Torn Between Two Worlds

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 10.5
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 18
Chapter 26
Chapter 7
Important Note From the Author

Chapter 1

"Alex...Alex! Wake up!"

"Gah, wha, I-"

I woke up in a startle, and found my teacher, Mr. Donnovan, standing over me, arms crossed and a scowl on his face. "Have a nice nap?" He asked with a quirked brow. My fellow classmates snickered and shook their heads in amusement, before the bell rang. As Pavlov would prove, that was their cue to stand up and exit like mindless drones.

"Alex, this is the third time this week you've fallen asleep in my class," He paused for a moment to sigh. "What's gotten you so tired? Usually you're my best student." He said, this time, with a much more friendly tone. I thought this over for a minute. Yeah, like I'd really tell him I was up all night watching 'My Little Pony'. That wouldn't be odd.

"Dunno...Just having sleeping issues," I replied in half-truth with a yawn, wiping my tired eyes. I reopened them, and Mr. Donnovan stared into my midnight blue eyes with worry.

"Is something going on, then? Do you need to go speak with the counselor?" He asked, placing a friendly hand on my shoulder. I chuckled softly and shook my head, giving a reluctant smile.

"Nah, I just probably need to take some melatonin again..." I replied with a sigh. I stood up, wiping spent eraser shavings from my white shirt. I smirked to myself, observing the design at the bottom left of the shirt: A backwards double quaver, just like DJ P0N-3's cutie mark.

"Wait, 'again?' Well...That's fine. Take care, Alex. I'll see you Tuesday!" He called as I exited the class. I swiveled a bit to give him a lazy half-salute as a goodbye, and when I turned around, ran smack into a wall of dark brown hair.

"Hey, watch it - Oh, Alex?" A soft voice said, switching from annoyed to friendly in a matter of a second. I rubbed my head and sat upright, staring at the person I had run into. My tired expression seemed to vanish, and I broke out into a smile.

"Dana, hey. Sorry about that," I apologized, standing up and helping the petite girl up.

Whoa, whoa, okay. Let me backtrack here. I haven't even introduced myself. That's rude, isn't it?

My name's Alex. Alex Barkhorn. I was a Senior at Equitas High school. Relatively average sized town in the midwest. It's a nice place, I guess. Decent shopping centers, mall, movie theaters...Normal town. Well. If you can call anything I encountered recently 'normal.' These past few months have been nothing short of insane and...Well, amazing.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Heh. Back to the story! Where was I...

Dana shook her head and laughed, adjusting her black glasses. "Oh, don't worry about it. I shoulda watched where I was going," She said with a light giggle. I couldn't help but return it with a goofy chuckle of my own.

This is Dana. She's a Senior here as well, but you wouldn't think that by looking at her. The girl's small, probably no taller than five feet even. But, she's one of the nicest girls in the school, and one of the cutest as well.

"Why were you late getting out of class?" She asked, slightly tilting her head to accent her curiosity.
"Oh, I, ah, fell asleep." I replied sheepishly.

"You should probably get to sleep earlier, then," She said with a smart grin. I chuckled and shrugged, beginning to walk down the hallway. "Yeah, well, that's whatcha get when you're me," I called out to her. She only shook her head in amusement.

"See ya Tuesday," She said to me.

"See ya," I replied in a near whisper, smiling a bit. I sighed, and looked around. The halls were already empty. Kids were really excited to get home this weekend. Well, that's only natural. It was a three day weekend, due to some district-wde teacher garbage, and spring break is just next week. As I walked outside, the bright sun caught me by surprise. It was so cloudy that morning, I never bothered with my sunglasses. I used my hand as a shield until I found my way to my car. I got in, buckled up, and started the engine.

It was about a ten minute drive home, and I walked inside, and made my way straight to my room. Right as I outstretched my hand to open my door, I heard someone call my name.

"Alex!"

The voice echoed throughout my house, and I quirked a brow. Walking down the hall to find the source of the voice, I hesitated at a bedroom door. His bedroom door. After staring at it for a moment, my mind snapped back into the now, and I made my way into my mother's room.

"Mom, what are you doing here? Why aren't you at work?" I asked, my tone more quizzical than disappointed.

"I have another trip I need to go on," She said hastily, using...whatever technique women used to style their hair. I stayed away from women products and all things involved since I was a child. Too many burns from recently-used irons.

My mom takes care of me here at home. It's a pretty big house, so we usually use the part closest to the living room and kitchen. And mom, well. She works for some big business that makes investments and trades stocks, and blah, blah blah.

Pro? We make bank.

Con? Lots of business trips.

"Where are they sending you to this time?" I asked.

"Vegas," She replied, running to and fro in her room to find clothing and jewelery. I smiled and leaned against the wall, crossing my arms.

"Oh? Gonna visit grandma while you're down there, then?" I asked. "Actually, I'm gonna be staying there," She said matter of factly.

"Huh," Was all I replied with. She emerged from the bathroom portion of her room, now fully dressed, toting her suitcases.

"Will you get a haircut while I'm gone?" She asked in a teasing voice. I smirked and ran a hand through my jet black hair. It was kinda long, probably going down to my neck in the back, over my ears to their middle, and the front was swept down and just above my eyes, but below my brow.

"I'll consider it," I quipped, standing up and giving my mom a quick kiss to the cheek. "Be careful, mom," I said quietly, smiling sadly. She pinched my cheek in that classic motherly fashion, and made her way to the front door.

"Alright, Alex. You know the drill. Money is provided, you have my card and account info if you need it, no-"

"No parties, not too many people over, don't stay up eating junk food, yadda yadda...I got it mom." I said with another smirk.

"That's my boy," She said, walking up to me and giving me a hug. I wrapped my arms around the small woman with a smile. "I love you, son," She said. It almost sounded like she was about to cry.

"I love you too, mom. Now, go. Bring home the bacon, or, however the saying goes," I said with a smile. Mom let go from the embrace, and walked outside just as a cab pulled up. I smirked and shook my head. I could have driven her. Surely she knew I could have driven her to the airport. I sighed and waved one last time, before closing the door and turning around, staring at the quiet house.

It was Friday night, three day weekend, and I was all alone. I made a mental list of things to do, and used my fingers to count them.

Exercise.

Cook dinner.

Watch My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

...Sounded like a perfect Friday night to me.

Chapter 2

I was about halfway through my final pushup when I heard the doorbell ring. I groaned in annoyance and fell flat on my face, and the doorbell rang repeatedly. I mumbled a string of obscenities and stood up, making my way to the front door and looked through the peephole, only to see, well, nothing. It was being blocked.

"Alex! I know you're in there, ya ruttin' hermit!" A familiar voice rang out. I grinned and shook my head at his choice of words, and opened the door.

"Gray. Always a pleasure." I joked, stepping aside and letting him in.

This was Grayson Turner, one of the few people at my school I actually like a consider a friend. Along with Dana and a couple other people, as well. He was a pretty good looking kid, too. In fact, he's more well known around school than I am. Why he chose me as a 'best friend' is still beyond me, but, he's been there more times than I can count, especially in my darker, younger years.

"Oh, ya workin' out?" He asked with a smart grin, walking inside and noticing the music player, the dumbells, etc.

"Nah, redecorating," I snarked.

"Oh, you're a riot," He replied, easily lifting one of the dumbells. The kid's an athlete, so it was easy for him. In fact, he was a lot like me, physically. We're both five-foot-eight, though he insists he's five foot eight and a half, but has a more defined layer of muscle, whereas mine is just somehow hidden.

"What're you doing here?" I asked. Not that I wasn't grateful for his company, I just expected a night alone.

"Dunno, got bored. Figured we could watch some MLP, eh?" He asked, giving me a playful nudge to the side.

That's right. Gray, the jock, the ladies man, the athlete, is a closet brony. I laughed and shook my head. "Let's just go, man." I said, heading to my room. Moments later, I emerged with a red denim jacket, and grabbed my keys, heading outside to take one of our late-night walks.

"I'm tellin' ya man, it makes total sense!" Gray countered. i rolled my eyes and looked at him as if he were dumb. "You're telling me that Fluttershy of all ponies has a big bust size?" I said flatly.

"Um, yeah. Think about it. She's really modest, and really shy. Maybe she got made fun of in school?" He theorized. I hummed, and the more I thought, the more I actually believed it. I scoffed and shook my head.

"We'll never know," I said with a shrug.

"Ah, you're no fun..." He said with a huff. We were wandering aimlessly, and found ourselves in the local park behind the elementary school. Odd, considering we had been walking for nearly two hours, yet were only about a fifteen minute walk from my house. That just shows how much we walk aimlessly, we go anywhere. We stopped to sit on a bench to continue our conversation.

"Okay, how about this one," Gray began.

"If you could meet any one of the Mane Cast, in human form, which one would it be?" He asked. i took a second to think, before responding.

"Well, I can't pick just one. They're all so awesome. Fluttershy, she's so cute and shy, she's like the drawn back little girl. Then Dashie, she's just so out there and ready to get busy. Pinkie's always so happy and bouncy, AJ has such an easygoing and friendly personality...Rarity is elegant and beautiful, and Twilight, she just knows how to make me smile or laugh." When I finished, I closed my eyes and leaned back, content with my response.

"...Eh. I'd choose Fluttershy," He said, giving me a sly nudge.

"You're a piece of work, ya know that?" I asked, and shared a laugh with him. A tone began to go off in his pocket, and he removed his phone, answering it with a beep.

"Hello?...Nah, just hangin' out with Alex...Yeah? Oh, well...Alright, then." He said, before hanging up.

"Momma want you home?" I asked with a grin.

"Yeah, apparently my little sister's sleepover went wrong, and now she needs a hand watching the little troublemakers. Think of the girls as Scootaloo, Applebloom and Sweetiebelle." He said with a fake grimace.

"Yeesh. Good luck with that...Bro hoof?" I said, extending a clenched fist. Gray smirked and we bumped fists.

"Bro hoof. I'll see ya tomorrow, man," He said. I quirked a brow, and facepalmed. "You forgot, didn't you?" He asked in a flat tone.

"Yeah, but, I'll be there to help you with your report, man." I promised. He smiled and nodded.

"Alright. Goodnight, man. Get some rest. You look like hell." He joked, standing up. I remained sitting and gave him a swift boot to the leg, before he chuckled and walked off.
I remained at the bench for a few more minutes, and sighed, staring at the dark neighborhood with tired and sad eyes. It was cool nights like this when I'd stay up with my brother. It seemed like so long ago. But it wasn't.

Suddenly, the wind picked up, whipping my hair around. I shut my eyes momentarily, before opening them again. A faint glow appeared in the grassy field that separated the park from the school. I observed it for a moment, and noticed it's pale lavender color. I slowly stood up and walked towards it. The light grew more intense, and I had to use my hand to shield the intense light from my sensitive eyes.

"Hello?" A hollow and echoed voice called out. It was close, yet it sounded so quiet, almost far off.

"...Hello?" I called back, but got no response. A bright flash of light caught me off guard, and I squeezed my eyes shut to protect my eyes. That wasn't even enough, and I had to completely cover my face with my hands. A few more flashes, more heavy gusts, and a few...fluttering sounds later, I was suddenly forced down to the ground, as if something had fallen on me.

"Oof! Dagnabbit, Twilight, what'd ya go'n do this time?" A familiar voice rang out from above me. My eyes burst open, and I looked above me, to find six dazed and confused girls, around my age, laying on top of me. They were all wearing flowing, sleeveless sundresses of different colors. I noticed the voice that just spoke belonged to the one with an orange dress, with a design at the hip that looked like three red apples, and she threw a brown cowgirl hat on her hair.

"How am I supposed to know? I just did the transportation spell like I was asked!" The girl in the lavender dress retorted in annoyance. She too had a design, resembling a twinkling star.

"Girls..." The young one with pale strawberry-blond - or maybe pink - hair mumbled, straightening her light yellow dress. I raised a brow at the three butterflies design.

"Will you two stop arguing and get offa me?" The girl with multicolored hair shrieked, being the first to gain her footing, only to fall flat on her behind. My eyes widened when I noticed the cloud and rainbow-colored thunderbolt.

"Girls..." The shy, light pink haired girl said again, this time a tiny bit louder.

"Ooh! Where are we? It's so dark, I don't remember watching the sun set today! Maybe I wasn't paying attention again, and maybe Twilight just made us go to the Everfree Forest, ya know, the part with the..." I toned this pink-dress wearing girl out, as her incessant rambling began to annoy me. I noted her bright pink hair, and the three-balloon design on her sundress.

"Girls..." The shy one said in a normal voice.

"Oh, honestly, you all need to calm yourselves and stop your quarreling! And Pinkie, get off of me at once! You'll ruin my mane!" The final girl said. She was wearing a flowing white dress, with three diamonds as her design. My eyes couldn't widen another millimeter if they tried.

"Girls!" The girl said. Mind you, it was in a normal tone and volume, but it was much more forceful.

"Gah, what, Fluttershy?" The blonde-haired girl asked, fixing the brim of her hat, before staring at her hands in disbelief. The other girls noticed her shock, and followed suit. "I think we fell on somepony..." She said quietly, pointing down at me. I stared up at them, still flat on my back.

"Somepony? This...Isn't a pony." The purple haired girl asked.

Well, I can just stop calling them girls at this point. I was pretty sure I knew who they were anyway.

"Not just them...But us, too!" AJ said in disbelief, staring at her hands and bare feet.

"My goodness! My mane! It's ruined!" Rarity cried, stroking her hair, even though it was perfect as ever.

"Gah! My wings? Where are they?" Dash said, frantically running her hands across her back.

"Girls? Girls, calm down! Girls-" Twilight began, before I cut her off.

"Hey!" That caught their attention, and even Pinkie Pie shut her mouth for a second to look at me.

"...Could you please get off me? I can't breathe..." I gasped. They all replied with simultaneous apologies, and crawled off of me, allowing me to sit up. I rubbed my head and looked at them all. They seemed to be staring at me, a mixture of curiosity and fear on their faces. I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming, and sure enough, I wasn't.

"Um...Hi," I said to them. Yep, this was gonna be a long weekend

Chapter 3

"What in tarnation are you supposed to be?" Applejack asked in disbelief.

"Applejack, be nice!" Twilight Sparkle hissed. "I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse her. Allow us to introduce ourselves, I'm-"

"Twilight Sparkle...?" I asked, more than stated. She quirked a brow and nodded.

"Um...Yeah, how'd you guess?" She asked in wonder.

"Ooh, ooh! Me next, guess my name next!" Pinkie said with a wide grin.

"Pinkie Pie...Then, Rainbow Dash...Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack...What is...?" I felt my heart pound faster, completely shocked by what was going on.

"How'd you guess all of our names?" Dash asked, now fully standing on her own, and being the first of the six to do so. Though, she was still a bit shaky in the knees.

"I...watch your show." I replied slowly. Applejack raised a brow at me. "Show? What show? I ain't signed up for no show!" She said defiantly.

"Oh, I don't know what to ask first! What he means by show, where we are, or what we are!" Rarity said dramatically.

"Hoo, boy..." I sighed, before I filled them in on the details.

"So...You're telling us that we're television characters...?" Dashie asked, a bit disappointed.

"Yes...But, that doesn't mean you should go questioning your existence, or anything!" I assured her.

"Oh, yeah? And why not?" She shot back.

"Well, you're here, aren't you?" I stated. She blinked in response, not having a comeback. Applejack, who was the second to master standing on two legs, chuckled and nudged her friend.

"Heh. He's gotcha there," She chuckled, earning a glare from the multi-hair-colored girl.

"And you're telling us that we're no longer ponies, but...'Humans.' Whatever those are..." Twilight clarified, mumbling the last sentence. I nodded in confirmation.

It was about an hour after they had fallen from nowhere onto me, and they seemed to be taking this information very well.

"Well...What should we do...?" Fluttershy asked sadly, closing her eyes and lowering her head. Applejack rubbed her back comfortingly.

"Don't you worry none, sugarcube, everything'll be okay...Right, Twi?" She said confidently.

"Um...R-right!" Twilight replied hesitantly, earning an unamused face from AJ.

"Goodness, where will we go?" Rarity then asked. I gulped and decided to speak up.

"Um...Well, I can help," I said in a murmur, shyly looking away. Applejack gave me a skeptical look and approached me.

"Now hold on a minute, now. We just barely metcha, what makes ya think we can trust ya? What if you're the one who made us this way? Ah have half'a mind to buck you so far away you'll be flyin' further than Dashie here ever could." She said defensively.

"AJ! He's just trying to be polite!" Twilight scolded. "I'm sorry about her, but we couldn't impose like that. This is our issue and we can solve it ourselves," Twilight replied with a confident smile.

"Really, it's no imposition." I replied with a friendly smile.

"You're sure?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"Positive. I'm...I'm all alone for a little while, so it could give me something to do." I replied sadly. All of their expressions softened and they looked right at me.

"All alone? What about your parents?" Dashie asked.

"Mom's out on a business trip for her job..." I replied, purposefully only answering on my mom's behalf.

"Does she leave for business often?" Rarity asked. I nodded my head in response.

"Well, what about your dad?" Pinkie asked with a smile. My eyes instantly drew away from the girls, and I shrugged, mumbling something as Fluttershy would.

"What was that?" Twilight asked.

"I...I dunno my dad. He left my family when I was a kid..." I replied.

"Oh, you poor dear..." Rarity cooed, approaching me and pulling me into an embrace. I didn't hug back, only let my arms hang at my side. Sensing this, Rarity pulled away with a small smile, standing next to the others.

"Well, don'tcha have any big brothers, or little sisters?" Applejack asked, tilting her head to the side a bit. My heart instantly clenched up and I shook my head.

"He... He's gone." I began, but I squeezed my eyes shut, refusing to let any tears drop.

"Like...Like your dad, or...?" Twilight asked hesitantly. I shook my head no, clenching onto the dog tags that hung around my neck.

"Oh, my...What happened?" Fluttershy asked, placing one hand over her heart, and the other over mine.

"He, uh...He passed away...A while ago." I replied shakily, remembering the night I found out all too clearly.

"How?" Pinkie asked straight-forwardly, earning a sharp jab to the side from Rainbow Dash.

"I, uh...I'd really rather not get into it..." I whispered, struggling to keep the tears at bay.

"Oh, I...I'm sorry. We shouldn'ta pressed the matter." AJ said with a sad smile. I cleared my throat and waved my hand, as if waving away the situation.

"It's fine, I don't care," I said, lying through my teeth. I opened my eyes to find the girls looking at me with soft smiles.

"Well, in that case, I think we'd all really appreciate it if you allowed us to board with you until we find a way out of this mess," Rarity said.

"Yes, thank you very much! Thanks, Mister ...Um..." Fluttershy began, then started to mumble.

"That's right, we never even got your name." Twilight explained.

"Oh. I'm Alex. Barkhorn." I said, extending my hand. Twilight brought her hand out as well, and cupped it tenderly in mine. Her hands were soft and delicate, and we shook.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Alex." She said with a kind smile.

"The pleasure is mine, Twilight Sparkle," I replied with a smile of my own. "Now, if you'll follow me. Your temporary home awaits." I said. They smiled and nodded happily, following me to my home, and what would later be theirs as well.

Chapter 4

"You mean to tell me this America isn't run by a Princess?" Twilight asked in disbelief.

"No," I replied with a small smile. To pass time, I allowed the girls to ask me any questions they had, and they had a lot of them.

"So, who rules your land?" She asked.

"We call him the President." I replied. "And, he doesn't completely rule. He...Well, he helps rule. We have this other group of people called congress that...are supposed to help him make the laws," I added. She quirked an eyebrow at me. "Look, it's a complicated process I'll have to explain to you another time," I said with a smirk.

"I'm gonna hold ya to that," She replied with a smile of her own. I shook my head in amusement, and looked over at the others.

"Any other questions?" I asked them, sticking my hands in my jacket pockets.

"As of right now, well, no," Fluttershy replied with a slight shiver in her voice. It was then I noticed two things; for one, she looked really cold. Two, concerning the conversation Grayson and I had earlier about her, well...Let's just say I was wrong. Paint your own conclusions.

"Oh, here," I said, and took off my jacket, draping it around her shoulders. She smiled gratefully, and shyly hid away half of her face with her long hair.

"Oh...Thank you, Alex," She said quietly, and I detected the slightest blush on her face. I smiled and shook my head.

"Ah, think nothing of it," I assured her, eliciting a nod from the shy girl. Moments later, we turned down my street.

"These are strange looking cottages..." Rarity mused, looking around with her chin resting atop her clenched fist.

"We don't call them cottages. We call them houses," I corrected.

"Oh," Was all she replied with, seemingly unimpressed. That is, until we reached my house. "Oh, my. Is this your...'House', Alex?" She then asked. I nodded in reply, and unlocked the door, opening it.

"Ladies first," I insisted with a smile, gesturing for them to walk inside.

"My, and a gentlecolt as well. How nice of you," Rarity complimented, being the first to walk in.

"Yeah...Definitely gotta do something about that vocabulary," I said, walking in after they all entered. I locked the door behind me, and turned, amused at their curiosity of the house. I flicked the lights on, and that seemed to catch them by surprise.

"Wh-what was that?" Applejack asked in surprise.

"Calm down," I said with a chuckle, "It's just the lights." They all gave a simultaneous, and somewhat drawn out "Oh," in reply. "Anyway, are you hungry? I didn't make dinner yet, and I have enough to go around," I offered.

"Oh, yay! Now you're talking! What can you make? Hay fries?" She asked, and went on asking about other pony delicacies.

"...No. No, I can't make any of that," I replied flatly. Unfortunately, that didn't shut her up, though she did take her rambling elsewhere in the house. "Anyway, make yourselves comfortable. I'll get something started," I said, looking for ingredients to make a spaghetti.

Minutes passed, and the house grew quieter. Fluttershy and Applejack were sitting awkwardly together on the couch, as they no doubt tried it as they would in their pony form. Now, AJ was sitting down normally, with Fluttershy laying on her back with her head on AJ's lap. Rarity herself was sitting on the recliner next to the couch, with her knees brought up to her chest. Pinkie and Dashie were both laying on their bellies, and all were watching the TV. The only one missing was Twilight, who I assumed was in my library in the next room.
My mind was suddenly snapped back into the kitchen when the egg timer went off, and I took the bread from out of the oven, placing it in a large bowl.

"Alright, girls, dinner's up!" I called out. Naturally, Pinkie Pie was the first to approach, and I pulled out seats for all of them, with myself sitting at the end of the table. They stared at their plates in confusion, and I raised a brow. "Problem?" I asked.

"Nope! Looks great!" Pinkie exclaimed, before digging her face into the food and eating away. The others stared at her, including myself, though I broke out into wild laughter. "What's wrong?" Pinkie asked me with a wide grin, though there was pasta sauce smothered on her face.

"Pinkie, you're not...!" I said between laughter, before calming down and realizing that they had no idea how to eat like humans. I sighed and stood, grabbing her a small washcloth to clean her face. She managed this pretty well, and I raised my fork.

"Girls, this is a fork," I began. "It's a utensil used for eating some kinds of food. You hold it like this," I demonstrated, placing the fork between my fingers. The girls all followed suit, and I stabbed my fork into the noodles. "Then, you just twist it until you get enough food on your fork," I continued, twisting the utensil in my fingers. It took them a moment, but they were all quick learners, especially Twilight. "And, voila. Spaghetti," I said, bringing my fork to my mouth and taking a bit. The girls all mimicked me perfectly, and the looks on their faces indicated they loved the cooking.

"Whoa! This is really good!" Rainbow Dash beamed, taking more bites of her food. I smiled in gratitude at the girl.

"Yes, it's savory, warm, and delicious!" Rarity chimed in with a smile, though she took a more civil approach to her food.

"It's just spaghetti...No big deal," I said modestly, smirking a bit.

After dinner, I made the girls brownies, much to Pinkie Pie's delight, and we settled down in front of the TV afterwards. I looked over at Twilight, who was reading a book rather intently. I looked over, and realized it was from one of my favorite authors, Sharren Dhan. "Enjoying the book?" I asked with a grin.

"This is crazy...! It's got all of this violence, and these horrible words...But I can't put it down!" She said with a reluctant chuckle. I shook my head in mild amusement, and heard a quiet yawn, looking over at Fluttershy, who was sitting a few inches to my left. She had my jacket draped around her, still, and was nodding off, almost leaning against me for support. I stood up, causing everyone to look at me.

"Well, you girls must be tired...I'm sure you've had a wild and tiring night," I said obviously, eliciting nods from them all. "I have one more spare room, that you could all share. Follow me," I said, switching off the television and leading them down the hallway. We passed my room, and reached the middle door. I opened it, and we entered a lightly furnished room.

I gestured to the queen sized bed and recliner. "I don't know how many of you can fit on what, but I'll grab extra blankets," I said, reaching the hallway closet and bringing a sufficient amount of blankets and sheets. "And the bathroom is the door right here. Though...I'm hoping you can figure that out yourself..." I said, muttering the last part.

"Thanks a heap, Alex. We can't tell ya how much we appreciate yer hospitality," Applejack said with a smile, setting down her hat. I smiled and shook my head.

"It's my pleasure, really. Not every day you meet your favorite television characters," I said, but instantly backtracked when I realized I killed the happy mood. I threw a string of insults at myself in my mind, noticing the saddened looks of the girls. They all settled down in their beds, with AJ, Twilight and Fluttershy sharing the bed, Dashie in the recliner, and Rarity surprisingly sleeping on the floor. Fluttershy sat upright in bed, clenching the sleeves of my jacket she now was fully wearing.

"Um...Alex?" She spoke up. I turned and looked at her.

"Yeah? What is it, Fluttershy?" I asked.

"Do you...Really think you can help us get home?" She asked, looking up at me with her large cyan eyes. Her question nearly broke my heart, and I sighed, approaching her and kneeling a bit, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I...Honestly don't know, Fluttershy. But I'm gonna help you. All of you. I promise," I assured them with a confident smile. They returned the smile and thanked me, and I could swear I felt a pang of happiness and accomplishment well up inside of my heart. I made my way to the door, and stopped to look back at them. "Goodnight, girls." I said gently.

"Goodnight!" They all replied, before closing their eyes and drifting off to sleep. I sighed and rested against the door for a moment, before smiling to myself and going to my room, falling asleep as soon as I hit the sheets

Chapter 5

"C'mon, Twi! Ya gotta try harder!"

I pried my half closed eyes open when I heard more hushed voices.

"I'm trying!"

I sighed, and closed my eyes again. Seems like last night wasn't a dream after all. I was still debating whether or not it was a good thing.

"Well try harder!"

I furrowed my brow in slight annoyance, before sitting up in bed and throwing on a plain black shirt.

"Don't pressure her, Rainbow Dash! Twilight, dear, we all know you can do this,"

I exited my room and made my way to the guest room, and opened the door, seeing all the girls huddled around Twilight. They all turned to stare at me with wide eyes. I quirked a brow and spoke.

"Um...What is it that you're doing that needs to wake me up at," I paused to check my cellphone. "...Eight in the morning?" I finished, rubbing my eyes.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Alex," Fluttershy said apologetically. I surprisingly gave a small smile when I saw she was still wearing my red jacket.

"Sorry, Alex. We're just trying to see if I can get some kind of magic spell to at least contact Equestria." Twilight explained, closing her eyes and concentrating on something.

"Any luck?" I asked, though I already knew the answer. The girls shook their head no in response, and I sighed, shaking my head. "Sorry...At any rate, c'mon. I'll make us some breakfast," I said. Pinkie, obviously, was the first one up and out the door with a spring in her step. I looked back at the others, who followed with...less enthusiastic attitudes.

"So...What should we do today?" Dashie asked, rolling an apple back and forth on the table, resting her head on said table. I glanced at her and shrugged, flipping a pancake.

"I'd say we just stay here, learn as much as we can, until Princess Celestia sends a search party...If that's even possible..." Twilight guessed skeptically.

"Learn? About what?" Applejack inquired, fixing the brim of her hat. Why she insisted on wearing that inside, I honestly don't know. I didn't bother questioning.

"I'd guess the customs and different ways of this world. And the fashion...These dresses we're wearing are quite beautiful," Rarity replied.

"I agree with Twilight," I chimed in, causing them all to look at me. "I...I dunno how long you'll be here. But, you'll need to get used to things here. An easy way to do that, is the Internet," I said while serving them two pancakes each. They stared at the food, and back at me. I facepalmed, and quickly demonstrated the proper way to eat this.

Seems like even I would have to get used to this.

"Anyway," I said, after they mastered the art of the pancake. "Like I said, you can use the Internet to find things you need," I said again.

"What's the...In-ter-net?" Fluttershy asked sweetly. I couldn't help but chuckle at how she drew out the word.

"The Internet," I started, grabbing my black laptop from the couch, "Is a giant database shared by multiple networks around the world," I explained with a smile. They all looked at me as if I were crazy, and I rolled my eyes. "Think of it as a giant library that can find anything at anytime." I elaborated, earning drawn out 'Oh's from the girls. I chuckled and ran the Internet application, and they stared in wonder.

"Now, I'm pretty sure your language is similar to ours, considering you're speaking it. So, you use this keyboard," I explained, pointing at the various lettered keys, "To type in what you want. And this mouse pad," I added, running my finger along the pad, "Controls this little guy, your cursor, that is like a link to different pages and sites." I said happily. Again with the crazy looks. "Oh, boy..." I sighed.

About an hour later, I got them used to the basics of the Internet. I left Twilight in charge of it, as she was the scholar of the group, while I jumped in the shower. While inside, I couldn't help thinking about how insane this all was. It blew my mind that I got dizzy, and nearly doubled over. It was either that, or past health problems -

"Alex?" A voice that was oddly clear rang out. I looked over at the glass door of the shower, and saw a figure on the other side. I shrieked and slipped, falling right on my rear end.

"Alex! Are you okay!" Twilight asked. Thankfully, the steam not only covered a majority of the shower, but also latched onto the glass sliding door, making it so she was only a dark and blurry silhouette.

"Twilight? What the hell are you doing in here, I'm in the shower!" I shrieked.

"Oh, well, I was just wondering what -"

"It can wait! Now get out! Things are different here, we wear clothes for a reason, and I have none!" I yelped, and she must have gotten the hint, and quickly exited the bathroom. Unfortunately, she didn't bother closing the door. I huffed and facepalmed. Those poor, naive girls...

I exited the bathroom, feeling a bit better, despite the interruption. Twilight and I avoided eye contact for a few minutes as I answered their questions.

"Alright girls," I began, buckling my belt and lacing up my boots. "I'm going over to a friend's house for a little bit. I'll try and speed it up, so I should only be gone for a couple of hours," I told them, and they nodded in understanding. The TV seemed to occupy most of them, save for Twilight, who was still surfing the web. The sight made me smile, and also gave me a sense of relief. Now I wouldn't have to be depended on for much.

A knock at the door caught me by surprise, and I went to check out who it could possibly be. I buttoned up my light flannel, which had been giving me issues, and looked through the peephole.

"Alex!" Grayson called out with a chuckle. "You even awake yet?" He asked with another chuckle. I turned and leaned against the wall, beginning to hyperventilate.

"Oh, seven hells..." I gasped, earning Fluttershy's attention.

"What's wrong, Alex?" Rainbow Dash asked. I shook my head vigorously in response.

"Nothing, nothing!" I replied hastily. I gulped and turned towards the door, quickly opening it and slinking out before Gray could look inside. "H-hey, man! What're you doing here?" I asked, finishing my sentence quickly.

"I thought you'd have forgotten, so I came here so we can work on my paper," He replied. "Did I hear someone in there?" He asked, pointing at my door.

"What? Oh, no, no! I was just watching tv and forgot to turn it off! Yep, but, it's on a timer, so, let's get goin' to your house, and - "

"Alex, jeez, calm down! Did you drink an energy drink this morning?" He asked with a chuckle, going to open my door.

