“You are on a cloud.”

Roseluck laid down on her rose-patterned bed, her hooves folded over a glowing pendent on her barrel.

That’s right. the cream-colored Earth pony closed her eyes and took a deep breath. You are on a silky, fluffy cloud, basking in Celestia’s sunshine. Nopony else is around. Nothing is there to bother you.
The gem pulsed, spreading a gentle warmth through Rose’s body. The magic of the pendent did its work on her mind. Thoughts became images. Feelings became sensations turning thoughts to images.

Yes, there she was: up in the big, blue sky, floating on a silky, fluffy cloud. She could the air gently nipping at her muzzle. She could feel the delicious warmth of Celestia's sun against her coat.

Wait, just how high up am I?

Rose’s viewpoint shifted downwards. Below her, Equestria was spread out like a patchwork quilt. The Everfree forest was a giant blob of emerald green. The buildings and houses of Ponyville looked like miniatures built by an obsessive-compulsive hobbyist.

She was all alone. Clinging to this tiny puff of cloud. With nopony around to catch her if she slipped…

Rose’s stomach clenched. With a shudder, she dissolved the visionscape, thanking the Great Queen of the Universe that she’d been born an Earth Pony.

Ok, ok, so that was a bust. Rose took another deep breath, held it for a moment, then exhaled. Lets try something else. Flowers, perhaps?”

Yes, flowers. Flowers always made her happy.

The pendent flashed green,and an endless grassy meadow materialized around Rose. With the gem’s aid, she carpeted it with flowers of all shapes, colors and sizes. There were swathes of golden daffodils and fiery streaks of marigolds. Waves of sombre violets competed with snow-like patches of carnations. All these and countless more

A dull warmth blossomed in Rose’s stomach. She could already feel her mind start to relax its grip on reality. Her thoughts began to blur together into a psychic slurry.

Before she slipped away into oblivion, the pendent turned icy cold. Against her will, Rose's view focused on a small patch of dirt in the middle of the field, like a bald spot on a middle-aged pony’s scalp. Right in the center of this patch was a single red rose, much like her cutie mark, just standing there. All alone. With nopony to keep it company...

Rose's bliss wilted and died, smothered by an aching, almost painful, sense of lonliness. Everything that was good in the world shriveled up and died. Happiness became a myth. Serenity became a cruel hoax.

As her happiness decayed, so did the meadow. The flowers and the grass turned brown and papery. The smell of nectar and perfume was replaced by the dry, flinty smell of dust. Then, with a flash of light, the vision collapsed in on itself.

“Queen Damnit!”’ Rose opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling as if it were the most interesting thing in Equestria.

“Damnit damnit damnit.” Rose pulled off the enchanted pendent and stuffed it back in its box.
“A pleasant night’s sleep guaranteed” my fat furry flank!

With a resigned groan, Rose rummaged through her nightstand and pulled out a small, dog-eared notebook and a pencil.

She crossed out “Try a Sweet Dreamer pendent”. Fourteen bits down the drain.

Rose flipped through the notebook, looking for something she hadn’t tried.

“Counting sheep?”

Gave up at 237.

“A glass of warm milk?”

Made my breath smell terrible

“Running around the house a few times?”

Stepped on a garden rake.

“Ugh!” Rose hurled the little notepad against the nearest wall and slammed a hoof against her bed. It didn’t matter what she did. Everytime! Everytime she felt she was finally going to get some shut eye, that horrible Ache would swoop in and snatch it away like a hawk with a mouse.

Rose laid on her belly, propping up her head with her forehooves. “I don’t get it.” Normally when she lost her ticket for the Dreamland Express, it was after she’d had a stressful day. But as far as things went, today had been fairly calm. Today’s rainstorm had been on schedule, sales at her stall had been decent, and no monsters or power-mad tyrants had tried to destroy Ponyville. Overall, everything was normal.

Rose gave a half smile. Well, as normal as things could be with a hairless star-monkey living in your house.

They’d found him in a strange metal egg in a field outside of Ponyville, burned, bruised, and battered. After he’d recovered enough to talk, all the creature-who claimed its name was “Adam”- had said was that he was a human, that he had come from a “Starship” and that he had lost everything in a terrible accident. Everything else was anypony’s guess.

