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The Roseluck Chronicles Chapter 2: Flowers in the City

By: Fourdak on Sep 8th, 2012  |  syntax: None  |  size: 33.31 KB  |  hits: 447  |  expires: Never
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  1. Part1:One Week Later
  2. >One week
  3. >One week since everything changed.
  4. >Well not everything.
  5. >Surprising little has changed since that night.
  6. >The earth still turns the sun and the moon still rise
  7. >Pegasi fly through the sky and unicorns perform magic
  8. >Ponies roam the streets throughout the day.
  9. >Not much has changed with the world at all.
  10. >Something has changed with you though.
  11. >You still go to work and school throughout the week.
  12. >But there is something different.
  13. >You feel happier.
  14. >You really can’t explain it though.
  15. >You feel like it’s less of a chore going to classes in the morning
  16. >Your work in the afternoon is still tedious, but it feels less so.
  17. >Maybe it’s the magic all around you now.
  18. >It does make the world a more interesting place to live in.
  19. >Maybe it’s because you’re finally getting used to the idea of the magic around you.
  20. >Or maybe, just maybe…
  21. >The cold wind of a September night hits you as you leave work.
  22. >It snaps you back to reality.
  23. >You shiver and pull your jacket tighter around you.
  24. >You start making your way back to your apartment
  25. >And back to Rose.
  26. >Rose…
  27. >She is always happy to see you come back.
  28. >Even though you are usually tired from a long day of classes and work.
  29. > You always make some time to talk to her about how you day was
  30. >She then talks about news about her pony friends.
  31. >Maybe she is the reason…
  32. >Only partially…
  33. >It’s nice to go home and look forward to something.
  34. >The conversation is always nice and it gives you a nice way to wind down from the day.
  35. >You quicken your pace and begin to race your way home.
  36. >You make your way up the stair to your apartment.
  37. >As you approach your door you can hear the sound of voices coming from inside
  38. >Must be the news you reassure yourself.
  39. >As you open the door you see rose sitting on the couch, watching the news
  40. >Like she always is when you make it home.
  41. >Upon the door open she looks up and smiles at you.
  42. “Hello, Anon! How was your day?”
  43. >You smile back, hanging your jacket up on the coat hanger.
  44. >“It was fine, how was yours?”
  45. “It was good, what’s for dinner tonight?”
  46. >You shrug, you haven’t really thought about dinner.
  47. >”How do you like the sound of spaghetti?”
  48. “Sounds good to me.”
  49. >With that you start on dinner
  50. >It isn’t long before the noodles are boiled and the sauce is ready
  51. >You bring to plates of spaghetti to the living room and sit down next to Rose on the couch
  52. >You settle in next to Rose and prepare to eat
  53. >Rose smiles at you.
  54. “So tell me about your day…”
  55. >You smile and start talking about your morning at school
  56. >She listens quietly and slowly eats her spaghetti.
  57. >you launch into a long explanation about what you learned today
  58. >You don’t know if she understands what you are talking about.
  59. >But she never says anything and is happy to listen to you talk.
  60. >You often wonder if she likes to hear about your schooling or if it’s you just talking
  61. >You finish off with how your afternoon was at work
  62. >Although there is very little you seem to be able to talk to her about from work
  63. >Its always the same thing over and over again after all.
  64. >But, she doesn’t mind.
  65. >You finish the story about your day and smile back at her.
  66. >”So anything new in pony society today”
  67. >She frowns a bit at the question.
  68. >”Is there something wrong?”
  69. “They still haven’t found the princesses, or any news about how we got here.”
  70. >You also frown at this.
  71. >Right their princesses, Luna and Celestia. The ones who controlled their sun and moon
  72. >No one has been able to find them in the past week.
  73. >It has all the ponies worrying.
  74. >Some even wonder if they might be still in Equestria
  75. >And as far as the event that brought the ponies here.
  76. >Well, an even bigger mystery.
  77. >None of the unicorns have ever heard of a spell that would bring them to another world
  78. >Although some good news has come out of this.
  79. >As far as everyone can tell, all of the other ponies have been accounted for
  80. >Save the princesses.
  81. >You sigh as you remember the events from the past week
  82. >”How is everyp0ny doing other than that though?”
