that already," the other mare replied and stretched, swishing her tail around. "We'll need to get more toilet paper soon. You up for an hour's light mooching?"

Rosa nodded. That particular task was no longer as onerous as the first few times. She was saving the silk nightgown and not repairing it because its dirty and torn torn look gave her that extra bedraggled, miserable appearance which made the people pay so well. Sky Light usually went without clothes, but kept the saddle bags low on her back just to prevent potential comments about her cutie marks.

"Taylor said to come by tonight. He said he's having a chat today with someone who knows where that government facility is," Rosa reminded her friend.

"Bet you a buck it'll be a bust?" Sky Light offered. "The coffee will be nice, but you're paying this time."

Rosa gave her a nod. Sky had found her a small backpack, suitable for a young human child on his first day of school, which also worked well on a pony. It was a bit of a hassle to get it on with hooves, but, once there, it sat quite comfortably. One of the compartments was low enough for Rosa to reach with her muzzle without taking the thing off, so she kept her money there. Thirteen dollars and eighty-four cents, that was how much she currently owned. Rosa was keeping meticulous track of it.

Sky Light was nice enough to give her exactly half of what they mooched up. Rosa did most of the work, what with how cute she was, but she didn't bring that up. A half share was perfectly fair, for the both of them.

"Deal," Rosa confirmed Sky Light's bet, then stuck the toothbrush in her mouth again. Taylor had sounded so certain. Rosa was sure he'd give them something concrete.

Beside her, the pegasus turned the handle and caught some water in her muzzle. She gargled it for a moment, then swallowed with a very audible liquid sound. She dunked her head in the stream and shook it around, almost like a dog. It was her version of brushing her teeth and washing, and Rosa was careful to keep her comments to herself.

After a few moments of that, Sky Light drank a bit more, then turned the water off.

"Mmmphmh!" Rosa pointed urgently with a free hoof.

Sky obediently turned the water on again and Rosa took a mouthful to rinse out the toothpaste. Then her friend closed the valve and shook out her mane once again.

"Thanks."

"Cool. We ready? Let's go to the truck stop and see if there's any news. After that we can hit the library on our way back," Sky Light declared.

"Okay."

Sky Light stood up, stretched, and started walking. Rosa fell in step at her side a couple of hoofsteps behind the mare. It felt like a natural place to walk.

"Sleep well?" Rosa asked.

"Eh, a bit chilly after Terry left. I thought about coming up to you, but I didn't wanna wake you," the pegasus explained.

"Where did he go again?" Rosa tried.

The other mare just barked a laugh. "Sorry. His business. He said specifically not to tell you."

Rosa shrugged a little to herself. Maybe she would find out in time, maybe she wouldn't. It was not really important.

"Listen, Rosa..." Sky Light suddenly said in a much more serious tone of voice. She stopped and twirled around to face her young protege.

"Hmm?" It looked important, especially with the way Sky couldn't meet Rosa's gaze. She was pawing at a bit of dirt on the ground.

"Look - you trust me, right?"

This was starting to scare Rosa and her tail reflexively tucked between her hind legs. "Y-Yes?"

"I was thinking of leaving," Sky Light said. "I was wondering if you'd come with me..."

"Leaving?!" Rosa was shocked. The other mare had seemed perfectly happy where she was. She knew a lot of the business owners around and she could often get her hooves on a free meal. She had her favourite dumpster-diving spots picked out. She was familiar with the city and how everything worked. Why would she ever want to leave? "Why?!"

Sky Light shrugged. "Dunno. I suppose it's a pegasus thing. Or maybe it's a bum thing. I just get... restless. I've been her ever since- that thing with Hoover. I miss train-hopping, or just flying and seeing where I end up." She glanced up at Rosa and gave her a wan smile, then prodded some more dirt with a hoof. "I kinda wanna see what's out there. Maybe try Europe. What'd you say?"

It would take them further from everything Rosa knew! The School, Lillian, Terry. Even Velvet and her gang!

Paolo.

Sky Light could read what her friend was thinking all too clearly and came over to nuzzle her. "Hey, I didn't say I'm going now, you dimwit!" she chided.

"W-When then?"

Sky shrugged and looked up, as if the clouds might give her an answer. "Dunno. Maybe in the next month or so? Summer is the best time for train-hopping."

"B-But-"

The pegasus embraced Rosa with her wings. "Hush, I know sweetheart. It's hard the first time. Let's see if we can find your friend Maribelle and whatever happened to the Boone girl. Then there'll be nothing left for you here, right?"

Rosa brought out our earlier questions: "What about Terry? Velvet and Bluegrass and Pepper?" she asked, leaving out Butch. "Taylor and his girlfriend - don't you wanna see how that turns out?"

"We will, we will," Sky Light assured her. "I didn't mean leave forever. Just like- a road trip, you know?"

"To Europe?"

Sky sighed. "That was just an idea. Besides, it's possible to travel back from Europe, you know?"

It didn't help and Rosa shook her head in disbelief. "How? We don't have passports or anything! I'm a fugitive, for God's sake!"

"Well, not Europe then. Maybe we could swing around to Los Angeles, see if there's a casino that allows ponies. We could be rich!"

Rosa just stared at the mare, wondering what had gotten into her.

"Or we could go east, visit the Statue of Liberty. I always wanted to fly up and look that lady in the eye. You," she pointed a hoof, "would have to take the stairs, of course."

"Why?" Rosa asked again.

"Well, you don't have wings, for one," she started and ended up doubled over with laughter. Then she caught Rosa's gaze and fell silent. Sky Light shrugged. She obviously didn't have a non-joke answer. Rosa guessed it was just some kind of wanderlust some people got. She had read about them - students who dropped out of their classes, took all their money and went to travel around the world. It did have some kind of romantic charm to it, but given how Rosa herself was an escaped pony, there was also a bunch of danger.

"Look, I'm not saying I'm going for sure. It's just a thought. Please- just think it over, Rosa. That's all I ask."

Rosa sighed and poked her nose at the mare in an urgent nuzzle. "Okay, I'll think about it."

"Besides," Sky Light went on, "what if we really do find out where Maribelle is being held? You won't be able to say no to a road trip then, will you?"

"No," Rosa admitted, ears folding down.

"Well, all I'm saying is: we do it regardless. Kick back, travel a little, see the world. You only got one life, Rosa. Don't spend it worrying about Terry and Bluegrass and Velvet and who knows who. Spend some of it on yourself, 'kay?"

Rosa gave a single nod. "Yeah, I g-guess..."

"'atta girl! Come on, let's go see if Pavo is back with some news."

Shaking her head in both bemusement and wonder, Rosa followed her friend once again.

It was the same thing again. Rosa was trying to peer through impenetrable darkness when she realized she was in the now-familiar dream once more. She immediately looked around for the eyes even while groaning in exasperation. "Dammit, enough with this crap already!" Maybe Sky Light's way of speaking was rubbing off on her a little, but the swear words did come in handy sometimes.

There was no sight of her dream visitor - probably her subconsciousness, Rosa guessed. Maybe this time it had dragged her in there without even anything to say. Not that its messages had been any use with all the inane, cryptic secrecy.

"Well?" She was tapping her hoof impatiently.

The voice seemed to come from all directions at once: "White Pigeon."

Yes, Rosa thought irritably, she had said that already. "What about a stupid bird?!"

"Find it."

Rosa rolled her eyes. If this really was her subconsciousness, then it had a serious flair for the dramatic. Over-dramatic, she'd say. On the other hand, if this was some magical prophecy-type stuff, then it could at least be a little less cryptic.

She sat down in the middle of the soft floor, or at least as near the middle as Rosa could tell, since there weren't any walls that she could see. Then she let her head hang down wearily. "Look, I wanna help you, I really do. You'll just have to be a bit more specific, okay? First of all, who are you?"

There was silence. Rosa still couldn't see the signature eyes anywhere around her, but there was a sense of alertness now.

"Well?"

"I am," the thing, whatever it was, said. "I am in need of your help."

Rosa opened her mouth to utter a few more bad words, but the voice spoke up again, this time from her left. "I can't remember. It is hard."

As she twirled to look in the direction, the voice seemed to come from behind: "Why can't I remember?"

Rosa was still pretty annoyed, but she sensed the distress in the voice. Confusion and fear. Was it a reflection of how she herself had felt ever since her life had been upturned?

"I'm sorry. I don't know how to help you."

There was nothing more. Rosa turned in a circle to peer in all directions, but there were no eyes, nor did she see any kind of shape. Finally, Rosa's eyes were drawn up, where the sky was filled with stars. There was a full moon. Had that always been there in the dream? Even Rosa was losing her grip on things, it seemed.

"I guess this is the part you tell me not to trust people, right?"

There was no answer. Strange, Rosa thought, until that point she had always been thrown out of the dream when that figment of her imagination had stopped talking. Well, if it was not going to bother her any more, she might as well get some well-earned rest. The floor was soft and warm, kind of like Rosa imagined grass might feel on a warm summer night. She curled up right there and laid her head down. Despite all the weirdness, she wasn't in a scary place. The voice had never threatened her, or tried to hurt her.

Rosa and Sky Light would have a full day ahead of them so she needed her rest.

Eventually Rosa drifted off.

Sky Light listened to Rosa's description of the dream, but she just shrugged it off. "It's probably just your imagination," the mare told her younger friend. "You've been through an awful lot, you know?"

Rosa had to agree with that. "I know. It's just... weird."

"Hell yeah it's weird," the pegasus confirmed. Like always she was walking half a step ahead as the pair were making their way to the truck stop for coffee with the pony gang. "But the mind is an unfathomable marvel!"

That was never Sky Light's own thought! "Where did you pick that up?" Rosa asked her.

"Book," the mare admitted easily. "It's good, isn't it?"

Rosa shrugged a little, having never been a fan of repeating quotes from books. What was the point? They had forced her to do that for her exams and she had never liked it much. "Whatever."

"Come on, it was good!" the pegasus whined and bumped Rosa with her flank. Unfortunately Rosa remained stoically silent and Sky Light started grumbling as they walked: "Dunno why I even bother talking to your uncultured rump..."

She fell silent when they came through the final few bushes and emerged on the lawn beside the truck stop. The others were already sitting in a circle next to the shop and Velvet waved the moment she spotted the pair in the distance.

"Good news!" Sky Light said, pointing the other way. Rosa followed her hoof but didn't see anything special. "Huh?"

"Pavo is back!"

That news made Rosa's heart beat faster. Maybe he'd have something for them! She was about to trot over to the truck, even if it was not familiar to Rosa. She had never had a good eye for cars and such. Before she could move, though, Sky Light put a leg in her way and shook her head. "Let's get coffee first and have a chat with the guys. Pavo probably came in late last night, let the man sleep."

Rosa folded down her ears in disappointment and the other mare laughed at her expression. "Or, you could go and wake him up with a nice pony blowjob - I'm sure he'd like that!" She kept chuckling while Rosa's muzzle went a nice shade of pink.

"Ass."

A coffee was good advice, even if put in an inappropriate way, so Rosa followed her to the other ponies, all the while trying to get the image out of her mind.

The stallions all said their greetings as they approached but Velvet stood up and came to meet the pair. "Nice getup," she said and one of the guys let out a whistle.

It had almost slipped Rosa's mind that she had decided to wear the post-mare's uniform today, rather than the dirty nightie. She smiled at the other mare in gratitude, but then she caught sight of Sky Light as she pretended to be licking something gripped between her forehooves. Yep, total asshole.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Velvet asked, giving Sky Light a well-deserved glare. "What did she say to you?"

Before Rosa could reply, the pegasus jumped in, barely containing her laughter: "Ah, Rosa was just asking me how she should go about 'earning some extra money'." She didn't even have to sign the air quotes because they fell in place naturally with her inflection.

"Oh, that!" Velvet said happily. "It's not a big deal, but you might wanna come just after dark. My advice? Keep an eye on which ones have gone to shower - trust me, you don't want a noseful of trucker-smell when you..."

The mare fell silent with a very confused expression as Sky Light ended up flopping on the ground, laughing so hard she was liable to injure herself. "What did I say?" Velvet asks.

Rosa could barely meet her eyes, but she had to clear this up before Sky explained some more. Rosa could also see Butch shuffling uncomfortably on the grass from the corner of her eye and she did not want that stallion any more excited.

"Please- Velvet, this asshole was just teasing me with it! I don't wanna do it!"

Too late. Butch's gruff voice rose up in a verbal equivalent of a leer: "If you'd prefer pony cock I could spare a few dollars..."

It made Rosa roll her eyes and sigh, but she didn't look at the stallion lest she encouraged him some more. "Anyway, I was gonna buy Sky coffee today, but you can have it instead."

That shut the pegasus up. "Hey!" she said, standing up and fluffing her wings to dislodge the leaves and twigs she had picked up during her little laughing episode.

"Maybe next time you won't be such an asshole!" Rosa told her back.

The mare turned her signature Pleading Look on Rosa. "Come on! I was just joking!" she whined.

Unfortunately Rosa couldn't stay mad at her - not after all she had done for her. Rosa kept being reminded each time she glanced at her forelegs and saw the sleeves of the post-mare's uniform. "Oh alright! I'll buy you both coffee!"

It was not like she had all that many expenses. Rosa had managed to save quite a bit of money for when she found where Maribelle was. Besides, she was in an especially good mood since Sky told had told Pavo was back. Rosa was really counting on him to have some concrete news. If not, there was still Taylor in his coffee shop later that night.

Somehow Rosa felt like she'd get some useful information today. Maybe it was a premonition resulting from her dream.

The two mares fell in step behind her as Rosa went for the truck shop, Velvet prancing a little in excitement. She really did love her coffee, that one.

Chapter 45: A Destination

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The sun was starting to get pretty high up by the time Rosa and Sky Light had made their way to Pavo's truck. It was still closed and the curtain was drawn around the cabin. Rosa realized that he must really have come in late the previous night to be still asleep at this hour. For a moment she considered letting the poor man rest.

Sky Light had no such compunctions and she simply reared up and smacked her hoof on the metal a few times. Nothing happened for a minute, so she did it again, this time also raising her voice: "Pavo?! Get up you lazy bastard!"

There was a muffled swear from inside and Rosa saw the truck rock a little as the man started moving around in there. She would have told her friend that she was being rude, but Rosa had her mouth full. The cashier had been kind enough to let her borrow a tray so she didn't have to hobble across the whole parking lot with a plastic cup of coffee balanced on an upturned hoof.

About a minute later the door opened, nearly smacking Sky Light in the muzzle. She would perhaps deserve it, but the pegasus was too fast and jumped out of the way in time.

Pavo blearily looked out at the too-bright world and rubbed his eyes against the strong sunlight.

"Mmmphm!" Rosa tried to say urgently, lifting the tray up as high as she could.

"For me? Wow, thanks!" the man gaped, brightening up. He plucked the cup and swallowed about half of it in a single gulp. More importantly, that meant Rosa could finally put the tray down.

"Hi! I didn't know what kind of coffee you liked so I just got you a plain one!"

"Perfect," Pavo replied and took another sip. "Black as the night and hot as Hell, just the way I like it!"

Rosa smiled at the praise and swished her tail around. Then she looked at him expectantly while he lifted the beverage up and drained the cup. It was the fastest she had ever seen anyone drink a boiling hot coffee.

"Boy I needed that. I came in real late last night. I wanted to bring you the news as soon as possible!"

That got Rosa's heart hammering again. Her smile turned nervous in expectation and she couldn't keep her hooves still. "You found out about Maribelle?!" she gasped.

Pavo shook his head. "Not exactly," he admitted, "but I have a good lead. Come on up, I'll show you!"

Sky Light looked around, then interrupted: "You don't need me for this, right Rosa? I'll be with the others when you're done."

Rosa gave her friend an impatient nod, then went stiff as Pavo put his big hands around her barrel and smoothly lifted her up. He nudged her along until Rosa slid into the driver's seat, before climbing up himself.

"First thing," the man said, "my son absolutely loved your pictures! So thanks for that. You think I could make a few more?"

Rosa bobbed her head happily. "Yeah, of course! Anything!" her lungs were nearly bursting from the effort of not spilling all the questions at once. Instead, Rosa politely waited for Pavo to get to the point.

He could probably read her expectant look and her nervous shuffling of hooves, because he reached back for his bags and rummaged for a moment until he found a green cardboard folder. "Okay, so this thing is pretty hush-hush, right? I wouldn't have found out anything, but a guy in my company sometimes delivers there."

Rosa's eyes were plastered on the folder, but she tore them away so she could look at the man and nod. This was it! She could feel it! She was about to find out where Maribelle was being held!

"You need some kind of military secret clearance before you can even go near the place. Only two people at the firm have it and, as luck would have it, one of them is a buddy of mine."

"Yes!"

Pavo finally opened the folder and held up a printed photo. It looked like a map, but the thing in the middle was just a white rectangle. At first Rosa thought it was a building, but there were no shadows around it like satellite photos usually had.

"See? No Google Map photos of this thing. Street View doesn't even go there. It's how you can tell this thing is top secret."

Rosa nodded, but now she was a bit uncertain. "How do you know it's about ponies?"

The man smiled brightly, having anticipated her doubt. "Good question! There's nothing about this place on the Internet - I asked the guys in IT to check it out and it's like the address doesn't even exist. The reason I think that's your place is because my buddy - the one with the clearance - says he saw ponies being unloaded in cages one time he went there."

Rosa let out a small squeak and hugged Pavo. Tried to, anyway. The man was too big for her hooves to reach all the way around, but she still put in the effort. She even licked his bare forearm. "Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you! This is exactly it! Where is it?"

"Some backwater place in Michigan no one's ever heard of," Pavo told her.

In her excitement Rosa completely lost her place in the world and said the first thing that came to mind: "Death Valley?"

The trucker was taken aback. "What?! No. Why would you say that? Death Valley is fucking miles away! The other side of the country!"

The mare gave it some more thought and remembered the map of the United States from Mrs. Isaac's geography class. Pavo was right - she was completely in the wrong place and Rosa blushed a little in embarrassment. "Sorry. I just heard rumors that's where it was. I didn't think."

"Okay," the man conceded "So, my company delivers maintenance supplies over there. Parts for machines, spare light bulbs, sockets, cable - stuff like that. Our trucks barely get inside the fence, so even my buddy doesn't know a whole lot." Pavo looked thoughtful for a moment. "In fact, I don't think he was even supposed to see ponies. I guess it was some kind of scheduling mix-up..."

Rosa nodded in understanding. The government was always secretive so what Pavo was saying wasn't anything surprising. "Where is it?"

The man took another piece of paper and held it out to her. "Best I can give you is the town. This thing is about twelve miles west of a place called 'White Pigeon'."

It felt as if a bolt of lightning had run through Rosa. Everything felt fuzzy for a moment and her breath caught in shock. Her legs went weak and her rump flopped down to the seat. She would have toppled over completely, but Pavo caught her in a hug.

"Shit, what did I say? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

Rosa conceded that she might have. She opened her mouth to try and calm the man, but all she could get out was a string of gargled noises. "W-Wh... It's- How?!"

There was absolutely no possible way for her to have known that! How did it end up in her dream?! Rosa had thought the voice was telling her about some stupid bird. She had never even imagined it might be the name of a place!

Was it Maribelle reaching out to her?

Rosa gave a strangled, choking whimper. Was Maribelle dead?! Maybe her ghost was trying to visit her in her dreams?! For a moment Rosa's bladder weakened, but she managed to hold it in. She blinked her tears away to look at Pavo's extremely concerned face.

"What's wrong, girl?!" he asked, his voice deeply etched with worry.

Rosa shook her head, trying to stop him from fretting, but it wasn't doing much. Not with the way her ears were stiffly held to the sides and trembling. "N-No-Nothing," she managed to stutter. "I t-think I dreamed about-" She was not even able to say the name of the place. Rosa plucked the paper from Pavo's unresisting hand and looked at the address he had written down.

Plain as her hoof holding it: 'White Pigeon, MI'.

Rosa swallowed a lump. How long had the dream been saying that? Was it really possible it had been Maribelle's ghost all this time? If not her, then who - or what?!

"Hey, relax, relax, it's fine. Maybe it's just deja vu? Just breathe for a moment." Pavo suggested.

Rosa shook her head, but still took his advice. She managed several deep breaths, then - wordlessly - crawled into Pavo's lap and buried her face in his shirt. After a moment his hand came up and gave her cheek a careful scratch. For a second Rosa was afraid she might cry, even though she was not sad - not exactly. It was just the mixture of shock, bewilderment, disbelief and sheer, gut-twisting relief.

Now she had something to go on.

She was sure it was the place where she would find Maribelle. At least - Rosa added to herself - she would find out what had happened to her. "Please don't let me be too late!" she whimpered.

"You're not too late. Your friend will be fine, sweetie. Just relax. Breathe."

Rosa almost didn't remember who it was that was comforting her, but she felt his fingers running through her mane. His other hand felt solid around her barrel. She was grateful for the touch.

"Take as long as you need, okay? I'm not in a hurry," Pavo kept talking. "I drove extra yesterday to get this news to you as soon as possible, so I got a couple of hours to spare." The hand patted her head a few more times then went back to running through her mane. "We'll just take it nice and easy. Later, if you feel up to it, we'll make a few more photos. Would you like that?"

Rosa managed to nod against his chest.

"Good girl. Just take it easy. I didn't mean to spook you like that."

It was not right that this nice human was so worried about her. Rosa pulled her face away and managed a wan smile. "You d-didn't. It's okay. I'll be fine - I just need to p-process this for a minute."

The man smiled back, his hands never having stopped their petting. "As long as you need, sweetie."

Rosa was still somewhat in a daze as she made her way back to the truck shop. The ponies hadn't left, even though she must have been with Pavo for at least an hour. They didn't usually stay around that long, but Rosa figured they were simply keeping Sky Light company. Halfway to them she realized they weren't all there. Velvet was lying on her side, tail swishing every now and then, Butch was sitting with his back to the group a short distance away, and Pepper was on his belly, nearly touching Velvet's nose with his. There was no sign of Sky Light or Bluegrass and Rosa's steps faltered. Had something happened?

A new wave of worry rose up in her heart as she hurried over. "Hey. What's wrong? Where's Sky Light?"

Velvet lifted her head to look at Rosa and her smile was really comforting. "She'll be back in a bit. She said for you to wait."

Pepper also looked up but didn't add anything. Strangely, Butch didn't seem to react to Rosa's presence at all. He just kept sitting there and staring into the distance.

"What's up with him?"

Velvet shifted a little to see where Rosa was looking, then shrugged. She still didn't get up. "Sky Light bloodied his muzzle for him," the mare explained.

"What?! Why?!"

The lazy shrug Velvet gave Rosa was all she was getting from her, so Rosa switched her gaze to the stallion. "Pepper?"

He stretched out and yawned before replying. "He was being too pushy again. Watch out, that mare knows how to use her hooves."

Rosa heard a weird, sniffing sound from Butch and caught him looking back at her little group. Before he could hastily turn away she spotted a trickle of red down his nose. It really did look like Sky Light had kicked him right in the snout. Even though Rosa didn't know the details, he had probably deserved it. Maybe he'd even act a bit nicer now, but Pepper's use of the word 'again' didn't fill her with much hope.

At least Butch was not leering at her at the moment, so that was a respite. She still didn't see Sky Light or Bluegrass. Rosa guessed the stallion had to go home and the mare had probably gone to use the toilet or something. Hopefully she'd be back soon so she could hear the incredible news Rosa had for her! It looked like she would get her wish to travel. Michigan was east, from what Rosa could recall of the map. She tried to remember if it was anywhere near New York, but gave up. Maybe, if Sky Light really did keep her promise to take them to Maribelle, Rosa would let her make a detour to see the Statue of Liberty like she had said.

Before she could make any more plans, Rosa heard hoofsteps around the building.

Finally! Her mouth was open to tell Sky Light the good news, but then she got a good look at her and the words turned into a gasp. The pegasus was a mess! Her mane was totally frazzled and full of leaves and twigs, and her wings were in a complete disarray. She was sweaty and still breathing heavily, as if she had been running through the undergrowth behind the truck stop.

Rosa was about to ask if she was okay, but saw Bluegrass walking behind her friend. The stallion was also dishevelled, and he was also very, very red in the muzzle.

Velvet beat Rosa to her question: "Had fun?"

Sky Light just snorted in amusement, but Bluegrass whinnied nervously and then cleared his throat. "Um... I should- um- I have to go home." He didn't wait for anyone to say goodbye and galloped off as fast as his hooves would carry him.

Rosa finally found her voice. "What happened?!"

Her friend just gave her a smirk and a very suggestive wink, before sitting on her haunches and extending a wing for examination. She started cleaning it without really answering.

Realization hit Rosa at that moment. "Oh."

That was probably why Butch had become too pushy and why she had had to kick him to keep him away. Not to mention that she had all but told Rosa she was going to do this, so it shouldn't have been that much of a surprise. Rosa was still pink in the muzzle while Sky Light wasn't.

Even Velvet chuckled at their expressions, but luckily didn't comment. "Did he cry for you, too?" the mare asked Sky Light instead.

"Mm-hmm," the pegasus nodded. "Only for a few seconds. I put his mouth to good use after that."

These ponies had no shame! Rosa was starting to think she should go back to the van and give Sky Light some privacy until she had a chance to clean herself up. Speaking of which, Rosa caught her scent. Well, her and Bluegrass'.

"What?" Sky Light demanded, catching Rosa's stare.

"Nothing!" Rosa squeaked and hurriedly averted her gaze.

"So, what'd you find out?" Sky asked, opening her other wing and examining it critically.

That seemed like an infinitely safer topic. Rosa smiled widely as she remembered the news she had. Sky Light's indiscretion just vanished from her mind. "I found Maribelle!"

Now that things had come this far, Sky Light was reluctant. She was happy enough about Rosa's suggestion to go see New York on the way, but not so much about actually breaking Maribelle out of some kind of government prison. The visit to New York could well be the main factor which pushed her over.

Rosa had gone and looked at the large map of the United States in the bus station before the janitor chased her out. It wasn't even that much of a detour and Sky Light's guarded reluctance told Rosa she'd need all the convincing she could lay her hooves on. She'd correctly guessed that her friend was more talk than do when she said she wanted to help, but it was still frustrating.

"You promised," Rosa accused Sky Light.

"Yeah, I did," Sky Light admitted, not even trying to evade. "I'm just saying we should think this over. We still don't know what happened to Lillian-"

"Oh, so now you suddenly care about what happens to her?!"

The hoof slap came out of nowhere and it was not particularly gentle. Rosa stared at the other mare in shock while her muzzle began to smart.

"You don't say that to me, Rosa!" Sky Light hissed angrily. "I always cared! I worked myself until I damn near fainted while I was out looking for her, remember?"

Rosa was near tears again, partially from the slap but mostly because she was worried about Lillian. "B-But you told me to stop looking..."

"Because it was useless," Sky Light explained, her voice growing softer and her frown changing to concern. "It wasn't doing you any good. She had been missing for four days at the time. I didn't want you to kill yourself looking for her when it was hopeless."

That word again. "Hopeless," Rosa repeated.

"Yes, Rosa! Hopeless! A fucking army of police and fire men didn't find her! Damn near everyone in the city was looking out for that little girl!"

"Yes, but they were-"

Her friend didn't even wait for Rosa to finish. "Looking in the wrong place?" Sky Light interrupted. "So you'd have gone into the forest. Do you even know how stupid that is?"

Rosa just glared at her balefully, refusing to answer.

Unfortunately Sky answered herself: "No, you don't. Ten minutes and you would have been lost. There's dangerous animals, Rosa. How long before something ate you?"

Sky Light was exaggerating, Rosa was sure of it, but she didn't know enough about the place to call her out on it. She clung to the one certain thing and pointed an accusing hoof. "You could have flown above and told me which way to go..."

"And? Getting lost in the forest and hiding from bears and crap like that would have helped Lillian how exactly?"

Rosa refused to meet her friend's glare. "...might've found her," she muttered.

"Do you even know what to eat in a forest? Do you know how to survive? Because I sure as hell don't!"

"...would've eaten grass."

Hooves grabbed Rosa's head and forced her to look up. Sky Light wasn't mad. She just looked disappointed and sad. "Rosa, there's hardly any grass in the forest. Do you know which bushes are good and which are poisonous? How about mushrooms - can you tell them apart? Or would you eat bark?"

It was not like Rosa would have stayed in the forest long enough for that to be a problem! "...wouldn't have starved in a couple of days," she mumbled darkly.

The pegasus leaned her head to the side and heaved a very exasperated sigh. "I'm not going to argue about this with you. Why are we even arguing?!"

Rosa didn't repeat her claim that Sky Light didn't care about the little girl. This wasn't the way to get her to come with. Instead, Rosa took a few breaths and let go of her sullen anger. It was out of their hooves. Whatever happened to Lillian was not up to them. Maybe it had never been up to them. That was a hard pill to swallow, but Rosa didn't have much of a choice.

"I'm sorry," she said and searched her heart for the right words to say to make Sky Light see how much this meant to her. "Please, Sky Light. I have to find Maribelle and I have to know what's happening to me. I need you."

The direct approach seemed to be working out a little better. Sky Light's expression softened and she stepped closer so she could put her wings around Rosa. "I know sweetheart. I'm just asking you to think it over, okay? You're talking about breaking into some secret government place and trying to get out a pony who may or may not even be there."

"She's there!"

Her voice was filled with quiet certainty and Sky Light didn't argue. "It's still a dangerous idea, Rosa."

"You promised."

Now was her turn to look down and blush in embarrassment. "Yeah, I did. I never thought we'd actually find anything concrete. Does that make me a liar?"

There was her chance! This time Rosa put a hoof on her friend's muzzle and tilted it up so Sky Light was looking into her gentle smile. "Not if you come with me."

The mare grinned and poked her tongue out at Rosa. "Ass. That's so cheesy if you put it on a bun I'd eat it."

Both of them ended up laughing and Rosa felt like she was one step closer. Now she just had to reel her in. Maybe a direct assault wouldn't work, so she tried to go around Sky's defenses. "Why did you help me in the first place?"

"Huh?"

"Back when you found me with those cows. Why did you take me with you?"

Sky gave it some thought. "I dunno, really. I guess you reminded me of myself when I first started out. I guess I felt sorry for you."

"Do you still feel sorry for me?"

Sky shook her head. "Not... really," she answered thoughtfully. "Now you're just a friend, I guess."

That warmed Rosa's heart and her smile widened. "Okay, so I'm asking you as a friend. Help me find Maribelle. After that I'll go with you anywhere you want and help you mooch. You said I have natural talent!"

Sky Light chuckled at that and prodded Rosa's chest with a hoof. "You drive a hard bargain, Rosa," she began and Rosa's legs started trembling in anticipation. She was going to say yes! "Okay," the mare said at last. "Let's do it. What the heck, right? We gotta die of something."

"We're not going to die!"

Sky Light gave a wry smile, as if to say Rosa was too optimistic, but she didn't correct it. "We'll need supplies. Provisions. A plan. We really have to think this through if we wanna pull it off." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "We'll need to get there, first."

A brilliant idea hit Rosa. "Pavo Basilius! The trucker! He said his company delivers there sometimes! I bet he'd take us with his truck!"

Sky clapped her hooves together and laughed. "That's using your brain! Good job, Rosa!" she was about to hug her friend, but the pegasus' expression darkened. "He'll have left by now," she said.

Rosa's face fell, but she powered through it. Things were going her way. She could wait a little longer. "He'll be back eventually, right? Let's just wait for him. That way you can say bye to Terry and Taylor and Arda and the gang. We can mooch some more money and make a plan!"

"Okay, okay," Sky Light said, thoughtfully rubbing her muzzle with a hoof. "I like. Oh, Terry probably won't be back by then."

"Why not? Where did he go?!"

The mare looked like she really wanted to tell Rosa. She even went as far as to open her mouth, but then she closed it and shook her head. "Sorry. I promised Terry I wouldn't tell you. Let's just say it's a personal kind of trip he makes every year and it lasts about a month."

That just raised further questions, but Rosa knew better than to pressure her friend further. "Okay, so you can still say bye to all the others, and we can get more money together."

"Yep," Sky Light agreed with that assessment. She gave Rosa a quick hug, then released her and walked a few steps away. Her wings stretched out and her chest inflated as the mare took a very deep breath. She held it for a moment then let it out.

"We're going on a road trip!" she said with a curious, almost wondering inflection in her voice.

Chapter 46: Grief

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Sky Light was staying out of Rosa's sight the next day, perceptive little horse that she was. Rosa was kind of glad about that, but she also missed her friend. At least Sky Light was out putting together the supplies and gear they would need for their trip, while Rosa caught up on some wallowing in the van. Strange, she thought idly, how she was not bothered by the filth and the smell in the slightest. Today, she had worse things on her mind. The newspaper had made her sad. Even though she had been dreading it for a while, it still came as a shock. There was an article on Lillian which made Rosa's blood freeze and her belly twist up into a cold, painful ball.

They were giving up the search.

Well, not exactly, but Rosa could read it clearly between the lines. The girl had been missing for over three weeks and the majority of the searchers were being called off. There were simply no clues. No ransom had been put forward, no threats had been issued and no body had been found.

That last bit gave Rosa a glimmer of hope, but it still wasn't really good news. Right now, the best she could wish for was that the girl had either been smuggled out of the country for some very long-term plot against Mr. Boone, or something much, much more sinister had happened. It didn't help that, in the wake of her disappearance, the newspapers and magazines had printed a history of similar cases. Rosa really wished she hadn't read that. She had been unable to sleep for days, imagining the atrocities some people were capable of committing. More than once Sky Light had found her friend crying and begging invisible gods that Lillian was just hiding somewhere.

Worse than that, every time Rosa started thinking about her, she ended up in the exact same mental place: It was all her fault. Lillian had run away from her school because of Rosa. It didn't make a whole lot of sense, but that was what it felt like. Whatever Sky Light had said, however she argued, Rosa wouldn't budge from that. Her little friend was probably dead and it was all her fault. Dead, if she was lucky. More than once Rosa had considered simply climbing up to the old factory roof and jumping off, just to make her imagination stop. It'd be easier than to live with the guilt.

There was one reason she hadn't yet. Maribelle. Giving up on her roommate would somehow mean letting Lillian down. Rosa didn't know how that logic worked, but she was clinging to it like the life line it was. In either case, Sky Light had sensed Rosa's mood and so she had been working extra hard to get them both to White Pigeon. Rosa wished she could tell her how grateful she was, but she got choked up when she tried.

Rosa knew she'd need her wits for the journey and the rescue, but right at that moment all she wanted was a couple of days to process her feelings for Lillian. Sky Light understood that, which was why she had been taking care of all the preparations and supplies by herself. Then, in yet another show of support, she held Rosa in her hooves each night. It was keeping the dreams from becoming too much to bear. Even so Rosa had ended up kicking her friend on more than one occasion when the terrors in the dark became too much.

Contrary to her gruff and easygoing exterior, Sky Light had a heart of gold and she never once blamed Rosa, even that time she'd nearly broken her ribs while thrashing around in the grip of a nightmare. Rosa saw the bruise next morning through her gray coat and caught Sky Light wincing when she thought no one was watching.

Ultimately Rosa just wanted closure. Even if Lillian was dead, she just wanted to know, so she could grieve and - maybe - get over it. That part of it was extremely unlikely, but at least Rosa could try. Not knowing anything was the worst part. She absolutely hated the way her heart kept alternating between irrational, crazy optimism and bleak, crushing despair. The emotional roller coaster was starting to take its toll, too. Rosa looked at her reflection in a puddle one day and the pony staring back at her was a complete mess and a stranger. Maybe that was why Sky Light didn't take her mooching anymore? The humans would probably think Rosa had some horrible disease and put her down.

Not long after that realization Rosa was pushing her muzzle into the dirty mattress and pressing her hooves down over her head, trying to squeeze out the bad thoughts so hard that she didn't even hear the pegasus approach until she laid a hoof on Rosa's back.

"Hey. Feeling any better?"

Rosa just shook her head as much as she was able without lifting it from the mattress.

"Here, take this," Sky Light offered, pushing something at her nose.

Opening her eyes was an effort, but Rosa saw two blurry white circles. "What is it?"

"Ambien. Open."

Rosa blindly obeyed and Sky Light pushed the pills in her mouth. She nearly spat them out, but Sky Light was obviously expecting that because she pressed Rosa's muzzle shut. "Swallow!" she commanded, then repeated in a slower and gentler voice: "Swallow..."

It was hard without any water, but Rosa managed to get them down.

"Good girl." As a small reward, Sky Light picked her up like a foal and held her against her expansive, soft, pegasus chest fluff.

"T-They're giving up the search," Rosa sobbed as the dam burst.

"Not completely," Sky Light replied. "They'll still keep looking, just- not as many people, okay? They might still find her."

Rosa nodded against the soft fur, even if she didn't quite believe the words. Sky Light kept talking in her gentle, soothing voice: "She's probably ran all the way to some backwater farm where they don't have TV and stuff, so some nice, old couple took her in. Sooner or later they'll realize she's being searched for and bring her back, you'll see." It was one of the better fantasies the two had dreamt up during a time when Rosa felt optimistic. She desperately wanted to believe it, so she nodded again. Both her and Sky knew it was probably a lie, but neither was willing to admit it. "Just relax and let the pills work, sweetheart."

That reminded Rosa that she had just swallowed something an ex drug addict had given her. "W-What was it?"

Sky Light could read her like a book, it seemed, because she chuckled and patted her on the back. "Relax, it's just sleep medication. I gave you a bit more, so it'll probably put you under for a long time. You need it, too."

That helped Rosa relax a little. The last thing she needed now was a drug addiction, not if she wanted to be any use to Maribelle when they found her. Being able to sleep through the night also sounded wonderful.

Except...

"Will I d-dream?"

The pegasus shrugged. "Hopefully not. I'll stay with you the whole while, okay?"

Rosa nodded again and clung to the warm pony body with renewed strength. "Thanks."

"Anyway, Pavo should be back any day now. I got everything packed for us and I fly over there to check every morning. When he shows up we'll be on our way, okay?"

All Rosa could do was bob her head up and down listlessly. Her friend carefully lowered her down to the mattress and then reached for the blanket before snuggling down under it.

"I need you to shake this off, Rosa, understand? Yeah, I know how much it sucks, but you have to focus!"

This kind of talk made Rosa want to cry again, but she managed to keep it inside for the moment.

"I mean it, you loony. Let's hope the girl is okay, but she might not be. I need you to get your waterworks on for real and put it behind you before we leave. We won't be getting far with you... like this."

Maybe she was right, Rosa thought. Maybe it was just time to assume the worst. Lillian was probably dead - lost in the forest somewhere - and she would never see her little friend again. Rosa closed her eyes as hot tears seared their lines down her muzzle. She was immensely grateful for the wing and hooves around her body, bringing her warm comfort.

"There's a good girl. Just let it all out, get a good night's sleep and then we'll move on, okay?"

Through sheer effort of will Rosa managed another nod.

Sky Light kept talking softly. "We'll find your other friend Maribelle and we'll get her out of whatever trouble she's in. Two determined mares like us? Pfft, the humans won't stand a chance!" Her hooves stroked Rosa's back and Sky Light settled herself comfortably by her friend's side. For some weird, confusing reason Rosa didn't want to be seen crying this time, so she shuffled until she was facing away. Sky Light's hooves dragged her closer and her wing covered her flank under the blanket.

"Then we'll get some answers about what's happening to you. And then, the three of us will meet up with Terry and we..." Sky Light sighed then. "Well, you've seen what life on the street is like. It's not so bad, right?"

Rosa almost smiled at the sight she was imagining. Sitting in the back of the van and watching the sun set over the abandoned factory. Maribelle leaning against her from one side and Sky Light from the other. Yes, even the human, Terry, taking swigs from his bottle a few steps away. Rosa desperately tried to hold on to that image and not the one with Lillian lying on some soggy forest ground. It was no use and it seemed Sky Light knew it too, because she kept murmuring sweet nothings as sleep dragged Rosa inexorably down. The last thing she remembered was bawling her eyes out and the pegasus licking her cheek.

Chapter 47: Road Trip

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"He's here. Grab your bags and let's go. We need to be there in an hour or he leaves without us!"

Rosa blinked her eyes at the sudden intrusion of sunlight into the van's interior. She hadn't been sleeping, but the door was shut and she had adapted to the gloom. She faintly remembered Sky Light waking her up as she slipped out of the bed to go check the trucker stop. Rosa had been staring at the blank iron roof inside of the van since then and trying in vain to recapture her dream. It had been one of the rare nice ones, where Lillian was okay and Rosa was still her guardian, and the most difficult part of her day was dealing with a sullen Benjamin. It had been better than the other sort of dream she had been having at any rate.

"Huh? What?"

"Pavo is here. I talked him into taking us, so move your rump!" Sky Light repeated.

That was one problem Rosa had been thinking about lately, but hadn't yet mentioned to her pegasus friend. It sounded like she had it solved already. "How did you make him take us?"

Sky Light shrugged a little and prodded Rosa in the ribs with a hoof. "Guy owes me a favor. This is it. Are you coming?" She leaned closer and peered at Rosa suspiciously. "You aren't getting cold hooves now that it's happening, are you?"

Alarmed, Rosa quickly shook her head. In a way she was even relieved. Sitting around the van all day and moping about the little girl had been doing her no good. Rosa knew it, Sky Light knew it - even the homeless ponies knew it on those rare occasions Sky had dragged her over. Going away and doing something meaningful, Rosa felt, was just what she needed to take her mind off things.

She scurried to fetch her backpack and uniform. Sky Light watched with a faint smile as Rosa started struggling her forelegs into the sleeves. "That's the spirit!" she cheered. "Road trip! Two girls out seeing the country! It's gonna be great!"

Her enthusiasm made Rosa smile a little, which was also a rare thing lately. It was unbelievable how hard Lillian's disappearance had hit her. Rosa had only known the girl for a week! Maybe it was love at first sight? Rosa shook her head and pushed the thought away. It was time to lay Lillian to rest and focus on Maribelle and herself.

The uniform was finally on and Rosa checked to make sure it was covering her flank. The homeless ponies didn't seem to care if people saw it - they all had cutie marks - but Rosa was still uneasy about showing hers in public too much. It took her another minute to get the backpack on her back, then she was ready to go.

Except for one thing. "I'll just drink some water and use the toilet real quick!"

The pegasus made room as Rosa jumped down from the van. "I'll come with. Might as well pee so Pavo doesn't have to stop for us, right?"

Rosa hurried to the concrete steps with Sky Light close on her heels.

The truck made a slightly scary sound when it started up this close to Rosa. She realized that she'd never been near one of those huge, loud machines while it was working. The nearest she had seen them was on this very truck stop, but the trucks had always been silent until now. The engine rumbled, sending vibrations up through the seat and into her hooves. Rosa could feel each stroke of each cylinder, or at least she imagined so.

"Relax, it's fine!" Pavo told told over the noise, spotting the mare's lowered ears and scrunched up muzzle. Rosa gave him a faint, grateful smile in return. She was sitting on the passenger seat and looking out the windshield at the ground far below. She had never realized just quite high up the cabin was.

"This is gonna be so cool!" Sky Light almost shouted right into Rosa's ear. The mare was sitting on Pavo's bed behind the seats and leaning over the backrest above her friend. Rosa glanced back and saw that her wings were fully outstretched. Sky was a little too excited, which made Rosa realize that this was her first trip in a truck as well. She'd said she'd been train-hopping and hitchhiking, but Rosa now guessed it had never been on a vehicle this big.

"It's just gonna take a minute to fill up the air tanks for our brakes and then we'll be off," the driver explained, examining the myriad little dials and readouts in front of him. Rosa couldn't even begin to guess what all those meant.

"Okay!" she answered, feeling like something was expected of her. The silence felt a bit uncomfortable, so Rosa asked the question which had been on her mind for a while. "Um, what kind of favor did Sky Light do for you?"

The man looked over at Rosa, then up at Sky Light. They looked back blankly, but then the pegasus shrugged as if to confirm it was okay for him to tell.

"She helped me out of a tough spot once. You tell it, Sky- I gotta get this paperwork sorted out." He grabbed a small booklet and a pen, and began copying some numbers from the instruments. Rosa saw him tear a circle of paper from the page, but she stopped paying attention when the mare above her tapped her shoulder.

"So, I was flying over the highway on one of my deliveries. This was, I dunno, a few years back," Sky Light began, loudly enough to be heard over the engine. "I saw this guy sitting in the emergency lane and walking around the truck, so I went to check it out."

Rosa had been afraid Sky Light's favour was something... sexual, but this sounded a lot better and more interesting. At first she had lowered her ears preemptively, but now she focused them on her friend once again. "Turns out the company forgot to replace his flat tire kit. No compressor, no spare tire, not even the hose to hook up to the truck's compressor."

Rosa frowned a little and interrupted the story with a question. "Doesn't the truck have two tires in each spot? Um- I'm sure I saw that..."

Her friend smiled proudly and nodded. "Yes, that's right. Nicely spotted. The trailers do, but the front tires are single." Sky Light paused and looked over to the human. "Pavo, why are there only single tires in front? That seems like a stupid idea."

Luckily he had been listening to the discussion because he was able to answer immediately: "It'd be much harder to steer that way."

"Oh!"

Rosa giggled at their simultaneous exclamation and then the pegasus resumed her story: "Anyway, he was stuck. Blown tire, no replacement, no kit, nothing. He called his company but it'd be hours before someone could come all the way out there from the nearest garage." The mare paused and then tried to explain again. "Well, not their garage. They have contracts with some of the local truck repair shops, but the nearest one was a couple hours away."

It sounds like quite a predicament and Rosa winced in sympathy. "That's awful!"

"Anyway, I knew there was a different truck stop just a couple of miles away, so I flew there and borrowed some tools from the mechanic."

Rosa started to open her muzzle for another question, but Sky Light guessed what it was and shook her head. "No, it wasn't this place. It was a larger thing that had their own garage and stuff. Anyway, I got some tools and a kit to patch the tire and I flew them back to Pavo."

"The people just let you have it?"

"Sure. Why not? I got an honest face!"

Sky Light put on her best, most trustworthy smile and Rosa was forced to agree. "I guess."

"Then I helped change the tire-"

"Bah!" Pavo interjected at that point, "you just got in the way."

"Nuh-huh!" Sky Light denied smoothly "I helped plenty!"

They both ended up laughing and Rosa joined in, even though she didn't quite get the joke. The pegasus ruffled her mane before going on. "Anyway, he got the tire fixed, at least enough so he could make it to that stop with the garage. They took care of it quickly and he was on his way."

While her story concluded Pavo had finished fiddling with his gauges and turned partly in his driver's seat to look at both ponies. "I offered to pay her, but this loony just grinned and said it was fine. She said I can buy her coffee if I ever come over this way again." He grinned and his eyes twinkled in amusement. "Actually, that's how the tradition started."

"What tradition?"

Pavo finished this bit of the story, with Sky Light just nodding along: "I took a few pictures of Sky with my phone - while we were changing that tire. Showed them to my son and turns out he's crazy about 'trucker ponies'. I've been collecting photos ever since."

It was a sweet story and Rosa couldn't help smiling like an idiot. Pavo's son reminded her a little bit about Lillian, but she firmly refused to think any more about that and instead embraced the happy moment she was having.

"Well, this is it. Time to get going!"

Sky Light whooped as the engine roared and truck started to move, while Rosa looked out front at the asphalt sliding gently toward and under them. Pavo maneuvered the vehicle out of the parking spot and deftly around the other trucks, then he picked up speed.
Rosa's heart began to beat faster in excitement. A real road trip, just like in that movie she had seen! What was it called again? She almost smacked her own muzzle. 'Road Trip', duh! Except they used a car. She immediately decided that a truck was way better.

"So, get us to White Pigeon and we're even, deal?" Sky Light said, as if confirming their destination.

Pavo shrugged a little. "Yeah, but we gotta make a few other stops first and then return to HQ. I'll try and get an assignment close to White Pigeon, or else I'll find someone going that way who'd be willing to take you."

His plan sounded reasonable to Rosa and it was pretty much what they'd agreed when she and Sky Light had come to see Pavo that morning. Rosa had personally bought the man coffee and then said her goodbyes to her other pony friends. It had been a bit of a bittersweet moment, actually.

"If we can't get anyone to take you," Pavo was saying and Rosa focused her attention on him again, "you can take the train from HQ. It shouldn't be too expensive, it's only about a hundred miles."

"Sweet!" Sky Light replied and rubbed her forehooves together.

They drove in silence for a while, except for the truck's engine rattling away. The vehicle accelerated even more, causing a rush of exhilaration and adrenaline to flood through Rosa as she watched the road and things speed past. They went up on a concrete ramp as Pavo merged onto the highway, then he fiddled a little with buttons and levers around him and visibly relaxed. "Okay, this is about it for the next two or three hours. Then we'll take a little lunch break, okay?"

"Okay!" Sky Light climbed over the backrest and ended up on the passenger seat next to Rosa. "Move over," she said. "That thing isn't nearly as comfortable while we're driving."

Rosa looked down at the seat and noticed for the first time that it was moving up and down gently as the truck rolled forward. It smoothed out most of the jolts and allowed for a very gentle ride, actually. She happily made room for Sky Light.

"That's better," the pegasus sighed, then looked at her friend with a grin on her muzzle. "Who wants to play 'I spy with my little eye'?"

Chapter 48: Grilled Cheese and Bunk Beds

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It was quite dark by the time Pavo decided to stop for the night. Rosa had been nodding off for the past few hours and Sky Light was actually snoring, curled up on the seat beside. Staying at least semi-conscious and talking with Pavo had seemed like the least Rosa could do in exchange for him taking them along. It was probably a lonely and boring job, she guessed. Despite her best efforts she probably wasn't the best company lately. Rosa had spent more time yawning than she had talking and more than once she had repeated a question Pavo had just answered. The man found that incredibly funny, so Rosa guessed the mission of keeping him amused could be considered a success.

It would still feel incredibly nice to sleep for a while. She was just worried about the arrangements. Rosa wouldn't have minded the seat, but the trouble was that it wasn't big enough for two ponies lying down. Sky Light was curled up tightly and Rosa still had to sit right on the edge to make it work. There was Pavo's bed, but with the size of the man it would be a tight squeeze, not to mention an uncomfortable one. While Rosa had slept in a bed with Lillian most nights she was in the household, that was different.

Wasn't it?

She wasn't sure what rules applied to the situation and Rosa didn't want to ask and make herself look stupid. Hopefully Sky Light would know. That reminded her and Rosa lightly kicked the snoring mare. "Wake up."

Sky opened a bleary eye and fixed Rosa with her best attempt at a stare. "Mmm?"

"We're here. Wake up."

Pavo had meanwhile finished turning the truck off and filling out his paperwork. There was apparently a lot of bureaucracy involved in professional driving, which Rosa never would have guessed.

"So - they have showers and a twenty-four hour grill if you two want some dinner," he explained when he saw her looking.

On the seat beside Rosa, the pegasus sat up and stretched out her forelegs with a big yawn. "Can you get me a grilled cheese if I give you the money?" she asked Pavo.

Lunch had been ages ago and the mere thought of a grilled cheese made Rosa's mouth water in anticipation. She lifted her hoof, like she was used to in school. "Yes, me too, please?"

Pavo shrugged. "Fine. No shower then?"

Both ponies shook their heads and Rosa answered: "I'll go brush my teeth after dinner. Shower is... complicated with all this fur. I'll do it tomorrow night."

"Ah. Gotcha."

Meanwhile Sky Light had dug out the money and passed it to the man. He stepped out of the cabin and down to the asphalt and Sky watched him go, then looked at Rosa, smiling. "So? How are you doing?"

The hidden meaning behind her question was plain: Was Rosa going to break down in a crying fit again tonight? Rosa lowered her ears in shame, but then frowned a little in confusion. It was weird. She didn't feel like crying. Maybe it was because she was doing something, or maybe it was because she was seeing new things, but Rosa felt okay. Yes, she was still sad about Lillian and she still blamed herself, but the mare felt like she could go on. Maybe she was just numb to it by now, but it was a lot better than it had been.

"I'm good. Um, how will we sleep?"

Sky Light looked around, a calculating look on her muzzle. "You can have the seat if you want. I'll bunk up with Pavo. I don't mind."

The selfless offer earned her a grateful smile. "Thanks."

"Yeah, no problem," Sky said and poked Rosa with a hoof. "Come on, let's jump down and stretch our legs."

It was a good idea and Rosa followed her friend out of the truck. It was quite a jump, but if she dangled her hind legs from the seat it wasn't so bad. She thought she might even be able to get up by herself. She would have to give that a try sometime.

Her winged friend led Rosa to the grass by the parking lot. It was a new, unfamiliar place, but it reminded her a lot about the truck stop back home. Thinking about a broken-down van as a home felt weird and made Rosa pause for a moment in silent contemplation. Unfortunately, Sky didn't stop at the grass but kept going, barely sparing Rosa a strange look as she hurried after. It quickly became obvious why, when Sky turned around and got that intense, concentrating look on her muzzle. There was a splashing sound and Rosa hurriedly glanced away.

"Sorry," she squeaked.

"What?" Sky asked, sounding confused. She understood after a moment and chuckled. "Don't worry about it. I suggest you go as well. Most toilets at these things are pay ones. Waste of money."

Rosa looked around and lowered her voice. "What if I have to go number two?" she whispered.

"Well, either find a thick bush or pay the fee. Your choice. Personally, bush is fine - at least at night."

Luckily Rosa didn't have to think about that just yet. She walked a short distance away from her friend and turned so she was facing her. She was right about number one - it'd be a waste of money to pay for a toilet when it was nice and dark out, and there were no people around. Despite the economics of the situation, Rosa was still thankful Sky hadn't come closer to watch. The thing was embarrassing enough as it was.

Instead, Sky Light went to sit beside the truck to look at the never-ending line of traffic on the nearby highway. When Rosa joined her, Sky put her wing around both of them and the two mares snuggled up against each other. The night wasn't chilly, but they both still appreciated the warmth and closeness.

"We're gonna find Maribelle, right?"

"Sure, sweetie!" Sky Light replied with a happy grin on her muzzle. "We're resourceful and tough, just you wait and see."

"How do we get into the... whatever it is. The facility?"

The pegasus gave this some thought. "Dunno. Maybe we can sneak in on the back of a truck, if someone from Pavo's company will take us. Or maybe we can find a hole in the fence. These things sometimes get neglected." She thought for a bit longer, then grinned nastily. "Most humans also don't think about the aerial route. You've got a pegasus with you, remember?"

"You can carry me?!" Rosa gasped.

Despite her obvious self-assurance, Sky Light gave Rosa a calculating stare. "I think so. Not too far, but probably far enough to get us inside."

"Then what?"

Again the pegasus lifted her shoulders. "We take it one hoofstep at a time. First we get in, then we'll see. No use making plans when we don't even know what the place looks like."

That made sense and Rosa nodded her head against Sky Light's neck. "I guess."

They spotted Pavo returning from the restaurant. He was just a silhouette against the garish lights of the place, but there was no mistaking his shape. He had a couple of paper bags in his hand and Rosa began to drool when she thought about the fried goodness inside. Five seconds later she couldn't wait any longer and ran to meet him. He seemed a bit amused by her impatience but didn't begrudge Rosa her dinner. The smell from the bag was intoxicating. Melted cheese and fries. She couldn't have had it more than two or three times at the School and it was incredibly tasty. Rosa tore the bag apart in her haste but luckily didn't spill anything. Then again, as she stuffed the first few crunchy fries in her mouth, Rosa realized she would have eaten from the ground anyway.

Pig-pony!

The thought almost made her chuckle, except that she was too busy stuffing her mouth with food while it was hot. "Mmmmphh!" she moaned.

A few paces away Sky Light was making almost exactly the same noises as she dug into her own meal. Rosa looked around if Pavo was watching, but he had gone and climbed up into the cabin. Probably making the bed, Rosa guessed. It didn't matter. The bit of melted cheese in her hooves was her entire world for the next few minutes.

Once it was all in her belly, Rosa made her way back to where Sky Light was licking the last few crumbs from her fetlock. At least Rosa had been able to stop herself from doing that, she thought to herself smugly.

"I'll go and brush. Can you get me my toothbrush?" It was in her bag up in the cabin. The pegasus could basically jump that high but it would be quite a climb for Rosa.

"Sure thing!" Sky Light said, helpfulness personified now that she was fed. She leapt up on the seat in a single bound and moments later passed down the plastic bag with Rosa's brush and toothpaste.

"Thanks!"

Rosa was not too thrilled about going into the place by herself, but Pavo had explained it should be empty at this time of the night. The room with washbasins and drinking water was free of charge, which was quite a nice gesture. Bag gripped firmly in her mouth, Rosa made her way there.

When Rosa came back she saw that the passenger door was open, waiting for her. She assumed it was a nice gesture from Sky Light. The climb up into the cabin was just as precarious as she had guessed, but the lithe mare managed it easily. She paused on the seat to catch her breath, then pulled the door closed. Only then did she look around and gaped.

There were two beds!

Pavo had done something to the back of the cabin and there were now bunk beds where there used to be just the one mattress. Sky Light poked her head out from the top. "We can share up here. There's plenty of room!"

Rosa gladly accepted. There was no ladder, but she put her hind leg on the backrest of the passenger seat and pushed herself up. Luckily her pegasus friend moved smoothly out of the way in time and Rosa fond herself on a relatively spacious bed, for a pony at least. It was downright cozy! There was just one pillow, but it was wide enough for both of them. Sky was already holding a blanket open for her and Rosa gratefully slid in.

"Night, Pavo!" the pegasus chirped happily.

The reply came from the bed below: "Good night, girls!"

"Oh. Night!" She'd almost forgotten.

Now if only Rosa could sleep through the night without a bad dream, that'd be a perfect start to their road trip! Hooves around her barrel helped a lot, as did Sky's gentle licking of her ear. "It's fine, sweetheart. I'm here if you need anything, okay?"

Rosa nodded, certain that her friend would feel her movement. "Thank you."

Chapter 49: Life on the Road

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Rosa woke up from a dreamless slumber when Sky Light nuzzled her and whispered: "Rosa? You awake?"

"I am now," she managed to get out before yawning. "What is it?"

"Move over, I need to get out. Gotta pee," the pegasus explained.

Rosa obediently shuffled back while her friend simply rolled over her until she was nearer the edge. From there it was not a problem for her to climb down. Sky tried to open the door as quietly as possible, but then left it open, probably so it would be easier to come back. Rosa didn't mind and the breeze felt nice in the stuffy cabin.

On the lower bed she heard Pavo turn, but he didn't say anything and just resumed his snoring. It was not as bad as Rosa had feared and it had only woken her up once or twice thus far. She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep. Sky Light would be fine on her nighttime excursion, she was a grown mare.

Just on the point of drifting off again, Rosa felt the truck move slightly as the pegasus in question landed on the passenger seat. She opened one eye and shuffled further towards the back so Sky Light would have room, but the mare didn't climb up yet. Maybe she wanted to sit and watch the road a little, Rosa figured.

A few moments later Sky Light gently shut the door, which took Rosa out of her half-asleep state to near full wakefulness again. She realized she was still waiting for her friend to rejoin her in the bed. Instead, Sky could be heard shuffling around below and Rosa's eyes flared open. Had Sky Light just missed her bunk? Rosa was about to tell her, but the other mare's whispers made her clamp her mouth shut.

"Pavo? You awake?"

The man sighed and shifted with a rustle of cloth. "Am now. What's wrong?"

There was a longer silence, then Sky Light said so quietly Rosa really had to strain to catch the words. "Wanna quick muzzle-job?"

Instantly Rosa's face flushed red. What in the buckitty-buck was Sky doing?! Luckily it seemed Pavo was just as surprised. "What the fuck?! What's the matter with you? NO!"

The pegasus almost sounded embarrassed, but Rosa knew she was not really. "Sorry, just thought I'd offer. You know, since I'm up and Rosa is asleep."

Rosa scrunched up her muzzle at that presumption.

"I have a wife. Jeez!" the driver exclaimed. "What made you think I'd want- that. From you?"

A rustle of feathers accompanied Sky Light shrugging. "Who doesn't want a nice muzzle-job?"

Pavo let out a weary sigh. "Okay- first of all: No! Second of all: Why are you offering? Why now?!"

By this time Sky Light had shuffled her way back to the passenger seat so Rosa had an easier time hearing her whispering: "Just thought you might like some... extra payment for taking us."

"Sky..." Pavo said wearily, "I'm taking you two because I'm returning the favor, okay? And because I consider you a friend. That's all there is to it. You don't need to 'pay' me any more than that, got it? Now get back to sleep before I kick you both out!"

Finally it sounded like Sky was coming back up to the top bunk! She slipped between the sheets and stretched her legs a little. Rosa poked her with a hoof. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" she whispered, quietly enough so that Pavo shouldn't hear, with luck.

"Oh," Sky Light said in a defeated tone. "You heard?"

"Are you a total whore, or just incredibly stupid?" Belatedly Rosa covered her mouth with a hoof, but it was too late to stop the language.

Luckily Sky Light didn't take it the wrong way. "Just thought I'd make sure he doesn't- Forget about it, okay? It's not a big deal to me!"

Rosa shook her head in exasperation. This mare...

"Good night," she told Sky Light firmly.

"Yeah. Sorry. Good night."

Despite her idiocy, Rosa still put her legs around the pegasus and drew her closer. She was a scamp with the morals of a cat and the sex drive of- of a rabbit, but she was still a friend. Rosa didn't think she could ever fall back asleep after that, but in the quiet and the warmth she found herself drifting off in a matter of minutes.

For about a minute after waking up Rosa had real trouble remembering where she was, and why. There was some cloth above her which she could just barely reach with a hoof. It was soft, but firm. Beside her, Sky Light was curled up in a ball against Rosa's side, which made her so comfortable she didn't really want to move. She could also see the light from her left and it looked like the sun was rising. It was then that Rosa remembered. The truck, the stop, even Sky Light's indecent proposal the previous evening. Despite the absurdity of it all Rosa couldn't help but smile a little. Something about being on the road, going somewhere and pursuing Maribelle, made her feel truly refreshed. For the first time in weeks she felt like her old self again. Like the world was full of possibilities and she could achieve anything.

Sky Light shifted and pressed her muzzle further into Rosa's side. A moment later she felt her warm, wet tongue lick, which made Rosa giggle and jerk away. "Hee hee!"

That woke her friend up and Sky Light lifted her head to seek out Rosa's neck for a nuzzle. She still hadn't opened her eyes, though. "Mornin-" she began, but then she yawned, opening her muzzle wide and letting her tongue fall out. The little curl at the tip was kinda cute and Rosa couldn't help herself. She lightly kissed Sky on the nose.

"Morning, sleepy!"

Her eyes fluttered open and Rosa almost fell into their endless blue. Felicity would have called the color 'sapphire' or something. She had always been better at fashion than Rosa. The sight was all the more beautiful with that merry twinkle.

"Slept well?" Sky asked.

"Mhm!" Rosa confirmed.

Sky Light shifted a little so she could look at the windshield. "Still early," she decided. "Ten more minutes?"

Closing her eyes, Rosa focused briefly inward to try and gauge the pressure in her bladder. It wasn't too bad yet, at least until she started moving. She blinked and gave the pegasus a slow nod. "Ten minutes." It had gotten much cooler in the night and now Rosa was trying to snuggle closer to the warm body beside her.

"Aww, cold?" Sky Light guessed with mock pity in her voice. "C'mere, you poor, freezing thing," she invited and carefully snaked a wing around Rosa's barrel. The soft feathers were exceedingly comfortable. Rosa could just imagine Paolo doing that and the mental image gave her a nice, warm feeling in her belly. How long had it been since she'd even thought of the colt? Rosa had been so preoccupied with Lillian that she hardly remembered, but she did miss him.

Sky Light had obviously caught her wistful expression, because she smiled widely and poked Rosa's nose with hers. "Thinking of your little colt back at the school?" she asked.

"He isn't my- eep!" Rosa squeaked, then fixed the mare with a glare. "How do you know that!?"

"Heh heh heh!" Sky Light snorted. "Good guess. Your face gave it away. It's cute. What was his name again?"

"Paolo." Rosa couldn't keep the blush off her muzzle, but she shared Sky Light's soft smile.

"What is he like?" she asked.

That sounded like a difficult question and Rosa paused to think for a moment. "Well, he's a pegasus and he's training for the Post Office. His mane is yellow and his coat is blue - kinda like your eyes!" She gave it some more thought, then smiled inwardly as she remembered. "I really like his eyes. They're violet. Lighter than my coat. Oh, and so shiny!"

"Good, good," Sky Light commented, "sounds like a sweetheart. How long can he last? Good tongue?"

Her crude words broke the spell and Rosa giggled even while she blushed some more. "Sky!"

The mare slapped herself with her hoof. "Oh, that's right! You said you'd never done it. Shame, he sounds like a good lover."

Rosa refused to comment, but she prodded the other mare with a hoof and grinned while she laughed softly to herself.

"Jesus Christ, what time do you call this, you two?" came a gruff voice from below, making Rosa even more red in the muzzle. Pavo! She had nearly forgotten he was there! How long had he been listening? What had he heard?

"S-Sorry!" Rosa squeaked.

The whole cabin moved as Pavo turned around. They heard him slide across his bed and then Rosa saw his head poke up as he stood up. "Morning, ladies," he greeted them.

His smile made Rosa relax. Sky Light hadn't turned around, but her ears faced back toward the man. "Mornin'!" she said brightly. This time Rosa thought there was an actual blush on her muzzle! She looked like she was hoping Pavo wouldn't mention the previous night.

"Who's up for coffee and breakfast?" he asked, kindly avoiding the uncomfortable topic about Sky's night-time blunder.

"Ooh, yes please! We have money!"

Pavo waved it away with a grin. "Nah, my treat, Sky. What'll you have?"

Rosa's mouth watered at the memory as she imagined delicious things from the truck stop. "Can I get eggs? Fried?"

In front of her Sky Light licked her lips thoughtfully. "Mmm, with a slice of bacon," she said, almost drooling. Rosa did her best to ignore the unpleasant image.

"Yeah, but those paper plates suck. Tell you what, how about scrambled eggs in a sandwich? That's what I usually get at this place."

"Mine with a slice of bacon!" Sky Light repeated.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard it," Pavo said back with a grin. "Okay, two scrambled egg sandwiches, one with bacon, one without, anything else?"

Rosa opened her muzzle to say it, but Sky Light was faster: "Coke for me, please!"

"Okay, you Rosa?"

"Umm, orange juice, if they have it. Oh, and some extra salt!"

Scrambled eggs were so delicious with extra salt! Her hooves were still around Sky and Rosa squeezed the hapless mare against herself in excitement. Luckily she didn't mind and Sky just laughed at her friend's enthusiasm while Pavo left the cabin.

The movement made Rosa remember her immediate problem. "I have to pee."

Grass probably wouldn't do it when it was light out, so she would have to go to the truck stop's public toilets and pay.

"Sure thing, just scooch past."

Rosa slid over the pegasus, then gripped the edge of the bunk bed and lowered herself to the seat, ass first. Sky Light remained lying on her back and closed her eyes again. "Wake me up when food's here," she said.

Without answering, Rosa let go of the edge and dropped her forehooves lightly on the passenger seat. Her and Sky Light's bags were there and she rummaged for a few coins. She didn't want to take the whole backpack with her just to use the toilet. Going out among the humans at this new, unknown place was going to feel a bit weird and scary, but Rosa gathered her courage and hooked the handle with a hoof so she could open the door. She also didn't have a good way to hold the coins, so she gripped them in her mouth and jumped down from the truck. The fall was deep and the landing was a bit jarring, but Rosa was an earth pony and she could easily take it.

It was time to face this bright, new world she guessed, as she headed for the only building in sight.

Other than one or two humans looking at her funny when Rosa came out, nothing untoward happened in the toilets. She had been a bit nervous, but there weren't a lot of ladies at the truck stop so she had the place all to herself. The machine which had accepted her coin and let her in was a bit awkward to operate, since whoever designed it obviously had humans in mind and not ponies, but Rosa managed to use it anyway, even if she had to balance on her hind legs and slide the money in with her mouth. She was hurrying back to the truck, already salivating a bit at the thought of delicious breakfast. Hopefully by the time she got there Sky Light wouldn't have her muzzle on Pavo's...

Good thing the man didn't want any.

When Rosa got there, the passenger door was still open and she clambered up and inside. Her pegasus friend was stuffing her face with an egg sandwich. It would have smelled delicious, if it weren't for the bacon. Sky Light spotted her and pulled herself away from her food for long enough to point to the dashboard. There was a flat bit in front of the passenger seat and Rosa saw a paper bag on it. "Yours," Sky explained.

Rosa grabbed it and reveled in the delicious warmth on her hooves. The weather was getting warmer, but the ground was still a bit chilly, especially since she didn't wear shoes. Without further ado Rosa bit into the hot, eggy, bread. It was a tiny bit undercooked, but that just meant the eggs were slightly more runny, which was just the way she liked them. "Mmmmph!" she praised. A couple of chews revealed something missing and Rosa poked Sky Light on her shoulder. "Salt?"

"Oh," she exclaimed and passed over a paper plate with some of the delicious white powder on it. It took careful hoofwork to carefully tip it onto the sandwich, but then Rosa had another bite and it was all worth it. She only managed to chew twice before stopping and simply letting the salty eggs melt on her tongue. Over, beyond Sky Light, Pavo started chuckling at her expression. Rosa heard the snap of his phone camera, but she didn't care. Even the other mare was grinning at her in amusement, but Rosa didn't mind that either.

"It's sooooo goood," she whined when she could talk again.

"Yeah," Sky agreed.

While Rosa was putting the last few bites in her mouth, Pavo started the truck. "Last chance, ladies," he said. "I know you've been to the toilet Rosa - you wanna go as well, Sky?"

The mare leaned her head to the side in thought, then shook it confidently. "I'm good," she assured the man, but then thought again. "We're stopping at noon for lunch, right?"

"Yep," Pavo confirmed.

"I'll go then."

He shrugged a little to himself. "Suit yourself. Tell me if you have to go. Both of you. I'll stop, it's not a problem."

"Thanks!"

That was actually somewhat of a relief. Rosa had been avoiding drinking too much because she didn't want to have to control her bladder for hours and hours until Pavo stopped. She put the empty sandwich paper beside her and stepped over Sky Light to reach her bag. There was a plastic bottle of water that was still half full, which Rosa fished out and opened. It was a bit of a skill and Rosa stuck the thing between her thighs so she could use both her forehooves on the cap to twist it off. A few gulps refreshed her nicely. She offered the rest to Sky, who shook her head.

"So, what's the plan today?" the pegasus asked the driver, who was checking his instruments and fiddling with the paper circle.

This time Rosa was paying closer attention and saw that he used a small key on the dashboard to open a circular hole and put the paper in. "What's that?" she asked.

"Tachograph," the man said, but the word was meaningless to the mare. Luckily, he explained after closing the hatch: "It writes down how fast I'm going at all times, so the cops can check if I broke the speed limit."

That sounded quite clever, actually. That way they didn't have to sit on all the roads and measure all the time.

"Oh."

"Yeah, the new trucks have a digital one, but I kinda like these old things. I bring them home to my son when the office is done with them - you know, something to collect."

That sounded cute and thoughtful, which made Rosa smile. "How sweet!"

The man actually blushed! She felt proud of herself for achieving something like that without having to mention smut like Sky undoubtedly would have. In a moment of joy Rosa silently decided to have Pavo make more pictures around the truck for his boy. She wished she could meet him someday!

The preparations seemed to be done and the drive put his hands on the wheel. "Time to be off. Keep your eyes on the passenger side, we'll be passing some nice lakes today."

"Ooooh," Sky Light whimpered, "can we stop for a swim? Pleaseohpleaseohplease?!"

Rosa shook her head a little at her outright begging, but couldn't keep her own ears from going up in anticipation. She wouldn't mind a dip herself, especially since she'd never swam in her life and she wanted to know what it felt like. Despite that, Rosa was not going to pressure the man.

"Hmm," Pavo went all thoughtful for a moment. He glanced over at two expectant pony faces and his expression crumbled. "Okay, okay, jeez. You're like two kids!"

"Yep! That's us!" Sky Light, a thirty-something year old mare, said with a grin.

Pavo stayed silent for a few moments while he merged on the highway, then he reached over to pat the pegasus on her head. "Okay, how about this: instead of lunch we just take a short break at noon, and then we stop at three or four near a lake. You can swim for two hours while I take a nap and then I'll drive till midnight or so."

Rosa almost bounced on the seat from joy, but Sky Light beat her to it. She knew enough not to distract the man, so she grabbed her friend instead. "Yes!" she exclaimed in joy, "yes yes yes! We're going swimming! It's been ages since I went swimming!"

Both her travelling companions were staring at her as if she'd gone insane and the mare looked from one to the other in mock dismay. "What?" she asked, suddenly sounding self-conscious. "No lakes around the city and ponies aren't exactly welcome at public swimming pools."

"You really are like a kid sometimes..."

Instead of replying to Rosa, Sky just stuck her tongue out until they both burst out laughing.

Chapter 50: Night Driving

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Evening found Rosa lying on her back in the passenger seat with all four legs up in the air. She kept making little pained groans as her legs twitched and jerked. Every single muscle hurt, even the ones she hadn't known she even had! On the plus side, there was nothing special to this swimming business, except for how tiring it was! Rosa knew now that she shouldn't have pushed it as far as she had, but they'd splashed around together with Sky Light and it had been so much fun that Rosa hadn't even realized just how hard she was working herself until they climbed out of the water. In hindsight she should have realized that the pegasus was cheating with her wings and her lighter body!

"Uuuurgh!"

"That bad?" Pavo asked from the driver's seat.

"Yes!"

He just chuckled in lieu of a reply. Behind Rosa, Sky Light gave a small snore from Pavo's bed. Her excuse for not getting up to the bunk she shared with Rosa was that she was too tired, but Rosa very much doubted that. She would get the real reason out of her friend later, Rosa just hoped that it wasn't something sexual. That mare...

She looked over to the driver, who was very faintly illuminated by his instruments as he drove. "I'll try and stay awake. Keep you company. That no-good lout sure as hell isn't gonna."

"Nah, don't worry about it. I'm used to driving alone and I can always put on some radio to pass the time," Pavo assured her.

"So," Rosa said, looking for conversation topics, "what sorta stuff do you drive around?"

"Haul," he corrected. "This time it's a load of sheet metal. I took industrial piping from this company that makes it one way, and I'm bringing raw materials the other way."

"Cool. I bet that saves a trip."

"Yeah. Now that everything is on computers, my firm can find all these little shortcuts. Maximize profits, that sort of crap."

Rosa didn't know much about economy or logistics and the School had no such programs. Ponies weren't exactly trusted with high-level administrative work. "Mhm," she answered noncommittally.

"What about you? How old are you?"

There was nothing wrong with him knowing that, she decided. "Mmm, I'll be seventeen soon." Rosa had hardly thought about that, but it was no more than a couple of months ahead. November. Rosa used to look forward to her birthday, mainly because Instructor Martha always brought cake and they had a little party with her roommates. This year it would be just another day if things kept going like they had been lately.

"That young, eh? I'm really glad I didn't take you up on that offer," Pavo said, laughing. He noticed her confused muzzle-scrunch and explained: "That time Sky tricked you?"

"Oh!" The memory made Rosa blush, especially with what'd happened the previous night. "She's... weird."

Rosa was looking at Pavo, even if was is upside down from her prone perspective, and the man shrugged. "Nothing wrong with enjoying herself. Just so long as she can take a 'no' without fuss."

"I guess," Rosa replied, but then realized that she was gossiping about her friend, who was lying about two feet away, so she fell silent and lifted her head a little to free an ear. Good, the pegasus was still snoring.

"How'd you two meet?" Pavo asked, also reaching the same conclusion as Rosa.

"Um," she started to say, then paused. This next bit could be problematic. It all depended on how law-abiding Pavo really was. Escapee ponies were technically wanted persons and he ought to turn Rosa over to the police when he found out. Still, he hadn't done it for Sky Light, so he was probably fine. "I ran away and Sky saw me when she was flying over." Rosa wisely don't add 'on one of her drug deliveries'. There was no sense in pushing it.

"Oh. Did they beat you or what?"

"No, nothing like that," Rosa said, shaking her head, but then remembered. "Well, not until that last day, at least."

He asked the obvious question: "What happened on the last day?"

Rosa heaved a sigh, not really wanting to remember, but doing it anyway. "Got my cutie mark. The guy I was working for freaked out about it. I still don't know why exactly. He tied me up and wanted to send me back to the School and have me..." The next bit left a bad taste in her mouth despite all the time that had passed. "... put down."

"Yeesh," Pavo exclaimed. He reached over to give Rosa's muzzle a gentle pat and she licked his palm in gratitude. "Good thing you got away."

Based on his accepting response, Rosa decided to tell a bit more. "This girl - his daughter - we were really close. She let me go." Before she knew it there were fresh tears in her eyes. Rosa blinked and tried to push that whole mess out of her mind. It was too late, though. A sniff betrayed her.

For a while Pavo said nothing, then his voice came quietly, as if he was being careful not to upset her more: "You miss her, don't you?"

All Rosa could do at the moment was nod. Pavo seemed to understand anyway. He drove in silence for a few minutes, giving Rosa some welcome time to collect herself. Once she was sure sure she could speak again without her voice breaking, she asked her next question. "Why are some people so afraid of cutie marks? What's wrong with a pony getting one?"

Pavo gave this due consideration. "Dunno, really. I remember a few years back - hell, must've been more like fifteen by now - there was this huge panic about that sort of thing. Ponies with magic knocked down some buildings."

He was thinking hard and it amazed Rosa how people could do that and still drive perfectly. She lifted her head to look, but the truck was staying exactly in the middle of its lane. It was uncanny the way Pavo hardly had to concentrate on the job!

"Anyway," Pavo went on, as if waking up from a dream, "there was a lot of fear and all unicorns were rounded up. There was a witch hunt for a while, but the rest of you guys were left pretty much alone after that." He reached over again to pat her muzzle and Rosa gave his hand another lick. It was almost like a little ritual at this point and it helped calm her down. "There was a lot of research about these cutie marks of yours, but I don't think anything much came out of it. Stuff just... died down once there were no more unicorns around." Pavo scratched his chin, then kept talking while Rosa kept listening. "I guess there might be some left, hiding. People don't usually bother about ponies walking around, but they would if it's a unicorn. They'd have to hide really well."

"Makes sense." Rosa wondered if she would ever meet a unicorn. All the old Equestrian ponies at the School had been earth ponies and not one of them had mentioned anything about a unicorn, ever.

"Sorry I can't be more use. It was a while back and it didn't really affect us where I lived. Hardly any ponies around."

"That's okay. Thanks!" she said despite that.

"So, about another hour and we'll be at this truck stop I know. You can go and nap with Sky if you want - I'll put on some radio."

"Ummm..."

Her hesitation was because Rosa didn't want Pavo to be bored, but he misinterpreted her expression for one of exhaustion. "It's fine, you can sleep in my bed. I'll wake you up when we're there." Before she could say no, the driver reached over, a little further this time, and patted her belly. "You look like you need it. Legs sore?"

Stretching her limbs out made Rosa wince in pain and she nodded. "Yeah."

"Get back there and rest a bit. I'm fine over here."

She obeyed and rolled to her belly before crawling into Pavo's bed where Sky Light was still snoring. Rosa snuggled up to the other mare, not really minding that they were on top of the blanket. The cabin was warm enough.

Sky reached over to touch Rosa and stopped snoring, but she didn't wake up all the way. All she said was: "Mmm? Rosa?" before turning to her side and seeking her friend out with her muzzle. She bumped against Rosa's leg and gave the air a friendly lick. "Go t' sleep," the mare said sleepily and relaxed once more.

Chuckling softly, Rosa put a hoof around her withers and pressed her muzzle against that heavenly soft chest fluff. Pavo had said he would wake them up when they arrived. Then Rosa could pee and shower and brush her teeth before getting on the top bunk. It should be nice and private this late in the night, too.

There was just one thing she had to do before she drifted off. "Pavo?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for taking us. You're a good friend."

The man gave a faint, self-deprecating laugh. "That means something, coming from you. Sweet dreams!"

Rosa put her head back against Sky Light's barrel and was out like a light.

Chapter 51: Therapeutic

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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.

Chapter 52: Past Tragedies

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Sky Light didn't want to go, but Rosa dragged her to get a shower. Part of the reason was the chat she wanted to have with her friend, but there was also the fact that Sky Light stank. Now that they hadn't been living in a dirty, run down van for a while, Rosa had become conscious of cleanliness again. She showered nearly every day, especially if she had sweated at all, and she made sure Sky Light kept herself clean as well. After all, Rosa had to cuddle with her every night. It was totally worth the few bucks these truck stop showers usually charged. This night was no different, so Sky Light didn't complain more than usual. She followed listlessly as Rosa made her way into the squat concrete building. There was a number of humans around the bar, drinking or eating, many of which glanced their way when the two ponies entered and the conversation lulled a little.

Rosa hoped it would be the right sort of cashier, especially since some of them had simply turned her away in the past. A few had gotten angry at the very idea. Most didn't care, though. She walked right up to the register and gave the lad her best smile. The young ones were usually the most amenable. "Hi! We're with one of the trucks and I was wondering if we could rent a couple of showers for bit?"

The lad stared a little, probably because he didn't usually get to see many ponies, Rosa guessed, but then he jerked awake and hurriedly tapped on his cash register. "Uh, yeah! Sure, no problem!"

Her smile widened. "Thank you! How much do I owe?"

He had to read the amount four times before it registered in his mind, the poor thing. "Uh, nine sixty please," he said at last.

Rosa rummaged in her backpack for a ten dollar note, noting with alarm that she didn't have all that many of those, and held it up with her mouth. "'ewe!"

The young man whose name tag proclaimed he was a 'Steven' and a student, took the proffered money very gingerly, as if he was afraid of hurting her, or maybe he expected Rosa to bite. It was a bit funny and she had no problems keeping up her pleasant grin. Then he reached down with the change and looked confused about how she might take it. Rosa simply lifted up her upturned hoof and he very gently deposited the two coins. They went into the pocket and jingled a little as they met their friends in there.

"Thanks! Through here?" Rosa said and took the initiative to move things along.

"Oh. Yes! There..." The cashier and several others watched her nudge the pegasus through the door to the shower area.

Rosa was relieved to see it was empty at the time, although she had had to shower with strange men present in the room and it had always turned out alright thus far. Most of these facilities followed a similar basic plan to the first one she had seen and this one was no exception. The most notable difference was that the shower cabins had that foggy plastic sliding door, rather than a curtain. Rosa nudged Sky Light into a cubicle and she reached behind to close and lock the door behind her. Rosa stepped in before Sky could do that and the mare jerked away in surprise. It was more of a reaction than Rosa had seen out of her lately and she decided to take that as a good sign.

"What the fuck?"

"Hush!" Rosa leaned her head to one side and flicked her ears around, making sure there was no one else in the large room with them. Then she lowered her voice to a whisper and faced her pegasus friend. "Sky, I've been really patient, but you're getting worse, okay? I really wanna help. What's wrong? Why were you crying today in the truck?"

"I wasn't. Nothing's wrong. I don't know what you're talking about!" Sky lied.

Sky couldn't quite meet her eyes, but Rosa kept staring at her muzzle, looking for any clues. "Something's wrong, I know it. Come on, Sky, you know you can tell me! We're in this together!"

"It's none of your business," the pegasus muttered darkly.

"It is too! We're trying to pull off this rescue, I need you focused. Tell me what's bothering you!" Rosa shut up when she realized she wouldn't get anything our of her by force. Pushing her would just make her clam up. Instead, Rosa let her breath out and lowered her head. "Please don't just shut me out. I'm your friend, right? You can tell me anything and I won't judge, you know that!"

In fact, Sky Light couldn't know that. Rosa had judged a lot in the past, but she was determined not to do so this time. This felt like something really important and whatever Sky Light was feeling, Rosa wanted to support her. She tried to convey that through her gentle smile.

Her friend turned away and stared at the wall tiles, but Rosa stepped closer and put her hooves around her. She was being careful with the wings, of course. A moment later she switched her grip lower, so she was not messing up Sky Light's feathers.

"I'm here for you," Rosa said, then used her own nickname right back at Sky Light, "sweetheart."

For a moment it seemed her friend would try to wiggle out, and she shifted in the strong grip but Rosa didn't let go. Sky drew a breath, then let it slowly out. Her ears folded down and Rosa sensed she had nearly won.

There was no time to celebrate, however, because the other mare took another shuddering breath and spoke very softly: "Bad memories. I didn't know it would hit me that hard, but something about seeing the landscape slide by brings me back to..." She didn't finish.

"Back to where? What bad memories?"

Sky shook her head. "You wouldn't understand, Rosa. Just let it go."

"Try me."

The pegasus leaned her head to the side and thought hard about it. Rosa could barely keep from biting her lip in nervousness. She was going to crack! She was finally about to spill out some answers!

"It's sad," Sky Light finally spoke. "I don't wanna bother you with it. It'll pass."

That had been a big mistake. Now Rosa really wanted to know. If something was bringing her friend down, she wanted to hear all about it and help her through it, if at all possible. After all, Sky Light had always been there when Rosa had been pining after Lillian. She kept her hug tight, leaned her head against Sky's back and closed her eyes.

"Bother me with it," Rosa commanded softly. "Please- I wanna be here for you. You've always been there for me, Sky. Please?"