Now, having a member of an unknown race in the nation's capital had made the upper-crust snobs up in Canterlot more than a little antsy. After a failed assassination attempt on him, the Princesses-hallowed be their name-had decreed that Adam be sent to live in Ponyville, in the hope that the small town would be a little more accepting of him.

Rose rolled her eyes. Unfortunately, the Princesses-hallowed be her name-had thought wrong. When the Royal Carriage dropped him off, everypony had acted as if a rabid manticore had appeared in the middle of town. Shopkeepers had closed up. Mothers had grabbed their foals and hid. Ponies darted for their designated hiding spots. It had taken Princess Twilight almost two hours to calm everypony down.
Even now, some three months later, they still felt uneasy about him.

Everypony except me.

Roseluck didn’t consider herself particularly brave. When the manure hit the fan-which in Ponyville, was at least once a month- her usual strategy was to run in a circle and scream her head off. Even so, she didn’t feel the same irrational fear that her fellow ponies did. So, when the Princesses had asked if anypony had a place Adam could stay, she’d been the first to volunteer.When her customers asked why she’d agreed to let a potentially-dangerous alien sleep in her house, Rose’s answer was simple:

She knew what he was going through.

-

Rose licked her lips and coughed. ugh Her throat was as dry as a week-old cupcake.
Grumbling, Rose clumsily dragged herself out of bed and trotted over to her tiny bathroom. She flicked on a light, waited for her retinas to stop burning, then poured herself a glass of water.
As she guzzled the metallic-tasting H2O, Rose’s eyes drifted towards the bathroom mirror. A disheveled, bedraggled mare looked back at her.

By the Queen... Rose’s wine-colored mane looked like as if a crazed bird had tried to make a nest out of it. Dark bags underscored her eyelids, like blotches of badly-applied mascara. Topping off the zombie-like appearance where her eyes. The normally vibrant peepers were dull, and blank. Their whites were shot through with red veins, as if Rose had been using lemon juice for eyedrops.

Another week of this and she’d become a zombie. Well, more of a zombie.

As Rose examined herself, she felt a dull burning, itching sensation on her left foreleg.

Again? With a growl, Rose pulled a tube of ointment out of her medicine cabinet. She turned over her right foreleg, revealing a nasty-looking patch of scar tissue, like a clear cut in a cream-colored forest.

Fourth time today. Rose grumbled as she smeared the pungent yellow ointment onto the wound. Normally she only had to do this about once a week. Now, with everything that was going on, the wound was acting up at least once a day.
After a minute of massaging, the pain in her foreleg cooled to a dull warmth. With her thirst sated and the scar appeased, Rose trotted down the stairs, each step creaking and moaning as if it were in pain. She trotted into her kitchen, grabbed a well-used watering can from the sink, and trotted out the back door to her greenhouse.

Maybe a visit with her little friends would help.

“Hello, everyone!”

Rose flicked on the lights to her greenhouse. The strings of mage-lights flickered reluctantly, as if Rose had woken them in the middle of a really good dream, then shone with a dim, yellow light.

The Earth pony sniffed the air. The smell of her greenhouse was the scent of life: earth, chlorophyll, nectar, and fertilizer. All swirling around her nostrils like living perfume. It was as if the air itself was giving her a friendly “hello”.

Rose walked amongst her beloved plants, smiling. In the Greenhouse there were no fences between species. The orchids freely mingled with bluebells. The daffodils coexisted peacefully with geraniums. The chrysanthemums and pansies, while currently not on speaking terms, still held a mutual respect for each other.

Forget the Elements, this was the manifestation of Harmony.

Rose set down her watering can and turned to a golden mum. “Chryssie, lookin’ good, girl!” She turned to a beautiful lavender orchid. “Oscar, looking good as always.” A germanium looked her in the face. “Jerry, how’s it going?”
A wilting daffodil caught her attention “Donald?” She trotted over, a concerned look on her face. ”Donald, you don’t look so good.” The yellow flower swayed a bit, as if in response. “Looks like you could use some water!"

The wilting flower swayed a little more. Rose frowned.

“We’ve had this discussion before, Donald. Arguing with me won’t accomplish anything.”

