Chapter 148: Helping a Friend

"Anything?" asked Twilight.

"No... I feel the same," responded Storm.

The Jedi were now in the princess' study as Twilight ran some experiments. After their adventure in the Crystal Empire, the princess was informed by Applejack and Pinkie about how their elements were summoned before them. And how they fused with Storm, not only changing his outfit but that he could summon a new weapon made up of the girls' elements.

Safe to say, all of it was enough to overload Twilight's head with info that she had to run some tests. And so, to discover this new phenomenon, the princess had instructed her knight to take part in some tests. The boy didn't expect to be strapped to an upright table and treated like a monster as he was hooked to all kinds of wires and devices.

As for Twilight, she got into the part of a scientist as the girl even dressed for the part of a researcher. The scholarly princess wore a lab coat, a minidress, and a green shirt. Despite her perfect vision, her hair was tied in a bun, and she wore glasses. The princess was at a computer, bent over and looking at her screen, seeing the numbers.

"Sparky?" called out Storm, looking at the princess.

"One second," called out Twilight as she wrote down the numbers on her notepad.

The girl then looked at the machine next to her as it was constantly shooting out a long piece of paper with red wavelengths on it. She looked at it and then continued writing down some more notes.

"Spark.."

Storm was cut off as Twilight stuck a thermometer in his mouth. A few seconds later, she took it and looked at it. The girl wrote down his temperature. Before Storm could say anything, he felt the princess' hand on his exposed upper body. Twilight had her hands on Storm's upper body as she had her ear close to his heart. The princess tried to study his heartbeat as it seemed to be normal.

"Sp-"

Twilight ignored her partner as she began to grab his face and look at it, seeing if there were any weird features. She then tapped his head as it didn't hurt per se, but moreso was annoying.

"Sparky!" shouted Storm.

"Yes?"

"Can you let me go?" said Storm, not liking that for the past hour or so; Twilight had him locked up and strapped like some insane person while doing these tests.

"Alright," sighed Twilight as she released the straps. Grumbling at her partner for ruining her roleplay and the fun of being a scientist.

The Jedi was glad to not be confined as he rotated his arms to let the blood flow through his vessels. He saw Twilight returning to the computer as she inputted the last bit of her data.

"So, did you find anything?" asked the boy as he approached behind her.

"No," answered Twilight as she walked away toward a side table. "From my tests, everything about you is... normal."

"Isn't that a good thing?" remarked Storm.

"Still, from what Aj and Pinkie told me. How they fused with you and their Elements? It's all so... uncanny. We don't know much about the Elements, but there's never been a mention of the bearers bonding with the others."

"I mean, you just said so yourself. We still don't know much about the Elements of Harmony."

"Still, fusing. It just seems so... out of left field," stated Twilight as she placed her notepad on the table in front of her and looked at it fiercely. "If I could just figure out what at least triggers this event, maybe... it could hold clues. Like, can anybody else do it? Can the other Elements fuse? Or is it just yours? There are so many questions and... answers that I want."

"Twilight, you dial it back a bit. You know how you get when you start a quest for knowledge," said Storm as he gave his partner a slight warning that her curiosity can sometimes get out of hand due to her OCCD.

"Right," responded the girl, embarrassed to hear her talk like some mad scientist.

The princess turned and incidentally bumped into her partner as she dropped her notepad of notes.

"Sorry," apologized the girl as she and Storm bent down.

When their fingers touched, the pair bent down as they reached to pick up the girl's notepad. Twilight felt her face heat up as she looked directly at Storm. The teens stood up as they were close to each other, Twilight's hand taking the pad from Storm's as she just threw it on the table behind her. The princess' mind went offline as her hands were placed on the boy's muscles as he was still shirtless from the experiments.

The girl heated up from feeling them as they were both hard like diamonds and soft to the touch. Twilight felt them as she flinched at their touch before looking up into the boy's eyes as she leaned closer. The princess closed her eyes and kissed his cheek before planting several more nonstop while holding onto his head. The boy moved forward as Twilight felt herself bump into the table.

The Jedi had one of his hands reach down to grab Twilight's leg as he lifted the girl up and sat her on the table's edge. Twilight continued to pelt his cheek with kisses. The boy then raised his hand to trace the girl's neck as Twilight pulled back and let out a sound. Storm then began to lean in as he planted small kisses along the girl's neck; she threw her head back and enjoyed the feeling; Storm's hands moved to her shoulders as they removed the princess's lab coat and dropped it to the floor.