  83. >Everyp0ny, still need to get used to that.
  84. “Everyp0ny seems to be fine. They are adjusting to your world.”
  85. “There are a lot of differences, like the weather.”
  86. >”Oh yeah, you mentioned that the pegasi control the weather in Equestria.”
  87. >She nods
  88. “Since weather happens automatically happens here, they are having hard time adjusting to the randomness.”
  89. “It appears that the pegasi can still move clouds and stuff though.”
  90. >”It seems like the unicorns’ magic is unaffected though.”
  91. >She nods again
  92. >By now both of you have finished you spaghetti
  93. >You get up and bring the plate over to the sink
  94. >You yawn as you place the plates down
  95. >It’s getting late
  96. >You turn to Rose who has been watching you since you got up
  97. >”It’s getting late rose, aren’t you tired”
  98. >At the mention of this she yawns herself
  99. >She smiles and nods
  100. “Anon? Can I ask you something?”
  101. >”Sure rose what is it?”
  102. “I was wondering if tomorrow we could go out and see the city…”
  103. >You think back, has she even left the apartment since we went to the park…
  104. >Probably not, maybe a day out on the city would do her some good.
  105. >See the sights and sounds,
  106. >Maybe experience our world first hand.
  107. >You smile at Rose
  108. >”That sounds like a great idea for tomorrow”
  109. >”As a matter of fact, I’ll get up early and get everything going.”
  110. >”We’ll make a whole day of it”
  111. >She smiles back at you and slowly lays down on the couch.
  112. “Thank you anon, goodnight.”
  113. >”Goodnight rose…”
  114. End of Part 1
  115.  
  116. Part 2:A Musical Morning
  117. >You awake bright and early the next morning.
  118. >You quickly dress and stroll into the kitchen.
  119. >As you do you take a quick glance over at the couch where Rose
  120. >Still asleep
  121. >You shrug, might as well start on breakfast.
  122. >You open up a few cabinets and retrieve the pancake mix.
  123. >Pancakes, always a good way to start off a Saturday morning.
  124. >It isn’t long before you’re flipping pancakes over a hot skillet.
  125. >Above the hissing of the skillet you can hear Rose beginning to stir
  126. >”Good Morning Rose, how many pancakes would you like?”
  127. >She blinks a few times and yawns.
  128. “Good morning Anon, just three please.”
  129. >You hear her get up and trot into the bathroom
  130. >The sound of running water makes you realize something.
  131. >You have never heard her use the shower before.
  132. >As a matter of fact, this was the first time you have ever seen her enter the bathroom
  133. >Your almost too caught up in your thoughts to catch the next sound that comes from the bathroom
  134. >Humming
  135. >No a little more than humming, singing a melody.
  136. >No definite words, but singing nonetheless.
  137. >It is this that brings an all too sudden realization to you.
  138. >You know next to nothing about the mare that is living with you.
  139. >You know about her other pony friends; you know a little about their society, you even know a few names of their important people.
  140. >But you know next to nothing about Rose.
  141. >You resolve to change that today
  142. >After all, with the way things look, you two might be stuck together for a while.
  143. >You really should get to know her.
  144. >You finish up the last of the pancakes and put them over on the living room table
  145. >You wait a few minutes for Rose to finish while enjoying the music summing from the shower.
  146. >Eventually the singing and the water stops and you can hear in the process of drying off.
  147. >She slowly walks out of the bathroom slightly damp from a shower and joins you on the couch
  148. >As she sits down next to you, you are once again greeted with a strong smell of roses
  149. >How does she always smell like roses…?
  150. >The thought casually slips from you mind
  151. >You smile at her, “So, you have a beautiful singing voice.”
  152. >She blushes a bit and looks embarrassed
  153. “I didn’t think you would hear it, I usually just sing to my flowers back at home…”
  154. >She looks down at the pancakes, and smiles.
  155. “The pancakes look delicious.”
  156. >”Thank you; they are a secret family recipe.”
  157. “Oh? What’s so secret about them?”
  158. >”If I told you that, it wouldn’t be a secret anymore…”
  159. >She laughs at this.
  160. >”I have never seen you take a shower before.”