The other mare sniffled and moved again, but this time Rosa released her so she could turn around to face her. There were tears in her eyes again, and Rosa quickly gathered her into a hug. Physical contact was key, she knew. Rosa might not have been an expert hobo, but she had been training for stuff like this at the School most of her life.

"I'm not- I don't wanna-" Sky Light sobbed, but then couldn't speak anymore, overcome with some indescribable sadness. She went limp, but Rosa could easily support her by sitting on her haunches. Her friend could lean on her like that all she wanted - Rosa was an earth pony, after all.

"It's okay, there's no hurry. Whenever you're ready," she reassured Sky.

It took Sky Light almost a minute before she could talk again. "You're a good friend, Rosa. I really don't want you to hurt. I promise I'll be fine-"

Rosa hushed her with a hoof on the muzzle, easily supporting her weight with one foreleg against her body. It felt nice when Sky made herself comfortable against Rosa's chest fluff for a change. "Shut up, you nitwit and tell me! Or else I'll go and imagine the most horrible things and then I'll have nightmares and cry all the time. You want that, huh?!"

She had kept her voice light, as if making a small joke, and it worked. That one almost brought a smile to Sky's lips. "Yeah, you'd do that, you little idiot, wouldn't you?" She sobered up quickly and looked down to the floor tiles. "I had a daughter, you know?"

It came out of nowhere and made Rosa gasp in shock. The revelation was bad enough, but Sky Light had said 'had'. Rosa's eyes watered instantly and her stomach clenched up in fear.

"W-What h-happened?"

Her friend gave her a pained, forlorn look and Rosa quickly nuzzled her. No one should feel that way!

"Stillborn," Sky whispered with another sniffle.

Rosa was choked up as well. She was already crying silently. "I'm so, so sorry, Sky," she said, understanding that it was not enough, but there were no other words. "I'm sorry..."

"It was my own damned fault," Sky explained with a sudden, angry flash of her eyes. She stiffened in Rosa's grasp and growled. "It was booze." She seemed determined to tell the whole story and Rosa didn't stop her. It was going to be sad and horrible, she could already feel that, but if talking about it helped Sky, then Rosa would bite her tongue and listen closely. It was the least she could do for her friend.

"I was twenty or twenty one. Just after I ran away. I lived with this group of ponies in some huge pipes on a construction site. Mares and stallions. We were all teens so of course we bucked all the time. I was stupid and didn't know I was going into heat until it was too late." Her words felt like they were coming from a large distance. She paused every now and then to take a shuddering breath, but each time she pushed forward with her story. "At first I didn't even realize it. Heh, I thought I was just getting fat. No morning sickness, see?" Sky gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Then, when I did find out, I got super freaked out. No chance in hell I could raise a foal, not on the streets. I thought about going back to the human, but I was afraid he'd just beat it out of me."

Rosa had started worrying that was what eventually happened, at least until she remembered that Sky had said 'booze'. She really didn't know which thought was worse and she bit her lip to keep quiet. Sky Light didn't need more questions, she just needed Rosa's ears right at the moment, and friendly hooves around her, and Rosa's beating heart next to hers.

"I decided to leave. I started train hopping because I couldn't look my gang in the eye anymore. I didn't even know which one of them was the father," the mare explained. "I just wanted out of there! Anywhere. Anyway, I got depressed and I started drinking. Like- a lot. I don't think I was sober a single day after leaving. Don't ask me how I got money for booze. Half the time I didn't even know which direction the train was going."

"Oh no..."

"Yeah. I was drunk off my ass when..." A shudder ran through Sky Light's body and she was weeping openly. It took incredible effort, but she finished the story, her voice cracking: "When I gave birth. It was on the train... That's why- the horizon..." Sky Light gasped for breath, then choked out: "She was so little!"

It was too much. Rosa started crying out loud with Sky and holding on to her for all she was worth. They gripped each other almost painfully, but neither minded in the slightest. Rosa just hoped her friend could hear her heartbeat while she was pressing her head against Rosa's barrel.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Rosa kept repeating, knowing the words would never be enough.

"I named her 'Daisy'!" Sky Light wailed.

Rosa didn't know what else to do, so she started alternating between licking Sky's muzzle and nuzzling her, all just to make sure she knew She wasn't alone.

"Buried her in a park near the next stop. Then I just... went back on the train. Drank some more." Despite how long ago it had happened, Sky Light still felt the loss keenly. "You rem-remind me of her," she sobbed and Rosa gave her a squeeze. "Oh god, I'm sorry!" Sky Light said quietly in a broken voice. "My sweet little Daisy, I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay," Rosa lied, "it's okay. I'm here."

Sky Light pulled away for a moment to look at her, then bursts into tears again and gripped Rosa once more. The two kept hugging and Rosa settled down into a more comfortable position. It would probably take a while, but she didn't care at that point.
They both needed to cry this out. Things would be better after a good cry.

At least that was what Rosa hoped.

Rosa didn't know how much time passed before her friend spoke again. "I thought it's been long enough!" Sky Light wailed and slammed the floor with a hoof. "Maybe it's because you remind me of her so much! She was an earth pony, too. God, I'm so sorry! I didn't know it would hit me like this!"

"Shut up," Rosa told her, not unkindly. "Of course it hit you! You'd have to be some kind of a monster for it not to! I'm glad you told me."

"I hardly ever thought about it, and when I did I just got drunk again. Not lately anyway. You remind me of her, but you also take a lot of attention Rosa. Maybe that's a good thing." The mare gives Rosa a sad smile. "Taking care of you - you're so young - maybe I thought it was some kind of payment, you know? I really thought I was finally past it!"

"You're never past... something like that."

Sky sniffled some more, but it looked like the worst was over. "Please don't tell anyone. Please?" she begged miserably.

"I swear."

Rosa held her friend in silence for a bit, then she started licking her muzzle once more. Her tears were hot and a bit salty, but she didn't mind. She spoke between her ministrations. "Thank you for telling me. I'm so sorry and I guess there's nothing I can say to make it better... but please tell me if there's anything I can do, okay? Anything at all. Ever!"

Sky Light nodded in silence and Rosa kissed the tip of her nose. "It's going to be fine. I'll keep the nightmares away this time, okay? I owe you for... for before. With Lillian."

"That's right, you do," Sky Light said so matter-of-factly that Rosa couldn't help chuckling. That was a bit of her old spirit back and it was encouraging.

"Anytime you wanna talk about it - just tell me, okay? We'll go somewhere private. I know crying helps." Rosa was guessing at the last part, but she had always felt better after a good cry. True, her own misfortunes had never been that horrible, but if it helped even a little, she would weep with Sky Light every day until the pain was at least tolerable. It would probably never be gone.

"Thanks, Rosa. You're really sweet, even if you are a little idiot."

That one almost made Rosa laugh and she smiled at her friend. "Yeah, that's me. Little idiot Rosa. Come on, let's get that shower now. We can share since we're already here."

Now that she thought about it, Rosa was incredibly grateful that no one had come in during their talk and subsequent crying. 'Small miracles', she said to herself. Maybe, she started thinking, it was not a good idea to rush to this White Pigeon place right away. Sky Light would need more time to get over this and Rosa wanted to focus on her exclusively for a while. They had enough money and the summer was nearly there. They could afford to bum around a little in the city where Pavo worked. Maybe for a couple of weeks until he made another round trip. The man would ask questions, but Rosa could just tell him they needed to get some stuff together to prepare. Then, next time he came back he could help them get to White Pigeon. It would give her and Sky Light some time to work through her grief. Rosa's grief, too, now. She hated herself for thinking like that, but if the mare remembered that tragedy at the wrong moment, it would ruin any chances they might have for getting Maribelle out. Besides, Rosa herself needed to cry it out, too. It had been the saddest, most devastating thing she had heard in her entire life.

Rosa shuddered and started licking Sky's muzzle again, more to comfort herself than the other mare. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I'm here for you."

Sky drew a shuddering breath and let it out in a sad sigh. Rosa could only hope this was the breakthrough she had needed. How long had the mare held it all in without telling anyone? Rosa almost felt honored that Sky Light trusted her this much.

Chapter 53: The Wife and the Son

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It was a piece of good luck that Pavo was already in his bed by the time Rosa bustled Sky Light into the cabin. Sky didn't seem to care, but Rosa knew she would appreciate not being seen. The shower had helped them both, but the pegasus still had a slightly haunted expression on her face. No wonder, too. Rosa imagined she probably looked the same.

She gently closed the truck door while Sky Light climbed up to the bed. Pavo woke up, but luckily he was facing the far wall and didn't turn around to look when he heard who it was. "Night, girls," was all he said in a sleepy drawl.

"Night." Rosa hurried and crawled up to the bunk bed before he could notice that anything was off. Sky Light was already wrapped up in a blanket and she sighed deeply when her friend joined her.

"It's going to be alright," Rosa told her.

"Thanks, Rosa."

She lifted up the blanket and Rosa shuffled under it. She tried to hug Sky, but both their hooves were in the way, so instead she tapped Sky Light's shoulder. "Wanna turn around?"

This was given due thought, then the mare shook her head. "You turn. I wanna hold you, Rosa."

Rosa obeyed and turned her back to the other mare, lifting herself up a little so she could snake a leg under. Sky Light brought the other hoof around and pulled the warm body closer. The blanket had slipped off, but Sky snagged it with a wing and brought it around both of them. Then her wing settled down like a comfortable inner cover, warm and soft against Rosa's side. In fact, Rosa didn't think she could be any more comfortable and relaxed, but then Sky Light put her muzzle against the back of her head and kissed her ear.

"Sleep tight, sweetheart," she said.

Was that what it felt like to have a mother, Rosa wondered? Someone- somepony she would feel absolutely safe with? A pony she could trust with anything? Maybe it was leftover emotions from Sky's tragic story, but Rosa put her legs over Sky's and whispered back: "I love you, Sky." She got a tighter hug in reply and Rosa imagined the motherly smile Sky probably had on her muzzle.

"I love you too," Sky said back and it brought a nice, warm feeling to Rosa's heart. "Not love as in coltfriend," Sky corrected, "love as in friend, okay?"

Rosa couldn't help chuckling at this small proof that Sky Light was still herself, deep down.

"I mean- I'll do you if you want, but you're not really my type."

"Ass."

Both of them ended up giggling, partly in relief that everything was going to be fine, but mostly because they were together and they trusted each other and now their bond felt stronger than ever

Sky Light still seemed downcast the next day, especially once Rosa started moving around the cabin. The mare went back to staring out the window, but Rosa just needed to scooch over and put her hooves around her friend to get a smile out of her.

"Don't get all mopey on me again, okay?" Rosa told her.

"Promise."

It was not much further in any case, so the two sat together and Rosa joined in on looking at the horizon. "Ever been this way?"

"I don't think so. Last time I hitchhiked any distance I was-" Sky began, but then fell silent and looked over at Pavo.

Rosa guessed he didn't know about her drug problems. "I understand."

The mare flashed a grateful smile and Rosa opened her muzzle to say it was fine, since she didn't mind, at least not after having heard Sky's awful story.

Before Rosa could get the words out, however, Pavo spoke up. "Well, here we are, ladies."

They looked around curiously, but the big rig was just sitting on an empty stretch of road. There were some buildings up ahead with an illuminated sign showing a stylized truck. It was probably Pavo's company, Rosa guessed, but why would he stop outside?

"Why did you-"

He interrupted her, guessing the question: "Picking up passengers isn't exactly... encouraged. There's an all-night barbecue and grill on the other side of the road. You can wait for me there, I'll just sort out the paperwork and then come pick you up, okay?"

It didn't sound like a huge problem, so Rosa smiled at the man and nodded. "Sure! We'll wait."

"Shouldn't be much more than an hour. You two have fun!"

Sky Light had already opened the passenger door and leapt down, and Rosa passed her both their bags while Pavo stowed the extra blanket and pillow and put away the top bed. It was a good thing he remembered, since those could have raised some uncomfortable questions back at his company. Rosa waved the man goodbye, then slipped down to the street. There was just one problem left; she couldn't reach the door to close it.

She looked at Sky imploringly. "The door, please?"

"Oh!" the other mare remembered. She kicked off the ground and flicked her wings just once, which lifted her high enough so she could give the passenger door a good nudge which made it slam shut. It was actually a bit impressive to Rosa how the pegasi could jump. "There. Let's get us a burger!"

Things were happening again, the drive was over, and Sky Light quickly slipped back into her role of older and wiser street pony. It was doing her good, Rosa could already tell. Maybe they wouldn't have to wait around for her friend to feel better about her tragic story. Rosa wondered how often Pavo was sent out on hauls and came up with a new plan. Maybe if they had a day or two in this place, she could gauge how Sky Light was doing and then decide if they needed more time?

"Sheesh, stop looking at me like that!" the pegasus whined.

"Like what?!"

"Dunno, like I've got mange or something! I'm fine, Rosa!" Sky Light assured her.

I still think we should talk about it," Rosa insisted.

Sky rolled her eyes a little and slipped her saddlebags on her back. "I said I'm fine," she repeated and looked both ways down the road. The diner Pavo had mentioned was just across the street with a big sign proclaiming 'BBQ&Grill' and there was some loud, thumpy music coming from it.

Rosa ignored the noise and shook her head sadly at the pegasus. "Didn't look fine yesterday."

Sky Light twirled back to face her. "You said you'll never bring that up again! You promised!"

"No," Rosa corrected her, "I said I wouldn't tell anyone. I still think we should talk."

"Pass," was the curt reply before Sky began walking away.

Rosa looked both ways as well and quickly followed, only to have to hurry back and fetch her backpack. "Sky Light, it's not healthy bottling stuff like that up all this time!" she yelled after her escaping friend.

"What the fuck would you know about any of that?"

"We had Psychology class back at the School. I know you'll never get over it if you don't talk about it."

The mare stopped right in the middle of the road, but she didn't turn around this time. She just looked at Rosa over her shoulder. "Fuck Psychology. That crap is worthless out here. Sooner you forget about it, better off you'll be."

Her stopping allowed Rosa to catch up and put her muzzle against Sky Light's withers. At least she didn't fight that. "Well, School or not, I care about you. I don't want you hurting. Promise you'll tell me if you feel sad again?"

The mare heaved a sigh, but she still didn't push Rosa away. Instead she patted her with a wing and whispered back: "I promise."

That was probably the best Rosa was going- "Car. CAR!"

The horn honked and Rosa pushed Sky Light away. She didn't have time to look if she had fallen as Rosa leaped after her and rolled when she hit the ground. Rather than wait, she scurried to her hooves and looked wildly around for more traffic, even while she was retreating behind the yellow line.

Luckily Sky Light was nimble on her hooves and she didn't even lose her balance. She came over to stand beside Rosa. "Well, that was stupid," she commented.

"Yeah."

"Standing right there in the middle of the road."

Rosa's face reddened in response, too. She had been so engrossed with Sky's tragedy that she had completely forgotten where they were. It could have ended much worse. The overflowing adrenaline made her chuckle. "We're such a pair..."

Soon Sky Light was also laughing. "You said it, Rosa."

For a moment the two embraced, happy to be alive, then they both turned to the brightly illuminated building with loud music coming out of it. "Come on, my treat," Rosa invited.

"Look, Rosa-" Sky began and Rosa stopped to look back at her. The pegasus hadn't started moving yet. "I know I can be... difficult sometimes, but I'm fine. Really fine. You don't get time to grieve on the streets. It was a long time ago."

Rosa shrugged a little to herself. "Felt pretty raw..."

"I don't know what happened," Sky answered firmly. It looked like their near escape had loosened her tongue a little bit, but she still didn't like talking about it. "I guess it was all of it put together. Traveling, and T-Terry going- well, and then there was you."

Rosa was about to ask about Terry again, but her friend walked up and draped a wing over her. "Sometimes you really feel like a daughter I almost had, y'know?"

The admission made Rosa smile a little. "Aww, thanks. I love you too, mom."

"Eugh," Sky made a face. "God, never say that again. That's just plain creepy." She got a faraway look as she thought it over, before her muzzle scrunched up in distaste. "Ew. Now that I hear you say it, it's weird."

Rosa couldn't help laughing a little as she bumped Sky's rump with hers. "Okay, just a friend then, and don't you forget it."

As thanks, Sky Light squeezed Rosa with her wing, then folded it back up and walked towards the diner. "Come on, I wanna see what their burger is like."

Rosa followed with a fresh bounce in her step.

Pavo joined the two about an hour later and Rosa bought him a beer for his trouble and as a small thank you, which Sky hungrily watched him drink it until it was all gone. Once that was done, they didn't hang about and Pavo led them outside and to his car. It was a comically small one, especially when they contrasted it against the size of the truck the man drove not even an hour ago, but he seemed to like it quite well. It was much faster than the semi, that was for sure. He said it wasn't far, so Rosa didn't mind when Sky Light went to sit up front with the man and left her in the back seat. It gave her some quiet time to look lazily at the store lights out the windows. After some time Rosa spotted Pavo's cap on the back seat beside her and remembered it was the one which said 'semi king'. Without really knowing why, she took it and put it on her head.

They were at a breaking point of their journey and the question of sleeping arrangements came up. Sky Light had said the street was fine, but Pavo insisted the two should sleep in his guest bedroom for the night, before he started arranging the next leg of their journey. Rosa also liked the idea. It would feel nice to sleep in a real bed for a change and get a shower they didn't have to pay for. That was an easy way to convince Sky Light, too, although Rosa thought the pegasus would actually rather try the streets. She was not used to being in an actual house after all those years, but she eventually acquiesced, even if it was mostly for Rosa's benefit.

Finally, late at night, Pavo stopped his car and turned it off. Rosa fumbled with the handle and let herself out of the car. The bag was still on her back, since it hadn't bothered her enough for what she had known would be a short drive. Sky Light had decided the same, so it was just Pavo's traveling bag in the trunk which he had to get. Rosa examined the house while they waited. It was mostly dark, but there was a faint, flickering light in one of the windows. Someone watching television, Rosa guessed.

"Here we are. Let's go say hi to the missus," the driver told them and reached down to give Rosa's withers a pat. If he saw the cap on her head he didn't bring it up.

Following the man to the front door, Rosa glanced at Sky Light and gave her a nervous grin. Maybe she was getting used to living on the street herself? Sky flashed back a smile, but then the door opened and the two ponies stepped into its welcoming darkness. New, unaccustomed smells assaulted them. Slightly burnt milk and a strong scent of cleaning liquid were the top two, but Rosa also detected human sweat, freshly washed bedclothes and a mixture she couldn't help but call 'home'. It would be very nice to come back to that every day after work, she thought. It was... homely. It was obvious someone lived here and they've put a lot of work into keeping the house clean and organized.

"Honey, we're here!" Pavo called out and flicked the light switch. Rosa could see a dark red, maybe terracotta, floor tiles leading further into the house. There was also a staircase going up, each step covered by a bit of carpet. Pavo started walking that way and she followed, curious to meet his family. She had never met a trucker's family before. He spent a lot of time out on the road, so Rosa guessed they probably got lonely. She put on her best smile while somewhere upstairs a light turned on and a woman came to look. She was more or less unremarkable, but Rosa immediately liked her smile.

"Ann, these are Rosa and Sky Light," Pavo introduced.

Just like she had been taught in School, Rosa walked up to the lady, sat on her haunches and lifted up a leg for a shake. Her grin widened as Ann obliged. Rosa didn't exactly know why, but then the woman tapped the rim of the cap on her head and commented: "Looks good on you."

"Thank you!"

"Daddy?!" came a shout from one of the rooms behind the woman. Rosa glanced around and saw there was a short hallway with several doors leading out from it. "Daddy's home!"

The son, Richie, Pavo had told Rosa his name was, sprinted and jumped into his father's arms. They twirled around a couple of times and both laughed happily.

Rosa caught Ann's eye and they both smiled at the scene.

"Richie, I've got special guests this time," Pavo explained and for the first time the boy saw the ponies. The reaction would never get old, Rosa felt. His eyes widened, then his mouth opened in surprise, and then his smile rose like the sun.

"Pony!!"

Rosa had a moment to steady herself before the boy lunged at her and she caught him deftly in her hooves. From the corner of her eye she could see his mother relax. She had been ready to grab him if he toppled Rosa over. Madam obviously didn't realize that Rosa was an Assistant Pony.

"Hey there, sweetie! I'm Rosa, what's your name?" she cooed. She had heard the name a few seconds ago, but there was a proper way to greet children and Rosa was sticking to it.

"R-Richard," he said, suddenly a bit nervous, but Rosa kept her smile and the boy explained: "my friends call me Richie."

"It's very nice to meet you!"

The kid gave a slight gasp and pointed at her head. "You're that trucker pony!" he exclaimed.

"Sure am! Me an' my friend Sky Light there have been helping your dad drive his big truck, isn't that right?"

Rosa looked for her friend, but Sky Light was still on the stairs, looking at the kid with a kind of apprehension. She didn't know how to act around children. Suddenly Rosa realized that this was her world, which was all completely foreign to Sky. If felt nice to finally be better at something than she was.

The boy she was holding upright pointed at the other pony and said in a voice of absolute awe: "Flying pony! Can you fly for real?!"

"Uhhh, I guess?" Sky answered.

Rosa nearly decided to let her stew for a bit, but she was not that mean so she gave the kid a quick nuzzle. "That's right. We'll show you outside tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, we've met each other, now it's time for bed. Go on, Richie. We'll talk with the ponies some more in the morning. I'm sure they're tired after their long drive," the mother said and peeled the kid off Rosa. He didn't seem too saddened to go, but Ann still had to hold his hand to keep him from coming right back and hugging the mare again. Pavo stepped closer and took his son's hand from his mother.

"I got this," he told her. Then to his son: "How about we go put you in bed and I'll show you all the pictures of trucker ponies I took this time, yes?"

That cheered the boy right up and he happily followed his father to his bedroom, only pausing for a moment to smile back at the mares and wave them goodbye.

The woman studied Rosa and Sky Light, then slipped past the pegasus down the stairs. "Guess bedroom is downstairs, but I'd like for you two to take a shower, first."

"Uh," Rosa said, uncertain. "Okay?"

The smile was gone and now the woman was giving her an appraising look. "Tell me the truth - you don't have homes, do you?"

Rosa's gaze lowered and she blushed a little. Sky Light crept closer beside her and tensed up, ready for flight.

"N-No, ma'am."

"Well, stay clean and don't cause no trouble while you're here, okay? Pavo is too nice for his own good, so I gotta put my foot down here."

"Of co-course, ma'am. No trouble, I promise."

She seemed satisfied with that and continued down the stairs. Rosa nudged Sky Light and then followed. The pegasus was worried, so Rosa made a decision. "It'll just be this one night, ma'am, then we're leaving."

Ann didn't reply, but she pointed a finger at Sky, which made the mare flinch. "After you shower come see me in the kitchen. I know it's late, but there's some dumplings left. You guys eat soup, right?"

Rosa felt her belly which was being weighed down by most of a grilled cheese sandwich like a stone. "Actually we already-"

"We'll be happy to," Sky Light said right over her, warming up to the woman a tiny bit.

"Good," Ann said and stepped away from the stairs so the two could get on the lower floor. "You're too skinny by half. You're not leaving tomorrow either without a good breakfast in you, either."

She didn't stop talking as she pointed down the hallway. "Third door is the downstairs bathroom. Next door is the guest room. Got all that? I'll go grab some blankets for you."

"Y-Yes. Thank you."

The woman nodded to herself, satisfied, then started back up the stairs. "I'll put the soup on. Should be enough left for you two."

"That's fine, actually, I had dinner. You can have it all, Sky."

Rosa got a grateful smile for her heroic sacrifice, which was how the pegasus saw the offer.

Ann didn't seem to mind, but she still paused on the steps and looked back. "Okay, then just come up for some pudding."

This one Rosa was happy to accept and she gave the woman a happy little smile. She would like it there, she felt. The woman was a tiny bit scary and she seemed quite strict, but something told Rosa they'd be good friends in hardly any time at all. A completely different story than Jennifer Boone.

Maybe, if Sky Light grew tired of her, Rosa could come back here and ask Mrs. Basilius if she'd take her in on a more permanent basis in exchange for some housework and help with watching her son. Of course, it all depended on how things went with Maribelle. For the moment, she was just happy to be inside, have a hot shower and then sleep in a proper bed with proper sheets in a proper room. Even if it was just for a night.

Chapter 54: Na-temy

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Breakfast was a tiny bit uncomfortable with so many strangers, but Rosa had slept well, showered, and Ann had even loaned her a hairbrush, so the mare had gotten her coat and mane under control. It would have been even better if she still had her scent bottle, but being clean and well-groomed was a nice feeling after all that time and gave her a much-needed boost in confidence. She was probably the prettiest she had been in weeks and it really showed. Ann was much warmer and smiled more broadly toward Rosa in the morning.

Sky Light looked her usual self, but Rosa had caught her smirking when she thought no one was looking. Rosa didn't mind. After all, grooming wasn't quite Sky Light's thing.

"I don't think I ever heard of a pony eating bacon with eggs," the wife commented, staring at Sky Light's plate. Rosa also glanced over and couldn't help a slight wince.
Ann continued: "It doesn't make your stomach hurt or something?"

Too busy to properly answer, Sky merely shrugged a little and stuffed more in her mouth with the fork. At least she could use cutlery, Rosa thought, even if she was a bit clumsy with it.

"Not really," Sky Light said once she had swallowed. "Never has. I've been doing it for ages, too."

"I don't understand it either. I thought we were herbivores," Rosa added her two cents.

Pavo seemed to have an answer: "Actually, I've seen a couple do that on the road. Not many, but it looks like you guys can eat cooked meat. It's probably just an acquired taste.

"Well worth the effort!" Sky Light added.

Rosa put it out of her mind, lest she started feeling queasy about her own fried eggs. It had been ages since she had them this nicely done and she would very much like to eat all of it and keep it down. Instead, she looked to the son, who had been watching her and Sky Light with undisguised interest. Rosa gave the boy a smile and got a tentative grin back.

"Did you two sleep well?" Ann went on to ask.

"Oh, yes!" Rosa gushed, "it was amazing! I never realized how hard those beds in the truck are!"

Pavo started laughing and grabbed his generous belly. "See, I guess this padding comes in handy after all!"

Even his wife couldn't suppress a chuckle and Sky Light nearly spat out a piece of bacon as she chortled.

After everyone had calmed down again, Mrs. Basilius had another, more difficult question: "So, mind telling me where you're going and why?"

Rosa looked at Sky Light who gave her a barely perceptible shrug, so Rosa transferred her gaze to Pavo. He smiled at her and nodded encouragingly. Of course she could trust his family, the man had been nothing but nice to the mares.

"We're actually looking for a friend - a pony," Rosa explained.

"Oh?" Ann prompted her to continue.

"Yeah, she was taken when she got her cutie mark and I want to know why and find her. Um, I think she's in some sort of government thing."

Now the lady looked alarmed and glanced worriedly at her husband. "Please tell me you're not getting mixed up in this?"

Even before he could answer Rosa tried to reassure her. "No, nothing like that! Um, d-don't worry. It's just me and Sky Light. Mr. Basilius just drove us this far."

"I'll ask Tim to give them a lift to where they need to go. He sometimes hauls that way," Pavo explained some more.

This helped and Ann relaxed a little, but she still wasn't too happy. "I don't want government agents breaking down my door. You sound like you're playing a dangerous game!"

The accusation made Rosa fold down her ears and put her hooves against the table in preparation to push her chair back. Ann was going to tell them to get out of her house, Rosa could feel it.

Luckily Pavo stood up before that happened and put his hand on his wife's arm. "Can I talk with you in the living room for a minute?"

The woman cast her worried gaze at Rosa and at her son, but she stood up and followed Pavo out. She shut the door behind her.

"Big mistake," Sky Light whispered to Rosa, who nodded back in agreement.

"Sorry."

"Guess we'll catch a bus or something. It's not far now."

Rosa bobbed her head again in agreement. It wouldn't be too bad. Pavo had already brought them most of the way. Sky Light slipped from her chair and walked on surprisingly silent hooves to the door, then leaned an ear against the wood.

Richie watched the nosy mare curiously, then looked at the other pony in the room. "Um, Rosa? What is Sky Light doing?"

"Oh," she didn't have an answer, so she just blushed. Her mind raced as she looked for a better topic for the boy. "Do you have many pictures of ponies, Richie?"

It was a good thing she had remembered Pavo's hobby and the countless photos he had snapped of her and Sky Light on their trip.

The kid immediately brightened up. "Yes! I have lots! Want to see them?"

To her surprise Rosa realized that she would absolutely enjoy that. "We'll see if we're in a hurry. If not, I'd love to!"

"I hope you're not in a hurry." Richie told her.

Rosa took another bite of her eggs, since there was a real possibility she would have to go, then she emptied her juice glass. Meanwhile Sky Light slunk back to the chair and climbed up. She saw Rosa's glance and reached the same conclusion, because she went back to industriously eating what was left on her plate and washing it down with Coke.

A few minutes later Pavo and Ann came back and Rosa tried to read their expressions. Ann's was guarded and she didn't know her well enough, but Pavo was smiling faintly, so Rosa dared to hope.

"My husband tells me you need a place for another day or two," Ann said carefully. Rosa gave her a smile, but let the woman finish at her own pace. "You can stay," she concluded and both mares relaxed a little.

"Thank you!"

Richie pushed his half-eaten plate away and piped up: "Mom, can Rosa go see my pony pictures?"

Her answer was music to Rosa's ears: "Of course, dear. Finish your breakfast and then you can show her." She seemed to have a second thought and lifted up a finger. "Have you finished your chores?"

The boy's face crumpled and he lowered his gaze. It almost broke Rosa's heart to see that. "Um, I actually helped with housework for my last, uh, boss. I could help Richie and that way we'd be done faster! I can also help you clean up and do laundry, if you like."

Now the woman's gaze was appraising. "Laundry?" she asked carefully.

"Yes! I don't mind - it's the least we can do!" Rosa tried to think up some ways Sky Light could make herself useful and pointed to the mare with a hoof. "Sky can fly any messages you like, or go to the store for you!"

The woman shrugged a little at the last bit, but she kept her eyes on Rosa. "For now," she said slowly, "you can help Richie clean up his room and then you can look at the pictures. We'll talk more about this later."

While Rosa had been offering their services, the child had finished his breakfast and now he jumped down from the chair. "Come on, Rosa!"

She glanced over at Ann just in case and waited for her slight nod, before she slipped from her chair and slid her mane under the boy's hand. Just as they were about to leave, Rosa remembered herself and turned back to the wife. "If you could just stack the dishes in the sink I'll wash them later!"

Ann didn't answer, but she seemed pleasantly surprised to Rosa. Doing a few chores wouldn't cost anything and it would help her pass the time. There was no harm if it improved Ann's disposition toward her and Sky Light, either.

"So, how about you?" Pavo asked the pegasus.

She shrugged a little with her wings. "I'm not much for these indoor things, really."

"I'm meeting some guys down at the bar, wanna come with?" he asked.

This made the mare light up in joy and she immediately leapt off her chair. "Duh! Yes!" she exclaimed.

The last thing Rosa saw in the kitchen before Richie dragged her up the stairs was Anne starting to collect the empty dishes from the table. Rosa would wash them later.

Rosa had spent an unproductive, but fun hour with Richie as he showed her his many albums of pony pictures. So many ponies! Most of them were earth ponies with an occasional pegasus, always showing off their wings, of course. A lot of them were in Pavo's truck or around it, but there was a fair number in what Rosa assumed were trucker stops or bars. There was one in a movie theater of all places! She decided she would ask Pavo how that had happened! Almost all of them were smiling, some of them a little nervously and a few really enthusiastically. Pavo was apparently quite well-known in the pony community across the country. She saw a few notable landmarks she recognized: Niagara Falls, the Washington Monument and Mount Rushmore being the ones she had easily identified. It seemed Pavo really did travel all over the place.

One particular image caught her eye. "Oh! That's Sky Light!" Rosa gasped, pointing.

Richie covered his mouth with a hand in shock. "Yes! Oh wow, I forgot!"

The boy had been diligent and wrote dates and names beside every picture. The Sky Light in the picture was nearly four years younger. Rosa inspected her closely, but not much seemed to have changed. She had had her always-mischievous grin even back then. Where had Rosa herself even been four years ago? Well, that one was easy - the School. Learning basic Maths and starting on Geography, she remembered. Unless that was the year before? Definitely before she had started training as an Assistant Pony.

"She hasn't changed a bit," Rosa murmured. Well, she probably had, but not on the outside. She wondered what the pegasus would say if she showed her that picture. "Can we show Sky Light this when she's back?" she asked the boy.

He was only too happy to nod. "Yes!"

They kept going after that. It was not even the slightest bit boring, despite Rosa's fears when she had seen how many albums there were. The pictures were quite similar, mostly, but the ponies were happy and it felt good seeing so many smiling muzzles, even if some of them did look a bit nervous or scared of the camera.

It had taken Rosa and Richie nearly two hours to skim through all the pages, but she was glad they did. Richie hadn't stopped smiling in all that time and it felt like Rosa had made a friend for life.

"I'm gonna be a pony doctor when I grow up!" the boy exclaimed once he had put the latest album back.

"Oh really?" Rosa said with a little smile.

"Mhm! I know all about a pony's na-temy!" the child assured you. "Daddy got me a book on ponies!"

Rosa was wondering lightly what a 'natemy' was while Richie rushed over to his desk and brought a new volume. It was obvious the boy had read it many times, because the book was almost falling apart. Luckily the title was still legible.

"Introduction to Equestrian Anatomy" Rosa chuckled a little. "Oh, anatomy."

The kid gave her a sheepish grin as he placed the book down on the bed and opened it to the first page. "I dunno all the difficult words, but I'm learning it anyway!"

"Is that so?" Rosa asked, glancing over the inner title. "Maybe I can help with a few."

The boy took her up on her offer and immediately put his finger on the word. "What's this one mean?"

Rosa considered her answer for a moment, suddenly a bit uncomfortable because it was a word she had been wondering about back in the School. "Equestria. That's the place ponies originally came from. Land of Equestria."

"What is it like?" Richie asked with a dreamy look on his face.

Rosa leaned in closer to give him a nuzzle, making sure her smile stayed fixed. "I don't know, sweetie. I was born on Earth. I don't even know if Equestria still exists," she explained.

The boy didn't notice her slightly choked up tone and Rosa finally managed to push the thoughts aside. "So, tell me what you've been learning!"

Richie immediately forgot about the title and turned his bright smile on the mare. "Okay, so um-" He was comfortable enough around Rosa to touch places with a finger. "This is a barrel and um, here is the withers..." he began listing and pointing out all the right parts. "Ankles and fetlocks and hooves... um, flank." The boy giggled a bit when he touched her shoulder. "Shoulder," he said, "but it doesn't stick out like mine!"

The observation made Rosa chuckle a little, too. "That's true. Very good!"

He was not quite done yet. The finger moved and tapped again. "Croup and thigh and then uh..." The boy rested his finger on her back leg, but then he needed a moment to think, looking at the ceiling as he tried to recall the difficult word. "Hock!" he exclaimed. "I remember cause it sounds like 'hockey' and they have knee pads!" His smile grew secretive and he leaned forward to whisper in her ear: "Did you know pony legs bend backwards? Um, the back legs."

"Oh my!" Rosa exclaimed, suppressing a giggle.

"Why do you have knees in front and, uh, hocks in the back? Aren't they all just knees?"

She shrugged a little. It was a bit embarrassing since Rosa would be a bit pressed to remember 'hock' herself, despite having learned all these names in Mr. Greiner's biology class. She had indeed just called them 'knees' in her head. "I honestly don't know, sweetie. It's just one of those things." If he kept going like that, she thought, he wouldn't have any problems getting into veterinary school. She gave the boy a very encouraging nuzzle. "You're very smart! I'm sure you'll be an amazing pony doctor!"

This made the child blush a little, but his grin was wider than ever. Rather than saying anything, he just threw his arms around Rosa's neck and she was happy to simply have him hold her for a while. Soon, though, she remembered her other promise. "So, how about I help you clean up your room now?" she proposed. "We can read a bit more about pony anatomy in the evening, okay?"

Strangely, the boy wasn't in the slightest downcast over this. He practically jumped from the bed and gave an enthusiastic nod. "Okay!"

He had started picking up toys even before Rosa could slip to the floor to collect all the albums they gone through. The shelf where they went was low enough for Richie, which meant Rosa could easily reach it too.

She began to hum quietly as she stacked.

Chapter 55: Overeating

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Rosa had just finished the dishes when Pavo came back, both he and Sky Light laughing merrily. She caught a faint whiff of beer, coming most strongly from her pegasus friend. It was not the best of news, but it was nice to see her happy. The two found Rosa in the kitchen where the man went to rummage in the fridge for a bottle of water.

"Hello," Rosa said politely, but soon returned to her task of drying the last two plates.

He echoed her greeting, but Sky didn't seem too aware of Rosa's presence. She walked right up to Pavo and tried to stick her muzzle in the refrigerator. "Any snacks?" she asked hopefully.

The man looked around a bit, especially on the top shelves where Sky couldn't see from her vantage point, and pulled out a porcelain cup. "Got some pudding left."

"Sweet!" the mare exclaimed. "Gimme!" She gripped it in her teeth, but then gasped and hurriedly took the dish with a hoof. "Cold! Cold!" she whimpered, rubbing her muzzle with her free leg.

It had made Pavo chuckle, but Rosa remembered something and put the last dish down to dry by itself. "Wait up," she told her friend.

Sky Light froze in the process of carrying the treat and hobbling over to the couch. "Huh?"

"Show me your teeth," Rosa ordered.

Sky Light looked confused for a moment, then blushed and her ears went flat. "My teeth are fine."

Rosa rolled her eyes a little. "Like buck they are." Feeling her pudding dish carefully with the side of her muzzle, Rosa found it slightly chilly, but not overly so. It shouldn't have caused her as much pain as it apparently had. "You really need to see a dentist, Sky. I know you don't brush, God only knows how bad it is in there..."

For a moment the mare glared angrily at Rosa, but then she lowered her eyes. "I'll be fine," she muttered.

Pavo was looking at both ponies with a concerned expression from the couch, but he didn't intervene. Rosa was grateful for that, especially with how sensitive Sky Light was about the topic.

"Sky, we really should-"

She interrupted: "We don't have the money for a dentist, so just drop it. I'm fine."

Rosa shook her head. Dr. Haggar back in the city would have checked her and fixed her teeth for free, but it seemed like Sky was utterly afraid of doctors. She was right, though. Now they didn't have money for it. "When we get back, I'm taking you to Rachelle at the free clinic."

Maybe it was just Rosa's imagination, but Sky Light paled a little. She didn't argue, which Rosa took as a good sign.

"I'll hold your hoof the whole time, okay? Besides, the nitrous they use is like a drug. It's better than getting drunk." Rosa was just guessing at the last part, since she didn't have a lot of experience with drink, nor had she needed such extensive dental work back at the School to know what the gas was like. The few ponies who had, said it had made them light-headed and everything seemed funny. "It doesn't hurt a bit with that," Rosa confidently assured the other mare.

"Fine," she said, ears still flat, "mom..."

The word she used made Pavo chuckle and Rosa joined in for a brief laugh. If Sky was joking about it, maybe she would do it. Otherwise Rosa would just have to convince her, once they were back.

Provided the rescue went off without a hitch. Which reminded her... "Um, Pavo? Any- any news? About, y'know... White Pigeon?"

The man stopped laughing and shrugged a little. "Well, Tim is out on a run and he won't be back until Wednesday. Chances are he'll go straight on to White Pigeon, as soon as his truck is loaded."

It was Saturday, so that meant four days. Sky Light did the same math and sighed. "I guess we'll find a box or something to stay in until then. Um-"

"Nonsense!" the man interrupted. "You'll stay here. I already talked with the missus and it's fine. She doesn't mind having a couple of helpers around the house!"

Sky Light opened her mouth to object and Rosa butted her with her head, nearly making her drop the pudding. "It'll be fine. We can sleep indoors for a couple of days, Sky."

She turned to glare and tried once more to say no, but Rosa gave her one of her best pleading looks. "I'll do all the housework, okay?"

The pegasus didn't really have a counter to that. Her ears lowered and she heaved a sigh. "Okay, fine, dammit. I'm just not an- an inside kind of pony..."

Rosa knew she wasn't. The mare had been out on the streets for so long that she was uncomfortable sleeping under a roof. She had kept tossing and turning through the night and she'd sat bolt upright several times, panting, as if afraid she was trapped.

"I'm with you," Rosa whispered to her so Pavo didn't hear. "Just a few days."

That helped her relax a bit and she leaned against Rosa for a moment. "Fine. I'll- I'll try and help with this house stuff, too," she said at last, defeated. After that she hobbled the rest of the way to the couch, placed the cup of pudding on the coffee table, then jumped on. Once she was settled, Sky Light took her treat and simply dunked her muzzle in it.

Rosa shook her head a little at the sight and Pavo outright laughed, but he reached over to give Sky's ears a few scratches.

"Put the dish in the sink when you're done. I'll go get started on the laundry." Idly wondering where Mrs. Basilius had gone to, Rosa started humming her happy little tune as she made her way through the house. It had not even been a full day and she already knew where everything was. It would be fun to pretend like she had finished her training and Richie was her assignment, at least for a few days. What was better, Rosa had her pegasus friend right there with her.

Rosa finished her Sunday by watching the sunset from a lawn chair in Pavo's backyard while the man was expertly flipping some meat on a grill. He had said it wasn't a big deal, but judging from how excited Richie was about the whole thing, Rosa felt it was a special occasion. Not a birthday or a holiday, so she guessed it was because of her and Sky Light. Rosa knew they were the first ponies to visit his family and it was sweet that he was going all out to make their stay memorable. For that matter, he had also put some vegetables on the grill especially for Rosa and she was looking forward to trying them. As far as she knew, she had never had grilled food, not on a proper charcoal grill in a backyard.

On a chair right beside her, Sky Light was already drooling a little at the smell. That said, the scent of meat and charcoal wasn't entirely bad. Rosa had appearances to keep up, but if the pegasus offered, she decided, she could maybe have a nibble. Just out of curiosity, of course.

Her ears caught a sound behind and Rosa refocused them, but she didn't need to look. It was just Mrs. Basilius closing the patio door. She walked over, with her bare feet rustling on the grass, and held a glass of strawberry juice for Rosa to grasp with her hooves.

"Oh! Thank you!"

The woman also gave one glass to Sky Light, who murmured her thanks, and then left the third one on the nearby table for Richie. The boy was 'helping' his father, which mostly involved asking a ton of questions about cooking and fire and meat. It was nice to see how Pavo patiently answered what he could. Rosa knew some people who would have gotten annoyed long before that. She swiveled the straw into her mouth and gave it a suck. Strawberry, as delicious as ever. It made Rosa exhale contentedly.

The food wasn't quite done yet, so Ann dragged her chair next to Rosa's and plopped down with a sigh. She had picked up an open beer bottle from the table and now she took a swig.

"You didn't really have to do all this, Mrs. Basilius..." Rosa began.

"Oh hush. Like I said, that one is too skinny by half. I meant it, too!" the woman countered, pointing at the pegasus, who gave them both a curious glance.

Rosa smiled at her friend and she went back to staring at the grill with a hungry look in her eyes.

"Besides," the lady went on, "gotta show some thanks for all the work you did."

The praise made Rosa blush a tiny bit. It hadn't been anything special, just a bit of dish washing and laundry. Which reminded her: "Oh! I was going to vacuum upstairs, but I didn't find the vacuum. Um, if you show me, I'll do it tomorrow."

That made Sky Light give the mare another strange look and Rosa detected the tiniest hint of disapproval in her stare. Luckily, the woman didn't notice. "That's very nice of you, Rosa," Ann said and lifted up a bottle of beer. Rosa raised up her glass in response.

"Honey, wanna bring me one of those?" Pavo asked.

Ann chuckled to herself and went to open another bottle. Rosa watched her take it to her husband, but the man didn't drink from it. To her surprise, he poured some of it over the meat, which started sizzling and smoking heavily.

"Oooh, yeah, that's the stuff!" Sky Light practically moaned. "This man knows how to cook!"

Her comment made both adults laugh and Richie joined in, even if he didn't quite get the joke. For that matter, Rosa wasn't sure that there even was a joke, either. "Why is he pouring beer over the meat?"

"Flavor," Sky Light explained and licked her lips. "It's- hard to explain. It's just something you do." She shrugged a little at Rosa, but then went straight back to watching the grill. "Shouldn't be long now," she said, mostly to herself.

It was true, Rosa guessed, because Ann had gone to fetch an empty plate and was holding it while Pavo flipped the food around one more time. Rosa was feeling quite hungry herself, especially with the smell of roasted veggies in the air, so she sat up straighter and started paying more attention. Maybe she should have gone to help? She almost got off the chair, but then Rosa remembered she didn't know much about grilling and would probably just get in the way. Ann had it handled, anyway. She held the plate steady while Pavo picked up patties and veggies one by one and set them on it.

Richie was clapping his hands in excitement and that made Rosa stand up with a smile. She couldn't help with the cooking, but she could distract the boy so he wasn't in the way. Before she could even open her muzzle, though, Ann leaned down to her son: "Go fetch the buns in the kitchen, okay?"

The boy nodded enthusiastically and rushed off, passing close enough to Rosa that she could stretch out her head and he gave her a wayward pat.

To Rosa's side, Sky Light was also on her hooves and staring hungrily at the preparations.

Ann took the plate to the table and Pavo emptied his beer bottle before joining her. There were empty dishes already set out and now the woman deftly distributed the veggies. One serving was larger and Rosa guessed that one was hers, since she was the only one who would eat an exclusively vegetarian meal. It was actually quite thoughtful. Moments later the son was back with a bowl of already-sliced buns, which his mother took and added to the arrangement on the table.

Pavo looked toward Rosa and Sky Light. "Dinner's ready, girls! Get it while it's hot!"

Sky Light didn't need to be told twice. She could move fast when she was hungry and was standing right next to the table before Rosa could take a single step.

"What do you want in your burger?" Ann asked her. "Ketchup? Mayo? Mustard? Onion?"

The mare looked undecided for a moment, then gave the woman an embarrassed grin. "Um, all of the above?" she suggested.

It made both Ann and Pavo laugh heartily, but the woman obliged and started smearing, watched very closely by the hungry pegasus.

Meanwhile, Pavo looked to the other mare. "You, Rosa?" he asked.

"Um, just a bit of mustard, please. On the side."

He reached for it as soon as Ann was done and spooned some on her plate. After a moment's thought he added an empty bun and held the plate out.

"Thank you!" Rosa said before grabbing it with her teeth. The smells were already driving her crazy as she was taking it back to the chair, which made Rosa hurry her steps. Mere seconds later she was sitting down with the plate in her lap. There was no cutlery, so she gave her hooves a glance. Luckily, the grass was clean and they weren't muddy, so Rosa just shrugged to herself, lowered her muzzle and used the bun to scoop up a juicy-looking piece.

Maybe it was a tiny bit uncultured, but she didn't think anyone would mind. She sneaked a glance beside her to see Sky Light holding her burger, which was already missing a big bite. She didn't seem overly concerned about her hooves, so Rosa forced herself to stop overthinking it. The grilled vegetables were delicious, though, and the taste made her moan a little.

"Right?!" Sky Light commented.

It brought a proud grin to Pavo's face. "You girls like it?"

Sky Light mumbled through her full mouth, which made Rosa shake her head at her manners, but no one else seemed to mind. "Oh yes, it's amazing!" Rosa clarified what the pegasus had said.

Ann came back to sit on the next chair, her own burger in hand, while Richie stayed near his dad at the table. "Daddy makes the best burgers!" the kid exclaimed.

"Well, yeah. I don't doubt it!" Rosa said, sneaking a glance at Sky Light, who seemed to be in some kind of orgasmic bliss.

The son approached and showed Rosa his food. "Wanna try some of mine?" he asked.

Pavo took a step closer to grab his son and Rosa saw Ann sitting up straighter to do the same, but she knew how to handle the situation. "Most ponies don't eat meat, Richie," she explained gently. The smell was really strong now, but it wasn't as horrible as Rosa had imagined. Actually, cooking it on the grill had made the thing smell almost... nice.

Seeing that she was not visibly disgusted, the parents relaxed and let Rosa do her thing. The child brightened up. "Oh! The book said you're vege- um..."

"Vegetarian."

"Yeah, that!"

"Do you know what that means?"

The boy scrunched up his face in though. "It means you only eat veggies?"

Both the grownups and Rosa smiled proudly. "Very good!"

Happy to have answered it correctly, Richie looked at his dad, who grinned back. "Okay, I understand," he told Rosa. "It's still good, though!"

"Yeah, I believe you! These are amazing!" She lifted up her plate to show him, and the boy stared at what she had with some curiosity.

"What is that?" he pointed.

"Squash."

"Can I try one?"

Smiling, Rosa held out the plate to the boy. "Sure!" she offered.

He picked one up gingerly with his fingers and stuck it in his mouth. He chewed for a while thoughtfully, then swallowed. He wasn't too enthused, but Rosa caught an approving glimpse from his mother. Like all kids his age, or at least that was what she remembered Instructor Martha saying once, he didn't like to eat vegetables.

"Um, I'll stick with the burger if it's all the same to you," Richie confided and Rosa laughed a little.

"Sure thing."

Then she went back to her plate. Only once she was nearly done she remembered that she could have given Richie's burger a tiny taste. By now it was probably too late. She looked at Sky Light, but the mare had finished hers and licked her dish clean. She was also lying back, hooves on her belly and groaning softly. Oh well, Rosa thought to herself with a tinge of disappointment, she would probably get more chances.

Since the pegasus seemed to be out for the count, Rosa picked up the slack and smiled at Pavo. "This is great! Thanks for... um, everything!" she told the man.

He just shrugged it off. "Don't mention it. You up for round two?" Richie had gone back to looking at the grill, where the embers were still glowing, and his dad joined him to make sure the boy didn't burn himself.

Meanwhile Ann leaned a bit closer. "There's some ice cream left in the fridge, if you wanna go get it while you wait."

Movement caught Rosa's eye and she looked over just in time to see Sky Light's ear perk up. It almost made her giggle and Rosa eagerly slipped from her chair. "One for you and Pavo, too?" she asked. "And Richie?" Of course, she had kept her voice low to keep from overexciting the boy.

The mother nodded. "Small one for me and Richie."

"Okay! I'll be right back." Rosa said and slipped away while boy wasn't looking. If he didn't see it coming it should end up being a nice surprise.

This was really turning into a wonderful evening. Rosa thought she could get used to such a life, even if Sky Light was uneasy in what she called 'being cooped up'.

Rosa was lying on her side on the bed, groaning softly and trying not to move. Each breath brought a fresh wave of agony. Sky Light was right next to her and she started laughing for the seventh or eight time after seeing Rosa's expression. "You know that no one forced you to eat more fried veggies and half a tub of ice cream, right?" she mused.

"Urk-" Rosa was not entirely sure how she had ever made it to the bed, but was not moving until it stopped hurting.

Sky Light reached out to pat her, but held short of putting pressure on the bulging flank, for which Rosa was immensely grateful. "Sheesh, Rosa..."

"It was just so good!" Rosa whimpered. It was true! She didn't remember eating anything as tasty as Pavo's expertly grilled veggies and the haloumi - as he'd called it - cheese he had found for the third round. Or was it fourth? Then there had been that evil Ann, leaving a whole tub of chocolate ice cream in the fridge. Chocolate! Ice cream! It was treacherous stuff and while Rosa had been eating it, the stuff hadn't seemed nearly as filling. The bloat had a tendency to come after her, once it was too late to stop.

Sky Light nodded and chuckled at her expression, with her own face betraying a mix between pitying and dreamy. "Yeah, you're right there. Man grills a mean burger." The mare smacked her lips appreciatively. "So, I guess we're sleeping here again?"

Rosa barely managed a nod. "Shower... in an hour. Teeth. Brush. Sleep."

"Well, I guess one more night is okay. We're leaving after that, right? Pavo's going on a haul tomorrow anyway. Don't wanna overstay our welcome."

Rosa didn't want to have this argument with Sky Light, again, not when she was also desperately trying to keep herself from exploding. "Ann said it's okay..."

"Yeah, I know," the pegasus countered, but she still looked wistfully out the window. "I don't wanna impose."

That didn't sound quite true. "She said s'okay."

The mare frowned for a bit, then lay down next to Rosa so she could see her face the right side up. "You're not understanding me, Rosa," Sky said quietly. "I really don't like just living with some family in some house. I'd rather be out there."

Rosa's eyes followed her pointing hoof to the window and she blinked in surprise. What was the difference? They would both still be homeless after they moved on from the Basilius family. It just meant a few days inside, with all the modern amenities, like clean toilets and showers and hot water. "Just a few days," Rosa pleaded, reaching out to put a hoof on Sky's flank.

Her mouth pressed together and Rosa was sure Sky was about to say no. It was going to be a blow, but she wouldn't let her go alone. The two of them needed to stick together, Rosa knew that much. Even before Sky Light answered, Rosa's ears had folded down and she closed her eyes.

"Ugh, I can't believe I'm saying this..."

Rosa cracked one eyelid open in surprise.

Sky heaved a sigh and rolled to her back so she could inspect the ceiling. "Can't even see the stars," she muttered quietly, then rubbed her nose with a hoof. "Jeez, fine. Until Wednesday, then we get that ride to White Pigeon..."

It was really weird why the practical and logical pegasus would decline a few nights in the warm and soft bed. "You didn't mind the truck," Rosa pointed out.

"That was different."

"How?"

Sky Light turned her muzzle to look at Rosa again. "A truck isn't a home. I just- it's like..." She groaned a little and then finished: "I just don't like houses, okay?! I said fine, so drop it, please!"

There was probably something else going on there, but Rosa didn't want to antagonize her, not when she couldn't really move to go after her, for example, if she stormed out in anger. "Fine. I just don't understand why-"

"I said drop it!"

Maybe it was a hobo thing? If Rosa had lived on the streets for twenty years, would she also feel uneasy indoors? She didn't have any experience with that so she couldn't say for sure. "Sorry."

Her friend sighed deeply again, but then she covered Rosa with a wing, very gently. "You're a good girl, Rosa. Let's just go to sleep."

Rosa nodded quietly.

"I'm not doing any of the housework, though."

That one made Rosa chuckle a little. "I don't mind. I'll do it."

Sky Light was smiling now and Rosa was happy to see that. A few extra chores were a small price to pay. Besides, they would keep her from getting bored. There was just one problem now. "Uh oh."

Lifting her head up, Sky Light looked at Rosa with concern. "What is it now?"

"Gotta pee..."

She looked confused for a moment, then removed her wing. "Okay, go for it," she said.

"Can't move..." To prove her point, Rosa put a hoof very gingerly on her belly and groaned. "Too full."

"Well, then you'll just have to hold it," Sky Light decided. She shrugged a little to herself and settled back down.

"Can't!" Rosa whimpered at her with wide, frightened eyes.

The insensitive feather-jerk just started laughing, like it was the funniest thing in the world. Rosa tried to glare at her, but Sky Light wasn't looking at her. "Holy crap, Rosa," Sky squeaked when she got her breath back, "you're just... Oh, God."

Rosa would have poked her tongue out at her, but she was afraid something else might come with it. There was probably no choice, though, and she would have to get up and go to the toilet, no matter how severe her discomfort.

"Need me to carry you?" Sky Light offered.

A mere thought about being gripped around the waist was enough to get Rosa moving. She slid carefully to the edge of the bed, then dangled her hind legs down from it. That put a bit of pressure on her belly, which made the poor mare groan, but her dinner, thankfully, stayed put. After that, it was just a matter of shifting her weight to her hind legs and pushing with her forehooves until she was mostly suspended in the air. Rosa rested her weight on her jaw for a moment so she could get all four hooves under her, then she stood up, breathing heavily.

"Jesus Christ, Rosa - just how much did you eat?!" Sky Light asked. Her expression could most easily be described as 'awe', the way she was staring in wonder.

"A... lot."

The pegasus nodded. "Yeah, I can see that. I didn't even see you come for seconds."

Of course she hadn't - the pegasus had had her own muzzle stuck in her burger. The only reason Rosa was in pain and Sky wasn't, was because her street-wise friend took the time to savor her food slowly.

"Seconds... thirds... I think also fourths. Ugh."

"Well, try and don't die on the way to the bathroom, you little idiot."

Rosa couldn't help chuckling at herself. The way she wasn't able to swallow that grilled bell pepper should have been the sign to stop eating, but she simply couldn't resist a second helping of that amazing chocolate ice cream. Next time she would know better.

Still, Sky Light had agreed, again, to stay at the Basilius' house for a few days, so Rosa would have plenty of time to rest after that barbecue. That was a small victory, anyway, and it put her in a very good mood. "No promises," she answered her pegasus friend.

Sky Light was still laughing as Rosa made her slow and gentle way out of the room.

Chapter 56: The Next Leg of the Journey

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Rosa was humming her little song to herself while sweeping up the living room. The broom was made for humans, but she was used to that. It was easy once she'd figured out the trick of wrapping one foreleg around the handle for balance and using the other to guide the thing around. It was easiest to sweep if she was standing on her hind legs and pushed the broom before her. An exuberant twirl brought Sky Light in Rosa's view. Her friend was standing in the doorway, looking strangely at the bustling activity.

"Oh. Hi Sky Light!" Rosa was relieved to see her faint, little smile.

"You really like doing this stuff, don't you?"

Rosa gazed down at the broom and the small pile of dust she had gathered, then shrugged. "Not particularly, no. It's easy and it passes the time, though, so it's fine."

"You were singing..."

She decided to take it as a compliment, so Rosa lifted her head up high and give the pegasus a bright smile. "Well, I'm happy!"

The comment made Sky Light frown a tiny bit and look around to make sure there were no humans around. There wasn't much risk of that, since Richie was at school, and Ann was at her job. Pavo had left early in the morning. Rosa remembered because the man had come to the guest room to say goodbye and had given her a nice, friendly pat. It really was a most pleasant way to wake up, especially if she didn't have to get out of bed. Rosa thought she could really get used to that. The trucker had promised he would let the mares know about their ride to White Pigeon through his wife. Rosa didn't really like the fact that he was going to be away for the whole week. Meeting his coworker would have been a bit less scary if Pavo was there.

Rosa came back to the present when Sky Light walked up closer and patted her with her wing. "It's nice to see you happy, Rosa," the pegasus murmured. Despite her encouraging words, Rosa couldn't help noticing how Sky kept looking around as if something was about to jump at them.

"Still don't like being inside?" Rosa asked solemnly.

The other mare just shook her head sadly and looked down at her hooves.

"Well, wanna help me with some chores? It'll make the time go faster."

Sky Light gave Rosa a deadpan look and, though she didn't say it, Rosa could practically hear her sarcastic 'Oh, really?' Her mouth quirked as if in amusement, but then both her wings and her ears slumped. "Fine," she said in a defeated tone of voice, "what do you want me to do."

That made Rosa smile hugely. Not because she was getting help with the chores, although that part was nice on its own. Rosa was happier because she just knew Sky would feel better after a bit of work. Maybe she would appreciate being allowed to sleep indoors more if she contributed.

There was one big chore where a pegasus could help out a lot and save Rosa considerable effort. "Actually, I've got the perfect thing. Come..."

Rosa led her friend downstairs to the room opposite their guest bedroom, where the Basilius family kept their appliances. Even from the corridor Rosa could hear that all was silent, which meant the washing machine had finished its job. Pavo and Ann didn't have a clothes dryer, so the laundry had to be taken out to the backyard and put on lines the old fashioned way. Normally, that would involve Rosa moving a chair around, which would include another complication of wiping her hooves clean each time she climbed on. She pushed a plastic basket to the machine and opened it. A gush of warm, moist air blew out and Rosa inhaled the sweet scent of the fabric softener. It was a bit chemical, but not unpleasant. After that she pulled the laundry out of the machine and loaded it into the basket. Sky Light, Rosa noted with approval, had been watching the whole time.

"Okay, now we take it out back," Rosa said, more for Sky's benefit than her own.

The pegasus took a step closer to help, but Rosa was faster and had the load on her back before Sky Light could get there. She balanced it easily and walked around her friend toward the patio.

"So, the trick is to hang all this laundry on those couple of lines, okay?"

Sky followed Rosa's pointing hoof and gave a single nod. "Okay, seems easy enough."

"There's clothespins in that bucket on the ground. It takes some getting used to - you have to hold the cloth in your hooves and the pin in your mouth."

Sky Light shrugged a little and nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. Here, lemme take that." She took the basket from Rosa and set it on the grass under the wires. She was about to reach in, but Rosa put her hoof in the way.

"First, wipe your hooves, or you'll leave grass and mud stains on the laundry" Rosa pointed to the clothespin bucket, where she'd prepared a clean rag just for this purpose. "Oh, and don't put your hooves on the ground after, or you'll have to wipe again."

Her friend rolled her eyes. It was plainly obvious she thought that kind of cleanliness was taking it too far. It figured, especially when Rosa remembered what state the van had been in before she had gotten her hooves on it and done some basic tidying up. "Jeez, should we get some alcohol and disinfect while we're at it?" Sky Light asked.

"Don't be silly. Just wipe your hooves before touching the clean laundry."

This mundane reply made Sky roll her eyes in exasperation. She looked up at the wires. "You were going to do this by yourself?" She glanced over and Rosa nodded at her. "How?!" she asked.

Secrets of the trade! Rosa was tempted to say that, but she just chuckled and told her friend the truth: "I'd get a chair from the kitchen. Of course, that means I'd have to clean my hind hooves too, before stepping on it."

"Holy crap that's a lot of effort," Sky Light mumbled to herself, shaking her head.

"All in a day's work, Sky Light. Welcome to having a home!"

Her miserable expression made Rosa laugh, hard.

"Look, I've got it all in hoof. There's plenty of time for me to do it the slow way. You don't have to help if you don't feel like it," she reassured her friend.

To her credit, Sky Light shook her head and grabbed the cleaning cloth. Her expression was grim, but determined as she wiped her hooves. "No, I said I'd do it. It's no problem."

Rosa smiled proudly at her. A few weeks living indoors under her tutelage and she could make Sky a fantastic house-pony. Maybe, Rosa dared to hope, after she got Maribelle out, the three of them could find a place on some rich guy's mansion staff, especially if he had kids he was too busy to take care of.

Dreaming about it couldn't hurt, right? Even if it was a long shot.

"Thanks! I'll go finish sweeping up the living room and then I'll make all the beds. I'll do another load of laundry after and you can help hang that one too, if you'd like!"

Her ears fell ever further down and Sky Light sighed despondently. "What the buck did I agree to, Rosa?" she asked in a small voice.

Rosa laughed some more and gave the mare a gentle hug. "Aw, it's fine, it really is. You can stop anytime, okay? I can handle it on my own." For good measure she also nuzzled her neck a bit. "You're a good friend, Sky."

That seemed to work and Sky returned the hug with her wings for a moment, then carefully pushed Rosa away. "Okay, okay. I got this. I can do this. Just a bit of flying and stuff, right?" She took a deep breath and gave Rosa half of a smile. "You go do your stuff, I'll be fine here."

As Rosa was walking away, she couldn't help humming again. Even if Sky thoroughly messed up, the worst Rosa might have to do was wash some of the clothes again, and the washing machine did most of the work there anyway. Yeah, it was only a couple of days, but Rosa really liked this temporary return to normality. With a bit more time, she was sure, even Sky Light would learn to love it.

Her name was Rosa and she was lying on her side, sprawled across the Basilius family couch. It was important to hold on to those facts. Her attention was being diverted by something colorful happening on the TV, but Rosa kept losing that thread too as she drifted in and out of consciousness. Maybe it would have been better if she had just given up and gone to bed, but she was far too comfortable right at that moment and she didn't want to dislodge the other two. It was such a rare moment for Sky Light to be relaxed indoors that Rosa didn't have the heart to break it off. Her friend was lying on her back and using Rosa's belly as a pillow so she could see the show on the TV. Beside her lied Richie, flank to flank with the pegasus and with his head on Rosa's barrel. The two of them were effectively pinning the poor mare against the backrest, but Rosa didn't mind the weight. She was an earth pony, after all. On the other hand, they didn't mind being gently lifted and lowered by her breathing, so Rosa guessed it all somehow worked out.

The three of them were using most of the couch so Mrs. Basilius had to sit in the armchair, but she was not complaining either. Rosa shifted her head on the pillow and tried to focus on the show again. The human - she forgot his name - had said something awful to his girlfriend and now they were not seeing each other and he had been agonizing over his mistake for the past half hour. Yeah, it was no wonder Rosa couldn't keep track of it. The audience kept laughing, but she didn't see anything amusing in the situations. Maybe if she were more awake. Ross, yeah, that was the human's name. It was critical to keep it separate from her own, since it sounded so similar. Apparently he had a lot of friends or something.

A small snort woke Rosa up and she jerked a little, realizing that she had fallen asleep again. She swiveled her ear toward Sky Light and Richie, but they didn't seem disturbed. This time, opening her eyes was a real struggle, one Rosa barely managed.

Ann was looking at her with a small smile on her face. Rosa gave her half a grin back, since the pillow was hiding part of her muzzle. "Maybe it's time we all went to bed?" the woman suggested, but there were immediately two disappointed groans from Rosa's side.

"Mooom, it's not over yet!" Richie complained.

Rosa strongly suspected the boy didn't much care for the show, but was just enjoying himself so much leaning against two ponies that he didn't want it to end. The first night they had spent in their house, Rosa had lain awake, both hoping and fearing that Richie might come to her bed, like Lillian had done in the past. He hadn't, which was at the same time a relief and a disappointment.

Besides, Rosa had Sky Light to cuddle, so that was okay. It was just that skin felt way different than fur and she still missed Lillian sometimes. It had been for the best that Richie stayed put, though. It wouldn't have done either of them any favors. The memory would have been too vivid and Rosa would probably have ended up crying again. Even thinking about the girl was bringing her near tears and Rosa forcefully pushed it out of her mind.

She suddenly realized that she didn't remember what Ann had said after the two had voiced their reluctance to go to bed. She must have agreed to let them watch until the end of the episode, since all three of them had gone back to looking at the screen. Perhaps it wouldn't be wrong to nod off for a few minutes. They would undoubtedly wake Rosa up when they were done. She had done a full day's work for Mrs. Basilius, so she had probably earned a bit of a rest.

Just as Rosa closed her eyes again, there was a strange, beeping sound from Ann's chair. The mare looked in time to see her pick up her phone and check who was calling her at this late hour. She pushed the button to answer and put the device against her ear even while she got up and walked out of the room. It was probably something private, Rosa thought. Unfortunately for Ann, she didn't realize how well ponies could hear and Rosa easily caught her side of the conversation from the hallway, even with the door closed.

"Hi," Ann said, voice tinged with relief and happiness. "How's the haul? Don't forget you're supposed to cut down on fried foods. Doctor's orders!"

Rosa guessed she was talking to Pavo, even though she couldn't hear his reply. Whom else would Ann speak to like that?

"Okay," Ann interjected, but said nothing more than that single word. Rosa was getting really curious and it was bringing her to full wakefulness. "Good. Yes, I'll tell them."

That could only be about Rosa and Sky Light, there was no doubt about it. Rosa couldn't imagine any other 'them' Pavo would call to talk about. Maybe it was news about their upcoming journey to White Pigeon? Rosa felt the pressure on her belly go away and saw Sky Light sitting up to listen as well. The pegasus had probably reached the same conclusion as her, judging from the way she was staring at the door and focusing her ears.

"I don't know if I can... how about I drop them off before work and they wait around? It'll only be an hour." There was silence for a minute, then Ann said more firmly: "Well, that'd mean I come in to work, sit down for five minutes and then I'd have to leave. You know how the traffic is in the morning!"

Rosa almost winced. It sounded like the woman wasn't too happy and there were some problems with the plan to take the two mares. Hopefully she and Pavo could work it out.

"Okay. You call him and ask. Let me know." That sounded a bit better and Rosa relaxed again. "Okay. Okay. Remember, no fried foods!" Ann insisted, then laughed a little at whatever Pavo had said in reply. She finished with: "Love you too!" and then Rosa heard the beep as she hung up. Moments later she opened the door and glanced at her and Sky Light, both looking at her inquisitively.

"Well, good news and bad news," Ann says.

"Oh?" Rosa found it best not to tell people she had effectively been eavesdropping on their private conversations and she was relieved that Sky Light hadn't given it away either. Richie sat up and put an arm around the pegasus, as if sensing they were about to be parted. His other hand went back to twirl the fluff on Rosa's barrel.

"Tim can take you to White Pigeon on Wednesday, but he won't leave until ten in the morning. I have to be at work at nine and I can't come back."

Sky Light immediately had an idea: "We can walk!"

The woman shook her head and Rosa did the same. It had felt pretty far away that night Pavo had taken them from the truck to his home.

"No, it's too far," Ann confirmed Rosa's thoughts. "I'll drive you at eight and drop you at the firm. You'll just have to wait. There's a grill across the road, so you should be fine."

Rosa agreed with her assessment and smiled warmly at the woman. "Of course. We waited there before, when, um, Pavo did his paperwork. It'll be fine."

The woman relaxed a bit and Rosa felt Sky Light also settle back against her. It sounded like the crisis had been averted.

Ann had kept talking, however: "Pavo will call Tim and tell him where to drop you off. I'll let you know what they decide." Rosa nodded silently so as not to interrupt the woman, who had more to say: "White Pigeon is north, so Tim will probably turn the other way from the grill. You'll have to go down the road - I think there's a bus stop a few blocks away where you can wait for him to pick you up."

It was starting to sound complicated and the woman caught Rosa's worried gaze. "I'll drop you off there so you know where it is, okay? Sorry, but if Tim goes past the grill he'll have to drive right through the town with a big rig and that's not easy, especially in the morning traffic."

"It'll be fine, Mrs. Basilius! We'll wait at the bus stop!" Rosa offered quickly. These people were doing her and Sky Light a huge favor, so it was the least they could do to make their lives easier. The buzz of excitement had pushed all thoughts of sleep from her mind. One more day with Richie and Ann in their house and then the two friends would be on their way again. She glanced at Sky Light and saw that she felt the same. There was a faint little smile on her muzzle and she was quite tense as she stared at the wall, apparently lost in thought.

Rosa prodded Richie's arm with her muzzle and jerked her head up when he looked. The boy understood and leaned closer to hear her. "I think Sky Light is really nervous about going," Rosa whispered to the boy. "Why don't you give her a hug to help her relax?"

The kid was only too happy to obey and threw his arms around the poor, surprised pegasus who could only respond with a strangled squeak.

"I'll miss you when you're gone, Sky!" Richie trilled and pressed his face against the pegasus' fluff. "Will you write to me?"

Her nervousness only lasted a moment, then the mare gave a slight chuckle and wrapped the boy up in her wing. "Of course I will, Richie," she promised, "if I can find some paper and a pen somewhere."

"Will you visit sometime?" the boy went on to ask.

Rosa looked to Ann, who gave her a slight nod. She had a bittersweet smile on her lips.

"Sure we will, sweetie!" Rosa confirmed happily. "We'll come see you whenever we're traveling through here, right Sky?"

Sky Light didn't look too sure, but she forced a grin and bobbed her head. "Yup!"

This promise seemed to be acceptable to Richie and it looked like there wouldn't be too much drama with their leaving. That was good. The last thing Rosa needed was more heartbreak, especially in a young child.

That reminded her of another thing. "Oh, I almost forgot! Richie, we have to show Sky Light that picture of her we found!"

The pegasus perked up her ears as she looked first to Rosa, then to the boy. "Oh really?" she asked, voice measured and careful. "What kind of picture?"

"The one Pavo took the first time he met you. You know, 'trucker pony' and so on."

The mare brightened up a little bit. "Oh, that thing! Yeah, he didn't have a phone camera yet - you know, the kind where you can see pictures right away. I never got to see that one." She grinned a little to herself. "You know, he promised he'd bring me a copy the next time he came around and he never did. Guess it must've slipped his mind." Sky barked a laugh. "Certainly slipped mine."

The show on the TV was quickly forgotten as both Richie and the pegasus jumped from the couch. Rosa was a bit sad to lose their body heat against her belly, but it was time to have a shower and go to bed anyway. She was going to miss living in an actual house. For now she slid to the floor and stretched out her stiff legs.

"Not too long, you three," Ann cautioned, but Sky Light and Richie were already beyond hearing. It was up to Rosa to promise. "Of course, Mrs. Basilius. I'll shoo Sky Light out in a few minutes. Tomorrow is school day."

The woman just gave her a grateful nod, then took out her phone to start typing a message. Rosa wondered if she was writing to Pavo or to Tim. It was none of her business anyway. Accidentally overhearing because humans didn't realize how sharp her ears were was one thing. Outright trying to sneak a glance at the screen was quite another. Rosa went out to the hall and followed her excited friends to Richie's room. By the time she poked her snout in, the boy was already sitting on the bed with the photo album in his lap and Sky Light was standing next to him, watching with curiosity, her tail swishing around. Richie was expertly leafing through the pages until he stopped and pointed. "Here!"

Rosa was not sure what exactly Sky thought and her friend's faint smile didn't tell her anything. "Oh, wow. That was ages ago," Sky says quietly, at last.

"Yeah, four years," Rosa confirmed, walking up to have another look herself.

"Take a load of how much younger I look. Wow."

Now that Rosa had the mare and the picture both in sight, she could spot it too. The mare in the photo did look a little younger. Although, Sky's extra wrinkle here and there didn't make her look bad. "For what it's worth, you look more... distinguished now."

"Distinguished?!" the pegasus asked, snorting a little as she tried to hold back laughter. "Holy crap, now there's a word!"

Rosa gasped a little at her language and looked imploringly at Richie, hoping no permanent damage had been done. "You mustn't use that word, okay Richie? It's a bad word and if your mother finds out you learned it from Sky we won't be able to visit again."

The boy grabbed her around the neck as if afraid she would disappear any second. "I won't tell, I promise!" he whispered urgently.

"Good boy."

Sky Light gave Rosa an apologetic grin and Rosa nodded her head to the exit. She took one last look at the photo and turned to leave.

"Say good night now, Richie. We'll play some more tomorrow after school, okay?"

The boy nodded against Rosa's fur. "Okay. G'night Sky! G'night Rosa!"

"Sweet dreams!"

He freed her and went to return the album to its place on the shelf while Rosa followed her pegasus friend out. Mrs. Basilius passed between them and idly reached down both hands to give each mare a light pat. Rosa couldn't help noticing that Sky Light leaned into the touch a little, even if she would never admit it.

Rosa so hoped she could find a home like this after their adventure was over. It would be her best chance at a comfortable life. More importantly, it would be her best chance to be useful and help some people. Despite Rosa's misgivings about the school and what had happened with Mr. Boone, she realized that she still wanted to do that.

"You're really good with that sort of thing," Sky Light said and Rosa thought she sensed just a touch of awe in her voice.

"What thing?"

"Kids. I almost can't believe a pony can be this patient. He kept asking question after question about ponies and you-" the mare pointed a hoof, "-you just kept answering like it was no big deal."

"Well, it wasn't," Rosa explained.

"I'd have given up and told him to stop after 'why do ponies have fur?'" Sky admitted.

"I was training for this sort of thing. It's fun. Kids are adorable."

The mare actually shivered a little, but then cracked a smile. "Better you than me. So what's the plan for tomorrow?"

Weird, Rosa thought, how Sky had been confidently giving orders out on the streets, but in a house she naturally deferred to the younger mare. It was good Sky could admit when she was out of her depth. "Lemme think... I'd like to dust Mrs. Basilius' shelves with fine china. Then there's the dishes - I wanted to do them today, but I was tired."

"I guess I could do that," Sky volunteered, half hoping that Rosa would say no. She was tempted, if for no other reason to see the gratitude in her face, but if Rosa was being honest with herself, she wouldn't have minded some help.

"How about you make a start on them and just stack them out for me to dry and put back?"

That brought out a smile and the pegasus nodded happily. They had made their way to the guest room and now Sky Light jumped up on the bed. Rosa, on the other hand, rummaged in her bag for her toothbrush and headed out. Sky Light watched her friend for a few seconds, then looked away, blushing a little. Rosa glanced back just in time to see it and smiled smugly to herself. She knew Sky felt guilty for not taking proper care of herself! Still, they were both in a good mood and Rosa didn't want to spoil that. She would drag her to Rachelle's clinic after they had freed Maribelle and then she would babysit the pegasus as long as it took for her to develop habits of cleanliness. Someone once told Rosa that she had to repeat an action seventy times for it to become ingrained. That meant dragging Sky out and having her brush and wash for two months straight. She would do it, too! Rosa liked that mare and didn't want her teeth to fall out in the next couple of years, or for her to catch leprosy or something!

The thoughts were distracting enough that Rosa hardly paid attention to her own hygiene. That was okay, though, since her own habits were doing fine and she could brush on automatic. After that she would have be a nice, relaxing hot shower and then she would join her friend in the bed. It felt really good to have someone warm to cuddle, even if it was summer and the nights weren't particularly cold.

Well, it would have been better if it were a cute colt, someone like Paolo, maybe.

Rosa couldn't help giggling at the way she was blushing in the mirror. Hopefully, when all this craziness was done, she would be able to see the colt again. She didn't have the faintest idea how, but then again she hadn't had a clue about where they'd taken Maribelle either, and there she was, going to her. That reminded Rosa. Weird how she hadn't dreamed that weird dream lately. Was it because she was going there, or because something had happened to her mysterious, night-time friend?

More likely, it had been nothing but a ghost even before and now it had faded completely.

Rosa just hoped Maribelle was alive and well...

Chapter 57: White Pigeon

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Ann parked her car at a bus stop on a very busy street. Rosa knew she wouldn't be able to stay there for very long, so she was glad that Sky Light and her were already wearing all their bags. Despite the hurry, Rosa took a moment to give Richie a quick hug. He wasn't taking the school bus that day since Ann was going near there for the mares' sake anyway. It was nice to be able to say goodbye properly.

"Now, you be good and listen to your mom and dad, okay?" Rosa told the kid. He nodded quietly, as if making her a solemn promise to uphold a sacred trust, and Rosa smiled in return. "I'll write and visit when I can!"

The boy clasped her around the barrel for a moment, then he did the same with Sky Light. She didn't have other parting words than a slightly clumsy: "Good bye! Good Luck!"

Meanwhile Rosa poked her head between the seats to brush Ann's shoulder. "Thank you for everything, Mrs. Basilius!"

She gave the mare a quick pat on the muzzle. "Good luck with your thing. Don't be a stranger if you're ever in town!"

Then Rosa opened the car door and slipped out, followed closely by her friend. They gave Richie a final wave and a smile, then Rosa pushed the door shut and Ann drove away.
Watching the car leave made Rosa heave a sad sigh.

Beside her, Sky Light was smiling a little to herself. "So," she said, lively and excited, "where to? We got an hour, but I wanna be here a little earlier so we don't miss Tim."

It made sense and Rosa looked around for anywhere they could wait. The plan was to walk to the barbecue and grill near Pavo's company, but they'd both had breakfast and Rosa wasn't thirsty, so it seemed like a needless walk. "How about..." she said, casting her gaze around. A bit of green caught her gaze and she pointed a hoof: "Looks like a park. We could go sit on a bench for a while."

Sky Light bumped her rump against Rosa's in acknowledgment and set off. "Good thinking!"

The pair walked close together, with Rosa taking her usual place one step behind, just like she always had back in the city. They were technically on the street again, so she deferred to Sky Light's leadership once more, but Rosa was optimistic about their future. Soon they would have a cozy truck seat and some more beautiful scenery to enjoy while Tim took her and Sky right to their goal.

Once there...

It was hard to say. They would have to see the place and find the best way inside. Rosa and Sky Light had spent a few hours last night discussing strategy. Maybe, the pegasus had suggested, they could hide in the back of the truck and then sneak out when the humans weren't looking. It sounded kinda risky, though. Rosa remembered Pavo's description and she knew the only reason Tim would drive his truck to the White Pigeon place was to have it unloaded. It was highly unlikely they would first let it sit inside the compound for any length of time.

Another possibility would be to stay hidden in the back of the cabin, on the truck bed with the curtains drawn, but that would probably raise suspicion. All it would take was one curious human asking Tim to pull the curtain aside. In no event did Rosa want to get the driver in trouble. He was doing her and Pavo a huge favor, after all.

At long last she and Sky had settled on the best course. Tim would drop them off near the place and then the pair would scout it out at night. There might be a weak spot in the fence or the wall, or whatever they had. As a worst case scenario, Sky Light had said, she could fly them both over any such barriers. Maybe a different way inside would present itself once they were there, but for now that was the plan Rosa was going with.

She hadn't been paying attention to where she and Sky were walking, so now Rosa blinked and looked around in surprise. It was as if they had left the city and were now in a sparse, cheerful forest. The park really was lovely and Rosa could hardly see any gray concrete around her. She was especially interested in the flowerbeds along the path and so Rosa left her friend sitting on a nearby bench to go inspect the plants from close up. Of course it was all cultivated and maintained by gardeners, but it almost looked as if the flowers were simply growing there naturally. Rosa didn't recognize the kinds, but she could see that they'd been weeded recently.

For a moment she daydreamed what it would be like to get a job as a gardener pony. She'd have her uniform, so no one would bother her, and her day would be spent walking from park to park with her tools, probably pulled behind her in a small, cheerful cart, and taking care of the grass and the flowers and the trees. Now that she was thinking about it, that wouldn't be a bad life at all. Maybe Rosa could go and ask in the city hall or something, when it was all over. This future might be even better than finding a family with a needy child, because it'd mean she could still spend a lot of time with Sky Light. The pegasus would keep her company while Rosa worked and she'd pay for their food. Yeah, it could work out nicely! Provided, of course, that was what Maribelle wanted to do. Rosa had almost started to decide her future, but then she realized she didn't even know what her cutie mark was. Her friend from school might want to go someplace completely different. Would Rosa be able to let her go, even if it was far away and they hardly ever saw each other after? The thought made her swallow a painful lump and her ears folded down.

Would she? What if it was the only way to make her happy?

Rosa probably would. First, however, she'd try anything to stay near her. Even if Maribelle had to go someplace far, surely Rosa could find some employment, either as a gardener or as an assistant pony. The thought calmed her down quickly. If it came to that, they would find a way.

Rosa was so nervous about getting up into the truck's cabin quickly that she fumbled her jump and nearly crashed on her head. Luckily Sky Light was fast on her hooves and propped her up. It still took a bit of a scramble for Rosa to finally reach the seat and she was panting a little by the time she sat. She glanced over at the driver and gave him a small, embarrassed smile. He was watching her with amusement, which was a much better sign than annoyance or perhaps impatience.

She barely had time to take him in: hair cropped short and black as her mane, glasses, unshaven and a lot less heavy than Pavo. Rosa started to give him a proper smile, but then heard a whoosh behind her, which warned her just in time to jump out of the way before Sky Light landed on her.

Sky reached out to pull the door shut while Rosa extended a hoof toward the man. "Um- hi..."

His handshake was firm, but very brief and then Tim was already operating the truck, presumably to get out of the way as fast as possible. The vehicle, Rosa had noticed, was longer than the bus stop so he had been holding up traffic while they climbed up. Hopefully the other people in the cars behind Tim wouldn't be too upset over the delay.

"So, I'm guessing you're Rose-ah and that over there is Sky Light?" Tim asked, glancing first at Rosa and then at her pegasus before focusing his eyes on the road again.

"Yes!" Rosa confirmed," b-but it's pronounced 'Rosa'."

The man shrugged a little. "Oh. Only ever seen it in a text message. Pavo didn't say your names out loud on the phone. Sorry."

Rosa quickly shook her head and brought her smile to bear. Tim was polite and cheerful, which bade well for their journey. "It's okay! It's an unusual name."

"I'll say. What is it, European or something? Are you from Europe?"

Once again Rosa shook her head, even though Tim didn't seem to be watching her. "No, it was my, uh, instructor. She named me when I was born. She's from Europe!"

"Ah. That'll be it then. What does it mean? It sounds french or something."

She hadn't thought about her name in a long while, but it was a welcome topic. Getting to know each other was always very important with children and presumably it worked the same way with everyone else. Tentatively, Rosa decided that she liked this man. "Polish, actually. It means, uh- 'morning dew'."

"Cute!"

Even Sky Light was staring. "Hey, you never told me! Okay, I'm gonna start calling you 'Morning Dew'."

She was right! Rosa remembered that her friend had been named 'Aurora' by humans, but she'd ditched it and went for 'Sky Light', which was essentially the same thing, except that it had a more Equestrian ring to it. Rosa wondered whether she should do the same. She wasn't too sure and besides, she kind of liked her name. "I dunno," she said slowly. "I don't really mind Rosa."

"Too late!" Sky blurted out and started to laugh.

After a moment Tim joined in. "Looks like you done goofed up, pony!"

Rosa couldn't really be mad at either of them. After a minute she couldn't help chuckling a little as well. It looked like the drive would go perfectly smoothly. It was only a few hundred miles or so, anyway, and most of it on highways.

Afternoon found Rosa sitting on a different bench and leaning against Sky Light, with her eyes closed and her hooves on her belly. She really had to stop doing that! When Tim had stopped for late lunch, Rosa and Sky had bought a couple of human-sized meals. Burger for her, cheese pizza for Rosa, and a serving of fries with each. It had been too much, but she hadn't been able to stop herself until her tray was clean.

"Urk-"

The driver kept chuckling a little every time he looked at her, and Sky Light patted Rosa gently on the back with a wing. "You gonna live?" the mare asked.

"Yeah... I'll be fine," Rosa lied.

"Gonna get fat, you know?"

"I know..."