With that, Rose picked up her watering can and gave the yellow flower its own little personal rain shower. For a second, she felt like some all-powerful weather goddess, blessing her faithful with rain.

She was kind of weird like that.

Once the daffodil was adequately hydrated, Rose set down the watering can. “Feeling better?” She asked like a concerned mother. The daffodil, lacking vocal cords or even a rudimentary nervous system, said nothing. “That’s good to hear!” Rose gave the flower a friendly pat. “I’ll check on you tomorrow, ok?”

With that, Rose turned her attention to a tray of seedlings. “Hewwo widdle darlings!” she cooed. “Is anywun thirsty?” In Rose’s opinion, baby plants were just the same as baby ponies; give them lots of love and attention, and they’d grow up big and strong.

“Drink up!” Rose picked up the watering can and sprinkled the seedlings with water, followed by a gentle kiss. “Good night!” She giggled, nuzzling the planter. “Sweep tight now!”

Once that was done, Rose set the watering can down and closed her eyes, basking in happiness like a cat in a sunbeam. Her spirit seemed to sprout wings and fly amongst the heavens. All of her worries seemed to disappear, as if she were a delivery pony who'd just dropped off a heavy load. For a brief moment, everything was alright with the world.

Then came the Ache, rasping at her soul like a snail at a seedling. Her happy feeling wore off like a sugar high. Her soul’s wings melted like candle wax and it plunged into the sea, settling at the bottom of a deep, dark trench.
Two tears trickled down Roses' cheeks, With a dejected sigh, Rose plodded over to a large rosebush in the corner of the greenhouse and plopped her toned flank onto a bag of fertilizer. “Hey Rosencrantz.”

The rose bush, as always, said nothing. While Rose loved all flowers, roses held a special place in her heart. Especially Rosencrantz. Whenever she had something she wanted to share, but couldn’t work up the nerve to tell anypony, Rosencrantz was always willing to lend a sympathetic ear- metaphorically speaking of course. The bush had heard it all: secret crushes, worries about money, worries about the future, even a few worries about relationships.

It was an Earth Pony thing. You wouldn't understand.

“Me?” Rose sighed. “Well, could be better.” With that understatement, Rose poured her little pony heart out to the bush. She told it everything: every sleepless night, every miserable morning, and that horrible Ache. As she spoke, the bush stood there, stoically absorbing her woes like a sponge soaking up water.

“I don’t know what’s wrong!” Rose buried her face in her forelegs. Salty rivulets began to run down her cheeks. In her head, she could feel the Ache rasping away at her like a snail at a leaf. “It just feels like I’m the only pony in the world.”

Rose sniffled. “It doesn’t make any sense! I mean, I have friends.” She did a mental tally of her friends. “There’s Time Turner, Daisy, Lily, Pinkie Pie....”

Something bubbled out of Rose’s subconscious But do you have any real friends?

Rose stopped. Of course she did!

Really? What do you talk about when you meet up for tea?

Well, usually they’d sip tea and chat about whatever came to mind. Usually it was about the new movie at the Ponyville Cinema, whatever gossip Rarity had heard, and, of course, whatever shenanigans Pinkie Pie had pulled off that week

Do you talk about anything more personal? Do you tell them about your problems? Your fears?

Of course not. That was what Rosencrantz was...

An epiphany hit Rose like a punch to the gut. “I don’t have any real friends.”

Rose slumped over. “I'm alone. Alone, and talking with a rosebush...” She turned to Rosencrantz. “Uh, no offense.”

The rosebush just stood there. If he was offended, he wasn’t saying anything.

Rose propped her head on her forelegs “What am I going to do?” She needed somepony she could actually talk to. Somepony who could share in her hopes, comfort her when she cried, laugh at her jokes.

She needed more than a friend. She needed a companion.

Something caught Rose’s eye. A light flicked on in the guest room window, and a gangly, bipedal figure came into view. Rose gave a half smile. “Looks like I’m not the only one who's having trouble sleeping.”

Rose studied her houseguest through a pane of glass. The human had been living with her for over two months, and she still hadn’t gotten over his odd appearance.The closest thing he had to a coat was thick, wiry body hair, topped off with a cropped, blonde mane. His face was strangely flat, with a comically-small nose, tiny eyes, and covered by a scraggly beard.