  161. >That was a stupid comment to make
  162. >She coughs slightly on the pancake she had in her mouth.
  163. >The look that she gives is one of worry.
  164. “I’m sorry, should I have not done that..?”
  165. >”No it’s perfectly fine, I’m actually thankful, I wouldn’t want a smelly pony running around my apartment.”
  166. >You chuckle at this, but she seems less than amused
  167. >Good one knuckle head now try and save it.
  168. >”I just didn’t know if you ponies used showers or not…”
  169. >”I guess there is a lot I don’t know about you…”
  170. >She nods.
  171. “There is a lot that we don’t know about each other.”
  172. >”I guess you’re right. But, anyways I want to let you know that you shouldn’t be embarrassed about taking a shower or making yourself something to eat. Mi casa es su casa.”
  173. >She tilts her head at this.
  174. “What does that mean?”
  175. >Mental note, there is no Spanish language equivalent for ponies.
  176. >”It means that ‘my house is your house.’ Basically, you should feel completely at home while you’re staying with me.”
  177. >She smiles broadly at this.
  178. “Thank you so much, Anon.”
  179. >She immediately springs on you with a hug.
  180. >You are overcome by the smell of damp fur and roses.
  181. >You hug her back, running your fingers through her silky mane again.
  182. >”It really is not trouble at all. I am glad to help.”
  183. >She releases her hug and goes back to eating her pancakes.
  184. >You both quickly finish up your breakfast and start getting ready for you day out in town.
  185. >”So Rose, anything in particular that you want to do while we are out today?”
  186. >She brings her hoof up and scratches her head.
  187. “Well, I was hoping we could find somewhere with lots of flowers. I haven’t seen any since I’ve gotten here.”
  188. >You nod, that’s right she loves flower.
  189. >You make a quick mental note of that fact.
  190. >”Anything else?”
  191. “Well, since it does seem like I’m going to be here for a while, I was wondering if we could go shopping for some boots, and warm clothes. The News has been talking about how winter is coming and how cold it’s going to be.”
  192. >Chicago winters get pretty chilly, you remind yourself
  193. >”I don’t know if we will be able to find clothes that can fit you. I’m sure that we can make a good try to find some though.”
  194. “There is also one other things I would like to do.”
  195. >”What that…?
  196. “I would like it if we could go see, what is it called, a movie.”
  197. >You smile. You haven’t been to a movie in a long time.
  198. >”Sure, a movie actually sounds great today.”
  199. >”Well, let’s get a move on; looks like we have a long day ahead of us.
  200. >You both make your way out of the apartment complex and down into the city streets of Chicago.
  201. End of Part 2
  202.  
  203. Part 3: A day in the City
  204. >You and Rose step out into the morning streets of Chicago.
  205. >And you are both immediately met by the chilly morning breeze
  206. >Rose shudders against the chill and looks up at you.
  207. >”Right first order of business, some warm clothes.”
  208. >You both set off down the street toward the Mag Mile.
  209. >Even at this semi early hour the streets are just starting to fill with people and ponies
  210. >You notice that most of them aren’t that dissimilar than you.
  211. >Usually a group of maybe two or three.
  212. >Almost all of the groups have at least one pony with them.
  213. >You occasionally see a lone pony walking along.
  214. >Or you’ll hear the flutter of feathers above and see a pair of pegasi pass over.
  215. >But most are exactly like you.
  216. >It brings relief to you that you’re not the only one escorting around a pony.
  217. >You notice that Rose is once again at awe with the city.
  218. >You smile at the mare walking besides you.
  219. >”If you have any questions, please ask…”
  220. >Rose looks back up at you
  221. “Tell me about the city.”
  222. >Such a broad topic
  223. >Where to start…
  224. >You begin by telling her about most of the major landmarks around the city.
  225. >Millennium Park, Navy Pier, The Willis Tower, all the major sports stadiums, Union Station, The Mag Mile, and any others you can name off the top of your head.
  226.  >You then launch into a brief explanation of some historical events from the city.
  227. >By the time you are done with your history lesson you have reached the beginning of the Mag Mile
  228. >As you turn and walk down the Mag Mile most of the stores are just opening for business.
  229. >The streets are more crowded with people here.