"Gray, don't-!"

He swung the door open, revealing the six girls sitting a couple yards away, all of them looking at Gray with wide eyes. He raised a brow and turned to me. "Six girls? Heh, damn, Alex! No wonder you didn't return my call this morning!" He said with a wink, nudging me in the side. Fluttershy was the first to react, crawling into her proverbial shell by letting her hair cover the right side of her face, looking at the ground, and bringing her knees to her chest and hugging her legs against her.

"Um...Alex, who's this?" Applejack asked, lifting her hat up to get a better view of Gray.

"He's...A friend." I replied slowly. Gray raised a skeptical brow at them all, and I could tell he was beginning to go deep into thought, what with his gunmetal-grey eyes racing around in short intervals.

"Alex..." He began, pointing at them. "Who are they?" He asked.

"I'll answer that!" Pinkie began, standing up with a wide grin.

"No!" Six voices rang out, mine included.

"I'm Pinkie Pie! And this is Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Applejack!" She exclaimed in a sing-song voice, and pointing at each girl as she went on. Gray only scoffed and waved her off.

"Nice try, Alex. I may be a fan, but I'm not a die-hard." He said with a smirk. Pinkie raised a brow at him.

"Whattaya mean?" She asked, leaning against his shoulder and crossing her legs.

"I mean, I'm confused as to why Alex got a bunch of girls to act like the ponies from My Little Pony." He said, as if it were obvious.

"Wait, what?" Applejack asked flatly.

"Heh, Alex, c'mon. Tell them to drop the act." Gray said, giving me another nudge. I just looked at him, with my mouth agape, trying to figure out how to word things. "Alex, seriously, I..." He trailed off, looking at all of them. His eyes started darting around again, and took in all of their features, the way they spoke, and finally, right before he passed out, I could swear I followed his gaze to Fluttershy's chest.

Some people never change.

Chapter 6

"Gray?" I called out, snapping my fingers in my unconscious friend's ears. I frowned in slight annoyance. How cliche of him to pass out in a time like this!

"Will he be okay?" Twilight asked, popping her head over my left shoulder.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," I replied simply. Gray began to mumble and stir, which was a good indicator that he was about to come to.

"I think he's waking up," Fluttershy added, peeking over my right shoulder. Gray's eyes began to open, just as the other four peeked over from behind me. If Gray wasn't so out of it, it would have been quite the comical view.

"Wakey-wakey, Mister Gray!" Pinkie sang out. That definitely helped Gray wake up, and he bolted upright, sitting straight with wide, racing eyes.

"Alex, tell me this is all a cruel joke," He asked worriedly, looking between each of the girls.

"Oh, is he another one that knows 'bout us?" AJ asked me.

"Well..." I began, ignoring Applejack's question, obvious as it was.

"Allow me to explain," Twilight cut in, catching Grayson's full attention. "Me and my friends were running late for an appointment..." She began, cutting Rarity an accusing glare, who smiled sheepishly in response. "...So, I tried a mass teleportation spell. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough practice with it yet, and rushed it. The rest, I'm sure you can figure out."

When Twilight finished her rather short explanation, Grayson seemed to be believing it all. "So...You're really Twilight Sparkle?" He asked quietly, earning a nod from the black and purple haired girl. "Why are you...?"

"Human? I assume it has to do with some sort of trans-dimensional-"

"English," Rainbow Dash cut in rudely. Twilight grumbled something under her breath and huffed.

"Basically, the spell made us human when it brought us here. At least, that's my theory. The dumbed down version," She said, giving Rainbow Dash another look. She only returned the look with a smug grin.

"Then...You're all really...?!" Gray trailed off, his eyes alight with wonder. They nodded their heads, although they were giving him a rather strange look. "No way!" He shouted in delight, causing a few of us to wince. "Oh, man, this is so cool! I can't wait to show my little sister, she - "

"Whoa, Gray, shut up, will ya?!" I hissed, grabbing him and lightly but firmly pinning him against the wall. "No one can know about this. They can't know about this. What're we gonna tell them? 'Hey, I'm a brony, here are my favorite characters'? Think about it, man." I stated calmly. Gray thought for a minute, before looking back at me.

"Alright. This is our secret, then." He said, extending a clenched fist. I smiled gratefully, bumping knuckles with him.

"Shiny, then. Now that you're here, I could use your help," I started, looking back at the girls.

"What with?" He asked, straightening his shirt.

"I need to find out what to do with them. They have no contact with Spike, Celestia...Or anyone in Equestria, really..." I replied, still looking at the girls, who shifted their attention back to the tv.

"What's the plan, then?" He asked. I thought for a few moments, before turning to look back at them.

"Honestly? I don't know. All I do know is that I can't keep them in this house forever. Sooner or later, one of them is gonna break out." I replied, glancing at Pinkie, knowing she'd be the first. Her, or Dashie.

"Looks like we have a problem on our hands," I heard Gray say. I looked over, quirking a brow in mild confusion.

"...'We'?" I inquired. Gray smirked and nodded.

"Of course. We're brony's, aren't we?" He asked with a slight chuckle. I returned the smirk and nodded, clasping him on the shoulder.

"Whyn'tcha introduce yourselves to them?" I said. I could tell he had to suppress a fanboy-worthy squeal when he nodded, and walked over to the girls. I sighed and shook my head, rubbing my tired eyes.

This was probably gonna be a long few days, I decided.

Chapter 8

"Who're you callin' a chump, chump?!" Dashie growled, stepping forward, now at my right side.

"What're you losers doin' here? Especially that one. Didn't think he got out much," Jake said, cackling afterwards and ignoring Dash. I clenched my teeth and almost gave him a low growl.

"Alex, who are they..?" AJ asked from behind me. I didn't get a chance to respond when Aaron interrupted me.

"And who're these chicks? And why are they hangin' out with you?" He asked with a cocky smirk, swaying his head to clear hair our of his eyes. "Seem to hot for your standards."

"Nice Bieber hair-flip..." I quipped, crossing my arms. "Don't you guys have something better to do? Some hair products to buy?" I spat, narrowing my eyes.

"Or some girl pants to buy?" Gray added, stepping up to my left. I smirked, and even Dashie and AJ laughed at that one. Jake growled and furrowed his brow.

"Oh, you two are hilarious," He said sarcastically.

"I try. I really do," I retorted, my tone completely deadpan.

"Whatever. Why don't you go back home and cut yourself, loner," Jake said with a chuckle. That was the clincher, and I took a step towards him.

"Say that again!" I barked, being pulled into a hold by Grayson and Applejack.

"You heard him. And maybe your jock friend can help you out, if he isn't too busy admiring himself in the mirror." Aaron chimed in, crossing his arms and grinning.

"Alex, please, calm down," Fluttershy said worriedly, taking a small step towards me.

"Shut up, you!" Jake growled. I stopped dead in Gray and AJ's hold.

"Hey!" I yelled, breaking out of their grasp. "You can say whatever the hell you want to me, and even Gray, but you do not badmouth these girls!" I barked, nearing Jake, who only pushed me away. I tried to take him down, but Gray, AJ and Dashie all pulled me back.

"Feh, what are these girls, your groupies?! Funny, wasn't aware you could actually get a girl to talk to you, let alone hang out with you. Maybe the jock helped," Aaron taunted. I growled, knowing full well that I was just giving these creeps exactly what they wanted - the satisfaction of pissing me off.

"Alex, please, he isn't worth it. Let's just go home," Twilight said calmly. I stopped struggling, and the three let go of me hesitantly. Aaron and Jake looked at me with satisfied smirks, and I narrowed my eyes at them.

"You'd better watch yourselves," I threatened.

"Ooh, I'm quaking in my shoes." Aaron mocked.

"You better. Need I remind you of freshman year?" I retorted. Aaron and Jake narrowed their eyes, and it was my time to smirk.

"You two got lucky." Jake hissed.

"Really? The video on the Internet made it clear concerning who's ass got kicked," Gray piped up.

"Whatever. Go home, loner. You and your loser girlfriends," Jake huffed, turning to walk away with Aaron. I growled and used my right hand to clench my left wrist, which was thankfully covered by my flannel shirt.

"Alex, don't even listen to them. They're just being jerks," Gray said calmly. I tried to calm my breathing, and looked down at my wrist in anger.

"What'd he mean by cutting?" I heard Rarity whisper to Twilight.

"Self mutilation...I read about it on the Internet this morning..." She whispered in reply. I shut my eyes tight, refusing to let old memories and habits flood my thoughts. When I opened my eyes, there was a noticeable dullness to them, and I sighed.

"Alright, let's go home..." I said tiredly, turning and digging my hands in my pockets. The girls were hesitant, and looked at Grayson, who nodded and followed me to the van.

"Alex...You gonna be alright, man?" Gray asked from the driver's seat. I was resting my head lazily against my clenched fist, looking outside the passenger window. Though, I took a moment to turn my head and glance at Gray, giving a nod.

"I'm fine," I replied dryly.

"Alex, do you...Do you wanna talk about what happened?" Twilight asked from the backseat. I shook my head without verbally responding, looking back outside.

"Are you sure? I just want to make sure you're alright... What that guy said really got to you..." She pressed on, and her voice sounded more and more concerned.

"I'm fine." I replied through clenched teeth.

"Are you sure? You never know, talking could help! Whenever I'm sad, I make sure to let it all out, and-"

"Look, it was a really dark and depressing time for me, okay?! I did stupid crap I'm not proud of, and I regret every second of it! So I'm sure you can understand why I don't want to talk about it!" I barked, looking over my shoulder at them. I blinked in surprise when I saw their shocked faces...Well, shock and fear. They winced as if they'd all been slapped. I cleared my throat, then sighed, closing my eyes."I...I'm sorry girls..." I said, fighting a growing lump in my throat.

"It's fine, Alex...We shouldn't have persisted knowing you didn't want to speak about it," Rarity replied, trying to force a smile, but failing.

"No, it's alright. You were only trying to help." I insisted, sighing again. I turned to get a better look at them all, and rolled up my sleeves, revealing old and healed scars on my wrists. Some small, some large. They all looked at me in shock.

"I've read about this...Self mutilation for those trying to cope...Alex, why would you...?" Twilight trailed off. Her voice wasn't judgmental, but more concerned. They all observed my wrists, save for Rarity, who gently grabbed my arms and ran her hands down my forearm and wrist. I fought off what I assumed was an ashamed blush, and cleared my throat.

"About three years ago...Something really bad happened. Something that really messed with me and my way of thinking. My mind became blurred, reality became distorted. I escaped into my own little world, staying secluded in my room. My only friend was my journal, and...And a pocket knife I had gotten as a gift. I was so stupid...I used to think it helped the pain. Replacing anguish and emotional pain with mere physical pain...I must have looked so stupid..." I said, berating myself. I glanced over at Gray, noticing him sniff a bit, a good indicator that the conversation was getting to him as well.

"Then, one day...I made a huge mistake. This one," I paused, motioning to the largest and most noticeable scar that Rarity was already touching. "This one...I almost...This one went bad. I couldn't stop the bleeding...Grayson, he...He came over, just in time...He had just gotten his license, so he took me to the hospital. I stayed there for 'testing', and...It spread like wildfire. Wild rumors of me being crazy, suicidal, depressed..."

"Oh, you poor dear..." Rarity whispered, sniffling a bit.

"I didn't go back to school for weeks. It took Gray and a couple of other friends a lot of convincing to get me to go back to school...I tried hard to ignore the looks, the whispers...The insults..." I growled the last part, squeezing my eyes shut.

"Alex, it's alright...You're better now. You know better," Applejack said soothingly, rubbing the top of my arm.

"Yeah...As long as you're alright now..." Dash added, trying to be nice.

"As long as you're here, now, that's all that matters. We all do things in our past we aren't proud of. It's up to us to embrace them, and look to the future," Twilight said with a smile.

"Everything's alright now, dear." Rarity finished. I wiped a lone tear from my eye, as I refused to let it fall, and nodded.

"Thanks, girls. It means a lot, knowing I don't have to worry about you all judging me because of this crap," I said with a smile.

"Any time, Alex." Rarity said with a smile of her own. We felt the car stop, and I noticed we were already at my house. Gray simply brought a hand down on my shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"C'mon, man. It's already going into the afternoon. Let's get you something to eat." He said with a friendly smile. I nodded in reply, and got out, letting the girls out as well. On the way out, each girl gave me a smile, that I returned. Rarity was second to last to exit, and quickly, yet a bit awkwardly, hugged me.

"I'm glad to know you're safe, now." She said quietly, pulling away and following the others. I was then caught off guard when I felt someone bump right into me, and looked down to see Fluttershy latched onto me. She was trembling a bit, and squeezing my shirt. Whether she had nearly stumbled over, or intentionally embraced me, I still don't know. But I'll never forget that scared look in her eyes when she looked up at me.

"You don't...You don't do it anymore, do you...?" She asked in a whisper.

I'll admit, at the time, the thought of breaking out that stained knife still crossed my mind, but I couldn't. Not after the hour long lecture Grayson gave me at the hospital. I could still hear his voice clearly.

'"What the hell is wrong with you, man?! What about your mother, what about your friends?! What would Nick say?!"'

I looked down at Fluttershy after a moment of silence, and gave her a confident smile. "No. No, I don't. And I never will again." I replied, giving her a pat on the head. She gave me a hesitant smile and nodded, heading to the house with the others. I heard Gray approach my side, and I glanced over at him.

"You know, I still remember that day way too clearly..." He said quietly. I nodded, feeling a warm breeze come on, that made my unbuttoned shirt and hair flow in the wind.

"Myself as well..." I muttered in reply. "...You know, I don't think I ever thanked you," I spoke up.

"Of course you did," He replied quickly. I shook my head, and sighed.

"No...At least, not enough." I said sadly, looking at the ground.

"Hey, man...Forget about it. All I care about is that you're alive now." He replied with a sad smile, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. I closed my eyes and nodded.

"Right...You're right. Thanks, Grayson."

"Any time. Let's get inside now," He said, walking towards my front door, where the girls were patiently waiting. I looked on at them all with a smile, letting a few thoughts cross my mind. Gray, the girls, they took it all as if there was nothing wrong with me, when clearly, something was. It only made me grateful that I had friends like them in my life.

Friendship really is a magical thing.

( A/N
I think I can do author's notes here...Anyway! Thank you all for your support, it really means a lot! Anywho, I'll be updating this frequently, and I'd really appreciate it if you'd check out my tumblr account! On it you'll find out what I'm up to, how "Brave New World" is coming along, and other projects I'm planning!
alexbarkhorn.tumblr.com
That's the link, just FYI :P Anyway, thanks for reading! See ya! )

Chapter 9

"Thanks for your help today, Grayson," I said, closing the front door behind me and joining my friend as he walked to his car.

"Don't worry about it, man," He replied, trying to find the keyhole in the darkness of night. A few hours had passed since we returned from the galleria, and since I shared that interesting little tidbit from my past. My eyes still burned from the unshed tears..

"Right, well...Sorry I didn't get to help you on your project today," I said with a slight chuckle.

"Ah, c'mon, who cares. We all know I'll just procrastinate it. Hell, if things didn't go this way, we woulda spent all day watching MLP anyway." He countered with a laugh of his own. I couldn't help but return the laugh.

"You may have a point there," I replied. He extended his clenched fist, and I happily bumped fists with him. "I'll see you later, man," I said, earning a nod and a lazy half salute from my friend, as he started his car.

"That you will," He replied with a smirk, pulling out of my driveway, and driving off into the night. I stood out there for a few moments, before returning inside. Everyone was in what I assumed to be their usual spots - Pinkie and Rainbow laying on the ground in front of the TV, Rarity on the recliner, Applejack and Fluttershy sharing a spot on the couch, along with Twilight on the other end, surfing the internet.

"Did Grayson leave already?" Twilight asked, looking up from the laptop. I nodded, throwing the empty pizza boxes we had in the trash.

"That he did." I answered simply, grabbing the now-empty two liter of soda I left on the counter. I narrowed my eyes and looked back at them. "Who drank the rest of the soda?" I asked slowly.

"Take a wild guess!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, jumping up and doing an awkward little shuffling dance. I facepalmed and groaned in annoyance.

"Great, give the party girl caffeine...Good goin', girls." I said with a sigh. The whole five minutes I spent cleaning up, Pinkie was dancing. "Pinkie," I began, but she danced a little faster.

"Pinkie," Twilight said in a scolding tone, but still got no response.

"Pinkie!" Both me and Twilight exclaimed, catching not only each other by surprise, but also the attention of the pink-haired dancer.

"Yes, Twilight and Alex?" She asked with an innocent smile.

"I think it's time we headed to bed." I mumbled. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie both groaned in annoyance, and Pinkie even dramatically threw herself to the ground.

"But it's only!...Um..." Rainbow began, getting up and checking the time on the laptop, apparently breaking Twilight's personal bubble. "It's only ten thirty!" She finished.

"I'm aware, but...I've had a very long and stressful day," I began, remembering the painful memories I had to relive. "So, I'm gonna go to bed. Remember to change back into the clothes you came in so you don't mess those up, and don't go to bed too late," I told them.

"Don't worry, dad, we got it," Rainbow teased with a chuckle. I couldn't help but smirk, and nodded.

"Remember. Not too late," I repeated. "Goodnight, girls," I then said, before heading to my room. I turned off the light, and threw my head back against the pillow, staring up at the ceiling. I laced my hands behind my head and sighed, thinking about the past couple days, and the past few years. Maybe...Maybe this all happened for a reason. Maybe something in this 'verse was trying to teach me something.

Then again, I had to tell myself. This was no fairy tail, no television show. It's not all planned or plotted out.

Those were my final thoughts, before my body shut itself down, and I fell asleep.

Twilight Sparkle sighed as she watched Alex take off to his room. These past two days have been nothing short of crazy, and she was worried.

"Everythin' alright, Twi?" Applejack asked, picking up on her friend's mood. Twilight turned her attention to AJ and gave a hesitant smile, nodding her head.

"Oh, yeah. Everything's fine," She said in half-truth. Applejack frowned.

"C'mon, girl. We both know that ain't true. What's on your mind?" She pressed on. Twilight sighed in defeat, and replied.

"It's just...How long will we be stuck here? I'm worried. About Spike, Princess Celestia, and everypony else back in Ponyville." She began. The other girls turned their attention to Twilight as she continued to speak. "Alex is a nice boy and all, and has taken us in, and we owe him for that, but this isn't where we belong. We belong back in Equestria." She said, as tears began to fill her eyes. A soft hand on her shoulder brought her attention back up.

"Don't worry, darling. This is all just a minor setback. I'm fairly certain that we'll find a way back to the others. We just need to be patient." Rarity said with a smile. Twilight smiled back, and nodded her head.

"Thanks, Rarity. You're right. Everything will work out. As long as we're all together, we'll be fine." Twilight said confidently.

The six continued watching television and discussing the random things Twilight found on the internet, before falling asleep around eleven thirty.

I bolted up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. My eyes took a moment to focus on the brightness of the room, and I realized I had another nightmare. I took a moment to catch my breath, when something caught my attention. The smell of something burning invaded my nostrils, and my eyes widened even more, if that was even possible. "...Oh, seven hells." I muttered, just before the fire alarm began blaring. I jerked up in bed, and darted for the door, stumbling a bit as I dashed for the kitchen. I saw the girls crowded in the kitchen, with Pinkie in front of the stove.

"Gah! Fire! Fire! Quick, Dashie, get me some water!" She cried out, flailing her arms about in confusion and panic. I facepalmed, and grabbed a handful of chopped vegetables they had on the kitchen island, and threw the vegetables in the grease fire she started in a frying pan, snuffing out the oxygen the fire needed. Everyone settled down, save for Pinkie, who was still crying and flailing around, until Applejack shut her up by placing a hand over her mouth.

"You should never put out a grease fire with water, that's really dangerous," I said tiredly, mixing the vegetables. The girls stared in silence, before one of them spoke up.

"Oh, well...We just wanted to make you breakfast. To thank you." Fluttershy said with a kind smile. I quirked a brow and glanced over at her.

"Thank me?" I repeated in question form, noting she, again, was wearing my red denim jacket over her pale yellow sundress.

"Yeah. You know, for letting us crash here until we get back home," Rainbow chimed in with a smile.

"Oh, that," I replied simply. "Eh. Not a problem." I then added. The girls raised a brow at me and stood in silence for a few more minutes. "What were you trying to make?" I then asked.

"Just...A recipe we found on your internet." Twilight replied slowly. "Alex, are you okay?" She then asked. I rolled my eyes at how many times I've been asked that in the past few days.

"I'm fine." I replied quickly, cracking a few eggs.

"You sure? You don' look too good," Applejack said. I sighed and nodded again.

"Are we really gonna go through this routine again, girls?" I asked. Each of the girls looked away with apologetic glances, and I instantly felt a pang of guilt strike me right in the heart. "I'm sorry...I just didn't get much sleep," I then said in half truth.

"Oh. Well, you go sit down and rest while we continue cooking," Pinkie Pie said with a bright smile, urging me to the couch, using her head to push against my back. I chuckled and turned around.

"Pinkie, we're not in Ponyville anymore. Use these," I said, using my arms and hands to urge her back into the kitchen. I returned to the eggs and began whipping them up, before Applejack used the human way to urge me back out to the couch.

"An' you need to stop bein' as stubborn as Rainbow here. Go siddown and rest, while we whip ya up somethin' to eat." Applejack said with a grin. I held up my hands in defense, allowing myself to be pushed down on the couch.

"Fine, fine. Have it your way," I said in defeat, smiling as I sat down. Moments later, the girls were back in their spots in the kitchen, save for Fluttershy, who approached me with a glass of apple juice in her hands. She held it out to me with a smile.

"Um, I Thought you'd be thirsty, so...Here," She said quietly, letting her hair fall and cover the right side of her face. I smiled and took the drink graciously.

"Thanks, Fluttershy," Was all I said, earning another smile and nod from the shy girl. She stood there for a moment, awkwardly holding her arms at her side, before turning on her heel and quickly walking back to the kitchen. I only chuckled and shook my head, before turning my attention back to the television and surfing through channels. While going through, one of the stations was airing Friendship is Magic, the episode where the girls all sang their Winter Wrap-Up song. I quickly changed the channel, but the girls had already heard a few seconds.

"What was that?" Twilight asked me from the kitchen.

"Nothing, it was nothing!" I lied, turning off the tv. "How's breakfast coming?" I asked with a slight nervous chuckle. Twilight narrowed her eyes at me, and walked towards me, grabbing the remote. She awkwardly fumbled with it, until she remembered how to work it, and changed back to the channel where the show was on. The others joined and watched, and their faces were mixes of confusion, sadness, and disappointment.

"Oh, right...We're from a show..." Rainbow Dash muttered with a huff. The others didn't have anything to say, only stood with their gazes cast at the ground.

"Girls, I...I'm sorry, I dunno what to say.." I muttered sadly.

"Nothin' you can say, Alex. We just gotta deal with the fact that we don't exist here, an' stay cooped up like chickens until we find our way back home," Applejack replied, though there was a hint of annoyance in her voice. I stood there quietly for a moment, before a thought crossed my mind. It was a bit crazy, but it just might work.

"Girls, I...How do you think you'd do interacting with other people? You know...Making new friends?" I asked.

"New friends?! I love making new friends! What'd you have in mind!?" Pinkie asked excitedly, in typical Pinkie fashion.

"Well, I know a guy, and...If you really don't want to stay cooped up in my house for however long, how'd you like to go to school with me?" I asked, though I couldn't believe the words that were coming out of my mouth. They all stared at me, and now, their faces were a mixture of excitement and curiosity.

"School? Like, with other kids?" Fluttershy asked. While she seemed a bit intimidated by the idea, a small tone in her voice couldn't help but whisper she was intrigued by the idea.

"Yeah, exactly. I mean, if you all want," I then said with a shrug.

"...I guess...That sounds like a decent idea. It'd give us new experiences on this world, and we could learn some new things as well!" Twilight said, as expected as it was of her.

"Shiny, then. I'll give my friend a call," I said. The girls returned to the kitchen, talking about how this was such a new experience, how fun it'd be, but also how they'd have to watch themselves. I sighed, and shook my head.

Either this was a big mistake, or this was a huge improvement for the girls.

I was just gonna have to wait to find out.

Chapter 10

"Are you crazy?!" Grayson shrieked at me. I winced a bit, and sighed, facepalming. I returned my arm to the arm of the chair of the empty living room. The girls were currently showering, and, as enticing as that was for Grayson, my offer to the girls managed to get his attention to me.

"Look, they're just really lonely! Being stuck here until they find a way back home - you've read some self-insert fanfics before! What if you were in their hooves - I mean, their shoes? What if you were trapped in Equestria, a completely foreign land with no one else?" I argued. The reply obviously got through to him, as he stood there in the middle of the room. His eyes began to dart around the room, a sign that he was deep in thought. I myself began to tap my fingers rythmically on the chair.

"Fine, I get where you're coming from. But, Alex. This is different. In Ponyville, it's all love and tolerance their. Here? This world is cruel, Alex. You know that," He countered. The thought hit home, and I groaned in annoyance, realizing he was partially right. Some kids weren't the nicest here on good ol' Earth. "Ignoring that," He continued, "How were you planning on getting them enrolled? They have no records, no identification..."

"I've already got a plan for that." I began. I was about to elaborate, when the doorway to both the main, guest, and master bedroom opened, nearly simultaneously. Thankfully, the girls, who shared a bathroom with one other, didn't need any help in the shower and bath department. They insisted that part was relatively similar.

"What's going on now?"Applejack asked, peeking out of the doorway.

"Oh, Grayson. Nice to see you again," Twilight said with a smile, walking out and drying off the rest of her hair, shaking it out a bit, and using a brush to clean it up a bit.

"Likewise," He replied tersely, and he looked at me.

"I was just explaining my proposition to you girls," I explained, satisfying the question I'm sure they all had.

"Oh, you mean about school? Isn't it great, Grayson?! Alex is gonna let us come to school with you-" She paused to give a dramatic, drawn out gasp. "Maybe we'll have our classes together! Oh, that'd just be super-duper funnerific!" Pinkie said in absolute excitement.

"You were saying? Something about getting them enrolled?" Gray said, and the girls got back to getting themselves readied.

"I know someone. A friend that could help out." I began. Gray raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Do tell," He said.

"Alright. Get your van ready. I'll explain on the way into town,"

Gray and I managed to herd the girls into the van, and we drove off into the town's more bustling downtown area.

"So, who are we seeing again, Alex?" Rainbow Dash asked from the backseat, looking outside the window.

"Christine Parker. She's an old friend of my mom's, and I've known her all my life. She's kinda like a second mother, she was always helping out my mother whenever we needed it," I replied, though I was leaving a lot of information out.

Christine was my mom's childhood friend. And, though they've had their shares of disagreements, they were about as inseperable as white on rice. Christine was the one that took care of me and my brother after my 'father' left us, and helped my mother get through it as well. She was just as much a mother to me as my biological mother. With her, I could be myself. no lies, no holding back. When I hurt, and my mom wasn't around, I cried to her. I went to her for guidance when my mom couldn't give it. She was the only one who knew about my little cutting issues, but I made her swear not to tell anyone, and she reluctantly agreed to my wishes.

"Oh," Was all the Rainbow replied with.

"You're saying your mother's co-workers can falsify documents for you? Isn't that illegal?" Gray asked. I scoffed and gave him a blank look.

"Gray, businesses these days can get themselves out of anything. Falsifying of documents is no more than a papercut for these bigwigs. Besides, All I'm doing is pulling some strings to get them transfer documents, and names. The very basics of enrolling," I replied. He gave me a skeptical shrug.

"If you say so," He replied with a sigh, pulling up to the largest building. It was my mother's office building, and we all exited, with the girls dressed in the clothes they picked out yesterday. We entered the building, and used the main elevators to go to my mother's office floor. It was obvious they were all curious as all get-out, especially Pinkie, who worried me the most, but Applejack picked up on this and held the party-pony's...Or party girl? Whatever. AJ took her hand and gave her a stern look, calming her down. I gave Applejack a look of appreciation, and walked to the receptionist.

"Do you have an appointment?" She asked, though her tone was a bit distracted.

"Um, no. But I was just wondering if I could speak with Ms. Parker for a moment?" I asked. The receptionist shook her head and was about to reply, when someone called my name.

"Alex! Is that you?" I turned to see a woman, somewhere in her mid-forties, exit an office and walk towards me. She pulled me into a friendly embrace, one that I happily returned.

"Heya, Christine," I began, pulling away and giving her a smile. "Are ya busy?" I then asked.

"For you, of course not. I've got plenty of time. What is it.." She began, but looked back at Gray and the girls. "Are these your friends?" She then asked. "I recognize Gray," She said, giving him a friendly wave. "But not these girls." She finished.

"Well, Chris, that's actually the reason I came here. I need a huge favor. Emphasis on 'huge'." I explained. She raised a brow in curiosity, and nodded, leading us into her office. When we were all comfortable, I sighed, and spoke.

"Christine, this favor...I need you to provide documents for these girls." She raised her eyebrowsd and widened her eyes.

"What? What do you mean?" She asked, dumbfounded.

"These girls...It's a very complicated problem. All I can tell you is that they have no official documents here, at all, and I need to get them some so they can apply to go to school with me." I was obviously leraving a lot of info open for discussion, but honestly, what was I supposed to say? 'These are tv show characters that magically appeared in our world!'

No. So, instead, I opted for a better explenation. Unfortunately, none came, when Christine spoke up.

"Are they illegal immigrants?" She asked quietly. My head perked up at the thought.

"You could say that," I replied slowly. Christine nodded in understanding.

"Well, they can go through a naturalization process. Though, if you're saying they have no records..."

"That could prove a problem. Look, I'm not asking for anything too specific. I just need names and addresses for them. Just, the basics to get them in school." I pleaded. Christine stared at me for a few moments, before speaking.

"What's really going on, Alex?" I sighed in defeat.

"You won't believe me. At all. You'll think I'm crazy," I insisted.

"Try me," She replied simply. I shrugged, and explained the situation to her, along with the help of the six girl. I even used her computer to give a little bit more information and video clips.

"Alex, I...I know you've always told me the truth. Ever since you were a kid, you've come to me with everything. But, this? I don't know..." She said after all was said and done.

"Chris, come on. When have I ever lied to you? You can do any tests on these girls you'd like, you will not find a thing on them," I replied. Christine and I stared at eachother for ages, and I could hear the nervous fidgeting of Gray and the others. After about two minutes of silence, Christine closed her eyes.

"I'll see what I can do," She said, standing up. I smiled brightly, one that must have caught her attention, judging by the look she gave me. I rushed her and hugged her, and suddenly, Pinkie Pie rushed up as well, also hugging Chris.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" She said happily. Christine couldn't help but laugh at Pinkie's excitement, and pulled away from the hugs.

"Don't thank me just yet. This is a very complicated process, that will be very secretive. You're lucky this is such a large corporation," She said, giving me a slight grin. "Anyway, I'll let you decide on the details. I'll get everything but that done by tonight. Tomorrow, come back, and you can have them decide their names, details, etcetera etcetera," She said with a smile. I nodded in reply, and hugged her again.

"Thanks again, Chris. I appreciate it," I said quietly.

"Not a problem, Alex. Anything for you," She replied. I pulled away, giving her another smile, and she sat down, reaching for a phone. "I'll see you tomorrow, at ten in the morning. Don't be late," She then said. I nodded in understanding, and led the girls back out, and we made our way to the elevator. While inside, we all shared quieted squeals of delight. Hell, even Gray was smiling widely. We made our way back to the parking garage, and entered the van.

"That went way better than I thought," I said aloud.

"I'll say," Gray snorted. "But, they went, and now we've got six new students." He said with a grin. I returned the grin and looked back at the girls.