Who could have known Rosa would turn out to be a total glutton if she were given a chance? Certainly not her. Portions in the School had been pony-sized, but she had never felt really hungry, not while she had three meals available each day. By the time she realized she was hungry it was usually almost time for another visit to the mess hall. Then, on the streets with Sky Light, Rosa had been hungry a lot of the time, but she was also afraid and bewildered at all the new things, so her belly had probably taken second place in her mind. She had never really starved, so Rosa hadn't thought much about it all.

Only now, living in relative luxury and with abundant food, did she notice her tendency to cram her muzzle until she was near bursting. Rosa idly wondered why that was. She didn't worry too much, since it would just take some more willpower and she would be fine. Besides, ponies were cute if they were a little bit pudgy, right? Rosa probably didn't have to worry about that, especially if she ended up living on the streets with Sky Light again.

"Wanna finish my fries, too?" the other mare asked.

Rosa turned her face away and tried not to think about it. "N-No thanks..."

"You sure?"

"Yes!"

"Here, give 'em me," Tim asked and Sky Light pushed the tray toward him. It was a relief, otherwise Rosa would have been seriously tempted.

Now that laughing at Rosa's misfortune had been completed, Sky Light turned a businesslike expression on the driver. "So, how much further?" she asked.

The man swallowed a mouthful of fried potato and frowned a little in quiet calculation. "What time is it?" he asked.

Rosa and Sky Light looked at each other in confusion, which made Tim laugh again. "Way to ruin a joke. We'll be there about five minutes after we leave here. We're basically in White Pigeon, ladies. That's it down the road," he pointed.

Instantly Rosa's heart sped up as she glanced in the distance and saw a... settlement. It was a very small town, at least that was what it looked like from their angle.

White Pigeon.

Should she be feeling anything? Rosa concentrated inward, trying to feel whether her mysterious night time visitor, who she believed was Maribelle anyway, was nearby.

"Then why did we-" Sky Light began to ask, but the man had guessed her question and replied even before she finished. "I always stop here for lunch," he explained. "Besides, the client expects the shipment at five-thirty. It doesn't do to be early for this job. Too much paperwork."

The answer mollified her and Sky Light leaned back on the bench and inspected the sky thoughtfully.

Tim, meanwhile, crammed the final few fries in his mouth and stretched out, nearly a mirror image to Sky Light's pose. As soon as he swallowed his mouthful he explained some more: "I thought you'd like the scenery. Just take it chill for another, uh-" he looks at his wristwatch, "-let's say twenty minutes and then we'll be on our way."

"Oh. O-Okay," Rosa replied, seeing that Sky Light wasn't about to comment.

"Any thoughts on how you're gonna get in?" he asked.

Rosa and Sky Light looked at one another at that question. Rosa wondered if it was safe for Tim to know the details. If their break-in attempt went badly, he might also be in trouble. She was about to tell him that, but Sky opened her mouth first. "Probably wait until it's dark and then see if we can sneak through the fence. Or whatever. Do they have walls?"

Tim nodded a little. "Yeah, walls. About, uh eight or ten feet I reckon."

"We can fly," the mare said and extended one wing to show him.

The driver just grunted an affirmation, but then he leaned forward across the table and lowered his voice. "Tell you what, you seem like nice girls. Pavo didn't tell me why you wanna get into that place, but I guess it's something to do with those ponies in cages I saw the other time." He sighed a little. "This client is big on NDA. I probably shouldn't even have told Pavo, but- you know. His pictures and all that. It just came up over beer one day."

Rosa didn't know where Tim was going with it and by the looks of it neither did Sky Light, so they both just nodded quietly.

"Anyway, I don't need to know the details, but if you'll take my advice, go in from the south. There's another gate, but they hardly ever use it. Just a rusty chain fence, you can probably jump it if you can't break it down."

This was very welcome news and Rosa started smiling a little. She knew she liked this guy!

He wasn't done yet and he lowered his voice a bit more. "There's just some storage sheds that way, shouldn't be any guards or anything. After that - well, good luck. Patrols, cameras, sensors, you name it."

"How do you know all this?" Sky Light asked, suddenly a bit suspicious.

Tim just shrugged a little. "Been shipping there for years. You notice stuff, especially while you wait for some stuck-up officer to go over your papers for an hour."

It made sense. That was probably how he had ended up seeing caged ponies, too. A scheduling mistake, Pavo had said.

"So, you guys have black suits?" Tim asked while looking at their saddlebags.

"N-No?"

"Would come in handy, you know? To avoid being seen so easily."

Rosa hadn't even thought about that! She looked desperately at Sky Light, who gave a little shrug. "We'll try anyway," the pegasus said, voice firm and full of self-assurance.

It made Tim grin and lift up his hands in supplication. "Hey, you ladies know what you're doing. I'm just trying to help."

It looked like Sky and Tim might start arguing every second, so Rosa nudged the mare with a hoof and smiled politely at the man. "We really appreciate the advice, uh, Tim. We'll... think about it."

Finally Sky Light picked up on what Rosa was trying to do. "Oh. Yeah. If you could just drop us somewhere near the edge of White Pigeon, closest to this, this... facility, that'd be great."

"Sure thing!"

Rosa relaxed again. It sounded like Sky Light already had a plan, which was good. She was really curious what it was, but she suddenly didn't want to discuss it in front of Tim, or any human for that matter.

Luckily, he stood up and collected all three trays. "I'll take those back," he said and set off toward the fast food place.

This was Rosa's chance. "What do you think?" she asked her friend.

"He's a bit weird. I'd rather he drops us off out of sight of that facility."

"What about the black clothes?"

Sky gave her a sly smile and winked. "I have an idea. How much money do you have left?"

It took a few seconds for Rosa to mentally calculate. "Dunno, about fifty bucks. Why?"

The mare clapped her forehooves together and smiled. "Should be plenty. I'll fly into the town and see if I can find some clothes for us."

That didn't sound like a very practical idea. Rosa shook her head a little. "You think you'll find a shop for pony apparel in White Pigeon?"

"Not necessarily," the other mare went on in a low tone of voice. "Human ones will do, too. Stretch pants, sweaters. Not too comfortable, but they should fit us well enough. Maybe some rope to tie them on, just in case."

It was actually not a completely bad idea. Rosa started smiling too. "Good thinking!"

"Yep," the mare said proudly. "You'll wait around somewhere, hiding or something. It should be a snap with these!" She spread her wings and flapped them once, making a pleasant little breeze. It reminded Rosa that summer was definitely on its way.

Maybe, after freeing Maribelle, she would ask Sky Light to take them to some sea place. Rosa had never seen the sea. It could be fun. She spotted the driver coming back and wiped the smile from her muzzle. She still thought he was a good human, but it seemed Sky Light agreed with her that they didn't need to tell him absolutely everything.

They would only stay with him for another hour or so, anyway.

Chapter 58: Mistakes

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Rosa was starting to get worried as the sun began to set over the distant fields and there was still no sign of her pegasus friend. Sky Light had her hide in what looked like an abandoned shed a short distance from the White Pigeon city limits, while she went to buy a couple of black suits. Something which would conceal their colorful coats when they broke into the government pony-napping facility that night.

In a few more minutes, Rosa decided, she would go out and look for her friend. Despite Sky Light's admonishment, Rosa knew people didn't care about ponies too much so no one should really notice her walking about. Besides, she had to do something. Sky Light had promised she'd be back by sunset and that time was quickly running out. Maybe she was in trouble? More likely, though, Sky Light had simply forgotten the time.

"Ugh!" Finally Rosa couldn't stand it anymore and left the shadowy interior of the dilapidated building.

The door had nearly disintegrated and Rosa pushed it carefully so it didn't fall apart. She emerged into the orange and red hues of the setting sun, blinking in the strong light. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust and then she scanned the horizon for a welcome flying speck which would grow into her pegasus friend. Rosa sat down by a nearly overgrown dirt road to wait out the remainder of the day. That way she would have technically kept her promise to Sky.

The evening was quite warm, so she didn't need her uniform, and the last rays of the sun felt quite pleasant on her coat. Lacking anything else to do, Rosa inspected the run-down barn. It must have been part of someone's property, but she couldn't see any houses nearby, nor any ruins where a house might have once stood. It felt weird that someone would just build a hay barn out in the middle of nowhere, Rosa thought, without even any fields around.

The building itself was near to falling apart. Whoever owned it apparently had no interest in maintaining it. There were several tiles missing in the roof and Rosa could see a lot of cracking and splintering in the wooden boards which made up the outside. Come to think of it, the place probably wasn't very safe to stay inside. It was away from the main road and apparently abandoned, so it had made for a good hiding place, but she certainly wouldn't want to spend more than maybe a few days in it.

Lacking anything better to do at the moment, Rosa tried to imagine what it would take to fix it up enough to be livable for the long term. Maybe with several more ponies they could shore up some of the cracked supports and replace those broken boards. Sky Light and Paolo working together could probably fix the roof, if they could find some wooden planks somewhere. Then it'd just take some glue or something to patch up the smaller holes in the walls. The door would have to be completely replaced, of course, but maybe they could reuse the hinges from the current one. Then the place might be downright livable.

The only problem Rosa could imagine was that this scary government facility was less than five miles away. That might be a drawback, now that she remembered it. The mare chuckled to herself and shook her head. Even if she had a few more ponies, they probably wouldn't want to stay in a run-down place in the middle of nowhere. How would they even get food?

As she turned her gaze back towards the city, Rosa's breath caught. The shape she saw in the air definitely wasn't a bird and it was heading right for her. She smiled involuntarily and stood up, hardly able to keep her hooves still. Sky Light was on her way back! It was a huge relief. In mere minutes Rosa could recognize the pegasus and a short while later her friend landed beside her, a puzzled grin on her muzzle when she spotted Rosa's expression.

"Um, you drunk again, or what?" Sky asked.

"No!" Rosa shook her head. "Just happy to see you. I was getting a bit worried."

The other mare looked at the sunset, which was almost completely over. There was a bit of pink still visible, but the orb of the sun was definitely below the horizon. "Yeah, I guess I'm a bit late, but I said I'd be here, didn't I?"

Rosa nodded and went to give the pegasus a very brief nuzzle. "You did."

"Okay, so I got us some clothes," her friend explained and opened her bulging saddlebags. She drew out four large, black sweaters and two smaller bundles which Rosa couldn't quite make out.

She watched to see what else Sky had brought, but it seemed this was it. "Well?"

Sky Light gave Rosa a puzzled look. "Well what? This is it."

"Um, it's just sweaters. For humans."

Sky Light nodded happily. "Exactly! Put one on - well - normally and the other on your hind legs, upside down. Your tail can go out the neck hole since it's black, but I'll tie mine up. Orange shows too well."

Her explanation was starting to draw the picture in Rosa's mind. "Oh, I get it! We wear two sweaters so they join in the middle!"

"Exactly!" Sky Light confirmed. "Tie them around your waist with this sash..." She rummaged in the bags again and brought out two thin strips of black cloth. She dropped them on the pile and shrugged off her bags so she could start getting ready. "I also got these-" she picked up one of the smaller pieces and unfolded it to reveal a black ski mask.

"I didn't even know you could buy those! Aren't they just used in movies for like robbing the bank?"

"Where do you think I got the idea?" Sky Light asked, giggling a little. "They're a bit big, but I hope we can make them work." She pulled one of the big sweaters over her head. It ended up hanging almost to the ground and covered most of her rump. Sky Light really had gotten the extra large sizes, it seemed. "See? Like this," she explained, then lay on her back to get the other sweater on her hind legs. She curled her tail up against her belly, so it didn't poke out and grunted a little as she pulled the cloth as high up her barrel as it would reach.

The two pieces of clothing overlapped in the middle, but that was okay and it would just take one sash to tie them on. When she was done, Sky Light stood up and made a few experimental steps. "A bit weird, but it works! How do I look? Hold on, lemme get my mask on!"

Rosa had to admit it was a good disguise. After Sky had hidden her mane under the mask, there was just a bit of gray neck visible between the sweater and the hood. A few dozen paces away she would be pretty much invisible in dark. "Very good, actually," Rosa said, starting to smile at the unusual sight. Something else caught her eye and her grin faded. "Um, you can't use your wings like this."

"Ugh, damn it!" Sky Light swore, "I knew I forgot something. Here, give me a hoof..." She untied the belt and pulled the sweaters apart until she could free her wings. "Here, just tie the bottom one back, under my wings."

It took both of them to haphazardly secure the sweaters again. The effect was not as good as before, but Sky Light's wings were as gray as her fur so it was not too bad. If she folded them up they hardly showed.

"Yeah, this could work," Rosa said at last.

"Okay, now you."

It was easier because Rosa only had four appendages, so Sky Light's original idea applied perfectly to her. Not to mention that dark purple fur should be pretty invisible on the bits which did show, Rosa hoped, and her tail and mane were black so she didn't have to stuff them under cloth like Sky had done.

Her pegasus friend helped Rosa with the sash and then she tried walking. The cloth felt weird, even though Rosa was used to wearing things. It chafed in some places and it felt too lose in others, but she could live with it. She tried an experimental trot and found that it didn't slow her down at all.

"Okay, now the mask," Sky Light commanded.

Pulling it over her muzzle, Rosa found that it was pressing rather uncomfortably against her nose. It had never been designed for the shape of a pony's head, but the material was stretchy and it covered most of the fur. The eye holes were a bit misplaced, so the thing tended to restrict Rosa's vision somewhat. "I dunno..."

"It looks fine," Sky Light assured her. "Okay, time to get going I guess. Tim said we should circle around and come in from the south. This way..."

The pegasus set off and Rosa fell in step behind her. It would only be for a couple of hours, she told herself.

This was it. The gate was just where Tim had said it would be. How he'd known about it Rosa couldn't begin to guess, but it looked like a much better option than the main entrance. She and Sky Light had skirted around there, observing from the bushes, and it had been a horror-show. Well lit, sliding iron chain fence and several guards constantly patrolling around. There was even a small guard house. Rosa couldn't tell at the distance, but Sky Light had assured her that there was a human posted inside with what looked like security monitors. There was no way for the two ponies to get in through there. Of course, for a pegasus it wouldn't be a problem to just fly over the wall anywhere at all, but this back opening let them see inside so Sky didn't have to fly blind.

The two had been watching it for an hour and it looked like there were two guards who periodically made their rounds through the area.

"So, we'll wait for the guy to come around, then we have twenty minutes or so before the next one shows up," Sky Light estimated.

Nodding her agreement, Rosa tried to get her heart to calm down a little. It was rattling so loudly that it must have sounded like a drumbeat, even to humans' insensitive ears.

"You doing okay?" Sky asked.

All Rosa could manage was another nod and a grin, which probably looked nervous as all hell. She hoped Sky couldn't see her expression through the ski mask.

After watching her for a few seconds in silence, Sky Light went back to peering through the chain link fence. The guards patrolled on the inside, so the two mares just had to duck behind the wall to be hidden from view. There also weren't too many lights, so both Rosa and her lighter-colored friend could huddle in a shadow and be fairly certain they couldn't be seen.

Sky Light's feathers rustled as she ducked behind the concrete and she reached out a hoof, as if to steady Rosa. "Okay, here he comes now."

They focused their ears and listened to the heavy footsteps of the human soldier. There was a lump in Rosa's throat and she desperately tried to swallow it. Despite her attempts, she couldn't get her heart to calm down. It was probably all the adrenaline, Rosa told herself, hoping that if she understood it, the fear would lessen. Her hooves didn't seem to be quite obeying her and her muscles kept jerking uncontrollably. It was a good thing Sky Light would be doing the flying, because Rosa was not too sure she could manage to so much as walk in a straight line at the moment. She had to calm down, or she wouldn't be any use inside. Out of desperation Rosa closed her eyes and focused on taking deep, slow breaths.

The guard approached the door and stopped, looking out through the iron bars of the gate for a few moments. Rosa saw his pool of light slide around, seeking, then it went away and the man started walking again. The footsteps were receding.

"Ready?" Sky Light asked, laying a hoof on Rosa's shoulder.

The touch was welcome and it helped calm Rosa down somewhat. "Y-Y-Yes..."

Her friend stuck her head out again, carefully looking past the gate. "We can hide between those sheds, I think. Then we plan our next move, okay?"

This time all Rosa could do was nod.

"Okay, here we go!"

Rosa went limp as Sky Light put her hooves around her barrel, already flapping her wings. She felt her friend lift her up a little and Rosa reached trembling legs as far up as she could in an effort to grab and hold on to the pegasus. Her wings started to beat faster and Sky Light's hooves dug into Rosa's barrel. She was lifted until she was standing on her hind legs. Then Sky grunted a little and put some more effort into her flapping. As if by magic, the ground fell away and Rosa found herself dangling completely from the pegasus' grasp. It was a disconcerting feeling, the way the ground swerved and tilted crazily. Rosa's stomach lurched and she was suddenly happy she hadn't had dinner.

It was all she could do to strangle a squeak as it occurred to Rosa that it might have been a good idea to practice before now, if only so she'd know what to expect. Unfortunately it was too late. The best she could do now was close her eyes and try to pretend she was just floating in water. It was not easy, but it was her only hope. All Rosa could hear was Sky Light's powerful wing strokes, which made them bob slightly up and down. She wondered how high up they were, but didn't dare look. Earth ponies were never meant to fly!

Suddenly, unexpectedly, her hind legs hit something and Rosa couldn't stop a frightened squeak.

"Ground! Just the ground!" Sky Light hissed. She must have noticed Rosa wasn't looking.

Her eyes opened wide and Rosa saw she was floating just above the concrete inside the wall. She let her legs down and touched the hard surface. Sky Light lowered her, but Rosa's limbs couldn't hold her upright and she just folded to the ground when her friend released her. A moment later Sky landed beside with four barely audible clicks, then Rosa felt a hoof on her back.

"You okay?" It was a bit of a struggle to get to her hooves, but Rosa managed to stand, even if she was shivering like a leaf in the wind. She turned wide, terrified eyes on the other mare and Sky smiled a little. "Don't worry, it takes everyone differently the first time they fly. We probably should have practiced before now, though..."

Her stating what Rosa had just been thinking felt so familiar that Rosa couldn't help but smile a little. "Yeah, we s-should ha-have."

The mare put her wing over Rosa and brushed her muzzle against her neck. "Take it easy, we have plenty of time," she whispered. "Let's give it a minute and then we'll go hide behind those boxes."

Rosa followed her pointing hoof and saw a haphazard stack of empty boxes and round, spool-looking things. They looked like they used to have wire wrapped on them, now that she thought about it. It all looked abandoned, so it was a safe bet the humans wouldn't check it out too closely. Maybe they could even find a place to sleep through the day, if they couldn't find a way inside the facility during the night.

That part might be a problem. There were entirely too many guards. Rosa had been hoping the people went home in the evening and left the place empty, except for the ponies. Sky Light, on the other hoof, had been expecting a couple of guards and maybe a security guy with cameras, but even she looked uneasy at the sight of armed soldiers.

Rosa was suddenly not sure that breaking into this place was a good idea, but they had come thus far and if they stopped now Rosa would never forgive herself. At the very least they had to try.

"Um, if- if we have to, you can f-fly us out, right?" Rosa whispered to the pegasus.

Sky Light looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. "Sure."

It was not as reassuring as Rosa had hoped, but it would have to do. She forced her legs into obedience and started walking for the hiding place behind the stack of old boxes. Sky Light followed right after and soon they were both as concealed as they could make themselves. Rosa was really grateful to Tim for suggesting black clothes.

"Let's wait until the other guy goes past, then we can scout out what's where," Sky Light suggested and Rosa nodded gratefully. It would give her a few more minutes to get herself together. She concentrated on her breathing while her friend kept a watch for the patrol.

It took almost fifteen minutes, give or take. An eternity to Rosa's adrenaline-sloshed brain. By the time they finally heard footsteps, Rosa was fidgeting nervously. Sky laid a warning wing across her back and Rosa forced herself to stillness. This guard didn't shine his light through the gate like his colleague, but just stared out for a few seconds before moving on. Soon everything was quiet once again.

"Okay, go," Sky Light commanded and Rosa swallowed the rest of her fear. Maribelle needed them. She hadn't really imagined how the ponies in this place might be kept, but now Rosa tentatively thought it might be in some sheds, or maybe in a warehouse-like building with cages. There was only one place that looked even remotely big enough. A box-shaped, squat building, several storeys tall and with a number of windows, all of them dark.

"Over t-there?"

Sky Light took a look, then grinned at Rosa. "Just what I was thinking. No door on this side, follow me."

They tried to crouch and walk at the same time, but after few steps Rosa realized it wouldn't work. It was too strenuous and she would soon start panting like a bellows. Instead, she decided to walk normally, but took extra care when placing down her hooves to minimize the noise.

Sky Light went in front, her steps barely audible even to Rosa, which made her heart lift a little, They were both very quiet and besides, the humans didn't have that good a hearing. They were also both wearing black and staying out of the lights, so even if a guard happened to glance their way he probably wouldn't see a thing. They had this! She kept telling herself that.

A few steps in Rosa realized that she was pressing her ears flat and it was making it harder to hear what was happening around her. It took an effort of will to force them upright and Rosa started scanning for noise. She was about to tell Sky to do the same, but noticed that the mare kept constantly swiveling her ears around. Smart.

The storage sheds ran out and there was a patch of open tarmac in front of them. It didn't look good, but it was the only way forward. Sky Light stopped and held out a wing so Rosa wouldn't walk past her. "Let's wait here a minute and see if there's any patrols!"

Rosa gave her a nod and lay flat on her belly to make her shape as small as possible.

Several long minutes later the pegasus visibly relaxed. "I think it's safe. I don't see any cameras, you?"

Chagrined, Rosa realized that she'd forgotten about that detail and almost hoofed herself in the muzzle. Stupid! Now she hurriedly scanned the walls, in particular up near the roof, for anything that might look like a camera. "N-No," she ventured.

"Okay, good. Wait here, I'll go and have a look. I'll give you a signal."

Rosa waited, as ordered, but all the pegasus was doing was shuffling around a little. "What are you doing?"

Rather than replying, the other mare held up a foreleg. She had pulled the sweater's sleeves completely over her hoof, but Rosa didn't understand why. Just as she opened her mouth to ask Sky trotted forward. Her steps were completely silent.

That was clever! Rosa quickly did the same, pulling the sleeves over each of her hooves so she'd be ready to follow at a moment's notice. She watched closely as Sky Light ran up to the building and pressed herself against the side. Then she carefully peeked around the corner. Rosa realized that she had been holding her breath and forced it out just as the pegasus looked back and beckoned with a hoof. This was the signal. Rosa made a dash for it, nearly tripping on the sweater but saving herself at the last second. Her hoofsteps were muffled, but she could still hear them clearly and she nearly stumbled in fear.

Luckily there was no cry of outrage, and no wailing alarm rang out. She made it to the pegasus undetected.

"Follow me!" Sky hissed as soon as Rosa was close enough, and dashed around the corner. Rosa didn't question her decision and just followed close on her heels. She lead them to a dark and lonely lot, with a few cars still parked in it. Belonging to the guards, Rosa guessed. There was a back entrance from the lot into the building and it didn't look guarded.

Sky Light headed for it, but Rosa already saw a problem. "Sky!" She didn't hear, so Rosa hurried after her friend. "Sky! There's a keypad! We can't get in this way!" She caught up to the pegasus just as Sky Light reached the door.

Too late they heard the lock click. Both mares froze in terror as the door opened, spilling light from a brightly lit hallway into the night. There was a man in a white lab coat and with a thoroughly shocked expression as he looked at two black-clad ponies standing in front of him.

"Back the way we came!" the pegasus snapped and dashed away, wings beating for extra speed.

Unfortunately Rosa was frozen to the ground. It felt like slow motion as the man opened his mouth. "Hey! Stop!" he shouted at the top of his voice. "Help!"

There were answering shouts from around the corner and Rosa heard running footsteps. Still she couldn't move. It had all gone wrong so quickly! There was nothing they could have done! It just wasn't fair!

They were going to catch her!

"No no no!" Rosa finally woke up and tried to sort out her legs. As she twirled around, she stepped on one of the sleeves, which tripped her up and Rosa hit her muzzle on the concrete.

"Stop! Freeze!" the scientist guy yelled, but Rosa wasn't about to listen.

She was scrambling to her hooves when she belatedly realized the soldiers were almost on top of her. This was what she had been training for. Rosa braced her forelegs on the ground, twisted her body and struck out with her hind hooves. At least they wouldn't take her without a fight!

Back at the van she had been able to kick the wood exactly where she aimed, every time. Unfortunately, the wood had never dodged out of the way. Rosa flopped to her belly with a painful grunt and moments later the soldier landed on her, pinning her down. He was too heavy to shift, especially as she didn't have her legs under her. Rosa still scrabbled, trying to wriggle free.

"Nooo! Please! Noo!" she yelled.

The other guard was almost there, too. If he joined his friend, there would be no more hope, even with her earth pony strength. Rosa tried to get some leverage with a hoof, but then something whooshed past her and she heard a dull thud. The weight lifted from her back.

"What the fuck, Rosa! I said run!"

It was Sky Light and Rosa had never been happier to see the mare. Tears were streaming from her eyes as Rosa scurried to her hooves. The pegasus grunted and Rosa looked back to see the scientist guy with his arms around her. He had managed to pin one of her wings down and she was slapping his face with the other.

Rosa rushed at the human and, lacking any other good options, bit his leg as hard as she could. He yelled and let Sky go, but not before giving Rosa a good blow on the nose with his fist. For several seconds the world swam around her and her ears rang with the slap. Rosa almost fell, but managed to stay upright by spreading her stance.

"Come on!" Sky Light yelled again and butted Rosa with her head.

Rosa took a step, and then another.

The other guard was suddenly standing in front of her, his weapon raised. His friend, the one Sky had hit, was picking himself up, swearing. "Don't move..." the one ahead said so calmly that it made Rosa's blood run cold.

"Take them alive!" the scientist gasped out, voice choked up with pain.

Rosa felt a tiny bit of pride for biting him that hard. She turned her head to keep an eye on the second soldier just in time to see him twirl a length of rope around his hands. Where had he even gotten that?! "Rope! Behind us!" she warned.

Sky Light turned to look, which was a mistake the guy in front of her immediately seized on. He rushed forward, his rifle already swinging towards Rosa with the butt end. Too late she realized he was going to use it like a club, too late for her to dodge it completely. It smacked painfully against Rosa's jaw and all she could see was stars and flashing lights for a moment.

Despite the pain she kicked out blindly with a foreleg and her hoof connected. It was not a particularly strong blow, but she felt something crunch with a sickening pop. The man screamed out in pain and fell away from her. Her sudden attack also gave the other guard pause and he held back, watching her and Sky's hind legs with a newfound respect.

It was time to get out of there, and fast! Rosa could already hear alarms going and more people running toward the commotion. "Let's go! Quick, before more come!"

"Yeah!" Sky Light confirmed, but there was a low bang at the same time as she spoke. The mare suddenly cried out in pain and fell to the floor.

"SKY!" Rosa didn't know what was wrong with her. That hadn't been a gunshot!

She caught a glimpse of two glittering wires, going from the mare's flank to-

With an inward groan Rosa realized she hadn't been paying attention to what the scientist had been doing. He was now holding a gun-shaped object in his hands and that was where the wires led. A stun gun.

Rosa almost tried to yank the needles out of Sky's skin with her teeth, but remembered in time that it would just shock her instead. "No! Fuck! FUCK!" She tried to think of another way to free the pegasus, who was jerking violently and staring at Rosa with a fixed, horrified, expression. She couldn't even scream properly anymore.

That had been Rosa's second mistake. Focusing on Sky distracted her and her mistake had given the remaining guard his opening. She heard his footstep, but it was too late and all she had time for was to open her mouth to scream, before the butt of his rifle slammed into her head with frightening finality.

Everything went black.

Chapter 59: Prison Cell

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Consciousness came slowly, as if Rosa was afraid of what she'd find when she woke up. At first she was only dimly aware of being in a room and lying on a bed. There were some indistinct noises in the background. It almost felt like any other morning, when she'd woken up in her dorm at the Pony School. For the first few minutes everything felt fine and she desperately tried to cling to that feeling.

Rosa became aware of a dull pain in her temple and reached up a groggy foreleg to feel her head. There was a noticeable bump on the side. On its way down her hoof encountered another anomaly and she brought both legs up to touch it. There was a collar around her neck. It was quite snug, but not really choking her.

Memory came rushing back and Rosa sat bolt upright with a gasp. They got her!
She was in the government facility and she was a captive! Now that she could focus her eyes, Rosa took a fearful look around, expecting either medical-torture horrors, or an outright execution cell.

Instead, she was sitting on a rudimentary bed in a mostly empty, concrete room. There weren't any windows, but there was a fluorescent light above, which shone too brightly and harshly for comfort. The walls were off-white and there were beige tiles on the floor. Turning around, Rosa saw a toilet affixed to the wall next to a sink, but there was no mirror. Her gaze slid further along the room until she spotted the door to her... cell. That was the best word for it, really. A prison cell. The opening was just metal bars looking into an equally brightly lit corridor. It looked like a section of the bars could swing open, which made for a simple door.

Overall her situation was better than she'd feared, but it was still a secret government prison in a facility apparently dealing with problematic ponies. Her foreleg itched and Rosa reached to scratch it, but her hoof encountered hard plastic. She lifted the trembling limb up and looked at it in horror. It was wrapped in a bit of bandage which held a weird plastic shape affixed to the inner side of her leg. It didn't take a genius to realize it was an IV.

Had they already injected her with chemicals? Rosa almost felt like her skin was writhing as she imagined horrible, unpleasant poison-death. She realized she was panting and forced her mouth shut. If they had wanted to kill her, even with chemicals, they wouldn't have put an IV in her leg. They'd just inject her and get it over with.

A fresh fear rose up. Were they going to experiment on her?! The IV would allow them easier access to put things in her blood.

"Please no!" Rosa moaned in stark terror. For a moment she contemplated simply ripping the bandage and the little plastic thing out of her leg, but she couldn't bring herself to touch it. Visions of spraying blood flickered through her imagination and Rosa hurriedly hid the IV from her sight. Instead, she jumped from the bed and cautiously approached the barred opening. The hallway beyond seemed deserted, but she heard some indistinct, echoing conversation. The wall opposite her room was just blank and white. The floor was made from slightly dirty beige tiles - the same ones as inside the cell. Easier to clean, she guessed. Her head slumped forward and hit the metal bars.

Until now Rosa had tried not to think about it, but she couldn't keep it away any longer. Sky Light was no longer with her. The realization made her whimper and stick her muzzle right between the bars, trying to see more of the corridor. Maybe Sky was in a different cell.

"Sky Light! Are you out there?" There was no answer, except for her own echo. "Please, someone! I'm sorry!" Rosa ventured. She listened for a moment, but the human voices were gone. Maybe they'd heard her and were coming to investigate. Maybe they would tell her what happened to Sky! "Hello! Please, I just have to know! Tell me where Sky Light is! PLEASE!"

Yes! Footsteps were approaching from the side. Rosa pressed her face harder against the bars and tried to see. The person quickly came into view. She looked quite young and very slim, although it was hard to tell under her plain white lab coat. Her hair was tied up in a bun and she was wearing glasses. Startlingly blue eyes almost pierced Rosa and she couldn't help but shrink away in fear. "I'm sorry," the mare mumbled, hoping the woman wouldn't be too mad about the noise Rosa had been making.

"Rose-ah," she said, voice strangely melodious.

Rosa had been imagining it would be something clipped and harsh and she swallowed a lump at the unexpected tone. "A-Actually it- it's um, pronounced... Rosa."

"Ah," the woman nodded to herself, "it did seem a bit funny written down."

Not knowing what to say to that, Rosa stayed silent for the moment. The woman kept looking at her and Rosa felt her ears fold down under her scrutiny.

At long last she spoke again: "You can call me Dr. Mason." She reached in her pocket and produced a metal key.

Rosa was suddenly very afraid and took a few involuntary steps back while the visitor was unlocking her cell.

"No sudden moves, okay?" the woman warned. She put the key back and took out a small, black box which fit neatly in the palm of her hand. "This is the remote for your collar, understand?"

Her hoof went back to her neck and it took Rosa a few moments to fully understand. "A s-shock col-collar?!"

"Just a precaution. If you promise you'll behave we'll never need it."

The mare gulped, acutely aware of the band around her neck. She was not going to fight them anymore, so she quickly nodded. "I p-promise!"

This time the lady smiled. Rosa noted she still kept the fob in her hand as she opened the door and stepped into her cell. The mare shrank away from her, but Dr. Mason just walked past her and sat on her bed. "The pegasus that was with you, who is she? We don't have records of her."

"Sky Light! Is she okay?! What have you done with her?!"

Without even realizing it, Rosa had advanced on the woman, who now she held the remote up as if to remind her. Rosa took a step back.

Dr. Mason thought for a few moments, as if unsure how much to tell her. "Sky Light," she repeated, mostly to herself. "She's fine. For now."

"Please, I'll do anything. She doesn't have to be mixed in this, just let her go!"

After all, it was Rosa's own stupid idea that got them both into this mess. Dr. Mason didn't answer, which worried Rosa a little. "I'm sorry," she said and sighed. "I'm really sorry!" The full magnitude of her situation was starting to weigh down on her. This was the place they would have sent her when she got her cutie mark, the place she was most afraid of going. They tested on ponies in this facility and then killed them. Whatever life Rosa had left, it wouldn't be pleasant.

Dr. Mason was no longer important as tears filled Rosa's vision and she started weeping uncontrollably. She hardly even felt the doctor put a hand in her mane.

Rosa didn't know how much later it was. Her fear had run away with her and all she could think for a while was that she didn't want to die yet. Right then, there was something pressing against her muzzle, so she opened her eyes. Dr. Mason was holding a glass of water. She must have left and fetched it while Rosa was unaware, curled around her fear on the floor.

"Drink this. You'll feel better," the doctor said and her voice was full of concern.

Rosa wanted to trust this woman. She wanted to throw herself on her mercy. "Please, we didn't mean anything bad. I just wanted to see my friend again!" Maybe if she was pathetic enough, Mason would take pity, so Rosa turned her wet eyes on the woman and slightly lifted her ears. "Just let us go - please? We'll go away and we'll never bother you again!"

The woman really looked as if she felt Rosa's pain. She wiped away some snot from her muzzle with a hand. "Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry but I can't do that. Don't worry, you'll be safe here, okay?"

Rosa almost believed her and lowered her eyes to the floor, but she spotted the bit of plastic sticking from her leg. "No I won't," she muttered darkly. "You experiment on ponies here."

This time Mason laughed pleasantly. "Oh, whatever gave you that idea?!"

In lieu of an answer Rosa just lifted her leg wordlessly to show the IV.

"Oh, that's just so we can take blood samples without sticking you with needles all the time."

"Why do you need so many blood samples?" Rosa was starting to get angry and defensive, and a tiny part of her brain was sounding a warning not to anger the doctor.

Luckily, Dr. Mason just shrugged a little. "You do want to know what's wrong with you, don't you?" she asked innocently.

"Wrong with me?! What's wrong with me?!"

For some reason that question made the doctor sad and she put her hand in Rosa's mane again to scratch an ear. "Don't worry, we'll find out what happened. I'll tell you everything after you rest a little. Here, drink."

She pushed the glass of water against Rosa's muzzle again and the mare couldn't help smelling something strange. Her eyes narrowed. "What's in it?"

"Clever girl," Mason praised. "It's just a little something to help you relax. I promise I'll answer your questions tomorrow."

Rosa looked around her cell, but there were no clocks. "What time is it?"

There was a wristwatch on Dr. Mason's arm, but the face was too tiny for Rosa to catch a glimpse as the woman lifted it to her face. "Almost five in the afternoon, sweetie. They hit you pretty hard when they caught you."

She looked and sounded amenable enough, and she hadn't yelled or hit Rosa once. Maybe she could be nice to the doctor, if she remained this pleasant. Rosa couldn't trust anyone in this place, that much she knew, but she could try and get along with them. She took the glass with her hooves and drank it. It tasted a bit chemical, but she forced it down despite that.

This made the woman smile broadly and she plucked the empty glass from Rosa and set it on the floor. "Very good. We're going to get along nicely, you and I."

Maybe she could push her luck a little more. "Where is Sky Light. I want to speak with her," Rosa begged.

"Soon, sweetie. Your friend will be fine. We're not monsters here, despite what you might have heard."

It looked like that would be it for now. Whatever drug Dr. Mason had given her was already taking effect and Rosa felt a bit drowsy. She blinked her eyes slowly and Mason patted the bed. "Lie down, relax," she commanded and Rosa reluctantly obeyed. She relaxed her muscles and her body almost automatically curled up on the sheets.

A low growl reminded her how empty her stomach was. "I'm... hungry," Rosa admitted.

Dr. Mason smiled some more. She seemed incredibly friendly, despite how wary Rosa was of her. "I'll bring you a little something if you promise to cooperate and answer my questions." Was there even any choice? Rosa gave a single, defeated nod and was rewarded by a friendly pat on her head. "Good girl!"

About ten minutes later Mason was back with a tray. There was nothing special on it, but it was still a welcome sight and Rosa's ears perked up when she smelled food. There was a simple bowl of oatmeal, an apple and a banana. The doctor put the tray on her bed. There was no spoon, but Rosa didn't really mind and just dunked her muzzle into the bowl. It was pleasantly warm and she detected just a hint of sugar.

"Now, can you tell me again why you were trying to break in here?" the doctor asked.

Rosa lifted her head and swallowed her current mouthful. A bit of the oatmeal dripped from her chin back into the bowl. "I w-wanted to, um-"

She paused and considered whether it was a good idea to tell her they were about to break one of their friends out? "-see my friend who was taken here."

"Oh? What is your friend's name?"

"M-Maribelle. She's from the s-same school as me."

There was no recognition and Rosa's ears lowered. Had she been stupid for even trying to come here? Maybe there were more facilities and Maribelle wasn't even at this one?

Then why would the dream-voice have told her to come here? Rosa decided to keep the dream-voice a secret at all costs.

"Hmm, Maribelle. I will check if she's here. If you're good, maybe you'll be allowed to see her."

Rosa just nodded and went back to the oatmeal. Now that she'd gotten a taste, her stomach was demanding more. She hadn't eaten since lunch the previous day, because she'd been too nervous in the evening and there hadn't really been an opportunity.

After a few moments of thoughtful silence, the doctor asked: "Have you gone into heat since you were out of the School?"

This question almost made Rosa choke on her meal. "W-W" she spluttered, then coughed as some oatmeal almost went down the wrong way. "What?!"

"Heat. Do you know what heat is? Estrus?" the woman clarified.

Blushing heavily, Rosa shook her head. "I know. I h-haven't! Why are you asking me this?"

"Hmm," was all the reply she got, despite Rosa's worried stare. "Curious."

"Why?!"

It was as if Dr. Mason was not listening to her. Rosa almost put her hoof on her, but changed her mind. Instead she went back to slurp up some more oatmeal while it was still warm.

"We'll do some tests. When did you get your cutie mark?"

"Um," Rosa swallowed quickly again, "At the Boone's house, before I- before..." She considered lying, but Mason must already know, right? She seemed to be very well informed about Rosa, considering that heat question. She knew Rosa had had it once in the School. Maybe they tracked her down and got sent her records when they caught the mare?

"-before I ran away," Rosa finished. "I don't know the date."

"I see. Well, that should not have happened. We'll try and find out why it did, okay?" the woman told her. "How are you feeling otherwise? Headaches, nausea, muscle cramps?"

"N-N-None of that."

"Good, that's good. Hopefully we can learn why this happens-" Mason said and patted Rosa's cutie mark, "so we can help other ponies."

She stared at the woman in shock. "You're making it so ponies don't get cutie marks?! Why?"

There was no real answer, but the doctor smiled a little. "All in good time, Rosa. Finish your fruit."

For a second she considered refusing. The things Dr. Mason was telling Rosa were bewildering and scary, and she didn't really want to be a part of it. Then again, what would she really achieve by that? With an inward sigh Rosa bit into the apple. The fact that Dr. Mason was patting her back wasn't helping her self esteem, but it was a bit calming nonetheless.

With how hungry she was, the apple was gone in seconds and Rosa started peeling the banana. It was a knack with hooves, but she'd learned how to do it in the School's mess hall. She left the empty peel on the tray while she swallowed the last of the soft, yellow flesh. Her belly still wasn't too happy, but it felt a lot better already.

The doctor picked up the tray and stood up. Rosa was almost sad to see her go, because then she'd be alone in this scary place again. "W-What should I do?" she asked Dr. Mason.

She chuckled pleasantly and leaned down to pat Rosa on the head. "Aw, you really are helpful, just like your instructor noted in your file. Just rest, sweetheart. We'll talk more tomorrow."

Before she could stop herself Rosa beamed, but then was immediately disgusted at the little pang of pride she'd felt at those words.

"Okay, Doc-Doctor Mason."

"Since you're such a good girl, you can call me Eliza when we're alone, okay?"

"Okay... thank you."

She tousled Rosa's mane quickly and then went to the door. While she was locking it with one hand, Dr. Mason looked back in and smiled at the mare. "Remember, Rosa - you're helping all ponies by helping us. Take pride in that."

Rosa just gave her a nod at her and the woman left. Her footsteps receded for a while, then a door closed and all was quiet. Strange how Rosa hadn't heard any other sounds. Was she alone in this place? She thought about going to the bars and calling out. Maybe some other ponies would answer her. There had to be more cells in this hallway, hadn't there? The building wasn't all that big to let them have a single pony per corridor.

She shook her head. Rosa was not going to shout out, at least not yet. If it was only five in the afternoon she should wait until night before trying anything. Maybe that was why the other ponies were silent - they didn't want to draw attention to themselves. Her gaze was pulled back to the IV on her foreleg. The woman did seem friendly enough, but Rosa was determined she would never forget where she was. This was the place ponies went when they get their cutie marks, and no one ever heard from them after. With a sinking feeling Rosa started thinking again that she was not getting out of there alive. There was no way for her to open the door, and even if there was, no way to get out of the building undetected. The reason she hadn't simply been shot the last night was because the scientist guy had told the guards to keep her and Sky alive. Next time she might not be so lucky.

Rosa desperately wanted to see her friend. The mere thought was enough to make her sob miserably. It didn't help that she would have to pee soon. Rosa picked up the sheet from the bed and pulled it over her head. Maybe she could pretend everything was fine, at least for a few minutes. If she believed hard enough, maybe Rosa could convince herself that she was just sleeping in the bed at the Basilius house, and Sky Light was right there next to her. If she moved, the other mare would grumble at her for waking her up, so Rosa had to stay perfectly still. The world would feel a lot nicer if she could bring herself to believe that fantasy.

Maybe she could dream about that, rather than what horrors might wait for her in this place. Her medicine-induced weariness was starting to come back, now that the sharp edge of her hunger had been dulled somewhat. Rosa reminded herself that she would have to pee before falling asleep, but the bed was just so comfortable.

She decided she would lie for a few minutes, then get up to do her business, then sleep. It was her last coherent thought before she sank into dreamless stupor.

Chapter 60: A Medical

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Rosa woke up to the same harsh, glaring light in her cell. She couldn't tell how long she had been sleeping, but the feeling in her mouth was dreadful and the waterbed in her belly felt like it was about to burst. She'd slept right through her need to pee, but now it was no longer avoidable. Lowering herself gently to the floor was an exercise in teeth-grinding patience, as was shuffling carefully across the tiled floor. Once there, Rosa looked at the cell door and then at the toilet. It was just mounted to the wall, right there in plain sight. If anyone walked past, they would see exactly what she was doing.

Yes, her roommates had sometimes been in the bathroom while she had done her business, or vice versa, but that had been entirely different. Rosa trusted those mares with her life. On the other hand, she would be bound to hear anyone coming from a long way away, if Dr. Mason's echoing footsteps from the previous day had been any indication. With a sigh Rosa lifted herself and sat on the toilet.

Maybe Dr. Mason would let her have a toothbrush? All Rosa's belongings were gone and she'd forgotten to ask the woman when she had been in her cell. For that matter, Rosa wondered if someone could turn her lights off at night. She'd fallen asleep the previous night thanks to the drugs, but waking up with that harsh glare in her eyes was decidedly unpleasant.

She did the best she could for her mouth by gargling copious amounts of water, then went back to her bed. It was very unlikely she would sleep any more, which meant she just had to wait. If only she had something to read. Or do. Anything.

Were they trying to break her spirit through boredom?

Rosa realized she'd forgotten about her plan to try calling out for anyone else in the same corridor last night. It could be something constructive to do. She made her way to the cell door and thought about what to say and how. It was probably still early in the morning, so the humans weren't around yet. At least that was what she was hoping. Alternatively, any noise from her might make someone angry.

Despite her misgivings, Rosa cleared her throat and ventured: "Hello? Can anyone hear me?"

It was not a shout, but it should still be loud enough for anyone nearby to hear her. About a minute later there still wasn't any reply.

"Please," she tried again, "I just want to talk to someone!"

Rosa leaned her head against the bars so that one of her ears was poking out. She swiveled it this way and that, trying to catch any sound at all.

"Anyone? Sky Light? Dr. Mason?"

Maybe she really was the only pony in this hallway. She couldn't hear anything, nor could she ask anyone. It was probably very early in the morning, so the doctor wouldn't be in for hours! Rosa groaned and lay down on the floor beside the bars. There was nothing to see out there, but she would know a little sooner if anyone came.

Nothing to do. It was quickly driving her insane. The mare sniffed, unable to hold her tears inside much longer. At that point, she would welcome Dr. Mason, even if the doctor scared her. Any company would be better than this. When was the last time she'd been really alone? Had Rosa ever been really alone at all? At the School she always had her roommates, and her classmates, and even the teachers if no one else was around. Then, she'd been alone for a day when she ran away, but she'd been doing something, so Rosa didn't have time to think about it. Ever since then she'd been almost inseparable from Sky Light.

Except now she was gone. Rosa didn't know if she was alive, or dead, or hurt. She didn't know if her friend was scared or alone. Well, she probably was scared, but knowing that didn't make it any better. Rosa hoped Sky could ever forgive her.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered to no one in particular.

This couldn't go on for much longer, not if Rosa liked her sanity. She needed something to do, even if it was stupid. She got up and walked back to her bed. For a moment she consider getting in and trying to sleep some more, but it was not going to happen. She was fully awake. Instead she made it, smoothing down the sheets and fluffing the pillow until everything looked absolutely pristine. After that, she took several sips of water from the sink. No one had told Rosa if the water in the place was okay to drink, but she did it anyway. It helped a little to fill her empty stomach.

She ended up walking in circles around her room out of sheer boredom and desperation for what felt like hours, before a new noise caught her attention. Rosa rushed to the cell door to try and see outside. There were footsteps approaching and she felt her treacherous tail wave around in excitement. Pretty soon Dr. Mason came into view and Rosa immediately relaxed. Maybe she even smiled at her a little, it was hard to tell.

"Oh my, up bright and early are we?" the doctor asked with pleasant surprise in her voice.

"I don't know what time it is! I couldn't sleep."

Mason didn't comment on her predicament as she crouched in front of her cell to bring her face closer to Rosa. She lowered her voice a little bit, as if imparting a secret. "I'd like to do a few tests today, Rosa. Will you behave?"

Being let out of her prison sounded good, even if it was for medical tests. Rosa quickly nodded at the woman. "I promise!"

"Good! Now, this isn't because I don't trust you, okay? It's just a precaution, but you need to wear this," Dr. Mason said and pulled some bits of leather from her lab coat pocket.

Rosa couldn't immediately make sense of what she held. It looked almost like a collar, except that Rosa already had one. Realization slowly dawned. "A bridle?!" she gasped indignantly. "I'm not a horse!"

Eliza gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, but you did bite Dr. Ruth. It's just for now, okay? I'm sure if you behave well I'll be able to convince them you don't need it."

Her ears were as low as they would go, but Rosa still nodded. Even that would be better than pacing up and down her cell, alone, for hours. The doctor gave her a brilliant smile and reached her hand through the bars. Rosa stood still while she slipped the leather contraption over her head. A bit poked at her lips.

"Open," the doctor commanded.

She did so, reluctantly, blushing and avoiding her eyes. The piece of metal slipped into Rosa's mouth while Eliza tightened the bridle. "'eesh 'eeshm faa'," she tried to tell her.

The disfigured speech seemed quite funny to the doctor and Rosa's embarrassed look changed to a glare. "Oh, I'm sorry, sweetheart. Don't talk, okay? You are to be quiet while we do the tests and we'll chat afterwards. Just nod."

For a long moment Rosa considered refusing. Why make their lives easier? They experimented on ponies in this place! Would the doctor shock her with the collar to get her to obey? Rosa examined her face and was forced to admit that yes, she would. Instead of balking, she swallowed a lump and nodded, ears flat and tail curling up between her hind legs. Dr. Mason might act pleasant, but Rosa didn't trust this woman a single bit.

"Good girl," she praised and for some reason the words suddenly felt dirty to Rosa. Dr. Mason stood up and opened the cell door. "Come on, follow me," she invited, but she discreetly put her hand in her pocket. Of course she was holding the remote to Rosa's collar, in case the mare tried to escape or attack her, but at least she was trying to be discreet about it.

Rosa trudged out of the cell with her head hanging low.

"This way." The doctor set off and Rosa followed close behind her, already dreading what new horrors the day would bring. Yet, at the same time, she was more afraid of being left alone in her cell. Doing something - anything - had to be better, right?!
She had forgotten to ask Dr. Mason if today's tests would hurt. Now Rosa wished she had.

Dr. Mason led her into a perfectly normal-looking examination room. Rosa had seen one just like it back at the School and then again at the free clinic where Sky Light had taken her during her 'spayed scare'. There was a chair next to a stainless steel table and the doctor patted the backrest.

"Up," she ordered.

Rosa obediently clambered up on the examination table and then stood still, uncomfortable with the combination of height and exposure. She really wanted to ask Dr. Mason what she was going to do, but the bit in her mouth would make that an exercise in futility. Besides, she'd said Rosa should stay quiet and it had sounded like she meant it.

Her ears tracked the woman as she walked around, opening drawers and gathering whatever equipment she would need. While Rosa waited it was all she could do to control her breathing. Finally the doctor seemed ready and pushed a cart with a monitor over to the table. There was a tray of medical implements and Rosa hurriedly scanned it for anything sharp or pointy.

"Okay, be a good girl now and stand still," Dr. Mason murmured to her, picking up a glass tube.

It was a thermometer but Rosa was not sure how she would take it with the bridle on her muzzle. She didn't have to wonder for long. Dr. Mason stepped behind her, grabbed her tail in a firm hand and-

"Eeempf!" Rosa wanted to twirl around and her tail wanted to clamp down, but Mason kept an almost painful grip. "Hush now, sweetheart. Don't crush it or you'll cut yourself."

The warning worked and Rosa made herself stand still and lift her tail away. This way of taking her temperature was utterly demeaning and the woman should have at least warned her! Instead, Dr. Mason simply ignored Rosa's glare as she came back around, already putting a stethoscope in her ears.

"Deep, regular breaths," she commanded. There was nothing to it but obey. Rosa kept frowning at the wall in front of her. More than once she almost flicked her tail in annoyance, but remembered the thermometer in time and forced herself to stillness.

"Cough for me, please."

The mare did her best with the bridle and Eliza seemed satisfied. She took the metal pad away from her barrel and let the instrument dangle down from her neck. Then she picked up the next tool. It was the thing they used to look in Rosa's ears - she knew its function, but not its name.

"Ears up, please," Dr. Mason instructed.

When Rosa didn't comply in time, she simply gripped one with her fingers and lifted it enough so that she could work. It took a concentrated effort of will for Rosa to relax and not jerk her head away. If she refused to cooperate, it would just result in a struggle which the doctor would undoubtedly win. Rosa couldn't help being constantly aware of her collar and of the remote in her pocket.

"Mmm, good. Let's see here..." Dr. Mason muttered to herself and went back to her rear. Rosa tensed up in expectation of another humiliating thing, but all the doctor did was pluck the thermometer out of her. Rosa's tail went down to hide her immediately, but the woman didn't seem to care anymore. She examined the instrument under the light.

"All good here. Now, let's get a blood sample," she told her.

Knowing in advance made all the difference! This ordeal would have been a ton nicer if she'd just told Rosa what she was about to do! The mare almost stomped a hoof in frustration at being unable to say that.

Perhaps Dr. Mason had noticed her fidgeting, because she patted her side. "Stay still. We don't want you to pull out your IV, do we?"

Again Rosa imagined unstoppable fountains of blood and swallowed a lump. She made herself stand as still as she could. At least there was no needle this time. The doctor simply affixed a vial to the bit of plastic on her leg and it quickly started filling with red. Rosa was not too comfortable at the sight of blood, but she had done this kind of thing quite a few times now so she just bore it in silence.

"Very good," Dr. Mason praised her while she was labeling the vial and putting it in a rack on a nearby desk. "One of these days we'll have to do a pap smear and take a look in there to make sure there's no problems."

Rosa didn't know what that was and she raised her eyebrows at the doctor. Eliza guessed what she wanted to ask and smiled pleasantly. "Don't worry, it's just a routine test on your, hmm, 'lady parts'."

Her eyes bulged out in sudden horror and Rosa's tail crept further up her belly, but the doctor just chuckled pleasantly before giving Rosa a friendly pat on the mane. "It doesn't hurt, I promise."

That still wasn't too comforting, but Rosa already knew she couldn't avoid it. The good news was that wasn't happening right at that moment, so she would have more time to mentally prepare herself.

"Have you been sexually active?" Dr. Mason asked.

Rosa quickly and emphatically shook her head no. She couldn't tell if this pleased or disappointed the doctor, or if she just didn't care either way.

She gave the mare a final pat on her neck, then reached over to turn on the computer screen on her cart. It lighted soundlessly and showed some kind of a diagnostic screen Rosa couldn't make heads or tails of. There was a handle on the side and she remembered Dr. Haggar's ultrasound. This looked different, but maybe it was the same sort of thing? It would figure that secret government facilities had better gear than free clinics.

Except that Dr. Mason ran the plastic paddle over her neck, first on one side and then on the other. Rosa didn't see anything change on the screen and Eliza frowned a little, which confirmed that something was wrong.

"Hmm." The woman tapped a few buttons on the screen and then tried the paddle on Rosa again. This time there was a beep about halfway down her neck. The screen showed some message in blinking red.

It didn't look good. Whatever this device was meant to measure, it looked like Rosa's numbers weren't okay. She was starting to get worried.

"Well, that would explain it," Dr. Mason said. "I told them they should have swapped it, but does anyone ever listen to me?"

Rosa had zero clue what she was talking about. Maybe her equipment was malfunctioning and her boss or whoever refused to fix it?

When she looked back to Rosa, the mare gave her another eyebrows-raised questioning look. Eliza grinned and ruffled her mane. "Nothing you need to worry about, little Rosa."

At that moment the door to the examination room opened and another human walked in. Rosa let out a muffled 'eep' when she recognized him. The scientist she had bit the other night.

He immediately spotted her and his face went an ugly, dark shade of red. "You!" he muttered and it sounded almost like a swear.

His reaction caused no end of amusement to Dr. Mason and Rosa was suddenly very glad the woman was standing between the guy and herself. "Now now, Charlie, no reason to hold a grudge. Rosa is very sorry about biting you, aren't you, Rosa?"

Rosa was willing to promise anything to placate the man. She had a worrisome feeling he might try and get some revenge when Dr. Mason wasn't around, so she gave him her best 'sorry pony' look and nodded to the lady doctor's statement. The man just grunted and went on to take a clipboard from a drawer in what Rosa assumed was his desk.

On his way back he glanced at the monitor and paused. "This from her?" he asks curtly.

Dr. Mason nodded and stepped away so he could see better. "It's bust. We'll have to get it out of her and send it to tech for analysis."

'Take it out of her?!' Rosa made an involuntary whimper and Dr. Mason seemed to remember the mare was still there. She smiled at her in what she probably thought was a reassuring way, but it didn't quite work this time.

"Nothing to worry about, Rosa," she said, stroking her mane.

"Mmgph! 'aay womf 'oo 'ew ee?!" Rosa demanded.

The doctor just raised a finger. "Ah, ah," she cautioned, "remember what we said about talking?"

Rosa's ears flopped down and she heaved a long-suffering sigh. She even went as far as to lightly stomp a hoof, but she didn't try to talk anymore. Hopefully the bridle would come off later, as promised, and Rosa would be able to ask her questions. Hopefully, Eliza would even answer them.

Dr. Mason put her hands on the chair beside the examination table. "Come on, down you go. Let's get you a shower and some breakfast. We'll talk after."

All three of those things Rosa liked, so her ears perked up, which made the woman smile pleasantly.

"See? We're not monsters here, Rosa, we really aren't. I'll explain everything and then I'll let you decide."

Rosa highly doubted that last part, but the woman seemed sincere. Maybe - just maybe - whatever this decision was wouldn't be too bad. Rosa obediently clambered off the examination table, making sure to keep Dr. Mason between herself and Charlie at all times. He cast an occasional glare her way, but otherwise he was busy fiddling with the computer screen and whatever mysterious problem it had.

Only too happy to get out of his sight, Rosa followed Dr. Mason back into the corridor. The doctor led her down some passages and through some doors in a confusing labyrinth of offices. The weird part was that they didn't see any cells, nor any other ponies. Rosa would have imagined there would be more, especially as this particular facility seemed very well equipped to deal with her kind. Her mind was ablaze with all the questions, but all Rosa could do at the moment was quietly follow the lady doctor.

She passed some people on the way and greeted them in an absentminded, disinterested way. A few of them looked at the mare, but no one paid her much attention. Rosa was grateful for that, since the bridle was still making her blush with embarrassment.

Eventually they ended up in a tiled room that smelled strongly of chlorine and soap. There were some shower-like fixtures on one of the walls and a large drain in the floor under it. Rosa looked around for a curtain or a glass pane, but there was nothing.

"In you go," Dr. Mason said, motioning with her hand.

Rosa looked at her and then tapped the bridle with a hoof and grunted. The doctor leaned down to scratch her ear. "Sorry, sweetheart. It'll have to stay for now. I'll talk with the people tomorrow and see if we can dispense of it. You've been a very good girl, so far."

The 'so far' worried her a bit, but Rosa was determined to comply, at least for as long as Dr. Mason keeps acting nice. She gave the woman a resigned nod and shuffled under the shower. She was wondering if Eliza would wash her herself, which would be completely awkward and totally inappropriate, but luckily the woman just took a bottle of some kind of soap from a cabinet on the wall and placed it on the floor beside Rosa. She reached for the doorknob much to the mare's relief. At least she would get to wash herself in privacy.

"You can handle things from here, right?" the doctor asked and Rosa nodded emphatically.

"Mpmhpmm!" she confirmed.

"Good. Knock on the door when you're ready to get out."

Too late Rosa realized that she hadn't left her any towels, but the woman was already out of the room. Rosa looked around to see if she could find anything, but the place was pretty bare. It was not a big deal. Maybe Dr. Mason would bring her a towel when Rosa was done and if it came to the worst she could always dry out naturally. It wouldn't be Rosa who had to mop up all the floors!

For now, she was determined to enjoy some hot water, bridle and collar or no!

Chapter 61: The Microchip

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Rosa got a quick lettuce and tomato sandwich for breakfast and then it was away for more tests. For the most part they were done by Dr. Mason, but more and more often there were others to help. The number of people in the facility had increased as the day went on and a small, shameful part of Rosa was a bit glad for the bridle so she didn't have to talk to anyone.

Dr. Mason had taken her to get an X-Ray and then an ultrasound. Then she had taken Rosa to a kindly old doctor whose name she didn't catch and who examined her teeth and proclaimed her 'good'. Rosa hoped she would get to see him again. He was one of the few people who seemed genuinely nice at this place, but she had been whisked away before she could really get to know him. Not least because he'd removed her bridle to examine her teeth, which meant she was able to chat with him a little, at least for the few minutes while Dr. Mason was away.

At length the lady doctor had brought Rosa to the same examination room as in the morning. It was probably her workplace, Rosa supposed. Mason had her climb up on the metal table again.

This time the doctor plucked a few hairs from her cutie mark, then, seemingly at random, tested Rosa's eyesight. This last part meant the bridle came off again, but Dr. Mason had warned her repeatedly not to try to talk, other than answering her questions and reading from the eye chart.

As soon as that was done the leather thing had gone back on. Rosa was starting to feel pretty fed up with all the testing and poking, but none of it had been particularly horrible. Maybe they were saving that for the afternoon?

At long last Dr. Mason declared it was time for lunch and Rosa's belly growled as if on cue. Eliza took her back to the cell and finally removed her bridle, this time for good, or at least until they went out again. As soon as the wretched thing was off Rosa's face she shook her head and worked the stiffness out of her jaw muscles. She hadn't even realized how hard she'd been biting on it. She opened her mouth to ask the first question, but the doctor put a finger on Rosa's lips and the mare stayed silent. Dr. Mason was massaging her scalp with her other hand, so Rosa decided to obey for now.

"So, here's what we'll do. You shouldn't technically be allowed to join other ponies - quarantine and so on - so I can't let you take your lunch in the mess hall, but I'll bring you lunch in here, okay?"

The mention of other ponies got Rosa's ears up quickly. It sounded as if she might eventually be allowed to see them! Something else felt more urgent and she gently pushed Dr. Mason's finger away.

"Um, Eliza," she tried to sound as casual and friendly as she could, "what was all that about something breaking and taking it out of me. What is 'it'?"

Mason pursed her lips for a minute in thought, then shrugged a little to herself. "Well, don't be alarmed, but there is a tiny microchip implanted in you," she said and patted somewhere along Rosa's neck, "about here. It's so small you can't even feel it."

"Microchip?!" Rosa gasped, suddenly imagining she could feel a bit of metal poking her under her skin. She reached up with both hooves to feel it, but there was nothing to detect.

"You won't be able to feel it, Rosa. It's very small."

Rosa remembered the second part of her question. "It's broken?! What's it gonna do to me? What should it do to me?!"

She was starting to pant and the doctor put her hand in Rosa's mane to try and calm her down. "Relax," she said in a soothing voice, "it's harmless. You've had it for all your life and it hasn't done anything bad to you, right?"

Some wheels turned in Rosa's head and she pulled away from the woman. "Is that why I'm not going into heat?!" she demanded. "Why I only got one cutie mark instead of two?!"

At least Dr. Mason didn't try to follow her or keep her hold. Rosa didn't want to be touched right then and Eliza seemed to sense it.

"The first part is how it was supposed to work," she explained. "They are designed to slowly release hormones into your blood - it's like a kind of contraception. If you were chosen to mate, it would simply be disabled and you'd be back to normal in a month."

Rosa watched this woman with mounting horror, hooves going up to her neck as if she was going to rip the crazy little thing out. Dr. Mason didn't seem perturbed as she kept explaining. "That part must still be working. It would explain why you didn't go into heat. That one time back in your School was a fluke and we ran a full diagnostic."

"I don't remember any of that!" Rosa said, aghast.

"Your school vet - Doctor Patterson - scanned the chip when he checked you after your heat and sent us the files. It seemed fine. I said it should be replaced, but your instructor didn't want to subject you to surgery if it wasn't strictly necessary."

Rosa was starting to feel sick to her stomach. She had had no idea! Did this mean- "Do all the ponies in the school have this chip!?"

Dr. Mason smiled. "Of course. You're all part of an experiment. That's where the second function of the implant comes in. You see, ever since people decided that cutie marks are scary, we've been looking for a way to suppress them."

Twisting her neck to look at her flank gave Rosa a minute she desperately needed to calm down before she tried bucking this woman right in her smug face. She took several deep breaths. Fighting her would just get Rosa killed. "Why?" she sobbed.

"Because people are afraid. Because, despite their fear, they still want to employ ponies. This way you can help people without having to worry about what kind of cutie mark you get, or if it's good or bad. It's better for everyone."

Yes, on paper it maybe sounded nice, but something deep in Rosa's soul was horrified at the idea. Was this the reason the school ponies were being taught that cutie marks were bad? She now knew that wasn't true, but if they'd told her about this chip back in the School she would have taken it in stride, Rosa thought. She'd really trusted her instructors and the school staff.

Tears filled her vision and Rosa curled up on her bed. Suddenly she was not hungry anymore. Playing around with ponies' fate was nothing short of barbaric! "I didn't want this!" she choked out. "I hate this!"

Dr. Mason's hand was in her mane again, but Rosa didn't slap it away. "There there, I know it's a lot to take in, Rosa, but try to understand. We do this because we want you to have a happy, fulfilling life. You can't have that if that thing-" the woman poked her flank, "is telling you to do something else." She paused for a moment, then went on: "How would you feel if your cutie mark told you to kill people. Or other ponies? I've seen both and it's not very nice. Both of them went crazy in the end."

It made a kind of twisted, logical sense. Rosa felt there was an obvious, glaring flaw in it, but she couldn't, for the life of her, find it right at that moment. She remained silent.

"Just think it over, okay? The chips are very safe, even if they fail like yours sometimes. Ponies - and humans - are better off with them than without. And soon, every pony in the world will have one and we'll all be much better off."

Rosa didn't want to hear any more. "Please, just stop," she moaned.

"Don't you want lunch? Aren't you hungry?" the doctor prompted.

Despite her stomach saying otherwise Rosa firmly shook her head. "Just leave me alone, please!"

Dr. Mason heaved a sad sigh and stood up. "I'll let you think about this and I'll come see you before I leave, okay? This really is important for you to understand."

Rosa ignored what she'd said and turned her teary eyes on the standing woman. "What will you do to me now?"

Her reply came with a smile, an almost gentle one. "Don't worry, we'll get the broken chip out of you. There's no way to reverse a cutie mark, so you'll be stuck with it. The most important thing is that we figure out why the chip failed so we can fix it for other ponies."

"And then? What happens then?!"

This made Dr. Mason thoughtful, but finally she answered: "Your specific cutie mark doesn't look like one of the bad ones. We'll see if we can find you work aligned with your talent. But that depends."

"On what?!"

"On whether you can learn to accept the way things are or not."

"And if I can't?"

The doctor leaned forward and lifted her muzzle, gently, with a hand. "We won't give up so easily, okay? Give it time. I'm sure you'll understand someday."

Rosa very much doubted it, but she didn't say it out loud. Something told her that failing to fully embrace their twisted ideology would mean her death. Maybe she'd have to pretend? That would be her best chance to get out of this place alive, even if she ended up a virtual slave. Slave, doing what her cutie mark represented was a lot better than a defiant corpse.

She would have to be careful and shouldn't fake it too quickly though, or Dr. Mason would be bound to suspect her. Rosa slipped her muzzle out of Dr. Mason's grasp and looked at the floor. "I'll- I'll think about it..." she muttered darkly.

"Good girl!"

She didn't watch the doctor leave.

The day went mostly back to boredom, except now it was underlined by misery. How thoroughly had the humans been controlling Rosa's entire life? Could she even trust her thoughts anymore? Who even was she, really? Rosa kept feeling her neck, but she didn't sense anything unusual. This chip seemed really stealthy. She wondered if a regular doctor would even spot it. Maybe with an X-Ray? Too bad Dr. Haggar hadn't done one of those when she'd come in with Sky Light. Unfortunately they were a bit expensive, Rosa understood, so they only did them when necessary.

Dr. Mason had said they'd take the broken chip out of her. Rosa wondered whether they would put a different one in. Would there even be any point to it? More importantly, if she asked Eliza and got an answer, could Rosa believe it? Could she ever believe a human again?

Well, that one was a no-brainer. She'd believe Dr. Haggar, Pavo, Mrs. Basilius, Richie, even Terry, after a fashion. There were a ton of trustworthy people out there.
It was just the School staff and the scientists at this facility that Rosa knew she really shouldn't trust. As a bonus, they were the ones who had her fate in their hands. Irony.

Was that even irony? Rosa didn't remember that English lecture too well, so she might have been guessing a bit there. She tossed around to lie on her other side with a huff. The light was still too bright and it was seriously annoying, so she pulled the blanket over her head. It was not helping that she was very hungry from missing lunch. Last night's dinner also hadn't been quite filling enough, and today's breakfast had been a stop-gap measure at best. Rosa had been really looking forward to some solid food.

Maybe it was time to swallow her pride a little bit? She still had to live, even in this place. Rosa already knew she was beaten, so why delay? Defeated, hooves dragging on the tiles, she made her way to the bars. She leaned her forehead against the cool metal for a while.

"Here goes nothing," she murmured quietly to herself. Louder, she called: "Um, Dr. Mason? I'd like some lunch now..."

Of course it was too quiet for anyone to hear, especially a human, but Rosa's cheeks were already burning with embarrassment. A grumble in her stomach prodded her to greater volume. "Anyone?! Please, I'm hungry!"

She froze in the act of yelling when a new thought rose up. Was her unusual appetite the fault of her broken, hormone-releasing microchip? Like a side effect? Maybe she should tell Dr. Mason. If it was starting to mess with her like that, Rosa wanted it gone as soon as possible. The thought of some device going haywire inside her body made her belly clench into a painful knot.

"Help! Someone!"

A door opened and footsteps approached. Rosa immediately recognized it was not Dr. Mason, so she stepped away from the bars, worried. What would this new person be like? Would they be annoyed at the noise she was making?

It was a middle-aged man and Rosa scanned his face for signs of anger. Fortunately, he just looked vaguely curious. "Yes?" he asked in a pleasing, deep baritone.

Rosa decided she liked this guy on first impression, so she smiled tentatively. "Um, I'm h-hungry," she said.

The man reached for the wall and lifted a clipboard which was hanging there. Rosa hadn't even seen it when Dr. Mason had taken her out earlier. He inspected whatever was written there. "Sorry, says here you're under quarantine for the week. Dr. Mason is your attending, didn't she feed you?"

Rosa swallowed and tried to decide just how much truth to tell the guy. "Um- she left before she got around t-to it."

His expression unreadable, the man hung the clipboard back and turned to leave. Rosa opened her mouth to call him back and plead some more, but he sighed before she could get a word out. "I'll see what I can do."

She smiled brightly at the man and her tail swished around excitedly. "Thank you!"

As he walked away Rosa went and sat right at the bars so she'd see him the moment he came back into view. Hopefully he wouldn't be stingy, she really needed a solid meal in her belly. The world would look a lot better after a solid meal.

Rosa licked the last few breadcrumbs from the tray and then noticed there were some more on the sheet. Maybe eating on her bed hadn't been the greatest idea, but she didn't really have a table. Not unless she closed the lid on the toilet, but that was just gross. It wasn't a huge problem, and she simply leaned down and licked up the crumbs from the bed sheet too. Lunch had been vegetable stew, with two pieces of bread and a cup of pudding. The memory on its own was enough to get her salivating again, and Rosa poked her nose in the cup for that last bit of aroma. Despite having done this a few times already, she licked it clean yet again, imagining she could taste the last traces of delicious chocolate goop. It wasn't as much as she wanted to eat, but it was enough. Rosa reminded herself about willpower. Even if the chip in her neck was making her extra hungry, she had to control herself. She was stronger than some malfunctioning electronics.

She was a bit sad the new doctor guy hadn't stuck around to chat with her while she ate. He'd seemed pleasant enough, but Rosa couldn't really complain if he had other obligations. It was going to go back to boring in a minute, but just this second she almost felt fine. Well, except for the whole being captured and not knowing her future thing. Oh, and the 'your entire life was a lie' thing. That one kinda sucked, too. It felt like she hadn't finished agonizing and crying over that one just yet. It'd probably come after her in the night. Maybe she would get a nightmare. Maybe she'd see her weird night time visitor again. The way Rosa was remembering it, the voice almost seemed friendly in retrospect.

Rosa burped quietly and then froze when she heard another human approaching her cell. She listened to the footsteps for a moment and then her ears folded down.

It was Dr. Mason.

The doctor stopped at the bars in front of the cell and watched Rosa for a moment. "So you were hungry after all?" she asked, a small, amused smile on her lips.

Rosa dropped her gaze to the floor. "Yes..." she answered demurely.

"Ready to talk to me again?"

Almost she said no, but then Rosa thought about the long, boring, mind-numbing afternoon stretching before her and changed her mind. "Y-Yes."

"I looked up this Maribelle you mentioned, you know?"

This made Rosa sit bolt upright and perk her ears up so as not to miss anything. "Is she okay?! Where is she?! Please tell me!"

It was a bit frustrating the way Dr. Mason took her time to unlock the cell door, come in and then lock it after herself. She approached the bed and looked at the tray with a raised eyebrow. There was plenty of room for her to sit and Rosa scooched away, hoping she'd get the message.

Instead, the woman chuckled a little. "I'll have to have a word with Brad - he just brought you empty bowls it looks like."

Rosa was about to explain how hungry she'd been, but she spotted Eliza's lips quirking upwards. She was making a joke.

"Yeah." There was not much humor in it, but Rosa gave a dutiful chuckle anyway.

Finally Dr. Mason sat down.

"How is Maribelle?! Can I see her? Please!"

The woman didn't waste any more time in answering her questions. "Don't worry, your friend is fine. She got here only a couple of months ago because she got her cutie mark, too."

"I know that! Can I see her?" Rosa asked impatiently.

Dr. Mason put her hand in her mane and Rosa didn't fight the touch. She was just too anxious about Maribelle. Her plan to come see her had worked, even if it hadn't gone the way she'd imagined it! Knowing that made Rosa a tiny bit happier.

"Soon, don't worry," Eliza told her, gently scratching an ear. "You have to stay in quarantine for a few more days, okay? You don't want to bring some unknown germs to the ponies here and have them get sick, do you?"

It made a lot of sense, but the waiting was going to kill her. Rosa heaved a sigh and lowered her muzzle sadly. "I know..."

"Good girl. So, I've scheduled your surgery for tomorrow morning. We'll get that broken chip out of you and see what happened."

"W-Will you put a- a n-new one in?" Rosa stammered.

The woman chuckled a bit. "No, what would be the point? You already have your cutie mark, so it wouldn't do much for you."

"What about the- um, contraception thing?"

Her stuttered question earned Rosa a long, unreadable look, then Dr. Mason shrugged a little. "There's other ways to deal with that. We'll see."

Her words felt a tiny bit ominous, but they reminded Rosa of a potential other side effect. "Um, lately I've been really hungry. Is that b-because of the chip?"

This time Eliza sounded genuinely amused as she laughed. "Oh, you're just too precious, Rosa. Tell me, what was your normal day like back at the School?"

Rosa couldn't see where she was going with it, but it must have been building up to an answer, right? The woman wasn't that random. "Well, I mostly went to school and studied..."

"Physical exercise?"

"Uh, yeah in the gym class. Also, sometimes we played tag or hide and seek."

The lady doctor nodded a little, giving her an encouraging smile. "Okay, and what have you been doing recently?"

It would be very bad if she implicated Pavo, or his family, or Tim, or their company, Rosa knew. She tried to form her story so she didn't have to mention them. "I- um, lived on the streets with Sky Light. We went mooching a lot. Then I guess we were just," she thought furiously how to explain it, "um, hitchhiking over here."

Eliza didn't pick up on the omission, which was a good sign for her story. Her fingers dug into Rosa's scalp in pleasant massage "So, a lot more active, no? No wonder your appetite picked up. It's perfectly normal."

That was a piece of some good news, at least. Rosa relax a little more and returned to her original question. "Maribelle is okay? What about her chip?"

The scratching behind her ears went on. Rosa still didn't fully trust the woman, but that did feel quite nice. When the doctor spoke again, she was looking at the far wall with a million-mile look on her face. "We got it analyzed and there's a fix being worked on, so the rest of your friends at School don't have to go through the same thing. I wonder if yours will exhibit the same issue."

Rosa wisely kept silent about her friends 'having to go through the same thing'. If she ever got a chance, she'd like to take all their chips out and finally let them experience their destiny. Not that she'd done much with hers so far. Rosa glanced back at her flank and sighed. Hopefully it was going to turn out alright in the end.

Eliza watched her movements, then gave Rosa's barrel a quick pat. "You'll see her soon, Rosa. You'll be happy here, I'm sure of it. I know it's bewildering at first, but it'll all make sense in the end."

There was no point in asking 'what if it didn't'. Dr. Mason might tell Rosa the alternatives and they would likely be ones she didn't want to hear. It was best just to pretend, at least until something more useful offered itself. Heaving a sad, weary sigh, Rosa gave Eliza a flat-eared nod. "I guess..."

"So, you should get some rest. It's a small operation you have tomorrow, but we'll still have to put you under general anesthesia."

Rosa stiffened when she realized the doctor was going to leave her and she'd be bored out of her mind for the rest of the day! 'Um, c-can I get a book or s-something?" she pleaded, focusing a hopeful, wide-eyed expression on the doctor. "Please? There's nothing to- to do here."

The woman smiled some more. "I'll see what I can find, Rosa. Your behavior has been exemplary, so I think we can make some concessions."

The smile Rosa gave her was only half-forced, which disgusted her a tiny bit. Even knowing everything she knew, Rosa still wanted to please people. Hypocrite. Sky Light would have been so disappointed in her.

"Is Sky L-Light okay?"

"She's doing fine. Dr. Barton will give her a checkup and then we'll probably let you two meet- if you promise to behave?"

"I promise!" Rosa would be willing to say and agree to anything if it meant getting to see the pegasus and being able to tell her how sorry she was. "What will happen to her after?"

Dr. Mason looked thoughtful for the moment, then shrugged. "Well, she's a bit old to be educated, but it's been done before. I guess, if she's good, we'll find her a job somewhere. I'm sure we can find something for her to do." There was a moment's silence, then: "Rosa?"

"Yes?"

"I'll be counting on you to tell Sky Light to behave, okay? You have to convince her this is for the best. If she keeps fighting us I won't be able to do anything. They'll put her down."

Rosa's gut did a somersault at this and her eyes quickly filled up with tears. She started shaking her head. "Please," Rosa breathed, "why can't you just let her go? It wasn't her fault!"

"Don't worry, Rosa. It's not a decision we make lightly. We'll give you every opportunity to make her see reason. She can have a much better life here than on the streets. She'll have a place to stay, a warm bed, food, medical care. You'll both be fine, see?"

If Rosa could only believe the doctor, her and Sky Light's fates wouldn't seem entirely bad, other than being a prisoner or a slave for as long as they lived. There was that, but otherwise they'd be alive and somewhat okay. Maybe an opportunity would arise for the two to get away, once they had the humans' trust. Rosa would have to stay determined and keep her eyes open. After all, she and Sky Light had made it this far, hadn't they? The most important thing to do was for both mares to stay alive. She had to make Sky Light understand that, and she had to go along, even if she had to pretend, like Rosa! Thinking that way was helping Rosa keep the bad thoughts away and she gave Dr. Mason another weak smile.

"Okay. Um, thank you... Eliza."

The doctor gave Rosa another pat and stood up. "I'll go find you a book then. Oh, and I can take this away," she said, picking up the tray. There was nothing Rosa could really reply to that, so she just nodded and remained sitting on her bed. Hopefully she'd get an interesting read so Rosa didn't die of boredom before bedtime.

"Oh! Dr. Mason?" she squeaked just as the woman was locking the door.

"Hmm?" she asked, pausing.

Rosa pointed a hoof upwards. "C-Can you turn down the lights at night? It's hard to sleep..."

Eliza gave her a wide smile. "I'll see what I can do, sweetheart."

With that, she was gone.

Chapter 62: Dreamscape

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Rosa's heart was pounding with both joy and terror as Dr. Mason led her down a different corridor on the top floor of the facility. Rosa's cell, she now knew, was on the first floor. They had taken an elevator ride and the mare had seen the numbers on the buttons. She didn't spend much time on this new revelation, though, not with how excited she was getting. Eliza was bringing Rosa to see Sky Light and the poor mare was desperately trying to control her breathing, lest she hyperventilated herself. Her throat was dry and her legs trembled a bit.

Would Sky Light be mad at her? After all, it was completely Rosa's fault that they were both stuck in this place. Had they beaten her, or starved her? Maybe the pegasus would hate her once friend and Rosa would be all alone and miserable in the scary facility. Was that what the humans wanted? It would probably make her easier to control.

Suddenly Rosa no longer had any time to guess and fear, because they were there. Dr. Mason stopped in front of a cell and Rosa came to stand beside her, heart hammering so loudly that even the doctor could probably hear it. There was Sky Light, sitting upright on a bed in a cell very much like Rosa's own. Her ears were perked up in surprise and, upon seeing her visitor, her face broke out in a relieved grin.

Rosa realized her friend was not mad, at least not so much that she hated her! Relief flooded through her body and Rosa almost fell to the floor as she sat on her haunches.

"No no no," Sky Light shook her head. She ran right up to the bars and stuck her hooves through. "C'mere!"

Rosa was only too happy to press herself against the iron as well, so her friend could give her a hug as best as she could. Sky even somehow managed to give Rosa a small nuzzle.

It all lasted just for a moment and then the pegasus released her. Hugging through metal bars was uncomfortable, but had done wonders to calm Rosa down. She was grinning like an idiot, but didn't care out of sheer relief that Sky was okay.

The other mare glanced briefly at the doctor, then decided to ignore her. "How are you? How are they treating you?" she asked.

"I'm fine!" Rosa assured her. "How about you? Have they- um. You know, after they caught us?"

Sky Light was good at guessing what Rosa was thinking and she shook her head. "No, they haven't beaten me, Rosa. It's just really, really boring. Sometimes I think regular beatings would be kinder." This statement made Sky chuckle and even Dr. Mason gave a short laugh.

The woman interjected at that point: "If Rosa vouches that you'll behave, I might be able to get you a radio or some books."

The pegasus lit up at this news. "Thanks. That'd be something. So, when will you let us go?"

Rosa's face fell and Sky Light's expression darkened as well when she saw the look.

"I see," she said, needing no answer other than what she could read in her friend's eyes.

She didn't understand! Rosa had to explain it to her, except she couldn't trust herself not to give something away. Casting an imploring look at the doctor Rosa made her ears go flat and eyes go extra large and wet. "Um, could we talk alone for a minute, Eliza?" she pleaded.

The doctor seemed a bit uncertain, looking from Rosa to the bewildered pegasus and back several times. Finally she shrugged a little. "I'll be just down the hall."

She walked away and Rosa waited until Dr. Mason was around the corner, then she leaned right against the bars again and motioned for Sky to do the same. It would be stupid to assume there were no microphones. The entire place was probably thoroughly bugged, at least the pony living areas. Hopefully whatever surveillance the humans had wasn't sensitive enough for her whisper.

"We're in danger," she told the pegasus. "They can't let us go because this place has to stay a secret."

"Okay," Sky Light answered," makes sense. So why haven't they just killed us?"

Rosa twisted herself around so that Sky could see a small plaster on a patch of bald skin on the back of her neck.

It made her gasp. "What the fuck is that?!" Sky hissed.

"Microchip. That's why I didn't go into heat. They put them in at birth. All ponies at my School have one."

"That's barbaric!"

"They're supposed to prevent cutie marks, too, but I guess sometimes they break or something. Mine kinda half-broke so they took it out. This-" Rosa patted her neck near the plaster, "is where they took it out."

Sky Light was silent for a while, but then she shook her head angrily. Rosa hadn't seen that expression on the normally carefree pegasus before. Perhaps the closest had been the time Rosa had gotten angry and told her she was leaving.

"Fuck," Sky Light said at last in a defeated tone of voice. "That's fucked up."

Rosa reached her hoof through the bars and her friend hugged it to herself. It was comforting and Rosa simply enjoyed the touch for a while.

"So what will they do to you now?" Sky asked.

Rosa was still not sure if she could believe Dr. Mason, but it was the best answer she had for the moment. "Indoctrinate me, I guess. I'm supposed to think these microchips are a good thing. If they believe me, they'll find me a job for my talent."

"What about me?"

This was a harder question and Rosa shook her head sadly. "Dr. Mason said you're too old to teach. If you behave they'll give you some job somewhere, but they'll keep an eye on you and you won't be allowed to leave."

Her lips pursed and Sky was about to swear again, but Rosa reached her other hoof through the bars and urgently grabbed her leg.

"Listen to me! Pretend, okay?!" Rosa said as quickly as she could in as quiet a whisper as she could manage." That's what I'm doing. They'll kill you if they think you'll fight them. Please, Sky."

Sky Light sneered in response. "I'd rather die than kowtow to these fuckers!"

"We can't escape if we're dead!"

The sudden, urgent whisper made Sky freeze and focus her ears, so Rosa went on quickly before her friend stopped listening to her. "I wanted to come find Maribelle, right? Well, it worked, we're here. And now I wanna escape and I won't stop until that happens too! They just need to let us go outside for a minute and we'll be out of here! Just- fucking pretend, Sky! For me."

The other mare seemed undecided, but then her ears sagged and Rosa relaxed a little. She could see from Sky's expression that she had won. "Oh fine. We'll try this crazy plan. At least, if we try to escape and they catch us again, they'll probably just kills us, right?"

Her thought was morbid and Rosa started to shake her head, but then caught a tiny smile on Sky's lips. Rosa grinned back at her. "That's right. If we'd rather die than serve we can't really lose."

Sky Light gave a solemn nod to that. "Okay, so what's the plan?"

Now it was time for Rosa to look embarrassed and blush a little. "Don't have one, yet. Just keep our eyes open, I guess. Pretend you're coming around to the idea, but not too quickly or it'll be suspicious. I'll try and come talk with you often, but I dunno if they will let me. Maybe if they think I'm helping change your mind." A new idea occurred to Rosa and she smiled in anticipation. "Oh! Pretend like you almost believe them after my visit, but then go back to resisting, so it looks like I'm convincing you!"