  230. >Now it’s your turn Anon…
  231. >”Tell me about Ponyville.”
  232. >You hear Rose sigh…
  233. >She launches into an explanation of ponyville and the surrounding areas.
  234. >You try and keep up with all of the terms she is talking about
  235. >But to be honest you head is still swimming with the reality of it all
  236. >You remind yourself that she probably feels the same about you and your world
  237. >You try and soak up as much information as possible
  238. >As you near the end of the talk you spot a store with a bunch of coats and boots in the shop window
  239. >It’s rather a small and modest store, but they have a nice selection of clothing
  240. > You and rose make your way over to the store and are greeted by one of the employees.
  241. >You smile at the clerk, “Hello, I was hoping you can help me and my friend find some warm clothes that will fit her.”
  242. >The store clerk sighs as he looks down at Rose.
  243. “You aren’t the first Pony that has come looking for clothing…”
  244. >The clerk walks into the back and returns a few minutes later with a few jackets
  245. “These should fit you, although they are kind of hard to closes up since most of them are made with zippers.”
  246. “If you’re looking for boots, you aren’t going to find much luck anywhere. Until someone makes some custom boots; human boots don’t fit comfortably on ponies…”
  247. >You thank the store clerk
  248. >You help rose try on some of the jackets.
  249. >At first she even has a hard time getting them onto her body.
  250. >You can see what the store clerk meant by having trouble with them.
  251. >Roses hooves weren’t made to grip small object such as zippers.
  252. >Maybe with enough practice she could use her mouth to zipper it up, but for right now, she will need some assistance.
  253. >After picking out a few jackets, a scarf, and warm hat you two make your way out onto the streets again
  254. >After walking down a few stores you notice something that catches your eye
  255. >You guide Rose into a store that specializes in hand bags.
  256. >You start talking to the sales woman about a bag that would be comfortable on Rose.
  257. >The sales woman doesn’t look exactly thrilled with the idea of having a pony in her store.
  258. “I’m sorry but I have nothing that would be suitable for that thing. Please leave.”
  259. >You feel anger build inside of you as you quickly escort Rose out of the store.
  260. >Once outside slowly put your emotions in check.
  261. >”I’m so sorry, you had to hear that Rose…”
  262. >Rose is looking at the ground and barely even acknowledges you.
  263. “It’s ok, I know that some humans don’t view us as you do, I just didn’t…”
  264. >You reach down and slowly pet her mane.
  265. >”I know, I think that enough shopping for today. Let’s make our way to the park.”
  266. >You walk off of the Mag Mile and start to head for Millennium Park
  267. >It is one of the closet places that you know of that has flowers that are in bloom right now.
  268. >If it was earlier in the year, you would have probably have taken Rose to the Botanic Gardens.
  269. >But, the park will have to do.
  270. >On your way to the park, Rose asks the question you have feared
  271. “Tell me about the Earth and Humanity…”
  272. >You might as well be blunt with her.
  273. >She has already seen the cruelty of a human, and she has been watching the news all week.
  274. >She should know the rest of the story.
  275. >”We aren’t all like that…”
  276. >”Most of us are good natured, hardworking, and mean the world good.”
  277. >”It just seems that the bad are the ones who stand out the most.”
  278. >Using that as a starting point, you launch into an abbreviated history of mankind
  279. >You lightly touch on the differences of the beginnings of mankind.
  280. >You go through the rise and fall of the great empires of mankind
  281. >You move on to the discovery of America and the history leading up to present day.
  282. >”Our history is marred with blood of the innocent and wicked, all in the name of the survival of the species.”
  283. >”On top of all that we don’t take care of the planet and we continue to hurt others for our own personal gain.”
  284. >By now, you are just reaching the park.
  285. >”But even though all of that, there are the bright points in our history that make it all worthwhile.”
  286. >You reach down and pat Rose on the head.
  287. >”I believe that when man looks back and writes about the day when ponies came to the earth, it will be written as one of the brightest points in our history.”
  288. >”Well, here we are, the closest in the city you are going to get to blooming flowers…”
  289. >In truth there aren’t many flowers in bloom.
  290. >But the ones that are bloom in patches on the side of the walkways that run through the park.