The boy pulled back to look at the girl as he reached up to her hair and undid her bun; her hair fell majestically like a waterfall to her shoulders. He reached up and took off her glasses with two fingers as he stared at the girl before booping her nose to make the princess turn red. He then went back to kissing the girl's neck as Twilight had one hand holding the back of his head as she enjoyed it. Storm's hand trailed downward as they reached the girl's thigh and began to rub it, adding more to the pleasure that Twilight was receiving. Soon it moved upward, under her minidress and going until they landed at its destination, feeling something round and firm.

Twilight was in heaven, feeling the kisses from her partner along her neck as he felt his hands on her rear, squeezing it. All of it while she held his head and had her eyes close. The girl had her other hand on his chest as she felt his muscles and let more sounds escape her mouth. Soon the boy pulled back to look at her as he slid his hands out from under her minidress to grab the side of her face. Twilight had her hands lunge immediately to grab his face as the girl looked to close the small distance between them. The Jedi touched their noses with their mouths just ever so close to each other as they could feel each other's hot breath. The princess wanting so bad to give in, to let her lust and desires cloud her mind. But... she couldn't.

As much as she wanted it, this was where the fun had to end. Anymore... and they would commit sin. These playful gestures, small kisses to each other's bodies, were as close as they could get. And they couldn't risk it.

"I... think... it's best," said Storm softly.

"Y-Yeah..." responded the girl in the same tone.

The boy pulled his head back and stepped back as Twilight unwrapped her legs from around him. The girl hopped off the table as Storm slipped on his shirt, followed by his hoodie. The princess fixed her hair and straightened her shirt and minidress to avoid any suspicious eyes from any wandering eyes. Soon Storm grabbed his lightsaber as he exited the princess' study. Twilight held back momentarily to avoid any guards or servants possibly reporting to her father. The princess sighed as she rubbed her arm before heading to the door and exiting her study as she shut off the lights.

"Hand me the red paint," said Moondancer.

Storm grabbed a small can of paint and handed it to the girl. The princess' handmaiden took it and began to splatter some of the red color on the easel in front of her. She then grabbed another paintbrush as the handmaiden raised her hands and closed her eyes to get a better view. She then began to apply the paintbrush before putting it down and grabbing the easel.

"What do you think?" asked the girl as she showed her painting to the Jedi.

"It's... nice," was all the boy could say.

"Glad you think so. The King asked for a new portrait of the family crest," Moondancer admiring her work.

"Alright, are we done?" asked Storm as he was forced to be the handmaiden's assistant all morning.

"Yes, I have no use left for you. You're free to do whatever you want," said Moondancer. Storm didn't wait for her to finish talking as he was already walking away. "Gees, Twilight. You sure picked an interesting one to be in love with."

As he headed to the stables, the Jedi sought peace and quiet. He approached his horse and rubbed his nose as the boy got on. Just as he was about to ride off, a voice called out to him. The boy groaned as he turned, and there stood Fleur. The head maid looked at the Jedi with a smile and batted her eyelashes.

"What do you want?!" demanded Storm, already knowing from the look that the girl would ask him for something.

The sound of a train rattling along the tracks could be heard. Passengers were moving about as the train conductors came by, checking tickets. Storm was leaning against a window as he looked out of it, seeing the scenario outside pass by. Soon another person sat down across from him. It was none other than Fleur, as the girl had a new attire: a button-up red blouse that exposed her arm, a green miniskirt that reached her knees, and a satchel wrapped across her body.

"You know, after the whole fiasco with what happened in the Crystal Empire, I was looking forward to some peace and quiet," stated Storm as he looked at the girl.

"Well, this is peace and quiet," stated Fleur as she pulled out a small mirror and looked at her appearance.

"For who? Me or you? Cause it feels like I'm being dragged along to be some kind of pack mule! Where the hell are we even going anyway?!" demanded Storm as the maid didn't even bother to tell him.

"Here," said Fleur as she took a small piece of paper from her satchel.

Storm saw it as he reached over and grabbed it. He began to unfold it, and it turned out to be a letter. Soon the boy began to read it.

Dear Fleur,

It's been too long since we last met. Time sure flies. I remember yesterday as if we were playing with each other, trying to get boys' attention, and dreaming of finding our life partner. And well... I found him. I can't wait to introduce you to him. I'm in Canterlot this weekend and would like you to come. I can't wait to see who you managed to snag.