It wasn’t ugly. Just kind of odd, and after living nearly half her life next in Ponyville, Rose was used to odd.

Rose sighed. Adam hadn’t exactly been a happy camper when he got here- after all he’d been through, Rose didn’t blame him- but lately his behavior had taken a turn for the worse. When he’d first moved in, while he didn’t talk much, he’d occasionally help her out in her greenhouse or with the occasional chore. Now he rarely came out of his room, and on the rare occasion that he did, he’d have huge bags under his eyes and a face that screamed “I need help.”

Rose had tried talking to him, but it was like trying to give a pep talk to a brick. Everytime she'd tried, he’d just mumble something and push her aside. Pinkie Pie had offered to throw him an “Everything Will Be All Right You Just Need To Wake Up and Smell the Cupcakes” party, but Rose had declined. Experience had taught her that a party was not what he needed.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t really sure what he needed. Rose was no psychotherapist, and last she checked, there weren’t any counselors with PhD’s in alien psychology. All Rose could do was leave food for him by the guest room door and hope that he’d eventually snap out of it.
Something told her that it wasn’t working.

-
For a while, Adam just just by the window with a blank stare on his face. Rose was no expert on human facial expressions, but it looked like he was thinking about something. He then turned around, pulled off a bedsheet, and started twisting it into a thin rope.

What? Rose walked outside for a better look. She squinted. What in Equestria was he doing?

As she watched, Adam began to twist the sheet and loop the sheet with those slender claws of his- hands he’d called them. For a second, Rose felt a twinge of jealousy. Those hands were so nimble, so dextrous. If she had appendages like those she’d be able to do anything.

After a while, Adam stopped his work and held up something. Rose craned her neck for a better look. It looked like he’d tied the end of the rope into a weird, collar-like shape. But why-

Rose’s pupils shrank to the size of pinheads. Oh no!

Without a second thought, Rose leaped back to her feet and charged back into the house, her muscular frame crashing through the back door like balsa wood. She dashed up the stairs as if Nightmare Moon herself was after her.

Please, Queen. Let me get there in time! Rose prayed. All those years she'd spent on the Ponyville track team had to be good for something.

Once she cleared the last step, Rose all but hurled herself towards the guest room door. She rapped on the hardwood door "Adam?" She twisted the knob. Locked. "Adam! Don't!"
She could hear the discordant squeak of a chair being dragged. Heard something heavy climbing up it.

No time! Rose planted herself on the floor, cocked back her hindlegs, and gave the door a solid buck. The door cracked, jagged splinters sticking out of it. Another buck, and the door all but flew off its hinges. Rose leapt into the room to see Adam standing on a chair, ready to slip the collar around his neck.

“NO!”

Adam's head whipped around. Hefroze for a second. Seeing her chance, Rose threw herself at the biped and bodily yanked him off the stool, then pinned him to the floor like a wrestler

“Let me go!” Adam croaked in a dry, raspy voice, Rose grunted as she struggled to keep him pinned. For such a lean, skinny creature. The human was surprisingly strong. Pinning him was like trying to pin an angry manticore.

Still, he was no match for Earth Pony strength. After a while, the human stopped thrashing and went totally limp, as if every muscle in his body had just given up. Once she was sure he wasn’t going to try and hang himself again, Rose released her grip. The human curled up into a ball and wept.

“Go away,” The human choked out between sobs. “Let me die.”

Rose shook her head.

“Let me die!” Adam’s hands clenched into fists. “Let me see my family again!”

“Adam, please.” Rose put a hoof on Adam’s shoulder. “You need to calm down…”

Adam managed to choke back his sobs. “Easy for you to say.”

Rose put a hoof on Adam’s shoulder. “Look, I know what you’re going through…”

“Bullsh-t!” Adam swatted the hoof. “You don’t know what it’s like. No one in this technicolored cloud cuckooland does!” The human’s face twisted into a scowl. His words dripped acid. “You haven’t lost your friends. You haven’t lost your family. You aren’t trapped in a world of candy colored talking horses!”

With that, Adam buried his head in his hands, sobbing as if the entire world was against him. Rose opened her mouth to speak.