Sky Light's grin quickly matched Rosa's. "I like it. Devious little Rosa. These humans are gonna be sorry they messed with you."

The praise somehow reminded Rosa of the reason she was visiting and her ears splayed in misery. She looked Sky Light square in the face and sighed. "Look, we got caught because of me. I'm sorry."

The other mare just watched for a moment, then smiled faintly. "I wanted to come along. We both made plans, so I guess we both failed about the same."

"Yeah, but I-"

"Hush. I'm supposed to be the older one here. That's how responsibility works, you know? Then again, I guess if I was responsible I wouldn't live on the street..."

Rosa didn't quite understand where Sky was going with that, but she kept her legs through the bars so the pegasus had something to hug. "They'll let me see the other ponies here soon. I'll see Maribelle."

Sky Light managed a weak smile. "Well, you're right. Your plan did work."

Again Rosa lowered her voice to a whisper. "The next one will work, too! Just- don't give up, okay? Remember what I told you!" She didn't dare say anything more because she spotted Dr. Mason coming back.

Sky Light couldn't see the doctor yet, but she could hear the footsteps and she could read Rosa's expression. She released her friend's leg and spoke up. "Ahem. Yeah," she said a bit more loudly, "I'll think about it okay? I don't like any of this, but I trust you, Rosa."

Almost spoiling her lie, Rosa caught herself barely a moment before she would have asked Sky what she was talking about. She flashed her friend a quick, grateful smile, then looked up at the woman. "Um, thank you for letting us talk, Eliza," Rosa told her. "It really means a lot."

The lady leaned down to pat her head. "No problem, sweetheart. Ready to go back?"

Rosa stood up, waved a hoof at Sky Light and walked after the woman. If she pleaded and begged and resisted she would definitely never bring her again.

"Could I come visit Sky Light sometimes, Dr. Mason?"

"I think that can be arranged. Don't worry, Rosa, your friend won't be in that cell forever, just like you won't. Everything will turn out alright in the end, believe me."

Rosa nodded as happily as she could manage while the woman led her back to her cell. She had promised Rosa lunch, and then they had to do more tests, or maybe they were the same tests again, or a mixture of the two. One of them involved Rosa running on a treadmill for as long as she could. It sounded unpleasant, but at the same time Rosa knew some physical exercise should do her good. Hopefully she could keep that in mind when she was panting and sweaty again.

The doctor also wanted to do something called an 'MRI'. Rosa felt like she should know what the abbreviation meant, but she had forgotten. Something medical, she knew that much.

At least the day wouldn't be boring, Rosa thought to herself.

This time Rosa was quite happy and relieved to get her mysterious star-filled dream. Her life had changed so much, so quickly, that it almost felt like a return to normalcy.

Once again she was standing on a soft, warm surface, and there were no walls in sight, only the night sky. The place was absolutely quiet and Rosa turned around in a circle, looking for whatever creature had been visiting her.

"Hello? I made it to White Pigeon," she told it preemptively.

There was no answer, which made Rosa worry a little.

"What do I do now?"

Having nothing better to look at, she turned her eyes upwards and gazed at the night sky. It was full of stars and it felt absolutely, infinitely vast. Was it Earth's sky? Rosa shook her head and snorted at the silly idea. Of course it was Earth's sky. Either that or it was a complete fabrication. She hadn't seen any other skies for her subconsciousness to draw upon.

It was still nice to pretend that maybe she was actually looking at the Equestrian sky. Rosa wondered if she would ever get to see it for real. Probably not, she decided.

There was no visible moon this time and somehow that made Rosa feel a little more lonely.

"Rosa..." came a whisper, apparently from all around her. It was hard to tell, but Rosa thought it was the same voice as all the times before.

"Yes! I'm at White Pigeon. What should I do now?"

Maybe it really was a figment of her subconsciousness, but it hadn't lied to her yet. The White Pigeon thing had been nothing short of amazing. Some would have called it 'supernatural', but Rosa thought she must have heard the words spoken somewhere in the School and simply hadn't consciously remembered. There had to be a rational explanation, she was convinced of that. That was what Mr. Danhauer, her old Maths and Physics teacher, had always said. Everything had to have an explanation. Rosa wondered what that man would have said if confronted with magic. They only had stories, but Rosa had heard that back in Equestria a certain kind of pony - unicorns - could use magic.

Suddenly she realized that the voice hasn't said anything else. It felt like it had been getting weaker each time she had dreamed it. Rosa wondered what that meant. It probably wasn't coming from anywhere in this facility, then. It was as good as proven. If anything, the mysterious dream person would have been getting stronger as Rosa came nearer, wouldn't it?

Maybe it had been coming from her School after all?

"Hello?" Rosa prompted.

"You will... meet a pony," the unseen speaker said, again coming from all directions. "Her name- Starla."

"Okay?" Rosa tried to think back and remember if she had ever heard of a pony called 'Starla' back at the School. It had got to be coming from some hidden, forgotten memory, right? Actually, no, Rosa didn't know where it was coming from. The most logical explanation was that the voice was somehow her subconscious mind trying to tell her something, but it could also be coming from the outside. Maybe it really was something mystical.

"Tell her-" the creature said, but the words faded before Rosa could catch them.

"Yes?"

"Tell her eighteen sixty one. Remember."

Rosa tried to make sense of the number, then leaned her head to the side. "American Civil War? Why? What does that mean?"

The creature, whatever it was, ignored her. "Up."

For a moment Rosa didn't understand what it meant, but then she lifted her head and looked at the stars. A bright, larger-than-life, full moon hung in the night sky. It was weird that she could still see all the stars, though. Rosa remembered reading somewhere that the full moon was so bright that most stars became invisible. "Moon?"

"Tell... Starla eighteen sixty one. It will lead her to the moon. Remember."

Rosa shrugged a little to herself. The first explanation was starting to look like the true one. Her poor mind, with all the upheaval of the past few days, was finally going insane. Dreams were simply the first place where she was noticing it. She was probably mixing up Mr. Danhauer's lessons on astronomy with Mr. Marston's history, and dragging along a name of a pony Rosa had probably seen written down somewhere.

She wondered if it was even worth asking more questions? The voice was already pretty faint. "I'll remember," she assured the invisible speaker.

There was no reply and the place felt empty once more. The moon was still there, but its glow didn't illuminate whatever Rosa had been standing on. It was as if the floor was absorbing the light. It was still quite warm and soft, so she curled up and went back to sleep. It was a lot easier than under the lamp in her cell, even if Dr. Mason had managed to turn it down a tiny bit. Rosa really did need the sleep, she remembered. She would have an exciting day tomorrow. She would finally get to meet the other ponies in this place.

She would finally see Maribelle again.

The thought was enough to make Rosa smile as she fell asleep in that strange dreamscape.

Chapter 63: Maribelle

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The remnants of that strange dream still clung to Rosa's mind while Dr. Mason took her to the new room. She tried shaking her head slightly to try and both dislodge that odd, nostalgic feeling, and clear her head for what was coming. The day would undoubtedly bring important revelations and Rosa would absolutely need her focus. The thought made her heart race with a mixture of excitement and nerves, but despite that Rosa wasn't even slightly sad to leave the cell behind.

Her possessions, consisting of her toothbrush, her toothpaste, and the book Eliza had given her, were being carried for Rosa by the doctor herself, so her hooves were free for walking. It was also nice that she didn't have to wear the bridle anymore. Apparently the higher-ups had decided that she was not dangerous after all, which was good news indeed.

The lift took them up to the third floor and Rosa held her breath as they turned down a new corridor. She didn't know what she was expecting, but it looked to be just another hall in the maze that was the building.

"This way," Dr. Mason said and set off toward a metal door in the distance.

Rosa had to hurry to keep up with her long strides. Eliza stopped at the end of the hallway and typed a number on a keypad on the wall. There was a beep and a mechanical click, and the lady pushed the door open. Rosa peered around her legs at the room beyond. It was carpeted, which was a very welcoming sight. Rosa could also see some cushions in a rough circle in one corner around a low table, which looked to be a suitable height for ponies. There wasn't anyone in sight, which worried her a little bit.

Eliza, on the other hand, didn't seem concerned and held the door open for Rosa. "In you get," she murmured needlessly because Rosa's nervous legs couldn't stop moving and the mare was right on her heels.

Once inside, Rosa took a proper look around. One of the walls had a series of unmarked doors and not much else, so she ignored it. On the other side was a toilet, a bathroom and a shower, all separate rooms and Rosa could see the signs above their respective doors. The rest of the room was rather plain. There were a few closets along the far side and what looked like an abandoned game of Monopoly on the floor. Rosa estimated that four people had been playing it, but the pieces lay strewn about every which way, forgotten. She could also see a small, but well-stocked bookshelf and Rosa smiled a little. Plenty of material, especially considering that she didn't intend to stay there all that long.

The most important thing, however, were the voices. They were muffled and coming from a wider door opposite the entrance. The sign said 'kitchen' and Rosa realized that the ponies must be having breakfast. It made sense and Dr. Mason had told Rosa that she would be eating with the others today.

Eliza didn't go to the source of the voices, though, but rather led Rosa to the plain wall with nondescript doors. "Come, this way," the woman called. "Let's get you moved in."

She hesitated and cast a longing glance at the kitchen, itching to go and introduce herself. Knowing that Maribelle was in there almost physically hurt, but Rosa pushed the feeling down and followed Dr. Mason. She led the way to the fourth door down and opened it. There were two beds inside with a locker each, a small table with a chair and, Rosa was happy to see, a light switch on the wall. It seemed like Rosa would have a roommate. One of the beds looked quite pristine, but the other had obviously been slept in and then hurriedly and inexpertly made.

"Um, this is nice," Rosa commented. A surreptitious glance showed her that there was a lock on the door, but it could only be operated from outside. Rosa would still be a prisoner, but there were worse places to be jailed in.

Dr. Mason put her toothbrush and the book on the empty bed and then patted it. "Up," she commanded and Rosa clambered on and sat down. This made it easier for her to talk with the doctor face to face and Rosa happily returned Eliza's smile. "So, I can trust you to behave yourself and not frighten the other ponies?"

"Frighten?"

Eliza ran her fingers through Rosa's mane and the mare leaned into the touch. Whether she trusted her or not, scratches still felt nice. "Don't tell them things which will worry them, okay? Rumors about this place."

Rosa was not sure what exactly she meant, but she shrugged and nodded despite that. "Okay."

"I pulled some strings to get you a good roommate, so don't disappoint me, okay? Be good, or I'll have you moved to solitary."

At this threat Rosa's ears lowered and she quickly agreed. "I promise."

"Good girl," the doctor praised.

"Um, who's my roommate?" Rosa asked her.

Now the woman's smile turned mysterious. "You'll see. Just remember - this can be a very nice place if you do what you're told and learn what you're taught. You'll see." She gestured vaguely. "Maybe someday Sky Light can join you up here if she can learn to be as good as you."

"I told her. She said she'll try, but I don't think she really believed me. Maybe if I talked with her some more..."

This suggestion made Eliza nod absently and Rosa almost pumped her hoof in victory. Some more acting like that and she would have these humans all fooled!

"Okay, you're probably hungry, but here are some ground rules: You're to be in your room before nine in the evening. Someone will come check on you and lock the doors, so make sure you use the toilet before that, or you'll just have to hold it until morning."

Despite Eliza's hand still in Rosa's mane, her voice had become stern and the words sounded important, so Rosa nodded solemnly at the woman and focused her ears forward. "Okay."

"The other ponies will explain how meals work, but make sure you finish breakfast before eight in the morning. If someone needs you for a test or a lesson you'll have to go do it, fed or not, understand?"

"Yes."

The fingers paused on Rosa's ear and gave it a little scratch. "Most of the time you'll be working with me. You'll tell me if you need anything and I'll see if we can provide it for you."

It was more or less what Rosa had been expecting, so she just nodded some more and smiled at the doctor.

"Good. The other ponies know how things work, so just follow them. If you have any questions, ask me, deal?"

"Deal! Thank you, Eliza!"

She stood up and went to the door. Rosa followed right on her heels, impatient and excited to finally meet her old roommate.

"Now go and introduce yourself. You can have your breakfast in peace. I've scheduled your psych evaluation for after lunch. I'll come fetch you when it's time and then we'll discuss your future. Have fun!"

The doctor didn't wait for a reply, even though Rosa thanked her again and said goodbye. She left through the same door, typing in the number again to unlock it, and Rosa heard some automatic mechanism lock it when it closed behind Eliza. She wasn't particularly sad to see her go, even if she was now alone in a new, strange place, with ponies she didn't know. This was what she had been working towards all this time. Maribelle!

Rosa walked to the kitchen door and stopped, wondering how to do it. Should she knock, or would it be better to just walk in and greet everyone? For that matter, she didn't even know how many ponies there were! She heard a voice she didn't know talking at length, but that didn't tell Rosa how many listeners there were.

She took a deep breath and shook her head a little. They were ponies! They would be happy to see a new face! Maribelle was in there!

Heart aflutter, legs trembling a little and her breath stuck in her throat, Rosa reached up, pushed the door open and stepped inside. Whoever had been talking fell silent as three sets of eyes focused on the newcomer. Rosa only saw one mare, though.

"R-Rosa?!" The chair clattered as the mare kicked it back and rushed at her. Already there were tears in Rosa's eyes and she was smiling so widely that her muzzle was cramping up. Her mane - violet, but lighter than Rosa's coat - was a little longer than the last time she had seen her. Her indigo coat looked well-kept. Then Rosa found herself caught in her beautiful eyes and everything else faded away.

Back when Rosa had been moved into Maribelle's dorm room had been the first time she'd heard of the color: umber. Rosa had initially called them brown and the mare, with a patient smile, had corrected her. It had reminded Rosa so much about the way she was with her name, that she immediately felt a kinship with Maribelle.

Time returned to normal as she slammed into Rosa's barrel and they both fell to the floor.

"Oh my God, ROSA!" the pony squealed in delight. "It's so good to see you, Rosa!"

Rosa herself couldn't say anything because she was laughing.

Now that Maribelle - sweet, smart, kind Maribelle - was back, there was nothing they couldn't do if they put their minds to it. With her and Sky Light at her side, Rosa would get out of this place before she knew it.

"I m-missed you too," Rosa stammered.

Her old friend was lying on top of Rosa and alternating between nuzzling her cheek and pulling back to stare at her incredulously. At long last the wheels clicked and her smile faltered. "They said you ran away," Maribelle explained. "How did you end up here?!"

Rosa took a deep breath and lifted both herself and her friend upright. She caught a glimpse of the other two ponies, but they didn't matter just at that moment. Rosa was holding on to her old roommate until further notice and it felt like Maribelle wasn't about going to let her go either. That was just fine by Rosa.

"It's a long story."

"Tell me everything!"

"Well, they assigned me to work for this family - the Boones..."

After a heavily abridged version of her story, Maribelle insisted she would make Rosa's breakfast personally, so Rosa sat down at the table while her old friend went to the stove to cook. She could see that all the appliances were smaller and lower to the floor, so they could be comfortably used by ponies. Even the pots had big, rubbery handles so they would be easy to grab with teeth. It really looked like the kitchen was make for pony use, which meant that they cooked for themselves here. It was a nice touch and Rosa liked the place a tiny bit more.

While she was sitting at the table, Rosa looked at the other two residents. One of them was a pink earth mare with a really clashing, bright cyan mane. Rosa felt a bit sorry for her with that color combination, but she seemed good natured. The other, an earth colt, was yellow with a gray mane. He didn't look old, so it seemed like it was just his natural color.

Flashing both of them a friendly smile, Rosa introduced herself. "My n-name is Rosa..."

They seemed slightly bemused and glanced at each other. They could probably have guessed her name, since Maribelle had called her by it several times, but it was still polite to make a proper introduction.

"Um, I was Maribelle's roommate at the Pony School."

The colt was the first to stir and he reached out a hoof for Rosa to shake. "Samwise, but these two call me 'Speedy'," he explained, indicating the mares.

Then Rosa looked expectantly at the pink mare. "Starla," she said in a neutral voice.

Rosa felt like she'd been slapped. She stared at the pony, mouth hanging open, until she grinned nervously and patted her muzzle. "What?! Is there something on my face?"

Shaking her head, Rosa managed to get herself under control. The dream voice had specifically told her to give this mare a message. Rosa wondered if she should tell her right away. Maybe she was her new roommate? It felt like the humans would keep boys and girls separated, so it was either that or-

Rosa's eyes went wide in shock. "Maribelle, which room are you in?"

The mare looked away from the pot she was heating up. "Number four," she answered. "Why?"

"We're roommates!!"

Rosa could have hugged Dr. Mason right then. She'd made it so Rosa was in the room with her old friend. Maybe Eliza really did care about the ponies in her charge?

Maribelle seemed to echo her delight and squeed excitedly. She left her cooking long enough to come give Rosa another tight hug. "This is so great! Just like old times!"

All Rosa could do was nod, unable to find proper words.

"Good for you," the colt commented. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a Maths tutor in ten minutes so I better get my notebook." He slipped from the chair and left the small kitchen, giving Rosa a friendly grin on his way out. She decided she liked him, but it was just a first impression so far. Hopefully she would get to talk to him a bit more later, so she could see what he was like.

Starla, however, just kept watching Rosa with a bemused expression. Finally, she twirled a hoof in the air. "Show me this half-cutie mark you got. I heard you say it, but I've never seen anything like that."

Rosa remembered that she hadn't gotten a good look at Maribelle's cutie mark either, and the colt was already gone. It would make sense that all the ponies here had them, since that was probably the reason they had been brought to the facility in the first place.

Starla herself had a magic wand. Maybe she was good with magic tricks or something? Rosa slipped off the chair to show off her sides and Starla watched with a great deal of interest. "Weird. Do you know why you only got the one?"

"Dr. Mason said the implant malfunctioned in a weird way."

Rosa showed her the bald patch with the plaster, but the mare didn't reply to that. She just kept looking thoughtfully at Rosa and her face didn't let out what she was thinking. In fact, the mare was a bit odd, but Rosa couldn't really put her finger on it. Or rather, she couldn't put a hoof on it. Rosa decided to give her time and chat with her before she made up her mind that she don't like Starla. After all, the dream-voice had told her about this mare specifically. Rosa wondered what that meant.

It would have to wait for later, because right at the moment Maribelle seemed to be done and she slid a plate before Rosa. At first glance it looked like it was just full of milk, but Rosa gave the spoon a stir and things floated up. It was some kind of grain porridge, but with raisins and some corn flakes mixed in. Her old friend watched her with a faint smile as Rosa put it in her mouth.

"It's good!" she commented.

A bit of milk dribbled down Rosa's chin and Maribelle chuckled. "Don't talk with your mouth full, Rosa," she chided, but she liked the praise, that much was obvious. Giving her a big smile, Rosa returned to her meal with gusto.

"So, what's on your schedule for today?" Maribelle asked Starla while Rosa was shovelling the goop in her mouth as quickly as she could. That first taste had reminded her that she hadn't eaten since last night.

"Hmm," Starla gave the question some thought. "Dunno, really. They haven't told me yet. I guess I'll do my homework in History and Literature."

Maribelle nodded approvingly. "I still don't get it how you can be so good at stuff like Science and Physics, but so bad at History."

The mare shrugged dismissively. "Guess it just doesn't suit me."

"Nonsense," Maribelle countered. "I'll help you study in the evening, okay? Rosa can help too, she's always been good in school."

Rosa gave the two a nod and swallowed her mouthful before answering. "Oh, sure. I'll help, too!"

The pink mare grinned a little in relief. "Thanks, I really appreciate it."

Almost Rosa told her about the dream voice, but then she glanced at Maribelle and changed her mind. She decided to talk with her friend about it, first. Maybe Maribelle would be able to tell her if she could trust Starla with this information or not. They seemed to know each other pretty well.

"You?" Starla asked.

Maribelle didn't have to think. "Got Engineering with Mr. Roberts in an hour." She seemed really excited about it.

"Engineering? Why?" Rosa blurted out.

Her old friend slipped from her chair and showed Rosa her side. On her flank was a picture of rail tracks, which made Rosa stare in shock.

"Railroad?!"

Maribelle blushed and folded her ears down. "Well, yeah."

"How?! Why?!"

She shrugged a little. "It's a long story."

"I'm not going anywhere! I'm free until lunch."

Maribelle glanced at the clock on a nearby wall, then smiled. "Okay, the short version for now and I'll tell you more after lunch."

While she was getting ready to tell her story, Rosa spooned the last few bits in her mouth and then went to lick the dish clean. Before she could really get into it, Starla grabbed the pot and poured her some more with a slight smirk. Rosa just flashed her a guilty grin, but didn't complain and quickly reached for her spoon again.

"Anyway, Frankie - you remember him? He was a year younger than us."

It took a moment to bring the name of the colt to mind, and even then Rosa couldn't quite put a face to it. She still nodded in vague recognition.

Maribelle shrugged as she continued. "He somehow got the password for the Internet on the school's computer and he told me it. He showed me this thing called a you tube."

Rosa had heard about it from Taylor at the Internet cafe, so she gave her friend a smile. "Yeah, it's mostly about cat videos, right?"

Both Starla and Maribelle laughed at this. "No, silly. It's got all sorts of stuff on it," Rosa's friend explained. "For some reason it showed me this video of a guy and his model railroad set. The thing was really impressive. It took up a whole room and there were stations and mountains and lakes. You should have seen it!" Now that she was talking, Maribelle's eyes were wide and full of wonder. "I guess it was love at first sight. I mean, I knew what trains were, but the way he set up all these intersections and crossings and junctions. Dunno, I really liked watching it. The little model trains going around... There were even puffs of smoke from the locomotives!"

The mare shook her head in wonder, but she was still smiling. "I sneaked down to the computer lab whenever I had some free time. The teachers thought I was looking up stuff for my classes on the approved sites, but I was secretly watching train videos. Then - before I knew what was happening, I had this on my flank." She tapped the cutie mark and sighed. "I was terrified at first, but Dr. Barton, my attending, set up an engineering class, so now I'm learning all about how trains work and stuff. He says if I'm good I might get to work on one someday. Like a train conductor or something."

It sounded like she really loved the idea. It threw a slight wrench in Rosa's plans to settle down somewhere with Maribelle, but if she had to, she would set up the world's first garden on a train! It might be difficult to fulfill her talent if they escaped, though. It made Rosa worry, but she pushed it aside for the time being. She could figure something out later. Maybe they wouldn't even have to escape, if the people really were as nice as it seemed. The place still gave Rosa the creeps, but maybe she was just prejudiced from the stuff she'd heard?

Sky Light wouldn't like it, though. This could be bad - Rosa might have to leave one of her friends behind.

"What's wrong?" Maribelle asked and Rosa realized she had stopped talking and both she and Starla were watching her with some concern.

"Oh. Nothing. Just a bit scared of this place still, I guess," Rosa told them truthfully. She put her muzzle in the plate again to hide for a moment and get a chance to compose herself. It probably wouldn't be easy, but maybe she could figure something out. After all, hadn't Sky Light told her about that earth pony with a compass cutie mark who had become a trucker? Aiden, that was it. Maybe Maribelle could sort of 'unofficially' help some human who drove a train for a living. If she had a cutie mark in it, she would undoubtedly be good at it. All she would need was a chance, maybe in some quiet, out of the way area where people didn't mind where she had come from? Having even so rudimentary a plan cheered Rosa up and she smiled at her old friend again.

"Sheesh, they must have starved you in quarantine," Maribelle commented. "They told us another pony is coming, but I never for the life of me imagined it was you, Rosa!" Her expression grew solemn. "I never thought I'd hear from you again. From any of you. How were the others after- after I left?"

Rosa remembered the heartbreak, but she still kept her smile. "They were good last time I heard. They seemed happy. They sent me photos, back when I was still with the Boones."

By now they must have heard she was missing. Would the teachers have told them that Rosa also got her cutie mark, or would they just say she'd escaped. What must they think of her, if that was all they knew? Rosa wondered if there was any way at all to somehow send them a message. She decided she would try asking Dr. Mason, but she didn't have much hope for that. After all, no one at school had ever heard from a pony who got their cutie mark before. The weird part was that she couldn't figure out why exactly. What would be the harm? They couldn't be this paranoid about secrecy at this place, could they?

If Rosa absolutely had to guess, it was probably so they all stayed afraid of cutie marks for whatever reason. Maybe the implants worked better if the pony was scared of getting one?

"Well, I'll get started on my homework," Starla said. "Nice chatting with you, Rosa. We'll talk more later."

Rosa remembered the problems Starla had with her classes and how Maribelle had offered her assistance. "Want me to help?"

The mare shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, but I'd like to try my hoof at it by myself, first."

Maribelle looked up at the clock again. "I better get ready for Mr. Roberts."

It felt like they hadn't really gotten a chance to catch up, but Rosa didn't mind. There'd be plenty of time, especially since Maribelle was her roommate again. She slipped from the chair and gave her a big hug.

"You won't get bored here by yourself, right?" Maribelle asked.

"No. I'll wash the dishes and tidy up a little. I'm used to it!"

This cheered both mares up a little bit. "Aw, that's so kind of you!" Maribelle praised and Rosa's heart fluttered in joy. Maribelle always knew just what to say to motivate her. "There's also books if you like, or a movie. They got us a nice selection of DVDs. The TV is in the last closet near the window, just keep the volume down so you don't bother Starla while she's studying."

That was some more good news. Now Rosa really wished Sky Light would be able to join them up on the third floor soon. She would have to tell her what it was like and then maybe she could start pretending she believed the humans and get herself moved to this place, rather than that prison cell on the second floor.

Both other mares filed out of the kitchen and Rosa collected the empty dishes from the table and took them to the sink. It was so much easier to work when it was lower to the floor! The joy at seeing her old friend and possibly making a few new ones filled her heart and Rosa started humming happily.

Starla froze in the door and looked back at her, which made Rosa's song falter. "What?"

The mare shook her head a little and forced a smile. "Nice song. Where is it from?"

Rosa shrugged. "Dunno. I've known it since forever. Probably something I saw on TV someday."

"Oh." If anything, Starla seemed a bit disappointed. Rosa didn't know why and it didn't feel like the right time to ask, because Starla had left the kitchen and gently shut the door behind herself.

Rosa went back to humming as she started washing the dishes.

Chapter 64: Starla's Mystery

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The facility's psychiatrist had finally finished asking Rosa silly and embarrassing questions, Some of them had been really bad, like if she'd ever been in love with a colt. She had almost refused to answer out of sheer embarrassment. Rosa had tried to contain both her impatience and annoyance, but some of it might have bled through by the end. Luckily the man hadn't seemed to pick up on it. Maybe he was just bad at reading pony expressions or their body language, but she was grateful for that bit of luck. It would be a disaster if Dr. Mason got a bad report of her behavior the first day Rosa was finally back with her friend Maribelle.

Anyway, she had made it through that and one of the scientists had taken Rosa back to the pony dorm. It reminded her so strongly of school life that she found herself subconsciously falling back into the old ways of thinking. She was starting to consider the days ahead not in terms of escaping from a government facility, but rather in terms of assignments, lessons, homework and chatting with her friends. It was really easy to see why Maribelle and the other two seemed quite happy there.

None of that for Rosa, though. She would stay determined and escape at the earliest opportunity. Maybe living on the streets with Sky Light and Terry and even Velvet's gang had made her more aware of being a prisoner. Whatever the reason, she knew she would have to broach the subject very carefully to Maribelle, or she would dig her heels in and refuse to believe any of it. Actually, that might happen anyway. The mare had everything she wanted there: a relatively large amount of freedom, engineering lessons in line with her special talent, friends, and a prospect of a useful future.

Rosa would have to handle her very carefully. She decided she would start with the good parts, namely her and Sky Light's adventures on the road to White Pigeon. Rosa could tell Maribelle about the time they had stopped to swim, or about the interesting foods they got to taste. Then there were Richie and Pavo and Mrs. Basilius, all good and interesting people who had taken Rosa in like she was part of the family. She could tell her roommate about Richie's collection of 'trucker pony' pictures and how happy most of them looked in the shots. Most importantly, she would have to tell Maribelle all about Sky Light and her happy-go-lucky, carefree spirit. The way she ambled around the city, knowing practically everyone and everything. Rosa would have to tell her friend about Taylor, or 'Mario' as Sky Light called him, and his story of how he met his girlfriend. That was almost like a romantic comedy, right?

All these positive thoughts were making Rosa grin widely and she kept humming her song as she walked around the ponies' living room and tidied up a little here and there. That was how Maribelle found her when one of the staff led her in. Rosa didn't see who it was, but she guessed it was Dr. Barton, her attending... something. It was weird how she'd heard the short title, "attending", but never heard the other part. It was probably something like "attending physician", Rosa figured.

The mare said goodbye to the man, then the door closed. There was no sign of Starla or Speedy, so Rosa focused her entire smile on Maribelle. "Hello!"

She was just finishing putting away the second-to-last cushion as her old friend approached Rosa and returned her grin. "Someone's in a good mood today. Had fun?"

"Mhm!" Rosa answered her happily.

There was no use telling Maribelle how annoyed she had been with the psych exam. It was in the past anyway. She walked to the pile of cushions Rosa had made and flopped right across them. Rosa didn't mind, even if she had spent nearly half an hour stacking them up that neatly. Instead, she moved the last pillow closer and sat on it.

"So, how was your class?"

Her friend smiled and her ears perked up. Her swishing tail nearly slapped Rosa in the muzzle and she moved the pillow closer to Maribelle's head. "Amazing!" she replied. "I mean, at first we just studied diagrams, but then Mr. Roberts showed me this simulator." Maribelle lifted a hoof as if trying to belay Rosa's questions while she explained. "I mean, this one was just on a computer, but he said they had a real, life-size simulator back at the company." The mare turned to her side and reached a hoof up into the air. Rosa understood the gesture and moved closer yet, so Maribelle could stroke her flank. "It's got hydraulics and everything, so you really feel like you're in an actual train. He said he'll ask Dr. Barton if I might be allowed to go see it. I need to train on that if I wanna pass my locomotive engineer exams..."

Rosa was really happy for the mare, but all this was making it harder to tell her about running away. If Rosa ruined this chance for her, Maribelle would be heartbroken. She might never forgive it. It'd be horrible if Rosa had to leave this facility without her friend. She had been the whole reason they'd come there. Well, knowing that Maribelle was happy and doing something she loved would be something, Rosa guessed.

"Rosa? You look preoccupied," Maribelle pointed out.

"Uh? Oh, no! No, I'm fine. Just- thinking."

"I know it's boring if you're not a gear head," the mare giggled.

"No, it's not that, it's-"

"So I'll shut up and you can tell me about what you've been up to, Rosa! You must have seen some interesting stuff out on the run. Was it scary?"

Rosa smiled at her friend and shrugged a little. "Uh, sometimes?" she offered.

Maribelle giggled at the answer and shifted over to make room for Rosa, then she patted the cushions with a hoof. Rosa lay down beside her and she put her foreleg around Rosa's barrel. It was surprisingly comfortable. "You gotta give me more than that, girl! Did you meet any nice colts?"

This time Rosa did blush, but she couldn't keep her treacherous muzzle shut. "Well, one back at school..."

She fell silent as Maribelle 'squeed' excitedly. "Yes! Let's start with that! Tell me everything"

That was the mare Rosa remembered and she started grinning widely as she thought back on her escapades in the colts' room. "Soon after, um, you left, the colts across the hall got their hooves on an iPad..."

Rosa had volunteered to do the dishes again after dinner, which had been quite well received. Even Starla had smiled a little at not having to do it, since it would normally have been her turn. The colt retired to the cushion-bed to read a little and Maribelle went to get a shower, so Rosa was alone with the strange, color-clashing mare. She had decided to tell her about the dream after Maribelle had said Rosa could trust her completely. The only problem now was how to start that particular conversation.

Rosa scrubbed in silence for a while, then stopped to look back at the pony. "So, Starla? I know this is going to sound weird..." she began.

"Hmm? Oh, I've heard weird, believe me. I'm no stranger to weird," she said absent-mindedly.

It boded well for what Rosa was about to tell her, but she still gave it some more thought. "Well, I've been having these dreams lately..."

The other mare perked up a little and Rosa got the feeling she was paying very close attention to whatever she was hearing. It was a little bit encouraging. Maybe she wouldn't dismiss it out of hand - hoof - immediately.

"One of them told me to come to White Pigeon, even before I'd ever heard the name. Well, maybe I've read it somewhere at the School or overheard someone talking, but I didn't know it."

It had sounded strange even in her own head and Rosa waited for the mare to start laughing. Instead, she just kept looking at Rosa with her eyebrows raised. "Okay?"

"I sometimes think it's just my subconscious trying to tell me about clues or something, but so far it's been pretty accurate. I dunno what it's really about. It could be ghosts or something."

Surely now Starla would chuckle and tell Rosa that she was imagining things? To Rosa's surprise, she didn't do any of that. All the other mare did was smile faintly with that expectant expression on her muzzle.

"So, the night before last... or was it three nights ago? Anyway, it told me to give you a message. Specifically. By name."

"You're right, that does sound weird," Starla replied, but there was still no derision or disbelief on her face.

Rosa decided to just get it over with. "It said to tell you the year Civil War started and that's how you can find the moon."

The change was surprising and Rosa stopped washing the dishes just so she could watch the mare. Starla had frozen and her ears had folded down as if she was afraid of something, and her eyes had gone nearly as wide as the saucer in Rosa's hooves. "Find the moon? Are those the exact words?"

"Yes!" Rosa confirmed, relieved that she was at least willing to listen.

"Okay, so what was the message?"

"Just a number - year when the US Civil War started."

The other pony rolled her eyes a little and Rosa blushed in shame at having even brought it up. She was about to dismiss it as nothing more than a fancy, but Starla held up a hoof. "Remind me, what was the year?"

That made sense, Maribelle had said Starla was having trouble in History and Literature classes. "Eighteen sixty-one."

"Eighteen sixty-one," the mare repeated, then a few more times under her breath. She was committing the number to memory, it looked like.

"So you believe me?"

Starla caught Rosa's worried look and slipped from her chair to come give her a brief hug. "Oh, of course I believe you. That message sounds very specific, I don't think you would have made it up. You didn't know my name until today, right?"

Rosa nodded and relief flooded through her insides. "Yeah! I thought m-maybe I'd heard it somewhere in the School or something, but I don't think you were at the Pony School."

This time Starla shook her head, smiling gently. "No, I wasn't. I came here from- elsewhere."

Rosa caught the tiny pause, but she didn't push it with more questions. Everyone was entitled to their secrets and she was not about to judge Starla if she didn't want to talk about where she had came from just yet.

"And you're sure about the message? 'Find the moon', that's exactly what it said?" she asked again, as if making absolutely sure. "Wait, how did your dream say it? Was there like writing, or a voice, or someone talking to you? Some mysterious pony?"

Rosa shook her head. "No pony. Just a voice - it c-came from everywhere at once. It was really dark and there were stars."

"Stars?"

"Yeah, stars and sometimes a full moon. Is that important?"

The mare gave her another hug, but now she was smiling widely. "It's more important than you think! Thank you so much for telling me this!"

Rosa could immediately see that the message meant something to Starla and now she was insatiably curious. "What does it mean? Why the US Civil war year? Does that have some significance?"

Starla murmured: "More than you could know," but then realized she had said it out loud and blushed. "Sorry. Yes, it's very significant."

"Will you tell me why?"

Now the mare was thoughtful. She seemed pained, but determined. "Not... yet. Please, can you trust me for a couple of days? I'll think about it and if this is what I think it is, I'll tell you then, okay?" She leaned her head to the side and gave Rosa a long, piercing look. "You said you had another friend in one of the cells here? A pegasus?"

"Yeah, Sky Light. We- um, we were caught trying to break into this place."

"Why were you trying to break into this place?"

"I was- um, h-hoping I could get M-Maribelle out..." Rosa admitted.

Instead of outrage Rosa had been expecting, Starla just smiled. "Noble, if a little... unwise. Okay, please don't tell anything about your dreams to any human, okay? Wait, did you ever tell anyone?"

Rosa quickly thought back through her adventures. "I guess Terry knows - he probably heard me and Sky Light talking about it-"

"Who's Terry?" Starla demanded. Apparently she hadn't been listening to Rosa's story that morning very closely.

"Just this homeless man we used to live with. Well, Sky Light and him lived in this broken down van and I, uh, kinda joined them. He's okay. I trust him. He wouldn't come near here anyway."

This relaxed the mare somewhat, but she still seemed faintly uneasy. "Okay, promise me you won't tell anyone else here. Did you tell Maribelle?"

Rosa gave a slight nod and Starla sighed a tiny bit. "Okay, fine. I think we can trust her. Speedy?"

This time Rosa shook her head.

"Good. Let's keep it this way. Make sure Maribelle doesn't tell him, okay? If this all pans out, I'll tell you all the truth, otherwise it'd just worry you."

The way Starla talked made Rosa very suspicious and she swallowed a nervous lump. "It sounds kinda shady and dangerous," she pointed out.

The other mare lowered her ears and gave Rosa another quick hug. "It is. I'm sorry, Rosa, please just trust me for a little while? It's very important!"

She thought it over, but there was nothing really to decide. Rosa had already chosen to trust her dream-voice when she hadn't mentioned it to Dr. Mason. She gave the mare a slow nod. "I promise."

"Great! Now I have to go and think some stuff over. I'll be in my room if you remember anything else you have to tell me."

"Deal!"

As the mare left, Rosa turned back to the remaining dishes and got to work. Tomorrow sounded like it would be busy, especially after Dr. Mason had told her to skip breakfast because she'd be taking Rosa's blood for some more tests. She had also said Rosa would need to have the 'sex and foals' talk, which was making her a bit nervous.

They wouldn't outright forbid her to have them, right? Well, she didn't want foals [r]right at the moment, not when there was so much happening and Rosa wasn't sure where she would end up, but she wanted the option, someday. She was scared Dr. Mason would have her spayed or something. If became any kind of a serious possibility, Rosa would be bucking her in her face and jumping out the window. She would rather take her chances with gravity than lose that part of herself. One scare like that had been enough!

Hopefully whatever Dr. Mason had to tell her was just because Rosa would no longer have that chip to regulate her hormones. A slight gasp escaped her. Did that mean she would be going into heat soon? Was that what the doctor wanted to warn her about? So Rosa would watch out for symptoms and tell her when they started? That would be a reasonable talk, and Rosa really didn't want to make any indecent proposals to Speedy, nor get herself- well, 'in that way', not here and not now.

Hopefully that was all Dr. Mason wanted. The woman was looking out for Rosa's best interests and for her comfort. Yeah, Eliza had been nice, if a little odd. At the very least Rosa thought she could trust her to tell the truth about what was going to happen. She hadn't answered all Rosa's questions, but so far she had told her about important stuff like the implant and her operation.

After that blood test, Dr. Mason had promised to give Rosa a replacement breakfast. She hoped it would be more pudding. For some reason Rosa really, really craved pudding that day. Black, chocolate, slightly warm, gooey. Just thinking about it sent a shiver down her spine and Rosa shuddered. "Mmmm!"

She wiped down the last plate and left it to dry the rest of the way on the counter, then Rosa went looking for Maribelle. She'd made Rosa promise to tell her more anecdotes from her time with the Boones and Rosa was looking forward to that. She was certain Maribelle would love Lillian just as much as Rosa did.

That reminded her. Rosa had to ask Dr. Mason if there was news about the little girl. Maybe they have found her by now. That would make tomorrow a very good day indeed! Rosa forced her mind to be optimistic. Of course they had found her! She was probably hiding out with some elderly couple who didn't watch the news somewhere beyond the suburbs. The little girl had watched Rosa leave and went in the same direction when she ran away. Someone was bound to see her wandering the woods and then they just kept her safe. The daydream was very far fetched, but there it was. Rosa needed to believe it, or she would break down crying again. If there was any justice in the world, Dr. Mason would confirm it the next day and then Rosa would really be happy!

She started humming as she made her way to the room and Speedy looked up from his book to give Rosa a faint little smile. "I like that song," he said.

Rosa gave him a nod, as she kept humming on her way to look for her friend.

Chapter 65: Convincing Sky Light

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Rosa was a bit worried about what was going to happen. Dr. Mason had had her sit on a chair in the examination office, and had gone to lock the door. It didn't bode well, and Rosa couldn't help glancing nervously at the window for a possible escape route if the woman was about to do something nasty.
She hadn't done anything particularly horrible to Rosa yet, so the mare tried to control her breathing while she waited for what was about to happen. Unfortunately there was no way she could keep her ears upright. Dr. Mason had never locked the door before, not even that time she'd shoved a thermometer right up... well, up there.

"So," the lady intoned as she came to take her own seat across the desk.

"Is e-everything okay?" Rosa prompted.

"Here," the doctor said and took a box from her drawer to place it up where Rosa could see inside.

It was an oblong shape with four little compartments. Rosa was curious about it, but at the same time nervous about the unknown. She wondered what it was.

Dr. Mason pushed it over across the desk. "Can you open those boxes?" she asked Rosa.

"Um, okay..." It was a bit tricky with hooves, but Rosa was very precise with her hooves and managed to lift one of the covers with a tiny click. There was a bunch of pills in there. "Uh, what is this?"

Her success made Eliza proud. "Good. Not all ponies can manage this, but you'll have to learn how to use it."

She hadn't answered the question, so Rosa just waited until she would. Meanwhile she opened another flap to find more pills. The compartments on the box were labeled with numbers from one to four. "I d-don't understand."

At last Eliza reached over to give Rosa's mane a pat, then took the box in her hands. She closed both latches and shook it, making the pills inside rattle like one of those Mexican instruments. Rattles, Rosa thought they were called.

"So, here's the long and the short of it, Rosa. Now that you no longer have a chip to control your hormones, you'll have to do it yourself. I'll make sure you take these while you're with us, but eventually we'll probably find you a position somewhere and you'll have to take care of it yourself."

"H-Hormones?" Rosa squeaked in alarm.

"Yes. You're to take one of these every Monday morning. You'll start today with number one. Next week is number two, and so on. Three, then four, than back to one. Got that?"

Rosa nodded, but she was still not completely sure what it was all for. "Why?"

"This will make it so you don't go into heat. The chip used to do that, but that's gone now and we won't be putting a new one in, okay?"

"You wont?"

Dr. Mason smiled. "No, Rosa. This way is a lot safer and easier. I think we can trust you to be diligent about this, right?"

That was a lot of faith the woman was placing in her and Rosa wondered what the consequences would be for not obeying and letting herself go into heat. She decided not to ask. It would probably not be nice, judging from how casually the woman had spoken about 'putting Sky Light down' the other day.

She was waiting for Rosa to answer.

"Um, yes, of course," the mare promised.

It was not as bad as she'd feared, though. A part of Rosa had been worried that they'd do something more... permanent, to stop her from going into heat, or at least from having foals. She had been afraid of that, actually, especially when Eliza had locked the door. That was one fear Rosa hadn't even mentioned to Maribelle. Pills were great in comparison. She could just stop taking them when she escaped! The news allowed Rosa to give the doctor a faint smile.

Eliza opened the first box and took out a pill. They were so small that they would be tricky to manage with hooves, but it was only one per week, after all. "This is the first one, okay? You might feel some mild side effects because we're switching you from the implant to pills. Tell me if you have headaches or stomach cramps or nausea or anything like that, okay?"

"Yes, Dr. Mason."

She kindly held it out and Rosa licked it from her fingers. The pill itself tasted a bit bitter, but Rosa got it down easily, even without water.

Her obedience earned Rosa a smile. "Good girl!" the doctor praised. A moment later she stood up and picked the box up. "I'll keep this for you, for now. There's another thing I need you to do for me today and then you'll meet with Brad to see where your education left off."

"Okay. What is that?" Rosa asked the woman and slipped from her chair.

"This way. Your pegasus friend has been asking about you and we need to show her that you're being treated well. You need to explain to her that life isn't so bad here, okay?"

In a lot of ways it wouldn't even be a lie. Rosa could tell Sky Light how the ponies were being treated and she probably wouldn't even need to ask Dr. Mason to leave the two of them alone. Besides, she would get to see her friend again! Rosa missed the mischievous mare and her ready smile, and had no doubt that Sky Light also missed her. Hopefully they really had given her a radio or a book or something, so she wasn't going crazy from boredom.

"I'll just tell her the truth."

"Very good. I really do hope we can convince her to listen. Once she understands that she can have a good life here, it will all be a lot better."

Rosa's ears folded down a little. "You're not going to let her go?"

"Sorry, sweetheart. Perhaps someday, if she really behaves. There's a lot of secrecy about this place and the people in charge would like to keep it that way. Everyone working here has signed a very comprehensive NDA." She continued as she lead Rosa down the hall to the elevator: "Once we send you away, you'll have to do the same."

"Oh. Okay."

Rosa was starting to wonder why the important bigwig humans were so paranoid about the place, or why their research was so important. Surely they weren't hoping that these microchips could someday make all ponies cutie-mark-less? It would be impossible, for one. Rosa had seen there were free ponies living out there and they would keep having foals. If Sky Light's truck stop gang was any proof, they'd all eventually get cutie marks, even if it was a little later in life than might have happened in Equestria. She didn't say any of that out loud, though. Dr. Mason was nice, but Rosa still didn't fully trust her.

"Oh, by the way," the doctor asked, "how are your wounds feeling?"

That reminded Rosa and she looked down at her leg, where a bare patch of skin and a small circle of band-aid still reminded her of the IV. It had been gone for a day now, but Rosa imagined that her leg still itched sometimes. She couldn't really see the other patch on her neck, but she felt it with her hoof and it was not even sore anymore. "They feel fine," she confirmed.

"Very good. Let me know if it starts hurting again. We don't want any complications, right?"

"No. I will. Thank you!"

Eliza stepped into the elevator and Rosa followed. She watched the doctor closely as she pressed the button for the right floor. It didn't seem like the elevator needed any kind of security card or code, such as Rosa had seen in one of the movies. There were a few doors around the place with keypads next to them, for example the one for the ponies' room and the one on the outside door she remembered from their failed break-in attempt. There might be others, especially for the rooms where they kept medicine or weapons or whatever dangerous things they kept in this place.

Rosa stopped thinking about escape, though, because she was going to see Sky Light, and a new thought occurred. "Um, Dr. Mason?"

"Yes, Rosa?"

"Could I spend some time with Sky Light today? I'd be okay if you locked us into her cell for an hour or so..."

The woman seemed thoughtful, but then she shrugged a little and nodded. "Seeing how good you've been, I don't think that would be a problem."

The news made Rosa smile widely. "Thank you!"

"Who knows, if she hears about how nice you ponies have over there in the pony quarters, she might be more inclined to listen. Maybe we can soon put her up with the rest of you, would you like that?"

"Yes!" Rosa exclaimed with an excited swish of her tail.

The woman paused in her walking to reach down and scratch Rosa's ear. "Well, then just be sure to tell her about what we do and how you all are being treated. I'm sure the others would like another friend, no?"

It would be totally amazing if Rosa could introduce Sky Light to Maribelle! When they resumed their walk, Rosa had a fresh bounce in her step. She already recognized Sky Light's corridor and her smile widened. "That would be so nice!"

Finally they reached the cell and Dr. Mason put her hand into her pocket for the key. The pegasus had probably heard the two approach, because she was sitting upright on her bed. "Rosa!" the mare exclaimed and jumped down to the floor. She was about to rush to the bars, but then paused when she saw Eliza unlocking her cell door. "Um, what's happening?"

"I'll spend some time with you!" Rosa explained.

Dr. Mason opened the door, but Rosa saw that her hand had gone right in her pocket for the remote. It reminded the mare that she still had the band of electric pain on her neck if she made the wrong move. She didn't have to wear it in the pony rooms, but Dr. Mason had put it on when she took her out. Sky Light had one too, but she didn't realize what the woman was doing.

Rosa tried to give the doctor her friendliest, most disarming smile, but still quickly stepped inside so she could close the door behind her. Sky Light wasted no time in scooping Rosa up in a full-winged hug. "Hi Rosa!" she whispered right in her ear, "how are you?"

"I'm good! I found Maribelle! I'll tell you all about it!"

"Now you two behave and I'll be along in an hour or so to pick you up, Rosa!" the doctor told them.

Rosa hardly heard her, but she still managed a nod and a smile in her direction. "Okay! Thanks, um, Eliza!"

Just like that she was gone and the two old friends were alone once more. If they didn't look at the bars, or the harsh, blank walls, they could almost imagine they were still free, somewhere in the city.

"How have you been? Are they feeding you well?"

"Come here, come here!" Sky urged and pulled Rosa toward her bed. "Up! Sit!"

Rosa obeyed, a little bemused, while Sky Light rummaged under her pillow to produce a chocolate bar. "I saved this for you!" the pegasus exclaimed.

"Ooh!" Despite how well fed Rosa was now that she and the other ponies took turns cooking, she still began to salivate at the thought of chocolatey, sugary goodness. It was probably a treat for Sky Light by one of the doctors - possibly for good behavior, or just a small bribe to make her more compliant. Rosa would feel like a glutton if she ate it, but her friend had offered.

A compromise, then? "We'll each have half?" Rosa proposed.

"Deal! Here, you start. Tell me everything that's happened to you, okay?"

Rosa bit the wrapper and tore it apart, then snapped the bar in two approximately equal pieces. One went right into her mouth and the other one she held out for her friend.
Sky didn't argue and took it. It was not a big bar, so it only took Rosa a few moments to chew and swallow, while Sky Light did the same.

Once it was gone, Rosa took a big breath and then began her story about how she had met Maribelle and her other - well, dorm mates, she supposed. "They have this place for ponies over on the other side of the building..."

Chapter 66: Speedy and Stir Fry

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Rosa was singing a pleasant song about sunshine while frying some batter in a pan for lunch. She had found a jar of fruit jam in one of the cupboards and it immediately made her think of pancakes. Hopefully the other ponies would join her soon, while these were still warm! It was a bit of a knack, but after some eight or so tries Rosa finally managed to flip a pancake and catch it in the pan again. A few had fallen on the floor and she'd quietly tossed them, and several landed weirdly and got all squashed - Rosa would eat those ones so her friends didn't have to deal with misshapen pancakes.

She turned around to deposit the disc on a growing stack on the table, and saw Starla looking into the kitchen, mane a bit frazzled, eyes a bit dull, and still yawning a little. She shuffled all the way inside and sat on one of the chairs.

Meanwhile Rosa put the pan back on the oven and smiled brightly at the mare. "Tough day?" she asked.

Starla shook her head, but couldn't answer just yet due to another yawn forcing its way out. At that rate Rosa thought she might start feeling sleepy, too!

"Tough night," the mare said, voice a bit hoarse and cracking. "I'll be fine. Thanks for the grub, by the way."

"Oh, no problem! Help yourself!" Despite her words, Rosa grabbed a clean plate and went to place it before the mare, so she had someplace to prepare her pancakes.

Had Starla really been sleeping until noon? Rosa wondered why none of the humans seemed to mind. Why was she this tired, though? Come to think of it, the mare had been absent from breakfast, but none of the others had commented on it. Rosa had assumed that Starla had eaten early and left on some test or class before the others had woken up. From their lack of reaction, Rosa had guessed the odd mare often missed breakfast, though. She idly wondered why. "Couldn't sleep at night?"

Starla paused in the process of spreading jam on her pancake and gave Rosa a slightly suspicious look. "Y-Yeah," she mumbled slowly, "uh, bad dreams."

That would make sense. For a moment Rosa wanted to ask if she'd had a traumatic experience or something, but then she thought better of it. Instead Rosa decided on another question. "So, how did you end up here?"

The mare considered her answer for a while, then shrugged. "Is that important?"

"Just curious." Rosa looked over the other mare once again. Starla looked like she was in her forties, though it was sometimes hard to tell with some ponies. Surely she hadn't gotten her cutie mark that late, had she? Best guess was that she had been caught nearby or perhaps trying to break in, like Rosa and Sky Light. "Are you training for a career or something? Like, um, magic tricks?"

Her ears twitched at the word 'magic', but then Starla smiled. "Yeah, s-something like that."

"That's cool. Can you show me any?"

"Any what?" Starla looked blank.

She must really have been tired to be this slow on the uptake. Her confused scrunch of the muzzle was endearing and Rosa giggled a little bit. "Sorry. Magic tricks. Can you show me some?"

Starla stared at the ceiling, then at her plate, before answering. "I guess. Maybe tomorrow? I'm not really feeling all that well today."

Maybe she was ill and that was why she was so sleepy? If so, Rosa hoped she wouldn't catch it, whatever it may be. It would be impolite to ask, though, so she kept her opinion to herself. Anyhow, she had finished the last pancake, flipping it and catching it expertly in the pan, then she turned off the stove. The stack seemed high enough.

Rosa really hoped Maribelle and Speedy would come along soon, otherwise she just knew she would end up eating most of the pancakes herself. Stuffing her belly like a little piggy, even after promising she wouldn't do that anymore. Maybe she had subconsciously wanted to make more so she could indulge? It was not a pleasant thought. Rosa didn't want her brain working against her.

Besides, her being over-hungry had all been because of the malfunctioning chip. Yeah, that was right! Soon her hormones would get back in order and Rosa would go back to normal.

At least Starla was there, so she wouldn't have to stuff herself completely silly if the others didn't show up.

"Mm, these are really good," Starla commented, making Rosa smile with pride.

"Thank you!"

She returned the grin and it was obvious the sugar was doing Starla some good. She looked a bit more perky already. "Yeah, they'd go amazing with some whipped cream."

"Sorry, none in the fridge. I checked."

That made Starla frown sadly, but only for a moment. "Well, put it on the list and the guys will get it for us."

"Huh? List? What guys?" Rosa asked her.

Starla pointed a hoof to the refrigerator. It was weird, Rosa thought, how she'd opened it several times but had never spotted a pad of paper stuck to the front, along with a pencil on a piece of string.

"Oh, that."

"Write down whatever you need. Every Friday one of the attendings takes the list and we get the stuff on Monday."

That sounded like a good arrangement. Almost too good. "Anything we want?"

The other mare caught Rosa's look and chuckled softly. "Within reason, Rosa. Whipped cream should be fine, though."

Rosa swished her tail excitedly as she went to check the list for whatever was already on it. It looked like her dorm mates had already written down the essentials - flour, milk, eggs, toothpaste... Feeling only a tiny bit guilty, Rosa penciled in 'whipped cream' and then after that 'a bag of chips'. She'd been craving potato chips for some reason. It was too bad they wouldn't get there for a couple more days.

"There. Thanks for telling me!"

"No problem."

She went to sit down, but the door opened and both Maribelle and Speedy walked in together. Both had their noses up in the air. "Smells delish," the mare commented.

"I made enough for everyone!" Rosa told her. "Come on!"

The two happily seated themselves and Rosa brought them an empty plate each. They didn't waste time in taking pancakes and reaching for the jam.

"Oh, you can leave those weird ones for me. I wanted to learn how to flip them and- it took me a few tries."

Speedy shrugged and clumsily folded the misshapen pancake into a rough roll. "Nah, it's fine. I like them a bit thicker, actually. This is great!"

Maribelle had a good one, so Rosa took another of her clumsy experiments for herself.

"Thanks for cooking. Although pancakes are more of a snack than lunch..." the always-practical mare commented, making Rosa blush a little.

"I felt like doing something special. We can have stew or stir fry for dinner. I checked and we should use up some of the vegetables before they spoil."

Maribelle gave her an approving nod. "Okay, I can get behind that. Don't overdo on sugar, Rosa. It's not good for you."

The fact seemed to make Starla a bit sad, but the older mare didn't comment.

"So, what's up for the rest of the day?" Rosa asked.

They all give this some thought, but Maribelle was the first to answer. "I'd like to study my manual for a bit. Mr. Roberts said he could get me in the simulator this weekend and I wanna wow him!"

That sounded commendable, but it meant she'd probably want peace and quiet, so Rosa wouldn't have her friend to talk to. She looked hopefully to Speedy, who shrugged.

"I don't have anything planned," he told Rosa. "We could play a board game or two. Starla?"

The mare had been staring at her plate for the past few minutes and now she jerked awake, ears lifting up. "Huh?"

"Wanna play some board games?" the stallion asked her.

She smiled a little at the idea. "Yeah, sure. Oh wait, I have classes at three. Hmm, I guess I can play one or two games."

"Sounds like fun!" Rosa herself didn't have anything else. Brad - Dr. Barton - had asked her some questions about the various subjects she'd been taking at her old School and had promised her to come up with an itinerary to finish her education and get her a high school diploma. After that, he'd said, Rosa should be good to work almost anywhere. The higher-ups in the facility would find her a spot where she could use her natural talent to the maximum extent possible. Except- she shook her head, she shouldn't be falling into the allure of this place! Rosa was still planning to run away with Sky Light and, hopefully, Maribelle. She had promised herself never to get complacent.

Maybe having Sky Light up there with her would keep Rosa on the tips of her hooves. Her old friend had decided to start acting 'convinced' from now, so that the doctors would think she was coming around to their way of looking at things, and finally take her out of that prison cell. The pegasus had even agreed that living up in the dorm sounded a damn sight more comfortable than a cell. Plus it would make it a lot easier for the two of them to plot their escape. Rosa was looking forward to Sky Light meeting the others! Hopefully it wouldn't be much longer.

Finishing her pancake, Rosa washed it down with some orange juice then stood to pick up the plate after herself. A hoof landed on her foreleg and she looked up into Maribelle's smiling face. "You go and have some fun. I'll wash up."

"Are you sure? Your studying..." Rosa asked her.

The other mare shrugged. "It's fine, there's plenty of time. Just go. Thanks for cooking, Rosa!" She spread her forelegs in an offer of a tight hug, which Rosa accepted gladly, then Maribelle picked up their plates and glasses and put them in the sink. A moment later Speedy also stood up and Maribelle went to collect his dishes, too.

"So, what'd you wanna play?" the colt asked.

Rosa didn't even know what games they had up there, so she shrugged. "You pick."

"Okay! Monopoly!"

It sounded fun, even though Rosa had never seen the actual point of collecting wealth for no other sake than to 'win' some game. She still enjoyed imagining what it would be like to have so much land and money that she could build hotels all over the place. Could ponies even own land on Earth? Come to think of it, Rosa didn't really know. Were they just second-class citizens? For that matter, were they even citizens? She pushed the unpleasant thoughts to the side and walked out of the kitchen to the cushion-corner, where Speedy was already setting up the board.

Just as Rosa was leaving, she heard Starla push her chair away and yawn again. Instead of following them, the mare went to the stove. "I'll just make a coffee and then I'll join you, okay?" She looked like she really needed it.

"Okay! I'll have Speedy wait."

Rosa stretched a little and rubbed her head on her very warm 'pillow'. She was lying sideways on the bed, on her back and with her hind legs hanging from the edge. It wasn't very easy on her hocks, since pony anatomy wasn't made to bend quite that way, but the rest of her was nice and comfy. Besides, it wasn't as if anyone else had to walk past the bed where Rosa's jutting hooves might impede traffic. It was Maribelle's bed and she was in it too, resting on her side and studying her engineering book. It was amazing how she could even read like that. She had half-opened the book and stood it up beside the pillow, but her head was resting normally. The text was at a ninety-degree angle from her perspective, but Maribelle seemed to have no trouble scanning the lines down to up. This was all so Rosa could use her belly as a makeshift pillow while she stared at the ceiling, trying to think about nothing in particular.

Every now and then, Maribelle brushed the frog of her forehoof against Rosa's shoulder, as if making sure she was still there, before awkwardly turning a page.

"You sure you can study like this?"

"It's fine, Rosa. It's relaxing. I know most of this by heart anyway by now," Maribelle assured her.

The best part of it was that by angling her ear backwards, Rosa could lay it against her friend's belly and hear her heartbeat. It was muffled, because she was not lying exactly on Maribelle's barrel, but Rosa could still hear it well enough. It reminded her that Maribelle was there and she was alive, and so was Rosa.

"Are you comfortable?" Maribelle followed up.

"Mhm!"

Speedy and Starla were still arguing about their Monopoly game. Rosa herself had lost early on and had gone to her dorm room to see how her friend was doing. She had gotten her a glass of water and an apple from the fridge and then Rosa had opted to keep her company while Maribelle studied.

When Rosa had come in, her roommate was lying on her belly, but she'd immediately flopped to her side and patted the bed next to her with a smile. "Just like old times, eh?"

It was true that Rosa and her old roommates often leaned on each other when they were resting, but none of them had ever tried studying like this. This was a new trick Maribelle had apparently learned since Rosa had seen her last. It made sense for this place, especially since the bedrooms did not have desks and the common room was a bit loud at times. Rosa flicked her ear in annoyance. If those two didn't stop arguing about imaginary money, she would go out and ask them to keep it down so her friend could study in quiet.

Still, they didn't seem to be bothering Maribelle all that much. Rosa guessed she was used to their antics. The strongest reaction Maribelle showed was an occasional ear flick at a particularly loud exclamation.

"Are those two always like that?" Rosa asked.

"Yep. That game does something weird to them, I dunno why. It's not like it's even real money. Speedy in particular likes to cheat and Starla hates that."

Rosa couldn't really blame Speedy and Starla if they got passionate about a game, but there had to be a line between 'getting into it' and 'having a needless argument'.

Something else came to mind. "Why do we call him Speedy?"

His real name - well, the ones humans had given him - was Samwise.

"Umm," Maribelle began, looking at the ceiling as she thought. Rosa knew she shouldn't bother her roommate while she was trying to study, but an occasional diversion shouldn't cause any harm, right? "Well, he's always preferred that ever since he came in. At least that's what Starla says."

"When did he come?"

Rosa felt the other mare shift under her head as she shrugged. "Dunno. He was here before I was. They both were. I guess I never thought to ask him why Speedy. We can ask at dinner!"

The word 'dinner' made Rosa's belly grumble a bit and she put her hooves over it to try and keep it quiet.

"Just lemme finish this chapter and then we'll go look what we can make for dinner. You said stir fry, right?"

Rosa nodded, which she knew Maribelle would undoubtedly feel. After a moment's thought she added: "Yes. Those carrots looked a bit iffy and I'm not sure about the onion. Does onion ever spoil?"

"Good question. Shouldn't you know about that?"

That reminded Rosa of the picture on her flank, but she really didn't have an answer. "Hey, I just grow them! Whatever happens after is no longer my problem."

They both giggled at that response and Maribelle stretched out her hind legs, before pulling them in and practically curling around Rosa. She nuzzled her friend's side, then gave her fur a warm lick. "Sorry, I thought you'd know," she said, then yawned. "Come on, let's get dinner started."

"What about the chapter?"

The other mare just prodded the book so it folded up and fell down. "I'll read it after dinner. I mostly know it anyway. Can't have you starving, Rosa. Let's go."

Rosa was a bit sad to lose her warm resting spot, but her belly wouldn't be ignored any longer, so she slipped from the bed. Her legs wobbled for a moment, but she stretched them out to get the circulation going.

The pair outside were still at it when Rosa and Maribelle emerged from the room and approached. The board looked like a complete mess of houses, hotels and colorful paper money.

"No way! That hotel was on Marvin Gardens! I saw you move it to Pacific, you cheater!" Starla was saying heatedly and pointing.

"Did not!" the colt countered. "You just remember wrong! It's not my fault you can't remember where things are!"

The pink mare dragged a hoof over her face in exasperation. "You always cheat, Speedy! You start losing and then you cheat when you think I'm not looking! Well, I was looking this time, I just pretended I was counting my money!"

The colt growled low in his throat and Rosa decided to step in before it came to blows. "Guys, it's just a game. Sheesh, let it go. Does it really matter who wins?"

They both answered at the same time. "YES!"

Rosa decided to try a different track. "Speedy, um- I was wondering why you want us to call you Speedy rather than Samwise."

"Oh!" the pony said, his train of thought immediately derailed. "Didn't I tell you already?"

"No." Rosa sat on the carpet and looked at him expectantly. Behind her, Maribelle was going for the kitchen, no doubt to get dinner started. Rosa was grateful for that, since it gave her a few minutes to learn the mystery of the name.

"Well, that was the superhero name of Green Arrow's sidekick!"

"Who what where?"

Starla rolled her eyes. "Comic books, Rosa. He's talking about comic books. He took the name of some character from a comic book."

"Okay, why?"

Speedy directed a very brief glare at the older mare, but then smiled back at Rosa. "Well, my Own- um, the guy I lived with was a big DC collector and I got to read comics whenever I wanted. Well, except for the mint condition ones." He chuckled a little bit. "Actually, that's where I learned to read! Anyway, I always liked the Green Arrow ones, so I guess the name just kinda stuck in my head. Then I got this-"

He tapped at his flank and Rosa craned her head to look. The colt had an old-fashioned-looking camera on his sides. He caught her look and his grin turned sheepish. "Photography."

"How did you get to photography from comic books?"

Speedy's face lit up at her interest, but Starla had already heard it all and stood up. "I'll go help Maribelle with dinner," she said and left the two youngsters alone.

"I guess it's because comics show one frame at a time - like someone is taking photographs at exactly the right moments."

"And adding speech bubbles to them?"

Speedy shrugged a bit at that comment. "Well, okay, it's not a perfect analogy, but I ended up looking at each picture of the comic and trying to imagine where the camera would have to be, and the light - where the shadows would fall and so on... I got my hooves on my master's camera one day and made a few pictures and then this appeared."

"So he sent you here?" Rosa asked.

"Not directly. He took me to a vet to find out what had happened and why, then the vet put it in the computer and a week later some guys showed up at the house to take me here. They said they'll help me find a job in photography."

It didn't sound too bad, but there was a bit of sadness in there. Despite slipping up and calling him 'master', Speedy had obviously liked his human and missed him.

"So you're training for that now?"

"Mhm! They adjusted a curriculum from some photography college. It's really interesting. All about the different kinds of lenses and light and composition..."

His eyes were almost glowing with enthusiasm now that he had someone new to tell these things. Rosa sat down, smiling faintly as he went on about filters and the development process. She had seen that in a movie, Rosa thought. They did some weird, chemical stuff to photographs in a red room and then the pictures appeared. She didn't really know why bother, because digital seemed so much easier, but if it made Speedy happy, she was glad he got to do it.

"Come on, let's go see if the other two need help in the kitchen and you can tell me more about it."

It was not like she'd remember most of it, but if it made Speedy happy to explain, then the least Rosa could do was listen and smile and nod. Naming himself after a comic book hero, though, that was a first. It was a tiny bit funny, but Rosa couldn't really judge. After all, if she wanted to change her own name, what would she even pick? Actually, that one was easy. Sky Light had already said: Morning Dew. Rosa wondered if she should. All the other ponies seemed to change their names when they got their cutie marks. Maybe if she got two of them. Her case might be different because she only got one.

She led the colt to the kitchen while he kept babbling about fixers and washing and darkrooms. She had to hold the door for him, otherwise Speedy seemed liable to smack right into the wood with how distracted he was. It was nice to see him happy, so Rosa didn't mind the torrent of words.

Still, it was strange how different ponies could be. Maribelle was also excited about her train stuff, but she never talked Rosa's ear off about it. Well, not yet. Maybe Rosa should ask her sometime and see what happened. Then again, she'd never felt a particular urge to talk to people about gardening, but that might just be because Rosa hadn't really started studying it yet. Not properly. Maybe if she started getting some real education in that field she would also want to discuss it with everyone. If that was so, Rosa almost felt sorry for Sky Light, who would have very few interested listeners thanks to the nature of her cutie mark.

Rosa took her seat after she saw both Starla and Maribelle expertly chopping, slicing and moving pots around. All she could do there would be to get in the way.

"Garlic?" Maribelle asked, giving Rosa a quick glance before focusing on her knife again.

"Huh?"

"You want garlic in the stir fry?"

"Oh, yes. That's fine." It would give them a bit of a bad breath, but it was dinner and they would go brush right after anyway, so that should be fine. The more important thing Rosa just realized was that there were knives in the kitchen. Maybe she could take one when she tried to escape, to defend herself with.

Except... no. Rosa hadn't the faintest clue how to use a knife in a fight and all it would do for her was get her shot immediately. Even if it came down to stabbing a human in order to get away, Rosa was not too sure she could do it. A kick was one thing, but sticking a bit of sharp metal into someone's body - that made her shudder.

She realized she had stopped listening to Speedy and gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I guess it's all a bit too technical for me. I kinda zoned out."

The colt seemed a tiny bit hurt, but he quickly smiled again. "It's okay. It's boring for most people who don't work in the field."

"It sounds really interesting, but I don't know what any of those chemicals are."

He gave her a grateful nod. "Yeah, I guess. It took me a while to learn all this stuff."

"Do you have a camera here?"

This time he shook his head and his ears lowered sadly. A moment later he brightened up. "I could ask Wade if I can borrow the one from his office! Do you want me to make a few photos of you?"

That actually sounded like fun, especially if Rosa ended up having to leave Maribelle behind. She would have a few photos of them together to remember her by! "Oooh, I'd love that! Could you? I'd really like some photos of me and Maribelle!"

It only took Rosa a moment, but she added so quickly that Speedy probably never even noticed the pause: "And maybe some with you and Starla! You know, the gang of third floor?"

This made Starla chuckle. "I like that," she said. "Gang of third floor. Sounds like we're a pack of misfits and outlaws, no?"

Rosa didn't quite see it, but she guessed it could be interpreted that way. "I guess. Please try to get the camera, Speedy!"

"I will, I will!" he assured her.

Then Maribelle tossed the first bunch of vegetables in the wok and pleasant smells filled the room. Rosa lifted up her muzzle and inhaled deeply. "That's gonna be so good!"

Chapter 67: Night Escapades and Secrets

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Rosa was lying in her bed with a pleasantly full stomach and a very welcome warm glow of pride, which was making her smile. There had been plenty of stir fry for dinner and she hadn't eaten all of it! It was quite an achievement and gave her hope that she could control her overeating if she really tried. There had even been leftovers and Maribelle had put them in the fridge. She'd said Rosa could heat those up in the microwave for breakfast, which sounded both convenient and delicious.

The mare in question was sleeping on the other bed. She had decided to skip her studying and rather get some more rest. It was a bit of a shame because Rosa had wanted to talk to her a little more, but her roommate wanted to be well rested for her simulator trip which was a completely reasonable request. She would be going out of the facility! Rosa had to admit that was exciting. She wondered if they'd ever trust her enough to let her do the same.

She glanced over at the sleeping mare. Maribelle was lying on her belly, all four legs akimbo and her ears splayed as she dreamed whatever future train engineers dreamed. The hoof nearest Rosa was poking from under her blanket and she could see it twitch every now and then. Probably turning knobs and pulling levers in her sleep, Rosa assumed. It was cute. Rosa turned to her side so she was facing the wall. Maybe that way she could get some sleep. The rooms up on the third floor also had that annoying light on the ceiling, but it was turned down at night and easier to ignore, as long as Rosa was not staring directly at it.

There was a soft snort from Maribelle and she shuffled a little with a rustle of bedclothes. It was a very pleasant reminder that her friend was near, and Rosa closed her eyes.

She woke up some hours later, although with no clocks in the room Rosa didn't know how late, or early, it might have been. She yawned sleepily and wondered what had woken her up. It was not hunger, nor did she need to pee. Dr. Mason's warning to go before bed had sounded serious and Rosa made sure to strictly obey it. She would be fine until morning on that front. Maybe it was just one of those things. Sometimes she woke up from a dream and didn't really know why. She switched to her other side, heaved a sigh and closed her eyes again.

Then Rosa heard a distinct hoofstep and her eyes flew open.

It had sounded like it came from outside the room! That didn't make any sense since the ponies were locked in their bedrooms each night. One of the doctors came up every evening to make sure they were all in bed and to lock all the doors! No pony should have been outside in the middle of the night. It was impossible!

Rosa quietly slipped from her bed, both so that she didn't wake up Maribelle, but also to avoid alerting whoever was sneaking around outside. Tip-toeing - or was it 'tip-hoofing'? - Rosa made her quiet way to the door. It was a solid block of wood with no windows, which was a shame. She couldn't see through it, so she just pressed an ear against the surface and held her breath.

There was nothing for a while, but then she heard a faint clop again. Rosa stifled a small gasp. There was someone out there! A pony! Had someone broken in without getting caught? She considered calling out, but Rosa was a bit afraid of whoever it was. Also, she didn't want to wake up Maribelle before her important day tomorrow, so Rosa decided to just listen for a while. Now that she knew what to focus on she definitely heard a pony walking around there. The carpet muffled their hoofsteps, but she still heard the faint thuds as they walked.

Who could it be and what were they doing out there?! Rosa tried to guess where they were and what they might be looking at. The sounds got fainter as whoever it was walked to the big metal door to the corridor. Have they managed to break through that somehow? More importantly, why hadn't Rosa heard anything before now? If a muffled hoofstep had woken her up, somepony forcing the main door should have done the same, even more so!

There was a pause, and then the intruder pony sighed. "Hmm..." they said and Rosa covered her muzzle with her hoof. That was Starla's voice! Rosa was certain she had recognized it! Again she considered calling out, but she was curious to hear what the other mare might do. It was a real shame Rosa couldn't see past the door!

Starla didn't make any more noise, but Rosa heard four quiet beeps and then the electric buzz of the door lock. The hinges were silent, but Rosa imagined she could hear the swoosh of the metal gate opening. There was a louder hoofstep as Starla stepped on the tiles outside the room, Rosa tensed up, waiting for the next one, but the other pony had probably realized it and was now stepping much more lightly. The last thing Rosa heard was a faint click as the metal door closed again.

It was a lot to take in.

First of all, now she knew why Starla was so tired all the time! She was sneaking out at night to do God knows what. Was the mare some kind of a spy or something?! More than that, Starla had some way to walk around the facility at night, by herself. If Rosa could guess how, or make the mare tell her, she would have a much better chance of breaking out. She wondered if whatever Starla had could get into Sky Light's cell. It was unlikely, but Rosa decided she would still try. Finally, there was the question of whether she should tell the mare anything or not. That time Rosa had told her about the dream and the year-

Her brain nearly derailed itself as the gears clicked together. The number! It hadn't been a year, it was a code for one of those doors! Was it the code Rosa had just heard the mare use, for the ponies' dorm room? That was the best guess, unless the information Rosa got from a dream was something more sinister. She wondered if she could discreetly test the code tomorrow. It could be a big risk if any of the staff were standing in the corridor. Maybe it would be safer to ask Starla about it. After all, she had promised to tell Rosa all about it in a few days. Maybe Rosa could enlist her help, in exchange for getting her the code. If whatever Rosa had given her was valuable, Starla would owe her, after all.

All the suspicion and guessing was making Rosa's head spin and she felt like she was about to burst. This was huge. For a moment she looked at Maribelle and thought about waking her up. She could tell her all about the dream and Starla and the code. Maybe her old roommate could help her make heads or tails about the whole thing. Rosa hesitated, but then resolutely shook her head. She decided not to tell Maribelle anything. Whatever she said would just worry her friend and put her in trouble if Rosa or Starla were found out. She'd be safest if she knew nothing. Rosa would tell her about her plan once she was sure she could get out, and once she had Sky Light's help up in the dorm. Not before.

The new revelation about Starla was still a lot to take in and think over, so Rosa returned to her bed, climbed up, and lay down on top of the blanket. She suspected she wouldn't be able to sleep anytime soon anyway. The best she could do was think about what she'd seen and try to remember everything Starla had said and done over the past few days. Rosa needed more information. Mostly, she needed to know if she could trust the mare. Of course that happened to be one of the most difficult questions to answer about anyone.

Another thought popped up. Rosa shouldn't fall asleep again. Starla was sure to return to her room and maybe the next time the sounds she made would betray something more. The mare could give Rosa more inadvertent clues, or let something slip. She was sometimes prone to talking to herself. If nothing else, Rosa would know roughly how long she had been gone, which would tell her how far she had roamed the facility.

Rosa swore under her breath. She really wanted to know what Starla was doing! Tonight wasn't the first night, Rosa was willing to bet. The other mare had certainly gone out the previous night too. That was why she had nearly fallen over at lunch. Rosa was willing to bed Starla had sneaked around the place before that, too!

She needed to know if the code from her dream worked on the ponies' door! If Rosa knew that, she'd know whether Starla had left the dorm before yesterday. She had been very happy to hear about the number, after all. That was probably because she had been looking for it for a while. What did the number open!? Rosa groaned a little and covered her face with her forelegs. This was one confusing place! She wondered if she would ever get to the bottom of this particular mystery. If the choice came down between running away with her friends, or finding out what Starla was up to, Rosa would naturally choose the former, without hesitation.

That much was certain, even if the curiosity would plague her for the rest of her days.

It felt like it would be morning soon. Maribelle had started shuffling around a bit more, though she was still fast asleep. Rosa had checked a few times. Maybe another hour or so and the humans would come to wake them up. One of the attendings, most likely. Rosa wondered where Starla as and what was keeping her. She was cutting it quite close.

A new sound caught her ear and Rosa recognized it as the electrical buzz of the lock. Despite not knowing what the mare had been up to, Rosa breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever her intentions, Starla seemed like a good pony and Rosa didn't want her to be in trouble. She held her breath as she listened on. There was a faint sound of a hoof landing incautiously on the carpet. It was definitely Starla.

Quickly, before Rosa could miss anything, she slipped out of the bed and tip-hoofed her way to the door. She soon had an ear pressed against it and was holding her breath to hear better. She wanted to know how Starla could get out of her room and back in. Did she have a key or something? That still didn't sound possible, since the keyholes on the inside were bolted down with a metal plate.

There was absolutely nothing for a short while, then Rosa heard the faint squeak of a hinge. Starla was opening the door! Maybe she had left it open when she had gone out, although that would be risky if a human came to check in on the dorm in the night. Not that Rosa remembered it ever happening, but she might have slept through it, and besides she hadn't been up there all that long.

Starla's door shut closed - now Rosa was absolutely sure it had been her because the sound was definitely coming from the very next room. Speedy's dorm was on the other side of Rosa and Maribelle's. She almost pulled her ear away, but then she caught a faint click. That was probably the lock. It seemed Starla somehow had a key for her room and a way to unlock it from the inside. Maybe she had somehow pried the metal plate away and then stuck it back so it looked okay to the humans. It was the only explanation. Rosa would have to ask her and see if the key would also work on her own door.

"Rosa?"

Rosa let out a squeak and whirled around to see Maribelle staring at her blearily. Her sleepy roommate rubbed her eyes with her forelegs and yawned. "What are you doing up so early?"

Hoping like hell that Starla wasn't eavesdropping, Rosa walked over to the mare and spoke quietly: "Couldn't sleep. I need to use the toilet." It was not even completely a lie. Rosa did have to go, but it could wait another hour or so until the humans came and let them out.

"Sorry, you'll just have to wait. If you can't, I won't blame you if you wet the bed."

The very idea was enough to make Rosa blush and she couldn't quite meet Maribelle's eyes. "I'll hold it."

"Good. Come on, let's try and get some more sleep. What time is it?"

There were no clocks in the ponies' rooms, but Rosa still glanced at the walls out of sheer habit. She shrugged. "Dunno, another hour until morning, I guess?"

"That's nice. Come on." Maribelle was holding up her blanket for Rosa, who gratefully crawled into her embrace. It was incredibly warm and exactly as comfortable as Rosa remembered. Besides, now that Starla's nighttime adventure was over, Rosa no longer had to wait up, so she closed her eyes and relaxed. One more hour of sleep was better than none. She was out within minutes, nuzzling Maribelle's foreleg which was lightly draped around her withers.

There were more blood samples, another visit with the psychiatrist and another talk with Brad - Dr. Barton - to arrange a few more tests for Rosa's skills in Maths and English, all of which made the morning pass quickly. It was nearly eleven by the time Rosa made it back to the dorm and Maribelle was already gone. She hoped her friend was having fun with her train toy. Speedy was also out, getting tested on a treadmill, or so Rosa had understood the stallion's explanation the previous day. She didn't know why he had to do that regularly and she'd forgotten to ask him. There was presumably a complicated medical reason. Starla was still in her room, sleeping off her night escapade. It was really strange how she never had classes or tests in the morning.

Rosa looked at the kitchen door and considered getting a snack. Almost unconsciously her hoof went to her belly. She had skipped breakfast, but Dr. Mason had given her a big sandwich after taking her blood. Maybe it wouldn't be the greatest idea to stuff herself so soon after that.

That left just one thing to do. It would have been wiser to talk to Maribelle first, but she was not there and Rosa wanted answers. She strode toward Starla's room with determination. It was much like her and Maribelle's, with two beds and not much else in the way of furnishing. The mare herself was sprawled across one bed and the other seemed untouched. Rosa didn't want to mess it up, so she sat on her haunches right on the floor, near Starla's head.

"Ahem," she said, trying to wake her up.

There was less of a result than she had been expecting. Starla just went on sleeping like nothing had happened. She didn't even flick an ear!

"Wake up!"

Still nothing. Rosa rolled her eyes in annoyance and prodded the lazy nag with a hoof. That, at least, provoked a response, even if it wasn't the one she had been hoping for. Starla smacked her lips and turned away from her. A moment later she was once again breathing the heavy breaths of deep sleep. Rosa couldn't stop a growl deep in her throat. This time she stood up and put both hooves on the mare so she could turn Starla back to face her. "Sheesh, wake up already!"

Finally! Her eyes opened and the mare blinked a few times, failing to recognize Rosa. "Huh, Twi- uh?" She frowned a little bit before giving her a worried smile. "Rosa? Is, um, something wrong? Why did you wake-" she couldn't even finish the question because a huge yawn stopped her.

It was very infectious and Rosa opened her muzzle too. After all, she hadn't gotten much more sleep tonight than Starla. "We need to talk," she said firmly once she'd gotten herself under control again.

"Okay?" Rosa hadn't expected the other mare to volunteer anything, but she sounded even less helpful than she'd feared.

"I heard you sneaking around tonight. I think it's time you tell me what that number from my dream was all about. What are you doing, Starla?"

Starla studied her face for quite some time. Rosa was about to repeat her question when she finally sighed, closing her eyes. "Can I trust you?"

It was not a question Rosa had been expecting! It was more important whether she could trust Starla, not the other way around! Still, Rosa could kinda see the mare's point. Starla couldn't know that Rosa won't immediately run off to tell some human. She took a breath and tried to put it into words: "If I wanted to give you away, I would have done it already. I just want to know what you're up to. You promised you'd tell me!" Well, Starla hadn't exactly promised, but a tiny little white lie wouldn't hurt there.

Again there was that long pause, as if Starla was making up her mind what to tell and what to keep a secret. "You said your friend is in a prison cell in this place, right? Gray pegasus, orange mane, cutie mark is a four-leaf clover?"

"That's her! How do you know?!" Rosa was certain she hadn't told her friends what Sky Light looked like. She might have mentioned that Sky was a pegasus, but nothing beyond that. Certainly not her cutie mark. The only way Starla could have known was- "You've seen her!"

"Mhm. Last night, I went to check. We talked for a bit. She seemed trustworthy," Starla explained, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"How did you get to her?" Rosa would really like to know so maybe she could also visit her friend, unsupervised and for a longer period of time.

Unfortunately Starla was already shaking her head. "Sorry, I would advise against that. There's cameras and all sorts of stuff around her area. You'll just give yourself away and then the humans will figure out we have the code to the door."

"Was that the number my dream sent you?" Rosa demanded.

The other mare shook her head some more. "No. I've had that for a while now. Yours was- something else." It sounded as if she didn't quite trust her enough to say more.

Rosa wondered what kind of a terrible secret she had. It must have been way worse, since Rosa could easily land her in very nasty trouble just with what she'd already told. "So how do you get past the cameras and everything?"

Again, Starla simply watched her silently for a long time, then hear ears fell and she sighed. "I'm probably going to regret this. Sky Light did say you can be quite stupid sometimes. Promise you won't tell anypony. Not even your roommate, okay? Or any human, for that matter."

Rosa was already keeping secrets from Maribelle, would one more really be that significant? If she could advance her plans and find a way to escape, she would tell her everything. If not, it wouldn't really hurt Maribelle in any way.

"I promise."

"That song you sometimes hum, where did you hear it. Please try to remember."

Rosa didn't understand what that had to do with it, but she still searched her memory, despite having tried and failed so many times already. "I honestly don't know. I've just always known it, as long as I can remember. Maybe I heard it in the nursery, or the kindergarten. I don't remember most of that stuff..."

Starla pursed her lips, then held out her hoof. "Okay. Swear you won't tell anyone my secret. Pony lives depend on it! Swear on your mother."

Now it was Rosa's turn to lower her ears and look down. "I never knew my mother. They separate us at birth..."

They were both quiet for a very long time, then Starla let her leg fall and heaved a sigh. "Wait here," she said and slipped off the bed. Rosa watched her walk to the door of her room and look out. She spent a quiet minute listening, then she came back. It was strange that she hadn't closed the door, but then Rosa realized she'd be better able to hear humans entering this way. Smart mare. "Okay, first of all, Starla isn't my real name. I'm not a prisoner here," she explained, then paused and shook her head. "Actually, I am, but on purpose. I'm a spy."

This admission got Rosa's heart beating faster and she felt her legs start to tremble in excitement. If Starla - or whatever her real name was - was just collecting secrets from the humans, she must have a way out and possibly friends. "W-Who are you working w-with?" Rosa stammered.

"Does the name 'Cadence' mean anything to you?"

"N-No."

The mare gave her another long look, then explained: "It's a group of pony resistance here on Earth. We hide in the wilderness and keep moving. About six months ago we heard about this place and I got myself caught breaking in, just like you. Except I did it on purpose."