Sincerely, Rose.

Storm finished reading the letter as he lifted his head to look at Fleur with a raised eyebrow.

"An old friend of mine. Before my family came into service for Twilight's family, I had a friend. Her name was Roseluck, but she preferred to be called Rose. We grew up together in Canterlot. We had dreams of one day settling down and finding that one person."

"And I'm here because..." said Storm, feeling like he knew where this was going, but figured Fleur would be best to say it.

"It's moreso for a different reason. About a month ago, she said she'd been seeing someone. His name is Tomas. However, I have yet to hear a peep about what he does. I've tried asking Rose for some answers, but she shrugs off in a way. I'm... kinda afraid of what kind of guy he is." said Fleur as she put her hands together, "That's why I asked you to come with me."

"You want me to see if this guy is legit, huh?" said Storm, "And here I thought the plan was for you to fool your friend into thinking I'm your boyfriend."

"Well... that was... the initial thought," chuckled Fleur nervously, "Honestly, where I am right now in my life, I'm content with not finding someone. I enjoy working for Twilight's family, which is my priority now."

"So, what info do you have on the guy?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?!" said Storm as he expected Fleur to know something, basic information.

"Don't fret. I contacted Rose and arranged for us to go somewhere and get to know each other. Consider it an undercover double date," stated Fleur.

"You're asking a lot from me, Fleur. You know that, right?" stated Storm before sighing, "Alright, if we're gonna play the role of boyfriend and girlfriend, then we need to set some rules."

"I've already thought of that. I haven't told her you're a Jedi, simply that we recently met and are just starting our relationship. And if she needs proof that we're together, then simply a kiss on the cheek or holding me close should be enough."

"Fine... as long as we don't have to directly touch lips, we're good. I'm a Jedi, first and most," said Storm, reminding the girl of his code.

"Then we'll need to go over some gestures," said Fleur.

"What gestures?"

The boy was confused by what Fleur meant before he soon found her sitting beside him and cuddling his arm.

"For example, if I hug your arm like this, you look at me as if you're in love. Next, the more hand-holding we do, the more we convince her that we're together. And the most crucial thing..."

"Oh, god, I'm scared," groaned Storm as he felt a bit tedious at all the signs that Fleur was trying to get him to do. Even Twilight didn't do all this.

Soon the train to Canterlot pulled into the station. The doors opened, and out came the passengers. Fleur and Storm exited as they began to go to the hotel she had booked. Once checked in, the girl led them to a nearby clothing shop to find outfits for the banquet.

"Oh, dear. I seem to have left my perfume in the hotel room. Storm, could you be a dear and run to that shop to get me some?" asked Fleur as she was by the counter with their selected outfits.

"Sure," responded the boy.

Storm exited the shop as he was making his way toward another shop.

The woman stood behind the counter, taking in the misted scent of her latest perfume creation. The fragrance was subtle but distinct. The resulting aroma consisted of a tasteful mixture of various floral ingredients, invoking a sense of a field of blossoms and the airy lightness of a pleasantly warm but breezy day. She called it Breath of Spring.

Setting the sample perfume bottle back among its sisters, Lilac Essence turned her dark brown eyes in anticipation of the shop's entrance, her deep purple bangs swaying subtly with the motion. Her hair was tied up in an elegant yet simplistic half-bun, the loose length of which hung smoothly to about a hand's-length below the base of her neck. Her coat, a contrasting lighter shade of lavender, was adorned with an image of a twig of lilac blossoms lying at a slight tilt with a glass perfume bottle standing behind it.

The corners of Lilac's mouth twinged upwards upon catching sight of a boy through the store window just aside the door - her third customer of the day. The white woman enveloped the door handle with a honey-yellow aura of magic, swinging it gracefully open before walking inside, a little bell over the door frame tinkling delightedly as he entered. The boy paused, scanning the shop briefly before turning his head to look at Lilac Essence with his monocled gaze.

"Welcome to Enchanting Essences," she said, smiling, "the home of the best perfumes and colognes in Canterlot. How may I assist you?"

"Looking for some perfume for a friend of mine. Got any in stock?" asked Storm, unsure of his surroundings.

"Oh, I see. Well, tell me about your special someone?" asked the woman.

"She's just a friend. So are you gonna help me or not?" demanded the Jedi, as he didn't have time to play games.

"No need to be hasty. But you will find that all of the fragrances at Enchanting Essences are only of the most superb quality."