“Go, ” Adam gestured limply towards the door. “Just… just get out.

Rose didn’t budge.

Adam looked up and scowled. “ You hear me? ‘Said get out.” He gestured more violently. “Get out, you filthy animal!”

Something snapped inside Rose’s head. The next thing she knew, Adam was laying on the floor with a hoof-shaped bruise on his right cheek. He picked himself up, cradling his bruised face. “What was-”

Rose growled and pinned her ungrateful houseguest to the floor for the second time that night. “Listen up, you shaved ape! This pity party of yours has gone on long enough!

Adam opened his mouth. Rose cut him off. “You keep moaning on and on about how much you've lost. Well, did you ever think that maybe you’re not the only one whose lost everything?!” Her voice began to crack. “You-you ever think you’re not the only one whose been screwed over by fate?!”

Rose lifted her foreleg, showing off the scar tissue. “You see this?” She pointed to the patch of dead skin. “I got this during a house fire back when I was a filly.” Salty rivulets trickled down Rose’s cheeks. "Our, our heater caught fire. Sp-Sp-spread to the rest of the house. When the fireponies arrived it w-w-was too late. The scar tissue throbbed as if it sympathized with her.

“Muh-muh-my family lost everything in that fire- our belongings, our savings-” Rose’s throat felt like it was trying to tie itself in a knot. The words stuck in her throat like peanut butter. ”...and my Poppa.”

Rose wiped tears from her face.” We had nowhere to go. Wuh-we didn’t have fire insurance, and my grandparents died before I was born. Muh-muh-Mom and I had to live in a homeless shelter for almost a year afterwards.”

Another sniff. “It w-w-was the worst year of my life.” Sensing an opportunity, the Ache struck, pounding spikes of depression and emptiness deep into her heart. “ The-The whole time I-I-I just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry.

Rose took a deep breath, then exhaled. “...But Mom wouldn’t let me.”

The pony held up her head. “She’d tell me that crying over a withered flower wouldn’t bring it back to life. The only thing I could do was to get up and start planting again.

Rose put a forehoof on Adam’s shoulder. “I know it hurts.” She sniffed. “Believe me, there were days when I could barely get out of bed. But, in the end, it healed.” She allowed herself a small smile. “The same’ll be true for you. It’ll be painful, and you’ll never be quite the same again, but it’ll heal.”

The human’s body calmed. His expression softened, as if her pep talk had taken away some of the pain.

Rose gave herself a mental pat on the back Guess I’m a better motivational speaker than I thought.

She then remembered then bruise. ”Oh my Queen!” She examined the ugly bruise. “I’m so sorry I’m so sorry!”

“‘Sall right.” Adam picked himself up and winced. ”Was kind of asking for it.”

He pointed to the side of his face. “‘Sides. it's already healing up.
Indeed, the purple-blue splotches were shrinking like an ice cube on a hot plate. Rose had heard of this ability- somehow, Adam's body was able to take ambient magical energy and convert it into life energy. It was probably the only reason he’d survived in the first place.

It was yet another mystery from a creature full of mysteries.

A low growl came from Adam’s stomach, as if somepony had trapped a manticore in a potato sack.
“Was that you, Adam?” It was then that Rose realized just how gaunt Adam looked. She could see the outlines of his ribs. His cheekbones looked hollowed out, lifeless. And the striped, custom-made pajamas Rarity had made for him looked more than a little baggy.

“Adam, have you been eating?” Rose looked around. Plates of barely-touched food were scattered about the floor like so many frisbees, crawling with swarms of ants.
Guess that answers my question. She sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose. The air was saturated with a sweaty, ripe odor-like rotting fruit mixed with old gym socks. “...And when was the last time you had a bath?”

Adam shrugged. Rose rolled her eyes. “I should have guessed.” She took Adam's hand in her mouth and led him into her tiny bathroom. She held up a hoof. “One sec.” A few twists of the knobs filled the chipped enamel tub with water.

”Here’s how it’s going to work.” Rose turned off the water. “I’m going to go heat up some soup-does tomato sound good?”

Adam said nothing.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” She gestured to the tub. “...While I do that, you get in the tub and scrub yourself clean. Sound good?”