"So, girls. Get thinking of new names, we'll" I began, but Fluttershy raised her hand. I raised a brow. "Yes, Fluttershy?" I asked.

"How come we need new names?" She asked, tilting her head to emphasize her curiosity. I blinked, figuring that'd be an easy questioin to answet.

"Well, if you haven't noticed, here, names are different than yours. You can't have someone go around with one name." I replied.

"Well, what about me? And Twilight Sparkle?" Rainbow asked, giving me a challenging grin. I furrowed my brow at her.

"Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle, compared to Alex Barkhorn and Grayson Turner. Just, imagine it from our perspective, Dash," I retorted. She surprisingly tried this new point of view, but must have given up, and looked back out the window. "If you'd like, me and Gray can think of something for ya," I then said.

"That'd probably be best. We wouldn't know anything fitting," Twilight said with a sigh. I looked back at them, and they all seemed to still be excited and intrigued by going to school with us. Sure, I knew they were still hurting and homesick, but I was willing to do anything to make their stay here in Earth as enjoyable as possible.

They deserved that much.

( A/N
Hey there, folks! Here's chapter ten for ya, enjoy!
And remember, if you'd be so kind, follow me on tumblr! There, you can find out how this story, among other projects, are coming along!
alexbarkhorn.tumblr.com
Anyway, rate, review, and thank you all so much for your support! )

Chapter 10.5

Oh, god. You will not believe what just happened. I don't know if I should be worried or laughing.

Twilight relinquished the computer to Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash while she helped me cook dinner, and the other girls were watching tv.

After about a half hour of cooking and talking happily with Twilight, I noticed an eerie silence. We both turned to look at the girls, and Dash and Pinkie were staring blankly at the computer screen.

"What are you girls doing?" Twilight asked them. The other girls crowded around the two to read what was on the screen.

"Reading." Pinkie replied in a near whisper. I only smirked and shook my head, turning around to chop some vegetables.

"Reading what?" Twilight then asked, and I heard her walk over to the others.

"...A story." Pinkie then said, and I couldn't help but detect a hint of fear in her voice. I perked my head up in fear, and waited for someone else to speak.

"What about?" Rarity asked, and I heard her gasp.

"Us." Pinkie replied hoarsely. Oh, god. They were reading a fanfic. I was praying it wasn't a shipping fic.

"Wow, you're almost done already? What kind of story is it?" Fluttershy asked curiously. I turned, and noticed only Dash and Pinkie were staring at the screen with horrified looks.

Oh, god, no.

"What's it called?" Twilight asked, approaching the group. "...What kind of story name is 'Cupcakes'?" She asked.

OH, GOD, NO.

I dropped the knife and darted over to the others, and swiped the laptop, but it was too late. Judging by the placement of the page, they had either just finished it, or missed the last few sentences.

"Oh, god, girls, I'm so sorry!" I said quickly, placing the laptop on the floor and kneeling down to meet the gaze of the two horrified girls. Pinkie instantly wrapped her arms around Rainbow Dash, and began crying hysterically.

"Dashie, I'm so sorry, I would never do any of those things to you, I love you too much, and I..." She continued on rambling apologies and different assortments of love, and Applejack, grabbing the laptop without my notice, gasped.

"What in the hay?! Who would write such an awful, horrible thing?!" She cried out in anger, after just reading a few sentences.I snatched the laptop and exited out of the window.

"Pinkie, it's alright! It wasn't real, I know you wouldn't do any of those things!" Dashie said, trying to calm her crying friend. Dashie had taken it a lot better than I expected. I turned my attention back to Applejack and shrugged.

"The dude has a twisted mind," I replied simply. From what I heard, Dashie managed to calm Pinkie down, though she was still sniveling. I sat next to Pinkie and hugged her as well, and she happily accepted the embrace. I patted her back, noticing that, just like in the show, her hair had somehow lost it's bounce and curl, and was a bit grayer. "It's alright, Pinkie. It was just a made-up story. We all know you love your friends," I said soothingly.

"He's right, Pinkie! Look, I'm fine!" Dashie said, giving her friend a smile and a comforting hand to the shoulder. Pinkie's hair poofed back to life, and she smiled back at everyone else, but wasn't all full of energy.

"You're...You're right," She said with another sniffle, before smiling even wider. "You're right! It's just a silly story!" She then said, grabbing the laptop and laughing, along with the others.

"What was it about?" Fluttershy asked me.

"You seriously do not want to know." I replied. The look I gave her was enough to satisfy her question, and she nodded.

"From now on, do not read anything about you six without coming to me first," I told them.

"What about...What about Sweet Apple-" Applejack began, before I took the laptop away from her again.

"NO!" I yelped. She gave me a curious look, before I sighed. "Applejack. I'm saying because I love you, do not. Please. On all that is good, do not read any of this garbage, Please, I'm begging all of you, trust me." I pleaded.

"AJ, ya might wanna listen to him. After seeing what this internet holds, I wouldn't take any chances," Rainbow Dash said with a serious look. AJ nodded.

"Alright. I trust ya," She said with a smile, removing her hat and placing it on the arm of the couch. I sighed, and joined Twilight back in the kitchen.

That was a horrible experience.

( A/N
XD! Sorry, guys, it was too tempting. Be back on track tomorrow!
Anyway, enjoy, thanks for your support, and remember to check out my tumblr!
alexbarkhorn.tumblr.com
Anyway, night, everyone! )

Chapter 11

"Wakey-Wakey, Alex!"

The ecstatic voice of Pinkie woke me up from my hour and a half of sleep. I grumbled and pried my eyes open, and saw all the other girls crowded around me.

"...This better be important," I mumbled, yawning and sitting upright. Twilight simply pointed at my wristwatch, which gave me a nasty mark from laying awkwardly on it, and I facepalmed.

Eight thirty.

"We should probably get going. We've all gotten ready, so we're just waiting on you. Grayson even showed up," Twilight informed me. I was about to reply, but my friend entered my room.

"Hey, get your ass ready, we gotta go soon! It takes more than forty five minutes to get into the city, man." He said quickly. I raised an eyebrow, and couldn't help but detect a hint of...Anticipation? Maybe even excitement, in his voice. The other girls also looked at me with equally excited looks, and I sighed.

"I'll be ready in a few," I said, grabbing my dark purple MLP hoodie, which had Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark in a small area on the upper arm. While zipping it up, I noticed Twilight eying the hoodie.

"Is that..." She began, but I nodded, already knowing what she was gonna ask.

"I have one for each of you," I said a bit sheepishly, showing them my closet. On top of a majority of normal clothes, mainly black, blue, or red, there were a few patches of cyan, white, yellow, orange, pink and purple.

"Wow, you must really be a huge fan of us," Applejack said, giving me a smug grin. I cleared my throat, and shrugged.

"He's a brony, what can you do?" Gray chirped. The girls all raised a brow in curiosity.

"A 'brony'?" Fluttershy asked quietly. I scoffed and shook my head.

"That's what we call your fans. For guys, at least. We call the girls who are your fans Pegasisters." I explained quickly, clipping my belt together and attaching the chain to my wallet. I had my boots laced and my hair moderately combed a few minutes later, and I was ready to head out. I looked at the clock, to see it was only five til nine. I turned and gave Grayson an annoyed look.

"Ah, you needed to get up anyway," He said, knowing what I was thinking.

"You know I have sleeping problems," I said quietly. Twilight and Rarity, who were the closest to us as we exited through my front door, looked at me curiously.

"Yeah, well...I didn't wanna be late," He replied at the same volume.

"Whatever," I replied with a sigh.

"Everything alright?" Twilight asked.

"Fine," I replied simply. Twilight by now got the hint of what that means coming from me, but by the look on her face, I could tell she was planning on talking with me later. Rarity gave me the same look, though hers had another hint of sadness to it. Maybe worry.

Minutes later, we were on our way to the city, and the girls, yet again, looked out at the scenery with wonder, and smiling faces. "I just thought of something," Grayson said from the drivers seat. I turned away from the window to look at him, hoping he would elaborate. "When Christine said details, what did she mean?" He asked. I gave a shrug.

"Dunno. Probably new names, a bit of background info..." I began, but instantly perked my head up.

"You didn't do any of that last night, did you," He asked in an annoyed tone.

"We kinda had...Other issues last night," I replied, glancing at Pinkie and Rainbow.

Grayson was obviously about to stay on the current topic, but was interested, and moved onto the new tangent. "Issues?" He repeated in question form.

"Well, someone stumbled upon a fic that didn't..." I was about to continue, but Grayson looked in the rearview mirror and saw the look on Pinkie's face.

"They didn't." He said quietly.

"They did," I replied.

"I'm so sorry you had to read that, Pinkie Pie," Gray said with a nervous chuckle. Pinkie only shrugged.

"Ah, it was just a crazy story! Whoever wrote that was seriously loco in the coco! But, it's no biggie, now!" She replied with a smile, squeezing the arm of Rainbow Dash, who was sitting next to her. Dashie rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Anyway, you're right. Names. We need names. And we need some basic information on you. Twilight's the scholar, so we can..." And with that, we began giving the girls some names and information. They had some other ideas, and, while some were completely outrageous, they still contributed.

Wouldn't have been fair otherwise.

We made it to Christine's office building, and the girls were all satisfied with the new information we had given them. "Alright, this is a huge step. Are you girls ready?" I asked. They all gave me silent, but determined nods in response. "Alright," I said, pausing to let the elevator ding, signaling we were at our designated floor. "Let's go, then," I finished, exiting the elevator with my seven friends.

Christine was ready and waiting for us, giving us all a warm smile. She led us to her office, and sat at her desk. "Well, do we have everything figured out, then?" She asked, and I gave her a firm nod. "Alright, then. Let's start with names. I did a little research on my own, Alex, and I hope you did have names ready for them. Twilight Sparkle isn't entirely a name that is acceptable by our standards," She said with a light laugh.

"We have the majority of information we figured you'd need," I replied simply.

"Alright, then, but we'll still start with names, first," She said, looking at Twilight first.

"My name is...Takara Sarani." She said with a confident smile. Christine nodded, and typed a few things into her computer. She then looked to Applejack.

"Mah name's Allison Jackson," She said with a smile and a wink. Again, a nod, and typing. Next was Fluttershy.

"Um...I-I'm Faith Sherman." She said shyly, giving a small smile.

"Raine Teno," Rarity said next, accenting her name to give it a bit more flare.

"And I'm Raven Davis," Rainbow Dash said with a smirk, stuffing her hands inside of her hoodie's front pockets.

"That makes me last! I'm Patience Patterson! Nice to meetcha!" Pinkie said with an ecstatic smile. Christine smiled and laughed again.

"I like this one," She quipped, and Pinkie was positively glowing at that. Twilight - er, excuse me, Takara laughed as well, and looked back at Christine.

"What else do we need, Ms. Parker?" She asked politely.

...Yeah, no. I'm still callin' them by their own names.

Twilight waited for a reply, as Christine finished typing. "Now, I'm going to need to know what classes you want. There are many choices..."

We spent the next couple of hours going over the different classes and assigning them to each. We made it so they all had decent GPA's, so each girl had one off campus period, to lighten their workload. Other than that, they got the normal english, math, and government classes. They also got to choose their own electives, and what they chose didn't surprise me at all.

Twilight decided to take the Psychology course, which I also took, so I was hoping I'd have a class with her at that. Next, Dash and Applejack decided on fitness and weights - it's one of those conditioning classes where you run the track and do other exercises. Very typical of them. Fluttershy took ecology, a new course at my school, and Rarity took fashion design, another newer course. I'd say they all lucked out with that. Finally, Pinkie took Foods class, which was, you guessed it, cooking. I also requested that they all take Speech and Debate with me, so I could keep an eye on all of them at a time. That, and, it'd be a good way for them to get used to other kids. People in that class were relatively tolerable, at least to me.

"Alright, Alex. We're almost all set. Next thing I need to do is push their papers in and get them their schedules, which they'll hopefully be able to pick up tomorrow morning when you get to school." Christine said, taking off her glasses and giving us another smile.

"Thank you so much, Chris. I can't tell you how much this means to me," I said, giving her a smile. She returned it, and waved it off.

"Ah, anything for you, Alex." She replied simply. I laughed lightly, and nodded.

"So, is there anything else you need?" Rainbow asked with a slight yawn. Christine shook her head.

"Nope. You're all free to go. Good luck in school, girls, and have fun!" She called out, as we exited her office.

While in the elevator, we, again, shared collective shouts of excitement.

The ride home was spent giving the girls tips, tricks, Do's and Dont's, and hints at the scary place called high school. Gray and I both gave them decent advice, concerning who to and not to trust, and, the entire time, we demanded they called eachother by their new names, just so they all got used to them easier.

"Here we are," Gray said, pulling into my driveway. The girls and I exited the van, and I looked back at Gray.

"Thanks for all your help this weekend, man," I said with a smile.

"Don't worry about it, man. If anything, I should thank you. Who'da thought that we'd be going to school with the mane six?!" He said, suppressing a fanboyish squeal of delight. I snickered and shook my head.

"I'll see ya tomorrow, man," I said. He nodded, extending a fist, which I happily bumped back.

"See ya tomorrow," He replied, backing out of my driveway and into the street, driving off. I sighed and walked up to my door, allowing the others in.

That night was spent going over the advice and rules I gave the girls, when, halfway through our meal of a large tossed salad, I suddenly remembered. They needed supplies! I facepalmed, and caught the girls' attention.

"Something the matter?" Fluttershy asked me, when I nodded.

"Yeah, but, I'll be back in a few. You girls think you can clean up without me?" I asked, standing up. They all nodded, and I gave them a quick thanks, before running off to my room.

Thankfully, I made it a habit to save all of my old binders, which I stored in my mother's large office room. And, being an office, I also got a generous amount of paper. Next, I looked in the closet, and grabbed all of my old backpacks and courier bags that I used over the years. I dunno why, but I always wanted new bags for school. Whether it had to do with a new style that caught my eye, or a need for change, I don't really know. But, it payed off for now, so I don't really care.

There were three backpacks, and three courier bags. I set up each girl with two binders each, some paper, and a pencil each. We'd stock up more over the next...However long we needed to. Thinking a bit more, I suddenly got an idea. I looked through my nightstand, and grabbed a small white packet. I was saving these for a different occasion, that I honestly wasn't entirely sure what, yet, though I knew there would be an occasion. I guess this was it.

I emptied the contents of the packet, and inside, were three by three patches of each girl's individual cutie mark. I returned to my mother's office to grab a needle and thread, and began work, applying Rarity's mark to a white courier bag, Pinkie's to a red backpack, Dashie's to an electric blue backpack, Twilight's to a deep purple courier bag, Applejack's to a brown courier bag, and Fluttershy's to a black backpack. I was a bit upset, considering it was a strange thing to add to a dark bag, but it was all I had, and it was my favorite bag out of them all. So, hopefully that would make it up to her.

A knock on the door cut my thoughts short, and I looked over my shoulder. "Come in," I called out. The door creaked open, and Fluttershy poked her head in the door.

"Alex? Twilight sent me in here, you've been here for almost an hour and a half. Is everything alright?" She then asked. I stood up at full posture, slightly looking down to meet her gaze.

"Yeah, everything's fine. In fact, get the others in here, I wanna show them something," I said, finishing the last bag and zipping it closed. Soon enough, the six of them were all present, and I presented them with their little gifts.

"Oh, my, Alex, these are lovely," Rarity said with a warm smile, running her hand across the clean white bag, tracing her fingers along her cutie mark patch.

"These are definitely awesome! Are these our cutie marks?" Dashie said, looking at the bag with a smile.

"Yep. I wanted to make the bag about 20 percent cooler," I snarked, earning a chuckle from the small multi-color-haired girl.

"These are so...Nice," Fluttershy said with a smile.

"Sorry yours is black, Fluttershy. It was the only one I had left. But, it's my favorite backpack I used, so..." I trailed off, and Fluttershy's smile grew, as she hugged the bag close to her chest.

"Thank you so much, Alex," Fluttershy said with a big smile, one that made me smile back.

"It's no problem at all." I replied simply, crossing my arms and giving a slightly loud yawn. I checked the clock, and scoffed. It was barely nine thirty. I didn't notice till the last minute, but Rarity and Twilight exchanged glances before looking back at me.

"Alex, why don't you get some sleep? Don't we have to wake up for school tomorrow?" Twilight asked.

"She's right, darling, you must get some rest!" Rarity urged, and I raised my hands in defense.

"Alright, I get it," I said, though I didn't want to give up so easily. Having the problems I faced, sleep began to be more of a gift then a habit. I was lucky to get more than three hours a night.

"Good," Rarity said simply, giving me a satisfactory smile. I set my alarm, said my goodnights to the girls, and layed back in my bed, staring at the ceiling. I heard hushed voices outside, and raised an eyebrow. Minutes later, the door opened, and I pretended to be asleep, just to avoid more hounding. I heard quiet and slow footsteps approach, then, silence.

Suddenly, my covers slowly raised themselves, and someone slipped into bed with me. I quickly got up and scrambled for my lamp, turning it on and barely managing to catch it before I tipped it over. Rarity looked at me with surprised eyes.

"Rarity, what the hell?!" I gasped.

"What? Twilight told me you had trouble sleeping, so I figured having someone spend the night in your room would bring a little comfort and allow you to sleep better," She explained casually. I sighed and shook my head.

"That's sweet of you, Rarity, but we don't share beds here," I said.

"Why not?" She asked. The question caught me by surprise, and I tried to think of a way to reply.

"We just...There's only a few circumstances where you do, and this isn't one of them," I explained quietly. She nodded and shrugged.

"Oh, well. I was just trying to help you, but, have it your way," She said simply, getting out of my bed.

"Wait," I called out, surprising both her and myself.

"Yes?" She asked, looking back at me.

"...You can still sleep here. Just, sleep in my bed. I'll sleep there," I said, pointing at the small couch across my room, that I used to watch tv. It may be on the other side of the room, but she was right. Something about having another person in the same room with me kind of calmed me down a bit.

"I suppose that works," She said with a small smile. I grabbed a blanket and a spare pillow, walking to the couch and laying down. She sat in my bed, and looked at me, giving me another smile.

"Goodnight, Alex," She said, laying down.

"G'night, Rarity." I replied, stuffing my head into my pillow. Thoughts raced into my mind, and everything was silent. The only thing I heard came a few minutes later, being Rarity's calm, even breathing. I sighed and stared at the ceiling, when my eyes started to close, ever so slowly. The thought of precious sleep was then the only thing on my mind, and happily accepted the rest.

Chapter 12

I heard my door creak open, and that was enough to get one of my eyes to crack open. Small, quiet, yet somewhat quickened footsteps were next to be heard, when they stopped right next to me. Without turning my head around, I spoke.

"Shout 'wakey-wakey' again, and you're walking to school." I told Pinkie, though I was obviously joking.

"Aww, how'd you know I was here?!" Pinkie asked with a dumbfounded expression. I chuckled and sat up on my couch, noticing Rarity was gone from the room. She probably needed to get herself primped for her first day. "Is everyone else getting ready?" I then asked, standing up and stretching.

"Yep! Me and Rarity were the first to get up! Well, Rarity wanted to-"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I know who 'Rarity' is." I said to Pinkie, giving her a wink.

"Ohhh! I mean, Raine got up early so she can get ready! And now Allison is in the kitchen making breakfast! Takara, Raven, and Faith are all waiting patiently in the living room!" Pinkie said, returning the wink and giving a bright smile. I returned the smile, though on a smaller level, and replied.

"Thank you, Patience. Now, if you'd please give me some time, I need to get dressed." I requested.

"Okey dokey lokey!" She replied, skipping out of the room and closing the door. I smiled and stretched again, and felt a bit refreshed. As childish as it was...Having that other person apparently does help my sleeping habits. I don't know how, and I didn't care. I felt refreshed, and ready to start the new day.

I only hoped the girls were, as well.

I slipped into some worn grey jeans, a black shirt and laced my boots up. Judging by the rising sun outside, and the weather of the past few days, a sweater wasn't needed. I combed my hair, using my hands, of course, and exited my room, after placing my sunglasses atop my head and grabbing my black and blue courier bag. Entering the kitchen, I saw that all ther girls were indeed packed and ready for school.

"Good morning, Alex," Fluttershy spoke up. I smiled and nodded, and the other girls also greeted me.

"Morning, girls. You all seem ready to go," I commented, looking over at Applejack, who was in the kitchen. Ignoring my amazement that Applejack didn't burn the house down, I decided to compliment her instead of question her. "Smells great, App- I mean, Allison. What is it?" I asked, standing behind her and looking down at the stove.

"Ah, nothin' much. Jus' some fresh eggs, toast, and apple juice. Ah figured that at least this was an acceptable breakfast here." She replied with a small smile. She served it on a plate, along with a glass of apple juice, and served me.

"Aren't you girls gonna eat?" I asked the others, eating while standing.

"Oh, we already ate. We're just waiting on you." Twilight said matter-of-factly, giving me a smart grin. I rolled my eyes, but on their way back to focus, my eyes stumbled upon the time.

"Oh, god!" I breathed. It was already seven o'clock! I usually left at seven ten, so I rushed my meal, and brushed my teeth. The second I popped back into the living room, the clock struck ten after.

"Perfect. Alright, girls. Let's go." I said with a confident smile. They all returned it and grabbed their bags, and we headed to my car. It was a decent sized truck, with room for four of them in the back, and two could sit up front, one in the middle and one in the passenger. I started the engine, and drove off to school.

On the way over, I went over my rules with them again. I'd taught them the basics of handwriting, which took them a while last night, but I said they should just stick to taking as little, and as shortened notes as possible, until their hands became more adjusted to writing. Honestly, I would very much prefer it if they avoided writing with their mouths. Keep quiet unless spoken to, don't answer questions you don't know, and do your best to avoid said questions, etcetera etcetera. Finally, I allowed them to give me questions of their own. Twilight was the first to speak up.

"Who's God?" She asked. The question caught me by surprise, and I blinked.

"God is...He's..." I began, looking for a way to word it. Clearly, she'd heard me mutter, 'Oh my god,' or even, 'Oh, god,' but I didn't think of explaining it. After a summarized version, she nodded, processing what I told her.

"Do you believe in him?" She asked after a moment of silence. I thought long and hard for a few silent seconds, and shrugged.

"Honestly, I don't know. I want to. I really do. I find myself praying to some higher power that things would go well for me, but I find myself thinking, who hears it?" I sighed when I ended my reply, and pulled into the school parking lot. "Alright, girls. Here we are. Equitas High School." I turned off the engine, and we all exited. They stared at the school, and all seemed to be a bit intimidated, and anxious. Twilight and AJ gulped, and I smiled.

"Hey," I began, walking up between them. "Don't worry. We're all here for each other, every step of the way. You're all my friends, now. I watch out for mine." I said. They smiled thankfully at me, and I led them to the main office.

I stood out of the way as they got their schedules, glancing at the crowd of students outside the door every so often. I noticed a familiar face walk up to the door, and open it, stepping in.

"Hey, man. They get their schedules, yet?" Gray asked in a slightly hushed voice. I shook my head and replied.

"Nah. I think only...I think only Allison and Raven are left," I said, struggling to remember their new names.

"Who?" A voice chirped from behind Gray. Dana popped out from some mysterious space behind Gray, smiling at me.

"Oh, Dana! How was your weekend?" I asked her, accidentally ignoring what Gray was about to say next.

"It was alright. Not too interesting. How about yours?" She asked, hefting her books up in her arms.

"...Eventful. Very eventful," I said in half-truth, leaving out any details.

"Oh? What happened?" She asked.

Damn.

"Uh, just met a few old friends." I lied, pointing over my shoulder with my thumb, as the six girls approached us.

"Well, here we are," Twilight...Er, Takara said, holding out a piece of paper. At the top, it read, "SARANI, TAKARA. 12."

"Oh, are these the friends you mean?" Dana asked, giving them all a warm and friendly smile.

"Yep! My name is Pink-"

"Yep! Actually, only these two I remember!" I said, pointing at Twilight, then Applejack, as they were the most trustworthy of the group to keep the others in line. In fact, Applejack is the reason I was able to cut Pinkie off, as she was holding her back, much to the pink haired girl's dismay.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Takara Sarani," Twilight said, holding a hand out to Dana, and saying her name perfectly. Dana returned the handshake.

"It's a Pleasure. My name is Dana. Dana Summers." She said pleasantly.

"And Ah'm Allison Jackson. It's a pleasure, Dana." Applejack said next, shaking her hand.

"And these are all their friends that just moved here with them," I said, motioning to the others. They got introductions out of the way, while I inconspicuously explained to Twilight and AJ that I knew the two of them from a while back, but not the others. Getting the hint, we moved on to their schedules next.

"Anyway, Raine, you have Government with me and Grayson for fourth," I said, and checked Fluttershy's again. "And Patience, you, Takara and Faith have Algebra with me for fifth." I finished, purposefully leaving out that we all had sixth period off campus together. "Now, let's see...Tomorrow..." I began.

"Tomorrow? I though all six classes were today?" Twilight asked me, and I shook my head.

"We have this weird thing called a block schedule. Three classes each day. First, second, and third one day, fourth, fifth and sixth the next. It's annoying, I know.." I replied, muttering the last part. Perks of the schedule include more time for homework and such. The bad part, is that each class is an hour and forty damn minutes.

"Oh," She replied simply.

"Hey, looks like you have English with me and Alex first period," Dana said to Rarity.

"Lovely," Rarity replied simply.

"And then you have Psych with me second, Takara," I said to Twilight. She smiled at me, and looked down again.

"And you all have speech and debate with me third." I said to the six of them.

I took a few moments to think, while Gray and Dana compared their own schedules to the girls'. I was thankful that Christine managed to give them all classes with me and Gray, and also with at least one other when I didn't share a class with them. That way, they weren't totally alone in each class. The bell then sounded, and it was time for class. "Alright, girls, at the first break, meet me and Gray back here." I told them.

"Well, let's get started, then!" Twilight said excitedly, getting directions to her first class, English, from Gray, and she took Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, and Applejack with her.

"You're with us, Raine," Gray said to Rarity. She nodded and began to follow us.

"And you have ecology with me right now, Faith." Dana said ti Fluttershy. Fluttershy nodded meekly, and stared at me with her large, scared eyes. I gave her a quick hug, one that she didn't return, but she nuzzled her head into my chest.

"You'll be fine. You have a class with Dana. She'll take good care of you," I promised. After a moment, she looked up at me with a smile, and nodded. She allowed Dana to take her, waving a small goodbye to me. I returned the wave, and me and Gray led Rarity to government.

Now, I know the ponies went to school, so I didn't worry about english, or those kind of classes. But government was new to these girls, so I was a bit worried for Rarity. thankfully, I was placed next to her, so I let her copy the majority of my work, though I did try to teach her what we were learning. She must have really tried, because she retained a bit of the information. An hour and forty minutes later, the bell sounded, and we made our way back to the main hall, where the office was.

"How was your classes?" I asked the girls.

"Oh, it was...Nice." Fluttershy replied with a light smile.

"Wasn't that bad. We had enough basic grammar schooling where we come from, so english wasn't too difficult." Twilight replied with a shrug.

"And the people? How were they?" I then asked.

"They gave us a few curious looks, but otherwise caused no harm," AJ answered. The others nodded in relative agreement. For the next fifteen minutes of break, I talked to the girls, and they seemed to be taking to my school quite well. To be expected, they were all, for the most part, an intelligent bunch. They didn't seem to have any social problems yet, either, so there's another plus.

Soon enough, the bell rang for fifth period. "Alright, Faith, Takara, Patience. Let's go to algebra," I said. After asking them to make sure, they confirmed that they learned a few basic math and algebra principles at their school in Ponyville, so I wasn't worried. If push comes to shove, they could just copy my homework, even if their handwriting was a bit messy. You should have seen Rarity's! Sure, it's improving, but...Still! Ever heard of chicken scratch?

"Where's our class?" Rainbow asked.

"Oh, Allison, Raven, you both have fitness and weights with me. Gym's this way." He said, leading them to the gym. They gave me smiles and a thumbs-up, and I waved to them.

"Raine, looks like you have Fashion Design with me. Let's get going, shall we?" Dana said with a smile. I waved Rarity and Dana off, and looked back at the three.

"Alright, girls. Time for algebra...Joy..." I muttered, and both Pinkie and Twilight look excited, while Fluttershy wore her usual shy smile.

Fifth period went by without a hitch, much to my relief. In fact, my classmates seemed to take to Pinkie and her goofy and energetic attitude. She wasn't making a fool of herself, but rather, cracking witty remarks every so often. Makes it easier for me, since I sat two seats behind her, with Fluttershy right and front of me, and Twilight directly to my right. Pinkie and Fluttershy both asked their partners for help, who accepted with friendly smiles, and I gave a sigh of relief. Good. Everything was running smoothly.

Twilight didn't need much help, and we were halfway through the assignment, when the bell rang. Lunch time, then sixth, but we were allowed to leave, since we didn't have sixth.

"So, girls, how was your first day of school?" I asked them with a yawn.

"It was great! All these people are so much fun!" Pinkie said excitedly.

"And I loved learning all of these new things, this is such a great experience!" Twilight chimed in.

"It's...Nice." Fluttershy said quietly, earning a smile and a playful nudge from me.

"A lot is nice to you, isn't it?" I joked. She blushed lightly, and didn't reply. I waited at the usual spot, and Rarity and Dana were the first to return.

"So?" I asked the two.

"Well, Raine certainly has some interesting designs." Dana replied truthfully.

"Good or bad?" I asked quietly.

"...Interesting." Dana replied with a chuckle. Rarity only beamed at me with a wide smile, and she seemed to be enjoying her day as well. I returned the chuckle, and looked to my right, seeing Rainbow, AJ, and Gray coming our way.

"That's it. I'm not racing this one again." Gray said in mild annoyance, but was wearing a smirk, pointing at the small girl to his right. Rainbow playfully smacked his hand away, and grinned.

"You should know by now, I don't lose." She said.

"Ah, please. Me an' you tied, so don' go around braggin' just yet," AJ replied with a chuckle. Seems like they were getting to like school, as well.

"Good to see you're all enjoying your new school." Dana commented with a smile, seemingly picking up on my thoughts. The girls all replied with happy nods.

"Anyway, I dunno about you girls, but I'm beat. Think I'm gonna head home now," I said with a yawn.

"Really? You're already tired?" Rainbow asked with a quirked brow, crossing her arms.

"Well, yeah." Was all I could reply with.

"Whaaatever. Guess I'll head home, too." Rainbow said, walking out with me and Gray.

"See ya tomorrow, Dana!" Gray called back, as the other girls followed us out. Gray agreed to meet us at my house, and I started up my truck, looking around at the girls.

"So? Looks like you all enjoyed yourselves. Ready to come back tomorrow?" I asked, and they all replied with different, yet excited, responses, and they began chattering amongst themselves of their experiences and thoughts. I smiled to myself, and would reply to them on occasion.

Looks like things were going smoothly. For them, and for me.

Chapter 13

The rest of the day went by somewhat normally. I helped the girls with their homework, which wasn't much considering they were new, until Gray came by. He pitched in as well, and a few hours later, we had both our homework, and their homework done.

"Seems like they're taking to the real world well," Gray commented. I nodded in reply, and sighed, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"I'll say. I kinda expected things to go a bit more...Difficult, to say the least." I replied with a sigh.

"Whattaya mean?" Gray asked, turning his head to look at me.

"I thought they'd get more sneers and rude comments." I replied in honesty. Gray nodded in understanding, and thought for a moment.

"Well, they didn't, so shut up and be glad for them." He said with a chuckle. I returned the chuckle with one of my own, and shook my head in amusement.

"I need to run to the store. Pick up more...Pony-friendly food. Care to join me?" I asked, grabbing my keys. The girls, who were in the living room, turned their heads to look at me.