That was a small jab at her clumsiness, but Rosa didn't even mind at that point. It all sounded like some action-movie stuff! "Can y-you help me and Sky Light get out?!"

"Maybe... I do owe you one."

"Owe me one for what?"

The mare smiled for the first time since Rosa had woken her up. "You told me the code to- well, to something really important. I'd never have gotten it otherwise, so... thanks."

"You're, um, welcome?" Rosa quavered.

Starla put a comforting hoof on her younger friend's withers. "Of course, you had help, but still- thanks. Anyway, what do you want to know?"

The main thing Rosa wanted from Starla was a way out of the place for her, Sky Light and Maribelle, if she would come. Except now that Starla had dangled a taste of all this spy and resistance stuff before Rosa, there was no way she was going away until she knew more. "What's with the resistance? Why?"

Starla shrugged a little bit. "Does there have to be a reason other than ponies are in slavery? We're trying to free as many as we can and take them back home."

"B-Back home?"

"Equestria. Where ponies belong. Do you know anything about it?"

Rosa stared at the mare with her mouth open for a while. That was too much information all at once and she didn't know if she could even process it all. Overwhelmed, she focused on one thing at a time. The mare had asked her a question. "Not r-really. I thought it was gone, or destroyed or something. I thought we were refugees."

"Lies."

"Why would they lie?!"

Starla rolled her eyes a little. "So you're easier to control. You don't question. You don't long for a home if you think it no longer exists. There are probably other reasons."

Could she be right? Would the ponies on Earth revolt if they knew they had a homeland where they weren't subservient to humans? Where they could have jobs and houses and money, and live among equals? What about all the free ponies? Rosa didn't know what they had been told and she had never thought to ask. Maybe Velvet and Bluegrass and Butch all knew Equestria still existed, but they liked it better here on Earth? If they didn't, why hadn't the resistance gotten them home?

Rosa filed all that away to think about later. There was something else that had been hanging over her head for a long time and just maybe Starla would finally have an answer. "What about all this cutie mark stuff and the implants and the research they're doing here. Why go to all that trouble when there's thousands of ponies out there who have them?"

The mare took a moment to formulate her answer, then gave a little shrug. "I'm not too sure about most of that stuff. You really ought to ask Cadence about it. This place was the first I heard about these implants."

"Will I get to meet this 'Cadence'? Who is she?"

Starla had a short internal debate over what to tell her, then just answered simply: "She leads the resistance here on Earth. If anypony knows, it'll be her. Anyway, from what I understand, this place is a fluke. It doesn't exist, officially."

"What do you mean?"

The mare waved a hoof vaguely. "It was one crazy, paranoid politician who got elected on promises to control ponies. He managed to be annoying or convincing enough to get some money and then he put his crazy, fanatic friends in charge of this operation. I think I know why they're letting it continue, but I won't say until I'm sure."

That didn't answer anything much and just raised further questions. Rosa opened her mouth to ask them, but Starla forestalled her. "Look, just think of it this way: some humans got a lot of money from the budget to try and find a way to control cutie marks. Back when it all started there were a few... bad cases, so the public was all for it." She walked around Rosa and climbed up on her bed once again while she talked. "Interest has died down since, but if what I think is right, they don't dare shut this down, so the government - the current government - just keeps this place around because it's easier and cheaper than it would be to stop."

Well, Rosa had seen people act crazy, so it was not too far fetched. Mr. Boone had been a good example. She wondered if he was the politician whom Starla mentioned, but she didn't ask. It didn't really matter. It sucked to know that her entire life, the school, even the lives her friends were building here, were just part of some crazy experiment to breed cutie-mark-less ponies. It was not going to work, Rosa knew that now. "So who are you really?" she asked, changing the subject before she got too depressed.

"Well, obviously I'm in disguise, otherwise I'd be in some serious trouble."

Rosa was guessing mane-dye, though she couldn't imagine how Starla would keep getting it. Humans would be sure to get suspicious if she put hair-dye on the shopping list. It was a tiny relief that Starla wasn't really stuck with this horrible, clashing color, though. "So what's your real name?"

The mare looked around and turned an ear to the door, making sure that no one was around. Despite being certain that the two of them were alone, she still leaned closer and whispered: "Promise you won't tell? We'd both get thrown in prison or even killed if they found out."

The admonition made Rosa gulp, suddenly afraid that Starla was some sort of criminal or outlaw. It was clever of her to hide right under the humans' noses, but also risky beyond belief. Anyway, Rosa was committed, so she just gave a single nod.

"My real name is Starlight Glimmer."

Rosa almost laughed. She had made 'Starla' out of 'Starlight' and dropped the other part of her name. Surely if the humans were looking for her they wouldn't be so stupid as to fall for that. Starla - or Starlight - caught Rosa's look and gave her a crooked grin. "What? I'm bad at names, okay?"

It sounded like a very pony name. An Equestrian pony name, which would make sense if she was part of the rebellion, which, presumably, had come from there.

Equestria still existed. Ponies still lived there. Once again the thought blew Rosa's mind.

"Um, that's a- a- lovely name."

By now the mare was starting to fidget and her ear kept twitching toward the door. They'd been talking for a while and the chance that some human would walk in was growing by the minute. They both knew they should stop soon. Besides, Rosa really needed to go in her own room and think all of this over.

"Will you tell me how you get around this place at night?"

Starla shrugged, but then shook her head. "Sorry, it's too dangerous for you to know. Soon, okay? I have something really important to do tonight, then-" She froze and her eyes narrowed as she gave Rosa an appraising look. "Hmm, how strong are you? You're an earth pony, so I'd guess the answer is 'very', right?"

This was another unexpected question and it made Rosa open and close her mouth in surprise before she found the wits to answer. "Yeah, I guess? I mean, I'm a lot stronger than Sky Light if that's what you're asking."

"Maybe I could use your help. Listen, my work will be done soon. In a couple of days now that I have that code. If you help me- um, do what I need to do, I'll take you and Sky Light with me when I go. My friends will be coming for me." She gave Rosa a bright smile. "The resistance could use a couple of resourceful mares like you two. Or, failing that, we'll send you to Equestria."

It sounded like exactly what Rosa had been hoping for! Except for one thing. "Can we bring Maribelle?"

For a moment Starla had a pained expression on her face before she could wipe it away. It made Rosa's heart sink. "I'm not sure she-" the mare began, then sighed and folded her ears down. "Look, I'm sorry Rosa, but some ponies really buy into what the humans are selling here. I'm worried if you tell her any of this, she'll run right for a human to blab everything. I don't think we can bring her out, not yet. Not without her fighting us every step of the way."

Rosa was about to argue and plead, eyes already brimming with tears, but Starla silenced her with a hoof on her muzzle. "Tell you what. Our agents can track where Maribelle ends up. We'll find her once she's out of this place. It'll be a lot easier to get her away then, okay?"

It was not what Rosa wanted to hear. She didn't want to be parted from her friend yet again. She thought back on her own promise to herself - she would leave Maribelle here if she genuinely thought she'd be happier. The moment had come, but did Rosa have the strength to do it? She had to think about it.

"Promise you won't tell her anything!" Starla demanded.

This was one of the hardest things Rosa had ever had to do, but she did it anyway. It was for all their sakes. "I p-promise." She didn't say goodbye to the mare, just left her room as quickly as she could. Rosa ran to her bed and jumped up on it, then she pulled the cover over her head. Somehow, deep down, she'd always known she would have to leave one of her friends here. Maybe knowing that Maribelle was happy and doing what she loved would be enough.

Maybe, like Starla had said, they could approach her in a few years, once she had completed her training and had a fulfilling job, and tell her the truth then. Did Equestria have trains? Rosa had forgotten to ask. If it did, she could promise Maribelle that she'd continue doing what she was meant to do, except in a better place. A place for ponies.

It would just have to be enough, but she still couldn't stop herself from crying silently. Rosa hoped no human would find her like that. If they did, she would just tell them that she'd eaten something spoiled and wasn't feeling well. She was getting good at lying to her friends, after all, perhaps it was time to try out that particular talent on people who actually deserved it.

Chapter 68: Magic and Unicorns

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By the time Speedy came in for lunch Rosa was still reeling from all Starla had told her. Luckily, it was easy to excuse herself by saying that she was not feeling too well. This statement was lent further credence by the fact that Rosa was not particularly hungry.

Pony resistance. Spies, hiding out in forests. Infiltrating human facilities and rescuing mistreated ponies. It all sounded completely crazy. Was Starla just making it all up? As a joke, or maybe she had some mental condition? No, Rosa believed the mare when she had told her. Besides, she had known what Sky Light looked like and Rosa was pretty sure she'd never told anyone in the dorms. She might have heard it from a human, but Rosa couldn't imagine the mare gossiping with one of the doctors about what a pony looked like. They might complain if Sky Light had been causing them a lot of problems, but not about her appearance.

Rosa snapped out of her thoughts, which had been running in a circle and not getting anywhere anyway, when she heard a pony walk into the room. She opened her eyes and saw Speedy, with a slight blush and a bowl of something in an upturned hoof.

"It's stew. I don't really know how to make anything else. Well, except for a sandwich. Oh, and toast. I can make toast."

She watched the poor colt babble for a few more moments, then smiled and held out a hoof. He was somewhat relieved to hand her the meal, as if he had been nervous about bringing it. Maybe Starla had made him do it, Rosa thought. The mare did seem quite friendly, if just a tad knowing and a teensy bit condescending. Rosa supposed she had a right to condescend a little, considering the difference in years between her and all the others. Rosa wondered if it would be incredibly rude to ask her.

"Um, Speedy? Do you know how old Starla is?" Luckily, there was a better way. Rosa sat up straight so she could place the bowl before her. There was a spoon, but she was not going to bother with that.

The colt was fiddling a bit with his hooves, so she patted the bed next to her and he hesitantly climbed on. "Well, I asked her once," he admitted, muzzle going pink. It was very obvious on his naturally light yellow coat. "She said it was none of my business."

That was a shame, but Rosa guessed Starla didn't have to disclose anything, especially something as personal as that.

Speedy gave her a crooked smile. "Later on, she said she's 'about forty-ish?'" The way he had spoken made Rosa chortle a bit, almost causing her to spit out her mouthful. The colt had done a good impression of the mare!

"That's good! Can you do Maribelle?" Some light entertainment with her lunch would be a welcome distraction!

Speedy blushed some more, but he thought for a moment then forced a big grin. "Ohmigosh, check out this actuator mechanism on this- uh, locomotive. Didya ever see engineering like this?!"

It was not a very good impression - much worse than his attempt at Starla - but Rosa still laughed. It was making him relax a little bit around her, which was good. She didn't feel as if she'd gotten to speak with this particular pony all that much. Except now she had her mouth full again and she had to keep it above the bowl because a bit of stew was dripping from her chin. Eating with spoons was a lot less messy.

Rosa suddenly realized that Speedy was watching and she froze for a moment, unable to meet his gaze. He probably thought she was totally uncivilized! "Um, could you get me a napkin or a towel, please?" you quaver.

"Oh, sure! No problem!" the helpful colt exclaimed and rushed off. Sky Light had rubbed off on her too much, it seemed. Before Rosa had spent all that time with the pegasus, she'd never have thought to eat directly from the bowl. She decided she'd make it a point to improve her habits. There was no need to get sloppy just because she had been living on the street for a while.

Speedy was back very soon, giving credibility to his chosen name, and Rosa wiped her muzzle thoroughly. "I guess that's what spoons are for," she tried to lighten the mood. Rosa immediately wanted to slap her face. Way to bring attention to her uncivilized manners!

Luckily, the colt didn't seem to read anything into her words and just tittered a little. "It helps!" he pointed out.

He was easy company and Rosa liked him. She wondered what Sky Light would have made of him. She'd probably roll her eyes and go something like: 'Great, now I got two of you...'

Remembering how gruff the pegasus could act was making Rosa smile. "Um, thanks. F-For bringing me this."

The colt gave her a nod. "No problem! You said you weren't feeling well, so I thought I'd try anyway. I mean- if it was belly-problems, then you obviously wouldn't wanna eat, but if it's most other things you would still get hungry and just might not be feeling like going to the kitchen and sitting at the table and- and..." He fell silent and took a deep breath. "I mean, you're welcome," he concluded.

In some ways he reminded Rosa a little of Paolo, except the pegasus back at the school was a bit more confident. Well, until she'd shown some interest in him. Then he had clamped right up just like Speedy was doing now. Rosa suddenly realized the colt probably liked her. It was sweet, but she really, really couldn't get into anything like that. Hopefully if she didn't encourage him it wouldn't go any further. That probably meant she had to stop talking soon.

She invented quickly: "Ugh, I'm gonna smell of this stew for the rest of the day and it's gonna drive me crazy. I think I'll take a shower."

Speedy audibly sniffed, but of course he couldn't tell whether the smell was coming from the bowl or from Rosa. It wasn't a complete fabrication, anyway. Even if it wouldn't smell, which it probably would, her fur felt sticky.

"Oh. Okay," the colt said, thinking Rosa was expecting an answer.

"Thank you for cooking - um, you and Starla can leave the dishes in the sink and I'll do them later."

He swallowed and nodded, but then opened his mouth to ask, hesitantly: "Um, are you doing s-something later?"

Dr. Mason hadn't told Rosa anything, so she had just been planning on reading a book or something until Maribelle returned. Then she would probably have a ton of stories about her train simulator. Rosa had never thought she'd see the day, but she was genuinely interested in hearing about that. It sounded fascinating, the way her friend talked about it. Maybe it was just Maribelle's enthusiasm rubbing off on her, but Rosa suddenly wanted to know more about trains.

Meanwhile she had to let Speedy down gently. She thought about the problem for a moment and then found the perfect solution. "We could play a board game or something. Can you ask Starla if she wants in while I'm in the shower?"

He had obviously hoped for some alone time with Rosa, because his ears lowered in disappointment. She was a bit sad to do this to him, but it was kinder than outright telling him he was barking up the wrong tree. "Oh. Okay, I'll ask her," he promised and Rosa knew that he would.

The next step was harder, but she had to do it. Rosa played completely casual, pretending like she hadn't noticed his infatuation and wishes and disappointment. "Thanks! Great! I'll see you in a bit!"

He tried to help out, but Rosa firmly picked up the bowl and, hobbling on three legs, took it to the kitchen where Starla was sitting at the table and still eating. "Game later?" Rosa asked her.

Starla watched her for a few seconds, then shrugged. "Might as well. My lesson got canceled cause the guy got a stomach bug."

That worked out, then. Rosa would play whatever silly game Speedy and Starla picked until Maribelle came, then she would listen to her stories about the simulator. That would be her afternoon, it seemed. Tomorrow - she didn't know anything yet, but maybe Dr. Mason would come in later to tell her. The doctor had said she was looking into getting a small indoor garden set up so Rosa could practice. That excited her, but at the same time Rosa didn't really want to get started, because she would just have to abandon anything she did there.

Now that Starla had taken her into her confidence, at least partially, Rosa had no doubt they would be escaping soon. The only question that remained was 'how'.

That reminded her: when she saw Dr. Mason she would have to ask her if she could visit Sky Light again. Rosa needed to confirm Starla's story about visiting her friend and make sure she was on board with an escape plan. On top of that, Rosa just missed the indomitable pegasus and wanted to spend some time talking with her. That was also a legitimate reason. She tried to come up with a way to ask Dr. Mason while she waited for the shower water to get warm. It had to come up all the way from the basement, Maribelle had told her, so it took a while before hot water made it that far. She really was an engineer, it looked like. Rosa hoped she would have a very happy and productive life on Earth.

She didn't even remember when tears have started to drip from her muzzle. She was going to miss her friend. Please, please, she thought silently, let there be a way to get her to Equestria in a few months' time when she was out of this place!

Please.

It was really hard to keep something that big from Maribelle, but Rosa just told her she hadn't been feeling too well and that seemed to cover it. Her friend had come back sooner than expected, too, saving Rosa from a very strange board game she could hardly follow. Something with spaceships which both Speedy and Starla seemed to enjoy quite a lot. For that matter, they hardly ever argued, so Rosa found it weird that they played Monopoly at all, if it was so controversial. Anyway, the previous night and the day's excitement had left her completely drained and she kept nodding off while Maribelle was excitedly explaining about her train simulator.

When it happened for the fifth or sixth time the mare carefully lifted up Rosa's muzzle and gave her a smile. "Aw, you really aren't doing too well, Rosa. Go on, get some rest. I'll tell you tomorrow."

Rosa feebly shook her head and opened her eyes in a herculean effort to be polite. "N' s' fine..."

It was just so warm and comfortable in her friend's bed with her flank pressing against Rosa's and her blanket draped over them both. She had a book propped against the pillow so she could show off some of the train cabin pictures she had seen, but Rosa knew she wouldn't retain any of them. The other mare nudged her with a hoof and pulled the blanket off, exposing Rosa's back to the chill.

At least she imagined it as a chill.

"Hush! Go! Toilet, teeth, wash, bed, okay?" Maribelle commanded.

She sounded serious, so Rosa dragged herself out of bed, grumbling a little. "It was so warm..."

Maribelle reached out to pat her withers. "You'll get warm in your own bed, too."

"Nuh-huh," Rosa shook her head, "never gonna get warm again. I'm gonna die of hypothermia and it'll all be your fault!"

They both giggled and the joke helped Rosa wake up a little. She didn't need much to get through her evening routine and Maribelle was probably right. They could both use a good night's sleep. Maybe tomorrow it would be easier to understand Starla's - or Starlight's - story. That mare was still not telling her everything, but Rosa felt like maybe they could trust each other, at least to an extent. With what she had said, Rosa could probably get her into quite some trouble, if she was so inclined.

Thinking of the mare, Rosa found her in the bathroom, staring in a mirror. There was a hint of a wince on her muzzle as she examined herself. "I'm glad that's not your natural color."

Starla glanced over, then turned back to the mirror. "I know, right?!"

This made Rosa curious, so she joined her in looking at both their reflections. "What is your natural color?"

The pony sighed sadly and her ears lowered. "This," she said and lifted it up a little, "is just a streak. The rest of it is purple with another light purple streak."

Rosa tried to imagine it and yes, it did sound a lot better than her current color. She wondered why Starla hadn't chosen a different one, something that was easier on the eyes. "Why did you make it all the same color as the streak?"

"I don't know," the mare complained. "I guess it sounded simpler. I obviously didn't think it through and by the time I realized how awful it was, I was already in here and there was no changing it."

That brought Rosa to another question. "How do you keep it colored? Don't you have to retouch the roots every once in a while?"

Starla immediately clamped up and looked around to see if anyone else was listening. They had both already said too much if that was the case, which was why Starla had a slightly worried look.

"No one was near when I came in, don't worry." Maybe that helped. The other mare relaxed a bit and reached for her toothbrush on a shelf near the sink. "So, how do you color it?"

The main reason Rosa wanted to know was curiosity, but she could also use a similar method if she had to disguise herself or Sky Light. It was not just her being nosy, really!

"You have to keep this a secret, Rosa, understand?"

Rosa's heartbeat picked up as she was about to be told another important secret, and she gave the other mare a serious nod.

She sighed, then whispered to her so quietly Rosa almost didn't hear it: "Magic."

"Ma-mmphf!" Rosa had almost said it out loud and it was a good thing that Starla had plugged her noise-hole with a hoof.

"Ssssh!" she hissed.

"Sorry! Magic?!" Rosa repeated in a whisper.

Starla just nodded, but that was not nearly enough for Rosa.

"You mean, actual, serious, not-trickery magic, magic?!"

"Yup. I'm actually pretty good at it."

What she was saying was out of this world. Yes there were rumors about a certain type of pony - a unicorn - who could do actual magic, but Rosa wasn't even fully convinced they really existed. Even if they did, she wondered how Starla had gotten her hooves on some of their actual magic. How did you even carry magic around?! Rosa stepped closer with an eager smile. "How does it work?! Where is it? Can I see? I never saw any actual magic!"

The enthusiasm made Starla giggle a little, but she answered some of the questions: "Relax. All ponies have natural magic, but only unicorns can use it like you're probably thinking. You need a horn to use that kind of magic."

What she was implying was staggering and Rosa's legs started to tremble in both excitement and fear. "Are y-y-you an," she began, but had to gulp before she could finish, "-an unicorn?!"

Starla gave her a slight nod. "Guilty, I guess."

"But you don't have a horn!"

"Sssh!" Starla had to remind yet again. Rosa's voice tended to get louder and louder when she was excited.

"Sorry!"

"Of course I don't walk around with a horn, that would be incredibly stupid. It's a disguise! Humans are okay with ponies and most of them don't care about cutie marks, but seeing a unicorn around tends to cause a panic."

"Why?"

This one was a harder question to answer and Starla took a moment to think it over. "I'm not sure when it all began, but- Look, how much do you know about cutie marks?"

"Not much," Rosa answered truthfully.

"Okay, so in some cases, the cutie mark is determined for a pony at birth. I'm not entirely sure how it happens, but sometimes the parents get- well, a sort of a hunch, so they usually end up giving the pony a name that matches their special talent. On the other hoof..." Again, the mare paused a little bit to organize her thoughts. It was plain to see that she had never tried to explain these things, but she was somewhat knowledgeable. "Okay, so the other times, when the cutie mark isn't determined in advance, it's kinda shaped by the environment. For example, somepony might grow up with a blacksmith father and watch him work, and that would influence them to- to get interested in that. So when the time comes, their cutie mark is related to that interest."

Rosa nodded, following so far. All feeling of being tired was gone and her mind was buzzing with new adrenaline. There would be a price to pay later, she knew, but it would be worth it. "Okay?"

"So, for ponies who find their cutie mark through interests and upbringing and so on- well, that's usually the stronger power. It could be anything and it's shaped by the way they grow up."

Rosa suddenly remembered Sky Light telling her something very similar. "Oh, I think I heard about that! I didn't know that some cutie marks are determined in advance, but Sky Light told me that, um, happy lives lead to good cutie marks and tragic ones can give ponies a bad cutie mark."

Starla nodded, but a little doubtfully. "Y-Yeees," she replied, dragging the word out, "kinda. It's a very simplistic explanation, but let's say it's close enough. The cutie mark in these cases comes from the things a pony loves, but it can also be the other way around - it can come from something somepony hates strongly enough." She shuddered a bit at some internal memory. "There's been a few like that even in Equestria and they are usually really really bad! I guess it's just more common on Earth."

That confirmed some things Rosa had already known and it gave her some fresh things to think about. She tried to make the next connection herself. "So, unicorn, plus a bad cutie mark is-"

"Bad news," Starla finished for her. "Some unicorns can get very powerful. Imagine being able to blow up an entire building with a thought. They don't need explosives or guns or any weapon. Heh, they are the weapon. No wonder humans got scared, they don't have any defense against that." She saw Rosa's worried expression and gave her a brief hug. "In Equestria there was always defense against that sort of thing. Even if a hero - or heroes - didn't step forward, there was always a Princess around to sort things out."

Rosa opened her mouth to ask about that, but Starla smiled patiently and prodded her toward the shower cabin. "Enough questions now, you're almost falling over. Wash up and go to bed, Rosa. I'll tell you more when we get out!" She stuck the toothbrush she had been holding all this time back into her mouth.

It sounded like their escape would happen soon. Should Rosa tell Maribelle anything tonight? The other mare caught her expression and shook her head, smile slipping away. She had to remove the brush to speak. "Don't tell anypony, okay? Look, I have to go check something tonight. If everything goes smoothly, we're breaking out the next day, got that?"

Rosa nodded wordlessly, then froze and felt her ears sag. She had somehow decided to leave Maribelle behind. She was happy here and getting the education and the opportunity she deserved. Starla was probably right about that. If they told Maribelle what they were planning, she would undoubtedly go to a human. She'd think she was doing them a favor.

There was no other way. Rosa would just have to make her goodbye the night she left, when Maribelle couldn't stop her, or give them away, then come back for her in a few months or maybe a year. Once she had been exposed to the outside world, her friend might see things differently.

Oh, that reminded Rosa! "Just one more question, really quick!" she pleaded. "Are there trains or something like that in Equestria?"

Starla blinked a few times in confusion, then her face cleared up. Again she had to remove the toothbrush to answer. "Oh! You mean for your friend! Yeah, of course! There's steam trains and all kinds of machinery. That's a good idea, actually," The mare seemed a bit excited. "If she gets an engineering education here on Earth, she might bring some new ideas to Equestria. Good thinking!"

"So we'll come back for her?"

It was obvious that Starla wasn't too certain, but she still gave Rosa a nod. "Yeah, sure! I'll talk with Cadence."

"How will we find her?"

"Don't worry about that."

Opening her mouth to ask again just made Rosa yawn, despite her excitement. Starla was probably right. She needed to get herself ready and then go to bed. She would have to be well rested for tomorrow night, if they would be breaking out in the night. In fact, it wouldn't be a bad idea to take a few naps during the day. Rosa could say she was still not feeling perfectly well and take some quiet time in her room. Hopefully Dr. Mason or Dr. Barton or anyone else wouldn't need too much of her time.

"Thanks- um, for trusting me."

Starla gave her another short hug. "Mmm-phmm!" she mumbled around the toothbrush.

Rosa idly wondered why her and not Speedy or Maribelle, but she forgot all about that when she started the water. A toothbrush would feel nice and, more importantly, it would be a prelude to something nicer: her bed. It was going to suck to have to say goodbye to Maribelle, but at least this time they would both know the other was doing something important. More than that, Rosa would know that Maribelle would be happy in her new job. Even more than that, Rosa would know it wouldn't be forever. Even if Starla wasn't too convinced they'd be able to find Maribelle again after a year or so, Rosa just wouldn't give up. She had found her friend once, she could it again!

Those thoughts all fled when she stuck the brush in her mouth and had to focus on careful hoofwork to navigate it around.

Chapter 69: Daring Escape

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It was finally time to do it. Knowing that Rosa had no choice didn't make it any easier, though. Starla had told her to be ready tonight. She needed to tell Maribelle. Rosa was not going to just disappear on her. Luckily her roommate had put her strange mood down to continued tummy problems. She had gone to sleep but told Rosa to wake her up if she wasn't feeling well.

Maribelle had always been so kind...

Rosa was sitting on her haunches right beside her bed, ears hanging down and heart heavy. It wouldn't be fair to just run away without telling Maribelle. She would worry so much. Well, she would probably still worry, but at least she'd know why Rosa had gone.

Taking a deep breath, Rosa gently put a hoof on her friend's sleeping form. "Um, Maribelle?" she whispered. There weren't any humans around, but Rosa still wanted to be careful.

Unlike Starla, her friend wasn't a heavy sleeper and opened her eyes immediately. "Mmm? Rosa?" she asked, then sat upright. "Everything okay? Does it hurt?"

Rosa shook her head, but understood how Maribelle could have gotten that impression from her expression. "No, this is... something else."

Maribelle was obviously worried, but she kept it under control and tapped her bed instead. "Come on, you'll be more comfortable up here." She waited for Rosa to obey, then put a very warm hoof around her shoulder. "Take your time."

It made Rosa smile faintly. Maribelle was so nice! "I'm, uh-" she tried, but failed to find the words. "Maribelle, I have to-" her muzzle clamped shut and all Rosa could get out was a faint whimper.

By now her friend was getting really scared, even though she was still putting up a brave face for Rosa's sake. "I won't be mad, I promise," she said and it damn near broke Rosa's heart.

"I have to go."

"Aw, I'm so sorry Rosa," Maribelle immediately commiserated. "They have us locked in here until morning. If you can't hold it, just- um, take the sheet off the bed and-"

"No, not 'go' like that," Rosa corrected, horrified. Maribelle really wouldn't mind sleeping in a room that smelled of pee all night? No doubt she'd even offer to share her bed, since the other would have no sheets on it. What an angel!

It made her confession it a little harder, because Rosa knew she would make Maribelle sad with what she was going to say. Her eyes were already filling with tears.

Maribelle frowned a little in confusion. "Then go like what?"

"I h-have to l-leave!" Rosa blurted out.

"Oh no! Are they sending you away? Maybe I can talk with Dr. Barton and-"

This time Rosa plugged her friend's mouth with a hoof to silence her erratic guesses. She sniffled, but gathered her courage and continued her explanation. "No, I'm running away. I'm s-sorry!"

The other mare stared at her in shock for a while. Then she pushed Rosa's hoof away. "How?! Why?!"

Of course Rosa couldn't tell her too much about Starla, so she would just have to improvise. "It doesn't matter. I have a way. I'm getting Sky Light and we're getting out of here."

Her other question went unanswered and Maribelle repeated it, with a touch of anger in her eyes: "Why?!"

Rosa heaved a sigh and leaned against her. At least Maribelle didn't push her away. "I don't like it here. I don't wanna be a human slave, Maribelle. Maybe it's because I've been out there- free."

"You'll be a fugitive," Maribelle pointed out.

"Well, maybe. If I go far enough I'll be safe." Rosa was thinking about Equestria, but she didn't say it out loud.

"That's the stupidest, most hare-brained thing you ever-"

A half-choked sob stopped the pony in her tracks and her eyes narrowed. "Why are you crying?"

It was impossible to stop the tide now and Rosa's hot tears dripped down from her muzzle. "B-Because I'll- I'll m-muuuh," she wailed.

Maribelle put a hoof around her, but didn't say anything.

"I'll miss youuuuu!"

Her expression softened, anger momentarily forgotten. Maribelle didn't give up, though. "Rosa, I know it's all strange and scary here, but it's not so bad, I promise," Maribelle pleaded, getting a bit teary-eyed herself. "They're treating us nice and they'll even give us jobs for our cutie marks. Just- please, Rosa, just hold out a bit longer, it'll get better!" She put both hooves on Rosa and turned her around to face her. Rosa couldn't meet her eyes, so she stared fixedly at Maribelle's left ear. "I didn't even know you hated it here. Why didn't you tell me?! I thought you were happy..."

Rosa sniffed and wiped some snot away with her foreleg. "I am- I was. I d-don't know how I can explain this..."

Her friend kindly waited for Rosa to try.

"I-" What could she even say? "This is too important. I'm s-sorry, Maribelle, I just can't!" she whimpered miserably.

There was silence for a moment, then Maribelle said: "I see."

The tone of quiet anger and frustration didn't escape Rosa and she felt wretched. At least she should be able to give her some kind of reason! She decided to tell Maribelle some of the truth. "I h-have a way of going to Equestria. I have to go! It's where ponies belong. I was h-hoping, m-m-maybe, you..."

She gave her stern friend her most hopeful look, but all that did was to deepen Maribelle's glare. "That's baloney, Rosa! Equestria is a myth! Even if if ever existed, it doesn't anymore! Even if it did, we can't go there!" She even growled a little. "Is it that pegasus? Is she filling your head with these crazy ideas?! I'll tell Dr. Barton and they'll-"

"No!" Rosa cried out. "Please!"

Maribelle fell silent, but only because Rosa's face was now a mess of tears and she was sobbing quietly.

"You really believe all that, don't you?"

All Rosa could do in reply was nod.

The other mare heaved a long-suffering sigh. "Can I talk you out of this craziness?"

This time Rosa shook her head.

Maribelle pulled her against her barrel, completely ignoring Rosa's messy face, and Rosa gratefully buried her nuzzle in the soft fur. She took a very deep breath and tried her hardest to commit the scent to memory. Maribelle was doing the same, it felt like.

"I don't like this. I really don't, Rosa, but if it's that important to you, I guess I can't stop you."

"I'm s-sorry..."

Rosa enjoyed the embrace for long minutes, then Maribelle let out her breath and asked: "Will I ever see you again?"

Pushing away so Rosa could look her in the eye, she tried to smile. "If Equestria really exists, I'll come back and tell you. Then we can go together. They have trains, you know? They could use a skilled engineer!"

There was an indefinable moment of longing in Maribelle's eyes and Rosa felt a bit more cheerful. She really did like the idea. If she could get her some solid proof that Equestria existed - that Rosa had seen it with her own eyes - Maribelle would follow her.

This time, though, Maribelle shook her head. "That's just dreams, Rosa. What will you do when you can't get there. Or even if you get there and it's gone?"

That had always been an outside chance. "I'll come back."

Maribelle was already shaking her head. "No, that would be a terminally stupid idea, you little idiot," she whispered. "The humans will put you down if they catch you after you escape. Promise me you'll stay away from this place, Rosa!"

The thought was scary and made Rosa gulp in sudden fear. "I p-p-promise," she stammered.

"Good. Just keep yourself safe. Don't worry about me."

"H-How about- when you have a job somewhere, on a train. What if I find you then?"

Maribelle gave it some thought, but then she shrugged. "Rosa, I don't have the faintest idea what my life is going to be like. It's crazy to try and make plans now." Opening her muzzle to argue, Rosa subsided when Maribelle held up a hoof. "Okay, listen. If I end up working on a train, and if I don't have constant oversight of these people, and if it's safe - then I'd like to see you again."

A big smile spread Rosa mouth and the other mare rolled her eyes. "I said if, Rosa! If you manage to find me, I dunno, a year or two down the line, leave me a small message or something, just to let me know you're there, but don't show yourself, okay?" She was thinking rapidly now, making plans, despite her words that she shouldn't. "If it's safe for you to approach me, I'll give you a sign too." The mare sagged a little and sighed. "This is so hard to plan. Just- find me and keep your eyes open and let me know you're there when it's safe, okay? We'll figure something out."

"And then I'll take you to Equestria. It's there, it really is!" Rosa told her.

"Okay. Fine. Go see for yourself, just promise me you won't get your fool self killed, okay?"

Rosa gave her friend a nod and hugged her again. "I swear!"

Maribelle patted her back with her hooves and let Rosa rest against her barrel for a bit longer. Rosa closed her eyes and listened to her friend's steady heartbeat. "Please," she whispered, eyes filling up with tears again, "please be happy, Maribelle. I want you to have a happy life."

Her roommate grunted and squeezed extra hard for a moment. "I was hoping we could do that together, Rosa."

There was longing in her voice and Rosa felt like a monster for dashing that dream. There was no choice! She had to try and find Equestria. Starla had sounded so sure, so matter-of-fact! If Rosa could get both of them there - all three, including Sky Light - they would be much happier, she just knew it.

She opened her mouth to tell Maribelle that, but then changed her mind. She didn't believe it and it might just make her angry again. It was best to part like this - sad, but hopeful.

After a minute or two, Maribelle let Rosa go and then looked at the door. "So, how are you getting out?"

Rosa didn't want to give Starla away, so she lied by omission. "A friend is busting me out."

"Sky Light?! How did she get out of her cell?"

"Please- If I tell you, you'll just get in more trouble. It's best you don't know, Maribelle."

The other mare gave a wry chuckle. "Yeah, like they won't interrogate me at all if I say I don't know anything."

That was a thought that hadn't occurred to Rosa yet. What if the humans decided Maribelle was complicit?

Maribelle saw her terrified expression and gave Rosa a small smile. "Oh, so now you're getting worried?"

"Come with me?" Rosa pleaded.

The other mare thought about it for a moment! Then she shook her head sadly. "Rosa, I'm happy here. I'm doing what I love and I actually like the attendings and the teachers. It's not a bad life, even if I'll never really be a citizen."

Rosa's ears folded down in sorrow again, but Maribelle carefully lifted one up with a hoof. "Just tell me this - whether you find Equestria or not, will you be happier out there than you are in here?"

She thought back on her time on the streets with Sky Light. It hadn't been an easy life, but - Rosa suddenly realized - she had kinda liked it. Maybe enough to understand why Sky Light didn't want to live indoors with a family. Well, not exactly understand, but now Rosa believed that there could be an actual reason. Being homeless gave a pony a certain, undefinable freedom. "Yes," she said with finality, "even if I don't find Equestria I'll be happier out there."

"Then that's good enough for me. I'll be fine here. They'll ask me questions and I'll tell them I was sleeping when you left and I don't know how you did it, and that will be the end of it. Trust me, I'll be fine."

Rosa couldn't talk her into coming and she couldn't stay, so she would just have to make herself believe Maribelle. "Okay."

"So what now? We wait for your mysterious friend to let you out?"

Rosa nodded at the mare, who gave it some thought, then shrugged a little to herself and lay down. "C'mere," she said and patted the pillow next to her head. Rosa gladly joined her and her friend pulled the blanket over them both. "Since you'll be gone soon," Maribelle declared, "I'll just have to hug you enough for the next two years right now."

Rosa didn't have a single problem with that plan and happily accepted the hooves around her barrel. For good measure, she pressed her muzzle in Maribelle's fluff.

"So, Speedy has a crush on you. Did you notice that? He's going to be so sad when you're gone."

The bit of gossip made Rosa chuckle softly. "Yeah," she replied, voice a little muffled. "It was kinda obvious."

"I hope you let him down gently..."

Chatting about unimportant matters with Maribelle was the best way to spend the final few hours with the mare. It was how Rosa wanted to remember her. Maribelle was ignoring the fact that Rosa would leave and pretending everything was normal, just to help her friend relax and rest up before her stressful escape.

Maribelle was just such a sweetheart!

Rosa let the tears flow freely, even while she kept smiling at their conversation. "I actually just kinda ignored it..."

The tentative knock on the door was quiet, but enough to wake Rosa up from a pleasant, cuddly stupor she'd fallen into. She didn't know how much time had passed, but at least it had been enough for her tears to have dried. That saved her the embarrassment of having Starla see her indecision.

"I g-guess it's t-time," Rosa mumbled.

Marobelle gave her one of her finest, sad, heart-tugging Looks. "You really want to go?" she asked.

All Rosa could do was nod, ears splayed and trying hard not to start weeping again.

"Please be safe, Rosa."

"Yeah, y-you too."

She gave Maribelle one last quick hug, then slipped out of the bed. Rosa tried to put on a defiant expression for Starla, unwilling to let the older mare see her self-doubt, or she might decide Rosa was too risky and leave her there.

"I'm ready..."

The door unlocked and swung open. There was no one standing outside. Rosa swallowed a lump, cast one last look back at Maribelle, who gave her a brave smile Rosa knew she wasn't feeling, and then she stepped outside.

"Close the door," came a voice from the shadows. Once Rosa had done there, there was a faint click as the lock closed again.

Outside of her room, Rosa looked for the disguised unicorn with wide, unblinking eyes. She briefly wondered whether Starla would still have her disguise, but soon decided that she probably would. She would be in far less trouble if she were just an earth pony sneaking around, rather than a dangerous unicorn.

"Okay, come on," the mare said, stepping up next to Rosa.

Now that she'd had a moment to adjust, Rosa could see quite well in the faint moonlight coming from the windows. In particular, she noticed a crude little bag made from sheets which Starla had slung over her shoulder. Rosa wondered what was in it while the two walked over to the big iron door which opened into the rest of the facility. Once they reached it, Rosa swallowed and tried to keep her legs from trembling.

"Okay," Starla said, having paused to give some last minute instructions. "Keep quiet, follow me and do what I say without question, understand?"

Rosa nodded, but then felt that was not enough so she added her voice: "I p-promise."

"Good."

The other mare looked up at the keypad next to the door. Rosa wondered what magic would be like and watched her mysterious friend closely. There was no apparent change, but something caught her eye and Rosa saw a very faint, turquoise glow surround the buttons. They beeped faintly as Starla typed in the code, then there was a click and a whir as the door unlocked. Starla pushed it just a bit, so it opened a tiny crack. Rosa went to help, but the unicorn held up a hoof. "Hold on!"

Rosa froze for a moment, then took a careful step back. Nothing happened for a moment, then Starla smiled proudly. "Okay, we can go now." She opened the door all the way and walked outside. Her hooves rang faintly on the tiles and she slowed down. "I always forget how loud this is..." she muttered to herself. "Tread lightly," she told Rosa.

It took effort to place her hooves down softly enough not to make them ring out, but Rosa managed an acceptable speed while keeping the noise down. "W-Why did we have to wait?" she asked.

"Security camera in the hall. I disabled it with magic."

That was a clever trick and, once again, a reminder of how badly Rosa herself would have failed if she'd tried escaping on her own. Except... Starla had been going out a lot lately, wouldn't the humans be suspicious if cameras died every night?

"Don't they come investigate if the camera suddenly goes off?"

"They haven't yet, at least not during the night. I saw some technicians looking at it the other day. They probably just think it's a faulty system. I only keep it out for a minute while I'm walking past."

Rosa guessed the humans had no reason to be suspicious, since they probably couldn't imagine they had a hidden unicorn in the facility. Anyway, if they had suspected anything, they would have interrogated the lot of them already. Starla led the pair down the length of the corridor, but stopped right after they'd turned at an intersection. She closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment, then whispered: "The camera is back."

It wasn't really super critical for Rosa to know, but she still appreciated the warning. "Okay."

She recognized the hall. That was where Sky Light was being kept, so Rosa guessed they were going to pick up the pegasus first, then whatever Starla needed their help with. Rosa wholeheartedly approved. This sneaking around was making her heart pound like crazy and she was trembling all over. Having her close and trusted friend with them would be very welcome. They made another turn and Rosa saw the row of cells with their metal bars.

Her eyes clamped to the correct cell and Rosa and almost rushed for it, but Starla put a leg in her way. "Cameras, remember?!" she hissed.

"Oh. Sorry!" Rosa whispered back.

Starla stood still for a moment, then she started walking with that same careful gait for keeping hooves quiet on tiles. Rosa waited a moment longer to see if the other mare had further instructions, but when she said nothing Rosa quietly followed. It was only a few dozen steps to Sky Light's cell, but it felt like it was taking ages. Every now and then one of them placed a hoof down too quickly and a very faint clop rang out. They both froze in place each time, but nothing happened. If Rosa had thought ahead, she would have taken her sheet, ripped it apart and wrapped her hooves in the fabric. It would have made sneaking around so much easier. Nevertheless, they were soon at the right cell and Sky Light was already at the bars, waiting. She grinned widely when she saw who it was.

"Rosa!" she whispered, keeping her voice low, "Starlight said it's tonight but I don't think I believed it until now!"

The other mare just grinned. "Okay, stand back, I'll open the cell."

Her magical glow appeared around the lock and there was a definite click as it opened. The bars swung inward quietly and Sky Light sneaked around them. Rosa was amazed at her skill, both for whispering and for how quietly she could place her hooves. Rosa opened her muzzle to tell her so, but the mare guessed what she was about to say and gave her friends a proud smirk.

"I heard you sneaking over," Sky Light explained in a quiet voice. "I guess we're being quiet in case any humans are still around?"

"Bingo," Starla said. Starlight, rather. Rosa realized she should take Sky Light's example and start using the unicorn's proper name. "This way."

Rosa bumped her shoulder against Sky Light in lieu of a hug, just to let her know she was there, and to further convince herself that Sky Light was finally back with her, then they set out after the unicorn. She was going back the way they came, in the direction of the lift. In minutes they were in the small, metal room again, and Starlight pushed one of the buttons for the sub-basement. Rosa's stomach clenched when she realized they going underground. Thoughts of empty, echoing, cavernous rooms filled her mind. A moment later she remembered that she could have taken Sky Light's blanket to muffle their hoofsteps, but once again it was too late. She nearly growled at herself in exasperation, but managed to bite it back.

Underground felt very worrying. The most dangerous experiments were probably kept there. Rosa wondered if Starlight was looking for a weapon her resistance could use, or something even more dangerous. She needed somepony very strong to carry it out, but she hadn't told them yet what it was. No matter, Rosa was an earth pony, she could do it. It was a small price to pay for her own and Sky Light's freedom.

The elevator ride felt a lot longer this time, but it finally stopped. The door started to open, but Starlight jammed a button with a hoof to keep it shut. "A few cameras up ahead," she said by way of explanation.

"How did you know the first time you came here? You couldn't have seen it."

Starla was concentrating on her spell, Rosa thought, but she was still able to answer: "Sensing spell. A friend of mine came up with a way to detect complicated electronics." The mare gave a soft chuckle. "This place is a mess of electronics, but I learned how to recognize cameras and motion sensors. That's basically all I needed anyway." She let out a breath and relaxed. "There, that's all of them. I might not have time to mask each of them when we're escaping, so I just fried them. They'll notice pretty soon, but I hope to be out of here before that."

It was happening! The big heist or whatever! Rosa was about to help Starlight steal something big and important from the humans, then they would make their escape. There was no going back now!

Noticing how fast her breath was getting, Sky Light draped a wing over Rosa. "Relax, we got this," she whispered.

Rosa gave her a very grateful smile and managed to slow down her panting. The elevator door opened to reveal another bland, unremarkable hallway. Humans really loved their identical-looking corridors, Rosa guessed. Starla had started walking a bit more quickly now, apparently not caring about the noise her hooves made. Rosa followed, still trying to place her legs softly, but also unwilling to fall behind. A few turns brought them to a different-looking door. It was made from shiny metal and there were some danger symbols around it. There was also a clipboard with signatures and a plaque with tiny text above it.

Rosa didn't have time to try and read it, because Starlight beamed at her. "Thanks for that code, by the way. This is where we use it!"

There was a keypad on the wall and the turquoise magic enveloped it briefly. There were four beeps and then a whir of machinery. The door split in the middle and each section began to slide smoothly, but ponderously into the wall.

Rosa saw the two sides were thick slabs of metal and she made the connection. "Oh, it was too thick to cut with magic or something?"

The unicorn shook her head. "No, not exactly..." she explained. "This room is coated with something that blocks all magic. I don't know how it works."

Once the door was open enough, Starla stepped in and flicked the light switch. The sudden brightness nearly blinded Rosa, but she blinked until she could see again and then she couldn't hold in a soft gasp.

There was a metal... table or something in the middle of the room and strapped to it - a pony. She was a unicorn, navy-blue and with a very long, sharp looking horn. There was no mistaking it. Rosa realized she was also somewhat taller than any other pony she knew, although it was hard to judge with her lying on her side. Chains bound her legs and there was an IV drip going into a vein. When Rosa saw it, her leg itched where hers had been and she scratched without looking.

The pony was apparently asleep and didn't wake up at the light. She looked peaceful enough, despite the heavy chains.

"Here. It took some finding to get this," Starlight said and took her makeshift bag off. She upended it and a key tinged on the floor. "Unlock those chains, I'll get the IV out."

Rosa was happy to do that, because she was way too squeamish to fiddle with a needle in someone's leg. She grabbed the metallic key in her mouth and reared up to start with the hind legs, while Starla worked on the IV in the foreleg. Something caught Rosa's eye and the key dropped from her nerveless mouth.

"She's a-" Rosa said, stunned. "Both h-horn and wings!"

"An alicorn," Starla confirmed. "You understand why it's critical to get her free now?"

Rosa recalled some of the legends surrounding this mythical type of pony. Except she was not mythical - she was lying on the table right in front of her. They could move the sun and the stars and make hurricanes just by flapping their wings. They lived forever and nothing could ever kill them. Rosa didn't know how much of it was true, but this pony on the table was an alicorn!

A faint clink woke Rosa up from her astonished staring and she saw that Sky Light had taken the key and unlocked the shackles on the alicorn's hind legs. Meanwhile, Starlight had dropped the IV tube on the floor and was unwrapping the bandage around the strange mare's leg to get the plastic bit out. That was the potentially bloody part, so Rosa looked away.

The sleeping pony's mane caught her eye. It looked like it was glittering with small sequins and moving around of its own accord. Rosa had never seen hair like that! The tail was similar, long and flowing and glittery. "W-What's her name?" Rosa mumbled.

Starlight seemed to be about done with the bandage. She didn't immediately answer because she was gently pulling a very sharp looking needle from the alicorn's leg with her mouth. There was hardly any blood, but she started wrapping the bandage back anyway. Then she spat out the piece of plastic. "Princess Luna. I think she reached out to you in your dreams and told you the code."

"What?! Why? H-How?!"

"That's what she does," Starlight explained, then stepped aside for Sky Light to unlock the shackles on Luna's forelegs. "She can walk the dreamland and make sure ponies don't have nightmares. She used to watch over us every night in Equestria. What I don't understand is - why you?" Starlight came up right close and examined Rosa's astonished face closely. "What's so special about you, Rosa? Luna was able to tell Cadence - that's Princess Cadence, by the way - where she was being held. They came up with the plan for me to be 'captured', but then Luna stopped showing up in Cadence's dreams."

The chains rattled as they fell off and Sky Light dropped the key next to them. "What now?" she asked, all businesslike. Rosa was about to say she didn't know, when she realized the pegasus was talking to herself. She did not want to forget some crucial step which would cause them problems down the line.

On the plus side, Rosa understand now what Starlight needed her to carry, so she stepped beside the table and looked to the pegasus. "Help me get her on my back. You'll have to help balance her."

While the two were carefully handling the alicorn, Starlight continued talking: "I've been trying to get the code to this door for weeks! Upstairs was easy, humans keep coming and going and it was just a matter of watching what they typed in. That obviously wouldn't work down here."

"I don't know why Luna showed up in my dreams! I've been having them for a few months, but they stopped just after I came here." In light of the new revelation Rosa made a tentative connection. "It felt like they were getting weaker. Maybe she couldn't reach Cadence anymore? Maybe it's harder to reach some ponies?" It was not completely convincing, but she didn't have a better guess.

"Yeah, maybe," Starlight said. "She'll be able to tell us later anyway. Let's get out of here."

Sky Light smiled at the news. "I wholeheartedly agree!"

Rosa felt a tiny bit better, too. All they had to do was sneak out the corridor, up the elevator and out the front door. Now there were three of them and they had a unicorn, so the guards shouldn't be a problem. It was strange that the alicorn hadn't yet woken up, but Rosa guessed she was drugged or something. Maybe that was being administered through the IV.

Rosa took a few experimental steps to test the balance. Sky Light watched her with an expert eye and came to her side. "I'll help support her over here," she said.

Between Rosa and Sky, they were able to easily carry Princess Luna. Her tail and hind hooves were dragging on the floor, but at least her wings had remained folded up. Her forelegs draped over Rosa's shoulders and with the pegasus helping, she wasn't in danger of falling off.

"I'll help too once we get out of here and my magic works again," Starlight explained.

Rosa followed the unicorn back to the hallway and waited as she poked her head out and looked for danger. A moment later Starlight waved a hoof and left. This time it was impossible to keep her hoofsteps quiet, even though Rosa was trying. The mare ahead of them was in a hurry and Rosa was having a hard enough time to keep up as it was. Without Sky Light this would have been a whole lot harder. She could still have done it, of course. Rescuing an alicorn right from the humans! Heroic, even if Rosa did say so herself.

In minutes the group was back at the elevator. Getting all of them inside was a bit harder, but Starlight used her magic to move Luna's tail and hind legs and Rosa managed to bunch up enough so that the door could close. Then the unicorn pressed the ground floor button and Rosa became aware of just how fast her heart was going. Freedom was so close she could practically taste it!

Starlight turned to her with a big smile. "Thanks, Rosa! This wouldn't have been possible without you!"

On her other side, Sky Light was also grinning, but she looked uneasy. "Let's wait with the back-slapping until we're actually out," she whispered.

The elevator came to a stop and the door opened.

Rosa's heart sank as all three of them froze. There was a harsh light shining in their faces, coming from a powerful flashlight, held by one of the soldiers waiting for them. Terror nearly made her lose control of her bladder, but Rosa managed to hold it at the last possible second.

They were caught. It was over. So close, yet so impossibly far!

She wanted to cry, but she was too scared even for that. They'd kill her - all three of them - and Luna would probably go back on that table, pumped full of drugs and with who knew what kinds of experiments performed on her! They had guns, so even if the ponies tried to fight their way out, it would just mean they would die faster.

Rosa caught Starlight's eyes as all this flashed through her mind in an instant. The unicorn leaned closer and whispered urgently: "Pretend to go along. When I give the signal, fight!"

Already Rosa's breathing was quickening and all her muscles were tensing up. She didn't know if she'd be any use fighting, not in the face of guns!

Starlight winked and Rosa felt Sky Light's hoof touch her flank.

"Okay, come out of the elevator, slowly," one of the men said.

Starlight was the first to react. She turned around and walked forward, head low and ears hanging down, the perfect picture of misery. Rosa had never seen any pony so defeated. If she hadn't told them to expect her signal, Rosa would think Starlight had completely given up. Rosa took her inspiration from the older mare and followed, looking at the floor. She didn't even have to fake her fear, and tears were already dripping from her muzzle. Behind them, Sky Light heaved a sigh and joined them, still supporting Luna on Rosa's back.

"So, what was the plan here?" a new, calm voice demanded and two of the soldiers stepped aside to admit him. Rosa's heart sank even lower. Dr. Simmons. He had special reason for hating her guts. The mare stayed silent, hoping he wouldn't remember that she had bitten him. Maybe he'd focus on the rescued alicorn, instead.

"I g-guess you saw the cameras go out, d-downstairs?" Starlight said miserably.

The man grinned, smirking at his own cleverness. "Oh, that was a definite clue, Starla. I don't know how you did that, but I'll find out - trust me." The unicorn sagged a little more, but stayed silent. "No, the real reason," Dr. Simmons went on, "is simply that you're stupid."

"W-What?"

He chuckled a little to himself. "You didn't think we'd have your dorm thoroughly bugged? You assumed we were complacent and stupid and, well, turns out it goes the other way. Oh, I'll admit it-" Simmons turned and paced around while the soldiers relaxed a little. Their guns lowered, but only slightly and they all still had their fingers on the triggers. "I'll give you that one, Starla. We were really confused by the cameras going out - and always in the same pattern, too. Starting and ending with the one just outside the dorm. We didn't have a clue what was really going on, until you two-"

Now the man pointed at Rosa and then at Starlight, "- started talking about your big escape plan right in the dorm. That was kinda stupid, wasn't it?"

Rosa could sense how angry the unicorn was, but she didn't know if she was upset with the man, herself or Rosa. "S-So, what happens now?" Starlight asked.

The man rubbed his hands together in delight, looking specifically at Rosa. "Now, my little pony, we play a fun little game called 'interrogate the criminal'. Oh, I was so looking forward to this, Rosa." The mention of her name made Rosa whimper. Of course he remembered and of course he was still holding his grudge. "Except this time, your precious Dr. Mason won't be able to save you. You're going to tell me how you knew that we have an alicorn here and then you're going to tell me where the rest of your friends are."

Rosa didn't say anything. She didn't know any of that, but he probably wasn't going to believe it. He was just going to torture her for revenge! It made her stomach queasy and maybe Rosa would have thrown up if dinner hadn't been so long ago.

"You and you, take the freak back down and secure it. Stay in the room. I've called Dr. Barton to hook up the sedative again, he'll be here in thirty minutes," Dr. Simmons commanded. Then he pointed at the other two soldiers. "You two are with me. We're going to lock up these- scum!"

The word almost felt like a whip and Rosa twitched. She stayed perfectly still while the two soldiers he had indicated released their weapons and reached down to grab Luna.

In that moment Starlight lifted up her head. "Close your eyes!" she commanded.

Just barely in time Rosa managed to shut her eyelids, but she still saw the incredibly bright flash of light come from the unicorn, and she felt the thump in her chest. There were a couple of thuds and then Starlight yelled: "Come on!"

Rosa looked, head ringing from the bang and the flash. The soldiers were sprawled on the floor, struggling feebly. Dr. Simmons was lying on his belly, groaning. Rosa whimpered and ran after the unicorn, Sky Light easily keeping pace and holding Luna so she didn't slip off her back.

"STOP!" came a shout behind them and Rosa tensed up, waiting for the sound of gunfire and the feeling of bullets piercing her flesh. Somewhere outside, an alarm siren started to wail.

That was fast!

There was a click behind them and then an incredibly loud rattle of gunfire. Rosa heard the whiz of bullets, but none of them hit her. Risking a glance behind, she nearly stumbled and fell. There was a lavender surface floating just behind the retreating ponies, keeping pace with them. As Rosa watched, the soldier fired his gun again, but his face was slack with amazement. The bullet made a tiny ripple in the light as it ricocheted off.

"I can't keep this up very long," Starlight said urgently, "but I have an idea!"

The other soldiers were also staring at the display of magic and Rosa could see Dr. Simmons screaming in rage: "She's a unicorn! GET THEM!"

Already there were running footsteps outside and Rosa knew the building would be surrounded soon. There was no way out and even Starlight's spells couldn't stop the bullets forever.

"This is super risky, but we don't have a choice!" Starlight yelled. "I won't be able to walk after this, you'll have to drag me!"

Rosa was shaking her head, afraid of whatever Starlight was about to do, but the mare was not looking back. "Wait, don't-"

The rest of the words were wrenched from her throat as the entire universe did a somersault. Rosa's gut lurched and she realized she was upside down and falling!

"Oh, shiiiiit!" Sky Light said, twisting in the air and opening her wings with a loud flap. "Grab the branches, Rosa!"

Before Rosa could really register what the pegasus was saying, a piece of wood slapped her right in the muzzle and she instinctively tried to latch on to it. There were the sounds of crashing and breaking wood beside her as Starlight plummeted through the branches. Rosa was unable to keep hold of Luna and the alicorn slipped from her, accompanied with more cracking wood. Not that her death grip helped any - the twig Rosa was holding snapped and she met another one, a few feet lower. The impact hurts less this time, but it drove all air from her lungs and she couldn't grab it in time. Several more smacked her from all sides and then Rosa thumped heavily on the ground, which made her see stars and hurt a lot. All the air was driven from her lungs.

She had probably broken some bones, Rosa thought in that first instant.

Next to her Sky Light landed heavily with a grunt and Rosa managed to lift her head enough to see if her friend was okay. The pegasus was holding Starlight and they both seemed pretty battered. To Rosa's other side there was the immovable form of Luna. Rosa froze for a moment, afraid, but then saw that the alicorn was still breathing. Maybe the unconscious Luna had the best 'ride' down the tree, Rosa imagined. Didn't drunk people always land softly?

Anyway, she was able to fill her lungs again and the pain was receding. She gently felt around her barrel with a hoof, but nothing felt really broken. A brief inspection of her legs confirmed that and Rosa sagged with relief.

"What the FUCK was that?!" Rosa demanded.

Starlight was barely able to open her eyes. "Teleportation spell... really hard on Earth. C-Can't... aim."

So she had moved them around with magic and they ended up somewhere in the air?! It was pure luck they hadn't appeared higher up! They all nearly died as it was! Worse- what if they had popped in under the ground?! It was too horrible to imagine. Rosa couldn't believe Starlight would be so reckless.

"Fuck!" Rosa swore again, "Fucking fuck! We could have died!"

"I know..." Starlight gasped and manages a weak smile. "Only way." She tried to get to her hooves, but her legs didn't seem to be able to hold her up. "Have to... run. Only couple of miles..."

Sky Light was the most present of all of them. She pointed a hoof. "We'll talk about it later, Rosa! Check that Luna is okay and get her over your back again! I'll help Starlight! Let's move, people!"

The mare was right. They were not out of the woods yet.

A small, desperate, crazy chuckle escaped Rosa's muzzle at the pun. No time to laugh now, even though she wanted to. If the humans caught them, it would really[/i/] get bad. Hopefully they would need some time to get organized. Maybe they didn't have a chopper, but it would still be a very good idea to hoof it as quickly as they could. Rosa went and checked on the alicorn. Nothing seemed broken, but she wouldn't really know until Luna woke up. Strangely enough, all the commotion and noise and the fall hadn't woken her. The poor thing must have had some pretty strong stuff in her blood. Her wings were unfolded and Rosa reached down to close them, but then she paused. She didn't know how wings really worked and she'd be liable to snap something.

"Sky Light! Come here!"

The mare walked over, leaving the unicorn to sit leaning against the tree trunk. "What's up?"

Rosa pointed to the fallen alicorn. "C-Can you check her wings? And fold them? I'm afraid I'll hurt her..."

"Oh, good point," the mare said and bent over the sleeping pony. "Hmm." She straightened out each wing in turn and prodded here and there, before pushing it in at the front and folding it neatly up. Seeing that, Rosa was sure she wouldn't have known how to do it. She had never really examined how pegasus wings worked.

"There, nothing is broken, thank god," Sky Light said. While she was at it, she straightened each leg in turn and felt them with her hooves. "Legs okay, too. I guess she landed softly, like a drunk."

"I was thinking the same thing," Rosa admitted.

"Okay, come here, I'll help you get her on."

Rosa walked over and together with the pegasus they were able to sling Luna over her back again. Meanwhile, Starlight looked a little better, but her head was still lolling. It almost looked like she was exhausted beyond reason! The mare tried to stand, but Sky Light wouldn't have any of it and offered her back instead.

The unicorn didn't complain, she just struggled up across the pegasus and gripped her around the neck.

"Okay, which way?" Sky Light asked.

Starlight looked around, frowning as she thought, then pointed a hoof. "That way. Let's get as far as we can and then hide somewhere before morning. After I sleep I'll be able to send a message to Cadence and they'll come get us."

"Good. Come, Rosa." Sky Light started walking and Rosa followed. It was a bit easier because she didn't have to be quiet, but it still took a lot of concentration to keep the alicorn stable on her back. Besides, Rosa was too confused, and weirded out, and afraid to really talk. She would need time to even completely understand what had happened, let alone get over it. The thing she knew, right at the moment, was that she was alive, she had her best friend with her, a powerful unicorn and a Princess of Equestria.

They've escaped - probably - from the secret government facility and they were going to meet the pony resistance on Earth, who were going to help them get to Equestria.

What even was her life at this point?!

Chapter 70: Unconscious

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Rosa might have been an earth pony, but carrying an alicorn on her back through a damp forest was still hard work! Luckily, it was getting bright and it would be a good idea to hide and lay low. On the other hand, all that walking had left her brain free for thinking. Rosa finally thought she understood the sequence of events which had brought her there. She'd even talked it over with Sky Light some, explaining how the pony dorm on the third floor had worked, and Sky agreed. Discussing anything important anywhere in the facility had been a stupid idea. For some reason Sky didn't bring up that time she and Rosa had plotting to escape right there in her cell. That was probably bugged too. The main problem, they both agreed, was that the humans were clever. They hadn't nabbed them right that moment, but left them with a false sense of security so that they'd uncover more subterfuge among the resident ponies.

It was exactly what had happened, which made Rosa feel quite stupid. Starlight had been doing fine on her own - Dr. Simmons had admitted as much. They knew something was going on, but they didn't know which pony, nor how she or he was doing it. Then came along little rebel Rosa and started blabbing out loud about escape. The fact that Starlight had told her all those secrets meant that at least Rosa wasn't the only one with a false sense of security. Perhaps the only redeeming fact was that the humans had never expected there was a unicorn in their facility, so Starlight's magic had taken them by surprise.

"Why didn't they just coat the entire place in that anti-magic thing they used for Luna?" Rosa asked.

Starlight, looking better, but still not quite able to walk without Sky Light helping her, gave the question some thought. "I guess," she said, "it's rare or expensive, or both, so they only used the bare minimum. It's not like they were expecting a unicorn in camouflage. Luck, I guess?"

That made sense and it was certainly lucky. Besides, those guns would have easily taken them down if Starlight hadn't had a 'shield' ready. That was what she had called it. Magic looked like very useful stuff, except for that crazy dangerous teleport.

Without really meaning to, Rosa said what she was thinking: "Well, I still don't like how you nearly killed us..."

The other mare gave a slight chuckle. "Would you have preferred to be captured and, um, 'interrogated'?"

"Maybe there was another way?"

It was not the first time Rosa had made this argument and Starlight rolled her eyes at hearing it again. "Rosa, reinforcements were already coming. The first thing they'd do would be to separate us. Yeah, I could have gotten myself out, but that'd lose us any chance to get Luna out of there. We were only able to do it because she told us how through dreams."

They both glanced back at the alicorn, who was still completely out of it.

"I don't think she could do it again. I dunno what they were doing to her in there, but it didn't look nice."

This time Rosa was forced to agree. She had experienced first hand how her dreams had gotten weaker and weaker. The last few times Luna hadn't even been able to wake Rosa up at the end, so she'd just waited in the dream for it to fade on its own.

"I guess... but you still nearly killed us!" Rosa replied, trying to stay at least a bit angry. Anger was keeping her warm, or at least preventing her from feeling cold and tired.

"Sorry. I said I was sorry!" Starlight barked, starting to get annoyed as well. "I told you teleportation is different on Earth than it is on Equestria! Not to mention that I'm out of practice and I had to move all of us. That's not easy, you know?"

Rosa had seen that. Starlight had almost knocked herself out completely with that spell and she said all but the easiest of magic were beyond her for a while. It was a good thing they had Sky Light, who had been able to ease Starlight's fall. There hadn't been such luck for Rosa herself, but she was an earth pony so she had been able to slow her tumble through the tree by grabbing branches. Luna hadn't been in real danger, Starlight had explained, because alicorns were notoriously tough, physically. It sounded like these mythical god-ponies had all the powers from all three pony races.

Still amazed that she had seen an actual, honest-to-god alicorn, Rosa glanced back at the mare she was carrying. A day ago she might have doubted if they were even real, but now she was certain. Every aching bone and muscle was telling her just how real Luna was. She was still asleep, but Rosa could feel her warm breath on her withers, which meant Luna was alive at the very least. She looked tall and Rosa thought she would easily tower over her, if Luna could stand, but at the same time her body looked thin and somehow... frail. Maybe they hadn't been feeding her right and she'd lost some weight. Silver lining, Rosa thought to herself. Earth pony or not, there was only so much she could do. Any heavier and their progress would have been markedly slower.

"Okay, I think we should stop and hide," Starlight said and Rosa welcomed the proclamation. Despite her aches and exhaustion, she made sure she laid Luna down carefully on some soft grass, then she arranged her legs so she was not cutting off circulation in her limbs.

After that Rosa sat beside Luna and just... watched.

She could totally believe Luna was royalty. One just had to look at the lines of her muzzle and that horn. Rosa hadn't even seen a unicorn yet, but that thing looked scary. It was easy to believe humans were afraid of it, even without considering all the impossible things it could do. It'd be plenty dangerous just as a sharp object on an earth-pony strength pegasus. If you added magic to that, it would be the stuff of nightmares, Rosa herself had seen some incredible magic just that day and she still almost couldn't believe it.

"It's gonna get warm when the sun comes up," Sky Light observed. "We should find somewhere in shade so we don't get heatstroke. Especially her with that black fur."

"It's not black," Rosa pointed out. "It's dark blue." She couldn't see that now, but she remembered it from the well-lit room where Luna was being held.

"Oh."

Starlight had been sitting a short distance away where the pegasus had left her, but now she walked over on unsteady legs and leaned down to look closely at Luna's face. "I don't know what they did to her. Hopefully it wears off." Then she went on in a firmer tone of voice: "Sky is right. Rosa, can you look for some sturdy branches? If we get some vines maybe we can make a sling, so it's easier to carry her in case she doesn't wake up." She looks to Sky Light next. "And Sky, can you fly around in a circle and look for water, or a cave. Even some food, if you can see anything. Otherwise we'll just have to graze."

Rosa started chuckling suddenly as she remembered Sky Light's words from what felt like a lifetime ago.

"What?" both of them said as they looked at her. They were probably worrying she'd gone crazy.

"Remember when you told me I'd get lost in the woods and starve to death, Sky? Well, here we are!"

Sky's expression was blank for a moment, then she started laughing too. Starlight glanced from one to the other, clearly confused at their private joke. It wasn't even particularly funny, but it worked wonders to relieve some tension. Slowly Rosa and her friend wound down, then Rosa wiped away a tear and stood up. "I'll go look for those branches."

"Good, make sure you don't get lost. If you're not back in an hour, Sky will have to go look for you and I'd like to avoid her flying around too much. Who knows what the humans will send after us."

It made sense, but Rosa glanced around and wondered how she was supposed to keep from getting lost.

"Kick a tree every now and then so it leaves a mark," Sky Light suggested. "That way you can find your way back."

"Good idea!"

There was no fear of a pegasus getting lost, Rosa noticed. Maybe it was common knowledge among ponies that they had better orientation? It was probably a necessity, given how far and fast they could fly. Like a homing pigeon or something.

Another thing popped up in Rosa's head. "Will you stay in disguise all this time, Starla-light?"

"Oh, I almost forgot. Yeah, I guess I can drop that now. It'll make my mane harder to see from the sky. I just need another couple of hours before I can remove a spell that complex."

That seemed to settle everything and Rosa set off in search for suitable branches to make a crude sling. Having another pony help her carry Luna would be a good idea, especially once muscle fatigue caught up with her. Who knew how much further they'd have to walk?

Not long after, Rosa returned with four long, sturdy sticks. She didn't know how to make rope out of vines, so she had simply taken the thinner ends in her mouth and dragged them across the forest. Navigating that way was a bit harder, but Rosa had followed Sky's advice and scored grooves in the bark of trees, so she knew which way to go.

Back in their small clearing, Starlight had apparently piled up a lot of grass and leaves under a thick canopy of tree leaves. Luna was still sleeping in the shade on that rudimentary bed, by the looks of it and the unicorn, this time in her real colors, was sitting beside her.

Rosa had to admit, purple looked a lot better on her mane and the cyan streak complemented it nicely. Strangely, though, her horn was somewhat smaller and more stubby than Luna's. Rosa didn't have any comparison other than one alicorn and one unicorn, so she didn't know if Luna's horn was oversized, or Starlight's smaller than average. She dragged her burden near them and then went to sit beside the two, breathing heavily.

Water would have been nice to have, but Rosa didn't see Sky Light anywhere. "Um, Sky Light back yet?"

Starlight gave her a brief smile. "Yes, there's a stream about four miles out. She went to look for a way to bring us some of that water."

That sounded like a good plan to Rosa. Hiking another four miles to get a drink sounded tiring. If Sky Light could find a way to bring the water to them, that'd be great.

"How is, um, Luna?"

It felt a bit weird to call the near-mythical pony by such a simple name as that.

"I'm not sure. She looks okay, but she isn't waking up. Maybe Cadence will know something."

Rosa settled on the grass beside the two and began watching for Sky Light. Hopefully the pegasus wouldn't be spotted.

About half an hour later Rosa heard Sky Light fly in, and looked up just in time to see her land with a metal bucket hanging from her muzzle. The sight was so unexpected that Rosa just gaped for a while.

"Where did you get that?!" Starlight asked before Rosa could gather her wits to do the same.

Sky set the thing carefully down and then grinned her crooked, mischievous grin. "Farm, about ten miles out. Stole it."

Rosa gave a little gasp while Starlight hissed: "Are you stupid?! We're trying not to be seen!"

This time Rosa tended to agree with the unicorn.

Sky just shrugged. "Relax, no one saw me. Even if they did, so what? I flew in from another direction and I left a totally different way and then I circled here in the forest. No way anyone could follow me!"

She seemed certain and Rosa relaxed somewhat. It was not like they could change anything, anyway. The water was welcome, too. Rosa got up and walked to the bucket to take a drink. There was plenty of it and the liquid was clear and cold, which went a long way to slake her thirst and make Rosa feel a lot better about life in general. "Thanks," she told her pegasus friend, who smiled back with a simple nod. Rosa had drank less than a quarter, so there was enough left over for Starlight and for later, so that Sky probably wouldn't need to fly around any more in full daylight.

The unicorn, scowling a little, nevertheless joined Rosa and drank from the bucket.

While she was slurping up the water Rosa looked at Luna. "We should give her some, too," she said.

The alicorn had been on an IV drip, but Rosa wondered when was the last time she had had any actual water. For all Rosa knew, Luna might be dying of thirst and unable to do anything, being unconscious. Getting her to drink anything might be tricky, though.

"Good idea," Starlight confirmed. "Come, you can help me." Rosa followed her to the sleeping mare. "Hold her head upright and open her muzzle. I'll handle the bucket."

Maybe it was a good thing she'd carried Luna all this way, because at least now Rosa was not squeamish about touching an alicorn. She easily lifted Luna's head and very gently parted her mouth. Starlight brought the bucket over, her aura enveloping it.

"Slowly now," Rosa told her.

She nodded and let the tiniest dribble of water pour out. It wetted Luna's muzzle, but didn't do much more. "Hold on... Sky, come help me hold her!"

The pegasus obliged. She supported Luna from the other side, leaving Rosa's hooves free to manage Luna's mouth more precisely. "Okay, try again." This time Starlight was able to dribble a bit of water past the alicorn's lips. Rosa let her get just a few drops, then pulled her away. Thankfully, Luna swallowed automatically. It was an encouraging result. "Okay, again."

Bit by bit they got a few mouthfuls down the sleeping Princess, after which Rosa laid her back on the bed of leaves and grass. The bucket was nearly empty, but there was some left if any of them needed more water. Then Rosa looked at the sky and gauged that it was nearing noon. Starlight followed her gaze and nodded to herself. "Let's catch a nap. I'll stay up for as long as I can to keep watch, then I'll wake Sky to take my place."

It was a very sensible precaution. They needed to hear helicopters or search parties as soon as possible.

"I guess I'll take the third watch. We move as soon as it's dark again?" Rosa asked.

"Yes."

Rosa was ready to just curl up and fall asleep anywhere, but Sky Light went to gather up some more leaves and extended Luna's 'bed'. "Come, just like old times, right?" the pegasus invited.

She must have missed cuddling with someone while she was in that cell. Besides, even a rudimentary bed sounded a lot better than just ground, so Rosa happily joined her. She ended up stretched out right next to Luna, with Sky opting to take what little space there was left and use Rosa's belly as her pillow. That was perfectly fine with Rosa. For a while she was not sure he'd even be able to sleep, but after lying still for a minute her eyes started to close. The bed wasn't the most comfortable she'd ever been in, but with how tired Rosa felt it would do just fine.

She woke up when the sun poked through the canopy right in her eyes. Annoyed, Rosa turned her head slightly and looked around herself. Sky Light was gone from her side, but she saw Starlight Glimmer nearby, leaning against the tree and apparently out cold. For a moment Rosa worried that she'd fallen asleep on her watch, but then she spotted her pegasus friend walk into her field of view. She was apparently taking her guard duty quite seriously, patrolling like that. That made Rosa feel safer and she turned to her other side in order to give her ribs time to rest from where a boulder had been pressing against them. Funny, she hadn't even felt it when she lay down.

Rosa looked at Luna before going back to sleep and froze. Her eyes were open and she was looking directly back at her. It was not just a new state of unconsciousness, though. Rosa could see her shift her gaze to take in her whole face. "We escaped?" she whispered, voice barely audible enough for Rosa to catch.

All Rosa could muster was a nod, accompanied by a rustle of leaves under her head.

"Good."

The alicorn closed her eyes, but Rosa kept staring, heart hammering. She was awake! Or at least she had been, briefly. Maybe that meant she would be alright? Luna hadn't seemed confused or scared about her surroundings. Had she been aware all this time and simply unable to move? Just what kind of drugs had the scientists given her?! Rosa hoped she didn't mind her marehandling her to get her to drink.

"G-Good night, um, P-Princess."

Maybe Rosa was just imagining it, but she thought there was a very faint smile on her muzzle. She couldn't help but grin right back. Everything was going to be okay. She could trust this pony with more than her life. On a whim, Rosa shuffled a bit closer and put a leg lightly around the alicorn. It was not cold, but after months - if not longer - in human captivity, Luna might appreciate some pony contact.

Shortly after that Rosa fell back asleep, still smiling.

Chapter 71: Luna

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When Rosa woke up, groggy, uncomfortable and yawning, the first thing she noticed was that Luna was no longer lying beside her. Memory flooded back instantly. She'd seen her wake up briefly during the day! The drugs must have been wearing off. Rosa glanced around and saw, in the light of the afternoon sun, both Sky Light and Starlight Glimmer sitting nearby and whispering something with Luna.

Rosa wondered why they hadn't woken her up for her turn at keeping watch. "Hey, wasn't it supposed to me my turn after yours?" she asked.

Three muzzles turned to her, all of them slightly surprised to see her upright.

"What?" Rosa said, suddenly embarrassed under all that scrutiny.

Sky Light walked over to give her a pat on her head with a wing. "Don't worry, I wasn't sleepy yet, so there was no point in waking you. Then these two were up and chatting, so it seems we'll be moving again soon anyway."

"Yeah, you looked like you needed sleep," Starlight added to that, looking at Rosa like she was some kind of a child. She didn't particularly like that look.

Even Luna had a slightly condescending expression on her muzzle. "I have had enough sleep in the past few months."

Rosa joined their crude circle and sat on her haunches. Even those few steps reminded her of how sore her muscles were and she stretched out her forelegs above her head in an effort to loosen the tightness. The motion made her yawn and the others politely waited before continuing their conversation.

"Whatever they put in me," Luna went back to saying, "my magic ebbed over a matter of weeks. I suspect it will take some time for it to return."

Starlight was nodding understandingly and Rosa decided to try and participate in the discussion. "Was that why my, uh, dreams were getting weaker?"

"Indeed," the alicorn confirmed, the condescending smile now replaced with a touch of pride.

"Why me, though? Why did you visit my dream?"

This made Luna frown a little bit. "I am not sure. Out of all the ponies in the world, you were the easiest to reach and near here. Perhaps it was your desire to save your friend, or perhaps there is something else that is special about you. No doubt we will see in time."

Being called 'special' had a certain thrill to it, especially when an alicorn was doing it. Rosa couldn't help but push her chest out slightly in pride.

Unfortunately Sky Light interrupted the moment of self-appreciation: "What do you mean near? We weren't anywhere near this place and we had to travel quite a bit to get here."

Luna inclined her head to acknowledge the question and patiently explained: "True. I did not mean 'near' in the geographical sense, but in the dreamscape. Things there do not line up with geography, and there is no such thing as 'distance', but some are easier to reach than others."

"Anyway," Starlight returned the conversation back on track, "I nearly blew out my horn with that teleport. I can do basic stuff, like levitation and fire and such, but not too much more for now."

Sky Light seemed a little worried at that news. "How much longer until you can call for help?"

"Maybe four or six hours? I don't want to try before that, or the headache will make me completely useless if we need to move fast. Any sign of pursuit?"

"No," Sky answered. "I guess they didn't see which way we teleported. It might take them some time to find the trail. I haven't seen any helicopters."

"W-What about drones?" Rosa added nervously.

"Huh?"

"Drones? Like in the movies?"

Sky Light looked at her blankly, but Starlight seemed to understand. "Oh yes," the mare said, "they are like small helicopters without pilots. I saw some kids playing with one a few months back."

"Yeah, exactly!"

This news was making Sky Light a bit worried, but she put on a brave face. "Didn't see any of those either. We walked miles and miles, maybe we're safe. For now, at least."

"I don't think anywhere is really safe. I'll feel better when we find Cadence and the troops," Starlight pointed out.

"Troops?" Rosa burst out in surprise.

Luna fielded that question, facing Rosa and very slightly spreading her wings. Rosa remembered an old story from the dorm - the alicorns were supposedly battle-leaders. Seeing the fierce, dark mare like this made her believe it.

"Of course. A Princess of Equestria would not walk enemy lands without escort. Cadence has a contingent of her Crystal Guards, as well as the Royal Guard my sister had made us take. We will be safe when we meet with them."

"I'll try after dark," Starlight said.

Without really thinking about it, Rosa glanced at the sun and estimated it was still afternoon. Full dark would be some four or five hours from now.

That seemed to be it for the discussion, but Rosa still had more questions. "Um, L-Luna? Sorry, I don't know how to, uh, how to address you properly."

The alicorn gave her another smile, but this time it was gentle and welcoming. "Luna will do, but if you insist on protocol, 'Princess Luna' is succinct and proper."

"Okay, um, P-Princess Luna. Why did the humans have you in there?"

Bringing this up made Luna avert her gaze and Rosa imagined she saw a tiny bit of a blush. "I was- negligent and allowed myself to be captured in a skirmish."

"Yeah, but what were they doing with you? Why not just, um- k-kill you?"

This actually made Luna think for a minute, but then she shrugged. "There could be a number of reasons. They sought to glean from me some understanding of alicorn magic and - quite likely - how to defend against it. They might also have been planning on using me as a bargaining tool against my sister."

"I'm glad we got you out."

"As am I."

Sky Light broke the ensuing silence. "So, what can we do for food? I'm not sure about this grazing stuff. I mean, what plants are even safe to eat?"

Luna looked around at the surrounding foliage, then shrugged. "The vegetation on Earth is different than on Equestria. I would not risk it, unless our situation becomes urgent."

"Have the humans fed you at all?" Sky Light asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"Sometimes, but worry not. We alicorns are sturdy. We can do much, with little."

The news seemed to disappoint Sky. "I mean, it wouldn't be a huge problem for me to fly to some town or village and-"

"No," Rosa interrupted. Sky had been about to say 'steal some food', Rosa just knew it. For one, it would be immoral and for two, they were not that desperate yet. If Rosa could bear her grumbling, empty belly, so could Sky Light.

"I thought we'd get help from the resistance soon after we escaped," Starlight admitted, "so I didn't think to pack some food. I guess that was stupid."

"I didn't think of it either."

Sky Light also added her opinion: "Well, I was in a cell."

"We'll live through this night and by then I expect we will have met up with the resistance," Luna said firmly.

Rosa guessed that was the final decision. As an alicorn and a Princess, her word was probably law. She certainly sounded as if she was used to being obeyed without question.

Starlight shrugged a little and stood up. "In that case, I guess we can go toward that stream and drink, at least. One direction is as good as any other."

"Fine, it's this way," Sky said with a marked tone of reluctance and perhaps a bit too testily but no one complained. She set off into the forest and the rest of them followed.

Starlight seemed rested enough from her ordeal that she could walk unaided and Rosa, as an earth pony, would manage without too much trouble. Perhaps the one with most difficulty would be Luna. After all, she had probably spent months immobile on that table, so she might be weaker than she looked. Her height was intimidating, but Rosa couldn't help noticing how her ribs were showing through her skin. Just in case, she fell in step next to her, so she was close if Luna needed any help. Rosa had already carried her thus far, a little further would be no problem.

"What news of the world?" Luna asked Rosa once they had all settled into the routine of walking.

"Um, I don't know a whole lot. I didn't read too many newspapers after-" Rosa swallowed a lump, "-Lillian."

"Oh, the girl. I remember," the alicorn said. "She has not been found?"

All Rosa could do was shake her head sadly. Maybe Lillian had returned and Rosa simply hadn't heard about it yet. It was a better thought than the alternative.

"I am sorry," Luna said quietly.

"Thank you."

"Perhaps she will yet be found. It pays to be optimistic about these things until there is a reason not to."

"Yeah, m-maybe."

"Tell me of your time with her. I only caught glimpses from your dreams."

Rosa was not yet completely sure how she felt about someone just watching her dream, but if Starlight could be believed, Luna had been doing this for centuries. Maybe remembering the good times would make it easier to deal with this oppressive, painful uncertainty. Rosa began her story with how she first met the girl. Luna's slight smile didn't escape her notice and it lightened her heart a little.

Chapter 72: Beacon

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At long last it was time! Starlight Glimmer had just announced she was well enough to send a message to the pony resistance and now the group was sitting in a clearing, waiting for her magic. Rosa was especially curious what it would look like. She'd seen her horn glow a few times before, when she moved things or made some light for them to see where they were walking, but this was going to be serious magic. On the other hand, Rosa noticed that Luna didn't seem all that interested, which was probably because she was a unicorn herself and had seen things like this so many times that it had become mundane. Rosa and Sky Light, however, were staring. It was a good thing Starlight didn't get nervous with all that scrutiny.

Starlight took a deep breath and closed her eyes. A moment later her horn filled with light, first with a dim, turquoise glow, which then brightened. Pretty soon Rosa couldn't look at it directly, so she glanced over at Sky Light instead. The pegasus apparently had the same idea and their gazes met. They both smiled. Starlight's glow continued for a while longer, then suddenly winked out and the mare sagged. For a moment it looked like she might fold down to the forest floor, but she managed to remain sitting. Sky was the first to react and went to offer support.

"There, that should do it," Starlight announced, giving the group a weak smile.

Luna nodded slightly in approval, but she didn't otherwise comment.

"So, now what happens?" Rosa prompted.

"We stay put and Cadence will come to us. I'll take a few hours, I think."

"Why a few hours?"

If all these questions were annoying Starlight, she didn't show it. "Because, a pegasus scout has to fly all the way over here."

"Why a-"

This time Luna chuckled in amusement at Rosa's apparently insatiable curiosity. Rosa blushed a little and looked to the Princess to apologize, but she just answered the question instead of Starlight.

"The reason, Rosa, is twofold. On the one hoof, Cadence has to be sure that Starlight Glimmer has not been compromised and is not under human control. That is why a scout will find us first and observe before showing him- or herself."

That made some kind of cold, military sense and Rosa saw Sky Light nodding slightly in agreement.

"On the other hoof, opening a Bore with any kind of precision requires a focus. The scout will bring a magical item - something we call a Beacon - upon which Cadence can focus."

It sounded complicated, but Rosa didn't think she was supposed to fully understand. She'd only learned that magic was real some twenty-four hours ago, after all! "Oh."

"Do not worry, they will find us and then we shall see."

"See what?" Sky Light asked.

Luna shrugged a little. "See what to do next," she replied.

The pegasus came over to Rosa and draped a wing across her shoulders. "Next," Sky continued, "me and Rosa will go back and look for Terry. He's probably worried about us. What do you say, Rosa? The ponies at the truck stop, Arda Karim, Mario - you know the gang." Rosa looked uncertain, so the mare's voice took on an urgent tone and she squeezed Rosa tighter with her wing. "You found what you wanted, right? Maribelle, you said she was okay. Once she's got her job, we'll look for her and go visit, right?!" It felt almost as if Sky was pleading.

"I- I don't- Sky..." Rosa whimpered, suddenly undecided. Earth was where all her friends lived. She was still hopeful she'd find Paolo someday and Rosa did wish to see the gang at the truck stop again. She was suddenly torn between wanting to stay with the familiar and seeing Equestria - the real home of pony kind.