"Yes... well..." He seemed slightly taken aback by her response. He had hoped to conclude this matter more succinctly, as most males do when visiting an unfamiliar shop where the clientele is predominately known to be female.

Lilac smiled in understanding. "Perhaps you could describe your friend's personality or previously favored perfumes? Even a brief description of her appearance might help discern a choice that would suit her."

"I'm afraid I am not the most adept at describing things, but I'll do my best." The Jedi paused, his expression betraying deep thought before he continued.

"I'm afraid her previous favorites when it comes to perfumes is what brings me here in the first place. She has excellent taste in many things, yet her good sense does not extend when it comes to perfume. She wears fragrances that tend more towards the heavy, jarring sort of aromatic mixture, rendering the odor nigh-on to the cusp of repugnancy - the propensity for which, I assume, is ultimately derived from the influence of the aunt who raised her, who possessed a very strong sort of personality. Something lighter, of a more subtle nature, would be more fitting for her. Her skin is a pristine white, and her hair has several shades of light pink. She is a graceful girl with eyes of violet, a wisp of a woman with a very delicate frame, and in personality is quiet yet notable, obliging yet persuasive, modest yet chic."

"Oh dear," Lilac said, chuckling. "It appears you describe things very poorly, indeed," she teased, eliciting a rather sheepish grin from the boy, who now realized he had conveyed his meaning quite well. "But rest assured," she continued. "I shall do my best to accommodate your request despite your unfortunate failings."

Lilac Essence thought momentarily, glancing between the bottles in her selection of airier perfumes on a row of shelves against the far wall. With an almost indiscernible nod to herself, she took a tall thin bottle into her magical white aura from across the room, bringing it closer to herself, and proceeding to hold it just a few inches above the counter, that distance remaining constant but for the slightest bobbing fluctuations as she kept it afloat in the air. "Perhaps this perfume will satisfy your requirements," she told him, pressuring her magic upon the top, causing a lightly scented spray to pass just short of her customer's snout, directed perpendicular to his position as opposed to directly toward him.

The Jedi inhaled the aroma deeply, a smile curving his lips and his eyes creasing at the corners as they closed in ecstasy. The fragrance invoked a sense of the most pleasing gentility, radiating cherry blossoms and clover in an ethereally vibrant garden. He even detected a faint but poignantly pleasing hint of chamomile and newly fallen rain in the undertones. His eyes slid open, and his expression was equally dazed and delighted.

"That ain't half bad. I'll take it," stated Storm.

"As you wish," Lilac responded sweetly.

Storm paid for the item as he, grabbed the bag and thanked the woman for her help.

"Oh, my, Storm. This is lovely!" said Fleur as she sniffed the perfume and seemed to like what the boy picked out for her.

"Glad you like it. So... what's the plan for tomorrow?" asked the boy as he was leaning against a wall with his arms crossed.

"Well, we'll meet Rose and Tomas at a small restaurant I've picked. Hopefully, by talking, we can get some insight into who he is and what kind of person he's treating Rose," said Fleur. "Have you ever had to do this? Go undercover and scout out potential enemies?"

"Plenty," scoffed Storm, "Surprisingly enough, I had to pretend to be Rarity's date to spy on a senator to see if he had anything to do with the Separatists."

"I see. Tell me, does... being a Jedi come so easy for you? The things you and the princess do. From a scientific standpoint, you're essentially a superhuman. You can move quickly, lift things more than your weight, and leap tall buildings in a single bound. How are you capable of so much?"

"I don't know... I guess... I was just built differently," answered Storm, not having a proper answer for the girl. "But I try to do as much as I can. If me and Twilight are gonna win the war, then we need to be able to do extraordinary things."

"I see. Well, hopefully, you two and your kind will win. We're rooting for you."

"Appreciate that, Fleur," said Storm. "Well, it's getting late. We best get some rest if we're gonna see who your friend is seeing."

"Right," nodded the girl as the boy departed to his room.

The next day came as Storm and Fleur began to make their way to the restaurant's location.

"This is the place," said the girl as the pair stood before the building. "Let's go in."

The two entered as they saw several people already seated. They scanned the room before a voice called out to them. It belonged to a girl that Fleur was familiar with; she had pale, light grayish chartreuse green eyes, moderate raspberry with light raspberry streaks hair, and very pale yellow skin.

"Fleur!" called out the girl.