"Where are you going, Alex?" Twilight asked.

"The store. I need to get some more food for us." I replied.

"Ooh, the store! Can I go with you?! Huh?! Can I?!" Pinkie asked in excitement, getting up and struggling to get her shoes on.

"Whoa, there, Pinkie. I think you should stay here with the others, me and Gray can handle this by ourselves." I told the girl with a small smile.

"Aww..." She said with a pout, but instantly perked up. "Well, have fun!" She said, hopping back to the floor with a thump. AJ chuckled and shook her head.

"Don't you worry none, Alex, we'll hold down the fort while you n' Gray are out." She assured me.

"Thanks, AJ. Alright, girls, we'll be back soon." I said, walking towards the door. I stopped for a moment, and walked back. "Also, girls?" I called out. They all looked at me, waiting for me to say something else. "I'm very proud of you all on a great first day of school." I told them. They all stared at me for just a moment, before giving me smiles. But...There was a hesitation in those smiles that caught me off guard.

"Thanks, Alex. And thank you for all you've done for us." Twilight said, snapping me out of my thoughts. I smiled again, and nodded, before making my way out to Gray, and out the door. We got in my truck and I started the engine, and before I went to back out, I hesitated, staring straight ahead.

"...Alex?" Gray said quietly. "Everything alright?" He then asked. I shook my head to clear my thoughts, before glancing at Gray.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking." I replied absently, and drove off to the store.

It's been about an hour after Alex left, and the girls were all sitting in silence, watching cartoons. "Anyone else feel like a filly at school with a blank flank?" Rainbow Dash asked with a heavy sigh. Twilight sighed as well, and nodded in response.

"I gotta say, I didn't think the people here would be so...Rude. Barely anyone spoke a word to me, and when they did, it was usually in an irritated tone." Twilight replied.

"Ah'm sure it's just them other kids givin' us heat because we're new. They'll warm up to us eventually," AJ said with a confident smile.

"I was so confused. People kept staring at my hair as if it was the craziest thing they've ever seen!" Pinkie chimed in, running her hands through her long locks of pink hair. "I even got asked if it was a wig! Can you believe it?" Pinkie then said with a giggle.

"That aside, I'll admit, it was a bit disheartening. Many of the other girls would give me blank stares." Rarity added.

"I'm sure we just need to wait a little while, and the other students will be friendly to us. Let them get to know us. I mean, it isn't like the day was all bad. I met this girl in my class today who was nice to me. I'm sure you all did too." Twilight said.

"Yeah, that's true. This guy I raced today was pretty cool to me." Rainbow said with a shrug.

"And there was this nice girl in my algebra class who was very kind to me." Fluttershy then said.

"See, girls? All we need is a little time, n' before ya know it, we'll fit right in!" AJ told the others, effectively raising their spirits.

Moments later, they heard the all-too-familiar snoring of a certain baby dragon. Twilight immediately perked her head up, before a voice excitedly spoke next.

"Spike! Wake up! Wake up wake up, it's Winter Wrap-Up Day!" Twilight - or, at least, the Twilight on tv said. Everyone looked at the tv, which was airing an episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

"Huh? Mommy?" A groggy Spike replied with tired eyes. Twilight looked at the tv, and at Spike, with sad eyes. She didn't realize just how much she missed her number one assistant. Tears began to prick at her eyes, and Rarity looked over at her, noticing this. She placed a hand on Twilight's, who looked back at her with a thankful smile.

Gray and I walked back inside with a few bags of groceries, to hear a familiar voice sing out.

"Three months of winter coolness, and awesome holidays!"

"Is that Dashie?" Gray asked, before I shushed him.

"...kept our hoofsies warm at home, time off from work to play..."

I dropped my grocery bags and darted into the living room, and by now, the main verse had started. The girls were all staring at the television with blank faces, and didn't pay attention to my sudden entrance.

They just...stared, as they saw themselves sing on the tv. When Rainbow saw herself flying with the other Pegasi, her eyes softened, and I could tell she missed that flying feeling.

Applejack seemed to keep a strong face, but I could tell by the look in her eyes that she missed the Apple family and her farm.

"You really had a hard time fittin' in then, didn't ya, Twi?" She asked silently. Twilight nodded, blushing a bit.

"I really wanted to help, and do my part. I just wanted to be useful..." She admitted. Gray entered next, and began watching the episode with us.

When Fluttershy saw herself help her little animal friends, she too began to look sad and almost cried.

Pinkie, though, smiled when she watched herself skating across the icy pond. Next thing we knew, they were all singing along with themselves, and Gray and I gave them all sad smiles. When the song ended, they finally acknowledged me.

"Is this...That's us?" Rarity asked quietly, and I nodded in reply. "Oh, my..."

We continued watching, and the scene where Twilight asked Rainbow if she could help was next.

"I still don't get how you forgot wings were necessary for weather patrol, Twilight." Rainbow said, regaining her attitude and giving a smart grin. Twilight blushed in embarrassment and chuckled.

"Well, I just wanted to help." She replied sheepishly.

Next, was when Rarity offered to help Twilight make the birds next. We all laughed when we saw her final result.

"That nest needs to be condemned!" Spike cried out. We all laughed again, even Twilight, who got over her initial embarrassment.

Oh, and when Twilight was wobbling around on the skates, we were all dying of laughter at at point. Considering only Pinkie and Twilight were there for those events, the other girls were all cracking up, and Twilight tried to hide herself behind the laptop in embarrassment.

"Oh, c'mon, Twi! Ya gotta admit, it's funny!" AJ said between bouts of laughter. Twilight only gave a nervous chuckle, and we watched the remainder of the episode together. Trying to help Fluttershy, trying to help Applejack, but the part that turned the tables, was when the scene near the end cut to Rarity, who was trying desperately to repair Twilight's nest. When she burst into tears, we all began laughing again.

"Oh, honestly! I was distressed!" She said in defense of herself. Didn't matter, we laughed all the same. At the end of the episode, the girls were smiling happily.

"Every episode ends with the lesson you learned. That way, the viewers have been taught a lesson, by all six of you, on friendship. That's what your show is about. The lessons of friendship." I said as the credits rolled.

"I see...How wonderful," Twilight said with a sad smile. It was obvious they missed all of their adventures back in Equestria.

"Look, girls," I began, and they turned to look at me. "I know you miss your home, but...Just think of this as another adventure. Another way for you all to learn something about friendship." I said, but I then frowned at my lame excuse.

"Ah s'pose you're right..." AJ said skeptically.

"Sorry, girls.." I replied silently, going back to put the rest of the groceries away in silence.

"Don't worry. You can trust Alex. He said he'd help you, and he's right. Alex won't stop helping until you're all out of this situation. He's the kind of guy that puts his friends before himself." I heard Gray say.

"You're right, Grayson," Twilight began. "We just miss our friends, is all." She finished.

"That's understandable. Just, try and enjoy yourselves while you're here." He replied, and he made his way back to me.

"Thanks." I said to him. He smiled and nodded.

"Anytime. Well, I'm going back home. I'll see you all tomorrow." He said to us.

"Byebye, Gray!" Pinkie called out, and the others said their goodbyes as well.

"See ya tomorrow, man." I said, bumping fists with Gray. He went home, and I got started on dinner.

That night, I sat all the girls down after we ate.

"Look girls. There isn't much I can tell you. I won't lie to you, and I won't sugar coat anything. I don't know how long you're going to be stuck here for. But there is one thing I can tell you. That I will be here every step of the way, that I'll be here to help you all out in any way I can. And that I'll be here to protect all of you, because I feel responsible for you." I remained silent for a few moments, trying to think of something else to say. "I just wanted you all to know that." I finished.

To be honest, I don't know why I decided to tell them this. The more I thought though, I could only come up with one logical reason.

My own loneliness since I was a child has haunted me. I was brought up to where one of the most important figure in a boy's life, his own father, wasn't around. Had abandoned us. How could I trust anyone if I couldn't trust the most important man in my life? I strived for a role model in my life, and when I had found one in my brother, I had that taken away as well. No one to trust. No one to trust me. Trust issues were a huge issue to me. And when it wasn't someone for me to trust, that's what I wanted to be. Someone for another friend to trust. I wanted these girls to know that they could depend on me, and to know that I would do anything in my power for them.

"Alex." A quiet voice said, whipping my attention back to the girls. "Thank you." Fluttershy finished with a kind smile.

"Thanks, Alex. It's good to know that there's someone we can depend on in our time of need." Dash added with a smile.

"Thank you most sincerely, dear." Rarity chimed in with a soft smile of her own. Pinkie was next to shout a continuous stream of 'thank you's, and jumped up, crashing in to me for a hug. The others shook their heads and shrugged, joining in on the hug.

"And remember, Alex. While we can depend on you, you can depend on us." Twilight said.

"That's right. You're not alone, Alex, ya got us here, now." Applejack added.

"Thanks, girls." I replied quietly. Finally, something for me to do with my life. Someone to take care of, and not just someone. More than one.

My best friends.

( A/N
Hey, everyone! Here's the latest chapter for you all, thanks for reading! Remember, if you want any more info on the different projects I'm working on, or if you have any questions, feel free to follow me on tumblr and ask away!
alexbarkhorn(.)tumblr(.)com
Thanks, and have a good night! )

Chapter 14

I climbed into my bed with heavy, exhausted eyes, flicking my lamp off. I heard my door creak open again, and sighed, sitting up. Look, Rarity, last night was sweet of you and all, but I stopped short when I saw who was in the doorway.

"Oh, Alex, I m sorry, did I wake you?" Fluttershy asked quietly. I sighed and shook my head.

"No, I just barely turned off my lights," I replied with a small smile. She returned the smile and nodded, and there was a brief moment of silence. "Something you need?" I then asked.

"Well, since Rarity was here last night, I figured that maybe, um, I dunno, I could take her place tonight?" She asked shyly, hiding away the right half of her face with her hair. I thought for a quick second, before giving my reply.

"Yeah, sure." I said with another small smile. Her smile widened as well, and I got up from my bed, going to my couch and sitting down. She made herself comfortable in my bed, and looked at me for a few moments. I looked back, and we sat there, for only a few moments, in complete silence.

"Well, um Goodnight, Alex." She said sweetly, laying down and burying her head in my pillow. Soon enough, she was sleeping peacefully, and I could see the smallest smile on her face. I chuckled silently to myself, and drifted off to sleep.

I awoke the next morning to the sound of my door opening. Fearing the worst, I bolted upright, seeing Pinkie sneak her way in again. "Ohh, no ya don't!" I called out, pointing at her with a playful grin.

"Aww!" She pouted, crossing her arms. I chuckled and got up and out of bed, stretching and yawning. Another full eight hours of sleep, this was looking good. These girls were definitely onto something.

"Allison making breakfast again?" I asked. This time, Pinkie was quicker to react to the new names.

"Oh, yeah! So, hurry up! We have another big day ahead of us!" Pinkie said, dashing out of my room.

"We re just going to school." I said with a smirk, though I was now talking to an empty room. I closed the door and looked through my closet, wondering what to wear today. It was a bit warm, so I settled on a plain black crew neck shirt, and faded black slim-straight jeans. I laced up my boots, and stepped outside, to be greeted by the smell of cooking breakfast, pancakes, or maybe even waffles by the smell.

"Mornin' , Alex," AJ began, glancing over her shoulder to look at me. "Breakfast'll be up n' ready in a few." She finished.

"You know how to make pancakes?" I asked with a quirked brow. I nodded a good morning at the other girls, who were all sitting around the dining table.

"Heh, 'course I do. Not that hard." She replied with a slight chuckle. I only shrugged and dug through my fridge for something to drink, making small talk with the girls.

The rest of the morning went by normally. Well, as normal as things could go, recently. On our way to school, it was oddly quiet. I decided to comment on the matter.

"Everything alright, girls?" I asked them.

"We're fine," Twilight replied absently, much in a tone I would use.

"Okay, I know that tone. What's eatin' ya?" I asked them. Twilight sighed and replied.

"I guess we're just a little nervous, still." She said quietly.

"But, I thought yesterday went well?" I asked in mild confusion.

"Oh, it did!" Applejack began with a nervous chuckle. "It's just that, well, today's gonna be whole new classes, so...We just dunno what to expect." She finished timidly.

"...Girls, you sure everything is alright?" I asked skeptically. They all gave quick nods in reply. "Alright, then. I trust you." I said with a sigh, pulling into the school parking lot. We entered the school, and went to our usual spot, seeing Dana and Gray were already there.

"Mornin', guys." I said, giving Gray and Dana a small smile.

"Morning, Alex. Girls," Dana replied with a friendly smile of her own.

"So, Pink- Ah, I mean, Patience, ready for foods?" Gray asked with a nervous chuckle.

"What was that?" Dana asked Gray with a quirked brow.

"Ah, nothing, don't worry about it." Gray replied quickly. Before Dana could comment, Pinkie responded to Gray.

"Oh, yes, I am! I can't wait to see what kind of super awesome food we'll be making!" She said with bright eyes. Dana laughed at Pinkie's excitement.

"Heh, you know, I could swear I've seen that kind of excitement somewhere." She commented with another soft chuckle. Gray and I instantly glanced at eachother, but didn't expect Dana would find anything out.

"Yeah, well-" I began, but the bell cut me off. "Well, looks like it's time for English. Ladies?" I said with a slight smirk, holding my arms out for Rarity and Dana.

"My, what a gentleman," Rarity cooed while taking my arm, eliciting a small blush from me.

"Yes, Alex is quiet chivalrous, isn't he?" Dana teased, taking my other arm.

"Oh, please. Alex, where's this government room?" Twilight said with a mocking grimace. I chuckled and gave her, Fluttershy, Rainbow, and AJ directions to the gov room, before leaving to my first period english class with Mr. Donnovan, who was not only my favorite teacher, but was also my third period teacher.

"Good morning, class." He said, earning tired looks and yawns from the other students. "Well, you all seem bright and chipper this morning. Anyway, incase you missed the memo, we have a new student joining us today. This is Raine Teno." He said, waving a hand towards Rarity, who smiled at the class.

"Pleasure to meet you all," She said with a slightly nervous chuckle, and she gave a couple students a strange glance. Following her gaze, I saw that a few of the guys in our class were giving Rarity a lecherous stare, and I over heard a couple other mooks talking of...Inappropriate things involving Rarity. I grimaced and shook my head.

"Thanks for joining our class, Raine. Go ahead and have a seat next to Alex." Mr. Donnovan said, and she nodded, sitting next to me.

"I'm glad I have this class with you. It'll make this whole situation so much easier," Rarity whispered to me.

"Situation? What situation?" Dana asked from behind us.

"Oh, um, well, be-being a new student!" Rarity said, effectively saving herself from an awkward explanation.

"Oh, right. Duh." Dana said, and I blinked in surprise. She fell for it that easy?

My thoughts were cut short as the day began, and I could only wonder how well the other girls were doing...

First Period Government...

Twilight sighed as introductions were out of the way, and Fluttershy was the last to speak.

"Um, my name is Faith...Faith Sherman." She said aloud, giving the other students a shy smile, before scurrying to her seat next to Rainbow Dash and starting her 'warm up'.

"Thanks, girls, good to have ya," The teacher, Mrs. Grammar, said. Twilight then chuckled at the irony of having someone named "Grammar" teach a government class.

"Hey, I know you," Twilight heard a familiar voice say.

"Oh, nuts..." Applejack whispered in irritation.

"Yeah, and we know you two. Jake and Aaron, right?" Rainbow said with attitude.

"Yeah, and you were the chumps hanging with that loner. He stuck at home again? Or is he not always at your side?" Aaron chimed in with a scoff.

"For your information, he isn't stuck at home. He's here, at school, not being a couple of immature jerks like yourself." Rainbow said in Alex's defense. Jake and Aaron only laughed.

"Oh, man, is that the best you got?" Jake taunted. Rainbow Dash had to be held down by Applejack at this point, when the teacher finally paid attention.

"Hey, guys, what's goin' on over there?" She asked with a raised brow.

"Nothin'. Just conversatin'." Applejack replied curtly. That was enough for Mrs. Grammar, and she went back to grading papers.

"Lemme rephrase it for her, then," AJ said. "Alex is doing his work in school so that way, he won't end up a loser after school like you two!" She finished with a smirk. That seemed to get the two nice and wriled up.

"You gotta lot of nerve, ya know that?" Aaron said with a growl.

"Oh, we got more than that, chump!" Rainbow said with a clenched fist.

"Girls," Fluttershy said quietly. "I think we should just ignore them..." She then whispered.

"She's right, listen to your girlfriend." Aaron spat. Rainbow's eyes widened at the insult, and she furrowed her brow in anger.

"Alright, now you're in for it!" She growled, and stood up to approach Jake and Aaron, who actually looked ready to retaliate, but AJ intervened before anything could happen. Finally, the teacher took action as well.

"Jake, Aaron, are you two really picking on the new girl? God, you guys, grow up!" She scoffed. "Now calm down before I send you two boys to the discipline office," She then said. The two grumbled incoherent response, and Twilight sighed.

"Crisis averted..." She whispered to herself. She then heard hushed voices at the front of the room. A few students were whispering to eachother.

"What just happened?" One girl asked her friend.

"The freak with the rainbow hair nearly got into it with Jake and Aaron," She replied in a whisper. Twilight glanced at Rainbow, who must have heard her comment, as evident by the scowl she gave the gossiping girls.

"Hoo, boy..." Twilight muttered to herself.

First Break...

First period ended, which went by pretty well for Rarity. A few of the rather prissy girls in my class gave Rarity disgusted looks, but I helped by saying they were jealous of Rarity's natural beauty, which was true. Just like Dana, she wasn't wearing any makeup or cosmetics, but it didn't matter- she still looked amazing. Must be a perk of being a natural fashionista. We waited at our usual spot during first break, and Gray and Pinkie were the first to come back.

"Heya, guys. How was foods?" I asked them.

"Booooring!" Pinkie exclaimed. "There was no food, no sweets, and no cooking! We did a paper on stupid Italy...Whatever that is." She said with a sigh, crossing her arms. We sat down against the lockers, when I noticed Dana gave Pinkie a strange look after her comment on Italy, and was about to question it, but I saw Twilight and the others heading our way from their class.

"Hey, look! It's Twi- I mean, Takara and the others!" I interrupted. "How was..." I began, but noticed the scowl on Rainbow's face, and the annoyed frown on AJ's face. Fluttershy and Twilight were the only ones giving me smiles, though they were hardly reassuring. "Allison, Raven...What's wrong?" I asked, before they explained their situation to me.

"Those two jerks again?" I asked with a growl. Moments of silence passed, and I stood up.

"Alex, where are you going?" Twilight asked.

"To have a talk," I replied curtly. I began to walk off, but a hand darted out and snatched my wrist. I looked down to see Rainbow holding my wrist.

"It's fine, Alex. I'll get over it. They were just being dumb. I'm used to handling bullies myself, remember?" She informed me, slowly forming a small smile. I remembered back to the Sonic Rainboom episode, and how she handled the bullies in Cloudsdale her own way.

"Alright. if you insist," I replied, sitting back down. The bell rang once again, signaling time for second period. "Alright, Takara. Time for Psych." I said, standing and helping her up.

"Great," She said with a small smile.

"And you have gov with me, Patience." Dana said, leading a very enthusiastic Pinkie down the hall.

"Right, then." I began, waiting until Dana was out of earshot. "Applejack, you, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity have algebra down there," I said, pointing down the hall.

"And you have English with me, Fluttershy." Gray told her, and she nodded, sticking close to Gray.

"Right, then. Let's get to class," I said, leading Twilight to Psych.

Down the Hall...

"...Did he just call her Rainbow Dash?" Jake asked, watching Alex walk down the hall with the new girl, Takara. The others went their seperate ways as well.

"Yeah, and called the other ones Applejack or some junk. Sounds like the characters from the Pony show my sister watches." Aaron said with a raised brow. "Probably some lame nicknames." He surmised.

"...You watch that?" Jake asked?

"...No. My sister does." Aaron replied slowly.

"Yeah, right...Anyway, something's up with them. I dunno what it is, but I'm gettin' a weird vibe." Jake said, narrowing his eyes, before being scolded to go to class by a school administrator.

Second Period Psych...

Twilight took to Psych as a moth takes to a flame. That is to say, she was drawn to the idea, but it wasn't gonna end well. She understood the concepts well, but just had trouble applying them to situations. We got her there, though. Our teacher, Ms. Kelly, was happy to help her, as was I. Again, I began to think about how the others were doing.

Second Period English...

"Hey, new girl." Someone said. Fluttershy perked her head up for just a moment when she heard the voice, but looked back down at her book. "Hey, new girl! I'm talkin' to you!" The voice said again.

"Calm down, B. New girl has a name, ya know." Another voice said, though she recognized this one as Grayson's.

"Whatever," The first voice replied.

She looked up, seeing a girl she recognized from her first period class looking at her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you saying something?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"Yeah, you're friends with crazy hair?" She then asked.

"Crazy hair...?" Fluttershy repeated in question form.

"Yeah, the one with the multi colored hair. She nearly got into it with Jake and Aaron this morning?" She then explained.

"Oh, you mean Raven. Yes, I'm friends with her, why?" Fluttershy asked with a kind smile.

"You better tell your friend to watch out. It isn't a good idea to mess with them. If they don't do something, their little groupies will." She warned.

"Please, Bianca. Jake and Aaron may be jerks, but they wouldn't hit a girl." Gray retorted. This Bianca girl only shrugged.

"Never know. Like I said, if they don't, those girls that practically follow them around will." She replied.

"Oh, my..." Fluttershy said to herself.

Second Period Algebra...

Rainbow Dash was absently doodling on her paper, when the room suddenly became quiet. She stopped for a moment, and listened intently, thinking she heard a slight buzzing sound.

"Raven? Raven!" The buzz, apparently a voice, called out. Rainbow looked up to see the teacher staring at her with her arms crossed.

"Oh, uh, yeah?" Rainbow asked aloud. Some of the kids snickered, but she ignored it.

"Care to give us the answer to this equation?" The teacher asked.

"...Not really." She replied honestly, earning a couple more laughs, though these seemed to be less mocking. Rainbow sighed and looked at Rarity, then AJ, who didn't seem to be paying much attention, either.

"Look at that hair..." Rainbow heard, and she shut her eyes in frustration.

"I know, that's crazy..." Another voice said in reply.

"I kinda want it..." The first voice then said, and Rainbow opened her eyes. She could tell it was the two girls behind her talking, but didn't bother to turn to look at them. They were probably saying that sarcastically.

Looking at her two friends again, Applejack looked at the person sitting next to her in annoyance. Seemed like she was asking for help, but the student didn't do anything to help. Seemed like the lazy type for AJ to get so irritated.

Looking to Rarity, it seemed she was making friends with the popular-looking girls. Though, moments later, Rarity's smile faded, and she traced her fingers along her eyes, then lips. The girl she was talking to pulled out a small container that held what looked like various types of make-up. Rainbow sighed and shook her head, going back to doodling.

Lunch Break...

"Alright, class, remember, reading tonight will be a lot of fluff, so write down those important terms!" Ms. Kelly told the class after we began to leave for lunch break.

"So, Takara, enjoy Psych?" I asked, using her human name in the presence of the teacher, who didn't seem to be paying attention anyway.

"Actually, yes. Kind of a slow start, but I'm glad to be understanding it now. Thank you, Ms. Kenny!" Twilight then said, directing her attention to the teacher for a moment.

"Not a problem, Takara. And welcome to Equitas high school!" She said with a friendly smile. Twilight and I made our way to our spot, seeing Dana and Pinkie approach.

"She's an energetic one," Dana said. There was a strange tone in her voice, almost an ominous one, and I glanced at Pinkie, who only grinned widely at me. Oh, I had questions for her when we got home.

"Yo," A calm voice said. I looked over and saw Gray approach, with Fluttershy close at his side.

"How'd english go?" I asked the two. Gray shrugged, and Fluttershy followed suit.

"It was fine..." She replied absently, apparently deep in thought. I sighed and looked over my shoulder, seeing Rarity, Rainbow and AJ approach as well. AJ and Rainbow seemed quiet, though not upset, like Rarity.

"Alex, quick, where's the nearest cosmetics store?" She asked. Everyone shot her a surprised look.

"Raine, you don't need any cosmetics." I replied slowly, still shaking off the initial shock of the sudden question. "You're beautiful the way you are," I then said in honesty. She gave a light blush, and laughed lightly, shaking her head. "See, that's the only blush you need, that one right there." I said.

"Pfft. I like how you knew that was makeup..." Gray muttered.

"Right, you're right. I don't know what I was thinking. Thank you," She said. I surmised that someone had tried telling her that makeup was an important aspect of beauty, and I was hoping Rarity of all people wouldn't conform to that. Even though she did in Equestria, it was different here.

The rest of lunch went by much better, as Gray and I managed to get the girls' spirits up with jokes and different stories of school. Dana, though, was oddly silent throughout the whole thing, only making the occasional witty comment, mostly aimed at me. Before we knew it, lunch had passed, and third period awaited.

"Alright, girls. Guess you're all with me. Time for speech and debate. The best class, might I add." I said with a small smile. We all got up, and said our goodbyes. Gray silently agreed to meet me at my house after school, and we went our separate ways.

Third period definitely went as expected. We got in there, and the class was a bit bustling, but, that was just how things were. That is, until a whiny, slightly nasally voice spoke up. "Oh, hey! New people! Great, I love new people Ya know, I used to be new..."

"Can it, Matt." I snapped, catching the girls by surprise.

"Aw, thanks, Alex. Love you too." Matt replied, going to sit in the back next to the only person in the class that could tolerate him, Ron.

"Who was that?" Twilight asked.

"Seems like an egghead. Like, mega egghead. Bigger egghead than Twilight..." Rainbow muttered.

"That's Matt. Matt Barkhorn." I replied irritably.

"Is he related to you?" Rarity asked, to which I vigorously shook my head.

"God, no! He just has the same last name as me. But, he's the most egotistical, annoying, narcissistic pest in the class. Even the teacher can't stand him." I said with a smirk. The girls all looked at Mr. Donnovan, who was staring at Matt with an annoyed smirk, as he continued on about some kind of outrageous adventure he, of course, never had.

Class officially started, and Mr. Donnovan had the girls introduce themselves. Thankfully, the people in this class were at least somewhat civilized, and gave them all warm welcomes. We started off the class by giving the speeches that were assigned to us, and a lot of them were good. The central theme was that we needed to touch on an important subject in our lives. I was last, and Mr. Donnovan looked at me.

"Alright, Alex. You're last. I hope you're prepared?" He asked with a bemused smirk.

"Eh, I kinda got something." I said, taking my notebook that had notes scrawled across the paper. I took my place at the front of the room, and inhaled deeply.

"After hearing all of these speeches on...Things from love, life, and family, to, no offense, trivial things like baseball and video games...I'll go in the former's direction. Friendship is a beautiful thing. Friendship is a light in the darkness, it's the thing that loves on any terms. Friendship is Magic," I began, looking towards Twilight, and each other individual girl. "Friendship is more than just someone you talk to at school. It's someone you love talking to, someone you trust with everything. From simple things, like, remembering to wake you up," I said, looking at Pinkie with a smile. "To stories of a dark and troubled past," I added, looking at Rarity, then Fluttershy.

"Friendship is the other half of the human, the other being family. But if you think about it, it technically counts as a whole. For some, or me, at least, my friends are my family. I'll protect them to the end. I'll defend their honor, and help them in a time of need." As I spoke, I looked between each of the girls. "I'd happily take a bullet for them, even if it would just extend their time a bit longer. Pam Brown once said, 'In loneliness, in sickness, in confusion-the mere knowledge of friendship makes it possible to endure, even if the friend is powerless to help. It is enough that they exist. Friendship is not diminished by distance," I paused to look at Twilight and the others again, "or time, by imprisonment or war, by suffering or silence. It is in these things that it roots most deeply. It is from these things that it flowers.' Friendship is the thing that binds each person together at the smallest root. Friendship is magic."

A moment of silence passed, and the room suddenly roared in applause - as much applause as a class of thirty students could give. I looked at the girls, and they all had the smallest hints of tears in there eyes.

"Alex, that was beautiful. Thank you for that, go on and have a seat." Mr. Donnovan said. I nodded, and sat back down. After getting compliments from the students that sat around me, Mr. D assigned our next piece of work, and class ended.

"Alex, that was an amazing speech." Twilight said with a smile as we walked to my truck.

"It was from the heart." I replied in honesty.

"Darling, that was simply poetic. You should consider writing," Rarity said with a warm smile.

"Funny, I've actually thought of doing that." I admitted.

"It was very sweet." Fluttershy said, as I opened the door for her and the others.

The ride home was spent talking about my speech and how they all loved it, and were glad to have heard it.

"To be honest, you all inspired it," I admitted.

"We kinda had a hunch." Applejack said with a grin. I returned the grin, and shook my head in amusement.

"Alright, well, I just wanted you all to know it for sure." I replied, pulling into my driveway, only to see Gray was already there, along with Dana. My heart stopped for a moment in suspense, and I put the truck in park, exiting with the others.

"What's she doing here?" I asked, straight to the point.

"Way to be tact," Dana chuckled.

"Dunno. She insisted on coming here." Gray replied with a shrug. Pinkie exited last, and jumped in joy when she saw Dana.

"Dana! Hi!" She said excitedly, hopping up and down.

"Patience, you should-"

I was cut off when Dana spoke next.

"Hey again, Pinkie Pie." Dana spoke with a smart grin, turning to me and Gray. We both stared at Dana, jaws agape, before we spoke in unison.

"What'd you call her?"

( A/N

Well, sorry about the little hiatus, everyone. Every author is bound to hit the inevitable and immovable wall called Writer's Block.

...And also that itty bitty nuisance called a job, but, still. Enjoy the new chapter. I'm trying to get a good mix at focusing on the girls and Alex. Anyway, things seem to be going along a bit more smoothly, so chapter updates might come along a bit more frequently. Remember to check out my tumblr for news concerning BNW (at alexbarkhorn[dot]tumblr[dot]com )...Or, soon to be a different name. Speakin' o' which, I've narrowed it down to three different titles. They are:

Believing in a New World

Torn Between Two Worlds

Waking Up

Cast your votes now, folks. G'night! )

Chapter 15

"Wait, what'd you call her?" Twilight asked with wide eyes, looking at Pinkie, then Dana, then Pinkie, and so on.

"Pinkie Pie. That is her name, isn't it?" Dana asked with a smart grin.

"Wha...How'd you...?" I stammered, completely dumbfounded.

"She told me during algebra." Dana replied with a shrug.

"Pinkie! I thought we agreed that - wait. She did? And you believed her?" I questioned, turning my attention from Pinkie to Dana. She simply shrugged.

"May sound dumb, but it was too outrageous not to believe." She replied in honesty, pulling out her phone. "So, I looked up the show and the characters, sure enough, they looked, sounded, and acted just like themselves." She finished.

"So, it doesn't bother you?" Gray asked. Dana gave him a quizzical look.

"Why would it?" She asked.

"Well, I mean...Cartoon characters, coming to our world. Can't be easy to take in." I explained. I then looked around for a moment, before walking to our front door. "Let's take this inside." I said, allowing them all to enter.

We talked for a little while, and Dana seemed to be very accepting of the whole situation. To be expected, she was a generally accepting person, to people, and...Pony. Human. People. You get what I mean.

"At any rate, how long have they been here?" Dana asked, after having actual introductions out of the way.

"Since Friday night." I answered.

"Huh." She replied in a hum, looking at the girls. She then looked over though the door behind her that leads to the washroom, seeing six sundresses hanging up next to the dryer. "Did you get them those clothes?" She asked.

"The ones they're wearing. They came in those dresses," I replied.