Adam grunted.

Rose’s expression grew serious. “Now listen. While I’m cooking, I’m going to be keeping a close ear on you.” She tapped one of her spade-shaped ears with a hoof. “If I hear you trying to impale yourself with a curtain rod or trying to hang yourself with a shower curtain, I will tie you up and I will scrub you until I can see my face in your skin!” She poked Adam in the chest. ”Understood?”

Adam’s eyes widened. He nodded rapidly.

Rose smiled. “Good!” She pointed to the sink. “Towels and soap are under the sink." She trotted out the bathroom door. And be sure to wash behind your ears!”
She giggled. Couldn't resist.
With that, Rose trotted down the groaning stairs and into her tiny kitchen.

“Lets see…” She rooted through her pantry. “Tomato soup...tomato soup… Ah!”

Rose pulled out the desired can, cut it open, and dumped its thick, sludgy contents into a saucepan on the stove, stirring it with a ladle. Once it was done, Rose poured some into a bowl and set it on the kitchen table with a spoon.

“Hmmm…” Rose put a hoof on her chin. It lacked something...

Something sparked in Rose’s head. “Of course!” The Earth pony dashed around the kitchen in a cream-colored blur. A salt and pepper shaker materialized on the table, followed by a box of saltines, a glass of milk, a placemat, and a vase with a single red rose in it.

Rose looked back at her work and smiled “That’s better.” As Mom always said, if it was worth doing, it was worth overdoing.

Something large thumped down the stairs. Adam appeared, rubbing the side of his face with a towel. He smelled much nicer now; a combination of lilac-scented soap mixed with a strange, but not unpleasant alien musk. The mass of wiry hair that had been his beard had been trimmed into something reasonable. His hair

Rose nodded and motioned for him to sit down. Adam plopped his bipedal frame on a stool and stared at the bowl of soup as if he were a staring contest champion and it was his newest rival.

Rose placed a comically-undersized spoon in Adam’s hand. “Well,” She mimed slurping soup ”Dig in!”

Adam scooped up a spoonful of soup raised it to his lips. He took a small sip, smacked his lips a few times...then started shoveling soup into his mouth like it was the nectar from heaven.

“Slow down!” Rose held Adam’s spoon arm. “You’ll get sick!”

“Whatever, mom…” Adam grumbled. He crumbled a few crackers into the soup and continued inhaling his soup, albeit at a much slower pace.
Adam’s bowl was followed by another. His glass was filled as quickly as it was emptied. By the Queen can he eat! The last time she'd seen somepony eat this fast was during last years apple-pie eating contest.

Finally, the saucepan was empty. Adam wiped his lips with a napkin.

“Feeling better?”

For the first time since he’d arrived, Adam smiled. “ Yes. Thank you. I feel much better.” He patted his stomach and burped.

Rose smiled. He was talking in complete sentences again.

“So, Adam…” Rose put the now-soupless bowl in the sink. “ Do you want to head back to bed?”

“Actually, Rose, I’m not feeling all that sleepy.” He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess I’m still a little worked up because of...you know.”

Rose thought for a second. “Well, we could always talk.”

Adam shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

The two walked into Rose’s living room. After almost knocking over a few glass flowers and a flower-shaped candy bowl, Adam plopped himself on a rose-patterned sofa. At his height, it looked more like a large chair.

“So.” The human folded his hands in his lap. “What do you want to talk about?”

Rose pulled up a stool and sat down by the couch. “Well, I’d like to know a little more about you.”

Adam shrugged. “All right.” He cleared his throat.

“My full name is Adam Gallica. I was born on Earth in New Seattle, North America...”

For the next hour or so, Adam told Rose everything about himself, from his favorite foods to his race’s peculiarities. All the while Rose listened like a student listening to a lecture.

Fascinating. He was so different, yet so similar. Some of his interests were similar to her own; he’d always had a thing for flowers- it was one of the reasons he’d decided to leave his homeworld, and he loved chocolate. Others, like hologames and neopunk rock, were completely alien to her.

When he was done, Rose decided to return the favor and tell him everything about herself. Everything she had previously told Rosencrantz- her hopes, her dreams, her fears, she poured out to the mysterious creature from the stars. No, not a mysterious creature- a stallion. A stallion with his hopes, fears, and dreams all his own. Sure, some of them were completely alien to her, but the rest could have come from any stallion in Ponyville.

