AN: Hey guys. Sorry that the flashbacks aren't in italics; given how the Doc Manager on the site has been acting, trying to do that would be VERY cumbersome. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter; it's a long one!

Chapter 22 All About Her

The hotel room was nice, the bed was nice, and the fact that Pom Pom would be able to get five hours of sleep was nice. Overall, everything was A okay except for one thing. That being the fact that Pom Pom couldn't sleep. All she could do at this moment was stare up at the ceiling, trying to get her body to fall asleep in any way she could. Her body didn't listen. And now it was midnight, which meant she only had about three hours left in the five-hour power nap. Oh man, this was going to be a chore, wasn't it?

Pom Pom sighed. She kept her eyes on the ceiling, counting the seconds. Maybe she couldn't fall asleep because she was still in the "need to find Viv as soon as possible" mindset. Maybe she had been so used to operating at her best performance level that it was taking time for her body to adjust. If that was the case, it wasn't an unfamiliar feeling to her. When she was a kid, and she got done with her training for the Koopa Troop, she would often battle the aftereffects of the adrenaline. It was a familiar state of being… but not a pleasant one.

"Pom Pom?"

Blinking, Pom Pom reached out and turned on the light on the bedside table. She saw Wendy staring at her, looking strange now that her jewelry and bow were on the vanity table on the other side of the room.

"You couldn't sleep either?" Wendy asked.

Pom Pom frowned and shook her head. "Nope. Too much going on, I suppose."

"Yeah." Wendy rose to a sitting position. "I can relate." She paused. "I feel so worried, you know? Even after everything we talked about, I still feel worried for my family's safety."

"That makes sense." Pom Pom adjusted her position so she fully faced the princess. "I mean, take it from someone who's had to deal with depression most of her life; negativity can be really hard to escape from. You can have all the people in the world telling you positive things, but sometimes even that's not enough." She paused. That… wasn't very comforting, now was it? "But… like we discussed before, you are the one in control. You are the one with the power to stop the negative thought pattern."

"Right." Wendy sat still, biting her lip, before turning back to Pom Pom. "I can do that, but I don't think it's just negativity that's keeping me up." Pom Pom blinked as Wendy let out a breath. "I've also been wondering about something."

"What's that?"

Wendy rubbed her left arm. "I've been wondering about Viv. Like, what is she like? What was her personality? How did you and her interact with one another when you were seeing each other?"

Pom Pom did a double take. "Oh." She sat still and silent, trying to digest what Wendy had just asked. "I see." She frowned. "So, you want me to tell you about her?"

"Yes. I would like that a lot actually." Wendy seemed to consider things for a little bit before pulling back. "Only if you're up for it, of course."

Pom Pom considered this, mulling over exactly how this discussion would make her feel. Eventually, she smiled. "I don't think I would mind that. I mean, I've discussed our friendship with my therapists in the past; I don't think talking about it with a trusted friend would be any worse."

Wendy smiled as her eyes sparkled. "Great!" She scooted closer to the cadet. "Tell me everything; don't spare me any details!"

Pom Pom chuckled. "Okay." She thought back through the various memories she had of her. Where exactly would be the best place to start? She sorted through about a dozen memories before she settled on one. "Do you want me to tell you about when I helped her find a hobby?"

"A hobby? Sure, that would be nice!"

Pom Pom chuckled and delved right into the memory.

…

Pom Pom and Viv had just spent the last thirty minutes playing tag, and now they both sat underneath a very large and shady tree. Pom Pom smiled as she tried to catch her breath, letting out little laughs as she sat next to Viv. While Viv didn't seem nearly as tuckered out as her friend, she still sat beside her. She just let Pom Pom have her space and let her catch her breath at her own pace.

Eventually, Pom Pom fully recovered. She laughed and looked at her new friend while grinning. "That was fun."

"It was." Viv giggled. "Honestly, I think this is the most fun I've had in a while. Where I come from, I never really get a chance to play games. My sisters and I mostly just do work without an breaks." A twinge of pain appeared in Viv's eyes. "Getting to have genuine fun with someone is so weird."

"I see." Pom Pom adjusted her position so that she wasn't slouching. "Maybe you just have to get used to it. And for what it's worth…" Pom Pom giggled. "Fun is the best kind of thing to get used to! It really is!"