Starlight was looking at the pair strangely, as if she didn't quite understand what they were talking about. Of all the people, it was Princess Luna who came to her aid. She placed a hoof with surprising finesse on Rosa's back and murmured: "Worry not, Rosa, there will yet be time to decide. This is not something you can answer right now."

"Decide what?" Sky Light asked, "what is she talking about?!"

Rosa turned an already tear-filled expression on her friend. "I thought we would go to Equestria together."

"What?!" Sky Light nearly toppled Rosa, so quickly did she jump away, as if afraid she might catch the same kind of insanity that plagued her friend. "Rosa, that's- Equestria isn't real!"

Starlight opened her muzzle to respond, but it was Luna who answered again: "Equestria is much diminished by the war, Sky Light, but I assure you that it still exists. My sister and her pupil, Princess Twilight Sparkle, have kept control and protected what could be protected. In time, Equestria will undoubtedly be rebuilt to its former glory."

Sky Light kept opening and shutting her muzzle, as if thinking up arguments to that claim and then realizing they were no good ones she could make. "I don't know- I have a lot of friends on Earth..." the pegasus mumbled and for a brief moment Rosa's heart lifted. She might come! Sky sounded open to the idea!

Just as Rosa was about to go hug her and try to convince her again, Luna placed a wing in her way and then delicately lifted Sky Light's muzzle with a gentle hoof. "The same applies to you. Rosa's decision cannot be made here and now, yours cannot either. Think it over. In time, your friends might be able to join you there. I do not know the full extent of my sister's plan, but I do know she will welcome back all ponies who wish to come."

"Some of my friends are human..." Sky Light said quietly.

Rosa felt like that could be the problem point, but to her surprise, Luna just shrugged. "There are some humans already living in Equestria," the Princess responded. "If their heart is pure, your friends will be allowed."

Sky Light looked up at Luna and for a moment Rosa caught a glimpse of hope. It faded and Sky shook her head free "I'll think about it."

That seemed to be it and Luna went on to discuss something with Starlight which Rosa didn't even try to overhear. Instead, she came over and gave her pegasus friend a hug. "Like she said, neither of us has to decide now. Let's meet up with this Cadence and the resistance, maybe someone there will be able to tell us more about what Equestria is like. Then we decide, okay?"

"Yeah, good thinking, Rosa."

Rosa released the other mare and looked around for a comfortable place to lie. There was not a lot of choice, but she spotted a bit of clean-looking grass and walked there. Starlight had said it might take a couple of hours and Rosa was perfectly fine with waiting. After all the unexpected exercise, her legs were killing her. Not that she'd admit it to any of her friends, not with the pride of all earth ponies to uphold, after all.

After a minute or so, Sky Light came closer. "Room for one more?" she asked. Rosa shuffled aside and the pegasus flopped down next to her. "Good thinking. Who knows how much further we'll have to walk."

Rosa remembered that her friend had spent most of the time walking as well, something she probably wasn't used to. She was a pegasus so her first choice would be to fly any significant distance. Unfortunately, Starlight hadn't wanted to take unnecessary risks, so Sky Light had only been allowed short flights to look for water or danger up ahead.

The forest floor wasn't all that comfortable, but the combination of exhaustion and Sky Light's warm body pressing against Rosa's side had enabled her to sleep for a while. Nothing much had changed by the time she woke up, except that it was nearing dawn and her ribs hurt from the deceptively hard ground. Rosa could have sworn it had felt a lot softer when she first lay down. Now she got up and stretched out each leg in turn. Starlight Glimmer was leaning against a tree trunk, apparently asleep, and Princess Luna was standing some distance away with her wings half-spread.

Since there was only one other person awake in the vicinity, Rosa walked over to the Princess, curious to see what she was doing. It crossed her mind that it might be something private, but Luna could certainly hear Rosa approach, and would doubtlessly caution her if she was acting inappropriately.

When Rosa reached the royal mare she could see that her eyes were closed and her head was held proudly upright. It felt as if she was intruding on something.

"Speak." The command came out of nowhere and almost made Rosa jump a little in surprise.

"Oh! H-Hi! Sorry. I didn't mean to-" She fell silent when the other mare opened her eyes and gave her a bright smile.

"You were meaning to ask a question," she told Rosa.

"I was just wondering, um, Princess, w-what are you doing?"

The smile stayed put. "Enjoying my freedom."

"Oh." It did make a kind of sense. Rosa didn't know how long exactly Luna had been trapped, but it was several months at least.

She opened her mouth to say how sorry she was about the misfortune, but Luna's head snapped up and she stared out among the still-dark trees.

"We are being watched," she said.

The proclamation made Rosa's skin crawl and she inched closer to the alicorn even while she stared wildly around. "W-Where?!"

"I am not sure. It isn't a threat."

Despite her assurance, Rosa didn't feel any better. Who knew what could be lurking in the forest. A twig cracked off to Rosa's left and she spun around to face it. There was a shadow under the trees! Rosa could see it, but she couldn't tell what it was!

Princess Luna spoke up before Rosa could work up the nerve to ask: "Zephyr Gale, it is good to see you again."

The creature stepped forward and resolved into a pony. The reason Rosa couldn't see anything was quickly apparent: he - a proud, stoic pegasus stallion - had a dark uniform that covered most of his otherwise white fur. His mane looked black in this light, but that was a rare color for ponies and Rosa suspected it was just dark. Maybe navy blue or violet.

Walking up until he was standing right in front of the alicorn, the pegasus dropped into a smooth bow. "Princess Luna, it is good to see you are free."

Rosa looked from the newcomer to the Princess in surprise, only now fully understanding what they had said. "You two k-know each other?!"

The stallion gave Rosa a shocked stare at the way she was addressing Luna, but the alicorn didn't even bat an eyelash. "Indeed, Rosa. I make it a point to personally know all the ponies under my command."

The pegasus soldier cleared his throat pointedly, but didn't say anything.

"Forgive me," Luna continued smoothly, as if nothing had happened. "Princess Cadence's command. Come," she invited and turned back to the others, who had woken up at all the noise and were looking warily at the newcomer. "I can't offer you refreshments, but we do have water."

Sky Light had kept her bucket and made sure to fill it before they had all settled down to sleep. Following, Zephyr Gale inclined his head. "Thank you, Princess."

"You already know Starlight Glimmer, sergeant, you've just met Rosa, and that over there is Sky Light."

The mare in question just waved a hoof silently.

"Actually, it's captain now, ma'am!"

"Congratulations, captain."

Much of this had gone above Rosa's head, but she recognized military talk when she heard it. The pony was a soldier for the resistance. He was probably the scout Starlight had mentioned. She went to sit beside Sky Light while the stallion took a sip of water.

"Captain," Sky Light said to herself softly, her eyes never leaving his well-toned, lithe body.

Shaking her head a little in amusement, Rosa nudged her in the ribs. "Not now," she hissed.

"What?!" the other mare asked with a deceptively innocent smile and exquisitely crafted tone of innocence.

"Report, soldier," Luna commanded after the pegasus had drank his fill.

He glanced over at Rosa and Sky Light, but didn't comment on their presence. Rosa felt he would prefer if they didn't overhear, but he also didn't want to disobey an order. "The resistance is hiding in a national park, two-fifty northeast. Princess Cadence remains in command. After your-"

The next word seemed to be giving him some issue and Zephyr paused. Luckily Luna came to his aid: "My capture."

"Ma'am," the pony confirmed, bowing again. "We are holding strong and moving camp each month to avoid detection."

Luna nodded to herself in satisfaction, then asked: "How many ponies have you gotten home in the time I was... absent?"

Now the captain shifted uncomfortably and lowered his gaze. "Uh, none, ma'am."

"None?!"

He gulped in fear and stammered out an explanation: "Princess Cadence has decided our first priority was to reacquire yourself, Princess. We have been focusing all resources on that goal."

Even in the dim light Rosa could tell that Luna was worried by this news. "This doesn't sound like Cadence," she said, but mostly to herself and the soldier didn't reply. "Why did you not tell me this, Starlight Glimmer?"

Starlight also shifted uncomfortably, but she stood her ground and answered simply: "I was focused on bringing you back, Princess. Cadence should be the one to fully brief you."

If she was satisfied with the answer Luna didn't show it. Instead she turned her attention back to the pegasus. "You have assured yourself that I am real, Zephyr Gale?"

"I have, Princess."

"Undoubtedly you have a Beacon about your person. Activate it so that Cadence might find us. I, for one, could use a hot meal and something other than ground to sleep on."

"Of course, ma'am!"

Rosa watched closely as the soldier fished inside his jacket and brought out a small, golden pendant on a piece of string. He pressed it between his hooves for a few seconds, then let it fall. "Shouldn't be more than a few minutes, ma'am."

Luna just nodded and came to stand before Rosa and Sky Light. She was watching the pegasus in particular. "Both of you should come with, so that the humans do not find you around here. From there, we can send you on to Equestria or bring you near a human city if that is your decision."

The guard looked up in confusion, clearly unsure why the Princess was giving them this choice, but he didn't speak up. His gaze met that of Sky Light and he hurriedly looked away. Rosa thought he was blushing, but it was hard to see in the dim light.

"I- haven't decided yet," Rosa admitted. "I'd like to come with and, um, talk with a few ponies."

"Very well," Luna said, then transferred her gaze back to Rosa's pegasus friend.

"I guess I should come too, if only to keep this filly out of trouble!"

Rosa almost groaned in exasperation, but both Luna and Starlight chuckled at the joke, so she let it pass.

Everything seemed to have been said, so the group just sat back down to wait. Zephyr Gale walked over, his eyes slightly narrowed with curiosity, focusing on Sky Light. As soon as he was near enough, the stallion sat on his haunches and tried to look as nonchalant as possible.

"Hi," Sky Light greeted him with a wide grin on her muzzle.

"Zephyr Gale, at your service," he replied and gave a little bow. Not nearly as deep as the one he'd given Luna, Rosa couldn't help noticing, but probably more he'd give just anyone, she was willing to bet.

It was working, too! Sky Light looked flattered by the gesture, although Rosa didn't think anypony else could tell. She could barely see it herself in the tiny shifting of her wings and the slight parting of her mouth.

"You do realize both those things mean 'wind', right?" Sky asked.

Rosa suddenly realized she was correct.

The captain barks a laugh. "They do! Overeager but unimaginative parents, I'm afraid."

"And how old are you, captain Gale?"

"Twenty-eight!" came the immediate reply.

Rosa could see the contemplative look in Sky's eyes and so she decided to get up and out of their way. She had had that same look when she had been talking about Bluegrass' flank. Rosa just hoped she wouldn't cause the gallant pegasus too much trouble, but it was probably already too late for him.

As Rosa was leaving, her friend quickly switched to the offensive: "Married? Marefriend?"

Rosa hurried her steps so she wouldn't have to hear any more. Instead she joined Luna and Starlight, who were sitting next to each other and watching the stars. They were probably discussing something important, but Rosa had no place else to be, so she just sat nearby and listened.

"Nothing?" Starlight asked.

Luna shook her head. "No. They are different stars, different sky. Perhaps whatever the humans put in me also suppresses my alicorn gifts. My dream walking had faded too, remember?"

"What if it doesn't come back?" Starlight asked.

"It will," Luna said. "I doubt the humans have a means to suppress magic forever. Magic is a living force, you should know that more than anypony, Starlight Glimmer. It will find a way. Besides," the Princess said with finality, "Celestia can handle both the sun and the moon - she had done so for a thousand years during my captivity."

"T-Thousand years?!" Rosa couldn't help squeaking out in surprise.

The two seemed to notice her for the first time and Luna turned slightly to accommodate Rosa into the conversation. She seemed surprised by her outburst, but Starlight explained: "Ponies on Earth are not taught History. Well, except for human history."

"Ah. No doubt you will rectify this in time, Rosa," Luna told her, but then she gave at least a quick explanation: "A long time ago I became evil and my sister had to trap me on the moon. It took me a thousand years to escape, during which time Celestia controlled both the Sun and the Moon."

"Controlled as in-?"

"Raised the former in the morning and the latter in the evening. Controlled."

Another thing stood out in what Luna had just said. A very important thing. "E-Evil?!"

The Princess gave her a small smile. "Worry not. The Elements of Harmony purged the darkness from within me when I returned."

It was all too much to take in. Most of it sounded like fairy tales, but Rosa didn't want to appear too much of an idiot, so she managed to keep her muzzle shut. Hopefully someone at the resistance camp or whatever they had, would be willing to tell her some of this 'common knowledge'.

"Ah, I believe the way is opening," Luna proclaimed.

Rosa turned around to follow her gaze and saw Zephyr Gale with a faintly glowing, humming pendant around his neck. Sky Light was watching it in surprise while the soldier quickly pulled it over his head and tossed it away. Just before Rosa could ask why he was throwing it, she got her answer. A... hole opened up where it had landed. There was no other word for it. Just a black hole, which grew to little more than Luna's height. It stopped, then pulsed for a moment and the darkness inside resolved to reveal another pony.

She was pink, with a horn nearly as long and pointed as Luna's. Rosa leaned to the side so she could see down her body. Yes, she also had wings. Princess Cadence, then. The image in the hole smiled widely when she saw Luna and rushed forward to throw herself into a hug.

"Auntie! I was so worried!"

The two embraced for a few moments, then Cadence parted from - Rosa assumed - her aunt, and beckoned with a hoof. "Come through, quickly. There is food and shelter!"

Both of those sounded very welcome and Rosa shuffled her hooves impatiently. Of course Luna should go through first, with Cadence right behind her. Then it would probably be Starlight Glimmer. To her surprise, though, Rosa saw that Zephyr was hanging back and ushering Sky Light through. She recovered quickly and joined her pegasus friend so they both stepped through the opening. The feeling was tiny bit disappointing. Rosa had been expecting a flash of light or something. A tingling sensation, at least! Nothing of the sort happened. It felt like any other step she'd taken, except that this one was hundreds of miles long.

Once she was through, Sky Light turned around to wait for the captain, but he stayed firmly on the other side. "You're not coming?!" she asked him, voice full of worry. She lifted a leg to go through again and stay with Zephyr, but he held up a hoof.

"No. I have to fly the long way and bring the Beacon back. I'll be fine. Four hours! I'll hurry, for you!"

Despite his meaningful wink, Sky's ears went flat with disappointment and Rosa almost rolled her eyes again. Her friend really did sometimes behave like she was twelve.

Sky Light kissed the frog of her hoof and held it out to the soldier. This time he really did blush a vivid red. For that matter, Rosa herself was at the same time mortified and a bit charmed, and her muzzle probably matched the captain's! Luckily, all Zephyr could do was wave and then the hole closed. Rosa turned around and saw Cadence, her horn shining with a light blue aura. As she watched, the glow winked out.

She was looking at Sky Light with a faint little smile on her muzzle. "I see you've met captain Zephyr," she commented.

Sky was still staring at where the portal had been, wings drooping a little, so Rosa took it upon herself to answer: "Y-Yes, Princess Cadence!" She remembered what Zephyr had done when meeting Luna and dropped into a bow.

The Princess didn't say anything until Rosa came back up. "Don't worry, he is one of my best. He will make it back safely."

The mare even smirked a little! Rosa was willing to bet on it! She had seen exactly what was happening between Sky Light and the captain and she approved!

"Come, breakfast is being served and then I will arrange a tent for you two to rest. Equestria owes you its gratitude for your help in rescuing Princess Luna."

Again Rosa was reminded about her growling stomach and she nudged Sky Light to get her to move. As the Princess turned around, Rosa caught a glimpse of her cutie mark. It looked like a blue heart and she wondered what that meant. Luna's had been fairly straightforward and Starlight was good with magic, obviously, her mark reflecting her name. A heart, though - did that mean Cadence could see into ponies' hearts or something? Was she a good judge of character? It would explain how she had been able to figure out Sky Light that quickly.

The day had been long and hard and full of bewilderment, and the exhaustion of their weary trip finally caught up to Rosa. "God, I just want to eat something and then sleep for a week..."

"Yeah, same. Let's go see what they're cooking and then bunk up somewhere."

"Princess Cadence said she'd get us a tent," Rosa explained, unsure if Sky Light had been listening.

"Sweet!"

Rosa could see the campsite a few dozen steps away. Of course it made sense they would open their holes through space some distance from the camp, so that ponies didn't walk in by mistake. It looked quite cheerful, with a fire burning in the center and the tents set up around it. Rosa even spotted a few larger ones, with tables inside. There were a number of ponies walking around, some carrying things and others just rushing hither and tither. Chaos, but organized chaos, she decided. Everything she'd expect from the military. She hurried to catch up with Cadence.

Luna and Starlight were already gone from sight, which made Rosa feel a bit apprehensive. It was a good thing Sky Light was there. Ponies or not, Rosa was wary of all the strangers.

Luckily Cadence paused near the fire and waited for her. "This way," she said and headed for one of the larger tents. Rosa saw a few ponies sitting inside, eating. She realized that it'd be time for breakfast soon. A quick glance around showed her that stars were already vanishing as the sky was filling with light. Then the smell of something fried hit her right between her eyes, and her mouth almost overflowed with saliva in expectation. As long as they fed her and gave her a soft place to sleep, Rosa would be okay with strange ponies.

Chapter 73: A Camp Full of Ponies

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The camp's cooking wasn't exactly the greatest, but they had a type of hard bread which was delicious while it was hot, and there was butter and jam. Rosa and Sky Light even got a cup of coffee each. With their meal mostly devoured, the two mares remained sitting at the end of the long, mess-tent table. Sky Light was zoned out a little and kept staring off into the distance as she swirled her coffee around the cup. Something was bothering her, and Rosa had a hunch it had to do with a certain captain.

Rosa opened her mouth to ask, but Sky Light spoke first, not noticing her friend had been about to say something: "Rosa, do you believe in love at first sight?"

It was such an unexpected direction that Rosa just gaped for a few seconds. She'd never heard her friend talk about love. "Oh! The captain? Love? Really?! You just met him! I thought you liked him for- y'know."

Sky didn't seem to notice Rosa's incredulous tone, nor the fact that she hadn't really answered the question. She switched her gaze to the open door flap and the forest outside, then heaved a sigh. "I dunno," Sky answered the question she imagined Rosa had asked. "There's something about that stallion. And I'm not saying it's just looks, though he is kinda cute, especially in that camouflage uniform. I- think this may be it, you know?"

Those weren't words Rosa would have expected to hear from the pragmatic, sometimes cynical pegasus. "So you are in love?"

At long last Sky Light looked at Rosa and blinked in confusion when she saw her face. "Huh? No. Um, yes. Wait! Maybe?" she completely failed to explain herself. "I don't know what this is, Rosa, but Zephyr is a really sweet colt, even if he plays this tough captain type."

"You've only met him once for a few minutes!"

"So?" Sky Light burst out, giving Rosa a rather hard look. "Why not? Sometimes you just know, you know?" She pointed a hoof and gave Rosa a knowing smile. "I knew about you in the first minute too! I knew we'd be friends!"

Rosa shrugged a little to herself. Why not, indeed? If Sky Light could find a bit of happiness in this crazy world, why shouldn't she? The captain was probably young enough to be her son, but did that really matter? Forcing herself to smile, Rosa decided to be supportive. Her friend needed her and she had just poured her heart out. "Okay, okay. I'm just saying to think it over and not rush into things," Rosa assured her.

Sky Light's feathers settled back as the mare relaxed and Rosa realized she hadn't even notice them bristle. For that matter, she hadn't even known pegasi could do that.

"Just tell me this: are you sure this isn't just... physical?"

"It isn't!" the mare almost snapped back. A moment later she was sorry and looked away. "Well, maybe a little, but I still think he's a sweet guy!"

Ultimately, it was cute, Rosa decided. Sky Light with a crush on some poor, hapless colt was cute. Captain Zephyr didn't even realize what was about to hit him. She stretched out her legs and a yawn took over before Rosa could fight it off. Sky Light saw and grinned at her.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. Zephyr said he'll need a few hours to fly over, we can go take a nap."

"Pfft, nap! I'm going to sleep!"

Sky glanced around the tent, where the tables were slowly filling up as ponies came in to start their day. "I don't see Cadence or Starlight anywhere. Or Luna for that matter. They said they'd get us a tent..."

That was worrying and Rosa wondered how they were supposed to go about finding one of them. In the end she shrugged a little to herself and slipped from her chair. "Let's go out and ask someone."

Rosa took the lead and Sky Light followed close on her hooves until they both emerged into daylight, blinking. It hadn't seemed that bright from inside the mess-tent, but it looked like the sun would be up pretty soon. A group of ponies were standing a short distance away, all of them wearing dark green uniforms. They looked very attentive, so Rosa didn't like the idea of bothering them. Instead she waved to another mare who was strolling almost leisurely toward the mess hall. She had a similar, dark green uniform, but she didn't seem to be concentrating as fiercely as the other bunch.

"Um, excuse me! We're looking for, uh, Princess Cadence!"

"That tent," the mare replied curtly and pointed a hoof.

Rosa took a good look at what she was showing them so she could find it, then turned back to say thank you. The soldier was already walking away, so Rosa didn't bother. Sky Light grinned at her and shrugged, then headed to the indicated tent. Rosa wondered if they should knock, then she tried to come up with a way to actually do that, but the pegasus just brushed the flap aside and slipped inside. Rosa followed, feeling a tiny bit guilty for just barging in.

There was a desk inside and a unicorn, shuffling some papers with his magic, but no sign of the Princess. He looked up, but quickly dismissed the pair as unimportant. It was a bit strange that they weren't worrying about unknown ponies walking around. Maybe they just really trusted the guards around the camp to keep unwanted people out?

"Um, we're looking for Princess Cadence," Rosa told him, the title rolling more smoothly off her tongue with practice. She couldn't keep her eyes of the stallion's horn, which was glowing a faint yellow. It would take her some time to get fully accustomed to childhood legends just walking around like that.

"Medical tent. She's seeing to Princess Luna," the unicorn replied, breaking Rosa's train of thought.

Sky Light stepped closer and forced a smile. She was starting to get annoyed by being sent here and there. "Which way would that be?" she asked and Rosa doubted anyone except her would notice that her voice was a bit testy and her smile a bit forced.

"Turn left when you get out, it's the largest tent, you can't miss it," came the smooth reply.

"Thanks!"

Rosa followed her friend out and saw that the clerk was right. It really wasn't very inconspicuous. Sky Light set a brisk walk and Rosa had to hurry her own steps so she didn't lag behind.

"That was a unicorn!" Rosa whispered to her friend.

"Yeah. So?"

Rosa glanced around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear. "How are you so calm about this whole thing? Pony resistance and magic and unicorns and stuff!?"

Sky Light stopped and turned to face Rosa head-on. "Shock, mostly. Besides, they're ponies. I think I'm okay with magic, if it's ponies."

"That doesn't make sense," Rosa spluttered, "ponies can be bad too!"

"These are different. Look around."

At her prompting Rosa shuffled around in a circle to take in the camp. Small details caught her eye now that she was paying attention. A pony stopped to let another pass. Elsewhere a mare greeted a friend with a smile. A couple of uniformed pegasi were chatting, a steaming cup of coffee grasped in a fetlock. They didn't stop in a guarded silence when a unicorn passed by them, but rather gave him a friendly nod.

There was a sense of belonging and something told Rosa that this was a safe place. It could have been her imagination, but maybe that was what Sky Light had also picked up on.

"I think I see it," she finally said.

Sky Light poked her in the side with a stiff wing feather. "Besides, you're pretty calm about the whole thing too!"

It was true and Rosa didn't have a good answer, other than falling back on some subconscious understanding that she could trust this group of ponies, not much different from what Sky Light had said. She shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe I'm in shock, too."

"Good," Sky said with a nod and turned back to the medical tent. "We can have our freak-out later. I'll be there for you if you're there for me."

They both chuckled at the absurd proposal and started walking again. "Deal," Rosa said.

A few paces later they both stopped again, as if frozen to the ground.

"Was that a human?" Sky Light said quietly.

"I know, I saw him too!"

"Wait, didn't the Princess say there's a few around? Sympathizers? Didn't look like a captive to me anyway."

They'd both seen a man exit the medical tent, head down between two rows of tents, and out of their sight. Like Sky Light had said, he really didn't seem like a prisoner. If anything, the man had looked just like a regular guy. If Rosa had seen him in the street she wouldn't even have noticed, most likely. The other ponies didn't seem to be perturbed, not even the guards, so Rosa swallowed and tried to make her voice light.

"I think you're right. Maybe he's helping out or something?"

Sky Light visibly relaxed and then gave Rosa a slight smile. "Yeah, that's probably it. Just took me by surprise."

She started walking again and Rosa followed. That would be another question to ask Cadence. Once again there was no obvious way to knock, so Rosa just followed her friend inside. They immediately relaxed when they saw the familiar pink unicorn on a chair, looking like she was half-sleeping.

For a moment Rosa felt like the inside of this tent was a lot smaller than the outside, but then she realized it was split into two distinct 'rooms' by a cloth wall down the middle. The part they were in looked like a regular office with a filing cabinet and a writing desk.

"Hi Starlight!" Rosa greeted.

The mare in question jerked up, then blinked a few times before she could work out what was happening. "Oh, it's you," she said finally. "How was breakfast?"

"Good," Sky Light said, even though Rosa suspected she hadn't truly tasted it.

"Yeah, Princess, um, Cadence said there'd be a tent."

Starlight nodded a little as she remembered. "Yeah, she did. Hold on, I'll ask."

Rosa was grateful that she would be the one to disturb whatever important work the Princesses were up to, and not herself. Despite that, she still watched with some curiosity as the mare went to a slit in the fabric 'wall' and pulled it aside with her magic.

Sky Light and Rosa looked at each other in amazement at what they saw. There was a hospital-type bed in that room, which wasn't too weird, especially considering that this was called the 'medical tent'. There was also a chair, unoccupied, and an end table. The unexpected part was that there was a black woman in a white lab coat standing beside and apparently talking with Luna. She was referring to a clipboard in her hand and explaining something, while Cadence sat on her haunches at the foot of the bed.

It looked like the resistance had a human doctor, for some reason, which made very little sense to Rosa. Surely ponies from Equestria would be better at pony medicine, no? She was really starting to get curious about how things worked here and what was what, but it didn't seem like a good time to go bother either of the alicorns.

They both looked their way when Starlight cleared her throat and spoke up: "They need a tent to sleep. Sorry for disturbing."

Cadence gave all three of them a smile, but it was plain that her heart wasn't really in it. The Princess looked a bit worried and tired, now that Rosa could observe her in daylight streaming in from a window cut into the far 'wall'.

"Oh, yes, that's right. I almost forgot, sorry," the Princess apologized. "Thirty-five is empty right now and it has two cots. Can you take them to Supplies and get them some blankets, Starlight?"

"Sure!" the unicorn nodded and let the cloth flap slide shut. She walked past the two mares to the main 'door' and then looked back. "Come, I'll show you," she invited.

Both Rosa and Sky Light followed her out and neither spoke up. They understood it would be rude to ask about the human doctor when she was on the other side of a cloth wall and could probably hear everything. It'd have to wait a little bit. Right at the moment, the past few, hard days were catching up to Rosa and she was about ready to fall into a bed. Any bed. Even 'cot' sounded delightful.

"Okay, let's get you some basic necessities," Starlight announces. "I'm guessing a couple of blankets, some sheets, toothbrushes, a towel each."

"Yeah, that'd be perfect!"

Sky Light didn't say anything. She didn't need a toothbrush, something Rosa still had to help her change, but now was not the time.

"Okay, I know the quartermaster and none of that should be a problem. If you need anything else, just ask around. Most ponies here are quite friendly."

"Um, what about the humans?"

Starlight looked at Rosa strangely. "Humans?"

"There's some humans here..." Rosa pointed out, in case Starlight hadn't understood.

The other mare blinked, then her face split into a grin. "Oh, you mean Dr. Marley? She's alright. Good medic!"

"There was also another guy who came out of that tent just before we came in," Sky Light explained.

Starlight had to think for a moment. "I think his name is Gottlieb or something like that. Karsten Gottlieb. From Australia or some such."

'Australia' and 'Gottlieb' didn't quite make sense to Rosa, so she made an educated guess. "You mean Austria?"

Starlight shrugged. "Yeah, one of those."

It made Rosa giggle and even Sky Light chuckled, but Starlight didn't seem even slightly perturbed. "I'm just not good at human geography," she explained with a small shrug.

Rosa couldn't really fault her. She'd gone to school in Equestria, after all, probably before they even knew Earth existed. She pressed on with the more interesting question: "Are there any other humans working with the resistance? How did that even happen?!"

The mare leaned her head to one side as she thought about it. "One or two more, unless there were a few fresh ones while I was gone. There's Ethan - a computer hacker. He helped a lot when I was preparing to get into that secret facility. Then there's this girl who helps in the kitchen, I don't remember her name, really. Before you ask, there's also a griffin helping out, but he's out on patrol right now or you'd have seen him in the mess hall."

Rosa glanced at Sky Light once more, but she just gave her 'I don't know' expression.

"Why are they helping the pony resistance?" Rosa asked.

"That you'll have to ask them directly," Starlight said with finality and stopped. "We're here. Let's get you those necessities and then I suggest you get some sleep. I'm probably gonna do the same."

She was right. Rosa didn't have to worry about any of the members of this group - after all, their main goal was to help ponies on Earth. She and Sky Light were probably as safe as they'd ever been in their lives, especially with two alicorns thrown into the mix. That thought still felt surreal, but Rosa pushed it down. She'd deal with it after a good sleep.

Suddenly that couldn't come quickly enough, so she gladly followed the unicorn into a plain-looking tent where there was presumably a quartermaster. Hopefully they could grab the stuff and get themselves to bed before long. Everything would probably make a lot more sense after some shut-eye.

Rosa woke up to quiet murmuring behind her. For a few minutes she attempted to just ignore it and try to get more sleep, but the chatter was persistent with occasional giggles thrown in for good measure. The tent was supposed to be for her and Sky Light only! Rosa sighed and rolled on her back to have a look and give them a piece of her mind, but she ended up staring in surprise instead.

Sky Light was sitting on her cot and chatting quietly with... Zephyr Gale? Rosa didn't recognize him at first because he wasn't wearing his uniform, but after hearing him speak she was certain it was the captain. They hadn't realized yet that Rosa had woken up.

"... well yeah, two sisters," the stallion was explaining. "They stayed at home with Mom and Dad and I went to Canterlot to join the guard."

"Wow, that is so interesting," Sky Light simpered. There really wasn't another word for it, not the way she was batting her eyelashes and smiling coyly. It took all of Rosa's concentration not to burst out laughing.

"You said the city is built on a cloud?" Sky asked and now her voice was full of awe.

Zephyr was only too happy to explain: "Yeah, sure is! Well, on a few clouds, but they're all kinda joined together."

"B-But you can't walk on clouds! They're just water vapor!" Sky Light complained.

The stallion's wings rustled a little as he laughed. "Ever tried it?" he asked.

This made Sky Light lean her head to one side and stare. "Well, n-no?" she admitted. "But it just stands to reason! No way a cloud could hold my weight!"

For some reason, the captain found all of this incredibly funny and he put a hoof carefully on Sky's shoulder. "Oh my," Zephyr was finally able to say, "you've seen magic, right? Well, we got tons of that in Equestria. Walking on clouds is actually pretty unremarkable."

Sky was completely bewildered by all of this and looked around for inspiration. That was when she noticed Rosa looking at them and started. "Oh! Did we wake you up, Rosa?"

"Yeah, kinda," Rosa said, but she was smiling at the pair.

The captain pony stood up and started backing to the tent door. "Uh, I didn't mean to wake you, sorry about that..."

"It's okay."

Both mares answered at the same time, then Sky Light chuckled a little. "See? Rosa doesn't mind."

The stallion was still shaking his head uncertainly. "No, no, you've had a tough couple of days, you really need to rest."

"Actually," Sky Light replied, giving Rosa a quick grin, "I could use a bite to eat first. How about we grab lunch and talk some more?"

The captain rubbed the back of his head with a hoof and looked everywhere except at Sky Light. "Um, sure? I mean, if you're hungry. Yeah, I could do... um, lunch."

Before they left, Sky Light came over to give Rosa a brief nuzzle. "It's okay," she told her. "Go back to sleep. I'll just be... around."

Shrugging a little to herself, Rosa nodded at the pegasus and then curled up again on the cot. "You two have fun," she told the departing pair over her shoulder.

Her blanket had slipped off, but Rosa just left it there. It was warm in the tent and it was bound to get warmer as the day went on. A quick glance through the flap as the two pegasi were leaving had told Rosa that it was still early afternoon. The night-time escapades had knocked her sleeping schedule completely out of whack, it seemed. Maybe going back to sleep wasn't the best idea. Rosa considered staying up until sunset and then going to bed at a normal hour. The nap had done a lot to refresh her and now she was feeling a bit hungry anyway.

Thirty minutes, she decided. A short extension of her nap and then she would go look for some lunch. Besides, Rosa thought Sky Light wouldn't really appreciate her butting in on the private time with the captain.

Heh. Private time with the captain. Rosa wondered if there was a pun in there somewhere, but then a yawn forcefully blanked her mind.

Thirty minutes....

Chapter 74: Smitten

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Rosa had had a brilliant idea during lunch. She could help in the kitchen to pass the time! The camp was a busy place and all the ponies seemed very driven as they went about their tasks. In some ways, it reminded her of the School, except stricter and with fewer humans. Rosa also felt weird that she didn't have anything to do, so she went to offer her help in the camp's makeshift kitchen. It was amazing how happy the cooking staff were for something as simple as washing dishes after the meal. It was worth the effort just for their reaction and it gave Rosa a nice, warm feeling of pride.

Not to mention that she now knew several ponies and one human by name and, as an added little bonus, they had let her take some fruit for herself and Sky Light in a simple canvas bag. Rosa had a feeling about what the mare was probably doing with the captain and, if she was right, Sky would need some sugar after it. On second thought, Rosa ducked back into the kitchen tent and grabbed a plastic bottle of water. Sky Light would probably thank her.

Armed with both of those, Rosa made her cautious way back to the tent they'd been given. She paused before the entrance and focused her ears. There was no moaning or grunting or - the thought made her grimace - wet, slapping sounds, but that didn't mean anything. They could just be catching their breath.

"Now or never," Rosa murmured and pushed her way inside. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adapt to the gloom and then Rosa relaxed. Sky Light was on her cot, snoring softly, and there was no sign of the captain. It was still pretty obvious he'd been there, though. Her friend's bed looked a little more 'trampled' than Rosa remembered and the mare herself was somewhat disheveled. There was also the smell. One good whiff of that and Rosa quickly retreated back to the tent flap and pulled it open to let some fresh air in.

The sudden light woke up Sky Light and she blinked at the newcomer a few times before recognition made her smile. "Oh, hi, Rosa," she whispered, her voice barely above a sigh.

"I guess Zephyr has duties?"

"Mhm!" the mare nodded happily. "Damn that's a fine rump on that stallion. Mmm-mm!" Maybe Sky couldn't see Rosa blush against the bright outside? It was the only explanation, because she just kept going: "Man, can he go!"

"Yeah, f-fine, I got you some-"

Sky Light just talked right over Rosa, as if she hadn't heard: "I should have tried military a long time ago, these colts have discipline.! Oh, and that tongue!"

"TOO MUCH INFORMATION!"

That finally got Sky Light's attention and she fell silent. Thankfully. "What? I'm just saying!"

"I didn't want to know all that!"

The pegasus shrugged a little and chuckled to herself. At least the air had finally cleared enough and Rosa could step all the way inside once more. Then she slipped her bag off and laid it next to her friend.

Unfortunately Sky didn't notice it at first. "I'm sure captain Zephyr Gale has a few nice friends, Rosa. I can hook you up if you like!"

"Thanks, but no..." Rosa replied, face absolutely burning.

"Still holding out for that colt from the School? Yeah, I can respect that. Colts like determination in a mare."

"God, just shut up and listen! I got you water and some fruit!"

Rosa was instantly sorry for snapping at her, but Sky Light took it in stride and just laughed at the outburst. She didn't say anything more and went to rummage in the bag Rosa had brought. She lifted up a slightly wrinkled apple and immediately bit off half of it. "S'good," she commented, of course with her mouth full.

Shaking her head to herself slightly, Rosa gave her bed a longing glance. It had been a long couple of days and the nap from earlier had barely taken the edge off. No. Sundown, she'd decided. It was her best hope of getting her sleep rhythm back into whack. In the face of that determination, Rosa took a risk and went to sit on the edge of her bed. "You should drink something," she told Sky.

Sky Light rummaged in the bag again and brought out a plastic bottle. Rosa recognized the shape of Coca-Cola, but the label had been peeled off and now it was just water. The pegasus didn't comment as she unscrewed the cap and lifted the thing up to her muzzle, gripping with both her forehooves. She didn't put it back down until it was half-empty. "Thanks, I really needed that," the mare said with a smile. Then she held the bottle out.

Rosa wasn't particularly thirsty, but she took a swig anyway and then handed it back for Sky Light to finish.

"So, what's the plan?" the pegasus finally asked.

"Plan?"

"Yeah, what are we doing?"

Rosa opened her mouth to answer, but realized she had no idea. "I honestly don't know. I guess we go and talk to some ponies about Equestria? I still think I wanna go there..."

Sky Light was easy to read, the way her ears folded down and she frowned were good giveaways. "So you don't wanna go traveling with me then?"

The dejection in her voice almost made Rosa groan in frustration. Why was this so hard for her to grasp?! "Of course I do!" she said forcefully. "Look, Sky, if you ask me to stay, I'll stay! We've been through too much..."

The other mare gave Rosa an appraising look. "Yeah, I guess we have."

She hadn't contradicted so Rosa decided to continued with a bit more hope. "What I'd really like is for us to go bum around Equestria. Just imagine - a place run by ponies!"

"Doubt it's that much different from Earth, though."

"That's why we need to go and ask about it! Get some first-hand testimony or something."

The mare held up her hooves and closed her eyes. "Okay, okay. Let's not fight about this. I'll go with you and talk to ponies, alright? Just promise me you haven't decided yet. If we're deciding, let's give all options a fair try!"

That one was a no-brainer. Despite the allure of the mythical Equestria, Rosa felt that she hadn't had that bad of a time with Sky Light and her large circle of friends and acquaintances in the city. "I promise." An idea occurred and Rosa smiled a little at the mare, who was suddenly peering back at Rosa with deep suspicion.

"What?!" Sky Light asked cautiously.

"Don't you wanna have a place of your own someday? Don't get me wrong, sleeping in a broken down van is fun and all, but a little house out in the country?"

Sky Light thought she understood where Rosa was going and crossed her forelegs. "'m perfectly happy in the city," she muttered darkly.

"Oh yeah? What if Mr. Captain pony would like to settle down somewhere in Equestria?"

It hit home and Sky Light's ears folded down immediately.

The moment it was out of Rosa's mouth she was already sorry and quickly rushed over to put her hooves around her friend. "Sorry, that wasn't cool."

Sky Light heaved a deep sigh, then relented and gave Rosa a nuzzle. "No, it wasn't. I hate that you're right, though."

"I'm what?!"

"Right," Sky Light repeated and shrugged Rosa off. "It's something I'll have to think about." Rosa just stared in shock as Sky went on, mostly to herself: "I know I've only known him for a day, but- I don't know Rosa," she began, her voice at the same time sad and full of wonder, "I think there's really something there." She gave half of a chuckle, then pushed herself away so she could stare right in Rosa's eyes. "I used to laugh about all that 'lovey-dovey' mushy stuff, but now? I just don't know." Her head lowered and the pegasus focused exclusively at her hooves. "I feel good when I'm with Zephyr. Safe. Like somepony actually gives a crap about me."

"I always-"

She interrupted with a careful hoof on Rosa's muzzle and a smiled. "I know, I know. You're a good friend, Rosa. But Zephyr is... more. Nothing against you, understand? It's just..." She muttered something too quickly for Rosa to hear.

"What?"

This time the whisper was a tiny bit louder: "I think I'm in love."

Rosa couldn't help grinning like an idiot. "Aww." She put her hooves again around Sky who didn't fight it. Instead, she leaned her head against Rosa's withers and hugged her right back.

"Plus," Sky Light went on, right in Rosa's ear, "he's really good in bed. Like, the best I'd ever had."

"Sky Light... no."

That mare sometimes...

Pretty soon after fetching her friend out of their tent, Rosa and Sky Light ran into a couple of very friendly ponies, and now they were happily telling them what life was like in Equestria. The pristine, almost albino white pegasus was Snow Dove and her friend, an earth pony was Almond Hooves. Rosa wasn't yet used to these descriptive and colorful Equestrian names, but their new friends didn't seem to mind her fumbling a little. Ultimately Rosa settled on 'Snow' and 'Almond', which they seemed okay with.

It would still be a good idea to start getting a grip on the etiquette. Rosa used a momentary lull in conversation to ask: "Oh, by the way, does everyone in Equestria always use the full name?"

The pair looked at each other, then Snow spoke up: "What do you mean?"

Rosa pointed a hoof at her. "Well, I'm just calling you 'Snow', but Almond always calls you 'Snow Dove'. Is it, um, rude to shorten a pony's name?"

The mare giggled a bit. "Oh, heavens no! I guess it's just habit, but nopony will mind if you shorten it. For example, back in Ponyville where I lived, there's this earth pony farmer called 'Applejack', but most of her friends just call her 'AJ'."

"Huh. Okay. Just let me know if I say something impolite, okay? I don't know any of this stuff!"

Snow Dove reached over the table and put her hoof on Rosa's. "You're doing fine, Rosa. Just relax. We're just ponies, right?"

"So, the town is actually called 'Ponyville'?" Rosa asked.

"Sure thing!" Almond confirmed.

"Isn't that, um, a little on the nose?"

Both equestrian ponies blinked at her, then looked at each other. "Uh, what do you mean, Rosa?" Snow asked.

"Well," she was suddenly embarrassed to be talking this way about their home, "all these places have very pony-themed names, don't you think? Canterlot, Baltimare, Ponyville..."

"Humans do the same thing," Almond pointed out. "I heard of places named after actual people: Jacksonville, Lincoln, Hamilton..."

Rosa couldn't really argue that, so she just shrugged a little and nodded to concede the point. "Okay, I guess it just sounds weird because I know absolutely nothing about Equestria."

Snow started smiling at those words. "It's a beautiful place, Rosa. That's part of the reason we're here. We wanna bring as many ponies back as we can."

"At least that used to be the plan," Almond grumbled a little and Sky Light suddenly snapped around.

"Huh?" she said, "what's that supposed to mean?"

Both Snow and Almond looked sad for a moment, but the mare recovered faster. She forced a smile back on her muzzle. "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll be right back on that now Princess Luna is back."

It was not really an answer, but Sky Light looked at the entrance again and Rosa guessed that was it from her for the moment. She considered pursuing the question some more herself, but it was making their new friends visibly uncomfortable.

"You were the ones that broke the Princess out, right?" Almost asked, effectively changing the topic.

"Mhm! Well, It was mostly Starlight Glimmer, but me and Sky helped!"

"Cool, that's cool. Thanks!"

That seemed to settle it for now, so Rosa went back to her long list of questions: "So, what's like living in Equestria? Are there jobs, or do you all just share stuff, or what?"

From the few tidbits Rosa had heard before, she had in mind something like the old socialism from Mr. Marston's history lectures.

"We have jobs," Snow assured her. "You can do whatever your cutie mark is and nopony will stop you, or you can do something else and keep your calling as a hobby. And of course ponies help each other if there's trouble, it's just the neighborly thing to do!"

Rosa twisted her neck around to glance at her cutie mark and smiled a little. She would be able to get a job gardening and she'd probably get paid for it. It really was sounding better and better.

"How about you, Sky?" Rosa asked, completely absent-mindedly.

"Huh? What?" her friend started, looking back in confusion.

"What'd you do for a job if we went to Equestria?"

Her cutie mark was a four-leaf clover and she had once told Rosa it meant that she was good at games of chance. Rosa took a wild stab at it and addressed her question to Snow: "Are there, uh, like jobs for people who play casinos all day?"

Almond started laughing, but Snow was able to control herself, aside from an occasional chortle. "Well, it depends on your definition of 'job', but in Sky's case?"

Snow Dove craned over the table to take another look at Sky's flank, then frowned a little in thought. "I guess something like a commentator on those big, high-stakes poker games? Maybe play a tournament or two every now and then? She could definitely get a job running blackjack tables or something in Los Pegasus, I think."

This sounded more interesting than watching the entrance and Sky Light started paying some serious attention. "You guys have actual casinos in Equestria then?"

"Sure! But I think the odds of winning are a bit better than on Earth," Almond said.

"Sweet!"

It felt like her friend might slowly come around, as long as Rosa didn't push her, and allowed her to arrive at the conclusion by herself. Rosa just hoped they'd have enough time. She was about to ask her next question, but Sky Light turned around and gave a very small gasp. Rosa followed her gaze and saw that her coltfriend had just come in.

Before Rosa could even say hello, Snow and Almond had already jumped from the bench they were sitting on and saluted.

"At ease," the captain said, even while he was returning the salute. "None of us are on duty at the moment."

Their two new friends quickly relaxed and went back to sitting, while Zephyr Gale walked over to give Sky Light a very affectionate nuzzle. "Hey sugarcube," he said softly.

Rosa could already see Almond rolling his eyes a little and Snow watching with a kind of eager fascination. Her little smile told Rosa exactly how cute she found the scene, but the mare wouldn't say anything in front of her superior officer.

"I see you met Rosa and Sky Light," Zephyr went on after his hug. He sat right beside his marefriend and casually draped a wing around her. For her part, Sky was just leaning heavily against the colt. She really was smitten, judging from that absent smile on her muzzle.

"So, um, Zephyr," Rosa began, wondering if she should have said 'captain', "I was wondering if there's something I could help with?"

"Hmm?"

He seemed just as out of it all as Sky Light. Those two almost forgot that the world existed when they were together. Rosa idly wondered if she'd feel the same way about Paolo. Seeing that there wouldn't be any help from him, Rosa redirected her question to Snow: "I hate just sitting around and doing nothing. I'm sure I can help out. I did the dishes in the kitchen after lunch, but maybe there's something more useful?"

The mare looked thoughtful as she considered it. "I guess you can always go ask Princess Cadence?"

Almond was shaking his head, but Snow placed a hoof on his shoulder and he stops. "She always had more of an 'open-door' policy. I'm sure she'd be happy to find you something to do."

Despite Almond's obvious misgivings about bothering the Princess directly, Rosa could still see his approving look. "I think I'll go do that. These two are kinda out of it for the next couple of hours, it seems." Rosa indicated the couple next to her, who had their heads together and were whispering something even she couldn't overhear. They hadn't even noticed her talking about them.

"Yeah, and we should go check our gear before going on duty. It's been nice meeting you, Rosa! Hope we can talk again later!"

Rosa smiled back at the pegasus and waved a hoof. "I'd like that! Thanks!"

The pair picked up their trays and took them back to the kitchen. Rosa hadn't gotten dinner yet because it felt a little early in the day for that. Despite her slight jealously at watching them eat, she hadn't changed her mind. Perhaps that broken implant's chemical thing was over?

She just had one thing left to do before she left: "Um, Sky?" The mare didn't respond, so Rosa prodded her with a hoof. "Hellooo? Sky?!"

Finally she tore herself away from looking in the captain's eyes and turned her befuddled smile on Rosa instead. "Oh, Rosa! Hi! Did- um, did you want something?"

"I'll go talk with Cadence. Are you going to need the tent?" Rosa asked.

"The tent?" her pegasus friend tried to understand what the words meant, then her face cleared up. "Oh, yeahyeahyeah! Tent! We'll, um, be there. No privacy in the barracks."

Rosa had a pretty good idea what they'd be doing, too. It might be beneficial to stay away from the tent until she could be sure the captain was gone. Hopefully Cadence really did have something for her to do. "Well, see you around, I guess."

There was no answer, Sky Light had already gone back to smiling demurely at the stallion, her ears partially lowered and her tail swishing around excitedly.

It was at the same time funny and scary how hard this was hitting her. Rosa was starting to believe that love at first sight really did exist. She didn't bother the couple anymore and just took her leave, humming her little happy song as she went.

Once outside, Rosa fumbled a few notes as she almost bumped into a squad of ponies marching past, but she picked it back up and added a bit more of her voice: "La la, la la la..."

"Nice song!" someone commented from her side and Rosa turned to look, falling silent.

It was the unicorn from Cadence's tent - the one with the paperwork.

"Oh, hi, um-" she quavered.

"Mystic Comet, at your service," he introduced himself with a slight bow of his head.

It was still light enough outside so Rosa could take a better look at him than the gloom of the tent from that morning had allowed. She gasped a little. "Oh my gosh!" Rosa couldn't help saying as she stared. "Your coat!"

The unicorn, an older one, chuckled a little. "Never met a Crystal Pony, right?"

Rosa wordlessly shook her head. His coat - emerald and a bit faded - was absolutely sparkling in the setting sun! His mane was gray, which Rosa didn't know if it was his natural color or a sign of age, and he had an equally gray beard. Whichever it was, it didn't keep her gaze like his coat did. It was glittering and shining and sparkling all at the same time.

"That's amazing! It's so beautiful! And the sparkle! Wow!"

"Why thank you, young lass!" he laughed. "You sure know how to make an old pony feel young again, don't you?"

The comment made Rosa blush and she finally tore her eyes away. That seemed to remind the unicorn about what he'd been asking. "Anyway, that song you were singing - do you know what it is?"

Rosa shook her head and explained once more: "I don't know where it's from. I've just always known it."

The pony scratches his bear with a hoof. "Hmm, I could swear I heard it before. Sing it again?"

It took some concentration and Rosa was very self-conscious, but she gave it a try anyway.

"Hmm. I think I heard it back in the Crystal Empire, but I don't know where."

Rosa shrugged a little and tried to find an explanation. "Maybe it's just one of those little tunes that pop up everywhere? It's not really complicated."

The old stallion conceded. "Yeah, maybe. Anyway, thanks for the compliment!"

He was about to walk away, but Rosa called after him: "Wait, um, Mystic Comet!" Something told Rosa that a full name would be more appropriate for an older pony. He paused and looked back. "I'm looking for Princess Cadence."

"Still?" he asked, then burst out laughing before Rosa could explain. "Just a joke, lass. I daresay she's in her tent with Princess Luna. Don't be shy, just go in and ask what you must." He came back and lowered his voice. "It's been a hard couple of months on the Princess, but she's always been a very open and kind ruler."

Rosa smiled back in gratitude and nodded her head. "Thanks!"

He gave her another small bow and then walked into the mess tent. Rosa took a look around to get her bearings again, then headed for the large tent which belonged to Cadence. The unicorn was something like her bookkeeper, Rosa guessed, judging from the paperwork he had been shuffling earlier in the morning, so if he'd said it was okay to just go see her, then she could probably do that. The thought was encouraging and Rosa picked up her pace a little.

Chapter 75: Alicorn Tempers

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Again Rosa hesitated in front of the correct tent. It still felt wrong to simply barge in on people without even knocking, except that she couldn't really knock on fabric. In the end she just shrugged and pushed the flap aside. Similar to the medical one, this tent was also divided into two sections by a fabric wall. The Princesses Rosa was looking for were in the inner section and the small 'antechamber' was completely empty. Rosa walked forward to enter the other room, but paused when she caught Luna's voice, rising in anger in the middle of a sentence.

"-can't go on like this!"

Rosa's hoof fell back down and she started backing away, but then Cadence shouted back and Rosa froze.

"Well, excuse me, Luna, but you weren't here! You don't know what it was like!"

Maybe she should have said something, or went in there to make them realize they had an audience, but the cold fury Rosa felt in Cadence's tone rooted her to the spot. Her ears flattened, but she couldn't keep from listening.

"If my sister found out-"

"Celestia isn't here! She wasn't there, either! You've no right to use her name to try and change my mind!" Cadence snapped back even before Luna could finish her sentence. "I've had to make some pretty bad decisions, Luna!"

The other Princess groaned and Rosa heard a hoofstep. "Still, Cadence, this is beyond the pale! It's so far outside the pale you can't even see the fence anymore!"

"It's nothing they wouldn't do! You've seen what happened! Don't tell me it doesn't make you angry!"

Rosa didn't know what 'them' Cadence was talking about, but she seemed to hate 'them' very much. Rosa could but hope that 'them' didn't include her as her heartbeat pounded in her ears.

Luna took a deep breath, but her voice was still tense with distaste. "Yes, it does! But what you're doing is wrong, Cadence! The only reason you were allowed to come here is to save ponies-"

"I am saving ponies," the pink alicorn snapped, again interrupting. "I'm saving ponies from ever having to deal with all this crap! Don't think it isn't costing me!"

There was a silence and Rosa relaxed a bit, thinking the shouting match might be over. Just as she was about to quietly leave, Luna raised her voice again: "Is it? Is it really?! The way I'm seeing things, it all just looks like revenge, Cadence."

"It's nothing they don't deserve," came the sullen, muttered reply.

Again Luna sighed and there was another hoofstep - Rosa guessed she had stepped closer to Cadence. "Maybe so, but we don't deal in revenge, Cadence!"

Cadence barked a laugh, but there was no joy in it. "Tell that to the families who've lost-"

"Revenge isn't the way!" This time it had been Luna who had interrupted. She went on: "We are not them, Cadence. We! Are! Not! Them!"

"Well, I'm me and I'll do this the way I see fit! Celestia put me in charge, remember?!"

Luna also raised her voice some more and Rosa considered putting her hooves over her ears. "Only because she was afraid I'd lose my cool and take it too far! If she saw you now, knew what you were planning-"

"Buck. Off!" Cadence said back, slowly and deliberately. "We're doing this my way. If you don't like it, you can run back to your precious sister!"

There was no reply for a while, then Cadence kept going: "Seriously, Luna, stop living in your bucking sister's bucking shadow! Think for yourself for once!"

It would be the perfect time to sneak away, but Rosa's legs felt rooted to the ground and she couldn't move. She was scared for her life that she'd make a sound and the two would find her spying.

"I still don't like this," says Luna in a defeated tone of voice. Rosa guessed that comment about her sister's shadow had really hit home. "Don't hurt civilians, Cadence."

"They stopped being civilians when they took jobs to supply the military!"

Luna gave an exasperated groan and Rosa could clearly imagine her rolling her eyes. "That's the condition, Cadence! One civilian injury and I'm dragging your rump back to Celestia and we're letting her deal with saving ponies on Earth any way she sees fit!"

There was more silence and then finally Cadence said: "Okay! Fine! We're just trying to keep them from resupplying so they move out of the area! It shouldn't be that hard."

"Then what do we do? We need to go back to the original plan, Cadence."

More silence, until Cadence answered: "I'll have Ethan look around. What about this School you told me about? They're experimenting with cutie marks?"

They were talking about her! Rosa barely suppressed a squeak of surprise, but now her ears were focused on the conversation. It was getting harder to hear as the mares stopped yelling.

Luna said: "I'm able to get back into Dreamscape. I'll try to find more of their dreams and see what is really happening there."

"You still can't enter human dreams?"

"No," Luna answered, her voice low and defeated. "I think our minds work differently in some way. I can't feel the dreams even of sympathetic humans. Even the ones in this very camp."

There was a rustle of feathers and Rosa imagined Cadence had gone to hug the other Princess. Her next words confirmed it: "Don't beat yourself up, Luna. See if you can get anything from the ponies at that School and we'll try to find a way to help them all."

"After that we're leaving," Luna said. "I don't like what this place is doing to you, Cadence. You've changed, and I don't think it's for the better."

It was the wrong thing to say because hooves clattered as Cadence presumably jumped away and her voice was angry again: "Of course I've changed! How could I not change after-"

Her voice choked off and Rosa felt a sense of dread over what she had almost said. Something bad had happened to her, maybe?

"You should go back, Cadence. Flurry Heart needs you. She can't be raised by her aunt alone, the young mare needs her mother. Now more than ever, when she's coming into her own as an alicorn."

"I know, I know," Cadence said with a sigh. "I want to go back, Luna, I really do."

They were quiet for a bit, then Cadence spoke up again, even as she started walking away. "Let's save those ponies at this School and then we'll leave, okay? I promise."

"You promised before," Luna pointed out and the hoofsteps stopped.

There was an angry stomp and Cadence raised her voice again: "I know I did! This is different!"

There was no further reply and the hoofsteps continued. Rosa remembered that she had been eavesdropping and jumped a little as the flap pulled aside. Contrary to what she'd thought, it was Princess Luna who was leaving and she froze when she spotted her. "Rosa?" the mare said.

"Sorry! Sorry! I didn't mean to- I just wanted to ask- and then I was here and you were- and Cadence- I'M SORRY!"

What did alicorns do to spies? The two had sounded pretty angry and Rosa was very worried that they might toss her in prison for spying on them. Or worse.

"Relax, it is okay," Luna assured her. She gave her a small smile, but Rosa saw Cadence frowning at them from behind Luna's back. That stare made Rosa shrink back a little. "Walk with me," Luna said and held the front entrance open with a wing. Rosa was only too glad to duck outside.

After a few steps, where she had to hurry to keep up with Luna, the Princess spoke: "What did you want to ask?"

It felt like ages ago and Rosa had to work to bring it to mind. It seemed so trivial after the fight she'd heard. She still did her best to answer the Princess: "I wanted to ask if t-there was something I c-could do to help," she explained. "A-Around the camp, I m-mean."

"Commendable," Luna praised. "What sort of work can you do?"

Rosa thought fast over her past experiences and managed to make her voice steadier than she felt. "I'm good with, um, problematic children. Well, it's what I trained for. My cutie mark is in gardening, but I can do anything, really, if someone shows me! I helped with dishes in the kitchen." Maybe if she made herself useful, Luna would protect Rosa from Cadence's certain wrath.

The Princess took this in and thought it over, while Rosa plodded after her in silence. She kept glancing back, expecting to see pink horned-and-winged revenge bearing down on her.

"For now I will take you to the quartermaster. He often needs help with cataloguing and bookkeeping. I'll make enquiries as to what you can do after that."

"T-Thank you, Princess."

Rosa was relieved. Cadence scared her a lot, especially after what she'd just heard, but Rosa had complete faith in Luna. She really was the older and wiser of the two.

"Tomorrow I will ask you to tell me what you can of your School, Rosa."

"Of c-course!" she hurriedly promised.

"Have you decided whether you wish to find a place for yourself on Earth, or whether you would like to go to Equestria?"

This time her ears folded down in shame. "I h-haven't," Rosa answered truthfully. She'd like to go, but she wouldn't abandon Sky Light. Maybe if all the ponies in this resistance went home, she would want to go with captain Zephyr.

"There still is no hurry, but please do think about it. I feel we might not be on Earth much longer. After that, it will not be easy to travel from one place to the other."

"Okay, P-Princess."

"Good. We're here. Tell Caramel Walnut, the quartermaster, that I sent you to help her."

"Okay."

Again the Princess lifted up the tent flap with her wing and Rosa slipped inside, much relieved that there hadn't been more of a retribution for her eavesdropping. It might still come from Cadence later, but Rosa felt safer now that Luna was looking after her. Her thoughts that barging into places without knocking was a bad idea, was very much confirmed. The only problem now was how to knock? Maybe if she stomped her hooves loudly, she'd alert the ponies inside tents that she was outside?

Alternatively, she should call out before she entered. Rosa decided to think about it later, and perhaps see what other people did. For now she could hide out in the quartermaster's tent so that Princess Cadence didn't find her. Hopefully she'd stop being angry or forget about Rosa by the next day.

Working was a good cure for excessive hunger, Rosa found. By the time Walnut told her to stop for the day, it was already dark out and he'd nearly missed dinner. Rosa flashed the quartermaster mare a grateful smile, then made a dash for the mess hall, hoping she could even get anything this late. There might be nothing left.

As Rosa ran, she kept an eye out for familiar faces, on the off chance to find some company for dinner. There was no sign of her new friends, Snow Dove and Almond Hooves, nor could she spot Sky or her captain anywhere. Hopefully they were done with whatever they were doing in the tent by now. As soon as Rosa got some food she wanted to use that tent for sleeping. The day had been better, but she was still feeling the effects of their crazy escape from the human facility. Starlight had assured her that this pony camp was a long distance away from there and the humans had zero chance of finding them. It was all in the magic of these 'Bores', Rosa guessed. If they could move ponies to Equestria and back, halfway across the country wasn't a problem.

She made it to the mess tent, where Rosa spotted the human, Lin Lei, gathering trays from the empty tables. "Oh! Hi! Am I too late to get something?!" she asked in a worried voice.

The girl, who couldn't be more than twenty, gave Rosa a quick wave as she balanced her stack of trays in one hand. "Hi Rosa. Just go in the back, I think there's some mushroom stroganoff left."

That sounded amazing and Rosa dashed onward, ducking and weaving around the tables until she pushed through the tent flap into the kitchen area. This place had a more solid-looking wooden floor so the appliances didn't sink into the ground. Rosa wondered briefly how they moved all of it when they broke camp, but the thought was driven from her mind as she took in the smell.

One of the pony cooks gave Rosa a wave and she squeaked a hurried greeting, before fetching a bowl and filling it to the brim. She'd done a lot of work, so she deserved a hearty meal! No one could say otherwise!

Even before she went out to eat, Rosa stuck a spoonful in her mouth. It made her moan a little in delight. "I'll come back to, mmhmm," she mumbled around her mouthful, "to... um, help with the dishes!"

"Mighty nice of you," the cream-colored mare replied, but Rosa was already on her way out. She took the nearest empty table, plopped her metal bowl down and started... well, 'shoveling' was the best word here. Rosa hardly had time to chew before she stuck yet another spoonful in her mouth. It was pure luck that she hadn't actually met Sky Light on the way, or she might have some choice words to say. On second thought, she'd probably just laugh. The pegasus had found Rosa's eating habits quite funny at times.

All too soon the bowl was empty. Rosa could go and fetch another one, she thought wistfully, but that'd be greedy and she'd feel sorry for herself the whole night as she nursed her overfull stomach. It'd have to be enough, but Rosa still dropped the spoon, shoved her muzzle in the bowl and gave it a thorough licking. It'd make it easier to wash later, she told herself even as she blushed a little.

Rosa hardly noticed that Lin Lei had sat down opposite her. "So, had a good day?" she asked conversationally.

"Mhm! Well, except when I walked in on Princess Luna and Cadence's argument..."

The woman looked sad for a moment. "Yeah, I was afraid that'd happen now that Luna is back. They were... tense even before Luna got kidnapped."

"How did that happen, by the way? She has magic and all, I can't imagine how some humans can just kidnap her."

Lin looked around to see if there was anyone from the military part of the camp nearby, but the mess tent was deserted. It was getting late, but Rosa didn't mind sitting for a few minutes. "I only heard rumors, but apparently Luna and some ponies were sitting under one of those cellphone towers so Ethan could tap into some government records, but they got found out."

Rosa remembered the name. Starlight Glimmer had said he was their 'hacker', which sounded very useful and only slightly like something from a movie. Maybe she would get to meet this mysterious computer-wizard one of these days.

"Anyway, Luna stayed behind to let the others escape and they shot her with tranquilizer darts. That's what some of the Crystal ponies said who were with her. She ordered them all to leave. Cadence was furious."

"Why?"

Lin shrugged a bit, "I guess cause a Princess of Equestria is more important than some soldiers?"

That would make a strategic kind of sense, but something told Rosa, that Luna hadn't seen it that way. "Is that why Princess Cadence was so angry?"

The girl shook her head. "No, I think that started before. Some of the Crystal Ponies said she was a very good ruler back then. Princess of Love, too. Not that you'd know it now."

"Ooooh! So that's why- Sky Light- and her cutie mark!" Suddenly the things Rosa had seen that night Cadence had brought them to the camp with a Bore made sense. She had seen already that Sky Light and Zephyr Gale were matching up and she was happy for them.
It was still hard to reconcile the harsh, angry mare from today with a title like 'Princess of Love'. "What happened to her?"

Lin considered how to answer that question, then gave up with a sigh. "The war, probably."

That immediately brought another topic to Rosa's mind. "How did it all start?"

Again the girl had no answer. "Sorry, you'll have to ask some of the older ponies. Good luck, though. I never got a straight answer."

That was a shame, but it had still been worth a shot. Rosa slid from the bench and picked up the bowl in her mouth. She didn't have to tell Lin Lei what she was doing - she understood.

"Well, I guess I'll turn in. See you tomorrow, Rosa."

"Mmphmh!" Unable to really say it, Rosa instead gave the girl a wave with her hoof before ducking into the kitchen area.

The cook, Cheery Roll, just gave her an approving nod as Rosa took her dish to the stack already waiting in a large, metal sink. It looked like a good half-hour job and then Rosa would maybe get some reward again. Possibly a piece of fruit or two, or maybe a bit of chocolate. That sounded good and she went at her task with a smile on her muzzle, humming her little song.

Chapter 76: A History of Fighting

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Rosa took the long way back to her tent, past the showers. She didn't really need one, but hot water would feel nice, if only there was some left. The camp ponies had constructed a very crude wooden hut and stuck solar collectors on the roof. Those worked fine most of the time, but someone had told Rosa that if the day wasn't sunny enough, the water was additionally heated by magic.

That made sense. There was no power in the middle of the forest, so even the pumps that filled up the metal tank under the ceiling worked on magic. As for the plumbing... The hut itself was built with a raised floor. There was no plumbing in the middle of nowhere, of course, but a trench had been dug under the floor leading some distance away behind the cabin until the ground started to slope down naturally. It wouldn't be the best idea for general sewage, but Rosa guessed it was fine for just water and soap. The latrines, of course, were just simple outhouses with deep pits dug under them. She really hated using them because of the smell, but she didn't have the option of being picky when the need arose.

There were two shower stalls, both empty. It was getting dark, so Rosa hit the light switch on the wall. There was no electricity, so she guessed the bulb worked by magic, too. Yet another proof that these ponies came from an entirely different world. Magic, to them, seemed so mundane. It was just there to make things work, like electricity was for Earth. Maybe she would get used to it in time. It was probably similar to how people felt when electric power first came out and it was this new, almost magical force to make light and heat.

Anyway, the place was empty, which was just as well. Rosa didn't mind sharing a bathroom with another pony, but she hardly knew anyone in the camp. Not to mention there were also humans, who didn't have separate facilities. Showering with one of them next to her sounded weird in Rosa's head. Yes, she'd done that at the facility with Dr. Mason just a door's thickness away, but that had been different. The Doctor wasn't naked. She'd also taken showers at the truck stops, but all of those were late at night where she and Sky Light had the room to themselves.

Unfortunately, whatever these ponies were using to heat their showers seemed to need recharging or something, because the water was lukewarm at best. Rosa made it a very quick shower, shivering a little while she lathered up her mane. Rather than luxuriating, like she'd imagined in her head on her way there, Rosa just got it over with and gratefully dried off with a towel from a shelf on the wall. She left it in the large hamper, wondering briefly who washed it and thinking about going to offer her help. Laundry wasn't hard and she wouldn't mind keeping busy while she waited for what would come next.

The thought made her freeze.

Waited for what?

She and Sky Light were both free of the facility. They'd seen Maribelle and she was happy, so that was Rosa's 'mission' finished. The only question now was whether she went back to some human city to live on the streets with Sky, or they both went to Equestria and tried to find a life for themselves there.

That was it! Rosa was waiting until she and Sky had both decided. She'd lost track of that goal for a second there.

Smiling a little to herself, Rosa slipped out of the shower hut and headed for their tent. Hopefully Sky Light and Zephyr Gale would be done by now, but even if not, she didn't think they could ruin her good mood. In fact, Rosa was happy for them to have found each other in this crazy world!

As she walked through the camp, Rosa made sure to greet ponies she met, even if she didn't know them yet by name. It cost nothing to be polite. Some of them greeted her back, while others just waved a hoof or a wing. Rosa got a good number of pleasant smiles and several curious looks, too. Not to mention, now that she was paying attention, Rosa couldn't help seeing more crystal ponies around. Their unique coats were only visible when the light struck them in just the right way, but now that Rosa knew what to look for, she could spot it all around her. That was probably Cadence's personal guard from the Crystal Empire, Rosa thought to herself, at the same time wondering at these exotic names and feeling a bit proud of herself for knowing them all already.

Finally she reached her tent and paused in front of it. She wouldn't mind Zephyr being there, but Rosa drew the line at walking in on them doing it. Luckily, there were no untoward sounds coming from inside, so Rosa shrugged a little to herself and slipped in.

Sky Light lifted herself up from her cot, but then lay back down when she saw who it was. "Oh, hi Rosa. Where were you? I've been looking all over."

"Have you really? Weren't you too busy with Captain Zephyr?"

The mare flashed a slightly guilty grin. "Well, he had some briefing, so I went looking for you."

"Well, here I am," Rosa told her cheerfully.

Her friend sighed a little, but she was still smiling. Rosa could see even in the dark inside of the tent. "Well, it's a bit late now. Where were you all day?"

That was right, Rosa hadn't told Sky yet! She went and sat on her cot so she could rest her hooves. "You're not going to believe this, but I walked in on Cadence and Luna arguing! They don't really get along, it seems."

"Yeah, Zephyr told me something like that," Sky Light said with much less of surprise than Rosa would have liked. "They disagree on how they should be doing this. The plan was to rescue ponies who need it the most, then let Celestia deal with the rest diplomatically."

"Did he tell you how the war even started?"

"No," Sky shook her head, "and I asked, too. Weird how they don't wanna talk about it. You?"

"I asked Lin Lei, but she doesn't know either."

"Who's Lin Lei?"

"Lin Lei Song. She's Chinese. Helps in the kitchen."

The other mare brightened up. "Oh yeah, I've seen her around the place. Thought she was kinda young to mix with these- um." Rosa politely waited for her to find the right word. "Rebels? No, that's not it. They aren't trying to overthrow the government. Resistance isn't right, either - it's not their country." The pegasus lifted herself up on her elbows and looked at Rosa with a slightly worried look. "I think they're just invaders, Rosa."

Rosa was forced to agree. "Well, technically, yes, but they're freeing enslaved ponies, so that's okay."

"If you say so..."

Sky sounded uncertain and Rosa opened her muzzle to explain some more, but then caught a faint smile on her muzzle, so she shut up. Sky was probably hoping to pull off some kind of a joke. Getting Rosa all riled up explaining to her how what these ponies were doing was right, only for her to say she agreed and have a perverse kind of laugh about it.

Time for a new topic. "So, did you talk about Equestria with Zephyr?"

"Kinda. Well, not really. He told me about this cloud city some more. They have something like the Olympic games, except it's more... pony sports."

"Pony sports?"

"Like running, or flying... relay races. Ice archery."

That last one made Rosa gape. "Ice archery?! How does that work?"

Sky Light shrugged a little before turning to her side so she faced Rosa while they talked. "Dunno, really. I guess it's like archery, but they shoot at ice? I might not have been paying attention on that one. I was... b-busy."

Rosa could imagine a few options of what Sky had been doing instead, but elected not to bring it up. "So, you really like the Captain, don't you?"

Now Sky Light's eyes turned dreamy and she got a far-away look in her face. She was also smiling a lot. "Yeah..."

"Even though he's young enough-"

"Yeah, I know," Sky Light interrupted. "To be my son. I dunno about that, Rosa, but fuck am I in love. I don't know why or how it happened. It was one of those 'eyes meeting across a crowded room' things when we met."

"We were in a forest," Rosa pointed out.

"Fine, 'eyes meeting across a crowded forest', then."

"It wasn't really-"

Her pillow suddenly slapped Rosa in the muzzle, causing her to let out a surprised squeak. She hadn't even seen Sky Light move!

"Oh, shut up," Sky said, laughing. "You know what I mean."

Rosa passed the pillow back and lay down on her cot. It was getting late and she was looking forward to some quality sleep.

For a few moments it was quiet, then Sky Light spoke up: "Rosa?"

"Mm?"

"You still wanna go to Equestria?"

This made Rosa's breath catch and her heart speed up. Was she about to change her mind? It'll take careful handling. "I think so, but I haven't decided yet. W-Why?"

The other mare heaved a sigh. "I'm thinking about the future."

"Future with Zephyr?" Rosa prompted.

"Mhm," Sky confirmed. She was looking into the distance again. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm hoping he'll pop the question."

That sounded way too fast to Rosa. "Isn't that a little fast?"

When Sky Light looked at Rosa her eyes were clouded by some deep worry. "I guess," she admitted. "I suddenly can't imagine ever being with anypony else again."

"Any-pony?"

Sky chuckled a little. "See?! I'm starting to talk like him even. That's how they say it in Equestria, since- you know, everyone is ponies. Everypony. It has a certain... ring to it."

Rosa thought it over and even mouthed the word to herself a few times. It felt strange, but it sounded like something she could get used to. "Still, marriage? Don't you think you should get to know him a bit better?"

"I got to know him pretty well over the last few days."

"What about the rest of him?" Rosa burst out before she could stop herself.

This actually made the pegasus gasp in shock. "What?!" she said, stunned, "A sex joke? Who are you and what have you done with Rosa?!"

They both giggled at the old joke between them, then Sky Light broke the silence again. "I just can't stop thinking about it. If he asks me, I'll say yes. Heh. Never thought I'd get married in my life, but now I'm hoping for it."

"How about you ask him? Why should a colt always have to do the asking?"

"Hmm."

Sky Light seemed thoughtful. "Yeah, that could work. Thanks, Rosa."

Rosa briefly wondered what she'd just done, but truth be told, Zephyr Gale looked quite happy when he was around Sky Light. Maybe love - real love - didn't know about stuff like age difference, or background, or even dental hygiene.

"Well, if you're gonna start kissing him a lot, you'd better also start brushing your teeth, okay? Otherwise that's just gross."

Sky didn't even argue, which was further proof how smitten she was. "I guess," she said at last.

This stallion could be very good for Sky Light. Of all the things which would make her settle down, this had been the least likely, but Rosa was not arguing. "So, you'll think about coming to Equestria with Zephyr? Get a nice little cloud-house together. Maybe raise some foals?"

This finally snapped her friend out of her daydream. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" she yelled, "I said I'd like to marry the guy, maybe, if he asks nicely. Who said anything about foals?!"

"'Maybe'?!" Rosa asked, grinning, "you sounded pretty certain a minute ago."

"Well, then shut up about foals at least. I haven't told-" the mare said, then let out a sigh. "I haven't told him about-"

In an instant Rosa was out of her cot and had her hooves around the poor pegasus. "Hush, it's okay. I'm sorry. You tell him when you're ready and I'm sure it'll be fine."

"He's gonna think I'm a mon-monster," Sky Light choked out. "B-But I can't just keep it a secret, not from him!" She grabs Rosa and stared into her eyes with mounting panic. "What am I gonna do, Rosa?!"

There were no easy answers. After all, she was right and Zephyr might react badly to hearing about Sky Light's shady past. "Well, if he really does love you, he'll get over it. If you want I can be with you when you tell him." Rosa imagined the colt reacting with disgust and it made her growl low in her throat. "If he says the wrong thing I'll kick him in the face!"

Sky Light leaned her muzzle against Rosa's. "Thanks, Rosa. You're a real friend."

"So, you'll tell him? Before he pops the question?"

Her ears went flat and Sky closed her eyes, but she finally nodded. "I guess."

Rosa gave her midriff a squeeze. "It can wait a few more days so you know each other better. Luna said they'll be going home soon, but there's still time."

"Thanks," the pegasus said, "I'll keep that in mind."

Rosa didn't want to let her go. Leaving the mare alone with her thoughts, especially after her stupid comment about foals, didn't seem right. "Um, mind if I just cuddle for tonight? It's kind of chilly out here."

"Yeah, the nights aren't all that warm in this place," Sky Light confirmed and lifted up her blanket to let Rosa under it.

"Where are we, anyway?" Rosa hadn't thought to ask before, but apparently Sky Light knew, because she grinned knowingly. "Zephyr told me. We're somewhere in Alaska."

That'd explain the forest, Rosa guessed, and the chill. It'd also explain why there were no human settlements nearby. It was a good place to hide, especially if Cadence was using her Bores to travel. There probably wasn't a way for humans to track the resistance ponies through magical portals. Maybe they were getting close, though. That'd explain the 'supply civilians' Cadence wanted to stop with her next military action. It would also be why Luna said they might all be leaving for Equestria soon. There probably weren't many more places where a group of ponies could hide a military camp for long.

For that matter, Rosa wondered how they were hiding from helicopters and satellites and such stuff. Maybe she could ask Zephyr the next time she saw him, or Snow or Almond. It was probably magic, though. It seemed like that was the answer for practically any question Rosa had lately.

For now, she had a cuddle-buddy and she was starting to get sleepy with those warm wings around her. "Sweet dreams," she told the mare.

"You too. Thanks, Rosa."

"Mm', welcome."

Rosa woke up when Sky Light's hind leg pushed into her belly. It was not a kick, but it tickled and Rosa shuffled out of the way. A moment later Sky's muzzle pressed against hers. Apologetic nuzzle, Rosa assumed, and sleepily returned it.

The tongue prodding at her lips caught her by surprise. Only then did Rosa realize that Sky Light was hugging her from behind!

"EEP!" She kicked with all her strength and then clambered over her pegasus friend to get away from whoever was attacking her. Sky Light shot up with a yell, her opening wings smacking Rosa in the muzzle. There was just a shadow where someone had been trying to... Kiss her?! Well, they were whimpering on the ground beside Sky Light's cot and Rosa didn't think they were going to be a danger any more.

"What happened?!" Sky asked, seeking Rosa out with her hooves. "Rosa, are you okay? Wait, who's that on the floor?"

Her attacker swore and Rosa relaxed a tiny bit. They were an equestrian pony. No one else would have used 'Buck' and 'Luna' as swear words. Furthermore, Rosa recognized the Captain's voice.

Sky Light realized it, too. "Zephyr?!" she asked, worried. "What the hell is going on?"

At long last the stallion managed to find his flashlight and turned it on. It blinded Rosa until he pointed it at the roof to light the whole tent. Then he extended a trembling, accusing hoof. "She kicked me!" he accused, wings going out a bit, just like Sky was doing. Rosa recognized it as a very pegasus gesture and it meant he was either angry or scared. "What the buck is Rosa doing in your bed?!"

"Well, he tried to kiss me!" Rosa countered.

Sky Light looked shocked and turned her pointedly questioning look to the Captain, who started sputtering. "Um, I-I- uh, I t-thought it was y-you!" he managed to choke out.

Rosa suddenly realized that Sky Light was amused by all this. She was doing a good job of hiding her smile, but Rosa could see the corners of her mouth twitch. She had already folded her wings back down when she saw there was no real danger.

"The reason Rosa is in my bed," the mare said far too calmly, "is because I was feeling lonely and- um, sad last night and she was keeping me company."

There had been a short pause in her words and Rosa wondered if Zephyr had noticed it too. He rubbed his muzzle where a large welt was already forming and his wings settled back down as well. "Sad? Why were you sad?" he asked.

Rosa held her breath. Surely Sky wasn't going to spill it all right then, in the middle of the night? "Um, I'll tell you some other time, okay? Just- don't worry. I'm fine."

The captain wasn't quite buying it and he walked over to look at Sky more closely. "You can tell me, you know? Whatever it is. I wanna hear it. I wanna help!"

Some tension went out of the mare, but she still shook her head. "Soon. Please don't push me on this, it's important."

For a moment it looked as if Zephyr would do exactly that, but then he blinked and smiled. "Okay, okay. I trust you to tell me when I need to know."

This finally let Sky Light relax completely and she beamed at the colt. "Thanks, sweetums. So, care to tell me why you're sneaking into my tent in the middle of the night?"

The blunt way she had put it caused Zephyr to glance at Rosa and blush. "I was, uhm, hoping I'd get to see you before, uh, we leave on the mission."

"Mission?"

"Mission?" Rosa said at exactly the same time as Sky Light.

"Yeah," the Captain replied and his ears folded down in sorrow. "Sorry about the short notice, I just got thrown out of my bed by Princess Cadence. My squad is gearing up and I wanted to come and tell you, so you won't worry when I don't show up tomorrow."

"Aww, how sweet," Sky Light said, but her smile was more than a little worried. "What sort of mission?"

"Sorry, classified."

Rosa wondered if it had anything to do with the argument she'd heard between the two alicorns, but she didn't bring it up now.

Before Sky Light could ask some more, Zephyr held up a preemptive hoof. "It's... routine. We've done this sort of thing before. It's gonna be fine, trust me."

"Oh. J-Just be safe, okay?" Sky Light implored.

"I promise."

They looked at each other, then Sky Light brought her muzzle right up to Rosa's ear. "Rosa, can you do me a solid?"

"Mm?"

"Could you, um, give us twenty minutes?"

She had whispered, but apparently the Captain had good hearing. He asked: "Twenty minutes? Why twenty min-" He blushed as realization hit and Sky Light chuckle at his expression.

"Sure, no problem," Rosa told them both.

In an instant she got off Sky Light's cot and made her way around the colt. "I'll just use the latrines and maybe take a walk around. You two, um h-have fun."

As she was leaving, Rosa glanced back to see Sky Light holding open her blanket for the captain, who was still standing beside, looking uncertain. "Um," he said, "I should check on - uh, check..."

Giggling softly Rosa gave his rump a very light kick with her hind leg as she walked past. That almost launched him into Sky Light's hooves. Rosa didn't stick around to see the result.

A quick glance to the sky told her that it was still hours until dawn. This mission was starting at a really inhumane hour. Rosa wondered why that was. Maybe Cadence wanted the cover of darkness? She turned a corner and saw a group of ponies standing around the Princess' tent. There weren't any lights, but Rosa thought she recognized Snow and Almond in the group.

Walking closer, Rosa waved a hoof and the pair lifted theirs in greeting, confirming her guess. For a moment she considered going over and telling them their captain would be... 'indisposed' for about half an hour, but then she thought better of it. They seemed busy with checking their gear and trotting in place or stretching their wings. Rosa even saw a glow of some unicorn's horn.

Hopefully Zephyr Gale would be done quickly and join them before they got impatient and went looking for him. Some of them knew which tent their Captain liked to spend his time in. In any case, it was not her problem. If Sky Light and Zephyr Gale took too long in each other's company, they deserved to be rudely interrupted. They were cutting into Rosa's sleeping time, after all.

When Rosa imagined the whole squad of ponies walking in on them she couldn't help but chuckle a little. She gave the waiting group a wide berth and headed toward the latrines. She hadn't been lying when she'd said she needed to go. After that maybe she'd go check the kitchen tent and see if there was a late-night snack she could get.

Hopefully Sky Light would remember to air the tent out after she and her coltfriend were done. Rosa still wanted to catch a few more hours of sleep.

Rosa was just coming back from the latrines when she saw a very tall, dark shape standing near the central fire pit. It was cold and unlit at nights, despite the thick tree cover above, so that it couldn't be accidentally seen from a high-flying airplane.

It was not hard to guess who the pony was. Princess Luna. For a moment Rosa debated internally whether to go and ask her questions, but then she decided to do it. Luna had always been nice and understanding, and Rosa felt safe around her. She also seemed lost in thought, so it might be a neighborly thing to go and chat with her for a while.

Rosa stepped up beside her and saw that Luna was looking up, into the night sky - or what little was visible from this vantage point. Rosa wondered briefly if she had some strange, alicorn insight into the night sky, even on Earth.

"Um, penny for your thoughts?" Rosa asked as a way of breaking the ice.

The mare glanced down at her, then went back to staring at the stars. She seemed somber. Rosa also noted that she didn't reply immediately, so she sat on her haunches to wait next to the Princess. If it were Cadence, Rosa would probably be fidgeting. That is, if she even stuck around. With Luna, however, there was this companionable silence which Rosa kinda liked.

Finally, the mare shook her head a little and offered Rosa a slight smile. "That is a human expression, is it not?"

"Mhm."

"I have noticed you use a lot of their speech. Like when you say 'in hand', rather than 'in hoof', or when you say 'everyone', rather than 'everypony'."

"'Everyone' works better if there's people other than ponies, right?"

Luna gave this some thought. "It is rather more succinct than 'everycreature', but I prefer pony expressions, myself."

"Fair enough."

There was more silence and Rosa tried to see some night sky through the foliage. She was still working up the courage to broach her question when Luna turned to face her properly. "You could not sleep, Rosa?" she asked. "I may be able to help with that."

"No, it's not that. Um, Sky Light and Zephyr Gale are, um, in the tent."

"Of course."

That actually brought Rosa right to her point. "Um, Princess?"

"Ask."

Perceptive, but maybe all alicorns were like that. "Princess Cadence's - well, I guess you could call it 'superpower' - she can force ponies to fall in love?"

If the dark alicorn was surprised by her statement, she didn't show it in the slightest. Centuries of learning to control her expression, Rosa assumed. "Not in so many words," Luna replied, speaking softly so it wouldn't carry. "She may enhance the feeling, but it must be there to begin with."

"So, uh, Sky and Zephyr would have-"

Luna interrupted her with a faint smile on her muzzle: "Yes, they would have. However, I think Cadence might have hastened the process somewhat."

"Oh. I see."

"It's perfectly natural. I forget you didn't grow up in Equestria, where such a thing is commonplace. Cadence has often used her alicorn power to reignite the spark where it was in danger of going out, or hastened it where it was blooming slowly."

"It's just that-" Rosa began and sighed, unwilling to cast doubt on Luna's co-princess.

Luckily she sensed the reluctance and tipped Rosa's muzzle up with a surprisingly strong wing feather. "Do not be afraid, ask your question."