"Rose!" said the maid as she approached her friend and hugged her.

"So good to see you. Follow me," said Rose as the girls walked with Storm following suit.

They arrived at a table, and Rose sat next to another person. The person was a boy who wore a fancy white business suit with a flower in his pocket. Arms lay on the booth as he dipped his shades to look at his girl and her friends. Fleur saw the person her friend had been seeing as she got some vibe from him as they sat across from the pair.

"It's nice that we finally see each other after so long. Let me introduce you," said Rose as she grabbed the boy's arms beside her.

"Yo. My name's Tomas. I've heard all about you two from Rose." said the boy. "So... I heard you're my girl's friend, Fleur?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"And this guy here is your boyfriend, right?" asked Tomas.

"Y-Yeah..." responded Fleur hesitantly.

"Huh. Looks like you guys don't get along too well, though. It's like your love level is at rock bottom. Are you seriously dating?" asked Tomas, looking at the maid and Jedi.

"Love comes in many different forms," Storm responded before Fleur responded.

"R-Right! Storm doesn't really like it when I get all clingy with him..." said Fleur with a fake smile.

"Ohhh, I get it. You don't got any affection compared to us," said Tomas.

"Mmmmmmmmmm-hm!" responded Rose.

"Hey, babe, did you do something special today? I don't remember you lookin' this sexy," Tomas told the girl.

"Oh, Tomas!" squealed Rose, looking at the boy beside her.

Fleur sighed as she watched the two act before her.

"Sorry, I have to use the bathroom," said Rose as she got up and left.

"Later, lovebird," responded Tomas as he saw Rose leave.

"Um, there's something I'd like to ask you... Are you serious about pursuing a relationship with Rose?" asked Fleur, wanting some answers from the boy.

"Aha! I was wonderin' when our pretty girl was gonna show her true colors!" said Tomas, as he felt Fleur would say something like this. "That reminds me, Rose said you were real pumped about gettin' to know me. Why's that, huh?"

"... I just wanted to make sure you're good for her," answered Fleur.

"Daaaaaaamn girl, you really care about your friends?" said Tomas. "Good stuff. I always say, friends're like, super important n' shit. Speaking of which, a friend of my GF is totally a friend of mine. How 'bout you tell me your contact info?"

"What's wrong?" smiled Tomas.

"I-I, um..." stumbled Fleur.

"Why don't you and I exchange infos?" said Storm, seeing Fleur's discomfort.

"Nobody asked you!" responded Tomas to the Jedi. "Anyways, Rose already gave me yours, Fleur. We good."

Storm raised an eyebrow at that.

"I do have one question to ask... Rose said you run a club. You're not gonna bring her to your club, are you?" asked Fleur.

"What, you suspectin' me? I wouldn't dream of it," answered Tomas. "It's a damn shame people think us hosts're just flirts. But my love with Rose is pure as snow. Don't twist the story."

At that moment, Rose came back from the bathroom.

"Huh? Is something wrong?" asked Rose.

"Oh, I was just getting to know your little friend here, honey," said Tomas. "Welp, I've gotta be at work soon."

"Ah, me too!" said Rose. "Bye, Fleur! Great seeing you and your special someone. Can't wait to see you at the banquet!"

With that, both Rose and Tomas left the restaurant. Soon it was just Storm and Fleur as they began to discuss what went down.

"I hope he's not tricking her..." said Fleur as she crossed her arms. "But no matter what I might think, I still don't have any proof... and above all, Rose seems happy. Am I just... getting in the way of their happiness?"

"No, you're being considerate," responded Storm.

"I suppose so... I mean, I really am worried about Rose here..." stated the girl, "In the end, I know this is just a hunch... but my father always stressed how important it is to trust hunches. By the way, I'm glad you were here with me. I would have really panicked had I been alone."

"No problem," said Storm.

"We should get going too," suggested Fleur as the Jedi nodded.

As the days got closer to the event, Fleur began to receive recorded messages from Tomas. Storm was in the girl's hotel room as Fleur called for him to talk. He was standing in front of the girl who was on her bed as she finished listening to the last message that Tomas had sent her.

"Rose's boyfriend, Tomas, has been sending me many of these recently. His days and nights are reversed due to his work, so he often sends me a "good morning" late at night..." said Fleur.

"Does Rose know about this?" asked Storm.