"Yeah. I mean, I don't doubt that at all." Both girls laughed. "I just… I wouldn't know where to start." She paused as a somber look appeared in her eyes. "All my life I've been doing one thing. It's the one thing I know how to do, the one thing I'm good at. All my life has been dedicated to serving, whether it be my master or my sisters." She bit her lip. "How am I supposed to have fun for myself when I don't know how?"

"Hmm. Well, I can always teach you." Pom Pom reached into her hammerspace. "There's one thing I like to do for fun." She pulled out a spool of yarn and four different crochet hooks. "Mommy taught me how to crochet three months ago. I've watched her do it for so long, and when I finally asked her to teach me, she jumped at the opportunity." Pom Pom giggled. "And it's really fun! If you like using your hands, I think it's something you'll enjoy." She handed the supplies to Viv. "Want me to teach you?"

Viv hesitated before nodding. "Sure." She took one hook, and the smiling Pom Pom got her own hook ready.

"Okay. First things first, I'm gonna teach you how to make a slipknot." Pom Pom got her yarn ready, gesturing for Viv to follow her example. Once she was set up, Pom Pom walked her through the instructions. "Have your index finger pointing downwards with the yarn wrapped around it… turn it up and put your finger through the loop… grab the tail… and pull it through! There, you have a slipknot! Think you can do that, Viv?"

"I… think so." Viv bit her lip as she followed Pom Pom's instructions, all while the young girl watched her as she did this. "Grab the tail and pull it through… is this how you do it?"

"Yep! That's perfect!" Pom Pom picked up a crochet hook. "Now, you hold the hook with your thumb and pointer finger… and you put the yarn on the hook. Got it?" Viv nodded, looking more and more confident as the two went along. "Okay, to do a chain… twist the hook away from you… put it on the left side of the string… twist it towards you, pull down and put the yarn through the loop!"

"Okay. I think…" Viv did as she was told, and when she finished she did a little laugh. "I did it, Pom Pom! I actually did it!"

"Great job!" Pom Pom studied Viv's work, giving a nod of approval. "You catch on quick. It took me quite a while to get a good chain."

Viv smiled, her face turning magenta. "Thanks." She looked down at the chain. "So… I just keep doing this until I get a long chain."

"Oh, it's not just a chain you can get. You can make blankets, you can make mittens… you can make all sorts of things! You just got keep practicing, and eventually, you'll be REALLY skilled!"

"Really skilled…" Viv paused for a moment. "You know, my sisters said that I will never be good at anything, that I'm too stupid to actually learn how to be useful." She put on a smile and resumed making the chain, this time at a greater pace. "This is my chance to prove them wrong!"

"Yeah! You can do it, Viv! I believe in you!"

With that, both girls grinned as they continued expanding their chains.

…

"That's so sweet!" Wendy exclaimed. She was all smiles as Pom Pom wrapped up the story. "You taught her how to do something new!"

"Yeah, I did." Pom Pom paused to consider things. "You know, I kinda gave up crocheting when I decided to train to become a soldier. The memories I had with Viv about crocheting didn't really make me that excited to continue either." She put her hand to her chin. "But you know… I honestly wonder if Viv still does crocheting. I mean, ever since I taught her, she seemed really interested in it. She would even practice in front of me, and show me how she improved.

"That's cool. And I wouldn't be surprised if she does," Wendy said. "I mean, based on what you described, she seemed really excited to do it. Plus… well, if her sisters constantly made fun of her, I doubt she would just quit. Like you said, she wanted to prove them wrong."

"That is true." Another memory flashed through Pom Pom's head, making her frown. "You know… being allegedly stupid isn't the only thing her sisters made fun of her for."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. There were quite a few things they nagged her about, but one that really sticks out in my memory…"

…

"Hey Viv?"

"Yes Pom Pom?"

Pom Pom's stomach churned. What she was about to ask Viv was a little more… personal than some of the other things they had discussed. One could say that, since they didn't know each other very long, she shouldn't be asking this. She should just mind her own business, should just let it go unaddressed. But… she was curious. If she didn't ask it now, it would bug her for quite a bit.

"This may seem a little rude, but why is your voice so deep?"