"That was very sweet of you." Dana said with a small smile. I only shrugged modestly in reply.

"Couldn't let them wear just those." I said.

"And how'd you get them in school?" She asked.

"I have my ways, Dana." I replied quickly. I could tell by the look on her face that my answer didn't satiate her many questions, but, honestly, I didn't care.

She stayed for a few more hours, and was nice enough to offer her help as well. Mainly by teaching the girls the essentials of female...Issues, let's just say. A wide spectrum of issues. And, since her sister was in college and had a closet full of clothes she didn't take with her, she'd also sneak over some clothing and such for the girls.

"Dana, I can't tell you how much this means to me. To us." I said, walking her to the door.

"Ah, think nothing of it. You're always giving and giving, so I thought I'd give back." She replied with a sweet smile. I returned it, and gave her an affectionate hug. She happily returned it. A minute later, she pulled away, and walked outside. Grayson chuckled from behind me, giving me a slight nudge.

"Smooth, Alex." He said with a sly wink, stepping outside and getting in the car with Dana, driving off. I scoffed, and turned around. I could see, by the shadows, the girls leave the room to go to the tv room, but Rarity and Fluttershy remained.

"Something the matter, girls?" I asked, to which they shook their heads.

"It's nothing," Rarity said, turning and joining the others. Fluttershy hesitated, but gave me a small smile, before following Rarity.

A couple days passed, and the girls seemed to be adjusting a bit more. Naturally, not everyone was completely buddy-buddy to them. The girls had just exited first period, when I heard a commotion. Rarity, Dana and I looked over to see Rainbow, Fluttershy, AJ and Twilight walking down the hall, with Jake and Aaron close behind, and it seemed like Jake was bothering one of them, talking to them...By the look on Fluttershy's face, and the annoyance on RD's and AJ's, my hunch was correct. I managed to hear a bit of it.

"...don't you just let me take you out, huh?" Jake asked with a smirk, going to take hold of Fluttershy's arm. She quickly jerked her arm away.

"Um, no thank you." She said quietly, walking faster. I furrowed my brow in anger, and clenched my teeth.

"Alex, what is it?" Gray asked, standing up, and looking over in their direction.

"Why don't you take the hint an' get lost, Jake? She wants nothin' to do with ya, ya hear?" AJ said in anger, earning a scoff from the creep.

"Calm down, Calamity Jane. Be nice, and maybe Aaron here'll ask you out." He mocked, earning a chuckle and a lecherous wink from Aaron. Jake slipped in front of Fluttershy, and put an extended hand against the locker, stopping Fluttershy in her tracks. I began to walk towards them.

"C'mon, Faith, just lemme take you out sometime. It'll be fun." He said with another smirk. This time, Fluttershy avoided his gaze ,and didn't respond.

"Get away from her!" Twilight said, trying to firmly push Jake away. He simply shrugged her off, a bit roughly, causing her books to tumble. I tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned around.

"Leave her the hell alone, Jake. She obviously wants nothing to do with you." I said, my voice cold and menacing.

"And who're you to tell me what to do?" Jake asked with an annoyed scoff, turning and standing up at full posture. He may have been just an inch taller than me, but the only thing that worked in his favor was when Aaron approached my flank. I quickly glanced over my shoulder, and Fluttershy used the small amount of time to slink away.

"Because, she obviously isn't giving in to those lame lines you call "charm". Just go on your merry way, and move on to some easier girl." I said with a glare. He scoffed and shoved me back into Aaron, but I retaliated with a shove of my own. Next thing I knew, he swung a powerful, yet sloppy fist at me. I stepped back to avoid it, but got caught in a lock from Aaron. Jake used a few seconds to give me a few blows to my ribs, before aiming for my face. I quickly whipped my head back, smacking Aaron, and, in a split second, turned the tables on him. Instead of Jake's punch connecting with my face, it connected with Aaron's. Though, Jake was quick to switch targets, giving me a clean hit to the jaw, connecting with a slight snap. Thinking fluidly, I retaliated with a kick to the back of his knee, dropping him to his knees, and spinning, extending a leg to Aaron's throat, and pinning him against the lockers. Teachers and administrators suddenly rushed to the scene, keeping me away from the two. I wiped blood from my mouth and nose, looking at the two, who were returning the glare. They escorted all three of us to the administrator's office, and I turned back, seeing the confident looks on AJ and RD's faces, but the scared and worried looks on Rarity, Pinkie, Twilight and Fluttershy.

Second Period Psych...

Twilight sat in utter suspense during class as Alex had not returned from the office. Minutes passed, and finally an hour, when the door opened. Alex walked through, with a swollen cheek and a slight limp, holding his midsection. He glanced at Twilight, and gave a note to the teacher, who gave him a very confused look. He only ignored, and sat next to Twilight.

"Alex, are you alright? What happened?" She asked. Alex replied, ignoring the whispering and stares from the other students.

"I'll explain later," He replied absently. She nodded in understanding, continuing her work.

Lunch Break...

I limped out of class with Twilight, holding onto my bruised ribs, slightly wincing in pain. The two of us walked to our usual spot, meeting the others who beat us there. "Took ya long enough," Gray said with a slight smirk.

"I'm injured, leave me alone." I retorted with a slight smirk of my own.

"So, what happened?" Dana asked, looking at my small injuries.

"Basically, it was my first offense, and their...What, second? Third? They're going lenient on me and giving me detention after break, but they're giving those two pricks in-house detention and they have to clean the hallways for the next month." I replied.

"Doesn't seem harsh enough," Rainbow muttered, crossing her arms.

"It's a pretty lame school. The worst they'll do is suspend you for a couple days, and that's usually if you do something terribly wrong. A fight isn't really common here. Doesn't make sense, but, hey. Nothing does.." I muttered.

"True." Was all Dana added, shaking her head in annoyance. I noticed Fluttershy was looking the opposite way, and I followed her gaze. Jake and Aaron were roaming the halls on clean-up duty, and they noticed us, giving us a glare. I returned the glare, and almost growled, when I felt something tug at my sleeve.

"It's alright, Alex. They're not going to bother us." Fluttershy said with a sweet smile.

"Yeah, she's right! So, c'mon, siddown and rest, Alex!" Pinkie said, popping up and urging me to sit down, this time, effectively using her hands.

"If you insist." I said, struggling to sit. The pain in my ribs was reverberating throughout most of my body, so it didn't feel too nice.

"Are you going to be alright, darling?" Rarity asked, taking a seat to my left.

"A little rest, and he'll be good as new," Fluttershy said, sitting at my right. Gray, Dana, and the others all sat down as well, and we began talking, ignoring the fiasco that happened just hours ago. The bell for third period rang, and we all stood up, though Gray and Fluttershy helped me up, and we made our way to Speech and Debate. Twilight and Rarity were stopped by a couple girls, who I were assuming were some friends, and the guy from Rainbow and AJ's fitness class approached Gray, RD and AJ. They both talked about some party tomorrow that Bianca, one of our friends, was throwing to kick off spring.

"Alex?" Fluttershy said, before we entered the classroom.

"Yeah, Fluttershy?" I asked, looking down at her. She remained silent for a few moments, before speaking again.

"Thank you." She said quietly, letting her hair fall and cover the right side of her face.

"For what?" I asked with a soft chuckle and a small smile.

"Well, for defending me from those two earlier." She replied shyly.

"Oh. Well, don't worry about it. I couldn't let those jerks bother you, they got what was coming to them." I said, giving her a reassuring smile. She nodded in reply, and embraced me in a hug, one that I happily returned. We entered the class, and I only laughed off all of the teasing I got from my slightly swollen jaw and bruises from my morning scuffle.

"Well, I think it was sweet of you to defend your woman's honor," One of the girls in the back said.

"Whoa, my woman?" I said quickly, staring at Fluttershy. We quickly averted our gazes elsewhere, and Mr. Donnovan saved me from further ribbing.

"Alright, let's give Alex some breathing room, I'm sure he's gotten heat for it all morning. Alright, let's get started on our debates!" He announced, earning groans from everyone except me and the girls. Fluttershy and I exchanged glances one last time, before looking to the front of the room. The more I thought of it, the more I realized. I didn't just beat those two jerk-asses because I despised the two. I did it because I was defending someone. Someone close to me, despite the injuries I received. We learned about that, in Psychology, I remembered talking about that with Twilight. What was it...?

...Altruism. That's the word. Whatever it's official definition, it meant the same to me. Being a good friend, that defends the friends he loves.

( A/N
Hey, guys. Sorry for the lack of chapter updates. I've just been absolutely exhausted recently, but, hey. I love you guys too much to keep ya hanging :P Anywho, as previously mentioned, I have new titles ready and waiting. I've now narrowed it down to two, and they are;

Torn Between Two Worlds
Waking Up

Kinda leaning towards Waking Up, but, hey. Anything can happen. Anyway, don't forget to follow me on tumblr at alexbarkhorn(dot)tumblr(dot)com It'd mean a lot, and don't forget to tell your friends about this fic! Thanks for reading, and have a great day! )

Chapter 16

"Alex, wake up," Twilight's soft voice said. I groaned and turned to my side, opening my eyes and looking up at Twilight, who was leaning over me with slightly concerned eyes.

"Mornin' already..?" I asked in a grumble, struggling to sit up. I hissed in a breath of pain, feeling my ribs, which were now way more sore than the previous day. My face felt fine, but my ribs had taken the brunt of the attacks.

"Yeah, AJ is making breakfast already. Get ready so we can go." She said, exiting the room. I sighed and rubbed my eyes, stood up walked over to my closet. Feeling lazy, I threw on a plain white shirt, and dark jeans. I was lacing up my boots when I heard my door open. I looked up to see who was entering.

"Hello, Alex," Rarity said with a small smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Shiny. Just shiny." I replied with a smirk. She had gotten more used to my nerd slang than the others, and shook her head in amusement.

"Well, at least you're up and about." She said with a small sigh. She stood there in silence for a moment, before looking back at me. Getting more time to get a better look, I noticed something on her face, and raised a brow.

"Rarity, are...Are you wearing makeup?" I asked quietly. Her eyes widened just a bit, and she shook her head.

"No. Well, yes. I'm just trying new things, we don't have as much in Equestria." She said rather quickly, and began walking out of my room before I could question her further. "Well, I'll let you finish, then!"

I yawned and rubbed my eyes one last time before heading downstairs for breakfast. The smell of fried potatoes and scrambled eggs greeted my nose, and I looked at AJ. "Getting the hang of cooking here, aren't ya, AJ?" I asked with a slight chuckle.

"Heh, 'course I am. No different than on my farm." She replied, with a hint of longing in her voice. I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before going to get a drink. We ate breakfast and chatted, then headed off to school.

Fourth period went by rather uneventfully, as per usual, as did our first break. Twilight and the others told me how Jake and Aaron were relatively quiet, and that caught my attention.

"Didn't even react when I called them chumps..." Rainbow said with a slightly disappointed sigh. I smirked in amusement and shrugged.

"Maybe they learned their lesson." Gray guess.

"Pft. Fat chance," I retorted, and he nodded in silent agreement.

"They didn't even look at us..." Twilight added in a murmur.

"Well, best not to think about it. If they're not bothering you, that's all that matters." I said with a slight yawn afterwards.

"Not catch much sleep last night?" Twilight asked with a sad smile, as she was the one who joined me that night. I sighed and shrugged.

"Slept fine...Was the nightmares that got me..." I sighed, whispering the last part of my sentence. It seemed like Fluttershy was about to comment on it but the bell rang, allowing me a sigh of relief as the impending interrogation was avoided. "Well, let's get to class, girls. One more, then the weekend - and spring break!" I said, getting up and adjusting my shirt.

Fifth period went by agonizingly slow until, finally, the bell rang. All the kids burst out of their seats, and practically sprinted out of the classroom. Fluttershy, Pinkie and I managed to take a slower and more civil approach, quietly walking out of the room.

We met up with the girls and were about halfway home when I finally noticed the odd silence. I was afraid that they were all still feeling depressed from being treated unfairly, and when I asked them, I was surprised by the answer I got.

"Oh, no," Twilight began. "I think we're all just exhausted." Quirking a brow in curiosity, I looked at Fluttershy, who was sitting between Rarity and I. She looked positively exhausted, so I made eye contact with Twilight in the rearview mirror.

"How late did you guys stay up?" I asked. She thought for a moment before replying.

"Twelve?" She guessed.

"Midnight? Jeez, that's why you're tired! You're barely getting any sleep! Twilight, you're supposed to get at least eight hours a night. Remember what happened to Applejack here when she stayed up all those days straight?" I reminded them, pointing a thumb over my shoulder at Applejack.

"Hey!" She said, and was about to defend herself, but the look I gave her practically screamed, 'Am I right?'

"...Yeah, okay, he's right." Applejack admitted with a slight chuckle.

"Well, from now on, you're all going to bed no later than eleven." I said, pulling into my driveway, noting that Grayson was right behind me.

"What are you, our dad?" Rainbow asked with a huff, stepping out of the truck.

"No. No, I'm not. But do you want to end up looking like me when you wake up in the morning?" I asked, gesturing to the small, dark circles under my eyes.

"...I see your point." She replied quickly. Grayson approached us, twirling his keys on his index finger.

"What's going on now?" He asked.

"The girls are developing sleeping patterns to match mine." I replied with a slight chuckle.

Grayson looked over at the girls. "Celestia be with you. That's a curse no man, woman, or pony should bear!" He said, in a mock doomsday-esque voice. I scoffed and playfully punched him in the side, and he returned it with a hit of his own. One thing led to another, and the two of us were playfully wrestling around in the grass of my front yard. We had fun, and the girls began to cheer us on, each of us ending up with a cheering squad of three. I had the advantage on top, when a strange screeching sound threw my attention away for a moment, giving Gray ample time to throw me to the ground. Another screeching sound, and Gray heard it too. The girls stopped cheering, and we looked to the street.

Two cars, one an SUV, and the other a pickup truck, were surrounding my driveway. Out of the SUV, Jake and Aaron stepped out. From the truck, two of their friends, of whom I couldn't identify.

"The hell are you two doing, each other?" Aaron asked with a scoff. Gray got off of me, and helped me up.

"What are you doing here?" I asked quickly, trying to calm my uneven breathing. I felt my fingers begin to twitch, and my breathing remained quick and uneven. Glancing at Gray, I could see his breathing slow, but become much more deep, and his eyes were darting around.

"To kick your asses, what else?" Jake snapped.

"What, retaliation? You two in some kinda poser gang now?" I snarked.

One of Jake's friends lobbed a rock at me, and it connected with the top of my head. I hissed in pain and stumbled back a bit, and Rarity and Rainbow caught me before I fell. "Alex! Are you alright?" Rainbow asked worriedly.

I opened my eyes, which began to change from their usual midnight blue to a gunmetal-grey. "I'm fine." I growled, standing up. The four approached me and Gray slowly, removing their jewelry and other accessories. Me and Gray entered a fighting stance to meet theirs, but knew this wouldn't take too long.

Gray and I had training prior to this. That's all thanks to my uncle, who was a long-time role model in my life after my brother was deployed. The guy was an ex Marine, and insisted on training me to help 'distract' me from troubles. Worked, too. Catharsis is a crazy thing, and it did help for a few years. Gray, well he was just a natural fighter, he’d even picked up boxing. The dude could soak up punches like a sponge. Made me worried sometimes.

Like, for example, how he was the one to enter the fray first. One of Jake's friends threw a punch at Gray, who weaved, and retaliated with a right hook square to his jaw. I quickly turned to look at the girls, tossing them my keys. Unfortunately, Twilight dropped them, which didn't really surprise me, considering she isn't used to them.

"Get inside, quick! Lock the doors, and open the garage door!" I shouted. They complied quickly, grabbing the keys and sprinted towards the house. I turned around, but caught a punch to the jaw from Jake, snapping my head to the side.

"Alex!" I heard Fluttershy yell.

"Go!" I barked, turning around to give Jake a quick front kick, effectively shoving him away from me. I entered another fighting stance, ready to ward off Jake and his unnamed friend. They both came at me with sloppy attacks, that I easily parried and blocked. But, there was two of them on me, so I didn't have much time for any counter attack, save for a jab here or leg sweep there. But the majority of jabs found their marks, and the kicks were causing them to stumble. I looked over at Gray for a moment, and he seemed to be just as well off. More blocks and evasions than actual attacks.

Then I heard the garage door open, and went to retrieve a bokken and bo staff from inside, but realized that Aaron was also running for the door, with Gray momentarily caught in a lock.

"Forget it, shut it!" I yelled out. In the distraction, Jake landed a fierce blow to my still sore ribs, causing me to double over. I heard a piercing scream, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Aaron begin to crawl under the closing garage door. He managed to trip the laser detection system, and it began to reopen.

Then everything went red.

Jake went to kick me, but I stepped back, and threw his leg up, sending him into the air. I brought my leg down in an axe kick, and he crashed down to the ground, getting the wind knocked out of him. I felt a sharp pain on my back, and tumbled to my knees. I was being held in a chokehold by Jake's mook, and he dealt some mean hammerfists to my chest and ribcage. After taking a moment to recollect myself, I grabbed him and threw him across from me, right on top of a writhing Jake. This all must have happened in only a few seconds, as when I turned around, Aaron had only just entered the garage, and was banging on the door that goes into the house. He turned around to attack me, but I quickly spun, kicking him and pinning him against the wall.

"Don't you ever come onto my property again! I'm tired of kicking your asses!" I shouted in pure anger. A sharp pain was sent down my back, and I stumbled to my knees. Bringing my hand to the back of my head, I felt something liquidy and warm. Bringing my hand in front of my eyes, I saw small traces of crimson blood. My assailant was quickly taken out by Gray, and our four assailants limped towards their vehicles. We had won that little skirmish, and I struggled to get to my feet.

"Alex, stay still, you're bleeding!" Gray said, though his voice seemed... hollow.
The lights...Did someone close the garage?

"Oh my gosh, Alex! What happened?" Another voice echoed in my mind. I think it belonged to Twilight. The rest of the voices were muffled. My eyesight became blurred.

Then, darkness.

( Hey, guys and gals! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Also, big, huge thanks to Pissfer, who I now trust as my editor! I appreciate it, man! Remember, folks, new title is in the works, between;
Torn Between Two Worlds
Waking Up
Vote for your favorite, and don't forget to follow me on tumblr! ( alexbarkhorn(dot)tumblr(dot)com )
Thanks! )

Chapter 17

Everything was dark. It was as if my eyes were squeezed shut behind a dark veil. I could hear loud, repetitive popping, intense bangs, and muffled yelling. My eyes burst open, and tried to adjust to the bright sun. It felt like I was in my body, just... I didn’t have control. I used my gloved hands to push myself up, and glanced at the surroundings: desert, mountains, and a crashed humvee a few feet away. I brought my hand to my head, then my ears, finding that they were bleeding. Red blood, covered in sandy dust, covered the fingers of my gloves. I reached for the M4 that was strapped across my torso as I took cover behind the wrecked vehicle. Two of my squadmates surrounded me, popping out of cover every now and then to fire off potshots.

"Multiple tangos, suppressive fire, suppressive fire!" A voice yelled, presumably mine, as it came out of my mouth, yet... not mine.

"When's support gettin' here?" A familiar voice asked. My gaze then moved to a very familiar PFC, with the nametag of "Barkhorn".

"So far, we are the support!" My voice shouted over the gunfire.

"They're closin' in!" One of the troops shouted from behind a fallen humvee door, getting tagged in the abdomen as he finished. "Gah! I'm hit!"

"Cover me!" PFC Barkhorn yelled, and I complied, popping up and using controlled bursts to take out an enemy. I glanced over, seeing Barkhorn prepare to carry the injured soldier to the better cover of the humvee. I then turned, upon hearing the sound of a Blackhawk helicopter approaching our position. Looking back at Barkhorn, he began to dash back to me, but got hit once in the leg, and again in the chest cavity. He stumbled down, and managed to toss the injured soldier over to me, before pulling out a sidearm and firing at the enemy. He got hit a couple more times, and I yelled out,

"Nick!" I shouted, bursting up in bed, only to hiss in excruciating pain, and clenching my head, feeling bandages wrapped around me. I gingerly felt along the bandages, and found a sensitive spot, presumably the place where I was struck with whatever weapon was used against me. I glanced over at the clock, seeing it was already eight that night. I sighed, wiping warm tears from the nightmare.

"The same nightmare..." I whispered.

"Alex?" A quiet voice asked. I hadn't noticed Applejack sitting on her knees, looking through my collection of movies and video games, being lit by the glow of the tv. "You awake? Who's Nick?" She then asked.
I couldn't answer that question with the lump that was growing in my throat, so I looked away.

"What're you doing in here?" I asked after a moment of silence.

"...Gray, Rainbow and I hefted ya in here after ya passed out from that nasty hit. Gray fix'd ya up best he could, and we put ya there. I volunteered to stay until ya woke up. The others are in the livin' room." She explained, turning to look at me.

"What're you doing down there?" I then asked.

"Oh, lookin' through these movies. I remember you showin' us one a couple days back, so I wanted to see what else ya got. And these video games, too. These, I liked." Funny, a few days back, when I played Call of Duty with them, Twilight and Rainbow were the only ones that picked it up with any speed. AJ took a while. I didn't think she'd get back into it.

"What's this one about?" She asked, holding up the cover of The Saints.

"Oh, that's my favorite. These two dudes go out and kill a bunch of crime lords and underbosses, taking the motto, "Kill all that is evil, so that which is good may flourish." It was a really low budget movie, but gathered a large fanbase after a few years." I said, carefully walking over to her. "Wanna watch it?" I asked with a grin. Applejack nodded her head in enthusiasm.

"Ah'd love to." She replied simply. I popped the movie in and pressed play, and we both sat on the floor, leaning back against the couch. Taking the occasional glance at her. Judging by the looks and expressions, she really liked the flick, which made me happy.

Next thing we knew, it was already nine thirty, and I shut off the DVD player. "Guess we kinda lost track o' time..." AJ commented with a slight chuckle.

"Ah, what's wrong with that? Long as we enjoyed the movie and each other's company, right?" I asked her, giving a smile. She looked at me for a moment, and returned the smile, nodding her head once.

"Yeah, you're right." She replied.

"Course I am. Now, c'mon. Let's eat, I'm starving." I said, walking out with her. We both entered the living room, where everyone was lounging about.

"Alex!" Fluttershy gasped, quickly standing up from the couch and approaching me.

"Are...Are you alright?" She asked. Flashbacks to the fight, then my dream, scrolled in my mind, but I gave her a confident smile and nodded.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I said in half truth, barely noticing AJ slip away to tell something to Twilight, who glanced at me.

"Glad to see I didn't mess up with that," Gray said with a chuckle, standing up and observing the bandages. "You alright, man?" He then asked.

"C'mon, Gray. It's gonna take more than those mooks to keep me down," I replied with a scoff, smirking.

"Well, lookit you, hotshot." He teased, going to the phone. "I'ma order chinese." He said, dialing a number on his cell.

"This late at night?" I asked.

"Got a better idea?" He asked me with an annoyed look.

"...Point taken." I replied.

Twenty minutes later the chinese arrived and we tore into it while watching tv.

"Alex?" AJ began, who was sitting at my right, slightly leaning against me. "Who's Nick?" She then asked. I almost furrowed my brow in anger, but simply shut my eyes.

"Nick's my brother's first name." I replied quickly.

"Oh. Oh, your brother. Right..." She replied silently. "Didja have a dream about him?"

"What makes you say that?" I asked dryly.

"Ya woke up and shouted his name." She replied matter of factly.

"We're done talking about this." I huffed, standing up and storming off to my room. I paced around my room for a few minutes, before looking at a turned-down picture frame on my dresser. I was about to approach it, when I heard a knock at my door. "What?" I called out.

"Alex, it's me." Applejack said from behind my door. "Can Ah come in?" She asked.

"Fine." I answered, facing the door with crossed arms.

"Look, Alex," She began, closing the door behind her. "It was wrong of me to bring up such a sensitive subject, and Ah'm sorry. But, you know, it ain't good for ya to keep your emotions all bottled up like that, y'hear? It ain't healthy..." She said sadly.

"If you haven't noticed, AJ, I'm not entirely the healthiest person around." I said, pointing at my head and tapping it a few times. She winced lightly, and nodded.

"I wouldn't entirely say that. Just...More like, ya need-"

"Don't you dare say I need help!" I hissed. I realized just how I sounded, and sighed, stepping away from Applejack. "I...I'm sorry, AJ. It's just hard for me to accept... That kind of help." I admitted.

"No, no. It's understandable, no need t' apologize." She said quickly, but I shook my head.

"No...It's just...Hard for me to talk about Nick. To remember...Think back at all he did for me..." I continued on, and my voice began to shake the more I spoke.

"You really miss him, don'tcha?" She asked gently.

"You have no idea, AJ. You really don't." I whispered in reply. She slowly approached me, wrapping her arms around me in a comforting embrace, one that I happily accepted.

"It'll be alright, sugar. You're not alone here, ya got us, now." She assured me. I sighed, and pulled away, sitting down on my bed. "I think I'll be the one to bunk with you tonight." She said.

"Thanks, I'd like that. We can watch a movie while we fall asleep, too. Sound good?" I offered.

"Sounds good. Ah'll go n' get my pillow and blanket." She said, exiting my room. Smiling a bit, I took a moment to look back at the fallen picture frame.

Minutes later, she returned, and we turned on The Saints again, watching it as we fell asleep. We conversed and laughed quietly as the movie continued on, but soon enough, she stopped replying. I looked over and saw she had fallen asleep with a content smile on her face, and she gripped my sweater that I had allowed her to wear for the night tightly. I smiled, and it grew wider when I looked above her at the picture frame. Nick's arm was draped around my shoulder, and we were both smiling and laughing in the backyard, a week before he was deployed. I could hear his laugh now, and it brought back a flood of good memories, conversations, and even a few arguments. That night, I didn't have that same nightmare. Only peaceful sleep.

( Enjoying your chapters, bronies? :D
Anyway, thank you all so much, again, for supporting me. You have no idea how much it means to me :]
Thanks again to Pissfer for editing my crap xD
Remember to follow me on tumblr, kiddies! ;] Also, I'm on Ponysquare now >.> )

Chapter 19

Staring at AJ in bed next to me, I still couldn't help but feel sick myself. She was grunting in pain on occasion, and holding onto her stomach. I sat up and sighed, looking at the clock. Three in the morning. I rubbed my eyes and gently got out of bed, making my way out of the room and into the kitchen. It was pretty dark, so I had to pretty much hug the wall when I walked towards the kitchen. I gave a silent yawn and opened up the fridge, pulling out a small can of iced tea. The caffeine definitely wasn't gonna do me any good, but, hey. I wasn't gonna catch much sleep anyway.

"Alex?" A quiet voice called out from behind me, catching me totally off guard. As such, I nearly choked on my drink, and fell into a suppressed coughing fit. "Alex, are you alright?" Fluttershy then said, revealing herself into the small light of the open fridge. A few moments later, I caught my breath, and wiped my eyes. "I'm so sorry, Alex." Fluttershy said, letting her hair fall and cover the right side of her face.

"No, it's alright," I said, albeit a bit hoarsely. I cleared my throat, and looked down at Fluttershy. "Why are you up?" I asked her.

"Well, I couldn't really sleep…Then I heard something out here, and thought it'd be a good idea to just… Come out." She replied hesitantly. I quirked a brow, not entirely understanding her response, but I moved the conversation along all the same.

"Oh, I see… Would you like a drink?" I asked. She shook her head no.

"…How's Applejack?" She asked, glancing up at me. I stared down at my drink for a minute before replying.

"Still feeling the effects. She's sleeping, but I don't think she'll have the greatest morning." I replied honestly.

"…Oh." She replied. Another moment of silence, and I heard Fluttershy give a small and, honestly, adorable yawn. I smiled a bit and shook my head.

"Go back to bed, Fluttershy. You sound tired." I said, still smiling. She looked up at me and blushed a bit, returning the smile.

"R-right. Um, goodnight, then." She said. She stood there for a few seconds, just looking at me, before turning and walking down the hallway. I sighed and scratched the back of my head, ruffling up my hair, before going and sitting on the couch. The dark and quiet air of the room surprisingly put me to sleep, despite the caffeine running through my system. Seems like my body was trying to force a shut down, and I felt myself surrender to my exhaustion.

"Alex?" A quiet and weak voice asked. I opened my eyes, and glanced at the clock on the stove. It was only an hour after I fell asleep. I looked up to see a slightly dizzy Applejack.

"AJ! Are you okay?" I asked, quickly standing up and going to support her before she swayed anymore. She shook her head and sniffled, leaning her head against my shoulder.

"No, Ah'm not. I don't feel good at all. Ah hate this feeling. Ah'm scared, Alex." She admitted, slowly beginning to cry.

"Oh, Applejack..." I said quietly, holding on to the scared girl. It was tough, trying to keep a strong face for her and refusing to cry, but I managed. I sat her down beside me, and AJ began to calm down, though still frequently shuddering in pain or discomfort. "Shh…" I whispered, gently running my hand over her hair, staring straight ahead.

This continued until the first rays of sunlight poked through the windows. By that time, AJ had finally fallen back to sleep. Fluttershy and Twilight were the first ones up, entering the living room and looking surprised to see us.

"Alex, Applejack…How's she feeling?" Twilight asked, lowering her voice when she realized that AJ was asleep.

"Sobering up. She's gonna have a nasty hangover, though." I whispered in reply, looking back down at AJ.

"Hangover?" Fluttershy inquired.

"It's the pain your body feels after you drink too much alcohol." I explained simply. The two nodded in understanding.

"I'll get some breakfast ready." Twilight stated, walking to the kitchen. I watched her get some things out of the fridge and pantry, and sighed before rubbing my tired eyes.

When I opened my eyes again, the other girls had appeared in the kitchen as well, helping Twilight prepare a light breakfast. I looked down at AJ, who seemed to have awoken the same time as me.

"Hey, AJ. Feelin' better?" I asked her, and she looked up at me with those bright emerald eyes.

"Ah…Honestly, Ah feel like I've been run over by a wagon." She replied with a weak chuckle.

"To be expected. You did drink a bunch of whiskey last night." I replied with a small chuckle of my own. She playfully punched me in the chest, before sitting up and stretching, then quickly bringing her hands to her head as the pain came back.

"Ohhh, nuts, that doesn't feel nice." She said quickly.

"Here," I began, moving next to her and gently rubbing my fingers against her temples in a circular motion. "Feel better?" I asked after a few seconds.

"I-it is helpin' a bit, yeah." She admitted, closing her eyes a bit. I continued for another minute, before stopping, and clasping her shoulders. I gave her a quick smile, before turning and walking to my room.

The rest of the day went rather smoothly, as AJ recovered after breakfast. The day consisted of lazing about and watching television, which was a treat for them. Pinkie even suggested we watch some 'Friendship is Magic.' It was nice to see that they were all accepting of the fact that they were just a television series in my world. But, to me, they were real no matter what. Friendship isn't supposed to be separated by anything, whether it's worlds, gender, or, hell, even species.

Afternoon had come, and Gray and Dana came to visit, bringing along some more clothes and other necessities for the girls. Dana took them to the restroom, and I was left with Gray in the living room. Excusing myself, I got up and wandered around my house, and found myself in front of his room again. I sighed and shook my head, staring intently at the door. An instinct inside me told me to open it. Just to go in, sit down, and think about it all. But I forced my brain to think otherwise, and practically had to tear myself away from the spot. I walked back to the kitchen to get a drink, ignoring Gray's questioning glance, and struggled to move my mind elsewhere, but to little success. I brought my glass of water with me as I stared at the door once more.