  291. >You see Rose gallop over and take a deep breath over by the flowers.
  292. >She looks the happiest she has been since she has arrived on Earth.
  293. >For some odd reason, that makes you happy…
  294. >You spend a few hours walking through the park admiring the flowers.
  295. >Eventually, you two rest on a park bench.
  296. >Your turn again, Anon.
  297. >”Tell me about the Land of Equestria, about the history of the ponies.”
  298. >Rose smiles at you
  299. “I guess that’s a fair question…”
  300. “In all honesty, we aren’t that different.”
  301. “Ponies have had wars and there are somep0nies that can be just as mean as humans.”
  302. “The only real difference I can see is that we take better care of our land…”
  303. >She goes on to explain that there might be a difference between our lack of magical ability
  304. >She then jumps into an explanation of the land of Equestria, and its history.
  305. >She was right of course seems like the human condition can be applied to ponies.
  306. >Maybe it should be renamed as the living condition.
  307. >Since all living things apply to it.
  308. >You are so engrossed with her stories about Equestria that you nearly forget to check your watch.
  309. >Its almost time get you should be leaving to get to the movies.
  310. >You relay this to Rose
  311. >She nods and gets up and follows you out of the park.
  312. >On the way to the movie theater you decide it is a good idea to tell Rose about the different kind of movies.
  313. >You give her a summary of movie genres and what each entails.
  314. >By the time you reach the theater you think she has a pretty good understanding about movies
  315. >You point out each movie and tell her the genre that the movie falls under
  316. >You also give her a mini summary about the movie making sure not to spoil anything.
  317. >After you do this you ask her which movie she wants to see
  318. >She takes a long look at the list of movies on the board and eventually point to the movie
  319. >You chuckle to yourself about the movie selection
  320. >”Ok, if you’re sure, I’ll tell you though, it’s a long one, we might want to get a big bucket of popcorn for this.”
  321. >You walk up to the ticket counter
  322. >”Hello, I would like two tickets to the next showing of Titanic please.”
  323. End of Part 3
  324.  
  325. Part 4: The best in the City
  326. >You and Rose exit the movie theater a few hours later
  327. >You can tell that Rose really enjoyed the movie
  328. >She can’t seem to keep still as she talks about every scene in great detail
  329. “It was so sad at the end, when Rose had to let Jack go…”
  330. >You nod, only half listening to her go on about the movie.
  331. “Anon, did that all really happen?”
  332. >The question catches you by surprise.
  333. >”Huh? What was the question…”
  334. >She sighs
  335. “Have you been listening?”
  336. >You shrug, “No not really, I’m sorry”
  337. >She bumps into playfully
  338. “You told me that the movie was about an actual event in the past.”
  339. “I asked if it all really happened.”
  340. >”Well, it’s based on actual events. There was a ship that was named the Titanic.”
  341. >”That ship also went down after being struck by an iceberg.”
  342. >”The love story between Rose and Jack is fictional though.”
  343. >Rose looks slight disappointed by this
  344. >”Is something wrong?”
  345. “It was such a great love story though, it’s just a shame that it was made up.”
  346. >You smile and pet rose’s head.
  347. >”Somewhere, there is a great love story that is similar, and it actually happened.”
  348. >Suddenly you feel yourself grow hungry.
  349. >You remember one of you favorite restaurants is near by
  350. >”Rose, are you hungry?”
  351. “I am a bit hungry; do you have something in mind?”
  352. >You smile and continue on down the road
  353. >”You have told me a lot about your friends and Equestria, but I still don’t know much about you.”
  354. >You see Rose turn her head away from you
  355. >What is that about…
  356. >It’s almost as if…
  357. “There is nothing to really tell about me.”
  358. “I have already told you about my shop and my garden back at home.”
  359. “I have also told you about my cutie mark…”
  360. >”You have never told me how you got it…”
  361. “I haven’t? It’s not that great of a story…”
  362. >”I want to hear it.”
  363. >She turns back to you and smiles broadly
  364. >”Ok, It all starts with my mother’s garden…”
  365. >She tells you about her mother who also grew and sold flowers.