Viv did a double take. "Oh." She cringed. "I… I uh… I don't… I think…"

"Sorry!" Pom Pom held up her hands. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be rude. I just…" Pom Pom took a step closer to her. "It's something I've been wondering about ever since I met you. Like, I remember during our first meeting, when I heard you speak for the first time, I was… surprised to hear that you sounded so much like a guy. Again, I'm sorry if that's rude to ask…"

"No no, it's okay Pom Pom. I… it's not something I regularly talk about, but since we're friends… well, I think you deserve to know." Viv took a deep breath. "I wasn't… born a girl."

Pom Pom blinked. "You weren't? So… you ARE a guy?"

"Was. I WAS a guy." Viv put her hands in front of her and twiddled her thumbs. "I was born with a boy body, but… it didn't… feel right. I tried to tell myself that it was, but it never did." She frowned. "It was so uncomfortable. I felt like I was in a cage. And so, when I decided that I wanted to be a girl… in some ways, it was almost like I finally figured out how to make a key. I made a key, unlocked the cage, and I felt better." An almost nostalgic look appeared in her eye. "Like… I was becoming who I was meant to be right from the start."

Pom Pom gawked at Viv. "Wow." She smiled. "That's so cool. I know I could never make a change like that. You're very brave."

Viv blinked. "Me? Brave?"

"Yes, of course!" Pom Pom took a seat beside her. "You took a huge step, and you did what you needed to do. You did what you believed was right. That takes guts!"

Those words didn't have the effect on Viv that Pom Pom expected. She looked almost guilty, like she wanted to dig a big hole and bury herself in it. Her face turned magenta, it looked like she was going to cry.

"Viv? Are you okay?"

Viv took in a shaky breath. "My sisters never really thought so." Her voice was so quiet, so weak. "When I made the steps to become a girl, they… they made fun of me. They would call me names, they would go out of their way to undermine me. At first, they didn't even call me by the name I chose; they still called me by the name I had as a boy." Viv sniffled. "It took a long time before they even recognized me as a girl, and… sometimes, I think they still don't. I think… well, I'm not in their heads, but I think when they say I'm a girl… they only do it to mock me."

Wow. Pom Pom's heart actually hurt when she heard that. "That's awful!" She scooted closer. "Viv, you don't have to listen to them! You are a girl! And if they don't say you are, then… well, they need to take a good hard look at themselves."

Viv sniffled again. "That's very sweet, Pom Pom. But…"

"But what?"

Viv shook her head. "They do have a point. I mean… I am an ugly girl…"

"What?" Pom Pom gripped her hand into a fist. "No! No, you're not ugly, Viv! That's just what your sisters say about you, and you know what? They're wrong! You are beautiful! Not just on the outside, but on the inside too! You are a very beautiful girl!"

Viv gawked at her. "You think so?"

"Viv. Would I ever lie to you?"

Viv chuckled. "No. No, you wouldn't." She looked down at her lap. "Me. Beautiful." Her eyes shimmered. "I think… you're the first person who ever said that about me."

"Well, it's true." Pom Pom reached out and took Viv's hand. "You are beautiful, Viv. Don't let ANYONE tell you otherwise."

Viv sniffled and dried a tear from her eye. "Thanks, Pom Pom."

…

"Wow." Wendy looked off at one corner of the room. "Viv's lived a hard life, hasn't she?"

Pom Pom sighed. "Yeah, from what I've gathered. And most of that seems to be her sister's fault." Pom Pom shook her head. "She never talked about her sisters in a positive way. Not once. Sometimes, when she would mention them, she would have this note of fear in her voice. In some ways, it's like she became an entirely different person. One minute, she would be happy and bubbly, the next… glum."

Wendy frowned. "That's awful." She looked down at the blanket. "I mean… I come from a big, supportive family. My brothers always look out for me, and I them. They don't call me ugly. They don't mock me for being who I am. They allow me to be who I want to be, whether that be a badass soldier or a girl who likes to wear bows." She looked over at her bow and jewelry, her face somewhere between sympathetic and extremely hurt. "If Viv never got that kind of love and support…" She frowned. "That's honestly so sad."

"I thought so too." Pom Pom frowned. "In fact…" She sighed. "I'm gonna tell you about the last conversation I've ever had with Viv."

"Oh." Wendy paused to think about those words. "Okay then."

Pom Pom sat still, mentally preparing herself for this conversation. This memory in particular was a really hard one to recall because… again, it was the last memory she had of her old friend. But she was willing to talk about it. She knew she could do it.