"I'm not sure. I'd definitely tell Rose if he asked me out on a date... But for now, things are generally pretty normal. Mostly messages like, "how's your boyfriend," and "Hope you had a great day today"... Do you think their relationship could be serious?" asked the maid to the Jedi. "Was I wrong to think he was using her?"

"I don't know yet. But he's definitely suspicious. I was getting a vibe from him." said Storm as his Jedi senses went off when they met Tomas.

"I mean, it does sound like something that's written in books and records. A lying host that tricks women into debt and then forces them to sell their bodies... But... those kinds of things exist in reality, as well. Immoral hosts, trafficking rings... My father even told me about gangs of men that look specifically for depressed women." stated Fleur. "They take advantage of those girls' loneliness to force them into horribly abusive situations... Then after ensuring the girls are buried in crippling debt, they make them sell their bodies to pay them off. There are other ways they blackmail them."

"I've dealt with my fair share of this kind of crime. Even as a Padawan, Luna took me on dangerous missions and worlds where I saw things no kid should see at his age. But... she did want me to see that the universe isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Part of being a Jedi is becoming an adult." said Storm.

At that moment, the communicator in Fleur's lap began to ring. She looked at the transmission as it turned out to be the person they were talking about.

"Oh, it's Tomas... gloating again," stated Fleur as she listened to the latest message the boy was sending her.

"Gees, he doesn't let up, does he," said Storm.

"Listen to this one: You're serious about him? Want to have a double wedding?" repeated Fleur.

"Don't get any ideas," remarked Storm as both chuckled. "Anyways, are you gonna tell Rose about this?"

"I asked to meet with her in an hour to discuss some things," said Fleur.

"Then let's get going," stated the boy.

The pair soon arrived at their destination as Rose was waiting for them. All three sat at a table with their drinks before them as Rose wanted to see what her friend wanted to discuss.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" asked Fleur.

"Well, um... I was wondering if you could maybe lend me some money," asked Rose.

"What?!" said Fleur as she and Storm were surprised by what they were hearing.

"It's nothing major! I promise to pay you back," said Rose.

"Does this have to do with Tomas?" asked Fleur.

"Mmm... he dropped a super expensive bottle of sake at work, so the club's making him pay for it... but he needs help."

"... He's lying to you, Rose. Don't give him any money!" stated Fleur.

"He's not lying!" stated Rose with a glare at her friend, "I know you're all weird about the fact that he's a host, but my Tomas' not like that! He's really gentle and honest too... He even calls me "princess"! I'm the only one he says that too, y'know. He says it's 'cause I'm special."

"So he calls you his special Rosebud... What do you think, Storm?" asked Fleur to her friend.

"That's how he ropes you in," stated the Jedi.

"I have to agree. Every girl who gives him money is his "princess." That way, he can never get their names mixed up."

"Don't accuse him of that stuff!"

"But did you ask anyone at his club about the broken bottle?" asked Fleur.

"W-Well, um... no," answered Rose. "He told me not to talk to them about it, though! He's too proud to have me tell his boss. Please, Fleur. You're the one I trust the most. We've been friends since we were little."

"I think you should end your relationship with Tomas," stated the maid. "If you don't put a stop to this, he might try to drag you into some suspicious line of work."

"I'm just serving drinks at a bar to help him pay off that broken bottle. He said I'll be number one in no time."

"Rose! You can't just do what he says! He's trying to deceive you...!" stated Fleur.

"... I should have seen this coming. Someone like you would never understand. Look at you, prettier than me, being able to snag a good boyfriend. You're probably gonna marry him and live a decent life. Then what?" remarked Rose.

"I'm... I'm not sure yet," sighed Fleur as she felt a bit of Rose's pain behind her words, saying how she thought she had a perfect life, "But be that as it may, you should still stay as far away from him as you can."

"So you're not gonna help me?" said Rose with a glare. "Forget it. I can make it up another way."

"Rose, wait!" shouted Fleur to her friend to stop her, "I didn't want to tell you this, but Tomas has been contacting me almost constantly. Even today, he asked me if I'm still happy with my boyfriend... Listen to me, Rose: He's not serious about you."

"Don't give me that excuse!" retorted Rose to her friend. "Tomas' just so nice that'd worry about my friends for me... Wait... you were contacting him behind my back? What the hell, Fleur!?"

"It was mostly him contacting me," replied Fleur, her head down and dwindling her fingers.

"Ugh! You have smarts, looks, a cool boyfriend... and you seriously still want more?!" shouted Rose. "Tomas is all I have...! You can't take him away from me!"