  366. >How there was a particular bush in her Mother’s garden that wouldn’t bloom
  367. >Her mother had given up on the bush
  368. >But Rose didn’t
  369. >She kept taking care of the bush watering it and singing to it everyday
  370. >One day while she was singing to it the bush began to bloom beautiful red roses.
  371. >It was at the same time that her cutie mark appeared; the exact same rose that bloomed on that bush
  372. >”That is a great story”
  373. >Rose smiles and turns her head away again
  374. “Thank you.”
  375. >You arrive at the restaurant.
  376. >It’s a local pizza joint
  377. >And by your opinion the best pizza in the city
  378. >You hold open the door and let Rose in and follow.
  379. >You smile at the waitress.
  380. >”Hello Joy, table for two and a vegetarian special please.”
  381. >Joy raises an eyebrow at you and rose.
  382. >”Is there something wrong?”
  383. >She shakes her head and leads you both to a table in the back of the restaurant.
  384. “Anything you want to drink?”
  385. >”I’ll have a Bud, please.”
  386. “And for the pony…”
  387. >Rose turns to you and shrugs
  388. “What is a Bud?”
  389. >”It’s a type of beer, an alcoholic drink.”
  390. >She nods and looks down at the menu
  391. “Hmm, an appletini sounds nice…”
  392. >”Are you sure about that…”
  393. “It has apples in the name, how bad can it be…”
  394. >”Well it is alcoholic, I don’t know if Equestria has alcohol or not.
  395. “We have cider, it is made of apples.”
  396. >”Ok, one Bud and one appletini then Joy.”
  397. >Joy shrugs and walks off to get the drinks
  398. >You turn back to rose.
  399. >”Do you have pizza in Equestria?”
  400. >She shakes her head
  401. “No, what is it?”
  402. >”It’s an Italian dish. It has a pie crust, tomato sauce and cheese.”
  403. >”Chicago has the best pizza in America and this pizza parlor has the best pizza in Chicago.”
  404. >”So it’s the best of the best here.
  405. >Rose nods and the drink arrive a short time later.
  406. >Rose delicately picks up the martini glass
  407. >How do they pick up stuff like that…
  408. >Ponies hooves must not be like normal hooves…
  409. >Maybe they are made of marshmallows…
  410. >She slowly sips from the glass
  411. >”Well, how does it taste?”
  412. >She smiles
  413. ”It’s delicious”
  414. >She takes a bigger drink from it.
  415. >”You may want to slow down; you wouldn’t want to get drunk…”
  416. >She nods again and puts down the glass.
  417. “You haven’t told me a lot about yourself either you know…”
  418. >You chuckle
  419. >”You’re right, what do you want to know?”
  420. “Well, I already know humans don’t have cutie marks. How do you all know what you’re good at?
  421. “More so, what do you do? You tell me about your work and everything, but I want to know more.”
  422. >”Well, we kind of learn through school and life what we are good at.”
  423. >”Humans don’t have a specific skill. We are more versatile. We can be good at a wide range of things.”
  424. >”With me, my current job is something to get me by until I get done with college. Then I hope to start my own business.”
  425. “What kind of business do you want to start?”
  426. >You lean back in your chair.
  427. >”I don’t know, I guess I always told myself I would figure that out when I get my degree.”
  428. >The pizza arrives at your table; rose finishes her appletini and orders another.
  429. >It’s a deep dish vegetarian pizza, topped with all sorts of fruits and vegetables.
  430. >Personally you don’t mind vegetarian, but you would rather have a nice sausage and peperoni pizza.
  431. >You help yourself to a slice and help serve rose a slice.
  432. “It looks great!”
  433. >”It tastes even better”
  434. >You both dig in
  435. >Always the best pizza in Chicago
  436. >As you eat you can’t help but notice that Rose finishes her second martini and orders a third.
  437. >”You really need to slow down Rose, it will make you sick if you drink that fast.”
  438. “It’s no problem really”
  439. >You can hear a slight slur creeping into her voice.
  440. >As you both finish the pizza, she finishes her third and begins to order her second.
  441. >”You have had enough, you don’t need anymore.”
  442. “Awww, but Anon I’m fine perfectly fine.”
  443. >Her speech is heavily slurred.