"Alex?" A voice called out, catching me completely off guard. I yelped and jumped, dropping my glass of water. As fate would have it, the small twist of lemon I had in the cup slid under the doorway, and I groaned in annoyance. Rarity, the source of the voice that startled me, approached me with a raised eyebrow. "I'm sorry, did I scare you?" She asked in slight surprise.

"A bit, yes..." I replied quietly, staring down at the doorway.

"...Aren't you going to get it?" Rarity asked.

"Get what?" Dana asked, exiting the master bedroom with the others. Rarity took a moment to explain the past thirty seconds, and Rainbow Dash scoffed.

"It's just a little lemon, why hasn't he gotten it yet?" She inquired, reaching for the door. I quickly shot my hand down to intercept her extended arm, keeping her from even touching the doorknob.

"Don't." I said quickly, and she wrenched her hand away.

"Hey! What's your problem?" Rainbow asked in annoyance.

"...That's his room." I said in a whisper.

"Whose room?" Applejack asked.

"My brother." I replied hesitantly. The girls instantly understood my reluctance to step foot inside.

"Well, why can't you go in there?" Twilight asked.

"I just can't, okay? I haven't stepped foot in there since...Since..." I trailed off, clenching the dog tags around my neck.

"Alright, Alex. We understand. Would you like one of us to go in there and clean it up?" Fluttershy asked carefully. Again, I replied with a vigorous shake of the head.

"No. No, don't go in there." I said, my voice like steel. Grayson entered the hallway, and if I could guess, I'd say he knew what was going on.

"Alex, it's just his room! Why are you getting so upset?" Rainbow asked in annoyance.

"Because you don't understand the situation, Dash! Okay? You have no idea how long it's been since I even touched that door knob! I can't go in there! I can't! No one can!" I cried out. Realizing the damage she dealt, Rainbow Dash recoiled, crossing her arms and furrowing her brow.

"Alex, calm down." Dana said sternly.

"No! No, you all think that it's nothing, that it's just a room! It isn't! It’s not just a room!" I sobbed, feeling the remnants of my sanity slowly wither away.

"Alex! Calm down!" Gray said, taking a step towards me. I stepped back in fear, hitting the wall behind me.

"Don't tell me to be calm!" I shouted. The other girls looked at me with worry, but Dana and Gray knew better. They looked at me in fear. This was like déjà vu for the two of them. They remembered seeing me like this, backing away like an animal being driven to a corner, ready to snap and lash out. It was just like that day, all those years ago...

"Alex! What did you do?" My mom asked, looking at the hole in my wall. I clenched my gloved hands, ignoring her and talking to Gray and Dana, though they looked at my mother.

"What hole?" I asked tersely.

"What do you mean what hole? The one in your room!" She explained, and I scoffed. "Alex, what is with you all of a sudden? You've become so disrespectful lately! Ever since your broth-"

"Alright, I'll fix it!" I interjected, standing up abruptly.

"Don't interrupt me like that! Especially in front of your friends!" She shot back.

"Alex, maybe we should go...?" Gray asked uncomfortably, as he and Dana sat upright.

"Fine, whatever!" I snapped, but that only angered him.

"Hey, man, you need to calm down!" He retorted.

"Don't tell me to be calm! Just leave me alone!" I said, stepping back as Gray took a cautious step towards me, staring at me with worry.

"Alex, man...You're scaring me." He said shakily.

"Good! Maybe you should go, then! Wouldn't want crazy Alex to scare you all!" I said backing away, hitting the wall behind me. Mom looked on the verge of tears, staring at me in fear, and Gray took another step closer.

"Alex...Come on, man." He said.

"Go away!" I shouted, letting my right fist fly forward.

The psych evaluation the next day didn't go too well. They diagnosed me with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the stressor being the sudden loss of a family member. What killed me the most, was how everyone seemed to forgive me, almost as if I was normal. As if I wasn't crazy.

I opened my eyes to rid myself of the memories, and Gray was still staring at me in fear, and kept a good distance. Refusing to let myself see their pained expressions, I heard a gasp, and was suddenly pulled into a gentle embrace. My first instinct was to defend myself, but my body didn't move, or react to my commands. A soothing voice then spoke in my ear.

"It's alright, Alex...We don't have to go in there..." Fluttershy said gently, running her hand down my back. She leaned my head against her shoulder, and I stood in utter shock. Then, as if nothing had happened, as if I never had this mental breakdown, the others slowly crowded around me. Again, my base reaction was to run. Mow them all down and run. But I didn't. I let Fluttershy soothe me, let the others embrace me, and I just stared ahead in utter confusion.

"You're alright, man. You're alright." Grayson said quietly.

"Promise?" I asked with a scratchy voice.

"Yeah, man. I promise." He replied, managing to keep his voice from faltering.

They led me back into the living room, where they sat me down. I went on and on, apologized at least a hundred times for what I had just put them through. But they only smiled and shook their heads, telling me not to worry, that I had nothing to apologize for. They treated me as if I were normal. As if I really wasn't crazy.

... As if everything would really be okay.

( A/N
Hope you enjoy the chapter!
Also, BIG update! As I said before, I needed to change the title, and I've made my decision. By next update, this story will be changed from 'Brave New World' to 'Torn Between Two Worlds', so look out!
Again, thank you Pissfer for editing.
And don't forget to follow dat tumblr!
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Thanks, everyone. Have a good night!

Chapter 20

"I can't believe that just happened...Again..." Gray said after finally getting Alex in bed. Rainbow Dash nodded her agreement from a recliner, hunched over and scowling at a random space on the wall. 'I can't believe I was so mean to him!' She thought to herself, huffing lightly. 'I must have sounded like a total jerk...' She then thought, more sullenly this time.

"Ah can't believe he was that... scared." Applejack added in a whisper.

"My hands are still shaking..." Fluttershy whined with a sniffle, holding up her hands as proof. Rainbow tried her best to ignore the comments, still upset at herself.

"I just hope he gets a good night's rest, then tomorrow, he'll be as good as new!" Pinkie said optimistically, causing the others to smile. Even Rainbow couldn’t help but to couldn’t stop the ghost of a smile that danced across her lips.

"Rainbow Dash, are you alright? You seem quiet." Rarity asked as she observed Rainbow Dash silently from across the room. Rainbow’s head perked up as Rarity mentioned her name.

"Wha? Oh, right...No, I'm fine." She replied, sighing heavily.

"You're not a very good liar, sugarcube. Go on, tell us what's eatin' ya." Applejack said with a sad smile. Rainbow sighed again and closed her eyes.

"I just...I feel horrible, about the way I talked to Alex earlier," she began. "I mean, did you see his face? He looked like he was in pain. And...I didn't even care. I was just a jerk!" She spat, standing abruptly and walking into the kitchen, throwing the door to the fridge open and grabbing a juice box. The others simply looked at each other uncomfortably until Twilight stood up.

"You can't beat yourself up over that, Rainbow Dash. I mean, sure, maybe you didn't react fairly to Alex, but how were you to know how he'd react?" She said, trying to be helpful. Rainbow only shook her head, leaning against the fridge.

"I dunno...I just feel awful about it." She said with a sniffle, hanging her head in shame. Twilight also shook her head.

"Come on, Dashie, you seriously don't think Alex would stay mad at you just because of a few words, do you?" Dana asked with a smile. Rainbow shrugged in response.

"Trust me, sweetie, I'm sure it'd take more than just that to get Alex to be angry with you." Rarity assured with a smile of her own. Rainbow didn't shrug, only raised her head by just a bit.

"But...Did you hear what he said? I mean, he seemed really ticked off... He may not be mad, but still, I know I shouldn't have said any of those things." Rainbow said skeptically, shaking her head once again.

"Well, what do you think you should do, then?" Twilight asked, tilting her head and smiling softly. Rainbow opened her magenta colored eyes, and looked up, meeting Twilight's shimmering purple eyes.

"I should go in there, and apologize." She said, Twilight replying with a slow nod. She pushed herself off of the fridge, and set down her drink. "Fine, fine. You're right." She said with a soft chuckle. Looking at the others and taking a deep breath, she smiled before heading to Alex's room. She was about to knock, when she heard something on the other side of the door. Gently pressing her ear against the wood, she listened, and heard quiet, muffled sobbing. Rainbow felt a knot form in her throat, and her eyes welled up with tears. She let out a determined breath and knocked on the door, and the crying seemed to stop.

"Who is it?" Alex asked from the other side, his voice hoarse from the crying.

"It's me, Rainbow Dash. Can... Can I come in?" She asked slowly. There was a moment of silence that absolutely killed her. It felt like an hour. Finally, the door opened, just a crack. Through the gloom of the room she could see that the bags under Alex’s eyes had returned. And speaking of his eyes, they were a dull silver in color, any hint of their usual midnight blue had disappeared, not to mention that they were bloodshot from all the shed tears. And his raven-like, jet black hair was a mess and shaggy all over.

"Yeah?" He asked, his voice was evidently strained. He tried clearing his throat to cover up.

"I, uh... Can we talk?" Rainbow asked, averting her gaze to the ground. Another moment of silence, and the door widened, allowing her to enter. Now that she was in the room, she saw the only source of light in the dark room was the soft glow of the television. Alex sighed and sat on the bed, but Rainbow stood in the middle of the room. "Alex, I, uh..." She began, twiddling her thumbs together, a nervous habit she had apparently picked up from Alex.

"What is it?" Alex asked, with an unexpected tone in his voice. It wasn't annoyed, or upset. Not even tired. No, he sounded worried. She looked back over at Alex, who had stood up and was now approaching her. An instinct told Rainbow to back away from him, worried what he might do. But she managed to stand her ground, even as he stood just an arm’s length away. "Are...Are you alright?" Alex asked quietly, leaning in to get a better look at her.

Rainbow felt a warm feeling spread across her face as she stared at the eyes that were only inches away from her. It suddenly dawned on her why he was so close and she brought her fingers up to her eyes, feeling no tears. Good.

"Tch. Of course." She scoffed. Alex backed away, only by a bit, before placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Wanna tell me what the problem is, then?" He asked, sounding quite concerned at this point.

Her breathing wavered and her eyes twisted in confusion. "Aren't... aren't you mad at me?" She asked with a quavering voice.

Alex raised a brow in confusion. "Mad at you?" He repeated, before shaking his head. "Why would I be mad at you?" He returned to his spot on the bed as Rainbow started to explain.

"Because... because of what I said to you. Outside of... his room," she said her eyes closed in guilt. Suddenly she felt his arms wrap around her. She opened her eyes in utter surprise, and looked up at him.

"What do you mean?" He asked gently, cocking his head to the side a bit.

"Well...I mean, I was totally insensitive to you earlier. I sounded like a real jerk..." She replied, rubbing her tired eyes. Alex let out a soft chuckle.

"Rainbow, come on. Are you serious?" He asked. She looked at him again, and nodded. Alex sighed and brought his arms back to his sides, causing Rainbow to feel a strange sense of regret.

"Rainbow Dash, you're my friend. It's gonna take a lot more than just some mean words that stung for just a sec, don't ya think? Especially since you didn’t know it hurt." He asked, somewhat mimicking Dana, who spoke nearly the same words minutes before. As such, Rainbow Dash sighed

"I dunno...I just feel awful about it. I shouldn't have been so mean. Can you forgive me...?" She asked, choking on her words and trying to think of a different approach to the situation. Alex smiled softly, and nodded.

"Of course you’re forgiven, Dashie,” he said gently. “You already were." Rainbow smiled brightly, and happily accepted his offered embrace. She nuzzled up against his shoulder, and they sat there like that for a couple minutes. The silence was broken by a gentle yawn coming from Rainbow, causing Alex to laugh lightly. "Little tired, there?" He asked, pulling away. Rainbow pouted at the sudden break in contact.

"Yeah, kinda..." She replied in a mumble, messing with Alex's bedsheets. After a few more silent minutes Rainbow decided to speak, "Alex...?"

'Yes, Rainbow?" He replied, lacing his fingers together and hunching over a bit, supporting himself by placing his elbows on his thighs.

"Mind if I crash here tonight?" She then asked, feeling the warmth return to her cheeks and glanced up at him. He smiled and shook his head in amusement.

"Sure." He replied with another chuckle. He stood up and stretched, walking over to his couch, shutting off the tv and laying down. When their eyes adjusted to the darkness, they looked at each other and smiled.

"Goodnight, Alex." Rainbow Dash whispered.

"Goodnight, Rainbow Dash." Alex replied just as quietly, turning over and resting his head against the pillow. Rainbow waited until Alex fell asleep, evident by his light and even breathing, and smiled. 'That went... way better than I thought.' She thought to herself, before falling asleep herself.

The Next Morning...

"Nngh..." I moaned, poking my head up from the pillow in which I had been deeply buried. My room was well lit by sunlight, so I assumed it was pretty late. I slammed my head back into my pillow. When a tap on my shoulder destroyed any further thoughts of sleep. I peeked out and saw Rainbow Dash standing above me, smiling. "Dashie? What...It's, like, noon!" I groaned, throwing my head back into my pillow.

"Yeah, so?" She began with a small giggle. "I thought it'd be nice to bring you breakfast!"

Well, the sound of food appealed to me, and I looked up at her. Sure enough, there was a small bowl of cereal, some wheat toast, and a cup of apple juice. It wasn't five-star hotel worthy, but, hey. It was the thought that counts.

"Really?" I began, sitting up and taking the food from her.

"Well, yeah. I still feel bad about last night..." She trailed off as I cut her short.

"Dash, I already said. All is forgiven-"

"No, no. I still felt bad about it, so let me apologize my way." She insisted with a gentle smile. I returned it with one of my own, and nodded. "Well, I'll let you get started. The basketball game is about to start, and I don't wanna miss it!" She said. I smirked and shook my head as she made her way down the hall. That girl was such an athlete. Needing to adjust from the Wonderbolts, she moved her athletic interests into another great sport, good old basketball. So far, her favorite team was the Stallions, ironically. A pretty decent team that was in the same state. Hopefully, if things went smoothly, I could have a great surprise for her soon enough.

"Mornin', Alex." A voice chirped, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see AJ and the others. "Have a nice sleep?" She asked with a pleasant smile. I nodded and replied.

"That I did. And you girls? Did you sleep well?" I asked smartly. "Or did you decide to stay up late yet again?"

"Very funny. You're a riot." AJ replied with a scoff. Twilight and the others giggled and led a chuckling AJ away, leaving me alone with my meal.

Looks like it'd be a lazy day. Good, because that's exactly what I needed.

( Yeah, yeah. I know it's been a while since I updated. But! I have not forgotten about you, my lovely readers! Barkhorn is back with multiple chapters on the way!
I just wanna say a huge thank you to Pissfer, who helped me edit this chapter! You da man!
And another gigantic thank you to all of you who are reading. It means a lot to know you all enjoy the fruits of my labor, the writing I love doing.
Don't forget to follow me on tumblr!
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Thanks, guys! Have a great night! )

Chapter 21

It was getting late when I got the call.

The phone was ringing, and the caller ID said it was mom, for the third time that day. I shushed the girls, and answered the phone.

"Hey, mom." I greeted happily.

"Alex, honey?" She said with a hoarse voice, one that sounded like she had been crying.

"Mom? Mom, what's wrong?" I asked, suddenly incredibly worried.

"It's... it's your grandmother, Alex." She said quietly. My heart dropped into my stomach as I managed to stumble back into my seat. Grayson and Dana, who had dropped by not too long ago, looked at me worriedly, along with the rest of the girls.

"What... what's wrong?" I asked after a quiet second.

"Oh, she's sick, Alex. Very sick." She told me. "Ever since your grandfather passed... Well, it was only a matter of time." She said, sighing shakily.

My grandfather had passed away just three, short years ago. It had been a really depressing time, passing on Christmas Eve. It had been a huge blow to our family. It was at his funeral that I had first seen my brother really cry. It broke my heart. I had decided that I was the one that needed to be strong. I kept my tears and sadness locked inside. I only cried once through that time.

"What... what do you mean? With what?" I asked.

"It's just... that time." Mom explained. "The doctor says she doesn't have much time. Probably... by the end of the night. We were eating, and she just... collapsed. I... Alex, do you want to come down?" She asked. I hesitated as I looked at the girls, who were watching me with confusion and worry etched in their faces.

"... No. No, that's probably not a good idea for me right now." I replied in a whisper.

"That's alright, Alex. I understand. I... I'm going to stay here a while though. Your uncle... Evan needs me right now. He's taking it the hardest." She told me.

"That's alright." I replied in almost a drone-like tone. The information was still processing in my mind.

“That’s alright.” I replied in monotone, as my mind replayed the conversation over and over in rapid succession, trying to process what exactly had just happened.

"I love you, son."

"You too, mom."

"Goodbye."

Click.

I couldn't believe this. It...It couldn't be real, could it? I mean...Everything was going so smoothly. Well, more smoothly than it had been. The girls, they came here and had helped me break out of my slump - My sleep had improved and I just felt better with them around. Mom was out on a big job, ready to bring home the money to give the two of us a better life. Then suddenly... this. How the hell did this happen?

My grandmother... Not my nana. Please, God, anyone but her. The woman took care of me when my mom couldn't afford to, she cooked for me, bathed me, she was my everything. She meant as much to me as my mother and brother did. I couldn't do this. I couldn't handle this. Why, God?

"Alex, what happened?" Dana asked, standing up and approaching me.

"... My grandma." I replied, shifting on the black recliner while struggling to keep my emotions in check. "... She's sick."

"Oh, my gosh." Dana gasped, placing her hand on mine.

"Sick? With what?" Twilight asked. I looked at her with hollow, lifeless eyes and mouth ajar as I searched for words.

"I... dunno. She's just... sick." I croaked.

"Is she gonna be alright?" Applejack asked.

"Alex... Will she be okay?" Gray asked when I didn’t reply. I looked at him, and his emerald green eyes met mine. The lifeless look must have given the answer away. "... How long?" He asked quietly.

"Tonight, they think." I said, before wiping tears from my eyes.

"Tonight? You mean... Tonight? But tomorrow..." Dana began. I nodded, knowing where she was going with this.

"Yep... Tomorrow's his birthday..." Gray said with a heavy sigh.

I stood up and paced around. "No. No, she'll... she'll pull through. She always does. Medicine today will make it all fine." I said, trying to convince myself more than the others. They all watched me with pained expressions splayed across their faces.

"Alex..." Rarity said quietly. I glanced over at them, and knew it was hopeless.

"Alex, just... sit down. I'll grab you something to drink." Dana offered. I plopped myself down on the ground, ending up between Rainbow and Fluttershy. Pinkie, AJ, Twilight and Rarity looked at me with sympathetic expressions, all trying to give me the same strong smile. I wouldn't have any of it, though. I knew there was nothing to be happy about. My grandmother was dying, and that was that.

"Here." Fluttershy said quietly, draping a blanket around my shoulders. I sniffled and accepted it while I continued to stare at the wall in front of me.

"Alex, is there anything we can do?" Pinkie asked, but I shook my head in response.

"No. Nothing." I said absently. I tried to ignore the girls' increasingly scared faces, and I felt it in the back of my head again. The remnants of my sanity, slipping from my grasp. It's like I was falling. Falling fast. Falling hard. And the bottom was nowhere in sight. All I knew is that when I hit it, it'd be fast.

"Here, drink this." Dana said, handing me a can of soda. I popped it open, took a sip and sighed.

"Alex, I...I dunno what to say." Rainbow said sadly. Again, I shrugged.

"Hey, it's life. We all get our time someday." I said cynically.

"Hey, man. That's no way to talk." Gray told me.

"Whatever, man. It's true. You know that, and so do I." I retorted, taking a larger drink. Gray had no rebuttal, and as such, remained quiet.

The next two hours was spent in relative silence, watching television. Then I received another call. I already knew who it was. I already knew what she had to say. I picked it up, pressed answer, and listened.

My grandmother died that night, at 9:55 PM.

"I'm so sorry, son." Mom said, though it was hard to understand due to her crying and sobbing she was going through.

"It's alright, mom. It's just a part of life. Call me if you need anything. Love you. Bye." And with that, I hung up.

"...Y'alright, Alex?" AJ asked me, standing up next to me. I shrugged my shoulders, shrugging off the hand she placed on my shoulder and walking away.

She's gone.

I set the empty soda can down on the table, next to the mail I had fetched earlier.

She's gone.

I shut my eyes. I refused to let that little voice in my head-

SHE'S GONE.

My face contorted in anger, and I roared, throwing my drink and everything on the table aside in anger. Everyone else in the room started and quickly stood up, all looking at me in fear.

"Alex!" Dana began.

"She's gone!" I cried out, knocking over chairs, intent on hurting something.

To be honest, I don't know why I reacted like that. I wish I hadn't, to be honest. I kicked and screamed, punched the walls until my knuckles were bloodied and bruised, knocked over objects - none of which broke, thankfully. Everyone just watched in horror. Dana and Gray stood from where they were seated, while the six girls huddled together in fear as I rampaged around the room. Crying, sobbing, yelling, screaming. No coherent words left my mouth. Just shrieks of rage and sorrow.

My energy was spent, being helped only a bit by the caffeine from the cola, and I dropped to my knees, sobbing uncontrollably. I was still screaming occasionally when Gray and Dana finally approached, embracing me. I tried to fight them off, but I was too weak. I fell into their arms, and they laid me down, but I was still screaming strings of obscenities to the world and its God. I broke. I snapped. I was gone.
Nothing could help. Nothing seemed real. I stared up at Dana and Gray, and saw the other six gather around as well. They all looked at me with such horribly terrified expressions, as if they had just witnessed something horrific. I shut my eyes to escape their gazes, clenching onto Gray's shirt. I needed something to hold on to. I needed someone. Anyone. Next thing I knew, I felt eight pairs of hands all embrace me. I had exhausted myself so much that I passed out right there.

The Next Morning

No pain could replace the pain I felt. Not in my heart, but in my head. I had a terrific headache, and it hurt just to open my eyes. My throat was dry, my eyes stung. How did I get in bed? Last thing I remembered was...

Oh, right.

I slowly eased myself out of bed, clenching my teeth to replace one pain with another. My door opened, and Twilight and the girls were on the other side, with Gray and Dana following behind them.

"Alex? Are you feeling better?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." I replied, except, this time, it was in honesty. I hurt, yeah... But it wasn't something that was driving me over the edge. Last night... it was oddly exactly what I needed. I needed that breakdown to eliminate the rest of the tension in my head. I knew it wasn't completely gone, but it was postponed. I knew that much.

"Really?" Rainbow asked dumbfoundedly, but was silenced when AJ nudged her, giving her a warning look. I ignored her though, and dug through my closet looking for a shirt. I found my black collared shirt and grabbed my jeans. Realizing I still wasn't alone, I looked at the others.

"...You guys wanna come?" I asked.

"Where?" Fluttershy asked.

"To visit Nick's grave." I replied. "It was...It is his birthday today. He woulda been 24." I said with a sad smile.

"My, he was that young...?" Rarity began. "I mean, yes, sure. We'd be honored. Girls, let's get ready." She said, retreating down the hall, the other five in tow. Gray and Dana entered the room, but they were my best friends, so I didn't mind changing in front of them.

"Alex, man...You sure you're alright?" Dana asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Honest." I replied, buckling my belt. "I just had a breakdown. Last night was a real blow to me. But... I've dealt with death before. I know that I just gotta keep my head up, and I'll be fine. That's what's kept me breathing the last three years, anyway." I explained, lacing my boots. "Would you guys care to join me?" I then asked.

"Of course, man. We'll meet you outside." Gray said, leading Dana out of my room. I sighed and shook my head as I looked out the window. I found myself smiling, staring at the blossoming trees along with the other plant life. I had this strange sense of... something. The more I thought about it, the more sure I was of what it must be.

Hope.

( Oh, seven hells.
I'm so sorry for the delay in updates, everyone. You wouldn't believe how incredibly busy I've been now that senior year is ending =_=
Big ups to Pissfer, who helped to edit this chapter, even though I was rather difficult :P
Thanks to everyone for reading! And for all your support!
And, hey, while you're at it, give my tumblr a quick looksie? :3
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I'd really appreciate a few more followers :D
Thanks, everyone! Have a good night! )

Chapter 22

There was no talking between us on the drive to the cemetery. I didn't mind it though. It was a beautiful spring day: The blue skies were clear, the sun was bright and warm. The birds were even singing in the blossoming trees. I found myself with a pleasant smile on my face, and I noticed that the girls had small grins of their own as I looked around the car.

Today was Nick's birthday. He would have been 24 today. Man, I can't believe it's been nearly three years since... Since it happened. It seems like almost a lifetime ago.

"We're here." I told the girls, turning into the Ever Free Cemetery. Yeah, I know. The name is completely coincidental - Believe me, after Friendship is Magic aired, I actually returned and asked!

"It's so quiet." Pinkie commented, looking around.

"Well, that's to be expected. Usually, people don't come here for partying, Pinkie." I replied with a small chuckle. She beamed back at me, and I shook my head in amusement. Soon enough, we were at the designated parking area, and we got out of my truck. Seconds later, Gray pulled up and did the same, following me with Dana in tow. We made our way up a small hill, quickly arriving at where my brother’s plot was located. I started to look for the plaque indicating his specific location.

"Where is it, Alex?" Twilight asked quietly from my side. She had been sticking close to me all day, probably as she could empathize with me. I'm sure if she had lost Shining Armor, she'd feel the same way. I didn't mind, though. It was reassuring to have somebody who could comprehend the pain.

"I think it's here." I replied.

"You think?" Rainbow inquired.

"I haven't been here since last year," I replied with a nod. "I always seem to forget." I said with a sad smile.

That was a lie, though. I was probably just trying to muster up the strength to look at his grave. Dana picked up on this and gingerly took hold of my forearm, and I looked at her with a thankful smile. Sighing, I turned to my right, looking down at Nickolas Barkhorn's grave.

"Here we are, Alex." Grayson said, clasping my shoulder. I sighed shakily, but never let my smile falter as I knelt next to his plot.

"Hey, Nick," I started off. "Happy birthday. You...You know, you woulda been 24 today. Man, it's crazy how time flies, right?" I said, chuckling softly. "Oh, man, Nick... I miss you, man. You probably already know about Nana... Shit's tough, huh?" I said, and my voice began to quiver. "Christ, man... It's been three years. Three long fuckin' years, bro. I... I miss you more than I realized it." Tears began forming around my eyes, and I sniffled. I felt a warm hand at my shoulder, but didn't immediately acknowledge it. "I didn't think I'd still be this messed up after all this time." I took a second to take a quick breath before continuing. "...You were my best friend, Nick. I mean it. I mean, when I was a kid, and you always looked after me... Who else was there for me, huh? You were the perfect big brother. I hope you knew that, because I didn't tell you enough." I said, and the sobbing started, shaking my shoulders and causing my voice to jump with every other word. "And I wish I could just tell you one more time... that I love you, Nick. And I miss you so, so much."

A thought occurred to me just then, and I chuckled, sniffling once more. "It's funny...I had a dream. I dunno why I just barely had it, but it seriously opened my eyes. You were there, right in front of me, in my room. It felt so real...I felt like I coulda just reached out and grabbed you." It took a while to continue, as my sobbing take over for a moment. "I-I...I didn't say anything, only looked at you. You looked down at my wrists... You saw my tired eyes. You saw how unhealthy I was, the terrible things I did- you knew. The horribly done filling in over the hole in the wall. And...You gave me the strangest smile. You knew what had caused it all. You knew it was all my doing, and why I was acting out...But the look you gave me wasn't judgmental, it wasn't disappointed. It was..." I didn't know how to continue. Just reliving the dream pained me to the point where I felt physically sick. "You just smiled at me, man...What's up with that? No scolding? No telling me I was acting crazy?"

"Alex, dear-" Rarity began, but someone shushed her.

"I... I know what you were trying to tell me, though. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to see those things... I just miss you so much, Nick. You have no idea what it's like, to wake up every morning, knowing I won't see you again. That I won't hear your voice, or hear the way you played that guitar." Again, sobbing came to interrupt my thoughts. "I just... I just miss you so much, Nick. I'm so sorry, but I never got to tell you enough. There was no way I could have ever told you enough. I love you, Nick. Thank you. For everything you've done for me. And I promise, I'll be good. I promise I won't let what happened to you affect me anymore. I won't sit in my room alone anymore, I won't shut the world out just because the one person that mattered most is no longer in it. I promise I'll remember the good. I promise I'll try and be happy. I promise... for you, Nick." I said, laying a hand on the cold tile that held his name and birthdate. "For you, my BBBFF."

That was it. For the next ten minutes, I sat there, hunched over, silently crying over the grave that held my brother. When the crying finally subsided, we were all sitting around it, with Twilight huddled close to my side, silently supporting me. She looked up at me when I finally lifted my head, giving me a small smile which I gladly returned.

"He seemed like a great guy." AJ commented, picking at the green grass beneath her.

"He was." I replied, sniffling again. "He was an amazing person. It seemed like nothing in the world bothered him. He was always smiling, happy, and accepting. Christ, he was perfect." I said with a chuckle.

"Well, that was quite the epiphany there, too." Dana commented. I smiled sadly and nodded.

"Yeah, well... I know it's true. Nick wouldn't want me to stay like this. It'd be painful for him if he saw me in the condition I was in. I wouldn't be able to live with myself, knowing that my behavior wouldn't sit right with him." I replied, sighing and wiping my eyes. "I just...I'm tired of being depressed. I'm tired of having nightmares of that night..." Dana and Gray nodded in understanding, and Gray rubbed my back for a moment.

"What night?" Twilight asked carefully, who was still close to me.

"Oh, right. I never told you about the night I found out he died, did I?" I said, more to myself than anything else. The six of them all shook their heads, and I nodded, giving myself a moment to recollect the memory.

"It was about three years ago, when I was fourteen. It was really late one night- I had just been developing my sleeping issues, so I was just staring at the ceiling. I heard a knock at the front door, which was odd, considering it was almost... I wanna say close to three in the morning. The knocking persisted after a while, so I stood to get the door. And I'll never forget how right as I reached for my room’s door handle, I heard my mother scream in agony. Fearing the worst, I grabbed a switchblade from my desk and tore my door open, running down the hall as fast as I could. But... what I saw at the front door confused me.

"Two men in military outfits stood just outside the door wearing solemn expressions, and one holding an opened envelope. My mom, who was holding the contents of the envelope, was hugging the piece of paper close to her chest and crying her eyes out, screaming out, 'No, no! Please, god, no!'

"My brother died after entering a firefight. They were ambushed, and he died trying to save another rookie on his squad. I...I just will never forget that night, man. I stood there, motionless. I knew what the letter meant. I just couldn't accept it."

When I finished, I was once again near tears, but this time, Twilight brought a hand up to my cheeks, wiping off the tears that threatened to fall.

"Oh, my..." Fluttershy murmured. "That sounds horrible." I simply shrugged, and stood up.

"Well, it's life. He died protecting someone he cared for. For that, I'm proud of him." I replied, wiping grass off of my pants. I stretched out my arms and sighed again, looking at the others. "Let's get going." I suggested. They nodded in agreement, standing up and stretching out. We walked off towards our cars, but I looked back one last time, smiling at the grave. "I love you..." I whispered.

"Say something?" Dana asked. I looked back over at Dana, smiling and shaking my head.

"Nah." I replied simply

We returned home, and it was still a beautiful day out, considering it was only one in the afternoon. I sighed and threw myself down on the couch, turning on the television. Thankfully, Friendship is Magic was on, and we all watched. The irony? It was season two's finale, just after the opening theme. We all knew what was coming. Twilight, Gray and Fluttershy all watched me as Twilight began to sing her “BBBFF" song. I didn't care, though. Actually, I thought that it was quite appropriate. Throughout the entire song, I had a smile on my face, though tears were lurking in the corners of my eyes. I sang along with Twilight, both the television version and the one sitting directly at my right, trying to keep my voice strong as I sang.