It was really comforting just how approachable this alicorn was. From what little Rosa had heard from the other Equestrian ponies, her sister was even nicer. She hoped she'd be able to meet her, someday. By all accounts, meeting Celestia left a permanent impression on a pony and filled them with confidence about the future. Rosa wondered if that was what humans felt when they worshipped God. She hadn't been overly religious herself, but seeing someone - somepony - literally raising the sun might do it.

Taking a deep breath, Rosa tried to voice her concern: "I feel like I hardly know Sky Light lately. All she does is spend time with Zephyr Gale. They're always whispering, or giggling together, or... well, you know."

"Have you ever been in love?"

"N-No," Rosa hurried to say. "I kinda liked this one colt at the school, but I got sent away before I could be sure."

Luna nodded a little. "Sometimes love is slow, Rosa. Other times it is fast. Neither is less meaningful than the other. Perhaps you will see him again and then you will know."

"Yeah, I h-hope so."

"To answer your question," the alicorn went on, "Your friend is still the same, but perhaps her outlook on life has changed. Would you say she is happier now?"

Rosa was forced to admit that much. Different or not, she'd never seen Sky Light smile as much and she hadn't been exactly 'glum' before. "I think so."

"Then, perhaps this is for the best. Sometimes, love can be a beneficial thing. Even now, I would trust Cadence to know when to push and how much. Matters of the heart are her specialty, even after-"

The alicorn fell silent and heaved a sad sigh. Rosa wanted to ask her what she had meant, but felt it would be inappropriate, so she kept her muzzle shut. Instead she looked for positives: "It might help her decide to come to Equestria, so that's good. And I think she'll start living more healthily," Rosa admitted.

"Then it is for the better."

Rosa made herself smile a little and the alicorn leaned a surprisingly gentle wing against her cheek. For some reason, it felt warm, despite it being just a few feathers, and Rosa closed her eyes at the touch. Almost involuntarily it made her think of Paolo, caressing her like that, which in turn caused her heart to beat faster. Rosa couldn't get the image of his mischievous smile out of her mind. There was another matter weighing on her, though. "Um, do you know what this secret mission is all about? I don't like it..."

Luna gave about half of a chuckle. "It is a military thing, as Cadence would put it. Unfortunately, I could not dissuade her from it."

"Why is she attacking a supply convoy?" Rosa asked, guessing.

It was apparently a good guess, because Luna blinked in surprise before her expression cleared up. "So you have heard more than I thought. Please keep this to yourself, okay?"

"I p-promise!"

"We are not exactly... welcome in this land. The humans consider us a war band, so they are looking. We can keep them away with spells somewhat, but they are getting uncomfortably close."

It was more or less what Rosa had imagined, but now it was confirmed. They were part of an insurgent group and that made her feel deeply uncomfortable.

Luna took a step, but paused to look back at Rosa. "Walk with me. They have a body of men in the area, but since the forest is quite thick they cannot resupply by air, not entirely. That is why they have sent a convoy of ground carriages to bring them food and other necessities."

"Trucks," Rosa corrected, proud of her intimate knowledge of the process.

"Indeed," Luna agreed. "Cadence is hoping that by preventing, or at least delaying their supply mission, she will force them to retreat to a more... civilized area. At least that had been the plan when Cadence didn't know how long she would need to stay here. Before I returned."

It made sense, except for... "Now that you're back, why don't we just leave?"

For a few steps the alicorn said nothing. Then she murmured, almost too quietly for Rosa to hear: "That is what I have also asked and haven't gotten a good answer."

No help there, it seemed. Still, it was good to know that Cadence was planning to leave. Hopefully Rosa and Sky Light would go with them back to Equestria. There was one more thing Rosa would really like to know and she was sure Luna had the information. The question was only if she'd trust her enough to tell. "Why do they hunt us? Why all the hate and the fighting? Is it just because they captured ponies and made them - us - into servants?"

The princess didn't slow down and she didn't reply at first. Rosa opened her muzzle to apologize for what had probably been an impertinent question, somehow, but then Luna spoke: "When our worlds first met, the humans did not know of us. They only saw a new land, ready for taking - colonization. A number of them passed through the first natural Bores and created settlements on pony land. Even before that, some of our citizens fell into Earth and were lost."

This felt like an important bit of history. "Um, how long ago was that?" Rosa asked.

Luna had to think about the answer, calculating mentally. "Some, I think, eighteen or twenty years ago. Anyway, our first few meetings weren't on the best of terms. I understand there was some violence - from both sides. Remember, a few groups of ponies came through the other way first, even if it was accidental. The humans were afraid of them, and didn't know what to do after that. Things became quite confused."

Rosa kept walking in silence while Luna organized her thoughts and decided how to best tell her story. "I'm unsure why the diplomacy failed, but suddenly there was fighting. We have magic, but humans have guns - and a lot of skill in the act of war. There were... losses."

"Oh."

The alicorn smiled sadly at her, more to put Rosa at her ease than at any particular memory. "Seeing what was happening, some of our subjects became restless. Angry. My sister has always thought of them as terrorists, but even her condemnation would not placate the human leaders."

There was a moment's silence and when Rosa looked up she saw that Luna's ears were splayed and she was staring at the sky again. Her steps slowed and Rosa stopped beside her.

"These ponies - the angry ones - came to Earth took it too far. I will not tell you of the tragedies, but things escalated quickly. At long last, all the Bores were closed and further travel prevented, but humans were caught in Equestria and ponies were left on Earth. Celestia has worked to broker peace while the path was open, and she has begun to do so again, but what Cadence is doing here will not help."

"Why was, um Princess Cadence allowed to come here, then?"

Luna shrugged a little. "That is complicated. We have recently reopened the Bores and some of the stories that came back were - chilling. Celestia never could stand to see her ponies suffer, and even more importantly, the rest of our people cried out for something to be done, something immediate, so Celestia agreed to a clandestine rescue operation. I volunteered to lead it, but it seems my sister trusted Cadence more."

"I... see." It was a lot to think about, so Rosa secretly hoped Luna was done for the moment. She decided to ask her again in the future, if there was a chance, but a lot of what Luna had said made sense. "Um, thank you for telling me, P-Princess," Rosa said.

Luna shrugged a little. "It's mostly history now. Hopefully whatever Cadence does - or did, while I was gone - won't antagonize the humans further. Despite all that's happened, I know my sister still desires peace, and believes it is possible, now that both sides have had time apart to cool off."

"I hope so, too."

Rosa saw that they'd made it back to the command tent, where the group of soldier ponies were gone. That probably meant that Sky Light was alone in the tent again. Alone and probably needing company.

Maybe Luna needed it too, but if she was going in with Princess Cadence, Rosa would rather return to her friend and her bed. "I'll, um, I think I'll go back to sleep now," she quavered.

Luna just gave her a smile and a nod, but there was something sad in it. Maybe she missed her sister. On a whim Rosa stepped closer and brushed her muzzle against Luna's flank, as high as she could reach.

A moment later a wing settled around her. "I will get you to Equestria, Rosa," the alicorn promised. "I will bring you home."

The tall pony had to lower her head a little, but Rosa gave her a grateful nuzzle when she did so. "Thank you. And, um, good night!"

"Sleep well."

Luna released her and Rosa walked briskly back to the tent.

Chapter 77: Tragedy and Hope

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A few - too few! - hours later, Rosa woke up groggy and starving. On the next cot she could hear Sky Light snoring softly. She had been essentially passed out when Rosa had come back after her talk with Luna. The smell hadn't been too bad, but the couple had used one of Sky's blankets to clean up and it was now crumpled in the corner. The pegasus would have to take that to the laundry herself, because Rosa was certainly not touching it. Other than that, there was almost no mess to speak of. Maybe that was because Captain Zephyr had been in a hurry.

Rosa twisted to her back and stretched out all four legs in the air, making her own blanket slip aside. It wasn't too chilly in the tent and the cool air felt good, serving to wake her up and get her circulation going. The movement made her yawn and arch her back, before flopping back down. Then she rolled over and off her cot, shaking her head in a vain attempt to untangle it at least a little. Caramel had given her a brush, but Rosa was starting to see the appeal of those military-style short manes.

She paused for a few more seconds to stretch out her neck and turn her head this way and that, before stepping over to Sky Light and giving her a prod with her muzzle. "Morning!"

Her snoring stopped and the mare opened one eye. "Already?" she asked, then immediately yawned.

It was contagious and Rosa joined in before she could stop herself. "Y-Y- aaah."

The pegasus mare blinked a few times, then gave Rosa a sad little smile. "I hope Zephyr's mission is going well," she said.

"Really?" Rosa exclaimed. "First thought when you wake up is about him?"

"No," Sky countered, "my first thought was: 'Damn, is it morning already?' My second thought was about Zephyr."

Rosa rolled her eyes a little bit, but she was not angry. It was actually cute. "Oh. Well, that's okay then." Giving her another nudge with her nose, Rosa stomped her hooves a little. "Come on. Breakfast."

Sky started moving! The mare stretched out, almost exactly like Rosa had done, except Sky Light added her wings to the routine. Then she yawned again and rolled over. "Okay, fine, fine. I'm coming. There's coffee, right?"

Rosa remembered seeing a bag in the kitchen, but she didn't think she'd seen anyone drink it. "Dunno. I'll ask, just for you, 'kay?" she offered.

It enticed the mare enough to stand up and Rosa immediately grimaced at the state of that pony. Her mane- Rosa decided not to think about it. Then her tail- well, best not to mention it either. Her wings looked like they'd been through a paper shredder. Her fur, in places where it was not sticky, looked somehow tangled and Rosa didn't even know how that was possible. Then there was her face. Now that Rosa looked closely, it seemed as if she had blown her nose in a handkerchief and then wiped it on her muzzle.

Sky Light noticed her staring and blushed. "Yeah, um, Zephyr is... enthusiastic when it comes to kissing."

Except that Rosa was not sure it was saliva, but she wasn't about bring it up, ever. "Shower. Right now!"

The pegasus lowered her ears and looked down at her hooves. "Yeah, you're probably right. I'll meet you in the kitchen?"

"I'll try and get a coffee going."

"Thanks, Rosa. You're a lifesaver."

Sky wisely didn't try to give her a hug as Rosa stepped aside and then followed her out of the tent. There weren't too many ponies around, but she still quickened her step.

That mare...

Not to mention: That stallion...

Now that the initial shock had passed, they felt appropriate together. Granted, Rosa didn't know Zephyr that well, but she did know Sky Light and the mare could use some of his discipline. For his part, Rosa guessed Zephyr liked a bit of snark every now and then. She'd heard him laughing at Sky's sarcastic jokes often enough. They also seemed to be enjoying each other... physically. In fact, Rosa was almost a little jealous, even though she tried to bury that thought when it came up.

There was a strange little tingle in her body when she thought about - finally - getting a nice colt like Paolo into her bed. Rosa was really getting curious about what that actually felt like. She knew it was supposed to be extremely pleasurable and if her urgent experiments that time she had gotten into heat were any indication, the real thing would probably blow her mind. Soon, she hoped. First she had to get herself to Equestria, and then she'd have a chance to really live her life.

Shame about Paolo.

On a whim, as Rosa walked to the mess tent, she decided to bring the topic up with Princess Luna. Maybe she'd be able, somehow, to get the colt out of the School and with them to Equestria. He probably wouldn't resist, especially if Rosa swayed her hips a little at him.

She suddenly noticed that her tail was hitching up and forced it modestly back down. No need to become as loose as Sky Light used to be. Rosa could keep her tail under control for a while longer. It was still a good thing there weren't many ponies around who could see her blush, though.

It was already late morning by the time they got out of the mess tent. The delay came from Rosa once again volunteering to help with the dishes and Sky Light insisting she tagged along. The mare had been more of a nuisance than help, but Rosa liked seeing her this engaged and helpful, so she'd let her 'assist'. At least Sky hadn't broken anything, but that was mostly because the dishes were made of metal, rather than porcelain. Otherwise they'd have a larger mess on their hooves. Come to think of it, Rosa would pay good money to see Sky Light trying to do these common household tasks when - if - she really settled down with Zephyr Gale.

"Those damn things are impossible to hold," the klutzy pegasus was complaining as they finally walked outside and into the bustle of the pony camp.

"It's not that bad," Rosa countered. "It just takes practice."

"Hah," was all her friend deigned to comment before changing the subject: "So, what's next?"

Rosa liked having her friend back, even if it was only during Captain Zephyr's mission. Sometimes she missed those easygoing mornings on the street with Sky, when she had led them around the town she knew so well. Just the pair of them against the world. It had truly been a simpler time.

Hopefully they could get something like that back, once they were in Equestria. A simple life, preferably working on a garden somewhere and selling her produce. Almond had told Rosa about how some pony towns had an outdoor market area, where anyone could set up a stall and sell their produce. It... didn't sound half bad, actually.

Right at the moment, however, Sky Light was looking at her quizzically.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about... something," Rosa explained.

Sky was still expecting a proper answer, so Rosa scrambled to think up something interesting. "Well, we could go see Doctor Marley and chat for a bit."

The pegasus didn't seem enthused by the idea. She was not a huge fan of doctors and possibly hated them even more after the facility.

Which reminded Rosa: "Oh, by the way, did they give you any kind of check-up back in that place?"

The answer was 'yes', she could see that immediately from the way Sky lowered her ears, but Rosa still politely waited for her to reply. "If you can call it a checkup..." she said miserably.

"Oh no! What happened?!"

The mare heaved a sigh and slumped a little. "A bunch of stupid tests. Poking me with needles every day, some crazy thing with wires where I had to run on a treadmill, just a whole lot of nonsense human shit, really."

What Sky was describing didn't seem any worse than the tests Rosa had had to go through herself, but she elected not to say that out loud. "I'm sorry. Was it very painful?"

At least Sky Light shook her head. "Not painful, just stupid and pointless."

Rosa didn't really have an answer for that, so she discarded the idea to visit the doctor and looked for something else. "Anyway, we could go and look in on Luna, make sure she's doing okay, you know?"

This perked the pegasus up. Rosa could tell she was just as shocked as her to find out that alicorns were real, but she hadn't had many chances to speak with either Princess. Not the way she was always wrapped up in Zephyr's wings, at least.

"Hmm, actually I have some things to ask her..." Sky Light said tentatively. Her tone of voice suggested that she'd like to go, but for some reason wanted Rosa to convince her some more. It made Rosa roll her eyes.

"Well, let's just drop in for a quick chat. I mean, if she's busy, we'll just say hello and leave, right?"

The pegasus nodded. "Yeah, we don't wanna impose."

Rosa turned toward what she'd gotten to calling 'the command tent', and led her friend there. Hopefully Cadence wouldn't be in. It was not all that far and they were soon standing in front of that flap again, debating internally how to knock. This time Sky Light took matters into her own hooves and just pushed inside. Walking right on her heels, Rosa paused for a moment to let her eyes adjust to the gloom. A familiar voice sounded: "Oh, if it isn't the polite Miss Rosa!"

It was the crystal pony, Mystic Comet, and Rosa gave him a bright smile. "Hello! Um, are Princesses Luna and Cadence in?"

The stallion shook his head. "Princess Cadence is at a strategy meeting with her commanders. Princess Luna is in - you can just enter if you'd like."

It was good news and Rosa's smile widened. "Thank you, Mr. Comet!"

This time she took the lead and walked to the 'door' in the fabric partition. Guessing that Luna must have heard her discussion with the bookkeeper pony, Rosa nudged the cloth aside with her head and looked in. The alicorn in question was lying on her belly on a foldable, iron camp bed. There was a book floating in the air, but the Princess wasn't looking at it.

"Oh. Hello. Is there something I might help you with?" she asked, taking in Rosa and the pegasus right behind her.

Rosa entered fully and held the flap open for Sky Light, who seemed just a tiny bit reluctant. It was probably nerves, since she hadn't spoken with Luna all that much yet, and was probably awed by the sight of that pointy horn.

"No, nothing important, Princess," Rosa replied once they both inside. "We just wanted to come over and talk. Um, is this a bad time? We don't wanna be a nuisance..."

Luna's mouth twitched into a half-smile, before she lowered the book and extended a wing to point at a couple of stools. "Please, sit. Would you like some tea?"

Rosa shook her head and saw Sky Light doing the same. They'd both just come from the mess tent, where they'd had their fill.

That settled, the princess waited for her guests to get comfortable, before asking: "So, is there anything in particular you wished to talk about?"

Now Rosa glanced pointedly at Sky Light, who blushed a little, but kept eye contact with Luna. "A-Actually," the mare said, "I was wondering what would happen to me if- well, if I decided to immigrate."

Rosa's heart swelled at the news, but she managed to keep her expression neutral.

Only a slight pursing of her lips betrayed any kind of surprise at the question as Luna gave the matter some thought. She asked: "I don't think I understand the question - what do you fear might happen to you?"

Sky Light shrugged a little. "I mean, is there some immigration process? Paperwork? I heard when people immigrate to the U.S., they have to pass tests for language and history. I don't know anything about Equestria..."

"Oh, nothing like that, don't worry. There is - as they say - a 'crash course' in Equestrian history and culture, as well as several seminars on Equestria's finance, etiquette, citizenship. Those are all strictly voluntary, of course."

"Oh, that sounds useful!" Rosa added, already wishing to attend them all.

"Does that answer your question?" Luna went on, still looking at Sky Light.

The mare nodded a little, but then stopped. "Well, yeah, kinda. How about jobs? I'm not sure I could do stuff like weather patrol - things like that."

Rather than answering immediately, Luna stood up and walked over to the pegasus, who suddenly looked apprehensive. The princess brought her muzzle very close, then spoke softly: "Only if that is what you wish, Sky Light. For as long as you wish. Else, a stipend will be offered from the Royal Coffers. Equestria will take care of its own."

For some reason, that statement filled Rosa's eyes with tears of pride. She felt obliged to jump in: "I'd like to work with plants. It's my cutie mark and I haven't gotten a chance to, not really. Could I get a job like that somewhere?"

Luna laughed, a very melodic sound, Rosa couldn't help but notice. "I shall personally recommend you to the Canterlot Castle gardening staff."

The promise made Rosa shiver in delight and she couldn't keep her hooves still. Even Sky Light smiled at her eager anticipation. So that was it - Rosa guessed they'd now both decided to go. It was a huge relief, but she also found an unexpected pang of sadness. She'd never get to see her friends again. Bluegrass and Pepper and Velvet. Yes, even Butch, after a fashion. Terry, though Rosa was still a bit intimidated by the quiet man. Mario at the coffee shop. Pavo Basilius and his family. Rosa thought she'd miss them most of all, but then her thoughts slid back to the School. Her roommates, Iskra, sweet Felicity, Valentina and Amethyst.

Paolo.

Maybe, like Luna had said, there would be some kind of peace and she could visit them all, or they her. Maybe, in time, they would be able to join her in Equestria. Rosa opened her mouth to ask the alicorn, but Luna had spotted her expression and flashed her a very reassuring smile, so Rosa opted to keep her concerns to herself for the moment. Sky Light had had enough trouble deciding already, there was no point in piling more uncertainty on top of that.

The Princess was about to explain more, but there was a thump from the other section of the tent and then scurrying hooves. A disheveled, wild-eyed pony almost crashed through the door flap. "Princess L-Luna!" he gasped, somewhat out of breath. "You have to come quick! There's- they've- it's all gone wrong!"

The poor stallion was near tears and Rosa's stomach instantly clenched up into a cold, small ball of terror. She looked at Sky Light and saw that she was just as scared. There was only one thing he could be talking about - Zephyr's mission.

Luna didn't waste time by asking questions. "Show me!" she commanded and the pony gave a nod before running away.

The Princess was gone a moment later, then Sky Light said: "Zephyr! Please let him be alright!" and rushed out after the alicorn.

What else could Rosa do? She jumped from her chair and followed them, trying not to imagine all the horrible things that might have happened to the strange, night time mission.

Even while she was running after Luna and Sky Light, Rosa saw that the ponies in the camp were worried. More than one looked to be near tears and quite a number were very angry. Rosa's belly clenched up tighter with each step, but she pushed forward despite it.

Suddenly they were there. At first all Rosa could see was the blood, dark stains of it against the green of the uniforms. Snow Dove had a particularly vibrant smear of it across her muzzle. There was Dr. Marley, furiously bandaging a pony on the ground while Karsten was holding - Rosa gasped - Almond's leg against a piece of wood.

"Get that splinted!" the doctor was shouting. "Who else is hurt?!"

Sky Light had stopped just at the edge of the spectating crowd but Princess Luna strode purposefully forward. "What happened?!" the alicorn demanded, her voice clear and carrying enough to hush the worried ponies around them.

One of the soldiers stepped forward. "A-Ambush, Princess! It was like they knew when we were coming. They shot at us! They got..."

He couldn't continue and lowered his gaze to the ground, but he didn't have to say any more. Luna was already taking charge. "You!" the princess pointed at random. "Fetch Princess Cadence. You and you, whoever isn't wounded, get them out of here! The rest of you get some stretchers so we can move the injured to the medic tent!"

It was a huge relief and Rosa saw it echoed in the faces around her as ponies moved with new purpose. The ones Luna had pointed out rushed off on their tasks and several others joined the ring around the scene and started pushing the crowd away.

Rosa and Sky Light were being jostled, but they stood their ground, going shoulder to shoulder with the earth pony trying to push them. "Wait!" Sky Light was shouting, "Zephyr is in there! Is he okay? ZEPHYR!"

Luckily the shout caught Luna's attention and Rosa waved frantically when the princess turned her head. "Let them through," she said to the crowd control ponies and they stepped aside to let Rosa and the pegasus pass.

"What hap-happened?!" Rosa gasped out, still unable to take her eyes off Snow Dove and her bloody uniform. The mare came over and threw both hooves and wings around Rosa. "I'm so sorry, Rosa, it happened so fast! There wasn't anything we could do!" She was openly sobbing now and Rosa returned the hug. "It was all I could do to grab the Captain and drag him away, and then we were running back..."

Rosa opened her mouth to ask, trembling all over, but Sky Light's anguished wail answered her question. Neither of them had spotted the shrouded forms on the ground until now. One of the soldiers had pulled the cloth away for Luna to see. Before any of them could react, Sky Light was lying across the unmoving form of the Captain.

"Please no no no, please!" she begged no one in particular. "Zephyr, wake up! Please wake up!"

She was starting to shake the dead stallion and Rosa freed herself from the sobbing Snow Dove. Her friend needed her more.

Both her and Luna reached Sky at about the same time, but Rosa was slightly faster and threw her hooves around the pegasus. "I'm so s-sorry!" Rosa mumbled, knowing that whatever she said wouldn't be enough.

"Why him?!" Sky Light wailed and let her dead lover fall back. Instead, she clutched at Rosa with blood-drenched hooves. Her muzzle pressed against Rosa's barrel and all she could do was just hold the weeping pony in place. She seemed inconsolable, but Rosa didn't blame her. "I knew something would go wrong! I knew it!" Sky Light was saying and Rosa patted her back as gently as she could. "Why him..." the mare demanded, "why did he have to die?!"

Rosa didn't have an answer and neither did Luna. The alicorn was looking at the pair with a sadness Rosa hadn't seen in her eyes before. She laid a wing over Sky's back, but didn't speak.

There was a fresh commotion behind them, but Rosa didn't look. She recognized Cadence's voice, demanding to know what had happened. The pink alicorn wasn't someone Rosa wanted to meet right then, so she was glad that Luna removed her wing and faced the other Princess herself.

"See now what you have wrought?" Luna asked quietly.

Cadence looked at the bodies, then at Sky, who was now wailing wordlessly into Rosa's fur. Rosa kept her gaze steady as her eyes met Cadence's, but the Princess didn't even flinch. Instead, she looked at Luna. "We are at war, Luna. There are sometimes casualties-"

The hoof slap caught Cadence completely by surprise and she lifted up a leg to ward off another blow. It didn't come, despite how furious Luna looked. "This is madness! You're mad!" the princess hissed. "I will not have you disrespect the fallen!"

Ignoring her, Cadence simply walked around the older Princess and sat on her haunches next to Rosa and Sky. She seemed remorseful, so Rosa guessed that was something.

"Listen, Sky Light - I'm sorry it happened this way. You must believe me that I don't want my ponies to die."

Sky finally peeled her muzzle away from Rosa's chest fluff and glared at the alicorn. She struggled to free herself and Rosa let the pegasus go.

"You bitch!" Sky Light said in a broken voice, making some of the ponies around gasp softly. "You sent them out there to die! It's your fault!"

The mare would have kicked the Princess, but Rosa had enough presence of mind to grab her again and restrain her. "No, don't Sky. She's not worth it..."

For a moment Princess Cadence had a crazed look in her eyes and those who saw it shrank back in fear. Rosa didn't know what Cadence was going to do, but she felt it was going to be bad. She opened her mouth to warn Luna, but Cadence's light-blue magic wrapped around Sky Light before Rosa could speak.

"No, wait! She didn't mean-"

Luna took a step forward, but Cadence put her wing in the way. "I'll help," the pink Princess said in a happy, cheerful, almost manic tone, which made Luna hesitate in confusion.

Her horn blazed brighter and the pool of light around Sky Light intensified. It felt like a solid force when Rosa tried to reach her hoof to the surprised pegasus.

"Stop!" Luna pushed past Cadence's wing and stepped in front of the crazy Princess. "Quit it, Cadence. Not even your power can ease this wound! Let her go."

Cadence grinned triumphantly, but she was concentrating hard and didn't answer at first. It only took a few more seconds, then the magic winked out and Rosa rushed forward to grasp Sky Light once more.

The pegasus seemed stunned. "What did you do to me?!" she demanded.

"Luna is right," Cadence answered, her tone once again kind and gentle. "I cannot bring back the dead, nor can I ease the pain they leave behind. My power lies in Love and you loved Zephyr very much."

Sky Light managed a weak nod. Rosa could see she was forcing herself not to look at the Captain, or she would go to pieces all over again.

"You have lain with him not that long ago. I can't bring him back," Cadence went on, "but I can give you something of his..."

"Oh no," Luna whispered, going visibly pale.

Rosa clutched Sky Light closer against herself.

"What?!" the pegasus asked in a trembling whisper.

"I brought your heat on early - it was only a few months away. Then I helped you conceive. It is within my domain, Sky Light. In eleven months you will have Zephyr Gale's daughter."

"WHAT?!" the pegasus shouted and grabbed her belly with her hooves.

Rosa was suddenly horrified by that pink and purple maniac and wanted nothing more to do with her.

"This is insanity, Cadence," Luna said, advancing on the other Princess. "You've gone completely mad!"

"Take it back! Take it back!" Sky begged. "I can't- not like this! I can't!"

Cadence shook her head. "I'm sorry, Sky Light, but life, once begun, is sacred in Equestria. I've ensured the pregnancy will go well and after you've grieved, you will be glad to have at least some part of Zephyr Gale with you."

"That's sick! You're a monster!" Rosa snapped, pointing an accusing hoof.

Luna nodded at Rosa's words, even though kept her glare unwavering on the other Princess. "Rosa is right, Cadence. You've gone beyond reason. I hereby relieve you of command and-"

"Oh no you won't!" the other alicorn shouted and her horn lit up to defend herself.

Luckily Luna was faster. There was a - Rosa could only call it a 'flash' - of darkness. For a moment everything went pitch black, like the dead of night. When light returned to the world, Cadence was on the ground, but they could see that her chest was still moving.

"She will sleep for thirty-six hours," Luna proclaimed calmly. She turned to some of the soldiers, who were looking at the scene with deep unease. "Begin packing up the camp. We return to Equestria today."

Then the Princess pointed out a couple of stallions. "Take Princess Cadence to her tent and place her on a bed. When we're back in Canterlot I will put her before my Sister. Celestia will decide what to do with her."

The orders were given and the ponies went scurrying about their tasks. Luna came to Rosa and Sky Light, who had started sobbing once more.

"I can't be pregnant! I won't be," the mare was saying. "Not again! I'll just fuck it up again! Oh God, Zephyr is dead!"

It seemed too much misery for one pony to hold, and there was not a whole lot Rosa could do except hug her and stroke her back.

Luna sat beside them and sighed. Her ears were lowered. "I'm sorry about this, the both of you. You will be made welcome in Canterlot, I promise. If there's anything else I may do..." Another sigh. "Please ask."

"T-Thank you, P-Princess. I know it wasn't your fault," Rosa told Luna.

"Except it was," the princess said. "I saw that Cadence was unstable. I didn't agree with this mission of hers. I should have relieved her of command right there and then, and taken us all back, but I didn't. For that I'm sorry."

Sky Light was still weeping into Rosa's fur. Rosa didn't know what else to do, but then she got an idea. It had always helped her when she was feeling sad. This was on an entirely different level, of course, but she was willing to try anything at this point.

Softly, hesitantly, Rosa started humming her tune right in Sky Light's ear. Maybe it would remind her of a happier time, back in the city.

She soon finished what little of the melody Rosa knew and started over, when Luna spoke up. "Where did you learn that song, Rosa?"

"I don't know," Rosa told her, "I've just always known it."

The Princess had an intent look on her muzzle. "I have heard that song before. Only a few ponies ever sang it and I knew the mare who first came up with it."

"Who?!"

Despite the tragedy, Rosa was intensely curious. That melody had been with her for as long as she could remember, through times both sad and happy. Maybe she'd find out where it had came from.

For a brief moment Luna was undecided and her gaze landed on the sobbing mare Rosa was holding. Her expression softened and her ears splayed, but then Luna shook her head and regained her determination. "I'm sorry to speak of these things at a time like this, but if we are to leave soon, there is little time." Luna closed her eyes for a few moments and took a deep breath before continuing: "Yes, I should have seen it earlier. You have her eyes, Rosa. You have kind eyes." Luna was smiling, but it was bittersweet. Like remembering something nice, tainted by something bad.

Rosa opened her mouth to ask, but Luna went on talking before Rosa could say anything: "You probably have never heard of the Elements of Harmony, correct? There are six ponies with wondrous magic. Five of them live in Equestria, but one was lost on Earth."

Luna looked over at Cadence, who was being loaded on a stretcher by a couple of earth ponies. "In fact, part of the reason we were here was to look for her. I believe she is- or was your mother."

Rosa's heart jumped up into her throat and she hugged Sky Light more tightly against her barrel. "M-M-My m-mother?!"

"Have you ever met your mother?" Luna asked.

Rosa shook her head.

"Do you know if she lives?"

"I think she's alive! Instructor Martha said she was, once when I asked! I think she's somewhere in the School!"

The alicorn looked excited, almost eager. "If that is so, then I propose we get her out."

Rosa was too stunned to completely grasp what Luna was saying. "G-Get her out?"

The Princess leaned down to press her muzzle against Rosa's. "We will speak of it later. See to Sky Light. She will need you, now more than ever." Then the mare stood up and went to leave.

An old question rose up, burning through Rosa's mind. "Wait, Luna! W-Who is my mother?!" you ask.

The Princess turned back and gave her a smile. "Your mother's name, Rosa, is Fluttershy. She is the Element of Kindness and, I am proud to say, one of my closest friends." A bit more quietly, she went on: "Perhaps that is why I was able to reach your dreams after all the others were gone. Yes. Some of her spirit is undoubtedly in you."

The mare kept smiling at Rosa. "You have kind eyes, Rosa. Her eyes."

As her vision blurred, Rosa felt the Princess pat her on the back with a wing. "Don't worry, we will find her and free her, this I promise you." The alicorn let out a breath and repeated: "We will bring Fluttershy home."

Chapter 78: Planning a Rescue

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Eventually Rosa was able to find a few minutes of peace and quiet so she could try and sort out her emotions. Her mind still reeled from the sudden, irrevocable events with Sky Light and Zephyr Gale. Then, to top it all off, there had been Luna's little revelation about Rosa's mother. Now she had a name, and the poor mare didn't know whether she should be excited, or scared. It was just too much, all at once and, rather than completely shutting down, Rosa had decided to focus on her friend first, and think about everything else later.

Sky Light had finally cried herself out on Rosa's cot. That had taken some quick thinking on Rosa's part when they came into the tent and she remembered what Sky had been doing on her own bed just a few hours ago. Rubbing her face in that smell, and the memory it would undoubtedly invoke, would have been too cruel, so Rosa had left the weeping mare outside for just a few seconds while she hurriedly bundled up the bedclothes and blankets into a ball. Those she then tossed at some random passerby and told him to take it to laundry. There probably wouldn't be laundry for very much longer, but that didn't matter in the slightest. The inside of the tent had thus been cleaned up as best as Rosa was able, under the circumstances, and she could finally bring Sky Light inside to lay her down on a bed.

It had taken her some two hours of incoherent mumbling, weeping, anger, and downright begging before she had cried herself out and fell into a somewhat uneasy, troubled sleep. Rosa didn't know if Sky Light was having nightmares or happy dreams, but every now and then she moved and mumbled something. She also refused to release Rosa, but that was fine. Rosa didn't want to go anywhere, not when her friend needed her like that. Maybe her presence was even making the ordeal a little better.

On the other hand - hoof - Sky Light falling asleep was giving Rosa some time to think.

She knew a name now. Fluttershy. A very Equestrian sounding name, but it was all she had to go on. Oh, and her being this 'Element of Kindness', whatever that meant. It sounded important, but Rosa hadn't heard any of the camp ponies mention it even once. Maybe it was a historical thing?

Princess Luna had said that Fluttershy had been captured, although not how exactly. Then, apparently not long after, Fluttershy must have ended up in the School where she- well, had Rosa. It was a futile effort, but Rosa still tried to imagine what she might look like. Luna had said she had her mother's eyes, so that part was easy.

What would be her coat color, though? Kindness. Maybe something loving and welcoming, then, like pink or some shade of red? Well, probably not red, that would look too much like blood. Rosa shuddered at the memory of Snow Dove absolutely covered in Captain Zep-

No! She stomped out that thought ruthlessly before she would start crying again and wake up Sky Light. How about white? Snow Dove was one of the friendliest ponies Rosa knew, so maybe her mother was also a shade of white? She wouldn't know for sure until she asked, but Rosa settled on that for now. Moving on, what would be the cutie mark for kindness? A hug? How did you stylize a hug? Rosa completely failed at imagining it. Maybe it would have been easier if she'd grown up with the stuff, but Rosa was drawing all kinds of a blank right now.

Anyway, whatever her shape and color, Rosa was absolutely certain she loved Fluttershy dearly. She had sang to her when Rosa was just a baby and the song had been so powerful and heartfelt that it had stayed with her all her life. Whenever she had been sad, Rosa had just hummed that and it had felt like she was a little bit less alone. As if her mother had been there, sharing the sadness and supporting her, unseen, but still somehow present. More than that. Whenever Rosa had been happy and full of joy, she had sang the song and her mother had been there to share in that, too! Now that she looked back in retrospect, it felt like she'd been by her side all her life, through that simple piece of music. Rosa remembered it, but didn't sing it out loud.

Despite the tragedy they had just witnessed, somehow Rosa felt it was all going to be alright.

"Rosa?" Sky Light said in a hoarse whisper.

Rosa shuffled around so she was looking at her, and the sight almost made her flinch. Her eyes were pinpricks of terror and she was trembling violently.

"I'm here," Rosa told her the obvious, because it needed telling.

"I can't go through with this," the other mare murmured. She let go of Rosa for a moment to place her hooves over her belly. "I c-can't, I can't, not again!"

Without any better ideas, Rosa just gave her a nuzzle and tried to comfort her as best she could. "It'll be okay! It's going to work out."

The mare refused to believe it and shook her head vehemently. "I'll fuck it up again," she claimed, "I'm not- I can't do this! I'm not ready! Not like this!"

Rosa swallowed and hesitantly said: "W-What about, um, ad-adoption?"

Sky blinked in confusion, then her muzzle scrunched up in a grimace. She hated the idea, Rosa could tell, but at the same time it was like a lifeline. At the very least it got her thinking about the future. "No," she said finally and her ears folded down. "No, I couldn't." Sky Light closed her eyes and heaved a prolonged, shuddering breath. Rosa waited until she opened her eyes again and gave her a piercing stare. "You gotta help me, Rosa," she pleaded.

"Of course I'll help! Sky, I'm with you! I'll help with anything you need."

It was not exactly clear how she could help with Sky being pregnant, but even if she needed waiting on hand and foot - hoof and... hoof, Rosa guessed? - she would do it.

Her friend took her hooves off her belly and put them on Rosa's shoulders, as if making sure she was real. "You gotta keep me good, okay? I can't hit the bottle again. I'll want to. Once this-" Her eyes filled up and she sniffed, but Sky Light pushed bravely onward: "Once h-his death really hits home, I'll want to. God, how I'll want to!"

"I won't let you!" Rosa promised, horrified.

"It fucking hurts, Rosa, but it's gonna get a whole lot worse. I don't think I even really believe he's gone yet. I guess I'm in shock or s-something..." Whatever else Sky was going to say was lost in a fresh wail. "Oh God, he can't be gone! Please, my Zephyr, you can't be dead!"

After that she devolved into wordless crying again, so Rosa just held her and waited for it to pass. It took a while, but then the mare was lucid and scared again. "Please don't let me k-kill this one, t-too," she begged. "Rosa, I'm gonna fuck it up, I know it!"

She needed to stop thinking about the bad, Rosa decided. An idea occurred, risky, but she didn't know what else to do. "It's gonna be fine. What are you going to name your and Zephyr's daughter?"

This shut the pegasus up and her eyes bulged out in shock. She opened and closed her mouth a few times. "N-Name?"

Rosa forced a smile. "Yeah! Sky, you're gonna have a daughter. Cadence said so. She's a... b-bitch, but she's probably right about that. So, what'll you name her?"

Sky Light looked into the distance for a while. Rosa guessed her tactic was working, because she didn't seem like she'd burst into tears again. At long last her face lit up and she even managed a small, tentative smile. "I know," she proclaimed. "I'll call her 'Iris'."

Rosa also couldn't help but grin. "Like the flower?"

"Mhm!" Sky's face crumpled again and Rosa could see she was thinking about her first child, also named after a flower.

Rosa urgently put her hooves around the pony and squeezed. "It's a beautiful name! And you're gonna make a great mom, Sky Light!"

"H-How do you know that?!"

"Well, you took good care of me, didn't you? I'm still alive, aren't I?"

She seemed uncertain, but at least Sky Light was thinking about it. "I g-guess?" she finally admitted. "Haven't been that good of an influence, though..."

"What do you mean?"

Sky rolled her eyes a little, but counted out the things anyway: "Well, one, I got you involved with drug smuggling. Two, I helped you break into a secret government place. Three, we're now involved with a resistance group. Anything else?"

Rosa was about to say no, but Sky had more: "Oh yeah, I took you on a road trip across the country with a trucker. We could have been killed or worse!"

This time Rosa shook her head emphatically. "Nuh-huh, not with Pavo Basilius. You're a good judge of character and know who to trust." Finally the mare had no more answers, so Rosa pressed her advantage some more: "Anyway, I wouldn't have made it without you, Sky. That's how I know you'll do great, okay? Besides, we're going to Equestria and Luna said they'll take care of us!"

Of all things, Sky light looked a bit doubtful, but she didn't argue. She could tell Rosa believed Luna, even if Sky herself didn't absolutely trust the alicorn. Maybe that was good enough for her.

It looked like the worst was over, at least for the immediate moment, so Rosa thought she might be able to go and tend to her bodily needs. "Listen, I need to go pee and then I need to go see Princess Luna about- something..."

"About your mother?"

"Yes."

"That's... something, I guess. I h-hope you can get her out."

"With Luna we will," Rosa said, confidently.

Sky just gave her a nod, once again lost in her own thoughts. She seemed a bit calmer now, but the dam might burst again any minute and Rosa really wanted to be there for her. Except that she was about to explode herself. "Look, I really need to go, okay? I'll talk with Luna for five minutes, just so I know what the plan is, and then I'll grab us something to eat, okay?"

"I'm not hungry."

Rosa sighed and extricated herself from the hug. "You gotta eat, Sky. It's important. I know you don't feel like it, but I'll bring us something good and we'll eat together, right?"

The mare didn't look at Rosa. "I guess..."

It was probably the best Rosa was going to get. She'd just have to feed her, by force if necessary. Rosa leaned down to give Sky Light a nuzzle, which she reluctantly returned. "I'll be right back!"

There was no reply, so Rosa just left, hurrying for the latrines.

The camp was an entirely different place now, it seemed. It had never been exactly 'lazy', but the place was suddenly bustling with activity. Everywhere Rosa looked, she saw ponies taking down tents or packing up various strange equipment onto carts. She even saw the griffin in the distance for the first time. She hadn't spotted him until now, although she also hadn't actually really gone out of her way to look for him. He was another mythical creature and Rosa was a bit curious about him, but that beak looked quite vicious and those claws looked very sharp, and she'd just had a big upheaval so Rosa left it for another time.

A couple of ponies in dark green uniforms marched smartly past her, their backs positively loaded with what looked like blankets and towels. Rosa didn't recognize either of them, but they seemed familiar. Maybe they were from Zephyr's command? Rosa shook her head sadly and headed onward. The smell of the latrines greeted her before the sight, but she was used to it by now and just took shallow breaths as she approached. It didn't take a long time in any case and she was soon hurrying away, this time heading for the command tent.

She found Princess Luna outside, giving some orders and generally directing the action. The Princess didn't see her approach, so Rosa just stopped at the edge of the crowd and waited for a time when Luna wouldn't be as busy. Luckily everyone - everypony - had soon run off with instructions and the Princess beckoned Rosa over.

"How is your friend?" she asked as soon as Rosa was close enough so she didn't have to shout.

"I think she'll be fine, but someone should be with her all the time."

Luna shook her head sadly. "It is never easy losing a loved one."

It sounded as if she spoke from experience and Rosa suddenly remembered that she was hundreds and hundreds of years old. She must have had friends, maybe even lovers, who all died during the course of her long life. Being an alicorn princess suddenly didn't seem so much as a gift as it did a curse. Rosa shoved the thought away to consider later.

"It's not just that," Rosa told her, "it's also the whole... pregnancy thing."

Luna's brow furrowed a little. "Is that not cause for joy? Granted, the circumstances are not ideal..."

"No, you don't understand. She was pregnant once before..." Rosa looked around in case anyone was listening, then still lowered her voice, just in case. She was about to tell Sky Light's secret, after all, but it didn't feel like betrayal when she was telling it to Luna. It would still be a good thing to make sure. "Don't tell anyone, okay? I don't think Sky Light wants people to know."

Luna held up a hoof to silence her, then she lifted up the tent flap with a wing. "Come in. It sounds as if this should be discussed in private."

Rosa followed her through both doors into the inner part of the tent. The Princess closed the fabric behind them, then her horn glowed briefly. Rosa looked around, but nothing had moved.

"I have put a spell around us to dampen all sound. Nopony will hear what is said in here."

That sounded like a useful trick.

"You may speak now. I promise to keep your and Sky Light's secrets."

Rosa believed her promise a hundred percent. "Well, she was pregnant once before, but she ran away and got scared and ended up drinking until..." She closed her eyes but it was too late and a few tears escaped. "Well, she lost the child. And now this. Can you understand?"

Luna was silent for a long while and Rosa couldn't read any emotion on her face. She was quite good at keeping her expression neutral. "I see," the Princess said at last. "This is... troubling news. What do you propose we do?"

All Rosa could do was shrug a little, allowing herself a teensy bit of pride at being asked for opinion by this powerful mare. Something more was expected, though, so she took a breath and said: "I guess we never leave her alone and make sure she doesn't do it again. She pretty much asked me to keep an eye on her and make sure." Another idea occurred to Rosa as she was speaking. "While we're gone to, um, save my mother. Do you think Snow Dove could watch over Sky Light? They both lost Zephyr and at least Sky already knows Snow Dove."

"Good idea. I will give the orders. What else?"

There was nothing else that Rosa could think of, so she just shrugged again. "Just keep her comfortable, I guess. Make sure she eats. Stuff like that. I'll stay with her in Equestria, if that's possible?" Rosa could imagine no reason why the ponies in Equestria would try and separate her from Sky Light, but she would feel better if she made sure.

"Of course, I will personally ensure this is so."

It all finally caught up with Rosa and she sat down heavily. The tears were flowing uncontrolled now. "I didn't r-really know h-him, you know? Zephry. But I know he was making Sky Light ha-" She couldn't hold back a sob, but Rosa tried to finish her sentence anyway. "-ha- happy."

A wing was draped around her withers and Rosa was pulled against a warm, navy-blue side. She'd nuzzle it, but all that would achieve would be to smear tears and grime on it.

Noticing her concern, Luna grunted and simply pulled Rosa with her wing until she was smooshed against her side. Rosa pressed her muzzle against her barrel gratefully. "T-Thanks..."

"You're in no condition for a covert operation, and yet we cannot do this without you, Rosa. I will give you as long as I can, but you must focus. Fluttershy is more important than you can ever imagine."

"Why?"

Luna took a few seconds, possibly to think about what to say. When she finally spoke, her voice was gentle, quiet. "When the war started we thought it was the fault of someone in charge. That the men - the regular humans - were just being forced into it. There used to be a very powerful weapon..." She fell silent and shook her head. "No, not exactly a weapon. You might call it a 'defense'. The Elements of Harmony wielded powerful magic against some of our most terrifying foes."

It felt like she was expecting something in return, but Rosa didn't know what. "Uh-huh?" she prompted.

"To our surprise, when Twilight and her friends wielded their power against the human commander in Equestria, nothing happened. It took us some time to understand."

There was another pause, but Rosa didn't mind. She had closed her eyes and was pressing her ear against Luna's chest, listening to the slow, steady and powerful heartbeat within.

The Princess went on: "The Elements work by eliminating evil where they find it. They didn't do anything against the humans because, unlike Cadence thinks, they are not inherently evil. At least not in a way that the Elements would recognize."

"I could have told you that..." Yes, there were some quite bad people on Earth, but most humans Rosa had met weren't evil, not really. Not like in the movies and cartoons. Misguided, selfish, greedy, yes. Evil, no.

Her comment made Luna chuckle and her wing tightened around her. "Well, the next time we face a dilemma like this I will be sure to seek the council of the yet-unborn. Thank you, Rosa."

Rosa couldn't help but laugh a little with her and for a while the world didn't seem quite as dark.

"In any case, the attempt was not received well and the humans captured Fluttershy. Hmm, perhaps 're-captured' is a better word. Anyway, without her, the rest of the Elements do not work."

"B-But you said they won't work against humans anyway!" Rosa pointed out.

"True," Luna admitted, "but there are other threats. The Elements might be needed, so we have to reunite them. That would be reason enough, even if-" She fell silent with a small sigh.

"Even if what?"

The alicorn released Rosa who looked up into her smiling face. "Even if Fluttershy and the others weren't my close friends. Either of those reasons is enough to save her on its own, don't you think?"

Rosa nodded emphatically.

Now Luna's expression grew somber. "That is why I must ask you to do a difficult thing, Rosa," she said.

Somehow Rosa knew what she was going say, but she still waited for Luna to say it.

"I will need you to put this sadness aside, at least for a while, and join the mission to save her. You know the place and the people in it. You are our best chance to avoid a fight which would undoubtedly result in more needless death. Can you do it?"

Rosa looked deep inside and gave it some thought. Could she put Zephyr's death and Sky Light's tragedy aside for a few hours? Could she focus on the mission and forget about the larger world around it?

For Fluttershy?

For her mother?

Rosa didn't remember frowning, but she suddenly realized her muzzle was scrunched up in fierce determination. "I can do it!" she said firmly. "I'll help."

The ferocity in her words earned her a proud, almost motherly smile from Luna. "Good. We have many hours yet while Crescent Flitter flies to the school with the Beacon. I suggest you eat and spend more time with your friend."

After Rosa nodded, the princess continued: "I will send Snow Dove to keep an eye on Sky Light while you're gone. I propose we leave tonight, after the camp is torn down and as soon as the Beacon is in place."

"Yeah, that's f-fine. Um, thanks."

"No, Rosa. Thank you."

Luna lit up her horn once more and Rosa looked around again to see what had moved. Then she remembered her spell against eavesdropping. She had probably undone it or something. Rosa gave Luna a parting nod, then slipped out of the room. There was no one in the outer section, which was a small relief. Her eyes were still wet and Rosa could use a few minutes to dry them. Hopefully the walk to the kitchen tent would be long enough. Then she would grab two portions of whatever was ready and hurry back to Sky Light.

In a little more than half a day she would be sneaking into another human place yet again. Except this time without Sky Light by her side. At least, Rosa thought, she might get a proper uniform rather than two black sweaters tied around her belly. That mental image made her chuckle for some reason. It had been a good idea, but it had looked comical as all hell. Rosa enjoyed a short laugh, even if it was at her own expense. She sorely needed it right now.

Chapter 79: Reunions

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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.

Chapter 80: Change of Plans

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When Rosa emerged up the slightly scary ladder she was faced with an impossible sight. It didn't help that she had known exactly what to expect, it still came as a shock.

"Lillian!"

The girl was sitting up on a pile of blankets, blinking in the unexpected light. Iskra must have woken her up and she was staring at the newcomer with uncomprehension for a while.

Rosa's ex-roommates hadn't lied, it really did look like the girl had everything she needed to keep her comfortable. There was a selection of plushy toys on her makeshift bed and a pile of papers with some crayons scattered around them on the floor. There was a small chair and an old bedside table which held a mirror and a comb. There was even a clothesline stretched between two wooden beams with several pairs of socks drying on it. Basic lighting was provided by a lone bulb hanging on its own wire from somewhere above. Hopefully the mares haven't been messing with electricity, but if they have, it seemed to be working. The scene would have been cute if Rosa hadn't been so horribly worried for so long.

Lillian gasped, then squealed: "Rosa!" and rushed her.

Her smell was still familiar and Rosa closed her eyes as the child hugged her for all she was worth. She leaned her muzzle on Lillian's shoulder and just soaked in her presence for a while.

"I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Yeah, me too, sweetie. Me too."

In a minute Rosa would have to tell her she needed to go home, but for now they could just hold each other until Rosa could make herself believe Lillian was alright. She hadn't even realized it, but when the search had petered out Rosa had also lost hope. Sometimes it was nice to be wrong.

Rosa snorted a little in amusement. All this time she had been living on smuggled food in her old school, hidden away by her old roommates. She would never have seen it coming! "God, you gave us all such a scare, Lillian," Rosa chided gently.

The child was crying already, but they were tears of joy. "I know, I know, I'm sorry! I couldn't stay when you ran away! I wish I went with you!"

That would have been extremely awkward, not to mention dangerous, but Rosa didn't tell her that.

At long last, with a heavy heart, she peeled herself away and gave Lillian as serious a look as she could through her tear-filled eyes. "Lillian, you have to go home..."

She was already shaking her head, so Rosa sighed and leaned her head on the girl's chest for another few seconds.

"Sweetie, this isn't a good place for a little girl. I'm sorry, but you can't live like this."

Lillian was about to say something, or start crying, but Rosa hushed her with a gentle hoof on her cheek.

"Please, trust me?"

That gave her pause. The last time Rosa had seen her, Lillian had been afraid of her. It was heartwarming to see this change and made her job a little easier.

"I don't wanna go back," the child murmured quietly.

"I know, sweetie, but your parents are worried sick. I was worried sick when I heard you were gone. They'll be nicer from now on, believe me."

She wanted to. A part of Lillian didn't want to live in an attic her entire life, Rosa could see that.

Felicity was standing quietly behind and Rosa gave her a surreptitious kick with her hind leg.

"Ah!" the mare jerked in surprise, but quickly caught on. "Um, Rosa is right, Lillian. We'll all get in so much trouble if they find you here. Y-You need to go back home."

The girl was sniffling now, but Rosa thought she would agree. She grabbed her again and pressed her muzzle against Lillian's face once more. "I know it's not easy, but don't you miss your mother? Can you imagine how sad she was when you went missing?" Rosa purposefully didn't bring up the father.

"T-They said you were a bad pony!" Lillian explained. "They called you an ingrate and a b-b-" She couldn't quite say the next word, so she whispered it instead. "-bitch."

"I'm sorry. They just didn't understand. About me and the cutie marks." Rosa looked around for a temporary distraction to give the girl some time to process it all. It was a bit of a stretch, but she managed to snag one of the papers with a hoof. "Did you draw this?" The crude picture showed a green surface with what looked like flowers and a simple representation of a pony. It was violet with a black mane. "Aw, this is a lovely picture!"

This got Lillian smiling a little and she reached over for more papers. "I also drew one with both of us together!"

She showed Rosa a picture which, with some imagination, showed her and the girl sitting on a bed with a book. It was a very nice memory and Rosa returned the smile. "I love it!"

Solemnly, the girl held it out to her. "Y-You can have it if you want..."

Rosa had to let her go so she could grasp the sheet of paper, but she never stopped smiling. "Aw, thank you! That's so sweet!"

Encouraged, Lillian brought out more pictures. A few of them showed the roommates, including a remarkably good attempt at Iskra with her wings outstretched. The girl blushed a little as she admitted: "Valentina helped me with that one."

"It's very good!"

"Um, should I give it to her?" Lillian asked, growing sad once again. "T-To remember me by?"

She was accepting it! She would agree to go home! Rosa's heart began to beat faster when she recognized the clues.

"I think that's a very nice thing to do," Rosa confirmed.

"Can I say goodbye to the ponies?"

They would have to take her down past the others, so that was a no-brainer. Rosa glanced at Felicity, who had been watching the whole scene, and she gave her a slight nod. There wasn't much room in the attic, so Iskra was standing on the ladder and the other three were on the corridor below, keeping watch.

Their time was running out. Luna had said thirty minutes and it was probably already over. They needed to hurry back. She probably wouldn't leave without her and Starlight, but Rosa didn't want to risk it. There was just one thing left to do. Rosa tried to invent a plan on the spot. She couldn't leave the school with Lillian, not without risking being seen, or worse. She would have to bring the authorities to the School, instead. There were probably phones in the administration building...

"Lillian, please listen to me very carefully. Some nice men from the police will come get you and they'll make sure you're okay, you understand? You can trust the police."

Rosa didn't even know which direction the Boone house was, let alone how far. She didn't have a snowball's chance in hell to get the girl safely there and she didn't want to take a taxi or something. A different plan was starting to form. It was not the greatest, but it was the best she could come up with on short notice.

"You have to tell them what happened at home, okay? Tell them about Mr.- about your dad and what he did to Benjamin. They'll find someone to help, okay? They'll talk to him and he won't do it again."

Lillian nodded, despite the fresh tears in her eyes.

"Please don't tell anyone we hid you!" Felicity squeaked suddenly.

Rosa immediately had misgivings about leaving them all behind. If Lillian mentioned it to Mr. or Mrs. Boone, they might be vindictive. Who knew what would happen to her roommates then. Lillian might not want to tell them, but the grownups could trick her, or force her somehow, or something. Rosa hadn't even thought about that until that very moment, but it made her gut clench in fear.

"M-Maybe you should all come with me after all," she suggested, looking at Felicity.

The mare looked worried and undecided.

"Please. I'll be so worried if you don't!"

Felicity licked her lips, then her ears folded down. "I'll ask t-the others..." she said.

It was encouraging and a little worrying at the same time. It'd mean more ponies to take with them, but Rosa didn't think Luna would object, not when it had ostensibly been their entire reason for being on Earth.

"Okay, let's get down from here. There's phones in the admin building, we'll call 911 before we go."

It could be risky, so Rosa would have to make sure it was the last thing they did before they stepped through the Bore and Luna closed it after them.

This 'mission' was getting more and more complicated by the minute.

"Come on, I'll help you down the stairs," she told Lillian.

As Rosa led her ragtag group back down the dark, quiet stairs and past all those ponies' rooms, she couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable. Her gut told her that she should be rounding up all of them and taking them to Equestria, but she didn't think Luna would be too happy about that. The Princess had been afraid that a lot of the ponies might panic, or fight what they saw as intruders. It could turn out very bad. Knowing the upbringing they had gotten, and the lies they had been told, Rosa felt there was a significant chance that the Princess was right. All it would take was for one pegasus to run away and call the police or something.

Still, it felt wrong to have a way to freedom and just leave them all there. Then again, when Rosa thought back on her time in the School, she had never felt particularly trapped. At worst she had sometimes been a little anxious about her future, but that was mainly because she didn't have too much of a say in it. It was probably a matter of perspective. Living outside, with Sky Light and her friends, had shown Rosa just how restrictive the School really was, but before she had experienced that, she had had no basis of comparison. Just like her roommates didn't know. They looked very uneasy about the idea of leaving behind everything they'd ever known in exchange for some unknown, dubious idea of 'freedom'.

Would it be fair to put all the ponies in the dorm through that? Especially the younger ones, who might feel quite shocked and displaced? Perhaps it was kinder to leave them somewhere familiar.

Besides, Luna had promised they'd come back for Maribelle, and maybe Rosa could get more of the School ponies out too. Luna had also been very confident in her sister's diplomatic ability, but Rosa couldn't help quietly thinking that it had been decades since the whole thing had started and ponies and humans were still apparently at war.

"What's wrong?" Paolo asked suddenly, as Rosa stepped out of the building into full moonlight.

That was another problem right there. Rosa wanted to be with the colt, she really did, but she was worried it would distract her too much from Sky Light. Her pegasus friend needed her, badly, and Rosa simply had to be there for her until she gave birth, at least. Probably she would help her after that, too. Babysitting, or cleaning up, or cooking. Things Rosa was good at and Sky Light probably wasn't. Until then, Sky would need Rosa on her side one hundred percent.

"Paolo, can I be honest with you?"

Her tone and the way she had been avoiding his gaze immediately lowered his ears and Rosa felt sad for the poor colt. He had just agreed to give up everything he knew, all his friends, to go with her.

"Y-Yes?" he asked nervously.

Starlight Glimmer noticed her talking with Paolo and she gently ushered the other ponies and the girl toward the administrative building, giving the pair a bit of privacy and some time.

Rosa took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I- We'll have to wait a bit. F-For 'us', y-you know?"

"Huh? Why?"

She sat down and gave the colt as tight a hug as she dared without breaking his bones. "Sky Light - she's a friend. Some... things happened and she lost her, um, coltfriend and now she's pregnant. I really need to be there for her. She's had a tough life."

"Oh," Paolo said, but then he brightened up a bit. "B-But we'll be together, right? I mean, after... after- you know?"

"Oh! Yes! I t-think I'd like that."

"We can still see each other while, uh, while we wait, right?" the colt asked.

"I guess so. I don't see why not," Rosa replied, unsure where he was going with it.

He gave her a relieved smile and somehow it made her feel better. "Well, then it's just like we're dating, isn't it? I'll come visit and we'll go out for drinks and, um, dinner. And- well, someday..."

The thought he had was making him blush furiously. He shifted his body to hide something from Rosa and when she realized what it probably was, she blushed as well. Hopefully he'd stop... 'dangling' before Lillian saw.

Rosa realized that her tail was hitched up and forced it down. Both their muzzles looked like a couple of embers by now, but Rosa forcefully pushed the thought out of her mind and stood up. There was just one thing she had to do before they left. She leaned in and gave Paolo a quick kiss, right on the muzzle.

"Thanks for thinking straight, Paolo. I dunno why I was imagining I'd never see you for a year until Sky Light has her baby."

He grinned with relief. "Yeah, sure! We'll go on dates. We probably shouldn't, um, rush things anyway..." He didn't really believe that and neither did Rosa. She had already decided she wanted this colt. She would have to put him in second place until Sky Light was okay, which would be hard, but Rosa knew she could do it. She had waited this long.

"Let's get back with the others. Luna has probably gotten everyone in the basement out, so she'll be opening the Bore soon. We have to watch Lillian until we're ready to go."

Paolo thrust his chest out. "I'll keep her company!" he offered. "I've spent a lot of time with her! She's a good kid."

That would actually work pretty well. Paolo wouldn't be there to distract Rosa when she met her mother and Lillian would be safe with Paolo and her roommates. She gave the pegasus a happy smile and threw her hooves around him again. "Thank you!"

As a little extra reward, she gave his muzzle another kiss which made his tail swish and his ears flatten. "W-Welcome," he mumbled.

They both hastened their steps to catch up with the rest of the group and make sure the plan was going ahead. One of the empty offices would have a comfy chair for Lillian and a phone. There should also be some water for her to drink while she waited, and the toilets were nearby. Using a chamber pot must have been embarrassing and uncomfortable, Rosa imagined.

Then - then...

She didn't even know what to think. Her legs felt numb, as if she had no nerves in them, which was making her walk rather stiffly. All the while she was thinking about what she would say to Fluttershy and what she might say in return. Would she even feel anything for her mother after all this time? What if Fluttershy was just another pony and Rosa wouldn't have a real connection with her? What if they didn't even like each other?!

Rosa was not aware of it, but her ears went flat and her tail tucked up almost against her belly out of worry.

Chapter 81: Mother

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Rosa left Lillian with Starlight Glimmer and the others in an empty office. There was a little kitchen nearby and Amethyst quickly busied herself with making tea for them all. That had been a good idea and hopefully it would calm Lillian's nerves. Meanwhile Rosa followed the hallway, wondering how she was supposed to find the way down, when she spotted Sapphire Lightning standing guard.

"Oh, is it this way?"

The stallion nodded and stepped aside. He had been waiting at a nondescript door in a part of the building where ponies weren't allowed. A tiny part of Rosa felt a little guilty, which was a remnant of her upbringing in the place, but she pushed it down. Beyond the door was a stairway and she headed for the basement. Already she could hear some voices, but couldn't make out the words.

Now that the moment was so close Rosa found herself incredibly nervous and her steps faltered. It took a concentrated effort of will to put one hoof in front of the other. She barely registered her surroundings, so focused was Rosa on the sound of talking up ahead. There was a hallway with more doors and fluorescent lights buzzing overhead. The walls were white and the floor was just linoleum. She had been expecting something like a dungeon, but it looked just like any other office building. In fact, it reminded Rosa a bit of that military facility.

"... wait for them, and then I will begin opening a Bore." Luna finished saying.

Then a new voice spoke: "We never expected to see you again, Princess. How did you know to find us?"

It was a stallion's voice and Rosa thought it sounded familiar. Maybe it was one of the cleaning staff?

Luna answered: "It was actually Rosa. She told us where to find you all. She was a student here before she ran away."

"Oooh," some other mare answered, "I remember. Mind you, there was nothing but rumors, but I was glad to hear she got away. I'll have to thank her properly when she comes."

By now Rosa had completely stopped moving just outside the door. She cowardly stayed hidden just out of sight so she could listen some more.

Another mare spoke up, her voice melodic and gentle. It made something flutter in Rosa's heart: "Oh, I simply can't wait! Martha has told me a little about her, but I wasn't allowed to see her."

She sounded both excited and sad at the same time, and Rosa had no doubt who she was. Fresh tears began to flow down her muzzle, unheeded. She had heard that voice before, but she hadn't remembered until now. That was the voice that sang to her, the one Rosa was always trying to imitate in her own singing.

Mother.

Stepping around the door, Rosa opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a soft sob.

"Oh, there she is. Rosa, come meet Fluttershy!" Luna said, but fell silent when she saw her expression. There was a group of ponies around a couch in the middle of the room and they silently parted to open a path.

Fluttershy was a soft, yellow color. Rosa had imagined wrong, but that was okay. She was even more beautiful this way. She really did have her eyes! It was like looking into a tinted mirror. A pink mane flowed down, obscuring part of her face as if she was always hiding from the world a little. It couldn't hide the smile, though. There was love in it and it shined through. Boy did it shine through!

Even before she spoke Rosa started moving.

"Morning Dew!" Fluttershy held her hooves open and Rosa slammed against her barrel a bit too hard. She had taken a leap and Fluttershy had deftly caught her.

Everything was okay with the world. Rosa closed her eyes and pressed her muzzle against that wonderful pegasus fluff. For a while, no one spoke. Rosa was dimly aware of a tongue licking away her tears, and of hooves keeping her firmly in place. All she could do was weep and hold on.

Then Fluttershy started humming. The melody was so much more refined and detailed! All Rosa had remembered was a faint echo, a mockery, but this was the real thing. She let the sound wash over her and take her someplace else. Someplace safe.

Home. It was not somewhere, it was someone.

At long last Rosa was able to relax her grip, just a tad, so she could look at Fluttershy. There was a gray hair here and there on her face, and a few wrinkles around her eyebrows. The smile was still young and vibrant, though. The joy, dancing in her eyes still beautiful, only made more exquisite through the filter of age.

"There you are," she said. "I missed you too, my little filly!"

What could Rosa even say in this situation?!

Ah, of course. "I love you mom!"

Her reward was seeing that smile widen and getting another quick nuzzle. "I love you too, Morning Dew! I never thought I'd see you again!"

"W-Why are you calling me Morning Dew? That's what Instructor Martha..."

Rosa fell silent at the implication and Fluttershy nodded. "Yes, that's what I named you and I asked her to keep it, but she said she couldn't give you an Equestrian name."

"So she called me 'Morning Dew', but in her own language!" Rosa finished.

"Yes. She's always been nice to me and I asked her to make sure you're okay."

Luna finally spoke up and Rosa remembered that there were other ponies around them. A lot of them had wet eyes and a few of the older mares were pressing tissues to their muzzles. "I apologize for cutting this short, Fluttershy, but we should leave as soon as we can. Are there any other ponies kept down here?"

One of the stallions stepped up to answer instead: "Just us. They have us clean and- I'm not sure I understand it completely, something about keeping the mares' spirits up."

A different mare explained: "They keep an eye our children and tell us how they're doing. Before that, a few of the mares... well, it was bad."

She didn't want to say anything more and Rosa was grateful for that. Her words had seemed ominous and she probably didn't want to know the details.

"All the ponies in the School came from your four?" Luna asked.

The same mare who had spoken shook her head. "No, Princess. They don't want to kill us. We each only have two or three foals in the School. Some of the students are orphans, but most of them are given up for adoption by humans who won't let their... servants raise a foal."

Rosa could see Luna's mouth tighten, but she kept her anger in check. "I will bring this news to Celestia. In fact, you will explain it to her personally. She will need to step up her diplomacy, or else I will take more direct action!"

Another of the older mares raised a hoof: "Um, P-Princess? Could we get our children when we leave? I can't leave them behind..."

Now the Princess looked incredibly sad. "I'm very sorry, Minty, but it is too risky and the time is running out. I will open a Bore and we must leave. It's imperative that we reunite Fluttershy with the other Elements. Equestria needs the Elements of Harmony!"

The lime-green mare, Minty, looked like she was about to argue, but then she closed her mouth and nodded. She refused to look at Luna and Rosa saw some of the other ponies giving the alicorn a sad or angry stare.

That reminded her of the situation upstairs. "Um, Princess? Lillian was here at the School."

Luna twirled around, eyes wide in surprise. "The girl?! How? Why?!"

"She ran away and came here to look for me. I told her about my roommates and she sought them out and they hid her in the attic. We have to get her home."

Already the Princess was shaking her head, but Rosa forestalled her refusal: "I a-actually have a plan, Princess," she told her.

She stopped and watches Rosa for a moment. The stare made Fluttershy tighten her grip comfortingly around Rosa's midriff and her muzzle nuzzled her neck in encouragement.

"Tell me."

"Just b-before we leave, we can call 911 and tell them to come here. The police will get Lillian home. It will take them some time, so we'll have... um, time to leave."

The Princess considered the proposal, but Rosa was not done yet. "A-Actually, there's one more thing..."

"More?"

Rosa swallowed a lump and wondered how she could broach the subject, when Fluttershy put her muzzle right in her ear and whispered: "It's okay, sweetheart, I got you."

It was absolutely incredible how much that helped! Rosa was able to look Luna firmly in the eye and tell her. "We have to take my roommates with us. They were helping Lillian. We can't expect a young girl to lie about it and they'd all get into very serious trouble. M-Maybe even k-k-killed. They're waiting upstairs with Lillian."

Shockingly, Luna inclined her head. "Very well. Since they are already here, we will take them."

Some of the other ponies started clamoring to get their kids as well, but Luna repeated her arguments about the danger and the lack of time. More sullen looks were cast in Rosa's direction and she couldn't meet any of their gazes. She would have whimpered and ran away at all the hostility, were it not for Fluttershy's hooves around her. She sensed her trembling a little and added her wings to make it a full hug.

The feathers were even softer than her fluff! Rosa sighed in comfort and closed her eyes, cocooned against the harsh world.

"Very well," Luna finally said, right above her. Rosa looked up and saw her fierce, determined expression. "I will begin preparing the Bore here. It will be open in five minutes. Rosa, go and call that ninety-one police, or whatever it is, then bring your friends here. I will wait for you."

Rosa looked at Fluttershy and felt incredibly sad that she would have to get out of her lap, but she took a deep breath and pushed herself away and down from the couch.

"I'll also wait for you, Morning Dew. I'm not leaving without you."

Another weird thought struck Rosa. "Um, mom, did you have any... do I have... Um..."

Luckily, she understood and gave her a smile. "Yes, you have a younger brother and a sister, sweetheart. Maven is an earth pony and Lacey is a pegasus, like me, and she has my mane. Martha showed me pictures, but they were both..."

A lone sob wracked Fluttershy's body and Rosa quickly reared up and put her hooves around her for emotional support. One of the other mares finished for the pegasus: "-taken away before she could even meet them. That's why they only have human names."

"B-But we're leaving them behind? Why am I so special?!"

It really didn't sound fair. Somewhere up in that dorm building were a younger filly and a colt. Rosa probably even knew them, at least casually!

Now that was a completely weird thought.

Fluttershy slipped from the couch and draped a wing around Rosa's withers. "I love both of them, but Princess Luna is right. We need to put the Elements back together. Equestria is more important, t-than me..."

Her eyes are filling up with tears, but the mare was determined. Gentle or not, there was a hidden core of strength in Fluttershy, one that Rosa hadn't seen even in Cadence's camp. Maybe Sky Light would come close, and possibly Luna, but in Rosa's mind Fluttershy outshone them both.

"We'll come back for them, Luna promised," Rosa's mother continued, making herself believe it. "At least you're here now. I have you and-"

She fell silent once more and looked at Luna, who shook her head sadly.

"What? What were you going to say?" Rosa asked fearfully.

Her mother took a deep breath and closed her eyes as if concentrating on some internal picture. "You have an older brother, out there somewhere, Rosa. His name is Dawn Star. He was born before- before all this. Before the war. We were separated when they took me and I haven't seen him since."

"Perhaps he had found his way to Equestria, Fluttershy," Luna pointed out.

"Yeah," the mare replied, but her heart obviously wasn't in it. "I just hope he's okay. Right now we have to focus on you!" That last she said to Rosa and some of her previous determination came back.

"Why am I special?" Rosa repeated. "Why did you name me and not them?"

"You were born two weeks too early, Morning Dew," Fluttershy told her. "The humans weren't expecting it, so I got to hold you and sing to you all night before they came and took you away. You'll always be my special little filly!"

Rosa couldn't stand it and threw her hooves around Fluttershy for another quick hug. Luna was already casting her Bore spell, so they didn't have a lot of time, but Rosa was taking a moment for a hug!

Fluttershy nuzzled her urgently, but then let her go. "You should go get your friends now," she said. "I'll wait here."

Rosa gave Fluttershy a nod and headed to the door. Of course she looked back every few steps and her mother never stopped smiling encouragingly at her.

Chapter 82: Triumphant Return

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Having to leave Lillian in the office had been sad, but there was no real choice. The girl had a cup of hot cocoa, which was an amazing find by Valentina. Rosa figured Lillian probably wouldn't get too bored while she waited for the police. They had called 911 and simply told them that Lillian Boone was at the Pony School and to come quick. The lady on the other end of the line had promised that cop cars and an ambulance would be there in five minutes. That meant the mares only had time for a very quick hug and goodbye with the girl, before filing down the hall to the basement.

As they had promised, Luna and Fluttershy were waiting for them next to the weird, dark hole in space that was the Bore. As usual, Rosa couldn't see through it, but she had done this a few times and knew she would just walk through it without feeling anything.

Fluttershy rushed forward to hug her as soon as Rosa entered the room, while her other friends milled about, some watching the scene with a sweet little smiles, others staring at the Bore in apprehension.

"It is perfectly safe," Luna assured them, having noticed their unease.

"Yeah, I've been through several times, there's really nothing to it," Rosa confirmed, even though her voice was a little bit muffled by pegasus fluff.

The Princess focused her gaze on Rosa. "You have succeeded? The girl will go home?"

"Yes, the police are on their way. We should go."

Reminding them made her roommates move. It helped that Starlight Glimmer led them through the Bore by example. When they saw the unicorn just walk through, the rest of the group followed without hesitation. Everyone except Paolo. He stopped next to Rosa and watched her mother with curiosity.

"Um, h-hi!" he squeaked when she looked at him. "Nice to m-meet you!"

Fluttershy released Rosa from the hug and gave the colt a friendly smile. "Hello! What's your name? I'm Fluttershy."

"Paolo..."

"Oh, that's a beautiful name! Just like the city in- um, S-South America?" Fluttershy guessed, but she didn't sound too certain.

A faint glimmer of memory from Mrs. Isaac's Geography class stirred in Rosa's mind. "It's in Brazil, I think."

Weird how she had never connected 'Paolo' with 'Sao Paulo'. Maybe whichever human had decided the colt's name was a fan, or had recently come back from a foreign vacation, or maybe even originally came from around there.

In any case, all this talk was making Paolo blush a little, which Rosa found very cute, and went to give him a quick nuzzle. "I also think it's a nice name," she whispered to him.

"I think we should go now," Fluttershy said, seeing Luna's impatient, worried expression. Rosa noticed it too and agreed.

Her mother took the lead and Rosa walked right behind her, with the colt by her side. Every other step her flank brushed against Paolo's, but Rosa didn't mind in the slightest. It was so good to know he was there.

Fluttershy didn't hesitate at the Bore and Rosa didn't stop either. Paolo faltered for a moment, but Rosa smiled at him encouragingly as she vanished through, and he hurried to follow.

They emerged into the resistance camp, but it had been completely transformed. All the tents were gone and the place looked deserted. There were a few guards standing around, and Rosa could see some of the humans attached to the camp who had opted to follow them into Equestria. A few, Rosa knew, had chosen to stay on Earth and Luna had sent them where they wanted to go. She couldn't spot the griffin and assumed he must be out on some kind of patrol, or on guard.

Most of the camp's populace, especially the supporting personnel, and all of their equipment had been sent to Equestria earlier in the day. Some structures and materials were deemed not worthwhile and remained, such as the mostly rotten floor of the shower building. Their dead had also been taken through to be buried in their home soil.

The older ponies they'd saved from the school were standing in a huddle nearby, looking around in wonder. Rosa saw a few of them whispering to one another, but none of them approached Luna when the last group came through. Even without the remnants of structures there were very clear signs everywhere that a camp had been in this place for a while, but that didn't matter. Even if the humans found it, there was nothing they could do to follow. Starlight and Luna had been very sure that Bores could only be opened by alicorns. Even if the humans had a compliant unicorn hidden away somewhere, they wouldn't be able to get to Equestria.

It took Rosa a few seconds to adjust to the darkness once she was through. There was a torch burning nearby, but it was nowhere near as bright as the room in the School's basement. She rejoined her roommates and gave out a few nuzzles, while behind them Luna emerged from the circular opening and closed it behind herself. Only then did Rosa breathe a sigh of relief.

They had made it. All of them. Most importantly, she now had her mother with her, and Paolo. If it weren't for Sky Light's tragedy, it would have been the happiest day of her life.

Speaking of which, the mare was coming over with a big, relieved smile on her muzzle. Rosa waved at her, but Sky Light just walked right up and gave her a tight hug. "I'm so relieved you made it, Rosa!" she said.

"Okay, listen everypony," Luna said in a louder voice, interrupting Rosa and Sky Light's reunion. "I will rest for a minute, then I am opening a Bore to Equestria. That will take about ten minutes. We're leaving Earth."

There was a cheer, mostly from the guard ponies, but Starlight joined in, and after a moment so did Paolo.

A Bore needed a Beacon, Rosa had learned that. Luckily, there was a permanent Beacon installed at someplace called 'Canterlot', which Luna could use to get home at any time. She had told Rosa that before the mission. She had also said that the Beacon would be shut off once all four alicorns were back in Equestria. It made sense - the humans were clever and may yet find a way to get there, so it wouldn't be a good idea to help them when it was not necessary, however unlikely the eventuality.

"So," Rosa said, unsure what to do for the next few minutes. "I guess I should make introductions?" She waved to get her roommates' attention. "Everyone, this is Fluttershy. My m-mother..." Unfortunately Rosa was still unable to quite believe it, or say it and keep her eyes dry.

Fluttershy noticed immediately and draped a wing around her, even as Sky Light laid a reassuring hoof on Rosa's leg.

"H-Hi! Nice to meet you!" Iskra replied. Following her example, the other girls said something similar.

"I think I know all of you," Fluttershy explained. "Martha showed me some pictures when she told me about Morning Dew. Um..." The pegasus scrunched her muzzle up in thought, then ventured: "Iskra, right? And um, Felicity, and Valentina and Amethyst? Maribelle was the one who got her cutie mark." After a short pause, she added: "Oh, and Paolo, of course." Fluttershy looked down and her ears splayed out. "Sorry, I didn't mean to leave you out."

The ponies seemed a bit stunned, but all Rosa could feel was pride. "I don't know you, though," her mother went on, looking at Sky Light.

"Oh, this is Sky Light. She's a friend- actually, best friend. Without her I probably wouldn't have survived on the streets."

The compliment was making the old mare blush a bit and she tried to wave it away, but Fluttershy just gripped her around the midriff. "Thank you for keeping my Morning Dew safe!"

"Wait, what?" Sky sputtered. "Morning Dew?! That's what I was calling her- well, when I remembered to. She said that's what her name means!"

Rosa chuckled a little to herself, but Fluttershy was faster to explain: "Oh, of course! That's what I named my filly and Martha was nice enough to keep it, even if she did translate it."

A thought occurred and she gaped in shock. "Iskra is also a word in Instructor Martha's language! Did she name her, too?"

Fluttershy looked a bit sad, but nodded. "Yes, but that wasn't a translation. Sorry. As far as I know, you're the only one who weren't taken away... immediately. The only one with a... pony name."

Her ears went flat and Rosa's shoulders sagged a little. For a moment she had hoped that Iskra was perhaps her half-sister, or at least the daughter of one of the other mares from the School. Well, she might still be, or perhaps one of her other roommates could be. That would be very nice, even if the chances were exceedingly slim. None of the older mares seemed to have recognized any of her friends.

"That's alright," Amethyst volunteered. "I kinda like my name. I don't mind that a human came up with it."

The other girls chirped their agreement and even Paolo shrugged a little. He wouldn't care whatever she called him, Rosa felt.

Speaking of the colt, Sky Light was circling him and giving him a very appraising look. "Very nice," the mare commented, prodding his rump with a hoof and making the poor guy jump in surprise. "Nice, firm flank. Well toned."

Before Paolo could scamper away, Sky expertly grabbed one of his wings and pulled it up. Paolo snapped it back with a squeak a second later, but Sky Light still smiled to herself in approval. "Good flight muscles. You really got yourself a good one, Rosa. I mean, Dew."

Both Rosa and Paolo blushed heavily and couldn't quite meet each other's eyes. Unfortunately, Sky didn't seem to notice their embarrassment. She probably wouldn't have stopped even if she did see it, thought. "Well worth waiting for, yeah! I'd have some of that myself, if I wasn't..." She sat back on her haunches and put her hooves over her belly with something between a sad sigh and a sob.

Rosa forgot her embarrassment and rushed over to grip her around the barrel. "It's okay, it's okay! I'm not leaving you. I'm sticking around until your daughter is born, okay? Probably even after that. Paolo will wait."

Sky Light blinked in confusion. "Wait? Why would he wait?"

The colt also spoke up, as if in Rosa's defense: "I don't mind waiting, Mrs- uh, Mrs. Light."

Sky shook her head. "Don't be stupid, you two can- be together. I'll be fine."

"No, Sky. I promised I'll help you through this and I will. I'll wait."

The other mare rolled her eyes and let out a very exasperated sigh. "Okay, but you guys can still see each other. You're not going to watch me twenty-four seven, are you? Because I'll hoof you in the face if you try to do that! I'm not an invalid!"

That sounded very different from the broken-down, crying Sky Light of a few hours ago, back in the tent, but Rosa didn't point it out. "I'll... see. My promise to you is the more important thing, Sky. Maybe Paolo and me can, um, date."

"'Atta girl!"

Rosa looked over to the colt and he gave her a hopeful nod. "I'd l-like that," he confirmed, but then hurriedly added: "I wouldn't mind waiting. I really like you, Rosa. I can wait."

It looked like would be a complicated relationship, especially now that Rosa had her mother back as well, but she would manage somehow. Thinking of Fluttershy made her look at what she thought about it all. She seemed happy enough, watching Rosa and Sky and Paolo, smiling.

"Uh, M-Mom?" Rosa said, the word still feeling incredibly weird. "You'll stay with us, right? I just found you, I wanna catch up."

"Aw," Fluttershy said and came to give Rosa an incredibly reassuring nuzzle. "Don't worry, I'm not letting my filly go that easily. I used to have a cottage in Ponyville, but I don't think that's still there. I guess we'll find someplace else to live."

"No need," Luna suddenly interjected. They hadn't even realized she was listening, but since she was standing only a few paces away Rosa guessed she couldn't help overhearing. Everyone looked at the Princess and she explained: "Equestria will take care of its own. The crown will provide you all places to live. I will personally ensure that you three, Sky Light and Rosa and Fluttershy, remain together."

Luna gave this some thought, then clarified: "In the same house, if at all possible. I cannot promise the same for the rest of your friends, but they, too, will not be very far, trust me."

That was one worry taken care of and it did make Rosa feel a bit more optimistic about the future. She noticed that Luna hadn't proposed to put her and Paolo in the same house, which was probably for the best. If they lived together, she might neglect her promise to Sky Light. Maybe it was best to only see him often, but not all the time. Rosa glanced at Paolo, but he hadn't caught the omission. Then she looked at the Princess, who had seen her gaze, and responded wordlessly with a slight nod and a half-smile. Luna's years and years of wisdom really showed, Rosa thought.

It was not going to be easy to integrate into a whole new culture, but with Fluttershy by her side and Sky Light to take care of and Paolo to look forward to, Rosa could handle it. She allowed herself to feel optimistic.

The mission, even though it had been touch and go for a while there, had been a success. She wished she could have gotten more ponies out - all of them, in fact - but Rosa had her roommates and her mother, which was enough for now.

"I will begin. Everypony, gather up. We're going home," Luna announced and her horn lit up. A few more minutes and they would leave Earth. Rosa was suddenly very grateful for Fluttershy's wing around her.

She emerged from the Bore into a brightly lit courtyard. After the gloomy forest it was quite a shock and Rosa had to shield her eyes. She couldn't see a lot, but it felt like there were some reflectors pointed right at the spot before the hole. The others, who had gone before Rosa, were milling about in confusion, also blinded in the sudden light. Rosa had to push Sky Light's rump out of the way to make some room so that Luna and Fluttershy could come through. Just in time, too. Had she delayed a second longer, the Princess would have trod on her.

"Ugh, what's with the light show?" Luna asked, voice tinged with slight annoyance. She had told them to expect a welcome, but apparently she hadn't meant this.

"Fluttershy!"

Rosa heard the cry from the side and peered in that direction. Luckily her eyes were getting adjusted to the brightness and she could make out a group of ponies. In the front was a purple unicorn, her color quite similar to Rosa, except a bit lighter. At her side another unicorn, this one white with a lovely set of purple curls. On the other side she could spot two earth ponies - a pink one with a mane that reminded Rosa strongly of cotton candy, and an orange one with a cowboy hat. That last seemed completely ludicrous. Rosa had never seen a pony with a hat before, so she couldn't help but stare for a moment.

Floating right above the group was a blue - no, cyan - pegasus. The group of five seemed to be together and the cry for Fluttershy had come from one of them. Maybe those were the Elements of Harmony Luna had told her about? Fluttershy's friends? They sure looked happy enough.

Rosa didn't have time for further speculation, because the Bore closed behind her and another voice rang out: "It makes my heart sing to have you back, Sister."

Now that was a royal voice. There was no mistaking it, even though Rosa had never met her, the impossibly tall, unbelievably beautiful white alicorn had to be Celestia.

Luna also cried out: "Sister!" and rushed forward so they could embrace. Rosa didn't pay them much attention because a pink and cyan blur nearly toppled her as the two ponies practically tackled Fluttershy. Her other friends weren't quite as fast, but Rosa still stepped aside to make room.

"It's been so long!" the lavender unicorn exclaimed as she passes Rosa.

Unicorn? Rosa did a double take when she spotted her wings, neatly folded at her sides. She was also an alicorn, Rosa just hadn't seen it until she was nearer. From up close, she could see that the new alicorn was a bit taller than her friends, but not as tall as Luna, or even Cadence.

There was no time to speculate further, because all five mares ended up in a big pile right on top of Fluttershy. For a moment Rosa was worried they'd suffocate her, but she heard her mother's relieved giggling. All six of them started talking at once. Not so much to say anything, but just to talk and make each other know they were there.

"Oh my gosh, I never thought we'd see you again..."

"What happened? You have to tell us everything!"

"... have you back, darling!"

"Spike wanted to come too, but Flurry Heart needed..."

And in the middle of all that, just the sound of Fluttershy, laughing in relief.

It was a happy reunion and Rosa just watched, when a wing draped around her back. She glanced that way and saw Sky Light, grinning.

"What?"

"It's cute."

"Yeah?"

"They look like they'll be a while. Wanna go find something to eat?"