  444. >”Right… it’s time to get home, check please Joy.”
  445. >After paying your bill you start your walk back to the apartment.
  446. >A walk for you, more so a drunken stumble for Rose.
  447. “Anon, the lights in the city are so pretty…”
  448. >”Yes they are Rose; they are beautiful.”
  449. >Rose leans against you as you continue to walk
  450. “I think you were right Anon; I have had one too many…”
  451. >You arrive at the apartment and help Rose up the stairs
  452. >You help her over to the couch and sit down on it.
  453. >She moves and lays her head down on your lap
  454. >The smell of roses fills your nostrils…
  455. “Pet my mane, Anon, it feels nice when you do that…”
  456. >You slowly start to run your hands through her silky mane.
  457. >You feel Rose relax in your lap and slowly drift off to sleep.
  458. >You sit there petting her for a while; feeling yourself grow more and more tired.
  459. >It wouldn’t hurt anything to fall asleep here.
  460. >You wouldn’t want to disturb Roses peaceful sleep
  461. >You lean back into the couch and close your eyes.
  462. >It’s just like falling asleep with a cat or a dog in your lap.
  463. >She’s just a pony after all
  464. >She’s just a friend after all
  465. >You slowly drift off, the smell of roses help fill your head with flowers.
  466. End of Part 4
  467.  
  468. Part 5: The Morning Revelation
  469. >Your eyes flutter open with the morning light
  470. >The nostrils are still filled with the smell of roses
  471. >You look down and see Rose still fast asleep on your lap
  472. >You slowly move her head off of your lap to try and get up
  473. >As you do you feel her stir in your hands
  474. >You stop quickly to see if she has awoken
  475. >She is still asleep
  476. >Get up and begin the day
  477. >A quick shower, a change of clothes, and you are ready to begin breakfast
  478. >You start scramble some eggs, toast some bread, and quarter an apple
  479. >You also make a few cups of coffee, you sense somep0ny will need it.
  480. >As you finish up you hear a groan come from the living room
  481. >”Good Morning Rose, how do you feel?”
  482. >Another groan comes from the living room
  483. >”I told you to slow down on the appletinis last night”
  484. >Another groan and something about equestrian cider never doing this
  485. >You chuckle and pick up a plate of food and coffee, and deliver it to Rose
  486. >She looks between you and the food with half closed eyes
  487. ”Why does it hurt…?”
  488. >”It’s called a hangover, it happens when you drink a lot of alcohol to a point where it dehydrates you.”
  489. >”Usually it comes with a headache, nausea…”
  490. >She covers her ears with her hooves
  491.  “Too loud… too loud…”
  492. >You drop you voice down to barley above a whisper
  493. >”Sensitivity to light and sound.”
  494. >”The best way to take care of this is with a good breakfast and a strong coffee.”
  495. >She eyes the coffee again and grabs her stomach and groans
  496. >You chuckle again
  497. >”No rush to eat it, but it will help in the long run.”
  498. >”I’ll be right back; I’m going to grab the paper from down stairs.”
  499. >She nods and continues to groan and hold her stomach
  500. >You walk out of the apartment and down the stair and pick up a morning paper
  501. >You flip it open and start to read it as you ascend the stairs
  502. >Adorning the front page is news about ponies from around the world
  503. >It is nice to see such uplifting news there instead of the usual fare
  504. >A piece of news catches your eye
  505. >A word from Mayor Mare
  506. >She first addresses the concerns about the missing princesses
  507. >She then goes on to state about the possibility of going home
  508. >As the paper quotes ‘With no princesses in sight and out unicorns unable to determine source of what brought us here, I am urging the ponies to beginning to settle in for a longer stay on Earth.’
  509. >’This includes a more permanent living and work.’
  510. >You fold the paper up and soak in the news
  511. >Permanent
  512. >They must know something they aren’t telling us, it’s only been a week and they are calling for ponies to settle down…
  513. >This isn’t the first time that the ones in power have hidden something for the public’s own good.
  514. >If you had to guess, maybe they did discover something…
  515. >Maybe something connecting the missing princesses to the event…
  516. >Maybe the discovery that there is no way back to Equestria…
  517. >The thoughts spin in your mind you barely notice you are standing in front of your door
  518. >You have yet to even think about how to tell Rose
  519. >Easy enough, just tell her the truth
  520. >She has handled this fairly well
  521. >You just need to discuss with her getting a job.