I only watched a few minutes more of the show before I slowly stood up and shut off the television. I walked over to the window, leaning on the sill while I simply gazed outside, letting my emotions run their course.

"Alex?" Dana asked quietly. "Are you alright?" I didn’t reply, instead bringing my hand up to clench the dog tags around my neck, staring at the blue sky. Two birds flying by caught my attention, and they both perched themselves on a nearby tree.One of them flew off after a short duet, leaving the second all alone. It kept singing it's beautiful song, before finally flying off in it's own direction. I turned around moments later, smiling brightly at the other girls. A real smile. A happy smile.

"Know what?" I said as I walked towards the front door. "It's too beautiful of a day to stay inside watching tv. Let's go for a walk, huh?" Everyone smiled and nodded in agreement, following me outside. As Gray and I have done so many times, we just walked. We didn't have a specific destination in mind, nowhere we needed to be, we just kept walking, making conversation and laughing together.

What made it amazing was that it was all real. I wasn't being fake or hiding my emotions. I knew Nick, and I should have realized it earlier. I was so stupid for acting the way I did. I knew Nick wouldn't be able to see me in the condition I was in. I promised not only myself, but also my brother that I would start taking care of myself.
That day. Something entered my heart, something that I knew would remain with me until my day had come, as well. It was hope. And I couldn't have been happier to receive it.

It was pretty late when we got home - almost seven at night. Twilight stopped me after everyone else had gone inside. "Alex," she started.

"Yeah, Twilight?" I said, looking down at her.

"I just want to say... that I'm sorry you lost your brother. I know what it's like to have a BBBFF." A small smile adorned her face.

"Thanks, Twi," I said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "That means a lot to me." I finished.

"Of course. My pleasure." She replied happily. "And, you know, if you ever feel like talking, even if it's just a story of Nick you'd like to share, please... feel free to tell me. I'd be more than happy to listen."

"Really? Thanks, Twilight. Thank you, so much." I said with a smile. She slightly held her arms out, and I chuckled, pulling her into a hug. I broke it moments later as a thought struck me. "Hey, follow me." I said, grabbing her hand before leading her into my hallway. I walked past my doorway, and stopped at Nick's.

"Alex, you know, you don't have to go in there if you don't want to." She said gently, but I shook my head.

"No. I've been too scared for too long. There's no reason for me to not come in here." I replied, reaching for the door handle. I hesitated (momentarily) as my fingers touched the cold brass. I forced myself to turn the handle, anyway, and opened the door. The layout was the same as when he left. The same blue paint on the walls, the bookshelf, the desk- even the garbage can with the basketball hoop over it. And the guitar. Nick's custom black acoustic guitar was sitting, perched on the stand. I ran my hands along the bed and dresser before finally reaching the guitar's neck.

"That was his?" Twilight asked quietly, having followed me in.

I nodded in reply. "Yep..." I whispered, gently sitting down on the silver and blue bedspread. Taking a moment to tune the guitar before beginning to strum. "Might take a while. I just learned this." I said to her as she took a seat next to me. I finally got the right notes going, and Twilight immediately recognized the song, and began singing.

"When I was just a filly, I found it rather silly, to see how many other ponies I could meet..."

Soon enough, Dana and the others came by, not only surprised to see me in the room, but in there with Twilight, singing and playing the song that meant so much to the two of us. Hell, the other girls even sang along when the harmonies came along. I looked to Twilight as I played the last chord, and was surprised to see that she had tears forming in her eyes. I smiled and set the guitar down as I stood up before helping Twilight up as well.

"How do you feel?" She asked me. I looked around the room for a moment, before looking back at her.

"Better. Much better." I replied happily, exiting the room with the others. We ate a quick meal of pasta before seeing Dana and Gray off. As they were getting ready to leave, Dana approached me and pulled me into an embrace, wrapping one arm around my waist and the other around my neck.

"I'm glad to see you this happy again." She whispered as she pulled away, walking to the car. I waved them off, and returned to the girls.

"I'm glad to see you like this, Alex." Rainbow commented from her spot on the floor.

"Yeah! It's so much better to see you smiling! Seeing you smile just warms my heart!" Pinkie commented as she tackle hugged me, bringing me to the ground between her and Rainbow.

"Well, thank you, girls. I appreciate that." I replied, chuckling as I returned to my feet. "But, if you'll excuse me, I'm kinda tired. I think I'll head in early tonight." I said, walking off to my room. They all called out a goodnight to me, which I responded to as I closed my door. I sighed heavily, sitting down on my bed and thinking about the day. It was a lot to take in, but I knew I could do it. I heard A knock sounded at my door just as I threw my legs onto my bed. "Who is it?"

"It's Twilight." Twilight said from the other side of the door.

"Come in." I said, rubbing my eyes. "Heya." I greeted as she made her way inside.

"Hi there," She replied with a small smile. "So, um...I guess, maybe it's my turn to bunk with you?" She said hesitantly. I chuckled and nodded.

"That'd be nice. You can use my blankets, here," I said, getting up and offering her the comforter.

"But, what about you?" She asked, taking the blanket.

"Eh. I can sleep without one." I said, motioning to the couch
and heading over.

"Or, um..." She began. I turned to her, waiting for her to continue. "Well, what if we share?" She suggested quietly. Thinking for a moment, I figured it wasn’t a bad idea. Not like anything would happen. Plus... she was offering. I couldn't just refuse Twilight Sparkle.

"Alright. Sounds good." I answered, settling down in bed next to her. Mind you, I was on the complete opposite side that she was, but we fell asleep just as quickly, all the same.

Chapter 23

A good night's rest.

That's what I got last night. A good... a perfect night's rest. And it felt amazing.

Unfortunately, my brain decided it'd be a good idea to wake up after a normal eight hours instead of letting me sleep in! As such, I stared at the ceiling for a good while, before I had an idea. I got out of bed, careful not to wake the sleeping Twilight Sparkle who was out cold with a content smile on her face. The sight caused my lips to curl into a smile as well, and I made my way towards the kitchen to get started on breakfast for the girls.

Almost half an hour later, the pitter patter of bare feet along the kitchen tile caught my attention. "Alex? What're you doing?" Fluttershy asked, yawning quietly and rubbing her tired eyes.

I smiled and motioned to the eggs and potatoes on the stove. "Thought I'd make you all some breakfast." She looked at the food then back at me, the smile on her face nearly melted my heart.

"How sweet. Thank you." She said, giving me a hug. "I'll go tell the others." And with that she turned and walked off down the hallway. Not too long afterwards, Fluttershy brought back a sleepy bunch of girls. And one very awake one.

"Oh, gosh! This looks absotively posolutely scrumptious!" Pinkie exclaimed, observing the food with incredible detail with a giant grin plastered on her face. I laughed aloud, finishing up the eggs and throwing them onto individual plates. After I finished with the eggs I pulled the toast out of the microwave, where I had put it to preserve the warmth, and we all dug in.

During breakfast a thought entered my head as I watched the girls eating. How long would they be here? How long until Celestia found a way to bring them back? I didn't want to think about it, especially not after all that's happened in the last couple days, but I knew, deep down in my heart, that nothing lasts forever.

"Alex?" Twilight asked, breaking me out of my daze. "Everything alright?"

I smiled and nodded. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine." Thankfully, they didn't push the matter further, avoiding what could have been an awkward conversation.

After breakfast, I noticed how beautiful it was outside and asked the girls if they wanted to simply hang out in the backyard. I introduced them to a bit of frisbee, as it was the first object I saw when I went outside, and we had a blast. Dana and Gray came over right around lunchtime. I decided to fire up the barbecue, cooking up veggies for the girls and some cutlets of chicken for Gray and myself. Though the ex-ponies didn't entirely agree with our choice of meals, they didn’t protest much. They understood that things were different here on Earth. I remained quiet throughout most of the meal, the thought of the girls leaving me still fresh in my mind.

"I'm gonna head inside for a sec," I announced, standing up. "Gonna grab a drink."I opened the sliding door and entered my house, grabbing a soda from the fridge before sitting down on my couch. What if that day came too soon? I don't think I'd be able to handle that. I mean, things were just now starting to go right, everything was starting to come together. And prom was right around the corner-

"Alex?" Dana called out, snapping her fingers in front of my face. I blinked and looked up in surprise, seeing Dana staring at me with a slightly annoyed, yet slightly concerned face. "Christ, I've been calling your name for a while." She stated with a slight giggle.

I chuckled and shrugged. "Sorry." I replied, as I started looking past her again. She leaned over a bit, placing her hands on her knees, to meet eye level with me.

"Something the matter?" She asked, quirking a brow. I looked up at her, and opened my mouth to tell her everything was fine.

But this was Dana. I could trust her with anything. So, I spilled it all. My fear of losing the girls, of losing my best friends. Thankfully, I managed to keep a straight face, even though my heart was throbbing in pain the more I thought about the dreadful situation.

"Well...I don't entirely know what to say." Dana said quietly, now sitting at my side on the couch. I sighed heavily, shaking my head.

"I don't think there's anything to say. It's inevitable. At least, I'm sure it is. On the one hand, I lose my best friends... the people that helped me find some happiness. On the other, they're condemned to a life away from their homes. Either way, someone loses." It was a rather bleak outlook, but, hey, I felt it was the truth. Dana nodded, trying to think of a reply that would relieve me. But, Dana, being one of my best friends, told it like it is.

"Well, Alex. You're right about one thing. It can't last forever, and I'm sorry to say that... But, hey. You got this much time with them, right?" She said, placing an arm around me. "You should cherish the time you get with them. Learn from them. Enjoy it all while you can," smiling up at me while she finished. I gave her a thankful smile of my own, placing an arm around her as we sat there in silence. Eventually we got to chatting again, mainly about the sudden appearance of the girls.

"It's just crazy. I never thought this would be possible." Dana said with a chuckle.

"You're telling me. Man, when it happened, I was thinking, 'No way. This isn't happening.' Sure enough, it was. Damn, sometimes I still can't grasp it." I replied with a laugh.

"Yeah... Hey, so. You've been getting close to them too, huh?" Dana asked, her question coming from far left field. I quirked a brow and looked down at her with a look of realization on my face.

"Uh... I guess you could say that. Why do you ask?" I asked carefully. She shook her head and shrugged.

"Oh, I was just wondering..."

"...Wondering what?" I inquired, thoroughly curious at this point.

"Wondering, if... Ya know. How close you'd be willing to get with them." She explained. It took me a second, but my eyebrows rose and my eyes widened.

"Oh, god, you mean, like...?" I asked, and she nodded her head. "I-I dunno...I mean, I haven't really thought about it...And haven't really ruled it out either, to be honest..." I replied truthfully, before shaking my head vigorously.

"It's fine, I was just curious." Dana said defensively, averting her gaze slightly. We fell into silence again, and even though this silence had taken hold, we didn’t hear the sound of the sliding door opening.

"Um, Alex? Dana?" Fluttershy called, walking closer to us. I saw her looking at the way Dana and I were sitting, quickly taking my arm from around Dana and stuffing my hand in my pocket.

"Yeah, Fluttershy?" I asked. She hesitated before her smile lit up her face again as she looked back at me.

"Gray says the food is ready." She replied before quickly making her way back outside. I huffed and took a drink of my soda, before standing up. Dana remained on the couch.

"We should probably go out there." I suggested, motioning my head to the back door. She nodded, but the look on her face threw me off for some odd reason. Like her mind was on something else. I didn't think about it too much, as I made my way outside, ready to eat.

Dana acted very similarly for the rest of the night. She was relatively silent, not even making any snarky comments. I knew it was due to the conversation we had earlier, so I figured the feelings would subside in time, especially with time to think about it. I thanked Dana and Gray for coming over and cooking as they left, taking some leftovers with them.

"Alright, girls," I said, standing up from the chair I was sitting in. "It's ten at night, tomorrow is Saturday, meaning school's coming fast, so I wanna start getting some good sleep in." A yawn escaped my lips as I finished, emphasizing my point. I stepped into my room, Fluttershy following right behind me. I assured her I didn't need anyone to crash in my room, but she insisted that I let her. Since it was Fluttershy offering, it didn't take me long to accept her offer. Unlike the previous time, though, she also requested that we slept on the same bed. Odd, but, hey, who was I to decline?

Saturday went by perfectly- completely lazy. The girls and I did not a damn thing all day, and it felt good to just lay down and enjoy myself without all the crazy antics. Sunday on the other hand, it didn't go by so perfectly.

It wasn't that late, probably just around nine at night, maybe a half hour after. It was raining, too. Not too hard or cold, but it was coming down all the same. Rainbow had offered to sleep with me that night, thankfully letting me sleep on the couch by myself, when I heard a scream pierce the silence - Fluttershy's scream. I bolted up and ran into the room with the girls, fearing that I might find something horrible.

"Fluttershy, what is it?" I cried out, turning on the light. Fluttershy was staring at the window facing the front yard in horror, and pointed at it.

"J-J-Jake! Aaron!" She stammered in fear. I looked up, and saw someone outside of the window- two someones, wearing dark hoodies and darting to the front door. I noticed cracks on the window, so it was either a scare tactic, or they were trying to actually break in. Either way, I was pissed, and very tired of these two. The numbers may be two on one for them, but I was fully capable, and in top condition this time. I tore my door open and the two of them turned around, ready to book it.

Except I stopped them.

"Hey! Dickheads!" I barked, stepping out into the rain with only my black tanktop, silver sweatpants, and grey sneakers. "How many times do I have to beat you shitheads before you leave me alone?"

"Can it, Barkhorn." Aaron growled, clenching his fists.

"Honestly, what's the point of even coming here? Ooh, you scared the girls. Big fuckin' whoop, you want a cookie?" I mocked, crossing my arms. I heard my door open, and turned to see who it was. Rainbow, who was wearing the hoodie I bought her, stepped out and matched towards the two.

"You know, I'm getting sick and tired of you two!" She exclaimed in anger. "All you do is bother and pick on people! Why don't you two get lost, and get a life!"

"Piss off. We're not here for you." Jake snorted, pushing Rainbow to the side. A puddle on the ground caused her to slip, causing her to cry out in pain as she toppled to the ground. They looked at me with satisfied smirks. I darted towards them, fists up and ready, as were theirs, all ready to strike.

"Hey!" Someone shouted from my front door. I stopped in my tracks, fists still raised, shocked that Jake and Aaron hadn't tried to get a cheap shot in during the distraction. After a second's hesitation, I turned my head to see who interrupted.

Fluttershy was marching right up to the two, giving Jake and Aaron the worst Stare I'd ever seen. My heart froze in fear as she bravely approached the two, who seemed to have no problem pushing around girls. I was trying to move, to go and pull her away before they hurt her, but my legs were glued to the spot. I could only watch in horror as the events unfolded before me.

"How dare you! Look at you two! You're grown boys who do nothing but shove around people who can't even defend themselves!" She scolded. I hadn't seen her this pissed since she dealt with the dragon. "You two have no idea what you're putting people through! It's people like you that cause people to be depressed, to feel all this pain! You even have the nerve to hit a girl- Not just a girl, but my friend! You do not! I repeat! You do NOT. HURT. MY. FRIENDS... Ya got that?" She shouted, ending with a chillingly calm voice. To my utter surprise, it actually seemed to intimidate the two, and they promptly ran off into the night.

I looked down at Rainbow, who was grasping her injured ankle. I observed it for a moment, before looking at her. "It's fine, just rolled it a bit. It'll be fine in the morning." I said, helping her up and placing her arm around my shoulder before looking back at Fluttershy.

"Thanks, Fluttershy," Rainbow said with a smug grin plastered to her face. "You really know how to deal with jerks, don't you?" Fluttershy retracted back into her hair, allowing it to cover a good portion of her face. She sneezed, and shivered a bit, before I took her in my other arm.

"C'mon, girls. Let's get you inside." I got them both blankets and towels, and helped them to warm them up. After sending Dashie back to my room I looked over at Fluttershy.

"That was a really brave thing you did. Thank you for that, Fluttershy." I said sincerely to her, a smile still on my face.

"No problem at all, Alex." She replied with a small smile of her own. "Those two... They're such bullies. I don't like people like that... They think they can walk all over someone just because they're bigger, or scary. Well, They're nothing but big... mean... Jerks." She said, obviously frustrated by the persistence of the two mooks. I approached her, placing a hand on her head, my smile growing in response to her form of assertiveness.

"Hey. They're gone now, thanks to you." I said, kneeling down to meet eye level with her. We looked into each other's eyes for a few minutes, until a sound from the hallway caught our attention.

"Hey, is everythin' alright?" Applejack asked us, smoothing out her hair.

"Everything's fine. Fluttershy managed to drive those two off, so we're safe for the night." I explained, patting Fluttershy's back with a smile.

"Really? Wow." Came Twilight’s voice, obviously surprised as I was by this outcome.

"Anyway, you girls get some sleep. We have school tomorrow, so rest up." I said, and they complied, heading back to bed. "You too, miss." I then said to Fluttershy, winking at her. She nodded and stood up, but I pulled her into a quick embrace before she could escape to her room. "I'm very proud of you, Fluttershy." I whispered, looking down at her. She hid her face into my shoulder, to which I smiled before pulling away. "Now, c'mon. Let's get to bed."

( Hey! Was that a good update? I think it was :3
Thanks again to my pal Pissfer for editing and making sure I don't sound like a total Cloudcuckloolander =D
Anyway, thank you all so much for reading! I appreciate positive feedback and critiques, and also appreciate the lot of you. Make sure to check out my blog, too!
alexbarkhorn.tumblr.com
Thanks, guys! Barkhorn out! )

Chapter 24

"Stupid school. Stupid waking up early. Stupid... Stupid!" I grumbled in anger, yawning rather loudly and slipping on some black jeans.

Spring Break was finally over and it was back to school for seven more weeks, then graduation! Cool, right?

Nope. Terrifying. What was I gonna do after school? College? Trade school? Or straight into the workforce? I had no ruttin' idea.

"Wakey waaaakeeey!" I barely had time to shriek in surprise before I was sent tumbling over as a pink haired mess crashed right into me, knocking both of us flat on the ground. "Good morning, Alex!" Pinkie greeted with a grin.

"...Good morning, Pinkie. Any specific reason we decided to tackle me back into the world of the living?" I asked with a chuckle, sitting upright. She clambered off of me before coming to rest on her knees, giggling.

"Nah! I just thought it'd be fun!" She replied, giggling once again. I chuckled and rolled my eyes as I stood up and helped her to her feet.

"Well, it was worth a chuckle or two. Let's go get some breakfast, eh?" I suggested, leading her out of my room.

We managed to get to school on time, but, when we made our way to the usual spot, I noticed Gray was missing.

"Where's Gray?" I asked Dana, sitting down against the lockers.

"Dunno. He said he wasn't feeling too good last night. He's probably out sick." She surmised with a quick shrug.

"Huh. Damn. Guess that means you'll have Foods by yourself, Patience." I said, turning my head to Pinkie. She smiled and nodded confidently.

"No problem!" She assured me, giggling, and going back to talking to Rainbow Dash about... whatever it is those two talk about. Most likely choosing the next poor victim for a prank. I took a moment to tell Dana about what happened last night, concerning those two jackasses whom have yet to be seen since.

"You're kidding!" Dana gasped, and I chuckled, shaking my head.

"You don't even know the best part. Faith here gave them the dreaded Stare." I said, pausing to chuckle. "Those two were terrified." I added, breaking out into laughter. Fluttershy blushed lightly, averting her gaze and smiling lightly.

"Well... I don't like those two. They're nothing but trouble, and all they do is hurt my friends." She said quietly.

"Hey, it's no problem, Faith," Dana assured the pink haired girl gently. "It's a wonderful thing, what you did. People could learn from you. It's always important to stand up for your friends."

"Thank you, Dana." Fluttershy replied quietly, still looking at her hands on her lap. I was about to comment, but the bell sounded, signaling the start of first period.

"And so it begins," I quipped as I stood up, helping Fluttershy up as well. "Takara, girls, enjoy government. Dana, Raine, would you be so kind as to allow me the honor of escorting you to english?" I said in a mock British accent, bowing courteously.

"Thank you, good sir." Rarity replied, taking my arm in hers. I turned back to Pinkie with a smile.

"Patience, have fun in foods. And be careful." I warned, walking off.

"I gotcha Alex, don't you worry your handsome little head! Your Aunt Pinkie has it all taken care of!" She said, patting my head.

"...I'm a year older than you. I think." I replied, then chuckled at the deja vu. She waved goodbye, and walked off to her first class.

First Period Foods

"Patience?" The teacher lady asked Pinkie Pie, and she smiled, excited to answer a question.

"Yes, ma'am?" She replied ecstatically.

"What's an important aspect of baking?" She asked with a small smile, obviously happy with the amazing attitude of her soon to be star pupil-

( Sorry. Pinkie got into my laptop... )

Anyway, she went to reply, but got a great idea.

"~All ya hafta do is take a cup of flour, add it to the mix!" She began, doing a little dance in her seat.

"She isn't..." A girl in the back whispered to her friend.

"~Now just take a little somethin' sweet not sour, a bit of salt, just a pinch!"

"She is!" The girl's friend replied, stifling laughter.

"Bakin' these treats is such a cinch, add a teaspoon of vanilla!"

"Patience," The teacher interjected, but Pinkie continued anyway.

"Add a little more, and ya count to four, and you never get your fill-a!"

By now, all the students were laughing aloud. Pinkie was about to continue, but noticed the students laughter was overshadowing her singing. She giggled lightly, but heard some comments that went her way.

"What's her deal?"

"What an idiot!"

"That's so stupid!"

Pinkie's laughter stopped, realizing they were no longer laughing with her, but, rather, at her. One or two of the students tried to stop the insults and laughter, and even the teacher tried to calm everyone down. Pinkie stared at the desk in front of her, no expression, but there was clear embarrassment in her poor, blue little eyes. She grabbed her red backpack, and bolted out of the classroom, ignoring the cries of one of her friends and the teacher.

First Break

"Where's Patience?" Rarity asked me when we approached our usual spot. I looked around, seeing Fluttershy, Rainbow, AJ and Twilight approach us, but Pinkie was nowhere in sight.

"Dunno. She's probably staying behind with a friend she made, or something." I guessed, shrugging my shoulders.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Dana said with a firm nod. We spent the rest of break discussing our classes and the dreadful homework we endured until, finally, the bell for second period rang. Twilight and I stood up to head over to Psych, stopping Dana before we left.

"Hey, you have gov with Patience, right?" I asked. She nodded in confirmation, and I spoke again. "Good. Ask why she didn't meet us here." Dana nodded again as she walked off, along with the other girls, to their respective classes.

Psychology went by without a hitch, as we were reviewing for an upcoming exam, but I was still thinking about the horrors of the previous day. That is, the horror presented by the day when the girls will have to leave me.

"Alex?" Twilight said with a stifled giggle. I blinked and looked up at her.

"Eh?" I mumbled, realizing it was just us two - even the teacher had already left to grab her lunch. "Oh, right. Let's get going." I said, standing up and grabbing my things. We walked to our usual spot, but, oddly, we were the only ones present.

"Where are they...?" Twilight asked quietly. We heard running and looked to our left, seeing Rainbow sprint up to us.

"You guys, quick, come on!" She ushered, running off in the other direction, ignoring the looks from other students.

"Wait, Raven!" Twilight called out, running after her friend, and leaving me in the dust.

"Takara! Raven!" I called out, but they were long gone. I groaned, and took off after them.

The chase led me to the newer wing of the school, where not many students lingered, so it was easier to run through the halls. Rainbow was stopped in front of the girl's bathroom, along with Fluttershy, Applejack and Rarity.

"What's going on?" I asked, taking a second to catch my breath.

"Dana found Patience." Fluttershy informed me. I was about to reply, when I heard sobbing come from inside the bathroom, recognizing it as Pinkie Pie's. I had half a mind to rush in there, but my masculinity forbid me to do so.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I'm not too sure." Fluttershy replied with the shake of her head. "But, Dana's in there with her right now. Hopefully she can calm her down," adding a reassuring smile to the end of her statement. I sighed and sat against the wall, waiting in silence.

The next twenty minutes went by without anyone coming through the door, and I had kept myself busy by running my hands up and down my wrists- a nervous habit of feeling the scars that I had picked up. The bell rang, and I stood up, anxious to get Pinkie and the others to our next class. I heard quiet sniffling, and looked up, seeing a crying Pinkie Pie... with completely straight hair. All curls and poofs were completely gone, and her eyes seemed dull and depressed.

"Patience...What happened?" I asked Pinkie, approaching her.

"Nothing, Alex. I don't want to talk about it. Let's just go to class." She replied timidly, avoiding any direct eye contact with me. She walked past the six of us and I looked to Dana for any explanation.

"Apparently, she got publicly humiliated in her foods class. Everyone was laughing at the poor thing." She explained sullenly, looking at the direction Pinkie walked off in. I sighed, and took off after Pinkie, with Fluttershy and the girls following right behind me.

I caught up to Pinkie, who hugged her backpack tightly, as we walked through the halls. We entered our Speech and Debate class, and, the first thing we heard when we came through came from Matt's big mouth.
"Heh. Looks like someone forgot the hairspray this morning." He said in that annoying, nasally voice of his. Pinkie heard this, and squeaked in fear, trying to exit the classroom. But, I managed to stop her.

"You say something, Matt?" I snapped, glaring in his direction.

"Oh, no, I was just commenting on the lack of bounce in her hair." He replied matter of factly.

"Piss off, Matt. I'm not in the mood for your shit." I hissed.

"Matt, calm down." Mr. Donnovan said, looking at Pinkie. "Is she alright?" He asked me. "Patience, do you need a minute outside to yourself?" He asked. Pinkie hesitated, before shaking her head and taking a seat.

Class went by much more slower than usual without Pinkie and I as a tag team of goofballs in the class. She remained quiet the entire class period, right up to the bell. Even the drive home was awkwardly silent.

I finally had enough. When we pulled up to my house I told the girls to go inside without Pinkie and I.

"Alright, Pinkie," I began when we were alone. "Spill it. What happened." Pinkie sighed, and looked up at me.

"I was in class, and... I sang. That's all I did... sing. Suddenly, everyone started laughing at me, and making fun of me. They weren't laughing with me anymore..." She replied sadly. I sighed and nodded, pulling her into a small hug. "I don't know what I did wrong... I thought I'd make everybody happy, and laugh with me." She said quietly.

"It's alright, Pinkie." I said, shushing her. "Some people...Some people just aren't good people. They don't know anything, and don't know a good person when they see one." I said soothingly. "You did nothing wrong." I reminded her.

"I know, I just...I don't like when people laugh at me, Alex. You should know that by now..." She said quietly.

"Hey, Pinkie." I said, pulling away and raising her head a bit so she made eye contact with me. "What's your element?" I asked her.

"Laughter..." She replied, already knowing where I was going with this.

"And what does that mean?" I asked.

"That I represent happiness...And laughter. And good feelings with friends..." She replied with a heavy sigh.

"Right. And it also means that you are able to laugh your trouble away. Pinkie, I wish I knew that when I was a kid. I wish I could have looked up to you, and followed your example by laughing all of my problems, worries, and fears away. You have a special gift, Pinkie. You're the essence of all that is happy and cheerful." I said, smiling at her. It took a few minute for my words to sink in, but, when they did, I could tell I definitely hit home with Pinkie. She smiled brightly at me and nodded.

"You're right, Alex." She told me, and her hair seemed to regain it's fluff and bounce.

"'Course I am." I replied with a chuckle. "Come on everypony, smile, smile, smile..." I sang softly.

"Fill my heart up with sunshine, sunshine." She replied in her singsong voice.

"All I really need's a smile smile smile, from these happy friends of mine!" We sang together. We figured, to hell with it, and sang the rest of the song. When we finished, we looked at the doorway, seeing the girls looking at us with smiles on their faces.

"Seems like you're feeling better." Twilight said with a chuckle.

"Yep! I'm feeling like the same old Pinkie Pie again!" Pinkie said, beaming at the girls with a mile-wide smile. My smile, while much smaller, was there all the same. Twilight approached us and grinned at me.

"Wow, Alex. You're good at cheering us up, aren't ya?" She teased.

"Hey, hey. Don't bite the hand that feeds." I warned her, warranting a small giggle. I looked over at Pinkie, who skipped inside, before stopping.

"Wait!" She said, running up to me and pouncing on me. "Thank you, Alex!" She said, releasing me from her hug and running inside. "I'm hungry! Are there any cupcakes left? What about brownies?" I heard her say from inside. I followed Twilight in, a smile still spread on my face. That was definitely a troubling moment, especially for Pinkie. It scared me to see that my world could have such an impact on these girls, especially Pinkie of all people. I was right, all along. These girls weren't meant for my world.

I realize now that I need to be more careful.

( Hey there, guys! Guess who's a high school graduate AND now 18 years old! Me :3
At any rate, thank you all for reading. And thanks to Pissfer for editing!
So, before I go into my whole self advertise crap, I'd just like to say a quick something.
A good friend of mine and an amazing writer on fanfiction, Neonz, said something to me the other day.
something I've only heard once and never thought I'd hear again.
She thanked me for inspiring her to write her amazing story. I was someone's inspiration to do something they love. A bud of mine, KaIoth, said the same thing. I never thought it'd be possible.
So, go out there. Live your dreams, if not to be recognized, but so you can look back at yourself later in life and say that you did something that made you happy, and, hell, might have made someone else happy as well.
Do you, man. Do what you love. Do what you dream of doing. The sky is the limit- and then some. Every single one of you are my inspiration, my muse for writing. So thank you all.
Now that that's over with, please be a pal and check out and/or follow my blog at
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I'd really appreciate it, guys :3
Anyway, have a great day!
Also, updates hopefully every Friday :3

Chapter 25

After Pinkie's Dilemma, the next few days went by rather smoothly. I even got a phone call from my mother on Friday. Things were still tense, and rather sad, but I could tell she was coping. And she noticed changes with me- said I sounded happier, less tired. Even that my voice was less gruff. Ha!

Unfortunately, there were many issues concerning grandma's death. On top of funeral arrangements for the weekend, there was also the issue of her house and belongings. She hadn't made a will, which left his mother to deal with everything practically leaving everything to my mother. So, mom would be stuck down there longer than usual. She was moving into a temp office down near Vegas and wasn’t going to be home till summer.

It's sad, yeah. I mean, my mother and I don't always see eye to eye, but, hey, she's still my mother. I love the woman to death.

So, after the phone call, I stared blankly at my algebra homework.

"...Yeah, this isn't getting done." I muttered with a snicker, pushing my book aside. "Yo, who has the laptop? I need some wubs."

"I have it." Rarity spoke up, standing up from her position on my recliner. I took it from her, going to my music application, when I noticed something odd about Rarity.

"Rarity, are... are you wearing blush?" I asked carefully, noticing the faint, rosy makeup on her face.

"Wh-why, yes, I suppose I am." She replied carefully. I raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"You suppose?" I repeated. She only gave me a quick nod in response, before turning around.

"Well, I must shower, so, I'll return soon! Ta-ta!" She said quickly, walking off before I got a chance to question her.

"...Anyone else know what the hell that was about?" I asked aloud. Twilight and the girls all shook their heads, or shrugged.

"She's probably just trying out new things." Twilight guessed, averting her attention back to her English book.

"I gotta agree with Twi. Rarity's always lookin' for fashion tips and other junk like that." AJ added.

"Yeah, but..." I trailed off for a moment, thinking of how to word this. "She usually just wears that eyeshadow, and a small amount of it at that. Plus, the mascara...Or, whatever it's called... Anyway, remember how a couple weeks ago, she asked about a makeup store?"

"Alex, I'm sure it's nothing. Quit your worrying, you're gonna get grey hairs." Rainbow joked. "Actually, I think I'm beginning to see one now."

"Har har. Very funny, Rainbow." I snarked back.