"That's not what I'm trying to do!" shouted Fleur with a pleading look on her face.

"Yeah, right, just keep your hands off! I'd never forgive you if you stole him away, Fleur...!" stated Rose as she got up and walked out of the establishment.

The Jedi and maid were left to themselves as the girl sighed,

"Tomas is all she has...? You know, I think she's exactly the kind of girl those gangs are on the lookout for. Lonely, depressed girls who have nowhere to vent their frustrations." said Fleur, "Rose's family is quite well off. However, her multi-talented younger brother seems to be the sole focus of her parents' attention. I'm sure that's why she fell for Tomas in the first place. He treats her like she's special. But... she needs help. You'll help me, right, Storm?"

"Of course," responded the boy.

"Thank you. It's reassuring to hear you say that," stated Fleur before she sighed, "I know she wants me to stay out of her business, but I'd never forgive myself if I let this come to pass. What is the right way to live...? At any rate, we're going to catch that horrible host."

"What's the plan?" asked Storm.

The next day came as a section of Canterlot was shown. Many people were out and about. Among them were Storm and Fleur, as the pair were in a popular section of the city. The Jedi was able to use his scouting skills and locate the place of Tomas' club as they were looking to confront Rose about him. Fleur knew when Rose's shift was over due to their previous conversations; the pair were now ready to end this charade as the maid hoped to get her friend back. And they didn't wait long before the girl was shown exiting the building as she walked by and noticed them.

"... What do you want?" asked Rose to her friend with a glare.

"Rose... your "boyfriend" is infamous around here for tricking girls into debt, then forcing them to sell themselves. You need to get out of there."

"You seriously came all the way to tell me that? Ugh, get out of here, Fleur! I've had enough of your lying!" stated Rose.

"I have a testimony from one of the promoters in the area," stated the maid. "You're not the first girl Tomas has lied to about a "broken bottle." He doesn't ask for much at first, but the interest piles up. Eventually, he'll ask you to start selling your body. Please consider this relationship!"

"Shut it!" retorted Rose. "I already have a date planned with him for today. We're gonna stop by his club. So stay outta my way!"

At that moment, Tomas was shown arriving.

"Yo! Did I make you wait, babe?" said the boy as he appeared by the girl. "Hey, I know you two. Wanna hop on over to my club with us? It's gonna be a total blast!"

"They were saying some bad stuff about you, honey," said Rose. "Like how you get girls into debt and then force 'em to sell themselves... They're lying to me, right?"

"Huh? You believe that?" scoffed Tomas. "Listen to me: Nothing like that's happenin' here. I'd never lie to you, princess."

"It's always "princess" with you. Why don't you ever call her by her real name, Tomas?" asked Fleur with a smirk, "Or are there too many princesses in your life to remember?"

"..."

"Tomas?" asked Rose.

"Hahaha, what're you freakin' me out? You're the one who's been contacting me, remember. I could never forget someone like you, Fleur." said Tomas.

"I knew it! I'm the one who contacted you; I even changed my voice a bit to sound like Rose. Admit it. Every girl you get money from is your princess, right? You can't even remember names anymore." declared the maid, "Don't you see, Rose? This is who your "boyfriend" really is."

"B-But... you tricked him!" stated Rose, as she was slowly starting to see what her friend was saying. "What would you know about love? Tomas is all that I have! Just leave me alone, bitch!"

What happened next shocked everyone. Fleur stepped forward to approach her friend and slapped her across the face in the blink of an eye. Even the boys were shocked that the maid did that.

"Wha?" said Rose, feeling her cheek.

"Wake up! You already know the truth; you just don't want to believe it! Stop lying to yourself!" said Fleur to her friend, "As for you... apologize to Rose! And stay away from her from now on!"

"Huh? You're really startin' to annoy me with this shit, you bitch?! Don't think I'll go easy on you 'cause you're a chick. I'm gonna teach you a lesson you'll never forget." stated Tomas.

He took a step forward but soon found himself in place. The girls were surprised to see the boy struggling to move as they didn't know what was happening. Out of the corner of Fleur's eyes, she saw Storm, who merely held up two fingers. The Jedi was not breaking much of a sweat as he used his powers to stop Tomas from attempting to strike the maid.

"Your fight's not with her, buddy," smiled Storm as he spoke up.

The Jedi thrust his two fingers forward, making Tomas fall. He grunted as he sat up to look at the maid and Jedi, who made him look like a fool.