  522. >And then when she is better off, you can discuss a more permanent living arrangement
  523. >You flash back to Rose crying on your shoulder
  524. >Asking you what would happen if they were stuck here
  525. >How you assured her you would cross that bridge when it came to it.
  526. >Well here is that bridge.
  527. >Now it is time to cross it
  528. >You take a deep breath and enter into the apartment
  529. >Rose is still lying on the couch, but it looks like she tried to eat some of the food on the plate
  530. >She seems to perk up when you enter though
  531. >”Looks like you have at least eaten something.”
  532. >She smiles and looks at the food again
  533. “Yes, I still feel a bit queasy, but the food tasted great.”
  534. “I think the coffee is helping.”
  535. >You notice that the cup of coffee is now empty
  536. >”I’ll get you another cup”
  537. >You quickly pick up the empty cup and refill it.
  538. >You hand it back to Rose and sit down next to here on the couch
  539. >She takes a sip and looks at the paper in your hand
  540. “Anything new?”
  541. >You look down at the paper
  542. >”Yes, there is actually something that we need to discuss”
  543. >She looks at you worried
  544. “Is there something wrong?”
  545. >”Nothing is wrong, there is just something we need to discuss”
  546. >She looks at you patiently
  547. >You take a deep breath and explain to her what you read in the paper
  548. >She quietly listens to you as you tell her about what the paper said
  549. >And then about what you think might be going on behind the scenes
  550. >Her expression is unchanged
  551. >When you finished, she only nods
  552. >”Rose, I’m going to help you find a job. And then, we shall find somewhere for you to stay on a longer basis.”
  553. >At this she turns away from you.
  554. “I’m going to take a shower.”
  555. >She gets up and goes into the bathroom; leaving you puzzled on the couch
  556. >You hear the water start and wait for the singing to begin
  557. >No song reaches your ears
  558. >Only the sounds of heart break
  559. >Over the sound of falling water comes the quiet sound of tears
  560. >Maybe she couldn’t handle it
  561. >No, she was perfectly fine about taking the news.
  562. >There was something else
  563. >You go over what you said in your mind one more time.
  564. >You will help her find a job and a place of living
  565. >How can that be bad?
  566. >Your puzzlement continues echoed only by the hollow sound of falling tears
  567. >You pick up the newspaper again and flip to the want ads
  568. >Let’s see, all the normal job offerings…
  569. >New paperboy needed, dog walker, a cook for a local diner, florist needed…
  570. >Wait go back
  571. >Florist…
  572. >Rose is great with flowers!
  573. >You quickly rip the add out of the paper and place it off to the side
  574. >You slowly hear the crying subside and the sound of water falling quickly stops
  575. >Rose walks out of the bathroom and sits down next to you.
  576. >”Good news, I found a job you would be perfect at.”
  577. >”It’s a job at a local floral shop; it’s not far from the apartment either.”
  578. >She stares blankly at you.
  579. “That nice.”
  580. >The coldness in her voice cuts through you like a hot knife through butter
  581. >Ok, now you know it is something you said.
  582. >Before you can even ask about what might be wrong she is already on the move
  583. >She grabs the piece of paper from you hand with her mouth and trots over to the coat rack
  584. >She start to put on her jacket but she has trouble getting it on
  585. >You move over to her to give her a hand with zipping it up
  586. >She moves away from you as you approach
  587. “Don’t worry about me; I can handle it.”
  588. >Wow, sadness and anger
  589. >You really fucked up.
  590. >You try to stop her from leaving
  591. >But she rushes from out of the door
  592. >You hope in your head that she will return
  593. >Why wouldn’t she, this is where she is staying after all…
  594. >Ding, Ding, Ding…
  595. >Yeah, you’re an idiot.
  596. >She has to return
  597. >And when she does you’ll explain everything.
  598. >Why are you so worried though…?
  599. >She is just an animal
  600. >She is just a pony
  601. >She is just a friend
  602. >She is just…
  603. End of Part 5
  604. End of Chapter 2