"I went out into the woods to find her, just like I've been doing…"

…

"Viv?" Pom Pom called out. She walked through the forest, keeping her eyes peeled for her shadowy friend. "Viv! Viv, are you there?" Pom Pom frowned. She was getting close to the usual spot where they hung out, the spot where she had first spotted Viv. Frowning she was about to call out again when she heard something. It was a little faint, but it kinda sounded like… crying.

"Viv?" Pom Pom followed the sound, all at once feeling concerned. Was Viv okay? Why was she crying; did something happen to her? Her heart pounding, Pom Pom looked behind a tree, and there she was. Viv cried underneath the tree, sounding far more broken than she had ever been previously.

"Viv!" Pom Pom went up to her sobbing friend. "Viv, what's wrong?" Pom Pom put her hand on her shoulder. "What happened; is everything okay?"

Viv sniffled. While she looked pleased to see her friend, the pleasure was far weaker than it had been in previous instances. Some could even describe it as muted. She wiped her eyes. She seemed to be trying to find the strength to speak.

"It… it's…" she stopped. She took one deep breath, than another. She looked Pom Pom in the eye. "Something happened."

"Something happened?" Pom Pom's heart pounded again. "Oh no, Viv…" Pom Pom felt fear strike her. "Was it your sisters? Did they do something?"

Viv took in another breath, this one shaky. "Do you… do you remember… how I've been crocheting a blanket?"

Pom Pom nodded. "Yeah. The pretty pink one with purple and red hearts?"

"Yes." Viv whimpered. "Well… I haven't showed it to my sisters because I was… I was afraid of what they might think of it. I've mostly been keeping it hidden from them. And… well, they found it the other day. They called it stupid and trashy and they… they set it on fire."

Pom Pom gasped. "They set it on FIRE?"

"And they made me watch."

"THEY MADE YOU WATCH?" Anger filled Pom Pom. "No! No no no, they can't do that! That's not right! That's not fair! That's… that's evil! That's straight up evil!"

Viv sniffled. "They said it was one of the ugliest blankets they had ever seen…"

"Well, they shouldn't have!" Pom Pom put on a stern face. "Viv, you can't keep taking this kind of stuff from them. They're trying to bring you down, they're trying to make you feel like less of a person. They have no right to! Like I said, what they're doing is evil! THEY'RE evil."

Viv looked down at the ground. "Evil…"

"Yes." Pom Pom put on a determined face. "Viv… you need to stand up to them. You need to go tell your sisters that you aren't going to listen to them anymore. They can't control you. They can't make fun of you, and they can't hurt you. It isn't their right, and you aren't gonna let them do this to you anymore."

A sullen look appeared in Viv's eyes. "Pom Pom, if I tell them that, they'll punch me…"

"Well then, punch them back!" Viv gave her a horrified look, making Pom Pom sigh. "Look, Viv, I hate seeing what they're doing to you. They're horrible, and they like the fact that they're horrible. They don't care what they're doing to you. You need to stand up to them. You need to show them that YOU are in control. YOU are strong. YOU control your own life, and if they don't like that, then there's the door."

Viv bit her lip as she considered this. "I… guess you're right."

"I know I'm right." Pom Pom smiled. "Tell you what; you go stand up to your sisters, and tomorrow you come tell me how it went. Okay."

Viv thought some more before putting on a determined face and nodding. "I can do that. I promise I'll do that."

"Good. I'm glad."

…

When Pom Pom finished the story, Wendy looked upon her with one of the saddest looks Pom Pom had seen in a while. "She never kept that promise, did she?"

Pom Pom sighed. "No. That was the last time I ever saw her."

Wendy frowned. "I'm so sorry, Pom Pom. After everything you two went through together…" she thought about this. "Do you think her sisters had something to do with this? Do you think they're the reason why Viv never came back?"

Pom Pom frowned. "Possibly." She put her hand to her chin. "That would make a lot of sense…" She shook her head. "I don't know; anything is possible. I don't think I'll know for sure until I see her again."

"Yeah." Wendy looked at the clock. "Well, we have about two and a half hours before we need to get up." She snuggled back in bed. "I hope you sleep well, Pom Pom."

Pom Pom smiled. "You too, Wendy…"

CRASH!