Still, beneath his seemingly relaxed appearance, Rose could sense a hint of barely suppressed pain, like a festering wound. It was only a matter of time before it resurfaced. It was then that Rose recalled something her therapist had tried with her a long time ago. She sighed. It would be painful, but it was the only way Adam would be able to recover.

First, she had to lead him into it.

“So, why do you wear clothes all the time?”

Adam smirked. “Well, unlike you, we don’t have neon-colored fur all over our bodies.” He tugged at the pajamas. “We need to wear clothes in order to regulate our body temperature.”

“But you wear them indoors, and when the weather is mild? Why?”

Adam shrugged. “You got me. Back home, walking around naked in public would net you a hefty fine. The laws varied from country to country, but generally it wasn’t exactly polite to go nude.”

Rose giggled. ”Sorry, I just can’t imagine a world where you can get in trouble for not wearing clothes.

Adam smiled. “Yeah, Earth was kind of weird like that.” Adam stared into space. “Don’t miss it at all.”

Now! Rose’s expression turned somber. “Speaking of worlds, Adam, there’s something I’d like to talk about.”

“Name it.”

Rose took a deep breath. “I know this is still pretty painful for you but… I’d like to know more about how you got here.”

Adam frowned. “I thought you said I needed to put the past behind me?”

“Yes, and talking to somepony about it is the best way to start.” She saw the look in Adam’s face. “Look, I know it’s going to be painful, but it’s the only way you’ll be able to heal.”

Adam sighed. “All right.” He took a deep breath and folded his hands in his lap. ““I'll do it. Though I’m not sure what I can tell you that you don’t already know.”

“I don’t know much. You said that you’d come from a ship of some kind.”

“Yes, a starship: the UNS Homestead. She was an Alcubierre Drive-equipped colony ship destined for the Gliese system.”

Adam looked up. “You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”

Rose shook her head. Alcubierre? Gliese? He might as well have said that flarks snoogalized with zargles.

Adam sighed. "I'll try to explain as best I can..."

-

“Whoa…”

Rose sat by Adam’s side, holding her head as if it were about to split.

Adam’s world was the stuff of fever dreams. The Earth Pony could tell that he was trying to give her the simplest explanations possible, like a parent trying to explain to a foal how a steam engine worked. Even so, what he was telling her was making her head spin; cities large enough to cover entire continents? Machines that could talk and think?! Rockets that could travel faster than a beam of light?! It sounded insane.

Adam claimed that there was no such thing as magic on his world. Rose wasn’t too sure.

“So,” Adam said with the air of a professor finishing a lengthy lecture. “do you understand?”

“I guess.” Rose clutched her head. “So, you signed your family onto the Homestead because you were sick of Earth. Your ship... folded space.”

“Jumped.”

“Jumped towards the Gliese system. Then what happened?”

“Well, at first, everything was going great. Our living quarters were a hell of a lot better than our apartment back on Earth. I had a great job working as an assistant in the hydroponics bay.”

That one had really weirded out Rose. Growing plants without soil? Why would anypony want to do that?

“The Cube-Drive was running smoothly. My son, James, was making new friends with the other kids. My wife, Janice, had a good job down in Engineering. We were all looking forward to our new home.”

“Then…”

Rose trotted over to Adam and slipped a hoof on his shoulders. “And then what?”

“It..it was the second month of our trip. Early morning. I’d just finished my shift, was heading back to my quarters.”

Adam started to shake. “The drive suddenly shut off. The emergency klaxon began to go off. Then...everything just went to hell.I...I don’t remember much. An explosion. Flames. Screams. Pain.”

Tears trickled down Adams’ cheeks. “The next thing I knew, I was in an escape pod, looking through one of the monitors. I-I-I could see the Homestead through the viewport. She was on fire from port to bow. Saw compartments rupturing. Saw people being flung out into space…”

By now Adam’s voice was more of a croak, as if he had to force the words out. “The-the-the flames reached the engines. I cuh-cuh-cuh-could see them blow. Suh-suh-see the ship rip it-it-itself apart...”