Rosa couldn't believe Sky was thinking about food at a time like this, but then her stomach reminded her that she also hadn't had anything solid since early afternoon. Looking around for someone to ask, Rosa saw that the two Princesses were whispering something to each other, apparently oblivious to the world. No help there.

Starlight Glimmer was sitting next to Fluttershy's happy reunion, muzzle split into an almost disbelieving grin at the antics of the others. They were her friends, too, Rosa remembered. Starlight had told her about them once. No doubt they'd want to welcome her back as well, as soon as they were done with Fluttershy. Around the courtyard, which was what the place looked like, there were a few solid-looking guards in beautiful, polished gold armor. A few of them were smiling faintly, but most of them were presenting a facade of stoic professionalism.

On the other side of the two sisters Rosa saw the ponies she'd rescued being led away. Iskra and Valentina were already going, but Amethyst and Felicity were looking at her uncertainly. Rosa waved at them. "Um, it looks like I'll be a while. Maybe you should go with the others? I'll find you in the morning, I promise!"

It was not a nice thing to do, especially since it had been Rosa who had talked them into coming to Equestria, but she felt they'd be safe in this place and she expected she'd have her hooves completely full with everything.

That solved one problem, but it still didn't get Sky Light any closer to a meal. Rosa was forced to admit defeat, so she turned back to the mare and let her ears fold down. "Sorry, I don't know who to ask!"

Sky was about to reply, but Celestia spoke up. "Before you all go, please allow me to welcome you back to Equestria. Those of you-" here she looked pointedly at Rosa and Sky Light, "-who have been born on Earth, I bid you welcome to our fair land."

It really did sound like she meant it. With her ruling Equestria, it should be a pretty good place to live, Rosa guessed. There was more, though.

"Please, all of you, come this way. You will be given rooms in the Castle for a few days, until something more... permanent can be found."

"Can we also get some dinner?" Sky Light asked, her voice ringing out loudly across the silent courtyard. Rosa nearly slapped her muzzle with a hoof at her unthinking rashness. She hoped Celestia wouldn't get annoyed at the clear lack of etiquette.

On the contrary, it seemed the Princess found the question amusing. "Oh, where are my manners," she asked rhetorically, then looked around for someone. "Captain, please go down to the kitchens and have something simple delivered to our guests' rooms. Some of the staff should still be there. Tell them it is a personal request of mine."

One of the armored pegasi rushed off and Celestia looked back at Sky Light. "If there's anything else," the Princess offered, "please just ask. You are guests here, and you will be afforded every courtesy."

Rosa didn't see if Sky Light had any other requests, because in that moment Fluttershy took her foreleg and turned Rosa around. She was smiling and all of her friends were staring at Rosa with various expressions of incredulity, interest or expectation. The combined attention made her blush and lower her eyes and ears.

"Girls, this is Morning Dew, my first daughter."

Their reactions were... varied. The cyan pegasus just shrugged a little to herself, giving Rosa a somewhat bemused smile. The pink one was staring at her like Rosa had just sprouted two heads. The alicorn seemed shocked speechless. The orange one gave Rosa another appraising gaze, then nodded at her politely.

The white unicorn was the first one to speak. She approached and peered very closely at Rosa's face. "Oh my, she has your eyes, Fluttershy. And such a beautiful mane! I could do wonders with black!"

Ice broken, they all giggled and the orange one in the cowboy hat spoke up: "Welcome to Equestria, Mornin' Dew. Ah'm sure y'all will like it 'ere."

"Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh, I gotta throw you a welcome party! Are you really Fluttershy's daughter?! How old are you? Were you also a prisoner on Earth? Was it boring? It must have been boring! I have to throw you all the birthday parties you missed!"

It looked as if the pink mare was... vibrating in place?! She seemed a bit blurry and puts Rosa in mind of nothing so much as a rocket about to take off.

She didn't even stop talking to take a breath! "Quick, what's your favorite flavor of cake? And your second favorite! And you third favorite! And your fourth favorite! And-"

Luckily, the lavender alicorn grabbed her friend and plugged her muzzle with a well-placed hoof. It felt like she had had to do that a lot over the years. "Don't mind Pinkie, she gets like this sometimes," she excused her over-excited friend.

There was a choked-off sound behind Rosa and she remembered that Sky Light was standing right there. She had seen it all and now she was trying to keep from laughing. Luckily, the mares - her mother's friends - didn't seem to mind. Even better, Fluttershy came over to sit right beside Rosa. This freed her hooves for a very welcome hug.

Everything was so new, so strange, but she knew exactly what to do and where to go. Even though Rosa had only known her for a few hours, she felt safer, more confident with her there.

"Come on, the girls have a room in the castle, you can stay with us," Fluttershy invited.

Rosa remembered her other friends. "Um, w-what about Sky Light and Paolo? I promised I'd stay near them."

"Hmm, the room next to ours is free, they can take that," the purple alicorn said.

Fluttershy nodded to that. "Good idea, Twilight. Are you sure Princess Celestia won't mind?"

Twilight - that was the alicorn's name - shook her head. "Princess Celestia, no. I'm more worried about what Iron Tail will say, but I'll go down tomorrow morning and explain. I'm sure it will be fine."

"Who's Iron Tail?" Rosa asked.

The white unicorn answered her, while the cyan pegasus and the cowboy-hat-pony started walking off. "Iron Tail runs Canterlot Castle, dear. Yes, Princess Celestia is in charge, but it's Mrs. Iron Tail, the Housekeeper, who has the last word when it comes to the Castle. Trust me, you don't want to cross her."

It sounded ominous and Rosa shrank back in worry.

"Don't frighten the poor girl, Rarity," Twilight chided gently. "Iron Tail isn't as bad as all that! You should have met her mother, Steel Gaze. She's retired now, but she was the Housekeeper when I was a filly. Now that was a mare you didn't wanna cross!"

All of them giggled a little and started moving. Rosa looked around to make sure Paolo and Sky Light were following, then fell in step next to Fluttershy. It all sounded like a big, confusing world, with many things she would have to learn. It was a daunting prospect, but Rosa was determined to somehow fit in.

She didn't really have a choice. Sky Light and her daughter needed her to fit in.

"Okay, so it's been almost twenty years," Twilight said. "We've got a lot of catching up to do, Fluttershy. I almost can't believe you're here!"

"Yeah, me neither," Rosa's mother replied, looking around wistfully. "Has it really been that long?"

The Princess heaved a sigh and Rosa noticed her ears droop. "I blamed myself for the longest time, you know? I kept thinking: what if I'd been faster? What if I figured out how to make Bores sooner? What if we went to rescue you before the war started in earnest? We should have brought you home instead of trying to use the Elements!"

"It wasn't your fault!" Fluttershy said, her voice full of concern for her friend. "Nopony could have known we'd get separated! Besides not even Discord could find a way to Earth, remember? You told me!"

"I can't help it. I keep thinking about what-ifs!"

"None of us knew what to do," Pinkie added sadly.

Fluttershy paused so she could hug each of them in turn. "I never blamed any of you! Besides, I'm back now, and so is Morning Dew!"

Suddenly, she looked sad, almost on the verge of tears. "I'm back..." she whispered.

"What's wrong?" Twilight asked, stopping so she could peer more closely at Fluttershy's face.

Rarity also stepped in, giving Rosa's mother a hug. "Come on, you can tell us, darling!"

"It's just-" Fluttershy began miserably, then looked up at Rosa. "I had two more foals after Morning Dew, and one before her, and they're still on Earth! I l-left them behind..."

Everyone was silent for a while, not sure what to say to that. Eventually Rosa decided to speak up, repeating what Luna had told her: "Um, Princess Luna said that Princess Celestia will get them back. Everyone from the School. Now that she knows- well, when we tell her what's been happening, she'll get them all back."

"Hmm," Twilight said, a little doubtfully until Rarity gave her a surreptitious kick on the hind leg. "Oh, I mean, sure! Yeah, Princess Celestia is the best diplomat you can imagine. If anypony can get them back, it's her!"

"Certainly!" Rarity added, satisfied with the result. "We'll talk about it in the morning and I'm sure we'll find a solution! You'll see! Now that we're back together, nothing can stop us!"

It seemed to be working and Fluttershy even managed a small smile. "I j-just have to believe I'll see them again..."

"Of course you will, silly!" Pinkie replied happily. "And when they're back, I'll throw them all the birthday parties they missed!"

That got them all laughing and Rosa couldn't help but join in. It was hard to stay pessimistic with these mares.

"Come on, let's get you some dinner and then bed. We'll talk some more after that, okay?" Twilight proposed.

"Damn right!" Sky Light added beside Rosa. They all seemed to notice her for the first time.

Twilight frowned for a moment, then remembered: "Sky Light, right? Um, welcome to Equestria."

"Applejack already said that!" Pinkie hissed, trying to whisper but ending up loud enough for everyone to hear.

Again, no one knew what exactly to say.

"So, let's get to our rooms," Rarity suggested.

There was a whoosh and two sets of thuds as Princess Luna landed nearby. "Ah, it is good I found all of you together," she exclaimed. "Twilight Sparkle, Rosa and Sky Light - my sister asks all of you to join us in the Grand Hall after breakfast tomorrow. She wishes to hear your stories."

"Of course, Princess," Twilight replied smoothly.

"Yeah, of course!" Rosa added, needlessly.

Sky Light just nodded.

"Um, what about me?" Paolo asked, a bit awed to be speaking to an actual alicorn, but still managing to keep his voice somewhat steady.

"You come too," Luna said. "We will have to decide how to proceed, now that Cadence is-"

The Princess caught herself and shook her head, but not before Twilight asked plaintively: "Is auntie Cadence really going to prison? I'm sure she didn't mean to-"

"Not now, Twilight," Luna said wearily. "We'll discuss that tomorrow."

"B-But-"

"Tomorrow!"

It was definitely a command and Twilight knew it too. Her ears folded down and she lowered her head. "Okay. I understand, Princess."

Rosa guessed there was a hierarchy between the alicorns, too. Twilight was taking orders from Luna and Rosa wouldn't be surprised if they both obeyed Celestia.

"I will see you at breakfast," Luna repeated. Then, without waiting for a reply, she leaped into the air, flapped her wings, and soared away.

No one spoke as Twilight started walking again, leading the way to a large door. Rosa looked back at the brightly-lit courtyard, but all the ponies had dispersed except for a few guards.

Suddenly, all she wanted to do was sleep. She didn't even want dinner. It could wait until she woke up. Things would make more sense in the morning. Rosa couldn't hold back a yawn.

Fluttershy noticed it and stepped closer to her side. "Come on, let's get you to bed," she said quietly. All Rosa could do was nod and smile.

Chapter 83: Meeting Celestia

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Breakfast went by in a bit of a blur, but there was coffee for which Rosa was very grateful. Fluttershy and her friends had ended up talking in whispers long into the night, with Rosa dozing curled up next to her mother. As comforting as it had been to sleep nestled against the pegasus, she had kept moving slightly and waking her up. Her voice, though quiet and melodious, had kept Rosa just on this side of dreams.

She didn't mind either of those, of course. Soaking up Fluttershy's presence had felt really good, especially after missing it for the past seventeen years. The result, however, was that Rosa was a bit sleepy in the morning, which was precisely why they had invented coffee. There was also another problem, but it would go away in time, Rosa suspected. The beds in this castle were way softer than she was used to, especially after the pony resistance camp, so she had slept in a weird position and now her neck felt stiff. It would get better once she start moving about, though.

Around her were her mother's friends, still chatting amicably. Rosa didn't think they had slept at all, but they all seemed chipper and fully awake. Maybe it was the air or something in the food that gave ponies in Equestria their boundless energy. The delicious pancakes caught her attention. Maybe everyone here was on a permanent sugar high?

Rosa felt someone pat her on the back, but before she could turn around Sky Light landed in the seat next to her. She gave her a bright, early morning smile and Rosa returned it in kind.

"Slept well?" she asked, all upbeat and chipper.

"You seem awfully happy," Rosa blurted out before she could catch herself.

It immediately reminded Sky Light of what she'd lost, and her hooves went to her belly. Her ears sagged and her head bowed under the weight of misery.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bring it up!"

"It's fine," Sky said. She took a deep breath through her nose and let it out through her mouth. "Luna said this would happen."

"Luna?" Rosa asked.

"She- she did something to me. Before you left to the school, she somehow put me to sleep. I dreamed..." Sky leaned her head to one side and frowned in concentration, but then shrugged. "I can't remember what, but it was nice. She said it would make it easier, but there'll still be moments when it really hits me."

Some kind of alicorn magic to help ponies through intense grief? Rosa wasn't sure how she felt about the prospect, but the result was that Sky Light seemed less sad. She also seemed like her old self, so Rosa figured Luna's mind magic probably wasn't too bad.

"You didn't answer my question," Sky pointed out, her mouth quirking up in a slight smile again.

"Oh yes. I slept some. Well... I rested anyway," Rosa tried to explain.

On her other side Fluttershy picked up on the clues and gave her a quick apologetic nuzzle. "Oh, I hope we didn't keep you up all night, Morning Dew! I'm so sorry! We should have gone in the other room!"

Rosa shook her head and put her hooves around the mare. "It's fine! Don't worry, it was very relaxing! I can always sleep tonight, right?"

She was about to answer her, but Twilight, who was sitting across the table, had another question and Fluttershy had to concentrate on her reply. Rosa shrugged a little and dug into the pancakes once more.

"Where's Paolo?"

Sky Light shrugged. "Dunno, he was still sleeping on the couch when I left the room."

"Will he know where to go?"

"I didn't. I asked a guard and he showed me the way. They're very polite here. Just like..." She didn't say his name, but she was certainly thinking it. The way her ears flopped again was unmistakable.

Rosa leaned over to give her a brief hug, wincing only a little at the pang in her neck. "It's okay. I'm here for you."

The pegasus returned her hug. "Thanks, Rosa. It really means a lot..." she replied, voice thick and rich with emotion.

They haven't seen the end of it, Luna's magic or no, Rosa was sure. Maybe she was only keeping it together because of all the excitement and strangeness, but as soon as things settled down she'd lose it once again. It was especially important that Rosa stayed near her at all times. She would have to make this clear to Luna and, by proxy, Celestia. Whatever houses or something she arranged for the ponies from earth, Rosa had to be in the same house as Sky Light, even if that meant Fluttershy couldn't live with her.

There would be plenty of time to catch up with her mother after Sky's daughter was born. As soon as that happened, Rosa felt, her pegasus friend wouldn't have any more doubts. At least that was what the books and movies have told her. Rosa really hoped that it was true.

"Here, lemme get you some pancakes. You'll like them. They use too much sugar here, so I know they'll be right up your alley."

Sky Light murmured a quiet thank you as Rosa fetched an empty plate and piled it up. After a brief moment of indecision, she went for the warm, thick chocolate syrup and poured a generous dose. A moment later she left Sky Light alone in her own personal, gooey, sugary piece of heaven.

There was still no sign of Paolo. Hopefully he wouldn't sleep right through breakfast. Just to be sure, Rosa went to fetch yet another plate and put a few pancakes on it for him. The castle staff, or whatever they were called, probably wouldn't mind if she took some food to the room, right?

Rosa hurriedly finished her own meal and then stood up. Twilight noticed and waved a hoof to get her attention. "You're leaving?"

"Just gonna go freshen up and take some breakfast to Paolo," Rosa explained.

"Okay, good. Celestia wants us in the Grand Hall in about half an hour."

"Okay, which way is that?"

Twilight glanced around, trying to think up some easy to remember directions, but then she shrugged to herself and said: "Maybe it'll be easier if you just ask somepony. Anypony will be able to direct you."

"Okay, I'll do that. Thanks!"

Rosa thought she would never get used to them using 'anypony' in lieu of 'anyone' and similar. Well, maybe in time she would. It did have a certain ring to it. It reminded her who and where she was. She gave Fluttershy another nuzzle and she returned it absentmindedly while telling some story to the cowboy-mare. Applejack, Rosa remembered, that was her name. With all the conversation she had overheard last night, she felt like she knew them pretty well by now.

Fluttershy was explaining something about Instructor Martha, by the sound of it, so Rosa didn't disturb her. Instead, she leaned closer to Sky Light. "I'll just take some of these to Paolo. I'll meet you in this Grand Hall, okay? Just stick with Fluttershy and you'll be okay."

Sky Light gave her a mouth-full nod and a grunt, which Rosa took as affirmative. She was desperate to say something more. Something inappropriate, judging by the glint in her eye, but she couldn't swallow fast enough and Rosa was not sticking around to hear it.

"Tell me later," she said with a short laugh as she left.

The Grand Hall was appropriately named. There was a dais with two thrones on it, not looming, but... 'presiding' over the large room. The floor was covered by a rich, red carpet down the middle and much of the place was adorned in gold. There were stained-glass windows, depicting what Rosa assumed were important scenes from Equestria's history. There were a few with Twilight and her friends, including her mother. That made Rosa especially proud. Her mom was like a hero or something! Luna had told her as much, but to see it immortalized in stained glass was a completely different thing.

Rosa was flanked by Sky Light and Paolo on either side, all of them sitting on very soft cushions on the floor. The Elements of Harmony, which included Fluttershy, were similarly seated nearby. Perhaps most surprisingly, Luna and Celestia were right down there with all of them. The thrones were unoccupied. It did make them seem a lot more approachable. When Rosa had first seen the room and its layout, she had almost felt like she was going on some kind of trial, but now it seemed more like a friendly chat.

Starlight Glimmer was explaining her side of the story about the escape from the facility. Luna had been there, but pretty zoned out so she didn't remember a whole lot. Every now and then the unicorn looked to Rosa, who voiced her assent, or added a minor point. After that it was Fluttershy's turn to describe what her captivity had looked like and Rosa paid close attention, mentally bracing herself for some unpleasant moments.

"Um," the pegasus began a bit shyly, now that she was the center of attention. "It wasn't all that bad, actually."

"What?!" Twilight nearly jumped up from her seat. "Fluttershy, they kept you prisoner and- and..." She couldn't quite utter the next word, but Rosa knew what she wanted to say. At length, she lowered her voice to a near whisper: "-used you!"

Fluttershy looked directly at Rosa, who quickly went to her. She would probably need a hug to get through the next bit, so Rosa preemptively put her hooves around the mare and got a grateful nuzzle in return.

"Yes, that is true," her mother spoke, "but they weren't too mean about it. Besides, that was after the war started. The first part, before all that, wasn't so bad."

This information made Twilight almost growl in frustration. "Not too mean?! Fluttershy, you're talking about r-"

"Yes, I know!" Fluttershy interrupted her friend. "I'm not stupid, Twilight, I know what it was! I'm just saying that it wasn't the worst! I know s-some mares had it much worse than I did! At least I had a home, for a while! It was nice."

"What home?" Celestia asked.

Fluttershy took a slow, deliberate breath and continued: "When they first took us all in- Mrs. Cherilee's class- we were camping in the Everfree and suddenly found ourselves on Earth. Anyway, they didn't know what to do with us, so- I guess we were sold off as fancy pets. Someone got greedy before they realized they could- um... Well, before they could breed us." She didn't seem too upset by it, even though Twilight had to grind her teeth to keep quiet and let Fluttershy continue.

She seemed lost in thought, but it was obviously a good memory because there was a faint smile on her lips. "I met Pat pretty soon after, and he treated me like a person. We lived together for a while, until the war started and you found me. It was after that I went to that School."

Twilight pointed an accusatory hoof. "Yeah, and they put you in a breeding program!"

Fluttershy shrugged and calmly took a sip of tea. "They put me in a nice room. I couldn't leave, but it was a lot better than a cage. I had TV and books, and every day someone would come and chat with me!"

This next bit made Fluttershy tense up and Rosa tightened her hug. "I got to meet h-him. You know, the stallion. I actually kinda liked him. It was the same one each time, too, so that wasn't so bad! Well, except for that first time, but I wasn't at the School yet at that point."

"Who was it?" Luna asked gently.

"His name is Cloud Bank, a pegasus from Manehattan. I don't know what happened to him. He stopped v-visiting before my youngest daughter was born and I haven't- they haven't made me... not since."

There was silence for a while, until Fluttershy took a deep breath and went on: "Maybe the worst part of it was that I couldn't see my children. But at least they told me about them and showed me pictures. I knew they were alright!"

Twilight, her face undecided somewhere between anger and sympathy, walked over and added her hooves on top of Rosa's. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy. I didn't mean it like that."

"S-So, what do we d-do now?" Rosa asked, looking at Luna. "We're going to save them all, right?"

Celestia looked sad and Luna seemed downright uncomfortable. They looked at each other, unsure how to answer it, but then it was the older sister who spoke: "I will certainly do my best, Morning Dew. Maybe there is yet a chance to bring my ponies back home." She cast a very stern gaze at the younger Princess. "What I would really like to know, Luna, is why didn't you bring them all home when you were already there?!"

Luna looked ashamed of herself, lowering her ears and hanging her head. "I'm sorry, I made a judgment call-"

"Your judgment?!" Celestia asked pointedly.

"I know, perhaps I should have-"

Again, the older mare interrupted: "What you should have done, Luna, was to come home as soon as you were rescued. We could have made a plan together. You know I would have helped!"

"Yes, but Princess Cadence-" When Luna dropped the name, everyone in the room looked over, focusing their ears.

Celestia actually seemed furious. "Princess Cadence went so far beyond my instructions that she went completely off the map! I had no idea how bad she'd gotten!"

Twilight cleared her throat and asked: "What will happen to her?"

Celestia heaved a sad sigh. "She will spend some time in the dungeons, until she can be reasoned with. I expect I will forgive her... eventually."

"After all, she has lost her husband in the war," Luna added a mitigating circumstance.

"That may be so, but her behavior was entirely unbefitting a Princess of Equestria! A Princess of Love, no less! She has done untold damage to my diplomatic endeavours! I should have guessed when the humans refused to even speak with me!"

Celestia wasn't angry anymore, but she also wasn't far off. Rosa wouldn't want to see her really angry, and especially not if it were directed at her. Even now she couldn't help but cringe away a little.

"She risked another war with her reckless attacks on humans! Had I known, I would have dragged her back personally! Tartarus, I might have let the humans have her!"

Luna was trying to win back some favor, so she added: "I knew she was mad. I should have brought her back sooner. I'm sorry. She got really bad after I was captured."

"As for you," Celestia continued, making the younger Princess flinch in shock. "This attack - no, do not give me that look, it is exactly how the humans will describe it - this attack was ill-advised. Don't you think they will take precautions now? You only had a single security guard to deal with, do you think there won't be more, now?"

"I- I-" Luna stammered and it was unsettling to see the normally calm and self-assured mare this flustered.

"Had you come to me in the first place," Celestia said, "I would have sent more soldiers. Tartarus, I would have gone with! We could have brought back all of those ponies!"

Rosa felt a certain kinship and loyalty to Luna, so despite her misgivings, she tried to lessen Celestia's anger. She cleared her throat and all eyes in the room stared at her. "Um, I- uh. Um," Rosa gibbered for a moment until she could get her tongue under control. "Most of the p-ponies in the School wouldn't come. They would be afraid of s-strangers."

Celestia did seem a bit mollified, but she still sniffed. "Well, we would have dragged them off, kicking and screaming if need be!"

Luna grasped the reason Rosa had given her, as slim as it was: "It would have taken a lot more ponies, and there might have been a panic. If a single pegasus got away, they would have called the humans on us. I thought it wisest not to take too many risks and only bring out Fluttershy. Equestria needs the Elements."

Her reasoning was sound and Celestia couldn't really find a flaw in it, not right away. Most of her anger had been born out of deep caring for her people, after all. Rosa dared breathe a sigh of relief.

"You still should have consulted me!" the older sister muttered. "I would have been relieved to know you are well, too."

It seemed like her anger was gone and Rosa felt everyone around her relax a little. Fluttershy looked at her and flashed a grateful smile. Rosa hadn't let her go even for a second the whole time.

"I'm very happy to have you back, Luna," Celestia said much more softly. "I'm happy to have all of you here. Of course I will do everything I can to get the rest of the ponies, but there are so many who have been born on Earth that it might not be possible."

"We'll do it together, Sister," Luna offered.

They embraced and Rosa felt a certain warm confidence in her heart. Those two, if they weren't fighting, could do anything. It might take some time, but they would figure something out.

"Very well. Now you- Morning Dew. You've lived in this School and you've seen a lot of their world. Tell me what ponies face on Earth. Tell me your story," Celestia asked Rosa directly.

Now that the literal god of this world was focusing on her, Rosa couldn't help but blush a little and lower her ears. Fluttershy struggled out of her grasp and then clasped Rosa to her barrel instead. "My turn," she whispered with a smile.

"Well, um, I know about the School, but if you wanna know what it's really like for ponies on Earth, you should ask Sky Light. She's seen a lot!"

"I intend to," Celestia assured her, making the pegasus in question squirm a little bit beside Rosa. "Tell me of the school, first."

Rosa thought back on the earliest thing she could remember. "Well, there's the nursery," she began. "It's where foals stay until they're about six and can start taking their classes. It's just a playroom, with a few older ponies and usually one of the Instructors. They did give us a lot of toys." It hadn't been an unhappy time and Rosa smiled faintly as she remembered the friendships she had made there. "After that, they put us in dorm rooms of about five or six, usually with one of the older students to help out, and we started going to classes..."

Chapter 84: Slow Recovery

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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!

Chapter 85: Punishment

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Rosa wondered who could be knocking on her door that late in the afternoon. She had just been upstairs, pushing her bed around to get it out of the way of direct sunlight in the mornings. It hadn't been such a problem for most of the summer, mainly because she'd been up every day bright and early, but these days she liked to sleep in a little and the glare woke her up before she was ready. Rosa briefly wondered if she was getting lazy, but she shook her head at the thought. Sky Light needed her company throughout the day and so the only time she could study the books Princess Twilight had loaned her was in the evening. It made sense that she'd sleep in, especially since Sky Light had turned out to be somewhat of a late riser herself.

Shaking her head to clear it of stray thoughts, Rosa opened the front door. "Twilight?" She hadn't seen the youngest Princess too often since Fluttershy had moved out, so this visit was certainly a surprise.

She stepped in when Rosa moved out of the way and gave her a nervous grin. "Um, sorry for barging in unexpected," she said, "but- well. You see, it's about..."

The way she couldn't quite bring herself to say it filled Rosa with low-key dread. "Y-Yes?"

Twilight let out her breath and her ears folded down. "Can you and Sky Light come visit Cadence please?" she blurted out.

"What?!"

Twilight sat on her haunches, which reminded Rosa about being a courteous host. "Sorry. Let's go and sit down. Would you like some tea or coffee or something?"

Twilight flashed her a grateful smile as she stood up. "Coffee, please," she said.

Rosa gave her a nod as she went to the reading room. While she was fiddling with the stove and a pot of water, she heard the couch springs twang and then silence. It took the water a few minutes to boil, during which time Rosa went and stood in the doorway between the kitchen and the reading room. As she had predicted, Twilight was on the couch and looking her way with a slightly nervous tremor in her splayed ears.

"Why do you want us to go see that- Cadence?" Rosa asked, remembering just in time that she was Twilight's sister in law.

"Um, well. She's been asking. Princess Celestia said she could have visitors this month - well, other than me and her, so she asked to see you and Sky Light. Well, Sky Light in particular."

"Okay, but why?"

"She-" Twilight began, but fell silent with a faraway look in her eyes. "I don't- I don't know," she finally admitted.

Rosa heard the water boiling behind her, so she had to leave her guest and finish the coffee, which took all of five minutes. Then she hurriedly piled up the necessities on a tray and slipped it on her back. There was sugar, milk, two cups, anything else? It'd just have to do. She rejoined the alicorn and deftly transferred the tray to the aptly named coffee table. Before Rosa could start pouring, Twilight grabbed the pot in her magic and did it for her.

"Thanks. So, what should I tell Sky Light?"

Twilight didn't answer until she had stirred some sugar in her drink, then she took a sip to buy herself more time to think. Eventually she shrugged a little. "Maybe the truth? Look, it can't hurt to just go and talk with Cadence, can it?"

Rosa replayed their conversation back in her head and noticed that not once had Twilight used the honorific 'Princess' when she had mentioned her sister in law. Well, that in itself wouldn't be all that weird, Twilight being an alicorn herself, but she almost always used the term when mentioning Celestia or Luna.

Curious, but Rosa didn't bring it up. Instead, she finished making her own coffee, which Twilight had kindly poured for her. A lot of milk and a bit less sugar than the Princess was how Rosa liked it.

Then she took a sip. "When?" she asked, simply.

"Tomorrow morning," Twilight replied with a relieved smile. She was convinced they would go, Rosa guessed. Was she right? What would Sky say to it?

"Hold on, I'll go ask Sky."

The alicorn gave her a nod, then looked around for something to occupy herself with while she waited. As Rosa was walking out, she saw her magical glow envelop one of the books she had loaned her, and float it toward her. That probably gave Rosa several hours, if she needed them. A glance out the kitchen window showed her that the sun was about ready to set. That was okay, she wouldn't mind Twilight sleeping on the couch. She was no Fluttershy, but Rosa had spent enough time with all her friends to trust them completely. It took her a few moments to remember that she had done the laundry just the other day, so she should have extra sheets and blankets.

For now, however, she climbed the stairs and went to knock on Sky's door.

"Come in!" came a few seconds later.

Rosa did so, unable to keep a smile off her muzzle when she saw the pegasus sprawled on her back. She was starting to get quite large around the belly, which made her look a bit comical.

"Time for dinner already?" the mare asked.

"No, sorry. Listen, Twilight came. She, um, she wants us to go and visit Cadence tomorrow. Celestia is allowing her visitors now."

Sky stared at her and for once Rosa couldn't tell what she was thinking. Her ears automatically folded down. "I can tell her no. It's not a problem if you don't wanna."

"Yes," the other mare said. "I think I'd like to speak with... her."

Rosa didn't know what exactly to make of it. Maybe Sky just wanted to yell at Cadence or something. That would be perfectly alright in her book. The more troubling question was what Cadence wanted to tell Sky. She had asked for her specifically.

"Okay. If she starts going on about anything stupid, we just walk out, right?"

Sky Light nodded, but then raised up a leg to correct. "Not before I give that bitch a piece of my mind."

It was going to be a very interesting, possibly unpleasant morning. Rosa knew she would be up all night thinking about it. The realization made her groan a little.

"What? What did you think of?" Sky asked, voice tinged with concern.

"Nothing. I just realized I probably won't be able to sleep because of this."

The pegasus leaned over to give her a nice hug. "Don't let her do that to you," she murmured. "Wanna sleep here, with me? I need to hug a pillow anyway, so it might as well be you."

That brought Rosa back, in particular to her time with the Basilius family. Having a pegasus to cuddle did sound rather nice. "Actually... yes, please!" she answered enthusiastically, but then remembered her guest. "Hold on, I'll go tell Twilight she can take my bed."

As she slipped to the floor, Sky Light stood up. "I'll come with. I haven't seen Twilight in ages."

They made their way back to the reading room, where Twilight already had her nose buried in the book. It was weird. She must have read it already, but she still seemed completely absorbed in the text.

"Um," Rosa said and cleared her throat to get her attention. "It's getting kinda late. You can sleep here if you like, Twilight."

The alicorn blinked in surprise, having completely forgotten where she was and that anyone else existed. "Oh!" she said, glancing around to peer out the window. "I guess you're right, but it's not a problem. I'll just fly over to the Castle. Princess Celestia has a room set aside for me."

There it was. 'Princess Celestia'. Not 'Celestia', however well the two knew and liked each other.

"Well, it's no problem if you stay. I'm making lasagna - actually, I was just about to put it in the oven when you knocked. You can take my bed, too."

Rosa could swear the Princess drooled a bit before she got it under control. Her eyes widened a little. "L-Lasagna?" she asked. Rosa filed the information away in case she ever needed it later. She had found one of the Princess' favorites! Again Twilight looked out the window and licked her lips. "Actually, it is getting a bit late. Maybe I can stay. But I won't toss you out of your bed, the couch is fine."

Sky Light piped up as she made her way to the couch and hopped on. "You won't be. Rosa will be keeping me company tonight, so her bed is free."

The Princess looked from the pegasus to Rosa, then her ears folded down and she blushed. "Oh. OH! I hadn't- I didn't- you..." She stuttered to silence while Rosa looked at her in surprise, then continued: "I didn't realize you two were..." she finished, pointing a hoof between Rosa and Sky Light.

Realization dawned. "OH! NO, WE AREN'T!" Rosa inadvertently raised her voice. Sky Light just laughed her ass off while Rosa sputtered and tried to explain. "We're not together! Well, we're living together, but we're not... um, fillyfriends!" Feeling like something more was required, Rosa added: "I have a coltfriend! You met Paolo, right?!"

Twilight matched her shade of red and hurriedly nodded. "Yeah, yeah, of course. Sorry. I don't know what I was thinking!"

They both stared around the room while Sky Light wound down. She had to wipe away a tear with her fetlock. "Oh wow, that was great. Rosa is right, we're not together, Princess. I mean-" she gave Rosa an appraising look that threatened to make her cheeks burst into flame, "I wouldn't mind some of that, certainly, but Rosa has Paolo and that's also fine."

Rosa needed to get out of the room before she started a fire. "I'll go put the lasagna in the oven!" she squeaked and made her escape while Sky was still chuckling.

Rosa felt very uneasy walking down that particular staircase in the Canterlot castle. It felt cramped and dark and oppressive, even though it was actually quite wide and well lit. Probably this was because of what she knew was down that way: jail cells.

That was the word Rosa was using, even if 'dungeon' was trying to barge into her thoughts instead. Which was funny, because this place looked about the same as the rest of the castle. It helped a lot that Sky Light, Celestia and Twilight were with her. Even if Rosa could put all the preconceptions about dungeons aside, she didn't think she could have gone and faced Cadence on her own, even if she was behind bars.

"Just down here," Celestia announced as they reached a floor. There was a row of heavy-looking doors down one side of the corridor and a couple of guards stationed at a nearby table. The guards, who were both pegasi, jumped up and saluted with their wings.

Twilight looked imploringly up at Celestia, who gave her a slight nod and cleared her throat. "If you could give us some privacy, gentlecolts?"

The two didn't hesitate for even a second. "Yes, ma'am!" one of them said and they hurried the way Rosa and her group had come. She saw they left two cups of tea and a sandwich, all half-finished. The loyalty Celestia commanded in her ponies really was impressive.

"I will wait here," Celestia told Twilight and stopped near the guards' table. The younger Princess was clearly nervous about proceeding alone, but she swallowed a lump, nodded to herself and looks to Rosa. "Okay, let's go see her."

Rosa and Sky Light followed as quietly as they could manage, aware of their thundering heartbeats and trembling limbs. Rosa wondered why this was such a big deal. The answer arrived almost immediately: It was a big deal, because it was important to Sky Light. The pegasus had her fiercely determined expression on her muzzle, but Rosa could see the signs. Her hooves dragged just a little, her wings rustled uneasily, and her ears were folded down. She might be shaking a bit as well, but Rosa couldn't tell while she was walking.

It took them what felt like years to reach the cell door. There was a tiny, barred window at face height, but Rosa didn't see Cadence in it. Maybe she had changed her mind and didn't wish to speak with them after all? Twilight levitated a key from under her wing. She must have been gripping it there, Rosa thought. It entered the lock with the faintest of clicks and then turned with a loud clang. The door swung open and Rosa craned her neck to peer inside.

The cell was pretty much as she'd imagined it. A narrow cot, a chair with a table and a prisoner. It reminded her strongly of where she had been kept at the facility for the first few nights, except for the manacles. There was a big, strong-looking iron ring built into the far wall and a chain looped through it, binding all four of Cadence's hooves to the wall. There was also some kind of a contraption on her back, Rosa guessed to keep her wings bound. Finally, there was a shiny metal ring on her horn. Rosa hadn't thought about that, but it made sense. They couldn't have prisoners who could use their magic, or they would simply teleport out, or something. The only thing missing when Rosa mentally compared the cell to the one she was in, was the toilet. A surreptitious glance revealed a bucket in a corner behind the bed. Rosa made a mental note never to break the law so she didn't have to end up like this. It was horrid.

Cadence herself was... haggard. No other word would do her justice. She was filthy, her mane was a tangled, dirty mess and what Rosa could see of her wings was nothing short of abysmal. She blinked at the open door, squinting so she could see against the light. Clearly even an alicorn got no special treatment in the Canterlot jail. Celestia must have been really angry. The most striking thing Rosa saw were the clear traces of tears down Cadence's muzzle. Had she been crying? A cold, angry part of Rosa asked: 'Has she cried over what she has done, or over the conditions in her cell?'

Cadence seemed fixated on Twilight, but she managed to tear her eyes away to look at Rosa and Sky Light. She gave them the tiniest of smiles. "Thank you so much for coming to see me," she said, voice thick with relief, as if a huge burden had been lifted from her back.

"We're listening. What did you want to say?" Sky Light went straight to the point.

Cadence immediately folded her ears and lowered her gaze to the floor. "I guess," she murmured, "I guess I wanted to apologize."

That was encouraging, especially when Rosa spotted fresh tears in the alicorn's eyes. She wasn't too sure she could believe Cadence, so Rosa looked to Twilight to see what she was thinking. There was not much help. The younger Princess looked on the brink of weeping herself. Rosa remembered that they were related and had been friends for a long time. She flinched when Cadence suddenly looked at her, but the mare didn't say anything, so Rosa remained silent as well. This was between her and Sky Light. Rosa was just there for emotional support, if her friend should need it. Remembering that, Rosa took a step closer so her flank brushed lightly against Sky Light's.

"What you did was-" the pegasus began.

Cadence squeezed her eyes shut and interrupted before Sky could finish: "-monstrous. I know."

Finally Twilight spoke up: "Cadence, why did you do all those things?! It's not like you!"

The other Princess shrugged a little. "I'm- not sure. Maybe Earth changed me, or maybe it was because of Shining..." That name made her sniff, barely holding back a sob. Rosa remembered it was her late husband's name and couldn't help wincing a little in sympathy. "Or maybe the Elements didn't purge the shadow out of me, not completely," Cadence finished.

Mention of the Elements, which included her mother, made Rosa speak up: "What are you talking about? What shadow?"

Twilight looked at her with a calculating expression, but before she could decide what to tell her, Cadence groaned and said: "They deserve to know the truth, Twilight. It doesn't make what I did any better, but maybe it'll help them understand some of it."

Twilight hung her head and sighed. "I guess," she agreed, then looked at Cadence. "You tell them."

Rosa was barely aware of Sky's wing wrapping around her back as she pulled her closer. She gave her pegasus friend a grateful nuzzle in return.

"Well, you know we alicorns get certain... powers," Cadence said quietly. "Well, there's also danger in it. You know the story of Nightmare Moon, right?"

Both Rosa and Sky Light nodded. It was a well-known legend among equestrian ponies so they had heard it often, despite it having happened more than twenty years ago. Fluttershy had been there, too, and Rosa chest swelled a bit with pride.

"That is what can happen to us, if we are not careful. It has happened twice, so far. Nightmare Moon and..."

Twilight heaved a sad sigh in the momentary silence.

"And?" Rosa asked, thinking that Cadence might have trouble saying it.

"And me," she finished. Another sob escaped her and she sat on her haunches. Chains jingled as she wiped her muzzle as best she could with manacled legs.

Twilight murmured softly while they waited for the older alicorn to pull herself together. "When she found out Shining was dead, Cadence turned into 'Hate Heart'. She..."

"I went on a rampage," Cadence finished. "I went to the human world and- I'm not proud of what I did."

"That wasn't you!" Twilight said forcefully. "It wasn't Luna when it was Nightmare Moon and it wasn't you when it was Hate Heart!"

"So that's why the Elements went after her?" Rosa made a guess.

"Exactly," Cadence confirmed. "Only the Elements are powerful enough to purge that kind of shadow from an alicorn. The official story was that the Elements were being reunited on Earth. Fluttershy was over there at the time, so it was also partly a rescue mission. We - that is to say, Auntie - decided not to mention me to the general populace."

"W-Why?!" Rosa really didn't understand why they would lie about something like that.

Twilight answered that one: "Princess Celestia didn't want a panic. There was already a war and she didn't want the ponies thinking their leaders could just turn into monsters on top of everything else."

"Anyway, the Elements didn't work," Cadence added, "not fully, anyway."

"It worked with Luna! It should have worked with you as well!" Twilight burst out suddenly. She looked like she wanted to give Cadence a hug, but had been given specific instructions by Celestia.

"Yes, but maybe my pain simply went too deep."

Sky Light groaned a little. "Well, whatever your excuse, you sent Zephyr out to die!"

There was silence after that accusation. Cadence was the first to speak, her voice quiet and gentle and her eyes downcast. "I know. I'm sorry..."

"Sorry is not enough!" Sky spat and took a step closer. To Rosa's surprise, Cadence actually cringed away from Sky's anger. "I loved him and you sent him out and he died! Luna said it was a bad idea but you did it anyway!"

Tears were streaming freely down Sky's cheeks now, but she didn't seem to care. They dripped, spattering the floor, unheeded.

"I can't ever say how sorry I am-" Cadence began, but the pegasus was having none of it.

"Well, fuck you, Princess. I hope you rot in here forever!"

Before the manacled alicorn could respond, Sky twisted around and stomped out of the room. Both Rosa and Twilight watched her in shock.

"I s-should go after her," Rosa told Cadence.

The princess nodded, unable to look directly at her. "Please-" she whispered, "tell her I'm sorry." Rosa was on her way out, but she paused because Cadence hadn't stopped talking yet. "I'll be here for a long time. M-Maybe someday she can forgive- you can both forgive m-me."

She really did look miserable, disheveled as she was and in the middle of the cell's squalor. Rosa heaved a sigh and lowered her ears. "Maybe. I'll see what I can do, but don't count on it being fast. Zephyr was the love of her live."

"I know," Cadence almost wailed. "Believe me, I know!"

Rosa remembered her cutie mark and special talent. She probably did know, at that. "I'll go after her," she said by way of explanation and walked out of sight. She expected Twilight to talk some more with her friend, but she was right on her heels and closed the door behind herself. A moment later she locked it and returned the key under her wing.

Sky Light hadn't made it far. She was sobbing gently near the guards' table, with Celestia draping a wing across her back. Neither of them were talking, but Rosa was grateful for the Princess' silent support.

She walked up to her friend on her other side and threw a hoof around her withers. "She really does mean it, I think."

That was both to Sky and Celestia, who was the one that answered. "I know, but what Cadence did is-" The Princess paused, then shook her head. "Not unforgivable, but let us call it 'a long time in forgiving'. The fact she had done most of it to the people of Earth makes no difference. She will stay in that cell until I am fully convinced there is no more darkness in her."

"What will happen to the Crystal Empire?" Rosa asked, remembering her hasty lessons on geography.

Twilight joined the three of them, but didn't speak up, so it was Celestia who answered once more: "For now, it is being ruled by a Regent. In time, I expect, it will pass to Flurry Heart."

"So Cadence won't get it back?"

"I do not think so, at least not directly. Flurry might want her mother as an advisor, but I will make sure she is nothing more. Do not worry about that, Morning Dew. In time, Cadence will find her place again."

Rosa shook her head, trying to wrap her mind around the severity of the punishment. "Well, I don't want to be that pony, but she has lost her husband..."

Celestia pointed to the other Princess. "Twilight lost her brother, but she didn't turn to the Shadow for vengeance." The Princess sighed and lifted her wing from Sky Light's back so she could drape it on Rosa's. "I am also sorry. I believed Cadence fully healed after the Elements were used on her. Had I seen the signs, I would not have put her in charge on Earth."

"It's okay," Rosa told her, unable to be mad at the well-intentioned, if overworked ruler.

"Come, you can have breakfast with me and Luna today," Celestia offered. "I am making pancakes."

That finally got Sky Light to stir. She heaved a forlorn sigh, then stood up. "Thanks," she said quietly.

It would take more healing, but maybe, once Iris was born, the pegasus might forgive Cadence. Rosa felt that might be best for everyone. Keeping hatred and resentment in her heart probably wouldn't end well.

As they rose up from the dungeons up into the rest of the castle, Rosa couldn't help feeling like her spirit was lifting too. The place seemed a lot more airy and somehow brighter.

All of them were probably feeling it, Rosa suspected. Her thoughts were confirmed when Sky Light asked quietly: "What kind of pancakes?"

Chapter 86: Complicated Relationships

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Rosa waved a hoof in goodbye to her coworkers and made her way to the dressing room which also served as a tool shed. It was impossible not to smile as she stripped out of her overalls. Working Celestia's gardens and her hedge maze and the floral clock was rewarding on any day, especially when she saw ponies strolling around in wide-eyed wonder and with those grins on their muzzles. Of course the grounds were open to the general populace. Just a year ago, when Earth had still been fresh in her mind, that would have felt wrong. Now it made perfect sense.

Why lock beauty away so that only a privileged elite could see it?

It had to be beautiful, now more than ever. Rosa was doing her bit to help. Celestia had finally managed to convince the humans that Cadence's actions hadn't been intentional, nor sanctioned. They were sending a delegation to meet with her and it was very important that everything looked perfect. Any human diplomat having a stroll through the palace gardens would find only the best Equestria had to offer.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't the most important bit, but it was her part in the whole thing and Rosa had done her absolute best! Depending on how those talks panned out, it might lead to freeing more ponies. Perhaps her other friends from the School or maybe even Maribelle. It hadn't taken more than a few weeks of talking with Celestia for Rosa to become fervently convinced that the only possible future lay in friendship. Both sides had done wrong. Both sides had suffered. The way forward was through forgiveness.

That last thought made Rosa a little sad. Cadence was still locked up in the same dungeon where she had first visited her. She was clearly languishing, but both Celestia and Luna seemed determined to keep her there. It was nowhere near Rosa's place to speak up, but she was starting to think that she should go and have a word with them. Plead a little on Cadence's behalf. She should have been imprisoned, Rosa agreed with that part, but perhaps she could finally be given some basic comforts. Like a shower and a proper toilet for start.

Shaking her head to clear it of the sad thoughts, Rosa hung her overalls in her locker and headed out. There was such a lot to do, even outside of her job. First she had to meet up with Paolo at the Post Office. He would have gotten off work before her, but he would be waiting there like always. Such a good colt! After that, she and him were meeting up with Sky Light back at the house. She would take Iris and they would all go to that restaurant on the edge for dinner.

Rosa was also planning the Thing that night and even without thinking about it directly her heart started going crazy. Doing somersaults or something. It was a piece of luck her ribs didn't break. Knowing what she was going to say made her whinny a little in delight and do a quick little prance. One of the passing high-society unicorns shook her head in dismay, but Rosa just kept smiling and the lady shrugged to herself before continuing into the gardens proper.

Telling Paolo her news would be the best thing ever!

Then, to top everything off, Fluttershy was coming to visit! The Elements were going to be there for the diplomacy, so Rosa's mother was arriving tomorrow morning on the first train! Granted, she'd have to go straight to the Castle, but Rosa would still meet her and the rest of the gang on the train station. Then, after the talks were done, she would stay around for a day or two so the two of them could catch up. Was this the best week of Rosa's life or what?! Her pace quickened as she turned down the main street. Paolo would not have much longer to wait, after all.

Paolo was standing in front of the Post Office, just like Rosa had been expecting. He was chatting idly with one of his coworkers, but he must have been keeping a close eye on the street, because the second she came into view, he gave her an enthusiastic wave. He finished his conversation while Rosa hurried toward him. She didn't speak as they met, opting instead to give him a kiss. It still made her blush, even though they'd been kissing in public for months now. When she reluctantly withdrew, Rosa leaned her muzzle against his neck and sighed in contentment.

"Missed you!"

"You too!"

"Love you!"

"Love you too!"

She couldn't help noticing how firm Paolo's body was. Oh, he could be soft and she'd had countless cuddle sessions on the couch to prove that, but flying for the Post Office had really gone a long way to define Paolo's muscles. It had been Sky Light who had put the idea in Rosa's head that time when she first met Paolo in the resistance camp, and Rosa couldn't help admiring his flank each time she saw him. In her defence, it was a very good flank.

"So, we still on for dinner?" Paolo asked, interrupting Rosa's unashamed staring.

"Wha-? Oh! Yeah, we're picking Sky Light and Iris up at the house, then I have a reservation. I got us a table right at the edge!"

She was still not all that comfortable with heights, but Rosa knew both pegasi would appreciate it. Well, all three of them. It was a bit hard to tell with Iris, but Rosa thought she liked looking out over the city wall at the vast panorama under Canterlot.

"Great!"

Rosa's treacherous mouth nearly blabbed the surprise right there and then, but she managed to rein it in at the last second. "Come on, I've been digging up weeds the whole day and I'm starving!"

He took the lead, chuckling as if Rosa had said something funny, and she fell in step with the pegasus.

Rosa's salad was absolutely delicious! It always was, but maybe the big news she was sitting on that day had somehow helped the taste. For that matter, Paolo's omelette was pretty good, too. Of course he let her taste it, just like Rosa had let him taste her salad. From the look on Sky Light's face her vegetable stew wasn't bad either. Plus she had pancakes coming right after.

She remembered those weird few days when they both lived with Pavo Basilius and his family. Rosa couldn't stop eating for some reason. Whereas now... Yes, she'd given pancakes a thought, but decided against them. Now Rosa was only slightly regretting her decision. It didn't matter. She had something much sweeter to look forward to. Just thinking about it brought a fresh smile to her face.

"You're in a good mood," Sky Light commented, pointing with her spoon.

"Yep."

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why?" she asked.

Was this a good time? Rosa cast a surreptitious glance around. Both herself and Paolo had finished eating and Sky seemed to be on her last mouthful.

"Well, I've been thinking..." Rosa began.

Somehow Paolo sensed this was about him and began to stare at Rosa with undisguised curiosity. There was a faint smile playing across his lips, but other than that she couldn't tell what he was thinking. Did he know?! Had he guessed?!

Rosa shook her head and plunged on. "Paolo, I was thinking..."

His ears perked up even more and Rosa didn't even know how that was possible. He had been at full-perk already! It must have been some of that mythical Post Office training.

"I think it's time you move in!" she blurted out.

Paolo blinked a few times, dumbfounded, as if unable to quite grasp what she was saying.

Luckily, Rosa kept her smile up and to her eternal gratitude, Sky Light didn't make an inopportune comment at that point. She wanted to, Rosa could tell from her twitching ears, but she didn't.

"You mean..." Paolo tried to wrap his mind around the concept.

"Yeah! Move in with me and Sky Light!"

"About time..." Sky muttered under her breath, but not quite low enough.

"Wow! Oh. Um- yes, of course! I mean- wow!" the colt fell all over his words. It was cute and Rosa gave his nose a little kiss. Something occurred to him and his ears splayed out. "Um, do you want me to sleep on the couch?" he asked timidly. "I mean, it's okay! I don't mind, the couch is okay."

This time Sky Light actually groaned. "Oh, give the puppy a bone, Rosa," she told her friend firmly. "Better yet, take his bone, won't you? It's been over a year, you stupid girl. It's a wonder he even stayed with you this long, considering all the fine filly flank in this town!"

Paolo was blushing at what the mare was implying, but so was Rosa. "Not on the couch," she said, focusing on simply answering Paolo's question. "My bed is wide enough, right? I mean, it's not a big room, but we can make do for a while."

"F-For a w-while?" Paolo squeaked in alarm.

Rosa gave Sky Light a faint smile, wondering how she would take it. She had been meaning to tell the mare for a while, but had never quite worked up the courage. Well, it seemed like it was now or never.

"Well, yeah. I guess we'll move somewhere - I mean, in a few months, once Iris is-"

Sky put a hoof on Rosa's leg and smiled gently. "It's fine, Rosa. It really is." She held up her hooves to forestall the reply. "I mean, you're welcome to stay for as long as you want, of course you are. But I don't have a right to your life, girl. Iris and me will be fine..."

The mare held Rosa's gaze for a moment, then her muzzle split into a grin. "... as long as you promise to visit! Often!"

"Oh! Of course! I was thinking about looking for a place near there anyway. I like the neighborhood. So I can babysit and all, you know?"

Paolo looked from Rosa to Sky, then back, then at Sky again. "You're talking about me- us moving somewhere together?! Like, just us?! Alone?! You and me?!"

His befuddlement made Sky Light chuckle. "Try to keep up, sweetie," she told him.

Rosa threw her hooves around the colt, gave him a quick peck on his ear, and sighed. "Yeah. Move in with Sky and me until I can get it all sorted, then a place of our own. We both have jobs, we can afford it, too."

"That... actually sounds really good!" Paolo said, looking off into a distance and undoubtedly imagining it, just like Rosa had for the past week. "I don't mind staying with both of you, either."

"Aw, such a sweet gentlecolt," Sky Light commented, reaching over the table to pat him lightly on the head.

Luckily, Iris woke up in that moment which meant Sky was completely occupied for a few minutes to make sure her daughter was okay and didn't need anything. Just like Rosa had predicted, Sky Light made a great mother, if a bit fussy at times.

Instead, Rosa turned in her seat so she was facing Paolo. "How about day after tomorrow?"

"Huh?"

"I'm meeting Fluttershy tonight and they have that diplomatic visit from Earth tomorrow. We'll probably do something together tomorrow night and she might sleep over. You can move in day after tomorrow."

"Y-Yeah, sure. That works."

She shuffled along her seat until she could lean completely against Paolo. He was still as warm as ever and his wing wrapping automatically around her felt divine, as Rarity would have put it.

"You know, I'm happy the way things turned out for us, but I can't help thinking about everyone we left behind in the School. I wonder what Adonai is doing, and Jon. Even Martin, actually."

Paolo gave this some thought, then shrugged, his feathers rustling against her side. "Dunno," he said. "I guess they're fine. We never considered ourselves slaves, right?"

"I still hope Celestia can work something out."

Before Paolo could reassure her, Sky Light poked Rosa's side with a wing feather. "Drop it, Rosa. You can stop working, okay?"

"What do you mean?"

The mare extended a wing to show off the panorama to her side. "Look out there. It's Equestria. We made it. Let Celestia deal with the rest, you can relax and live your life now."

She paused for a moment to pick Iris up from the baby carriage and place her in her lap. The filly aimed a very thoughtful look at Rosa for a few seconds, before losing interest and turning to gaze out across the land.

Sky Light continued: "You don't have to be responsible for everyone, Rosa. You got me out, you helped me with Iris. We're both happy. You can stop working now."

"B-But, I have a job..." Rosa said doubtfully, unsure what Sky Light was getting at.

It made the mare laugh. "You'll understand someday. Just- take it easy and enjoy your colt over there, right?"

That was right! In another couple of days he'd be moving in and sleeping in the same bed! Rosa wondered what it'd feel like. What that would feel like. She had wanted it, badly. A few times she'd nearly given in. Then there had been the heat. It was a good thing Sky Light had spotted the symptoms and kept Rosa locked up, otherwise she would have done something she'd regret. Even so, Rosa thought her right hoof was never going to forgive her.

Now? It was time. Sky was right. Iris was born and they were both doing fine. She was still seeing the Canterlot Medical's therapist once a month and she often cooked for the neighbors these days. She had made friends here and she had built herself a life. She had even found a job. Well, part of one. It turned out one of the fancier hotels in Canterlot had a roulette table and Sky was a natural for running it. They'd promised to keep a spot for her until Iris was old enough for day care.

Rosa herself had fulfilled her promise to her and now she could finally be with Paolo. Thinking of him, Rosa was intimately aware of each small breath the colt took, each slight movement and tremor. A quick glance around showed her that no one else was near. Sky Light couldn't see through the wooden table. Before Rosa could think about it some more and chicken out, she grabbed Paolo's hoof with her own and dragged it into her lap.
She placed it against her belly, then pushed it down until she could grip it with her thighs.

To his credit, Paolo managed to hold back a surprised squeak, but his eyes widened in alarm. Rosa smiled and gave him a wink, and after a few seconds he returned her grin. Now that she'd made the decision, it was going to be a very long two days for Rosa...

She hadn't made any dinner plans, which was a good thing because Fluttershy had invited Rosa and Sky Light to the Castle. Celestia and Luna were still in meetings with the human delegation, so they hadn't joined them. In the end it was just some of the Elements in the small dining room, the ones who didn't have to leave on some business or other.

Rosa had finished the soup and the main course. She didn't know what it was called, except that there were potatoes in it and it was a little spicy. Now she was having cake. Fluttershy was sitting beside her, daintily nibbling on a bit of rose petal salad. Across the table were Rarity, who would never miss an invitation to the Castle, and Twilight Sparkle with Flurry Heart.

While Rosa had met her a few times, she didn't know a lot about the youngest alicorn, but she looked a bit bored and sad. She was probably thinking about her mother in the cells somewhere below them.

"So, the humans demanded that Cadence be turned over to them," Twilight was commenting, making Flurry's ears droop even further.

"Auntie Celestia and auntie Luna aren't going to d-do it, are they?" the youngest Princess asked in a fearful, trembling voice.

"No, of course not!" Rarity assured her. "Those brutes just want to execute her!"

All of them shuddered at the thought and Flurry actually gave a tiny squeak.

Luckily Twilight noticed and offered the young mare a wing-hug. "Don't worry, we're not letting that happen."

"B-But what if they refuse to t-talk if they don't get..." Flurry asked, unable to even finish the sentence.

Fluttershy smiled across the table. "Oh, don't you worry about that. Now that they're talking, Celestia will have them eating out of the frog of her hoof in no time, you'll see! They didn't say 'no' outright."

"Yeah, if anyone can do it, it's Celestia!" Rosa confirmed.

Flurry was about to ask another question when the door behind them opened. Rosa twisted her neck around briefly to see Luna. They must have finished. Hopefully they had made some good progress.

"M-Mom?!" Flurry whispered and Rosa spun around again.

Cadence was standing behind Luna, still bound up in her chains. Her head was hung low, but when she heard her daughter's voice she looked up, stunned.

"Do not tell Celestia this," Luna said as she shut the door behind them, "but I think Cadence deserves a good meal before she goes back."

Flurry was already rushing across the floor to her mother, but she dug her hooves in at the last second and stopped just short. Rosa couldn't see her face, but her ears went all the way flat and her tail tucked up against her belly. "Y-You're not giving her to the humans?!" the young alicorn asked. "Please don't, please, auntie Luna!"

The Princess touched Flurry's cheek with a careful hoof. "Don't worry," she said quietly, but loud enough for them all to hear. "Sister hasn't even considered it. She only brought Cadence up so the humans could see she was really being punished."

"Mom!" Flurry choked out and fell on the pink mare, who caught her with a jingle of chains. For a moment they just stood, embraced, but then Rosa heard Cadence sobbing. "Oh, I'm so sorry, my beautiful Flurry! I never should have left you!"

"Go, eat. I should not keep you here too long," Luna said, but she was smiling a little at the sight.

"I s-shouldn't," Cadence said, despite eyeing the table and licking her lips in anticipation. "The food in the dungeon will be even more horrid after this..."

Luna gave her a pat on the back, completely uncaring of the grime. "Well, perhaps that part of your punishment will soon be over, Cadence. I will see if I can persuade Celestia to at least give you a room up here."

Something clicked in Rosa's mind and she gasped. She covered her muzzle with her hooves, but it was too late. Everyone looked at her.

"What is it?" Fluttershy asked.

"D-Did Celestia just keep Cadence in the cells so she could show the humans how she was being punished?! Was it part of her plan?!"

Everyone seemed stunned by the accusation, but Rosa could swear a tiny smile flashed across Luna's muzzle before she could wipe it away.

"I don't care," Cadence said. "Even if that was her plan, I fully deserve this."

Flurry was shaking her head even while holding on to her mother. "Mom, no..."

Cadence patted her muzzle with a wing feather to silence her, then sighed. "No, sweetheart, I did some very bad things. Don't worry, this isn't forever."

Seeing that Cadence still hadn't decided and then noticing how thin she was around the belly spurred Rosa to get up. She stood and grabbed a fresh plate from the end of the table. She quickly piled it up with the - what was it again? - Saddle Arabian potato dish. "Come on, at least have dinner with us."

She was undecided, but Rosa saw a drop of drool escape from Cadence's mouth. Finally her ears folded back and she looked at the floor. "M-Maybe just a little something," she gave in.

Rosa purposefully put the plate right next to her seat. Burned bridges were there to be mended, after all. "Here, sit with me, Cadence."

She did so, followed closely by Flurry Heart who pushed another chair to her mother's other side. She wasn't speaking, but tears were streaming freely down her muzzle. Rosa didn't think she had had many opportunities to see her mother since- well, since she was born. She must have felt even worse than Rosa did before she had found Fluttershy. At least in her case, Rosa didn't know that her mother had purposefully abandoned her for the sake of revenge.

Cadence ate quickly, if a little clumsily. Being an alicorn meant she hadn't had much practice with her hooves, at least not since her teenage years, but her daughter was attentive and helped out with a napkin whenever her mother spilled something on herself. They seemed... if not exactly happy, then 'content'. Hopefully they'd mend, with time. Seeing that alicorns lived practically forever, they'd certainly have a chance to, Rosa thought.

"For what it's worth," she told Cadence, "Sky Light is very happy with Iris."

The Princess froze and turned her head to look at Rosa.

"Doesn't make what you did right, but I guess it turned out okay. I hope that helps."

Cadence nodded slowly, then sniffed. "Please tell Sky Light how sorry I am. I'd like to say it in person, if she will see me."

"I'll tell her and I'll ask."

"Thank you."

Across the table, Rosa saw Twilight give her an approving smile and a nod. On her other side, Fluttershy laid her hoof on her side in support. It felt promising. Clearing things up with Cadence and then with all of Earth. Maybe she would get to see her friends again before she died. Maribelle. Her other friends in the School. Velvet, Bluegrass and Pepper, the 'Truck Stop Gang'. Pavo and his family, Lillian. Arda and 'Mario'. Even Terry.

Hopefully Rosa wasn't entirely done with Earth yet.

"How has Auntie Twilight been treating you?" Cadence softly asked her daughter.

The title made Twilight giggle a little and after a moment Flurry chuckled too. "She's fine, just a bit... you know."

"Just a bit what, darling?" Rarity asked, grinning.

"You know... bookish..."

Everyone at the table laughed at that, but then Twilight raised an admonitory hoof. "Life can't all be flying around with colts, young mare!"

Another bout of laughter.

Cadence heaved a sigh. "I should be with you, sweetheart. There are some things a young mare should learn from her mother, not from an aunt."

"Actually, Twilight has been really nice. She's not too mean or strict or anything!" Flurry pointed out helpfully.

"That's what I'm worried about, dear."

Again, everyone laughed at this.

They were going to be fine, someday. Celestia had been right. Cadence could be completely rehabilitated, even if it took years. Whether she'd earn back Celestia's trust was another matter, but Rosa was kind of leaning towards 'yes'. After all, Luna had.

Rosa's old roommates were already waiting for her at the railroad station as she was seeing Fluttershy and her friends off. She'd given her mother a warm hug, waved to Flurry Heart and Twilight and watched until the train was out of sight.

"Now that right there is sweet," Amethyst commented. "Isn't that sweet?"

The others murmured their agreement, which made Rosa a bit self-conscious. Maybe it was not the politest thing to do, rubbing the fact that her mother was in Equestria with her in their faces. After all, her roommates' parents were still somewhere on Earth and it was a long shot if they'd ever see them again. Well... maybe. After what Fluttershy and her friends and Celestia had done over the past couple of days, the chances of some kind of agreement with Earth had gone from 'completely impossible' to merely 'out of the question'.

It was an improvement and Celestia had promised she'd keep working on it in the press release she had sent out once the human diplomats had left. Another piece of good news was that she had relented to Luna and Twilight's pleading and agreed to move Cadence from a cell to a suite in the Castle proper. She'd still be wing-bound and horn-ringed, but the manacles would be replaced by a spell on her room so she couldn't leave. She'd also be allowed visitors for two hours every week. It was not so much about Cadence, but Flurry would be able to start working things out with her mother who had been absent for most of her young life.

On that topic, Sky Light had agreed with Rosa. She was still quite pissed with the alicorn, but having Iris really was helping. She had said she would think about going to see Cadence again. It was a promising start.

Rosa shook her head clear of those thoughts and turned back to her friends. "So, where to?"

The crystal pony at Amethyst's side offered a tentative suggestion: "Uh, if I may... how about that new place? Um, the 'Cupcake Nook'?"

Rosa was not completely sure what the colt and Amethyst had together, especially since she sometimes saw him out with Valentina. Hopefully he wasn't lying to one or the other. To be completely honest, what with one thing and another, Rosa hadn't spent nearly as much time with her friends as she had wished. All of them were getting jobs and a few of them were seeing someone, from what Rosa could gather. For the moment, only Crystal Arrow was with the group since he lived in the same building as Amethyst. Felicity and Iskra were on their own today.

"Actually, I could go for a cupcake. Do they make those blueberry ones?" Rosa decided.

"Oh yes, if we're lucky we'll get some straight from the oven!" Iskra exclaimed, jumping up and down a little and fluttering her wings in excitement.

"Sweet! I'll take a couple home for Sky and Iris!"

As they started walking, Felicity fell in step with Rosa and asked: "Paolo isn't with you?"

It was a bit stating the obvious, but Rosa interpreted it as a question. "Oh no. He has to work things out with his landlady. He's moving out."

"Moving out?!" Amethyst gaped. "Moving where?! You guys haven't broken up, have you?"

Rosa giggled at her sorrowful expression and at Iskra's thoughtful one. Without a doubt, Iskra would be all over Rosa's pegasus if they broke up. "Nothing like that. He's moving in with me."

Before she could make two more steps Valentina spun around and hugged her, right in the middle of the street. A bell rang and a carriage had to make its way around them. The pony pulling it gave them an annoyed look, but didn't say anything.

"So, how was it? Do tell!" Amethyst asked with a grin that reminded Rosa a lot of Sky Light's. She couldn't help noticing how she sidestepped and bumped her flank against Crystal Arrow's. Okay, so it was Amethyst and the colt. So that must mean he and Valentina were just friends. That was good to know.

"Well, we haven't- you know. Not yet. We were waiting until we move in together."

All the girls giggled at that. "You're too old fashioned, Rosa," Felicity commented.

At the same time Valentina gave her a wink. "Girl, you don't know what you're missing! Oh boy, you're in for a sweet time! Well, maybe. Hopefully Paolo knows what to do." She walked over to Crystal and hooked a leg around the stallion. "Want me to have this lump give Paolo a few tips?"

The two kissed and Rosa blinked in confusion. Wait, so it was Valentina and Crystal Arrow. Why would Amethyst have bumped flanks with him earlier? An accident?

Rosa shook her head and pointed an accusing hoof. "Okay, okay. First of all, what the hell is happening with you three? I can't work it out."

The crystal pony looked from her to Amethyst and then to Valentina, arching an eyebrow in confusion.

"Which one of you is with him? Because right now, you're giving me kind of mixed signals here."

"Rosa," Amethyst said softly while Valentina did her best to keep herself from outright laughing. "Rosa, I thought you knew! We both are."

Well, that was... uh. They were b-both... "What?"

Both mares hugged the colt, each from one side, except that Valentina was now chortling into his mane. Even Amethyst was having a hard time containing her giggles. "It's called a herd, Rosa. Well, they don't do it all that much around here, but it's gotten popular again in the Crystal Empire. There's more mares than stallions, we have to get it where we can, right?"

She gave Crystal Arrow a very passionate kiss which ended with a good nuzzle. "It's not a problem, is it? You're not some kind of a prude, are you?"

Felicity shrugged, looking strangely at Rosa. "She might be, guys. She hasn't even done it with Paolo and they've been together a year!"

"Poor boy!" Iskra whined. "I wish I'd known, I could go and help him out."

"What?! NO!"

"You sure?" the pegasus went on. "We could, y'know, share him a bit. He has plenty of feathers to go around. Whaddya say, Rosa?"

Rosa needed to take a deep breath before she started shouting and said something stupid and lost all her friends in the next five minutes. She put her hooves over her face to get a moment's privacy, then exhaled. "First of all: Iskra - no..."

She looked so downcast and Rosa's eyes were drawn to Crystal Arrow, who certainly didn't mind being nuzzled by two mares at the same time. He probably didn't mind being... well, 'looked after' by the two of them, either.

Cheeks blushing, Rosa revised her statement: "Look, this is all a bit of a shock right now, okay? I'm not saying 'no, never', just- give me a time to figure things out with Paolo and me, okay?"

Her pegasus friend looked like she was on the verge of tears, but that last bit made her brighten up some.

"I'm not saying yes either, Iskra! If you find yourself a nice colt, then go for it, okay? I'm saying 'maybe'. Someday. Maybe!"

Her smile vanished and her ears splayed out, but the mare nodded. "Okay, I understand. I won't count on it, promise."

That one sorted out, at least hopefully, Rosa turned her gaze to the happy couple- or was it a happy 'triple'? "I'm happy for you guys, really. It was just unexpected. Gimme a minute or two to get used to the idea. I mean, as long as you all agree, there shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"That's right," Amethyst said firmly. It felt as if she was challenging Rosa to condemn what they were doing, so Rosa made sure to keep her expression carefully blank.

"Okay. Now that's settled, all I need is for Felicity to tell me she's seeing a dragon or a griffin or something like that."

Five perfectly impassive faces stared back at her.

"Oh, for crying out loud..."

"It's not official or anything, okay?" Felicity said. "I've just gone on a couple of dates."

"Okay, so which one is it? Dragon or griffin?" Rosa almost stopped the next question from popping out, but it forced its way past her lips before she could bite it back. "Are dragons or griffins even - you know... 'compatible'? Down there?"

Felicity giggled and shook her head. "Dunno. Actually she's a zebra."

That was a bit less exotic than Rosa had feared, but she made sure not to show fresh shock on her face at 'she'. "Well, I'm happy for you. Everyone should be happy."

A very scary thought popped into her head and Rosa gasped and covered her mouth with her hooves. "Girls, I need you to promise me something, okay?"

They looked strangely at her, but after a moment all four of them relax and Amethyst spoke for the group: "Of course, Rosa. Anything for you."

"Promise me you will not, ever tell Sky Light about herds, ever! At least while me and Paolo are living there!"

If that mare found out about this sort of thing, Rosa thought she'd be looking for a separate apartment with Paolo within the hour. She could just imagine it. Sky Light would probably come knocking on her bedroom when she heard the two doing anything. She would probably offer to help.

That reminded Rosa of something she had completely forgotten. Of course Sky Light would hear it all. Their walls might as well be made out of paper. She ground her teeth together in determination. She would still do it. She had waited long enough! She and Paolo would just have to endure Sky's little jokes the next morning. It probably wouldn't be so bad.

Rosa heaved a long-suffering sigh. "This cupcake place, do they serve alcohol? I think I need a drink..." She wondered if it was just her, or were all her friends starting to sound like Sky Light?

Chapter 87: Forgiveness

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Rosa hummed her - or rather Fluttershy's - song as she put down the bowls of oatmeal. It was nothing special, but it was simple to make and quite satisfying. The colt - her coltfriend - was still blinking a little groggily behind the table.

"Thanks," he murmured as Rosa joined him on the seat next to his.

"So, got anything planned today?"

"Nothing really," Paolo admitted, then stretched out his wings and yawned. "You?"

"Got some work, but not a whole lot. We're doing the Autumn Arrangement for the flowerpots out at the main entrance today."

"On a Saturday?"

Rosa frowned momentarily as she considered this, but then shrugged to herself. "I don't really mind, I volunteered. Wanna come with and then grab lunch together? Oh, and Flurry asked us out to dinner later on."

"Sounds like fun. All of that, actually."

"It is! River Stone has been using some kind of spell to make sunflowers grow faster and she thinks they're Celestia's favorite, so we'll put them everywhere."

The misconception still made Rosa giggle. She wondered again if she should have told her unicorn boss, but she thought better of it. River had so much fun with her little projects and Celestia didn't mind.

"Wait, aren't sunflowers her favorite then?" Paolo asked, still a bit asleep so he probably wasn't quite following. "You'd think- I mean, from the name..."

"Nope. It's moonflowers."

"Huh."

"She told me. She came to like them after- well, after she had to banish Nightmare Moon to the, well, moon. She said they reminded her of Luna. Well, of who she had been, not the Nightmare she became."

The colt stretched out his forelegs, too. "I guess that makes sense."

"Don't tell anyone. It's not really a secret, but I think Celestia enjoys having something that isn't so... public, you know?"

"Mhm," Paolo promised, already chewing industriously.

Rosa also took a spoonful, but she wasn't particularly hungry that morning. Just a memory of last night was enough to drive all thoughts of food from her mind. No wonder Paolo was so sleepy. It was only strange that Rosa wasn't.

She couldn't stand it. She wanted to touch the colt some more, so she leaned over and threw her hooves around his withers. "I loved last night," she whispered in his ear.

His ear folded down, flicking her on the nose which made her giggle. "Yeah, sorry about that first, um, time. I didn't mean to-"

She shut him by the simple expedient of squeezing all air out of his lungs. It made the poor colt squeak, but he didn't complain.

"Hush. You made up for it later. We'll just have to practice more." Her grin widened even as Rosa's blush deepened. "Let's do it again tonight." She nuzzled him and planted a few tiny kisses right on his cheek, in an effort to entice Paolo to turn his head. He didn't get the idea, so Rosa poked him in the ribs and the sudden jolt made him look over at her in surprise. That way she could bring their lips together and silence anything he might have wanted to say. When she was done, Paolo just kept grinning with an unfocused, faraway look.

"What is it?"

He finally looked at her and his smile widened. "Just realized we're really here. Equestria. Together."

"Of course! Where else?"

It had been a rhetorical question so it was just as well Paolo didn't try to answer. Instead, he touched his nose to hers and asked: "Did I ever tell you I love you?"

Rosa could have stood to hear it more often, but she didn't say that. "Not yet today."

"Sorry."

"I love you too."

The eatery they ended up in was extremely fancy, although Rosa would have rather picked the edge place with the view, if it had been her choice. This dinner would be Flurry Heart's treat, though, which gave the young mare the prerogative to pick the locale.

It wasn't too over the top, Rosa thought as she looked around at the decorations. Some gilding, a few expensive-looking paintings, soft, red velvet on the chairs, and the rich luster of silverware on the tables. There were a few well-off ponies seated here and there, all stallions in suits and all mares in various themes on 'fancy dress', which made Rosa feel extremely under-dressed, but she spotted Flurry Heart waving at them from a booth and the Princess wasn't wearing any clothes herself. There was a frail-looking tiara in her mane and Rosa caught the glint of earrings, but that seemed to be it.

She nudged Sky Light in the right direction and made her way there, trusting Paolo to stay by her side.

"Holy- um, wow. Posh," Sky Light commented when she'd caught up.

Pretty soon they were all seated, Rosa with Paolo on one side, and Sky with Flurry on the other. It had seemed like the most natural arrangement, although there was a noticeable gap between the pegasus and the alicorn. Rosa hoped it wasn't some subconscious, residual resentment for Flurry's mother by Sky Light.

"Thank you all for coming," the resident Princess said. "I would have understood if you didn't want to see me."

Her ear twitched slightly, which caught Rosa's attention. She peered at the Princess a little closer and, to her surprise, saw that Flurry Heart was nervous. Now that Rosa knew, the signs were obvious. The way she had slightly splayed her ears. A tension as she maintained her grin a little wider than it would have been naturally, even a brief moment when the Princess forgot herself and fiddled a with her hooves.

Rosa didn't know how to respond to that, or whether she even wanted to bring it up, but luckily Sky Light, who apparently hadn't noticed a thing, spoke up: "Yeah, about that- why did you invite us? I mean, it's nice and all, and this place looks expensive, but why us? Why now?"

Flurry's ears went a fraction further down before she brought them under control again. She gave a light, self-deprecating chuckle. "Well, for one, other than Auntie Twilight, I don't really have many friends. I don't think Auntie Twilight counts, ether, but she keeps saying it does."

Rosa and Sky Light glanced at each other in surprise, but kept quiet as the Princess stared fixedly at a candle flame.

"I guess it's because of these," she explained and opened her wings a fraction, "and this," she pointed at her horn. "Everypony is in such awe at the other Princesses that they just bow, and scrape, and cringe. I can't really talk to anypony, you see?"

"I think I do," Rosa said. "They're all in awe of you. I've seen it in the palace with Cele- I mean, Princess Celestia. I think she liked having me and Sky Light around because we didn't grow up with these preconceptions."

Sky Light was nodding in agreement. "Yeah, unicorns and magic were a bit of a shock, and alicorns were basically just legends - never thought I'd see one, let alone five of you, but once that initial shock passed, I guess you're just ponies underneath it all."

The smile on Flurry's face was becoming less forced and more natural, and she seemed to be breathing a bit more easily.

"Well, with Celestia and Luna, there's a whole lot before you get to 'underneath',but- they're nice," Rosa finished Sky Light's thought. "Twilight- well, she's just Twilight. I can't imagine anyone bowing for her, not after they've known her for five minutes."

That observation made all four of them chuckle, even Paolo who hadn't had as much dealings with any of the Princesses and seemed a bit awestruck with Flurry Heart.

"So that's it then?" Sky Light asked, the suspicious look fading from her face as she leaned back against the seat. "You just wanted a few friends who don't worship you?"

The Princess was nodding enthusiastically. "Yes! Yes. You two especially-" She fell silent and her ears folded down as she covered her mouth with a hoof. A look of horror crept into her eyes. "Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry, that came out totally wrong!"

Sky Light looked blank, but Rosa thought she understood and held up a hoof to forestall any questions. "I think I get it. Of all the ponies in Equestria, me and Sky Light would be the least likely to... well, 'worship' you, because of your mother."

Flurry gave them a single, tense nod. She waited for the verdict and kept glancing from Rosa, to Sky Light and back, even as her ears sagged lower and lower.

"Reasonable," Sky decided. "For the record, I wouldn't have 'worshipped' you even if it weren't for that. I mean- Celestia and Luna, sure, just because of who they are. Twilight- well, if she weren't Twilight I might have, because of all that Elements of Harmony heroics. You, on the other hand - you're just a kid."

This time it was Sky Light who colored and flattened her ears. "Um, no offense," she added, suddenly realizing that, young or not, Flurry still was a Princess of Equestria and, soon, Ruler of the Crystal Empire.

Her sudden deference broke the ice and Flurry shifted closer so she could put her hooves on Sky Light's withers. "Oh, no, no, please don't apologize. You're absolutely right."

All of them relaxed once again, but no one knew really what to say. Luckily, the unicorn waiter, looking slightly comical to Rosa with his haughty expression and white shirt, and the black bow tie, chose that exact moment to ask for their orders.

It was incredible timing and Rosa later wondered whether he had been listening and picked that time to ease the tension around the table. If so, he had fully earned the generous tip Flurry had left.

The ordering took a long while, with Sky Light asking the hapless waiter to describe several of the dishes with exceedingly outlandish names, until she picked some kind of fish. That earned her a strange look from Paolo and Flurry, but neither commented.

Rosa, feeling adventurous, had picked the dish with the most curly writing, on the grounds that it would be more foreign and, therefore, more exotic. She made sure it wouldn't have any fish or meat.

Flurry, obviously familiar with the restaurant, already knew what she wanted, and Paolo seemed to have simply gone with the first thing on the menu.

Once all that was done and the group had their drinks before them, Flurry Heart cleared her throat and said: "A-Actually, there's more. I invited you because I was hoping you'd be my friends, but there's another reason."

"Oh?" Rosa asked.

"Well, two actually. I wanted to say thanks, especially to you, Rosa."

Rosa looked at Sky, and then at Paolo, both of whom looked as bewildered as she felt. "What for?!"

Flurry, a little more certain of herself, gave her a truly warm smile. "Maybe you don't remember, but that time Celestia showed off Mother to the human diplomats. Remember? Just before she allowed her to come from the dungeons and live up in the guest quarters."

"I- I think so?"

"You were all having breakfast with the Elements, and- well," Flurry was saying, her eyes sliding away from Rosa and a faint tinge of pink entering her cheeks. "You were kind to Mother, even though you didn't have any reason to be. I- She told me how much it meant to her, and it means a lot to me, too. So thank you, Rosa."

Suddenly Rosa was embarrassed herself, and her own ears splayed. "Aw, that's okay. It was just basic courtesy."

Before she could say more, Flurry took a quick swig of her wine and twisted to face Sky Light directly. "Mother also asked me to tell you how sorry she was. She knows there's no excuse, but she- um- she wants to know if you're happy with- with your daughter."

This question made Sky Light tense right back up, and her wings slightly part in defense. She narrowed her eyes as she inspected the young alicorn. "Okay, and just what is that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"Nothing!" Flurry said and leaned away from that intense glare. "I swear! She wanted to know how you and your daughter are doing!" She cast a brief, pleading look at Rosa.

"Sky," Rosa said, "I think she means it. The ponies here don't work the way most humans did on Earth. It's not a sneaky jab. I really think Cadence just honestly wants to know how you and Iris are. Maybe she's hoping you'll forgive her, soon."

Her words were making Flurry Heart nod enthusiastically. "Yes! It's just that, no ulterior motive, I swear!"

Sky Light was settling back down when Flurry let out a small gasp. "Wait, your daughter's name is 'Iris'?"

The pegasus was immediately on the defensive again. "Yeah, what of it?"

This time Flurry didn't notice the barb in the question, she was smiling hugely. "That's beautiful! Iris is my favourite flower from Earth! I have a garden full of them back at Twilight's castle! Oh, I'd really love to meet her some day! Uh- only if you're okay with it, of course."

Her praise was honest and it seemed even Sky Light sensed that. She relaxed again and gave a slight shrug. "Sure. Come and visit any time."

The invitation made Flurry clap her hooves together in delight. "I will! Thanks!" She went back to her glass of wine, if only for something to do. To Rosa, the Princess felt genuine and earnest. She loved her Mother, despite her questionable actions, and she liked both Rosa and Sky Light, so she was doing what she could to bridge that gap between them.

Rosa thought back to the last time she'd seen Cadence, that exact breakfast Flurry had brought up. She had looked so disheveled and sad. Her voice as she begged Sky Light's forgiveness had been sincere. She was a completely different mare than the cold, imperious, angry creature Rosa had first met in the pony resistance camp. Maybe it was time to put the past where it should be?

Sky Light was still sad about her lost love, even though she had barely known Zephyr for a couple of days. Sometimes Rosa saw her look at the sky and heave a sigh. It hadn't helped that his family in Cloudsdale hadn't really wanted anything to do with this strange, old mare from Earth and the foal she claimed was their son's. They had mostly kept away, even though Celestia had tried very hard to bring them and Sky Light together. Maybe it would happen someday, and Iris deserved to have at least one set of grandparents, but that was a problem for the future. This was now, and if Twilight's stories were any indication, Cadence had once been a good pony, who had been dealt some pretty bad cards in her life.

Rosa caught Sky Light's eye and jerked her head at the Princess, who was preoccupied with swirling her wine around her glass. Sky lifted one eyebrow in a question and Rosa gave her a hopeful smile and nodded at the alicorn again. This made Sky Light roll her eyes, but she could still very nearly read Rosa's thoughts and turned to face Flurry.

"Ahem," she cleared her throat. "Look, what Cadence-" she began, but shook her head and tried again. "What your mother did was shitty, but she was right in one thing. I love Iris to bits and I'm glad I have her, so I can at least remember Zephyr. Besides, she had done her time in the slammer."

"Slammer?" Flurry asked.

"Jail," Sky Light explained. "Dungeon, whatever. I heard about what happened with your dad. It doesn't excuse Cadence, but I understand."

Rosa couldn't help smiling at the sudden blooming hope in Flurry's face. Her joy at hearing what Sky was saying rose like a morning sun and lit up her entire body. Rosa could have sworn the alicorn was beginning to glow from inside!

Sky Light still wasn't finished and waved a dismissive hoof. "I don't think I'll ever be friends with Cadence, but the stupid shrink at Canterlot Medical keeps telling me I need to let it go. So there. You're good kid, and I think Rosa likes you, so that means I like you too. You can tell your mom I forgive her."

This made Flurry squee with delight and she rushed forward to scoop Sky Light into a tight embrace. She even planted a little kiss on Sky's cheek. "Oh, thank you! Thank you, thank you!" she squealed, her wings flicking with every word. "You don't know how much that'll mean to Mother, and how much it means to me!"

The praise was making Sky Light blush and she tried to fend off the delighted mare. Unfortunately she couldn't quite fend off Flurry's sheer alicorn strength, and she certainly couldn't match her enthusiasm, so in the end she just relaxed and accepted the affection.

It looked like it would take a while, so Rosa turned to Paolo while it was happening and gave him a grin and a wink. He tentatively smiled back. "So, what does this mean?" he asked.

"It means," Rosa replied, sliding closer and slipping her hooves around his barrel as well, "that we're all going to heal, probably. Cadence too, in time."

She was in the middle of stealing a kiss from the colt, when a clink of cutlery interrupted all of them. The waiter had brought their food, all neatly arranged and floating in the air behind him. Flurry let Sky Light go as he began to place the dishes on the table. Rosa stopped her kisses, but she left one foreleg wrapped around Paolo and, after a moment, he slipped his wing around her waist.

Perhaps the palpable joy in the air made him bold, or maybe he'd drawn courage from Rosa's touch, but he looked directly at Flurry Heart and asked: "So, um, Princess- what are you the Princess of, exactly?"

Rosa chuckled at his question and gave his cheek a nuzzle. "Isn't it obvious?" she asked him.

Paolo shook his head.

Rosa opened her mouth, but then looked at Flurry, who gave her a nod to proceed.

"Forgiveness," she said.

END