"I'll remember this!" said the boy as he got up and walked away.

"He wasn't so tough after all," scoffed Fleur, feeling more tough, well mostly because she was lucky Storm was here to keep her safe.

"Tomas..." said Rose as she fell to the ground.

"Rose..." responded Fleur as she bent beside her friend and placed her hands on their shoulders.

"Come on. We should leave. Best not to make more of a scene." said Storm as he could see that several people around them seemed to notice what went down.

The girls got up and began to head back to their hotel as Storm waved his hand. The Jedi used his powers to affect the minds of the nearby citizens as they seemed to forget what had just occurred.

All three teens returned to Fleur's hotel room as the girls were seated on the bed with Storm leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Since getting back, Rose had been crying her eyes out as Fleur remained by her friend's side. The sound of sniffing soon ceased as Rose just kept her head down.

"Feel better?" asked Fleur to her friend.

"A little," said Rose as she wiped her nose.

Fleur reached over to grab some tissue and presented it to her friend, who took it. A cup filled with liquid floated in front of her as the girls saw it.

"Drink this. It'll help," said Storm as he was using his Jedi powers, without his hands, to make the cup float.

"Thanks," said Rose as she grabbed the cup and looked at it before looking back at the boy. "You're a Jedi?"

"Yeah."

"Heh. Fleur did it again. She always gets what she wants. But... to snag a Jedi. That's impressive." said Rose.

"Storm isn't my boyfriend. I just had him pretend during our dates," said Fleur as Rose was shocked to hear that. "In fact, I'm not who I think I am, Rose. Believe it or not, I'm actually a maid."

"A maid?" said Rose in disbelief. "You serve someone?"

"The royal family, actually. I'm the head maid. I took over when my mother retired." said the girl.

"The royal family? Why didn't you tell me? That's... awesome." said Rose, thinking her friend was lucky to work for someone as highly respected as Twilight's folks.

"I guess. It's not something that I go bragging about to others. But... I'm grateful for the King and Queen to give me a home." said Fleur. "Perhaps, maybe they can do the same for you."

"I don't know."

"Rose, think about it. You don't have much here, anyways. Why not come with me? I remember how you used to love flowers, especially roses. Maybe the King and Queen can help you open a flower shop. Something to share with the people the things you love." suggested Fleur.

"The King and Queen would take pity on someone like me?" asked Rose.

"They did for my mother. Why not you?"

"Even if I wanted to, what about Tomas? He said he'd never forget what went down," stated the girl.

"Yeah, don't worry about him. I think he'll get what he deserves," said Storm as he was shown holding a small device in his hand as it blinked.

"What's that?" asked Fleur.

"Don't worry about it," said the boy, putting it in his pocket.

Unbeknownst to the girls, the Jedi planted a small tracking device on Tomas when he pushed him to the ground. The device signaled the local forces as they raided Tomas' club and had the boy in cufflinks. They were escorting him to a wagon to face his crimes.

"So, what do you say? Care to come with me?" asked Fleur, offering an olive branch to her friend for a brand new start.

Rose looked at her friend before looking down at the cup she was holding. The liquid showed her reflection as she got a good look at herself. She took a big sigh as she had her answer.

The next day came as the train pulled into the station. The passengers onboard got out as the ones on the station began to file in. Among them were Storm and Fleur as the pair were looking to head back. But this time, they had company as Rose arrived with a suitcase; the girl had spent the previous night packing her stuff, looking to take Fleur on her offer to start anew.

"You ready?" asked Fleur.

"Y-Yeah," said Rose as she got on.

"Thanks for the help, Storm. Glad you came," said the maid to her friend.

"I didn't do much. It was all you," said Storm with a smile as Fleur did the same.

"I suppose I did. Still... it was nice to have a friend," smiled the maid before leaning in to kiss his cheek.

Storm smiled as he wiped his cheek before also getting on the train. The locomotive then began to chug along the tracks as it pulled away.

Author's Note: After such an adventure like the Crystal Empire, it seemed Storm was looking to some peace and quiet. However, it doesn't seem he got to do that as he had to help Fleur with handling an issue with her friend about who she was seeing. A prime example of a real-life situation that almost anybody has either seen or heard about. And it seems that Twilight is trying to understand what exactly happened that caused Storm's element to merge with Applejack and Pinkie's. As always, leave a review expressing your thoughts and comments.