With that, Adam completely broke down. The human became a blubbering mass of jelly, tears pouring from his eyes like burst water mains. As if by reflex, Rose jumped onto the human’s lap and wrapped her forelegs around him as best she could, looking like a foal trying to comfort their parent.

For a short eternity, Rose held Adam as he cried gently stroking his back. His tears soaked into her coat like a furry sponge.

Finally, Adam’s sobs grew less violent, like a hurricane slowly losing strength. For a while, Rose and Adam just sat there, not saying a word. The silence in the room became almost sacred, like a monastery under an oath of silence. It felt as though the slightest noise would have been a blasphemy.

Finally, Rose decided to be break the silence. “Do you feel better now?”

Adam lifted his head and wiped his eyes. “Yeah… Yeah, I guess so.” Rose handed him a handkerchief. He blew his nose with a sound like a congested elephant. ”Now what?”

“Well, now, we go to bed.” Rose picked herself up and lead Adam up the stairs. “Tomorrow, we move on to the next step: you’re going to go out to town and get to know everypony. Introduce yourself. Maybe make a new friend or two.”

Adam snorted. “Easier said than done. Most of the town still thinks I’m the ‘Monster from the Stars.’”

“Well, you really haven’t given them much reason to think otherwise.” Rose picked up a washcloth and dried her coat. “They rarely see you, and you never talk to them. Try talking with them, show them you’re not a monster. Eventually, they’ll lose their fear of you.”

Rose tossed the washcloth away. “And remember, If you need any help, or if anypony starts giving you trouble, just talk to me.” Rose put a hoof on Adam’s shoulder. “I’ll be there for you.”

Adam smiled and wrapped his large, simian arms around Rose. “Thanks.”

Something like liquid happiness seeped into Rose’s soul, slowly enveloping the Ache. She could feel the presence thrash around like a bug in a glass of water before finally succumbing to the warmth.

Adam released Rose and blushed. “Sorry, I, uh, kinda got carried away.” He smiled sheepishly.

“It’s ok.” Rose smiled and took Adam by the hand. “Come on. I think it’s time we both got some sleep.”

Adam yawned again. “Yeah, I could use some shut-eye.”

The duo walked up to the guest room. Adam stepped over the busted-down door and into the guest room. “Well, goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” Rose started towards her bed. Her large, empty bed...

“Wait!”

Adam froze. “What is it?”

“I’d…rather you sleep in my bed. With me.”

The human raised a bushy eyebrow. “Why?”

“Well…” Rose racked her mind for a plausible reason. “...How... do I know you won’t try to hang yourself again while I’m sleeping?”

Adam sighed. “Point taken.”

“Good.” Rose pulled aside the comforter and patted the space beside her. “Don’t worry, I don’t snore...much.”

Adam chuckled. “I don’t care. Right now, I feel like I could sleep through an air strike”

Rose didn’t bother asking what that was. She’d had enough revelations for one night.

Adam yawned and slipped his lanky frame under the covers. “Pretty big bed for a pony.”

“It was my great-grandmother’s bed.” Rose fluffed her pillow a little. “She was a minotaur.”

Adam raised an eyebrow. “How...?”

“ It’s a long story. Tell ‘ya later.” Rose yawned. “Right now, lets just get some sleep.”

Rose closed her eyes.

“Hey, Rose?”

“Yeah?” Rose mumbled.

“About what I said earlier.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s water under the bridge.”

Adam sighed. “I’d just like to say that, out of all the places that my lifepod could have landed, I’m glad that it landed here.”

With that, the visitor from the stars curled up under the covers and fell asleep.

Rose smiled. “See you in the morning.” She closed her eyes.

This time, sleep came quickly. Reality began to dissolve around Rose. A gentle heaviness washed through her body.

As she drifted off, for a split second, Rose saw the lone rose from before, standing in the middle of that empty patch. This time it had a partner. A very strange partner. Its blossom was a tornado of blue and orange petals, with an eye-like crystal at its center. Its stem was covered with tiny silver hairs. It was like no flower the rose had ever seen before...

And it was the closest friend the rose had ever had.

Author's Notes:

Inspired by the songs "Roses" and "Temple of Thought"