"Nope, she's right! See, look!" Pinkie said from behind me - How she got there, I've no ruttin' idea. She placed a hand in my mop of hair, and I was about to question her, when she plucked a hair out of my head. I hissed in a breath, and glared at her.

"Pinkie, what the-... Oh, frak." I mumbled, staring at the grey hair Pinkie plucked out of my hair.

"See? Grey hair!" She announced, waving it around to show the girls. They all chuckled, but I yelped, heading to my room and observing my head in the mirror.

"She wasn't lying!" I cried, hearing laughter from the living room. I found myself chuckling too and shook my head. Suddenly a thought entered my brain. Stress must have been the cause of my grey hair. Stress about what? The thoughts of my girls leaving me had been ever present, that day especially. All day it was on my mind, and I thought of the different ways it'd go down. Would Celestia find the girls? Spike? Or would Twilight suddenly gain her magical abilities back, leaving in the middle of the night so as to avoid a tearful goodbye?

I knew these thoughts were no good for me, so I figured I would head back out to the living room.

Rarity took quite the long shower, and when she emerged, looked just like herself. No makeup, still beautiful.
The next day only added to my worries. I made breakfast for the girls - just oatmeal, apple cinnamon spice. But, Rarity barely even had a spoonful. I raised a brow, but didn't question her. Maybe she didn't have a taste for oatmeal.

Also, her choice of clothing concerned me. She wore a halter top that bared her midriff and chest, along with short shorts. "Uh... Rarity, that's an... interesting choice of clothing." I commented. She only scoffed in reply, and I grumbled a string of obscenities.

School only pressed my worries. Sitting in English, I noticed that the amount of makeup she had on was insane. She had the blush, lipstick, mascara, eye shadow- the whole shebang. But I remembered what Twilight said; I told myself she was only trying new things. But, seeing as how she was mostly talking to the rather less ladylike of girls in class, it was easy to believe my skepticism.

We found Grayson as we approached our usual spot. I smiled and bumped fists with him, questioning his absence the previous day.

"Yeah, man, sorry. I just got sick for whatever reason. I was enjoying a drink outside, and got a phone call. I came back for my drink, and I guess I left it in the sun or something, because it didn't taste right. Next thing I knew, I was on the toilet." He said unashamedly.

"Whoa, man. Too much info." I chuckled.

"...Raine, what's with the makeup?" He questioned Rarity, who looked surprised at the sudden question. The girls and I looked at her, wondering the same.

"...What? A girl can't partake in the beauty products at her disposal? What's wrong with the makeup?" She said in defense, crossing her arms and scowling. Gray and I winced.

"Sheesh, I was just wondering..." Gray muttered.

"Raine, calm down. He was just curious." I said, folding my arms. She didn't reply, though. Only scoffed and shook her head, crossing her arms and remaining silent, an angry pout prominently displayed on her face. I rolled my eyes, walking off with Twilight when the bell rang moments later.

"She seems... defiant." I commented to Twilight. She looked up from her notecards at me.

"Who? Raine?" She asked, setting down her pen. I nodded lazily, still looking forward with my arms folded across my chest.

"Yeah. See how defensive she got with Gray?" I asked, tapping my chin in thought. "And what about her eating habits? She hadn't eaten at all during breakfast, and didn't even have a snack during break. Usually, she'll have a fruit or a bag of almonds, or something, but today... nothing." I explained.

"Maybe she's sick, too? You heard how Grayson just got sick- maybe a bug's going around." Twilight guessed.

"I dunno..." I mumbled with a shake of the head.

"Tell ya what," Twilight began, sitting upright. "If she doesn't eat much the rest of the day, then you have reason to be concerned. Otherwise, it's best to leave her alone." She suggested. After a thinking for a moment, I nodded my head.

"Yeah. That's probably a good idea." I said with a sigh.

When the bell rang to signal the end of the period, we headed to our spot. As predicted, Rarity ate naught but a half of an apple at lunch. I gave Twilight a questioning look, and she returned it with a look that just whispered, 'Leave it.'

Fortunately, Grayson isn't so good with tact.

"Raine, aren't you gonna eat? All you've had was half of a little apple. Alex forget to pack your lunch?" He jested with a small laugh.

"No, he didn't. I'm just not hungry." She snapped, causing both Grayson and I to blink in surprise.

"Well, then." Was all Gray said, obviously stung by Rarity's outburst.

"Just ignore it, man. I'll deal with it later." I told Gray. Without looking at me, he nodded in understanding, going back to his sandwich.

Third period finally rolled around, with an especially chatty Matt.

"Well, guess who's goin' to nationals for the video he made? This guy!" He boasted, a confident smirk adorning his face. I rolled my eyes, ignoring the pissant by making conversation with my classmates. That is, until I heard a familiar voice lash out.

"Matt, for goodness sake, no one cares about any of that!" Rarity hissed, catching him off guard.

"Well, someone could use a dose of midol..." Matt scoffed. Thankfully, Rarity didn't entirely know what that meant. Unfortunately, she knew that it still counted as an insult.

"Please! For more than two seconds, shut your mouth, you little worm!" She shouted.

"Hey, Raine, c'mon. We all know he's unbearable, but try and calm down." Mr. Donnovan said. Rarity huffed and crossed her arms, looking out the window. Again, I gave Twilight a questioning look, who returned it with a sheepish smile.

"Okay, maybe you should question her sooner." She admitted.

After school was an even worse story. Rarity was very irritable, and I knew why. The lack of food in her system was making her cranky, so, I decided to make her favorite meal- it's a pasta made in white sauce with angel wing noodles. Unfortunately, all that hard work was for nothing. She barely had two bites, before she excused herself.

"I'm sorry, I'm not all that hungry. I think I'm going to do... homework in my room." She said, standing and grabbing her bag, walking to her room.

"Alright, enough's enough." I said, standing up as she left the room.

"Alex, what are you doing?" Fluttershy asked me.

"Rarity's been acting up the past few days. She's irritable, she isn't eating, and have you seen all the makeup she's been wearing? I'm gonna go see what the deal is." I replied. With that, I headed to Rarity's room.

Though, I had the thought to knock first.

"Who's there?" Rarity asked quickly.

"It's me, Rarity. I'm coming in." I announced, opening the door. I heard shuffling, and she stuffed something inside her bag. "Rarity, is everything alright?" I asked.

"Fine, why do you ask?" She replied quickly, most likely trying to drive me away.

"You haven't entirely been acting like yourself recently. I just figured something was up." I replied. She shook her head at me.

"No, no. Everything's going swimmingly." She insisted. I crossed my arms, and quirked a brow.

"Uh... huh." I mumbled. "Rarity, are you feeling sick?" I then asked.

"What? no, of course not. Don't be silly. Why do you ask?" She questioned.

"Why haven't you been eating, then?"

"Oh, that, um, I've been feeling under the-" She began, but stopped when she realized she would have contradicted the answer to my previous question. "I'm just not all that hungry, Alex. Now if you'd please leave me alone, I'd greatly appreciate that." She then said, much more angrily. I noticed she had a protective hand over her bag, and I looked at it curiously.

"What's in your bag?" I asked.

"Nothing." She replied hastily.

"Rarity, come on. What? Is it, like, our upcoming test answers?" I said, trying to ease the tension.

"It's nothing!" She persisted angrily.

"Rarity, come on! What's your deal, you've been acting rude all day!" I barked. My outburst was returned by a magazine smacking me in the face, remaining there for a moment, before it fell down into my hands. The magazine was a fashion mag, the one a lot of the... less than appropriate girls read. I looked through at all of the twig-thin models, the horrible mess they called 'style' and 'beauty', before looking back at Rarity.

"Rarity, what...? Is this why you haven't been eating?" I asked, holding up the model magazine that had been flung at me - all of the models were very thin.

"No! Well, not entirely, no." She replied hesitantly.

"Rarity, please. Tell me what's going on." I said, on the verge of fear.

"Alex, it's nothing. All the girls are doing it nowadays. At least, that's what I've been hearing in class..." She muttered nervously.

"...What?" I cried, standing upright. "Rarity, this isn't beauty! This is sick! These girls think they're beautiful just because of their makeup, and because they think eating will make them unattractive! Rarity, beauty is more than just how you look!" I exclaimed, approaching her.

"Don't be ridiculous, Alex. If this is beauty, I want to be beautiful. I must." She said defiantly.

"Beauty is more than just that!" I whispered in shock.

"How so, Alex?" She retorted, near tears.

"Rarity, true beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It's more than skin deep. True beauty is marked by who you are as a person. And, Rarity, you're one of the most beautiful people I know." I said as I clasped her shoulders. "You're kind, generous, and true. You're the kind of person everyone should know. The kind of person no one should be afraid to trust." I said, smiling at her. "Listen, beauty is what makes you attractive to others. It's what makes people want to be your friend. Looking like this," I said, pointing at the magazine. "Will only get you friends based on your looks. You gain true friends by acting with this." I pointed at her heart to show her what I meant. "Beauty is what's in there, Rarity."

When I finished, Rarity burst into tears, crying into my shoulder. I sighed and shushed her, sitting her down. She spewed an infinite amount of apologies my way, and by the time she managed to calm down, she had smeared makeup around her eyes.

"I'm terribly sorry, Alex... I just... I got so wrapped up in this drab... I thought this... I thought this was what I wanted." She said shakily.

I patted her back and replied. "It's alright, Rarity. Sometimes, we all need that kick in life to get us back on the right track." I pulled away again to get a better look at her. "I want you to promise me that you'll always be beautiful because of who you are- not because of what you look like." I said, and she nodded.

"I promise, Alex." She said with a quivering lip.

"Besides. You're beautiful as it is. You don't need any of that garbage." I assured her. "Now, come on. Let's get you something to eat." I suggested, standing her up and leading her back into the kitchen. The girls erupted with numerous questions. She replied with a simple yes or no to each question. As I was serving her a plate, she looked over at me with a smile, mouthing the words, 'Thank you.'

I shook my head, as there were no thanks really necessary. I only did what I felt was right, and what I felt a true friend should do in that situation. These girls seemed really vulnerable to the corruption of my world. I mean, in theirs, it was all love, tolerance, acceptance, and friendliness. I made a mental note to watch out for this in the future.

But for now, I made a decision to enjoy the present.

( New update, finally.
First off, I'd like to apologize.
Apologize for the long hiatus.
Apologize for the lame parts in the story.
Sorry I'm not the greatest author.
But ya know what, I also wanna say thank you.
Thank you to everyone reading this, and supporting me, and being there for me.
That's why I'm up at one in the morning for you all :P
So thank you all for your support, and a big thanks to Pissfer for editing my chapters!
Remember to check out my blog for more info and support, and to ask me some questions!
alexbarkhorn.tumblr.com
Thanks, everyone. Have a great night. )

Chapter 27

"Alex, wake up."

"No."

"But, Alex, we have-"

"I'm quite aware! You wouldn't let me have the ruttin' computer all weekend, you were studying so much." I said in annoyance, looking over at Twilight Sparkle.

"Alex, just get up. Have breakfast. You need all the energy you can get for the AP Psychology exam today." She scolded, walking out of the room. I groaned in annoyance, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. I huffed, and got dressed, before going out to the kitchen and living room, greeting the girls.

"Good morning, Alex!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Are ya excited for your exam? Or are ya nervous? I bet you're more nervous, because you didn't study nearly as much as Twilight did this weekend, even though she practically made you- Mmf!"

Thankfully, I had a muffin on hand to use as a temporary gag on Pinkie. Though, she gobbled it up in a matter of seconds. I rolled my eyes, buttering my english muffin, and grabbing some eggs that Applejack had made. We made our way to school soon after, and, I'll admit, I was feeling pretty good about my exam at noon. Twilight and I studied all weekend- Okay. She did. I just listened to her read while I drew a bunch of random sketches. The point was, we were both ready for the exam.

We entered the building, and immediately made our way to the computer lab next to our Psych class. The teacher had excused us from the first two classes so we could study all day in the room.

Hey. I said we studied. Doesn't mean we can't use all the help we can get.

About half an hour into our study session, Twilight became increasingly frustrated with the other students. They were all dicking around, not making use of this study time, made apparent by playing flash games or being excessively loud.

"Are they always like this?" She asked, writing down more notes.

"Beg pardon?" I replied.

"Are they...Always so stupid? I mean, here we are, trying to study, and trying to learn, but...They're all taking advantage of it!" She began, flinching when some dude behind us broke out into wild laughter. "Do you mind?" She hissed at them.

"Geez, someone..." He began, but stopped when I glared back at him.

"Christ, Takara, calm down." I whispered.

"How can I? This is rediculous! It's almost as if they don't want to learn!" She snapped.

"That's because they don't!" I replied.

"...What?" She asked in disbelief.

"I seriously don't get how you didn't catch on already. Takara, half of these kids don't care about school. They're just here because they have to be. Legally, they have to be here." I explained.

"...You're joking." She said quietly. "I mean...This is a free education! A chance to learn, to take in the information they'll need-"

"They don't care, Takara," I interjected. "About any of that. They think everything will take care of itself, that mommy and daddy will always be there to spoil them. Then, one day, they wake up, and they realize they're forty, living at home, jobless, and hopeless." I then explained, my tone bordering on pure cynicism.

"I can't believe that." Twilight said sadly.

"Believe it. It's the shit we have to deal with here."

"But...But, there's gotta be something someone does, right? Someone's gotta...I mean, isn't there anyone who can get through to them?" Twilight asked. I shook my head in response.

"Nope. They screw themselves over, why should we waste our time helping out a bunch of bums who don't care?" I explained.

"But that isn't fair for them!"

"Life isn't fair, Takara. Especially for those who take things for granted. It isn't like they do it on purpose, yeah. But these people can easily turn their lives around. But no. They choose to dick around, like this," I said, pointing at all the other kids who weren't studying. "And they think everything will be fine. They don't care. It's not our problem, Takara. It's not yours, not mine. It's theirs."

"...I guess you're right." She admitted, sighing, and going back to her notes.

Soon enough, it was time. Twilight and I headed to the gym foyer, waiting for the okay to enter the testing room...Which wasn't really a room. It was the small gym, just with a bunch of desks. While waiting, Twilight and I chatted with some friends and classmates.

"Jesus, I'm gonna fail so hard." One of the girls from our psych class, Jessica, said worriedly.

"Didn't you study?" Twilight asked.

"Well...Kinda." She replied hesitantly. Twilight and I raised skeptical brows.

"Kinda?" I repeated.

"Well, I mean, I read over some notes, yeah..." She trailed off.

"But you didn't take the time to sit down and go over your information thoroughly, right?" Twilight surmised, in an indifferent tone. Jessica nodded quietly, looking at the ground in shame. We both shook our heads, and were allowed into the testing room. Before the exam started, I looked back at Twilight, giving her a thumbs up and a smile. She returned the smile, and got to work.

Hours later, I escorted Twilight to my truck- Gray gave the other girls a lift home, as the exam went past school hours.

"That wasn't so bad, actually." I admitted.

"You're right. Everyone gave it such a bad rep, I expected it to be more challenging." Twilight agreed. We overheard others complaining about how tough it was, how they surely failed it, and all that whining. Twilight sighed, looking at the ground as we walked. "...Is there really nothing anyone can do for them?" She asked quietly.

"Pretty much, Twi." I replied at the same volume. "But, hey. It's thanks to the people that do benefit that we have this educational system. I mean, those that go on with their education, that are glad to learn. They become leaders, important figures. And, if not, they still make the most of their lives. They go to school, make a career, and follow their dreams- it's the ones that care that we should worry for." I said, trying anything to get Twilight chipper again.

"What about you?" She asked, looking up at me.

"What about me?" I replied.

"What are you going to do? Are you going to go to school? Make a life for yourself?" She asked. I stopped in my tracks, thinking for a moment. I had always thought about it...

"What is it you want to do, Alex?" She asked me.

"I guess...I could go to school, I mean..."

"You guess?" She repeated.

"I know I can...It's definitely an option."

"But, what is it you want to do? What do you want to do with your life, Alex? Do you want to make something? Or be like them?" She asked me. Another few minutes of silence.

"...I wanna make something out of myself. I want to accomplish those dreams." I replied. She nodded, and, finally, smiled.

"Then you're wrong." She told me.

"How so?" I asked, quirking a brow.

"Because, I think it's things like that that can change the world, then. People like you, Alex." She said. "As long as there's someone out there, and, if you're right, it seems like their always is..." She finished, opening the door to my car. "C'mon. Let's go home. I'm hungry." She said, giggling lightly. I smiled, and hopped in, starting the engine and driving home.

( And yet another update. Woohoo.
At any rate, thank you all so much.
Also, prepare for self loathing and demands of pity. (i'm joking, you dolts. :P)
Thanks for reading along, everyone. It means a lot to know you all enjoy reading what I enjoy writing.
It may not be a best seller, or even close to the material, but, hey. It makes someone happy. So it makes me happy.
Remember to check out my blog at
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It really helps out a lot, so give it a follow. Thanks, guys.
Barkhorn out. )

Chapter 28

The second Twilight and I got home, she went straight to her room to sleep. Poor girl had been studying most of the weekend, only sleeping for a few hours each night. She deserved all the rest she could get. Meanwhile, I walked into the living room, seeing the girls sitting down and working on various things, from homework, to television, or surfing the net. Fluttershy, however, was sitting at the table, on the chair nearest the sliding door that led to the backyard. She barely noticed me enter, as she was staring outside, almost in a deep trance. I quirked a brow, but didn't really pay attention for too long. Instead, I walked into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water.

"How was the exam?" Rarity asked, glancing up from her dress sketches- thankfully, they were now less fit for equines, and more for humans.

"Actually, not that bad." I replied with a small smile.

"Well, that's good. Hopefully, ya did good on it." Applejack chimed in with a small smile, turning her attention back to the basketball game on tv with Rainbow Dash.

"I'm sure you did great! Alex is a smart guy, both him and Twilight! They aced that test, for sure!" Pinkie said joyfully, looking up from the laptop.

"Thanks, Pinkie. You're too kind." I said with a slight chuckle. She only smiled and nodded, going back to the music she was listening to. I glanced over at Fluttershy again, who still didn't add to the conversation. "Fluttershy?" I called. It took a few seconds, but she snapped her attention over to me.

"Oh. Um...Yes?" She replied quietly.

"Is everything alright?" I asked, concern lacing around my words. She sighed and gave me a slow nod.

"Um...Yes, everything's...fine." She replied in a whisper. I pushed myself off the wall I was leaning against, and sat in the chair next to her.

"Are you sure?" I asked gently. Again, she sighed, looking back out the door.

"I-it's nothing, really." She insisted. Her eyes wandered over to a small group of flying birds, and she watched them until they disappeared along the horizon. Next, she spied a couple of rabbits scampering around my backyard, until they ran off with a few more bunnies. Fluttershy gave a shaky sigh, and closed her eyes.

"Hey," I said after a minute. "Let's take a walk. Just you and me." I suggested. She looked up at me with those large, teal eyes, and nodded silently, allowing me to help her up. "Girls, we're goin' for a walk. We'll be back soon." I said, rather quickly at that. Fluttershy and I left, and, instead of going on the path we usually start walks on, I left to a completely different area.

"Where are we?" Fluttershy asked after a few minutes of walking.

"We're just entering the edge of the neighborhood." I replied, pointing to the various trees of the mountains that surrounded my town.

"Why are we going this way?" She asked, and I shrugged.

"Well...I saw the way you looked inside, Fluttershy." I told her, trying to sound comforting.

"Oh...Wh-what do you mean?" She asked, averting her gaze to the side.

"I know you miss home, Shy." I replied quietly.

"...Oh." She whispered. The rest of the walk was silent, until, finally, we reached the start of the small pathway that led into the small forest. The further we walked, the more wildlife we found. Squirrels scampering in the trees, birds perched, high and low, in the branches. Fluttershy smiled wide, letting the butterflies and other adorable creatures land on her, and communicate with them. It was amazing, even in the real world, she was able to be such a great animal handler. It's like she really could talk to them.

"Alex, this is wonderful." She said, petting a small chipmunk, before letting it go off on its way.

"I had a feeling you'd say that." I teased, walking up to her and smiling. She remained silent, staring up at me, still smiling as well. It was strange, when it came to Fluttershy, I never felt that these were awkward moments. We stood there, unmoving, not talking, just looking into eachother's eyes.

"Thank you." She managed to say after a few more minutes of silence.

"My pleasure." I replied, looking past a break in the trees to see the setting sun, and the beautiful shades of red and orange it painted into the sky. "We should probably head back. It's gonna get dark soon." I said, motioning my head back down the path. She smiled sweetly and nodded, heading back with me. We talked, we laughed, and had a really fun outing. I even found her walking close to me at one point, to the point where our hands were lightly brushing against eachother's. Noticing this, we both blushed lightly and chuckled nervously, looking away.

When we made it out of the trail, Fluttershy said goodbye to her little friends, save for a bunny, that decided to tag along with us, much to my dismay. The little bugger belonged inside the forest with his friends. But, I didn't mind too much, and it didn't follow too close. It'd lag behind, only hopping across the street to hide in different bushes. The sidewalk grew wider as we entered the more heavily populated area of my neighborhood, and, of course, the bunny was still following us. As stated, Shy and I didn't pay much attention to him.

Until, at one point, we noticed a large, lifted truck coming down the road, not too far from my house. It was a long street that ran through the neighborhood, and he was going just a tad over the speed limit. Suddenly, Fluttershy stopped laughing, and turned around to see the bunny. It seemed to want to cross the street, but knew that if it did, it'd be in the truck's way.

"...Alex! Alex, look!" She said, as the truck neared us. Unfortunately, the bunny decided it'd test its luck and cross the street. "Alex! It's going to get hit! We have to do something!" She shouted. I was about to take off for the bunny, but it was too late. The truck was heading right straight ahead, obviously not concerned with the small animal it was about to take out.

"Shy, I can't!" I said, taking a few quick strides towards the bunny, before realizing it was hopeless. I stopped after a couple seconds, watching in fear, when suddenly, a breeze rushed past me, and Fluttershy dashed for the poor animal, seconds before the truck approached. "Fluttershy, get back here! Don't!" I called out. She ran right into the street, and directly into the truck's path, before I managed to snatch her and dive for the grass on the sidewalk.

"No!" She screamed, outstretching her hand, as if in a last-second attempt to save the small creature.

But it was too late.

We both panted, and I nearly had a heart attack, having to rescue Fluttershy like that. I looked up, seeing her stare at the dead rabbit in the middle of the road.

"No..." She cried silently, staring at her deceased friend. She stumbled to her feet, walking into the road, blankly observing the corpse. Thankfully, it was a direct impact- no blood. It probably wasn't painful, either. I stood as well, and walked over to her.

"Fluttershy...I'm sorr-"

"How could you!" She suddenly lashed out, whipping around and glaring at me with tearful eyes.

"...What?" I gasped in utter surprise.

"You could have saved him! He didn't have to die!" She cried.

"Shy, it wasn't my fault! You're acting like I was the one driving that truck!" I retorted.

"I don't care! You should have let me get him!" She screamed.

"Hey, I just saved your damn life! That would be you in the middle of the road, not the rabbit!" I barked.

"I don't care! You should have done something!" She then began to storm off, but I gently grabbed her. She struggled as if I was hurting her, and I shushed her. She sobbed heavily into my chest, lightly pounding her fists into me in anger.

In all of my life, I've been beaten, bloodied, bruised, jumped. I've been psychologically tortured by death and abandonment all of my life.

But nothing could ever hurt more than that light assault Fluttershy gave me. Nothing in the world will shatter my heart more than the sound of her wild sobs, than the look on her incredibly angry and sorrowful face. Than the scared and tortured look in her eyes.

"Why...Why did he..." She began.

"Why what?" I asked.

"Why'd he do it? Like it was nothing..."

"Because, Shy. People are horrible beings." I said, my tone suddenly becoming cynical and angry. "No one cares about anyone or anything but themselves. They don't care what they do, and who they hurt."

She shoved me away, and glared at me, despite the tears and sobs. "...I hate you." She whispered. I thought I was hearing wrong, and I had to do a double take.

"...What did you say?" I croaked, feeling my throat catch a knot.

"I hate you! You're...You're so...You could have..." She stammered in anger. She inhaled, as if she was about to scream, or shout, or kick. But all she did was run off towards my house, crying, and leaving me and my broken heart behind. I stood, too shocked to move, to close my mouth that was agape after dropping like a one ton weight, before hefting myself away.

I came home a few minutes later, and, the second I closed the door, Fluttershy dashed from the living room to the bathroom, shutting the door and locking it. I sighed, and walked into the living room, where the others sat, looking concerned.

"Alex, what happened?" AJ asked, standing up and approaching me as if she were upset with me.

"Whoa, hey, calm down!" I snapped. I sighed, and took a few minutes to explain the situation to them.

"That's...That's horrible." Twilight said quietly.

"I know..." I replied with a heavy sigh. I heard a door open, close, then another door do the same. "I just...I feel so bad."

"Don't, Alex. I'm sure there was nothing you could have done." Rarity assured me. I nodded, my expression blank, as I began to stare ahead, almost as if boring a hole into the wall. I excused myself, heading to bed early, refusing to let any of them bunk with me that night. The insomnia came back for a while, and I stared at the ceiling, replaying the day's events over and over in my mind. I couldn't get that look on Fluttershy's face out of my head. It killed me on the inside. Thankfully, I managed to fall asleep around two in the morning.

Unfortunately for me, I had to get up four hours later for school. As predicted, Shy didn't even acknowledge my presence when I saw the others in the kitchen. It created a kind of awkward tension in the air, and everyone seemed to notice it. Even the drive to school was painfully silent. Whenever I glanced at Shy, she either had a scowl on her face, or a sad look in her eyes that broke my heart.

"Hey, guys." Gray greeted when we approached them at school. "Christ, Alex, you look like hell." He said with a smirk. We then heard announcements over the school's PA system, to remind us all about prom tickets being on sale for only twenty dollars. They made them sound cheap.

"Didn't get much sleep." I replied tersely, slamming my back into the lockers and slumping down into a seated position. The others followed suit, and Dana quickly noticed the mixed emotions.

"...Is everything alright, Faith?" She asked Fluttershy, who only nodded slowly in response. Dana and Gray looked at me for an explanation, which I silently gave to them. Fourth period rolled around just as I finished the story, and Fluttershy didn't even look at me.

It was ridiculous. This continued on for days, and it just about killed me on the inside. I'd never meant to hurt her, I could never do that...I just...There was nothing I could have done. Maybe if I hadn't snapped at her, maybe if I should have just not said anything afterwards...Maybe if I never even took her to that trail...

...~...

The rain was a torrent. It'd been like this all day, and they said it wouldn't let up until the next morning. Fluttershy still refused to talk to me, no matter how hard I tried. That day, I'd had enough.

"Fluttershy." I said to her, but she ignored me. "Fluttershy." I repeated, with more authority in my voice. "Stop doing this! You're acting like I'm the bad guy here! Why are you doing this?" I asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She jerked her shoulder away, and backed up. "Just leave me alone, Alex..." She said quietly.

"But, Fluttershy-"

She turned tail and ran to the front door, throwing it open and running outside.

"Fluttershy!" I called out, running after her. I chased her down the street, until we were back to the spot where the bunny was struck. She slipped on the wet cement, and fell, remaining on the ground. I sighed, wiping the heavy rain from my eyes and pushing my hair back, going to help her up. But, again, she refused my hand. Instead, she stood up on her own, walking to the middle of the street.

"Why, Alex..." I heard her say, despite the sound of the rain.

"What?" I asked, a bit loudly due to how heavy the rain was getting.

"Why? Why did this happen?" She repeated, as more tears formed in her eyes.

"I don't know, Fluttershy. But I'm sorry." I said, wiping the water from my field of view again. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I'm sorry there was nothing we could do. I'm sorry I didn't save him. I'm sorry, Fluttershy." I cried out, now soaked to the bone by the weather. "I'm sorry. But...It was either the bunny or you. I chose you. I'm sorry if you don't agree with my decision, Shy, but...I-I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you. To any of you. That's why I'm so protective. That's why I pulled you out of this street that day." I practically had to shout, because of the rain's force. "I'm sorry this happened, Fluttershy." I shouted, approaching her. "I'm so, so sorry." I then said, and we both embraced eachother at the same time. Just like that day, she cried her heart out. I cried a bit as well, I'll admit, but I didn't sob. The rain did well to hide my tears. Her sobs got to the point where she dragged me down with her, and I held her, right there, in the middle of the street.

That next day, we returned to that spot. Fluttershy insisted we give him some kind of burial. Unfortunately, since the body had disappeared, we formed a small cross with sticks and a few pretty stones, and set it on the sidewalk in the grass, at the approximate location where he got hit. We didn't say anything- we didn't really need to. She just needed closure, somehow, and this was the best she'd get.

"Alex?" She said quietly, on the walk back to the house.

"Yeah?" I replied, just as silently.

"...Why did this happen?" She asked. I sighed, honestly getting sick of that question, and shook my head.

"I dunno, Fluttershy...I really don't." I answered.

"...Oh." She muttered. "...Is everyone like that? So...Uncaring?" She asked me.

"Honestly, no. Not everyone. There are some people in the world, some people who really are good. They're kind, people love them, and they care for the people and world around them. They're truly good people." I replied with a sad smile.

"So, like you?" She said, catching me off guard.

"What? Like me? Pft. Hell no." I replied. "I'm a cynical, wisecracking, lonely guy who doesn't even deserve the time of day." I added.

"But...You're still a good person, you know." She assured me.

"Yeah? How so?" I asked curiously.

"I...I don't know. I just know you're a good person." She said with a small smile. I sighed, and shook my head in amusement.

"Whatever you say, Fluttershy." I replied with a soft chuckle.

The rest of the walk home was spent in comfortable silence. As we walked, we became closer together, and, again, found our hands lightly brushing against eachother's. We noticed- it was obvious, by the light shade of red on our cheeks. But, this time, neither of us pulled our hands away, yet we didn't act on anything. It just remained like that until we got home, and we all had a nice, relaxing dinner.

"Goodnight, girls," I said, heading to my room.

"Alex, hold on!" Fluttershy called, walking after me.

"Yeah?" I said, looking back at her.

"I, um...I-I'm, uh, sorry." She said meekly, allowing her hair to fall and cover the right side of her face, as she averted her gaze.

"Look, don't be. You have nothing to be sorry for." I assured her.

"Really?" She asked, looking up at me.

"Really." I replied with a gentle smile. She smiled back, and pulled me into an embrace, one that I happily returned.

"Goodnight, Alex." She told me, letting me continue to my room. I smiled contently, and fell down onto my bed, staring at the ceiling until, finally, a well deserved sleep took over.

( Yay. Two chapters in one night.
...
I'm sorry if I don't seem so fun tonight, guys, I just...
It's just one of those days, ya know?
So if things seem to be a bit slow, I apologize. Things in the story will be picking up soon, I promise.
Thank you all so much for the love and support. Remember to check out my blog-
alexbarkhorn.tumblr.com
It helps a lot. Thanks. G'night. )

Chapter 29

The next few weeks went by swimmingly. My mom called to tell me that she'd be able to take a quick break from work out in Vegas to watch my graduation. Unfortunately, as she hadn't been able to find a buyer for my grandma's house, she'd have to go back afterwards.

Our grades also managed to stay up, even with the huge influx of projects and other Senior activities our teachers gave us. It's ridiculous, from Hamlet to psychological experiments, our schedule was pretty full. We now had six weeks to finish all of it, and then, graduation!

Unfortunately, I also had a plague on my mind. That is, I was still dreading the inevitable parting of ways with the girls. Almost every night, it was the same thing. I'd toss and turn, thinking, and going through different scenarios. Some, I'd beg for them to stay, other's, for them to leave, and get it over with. Some ended happily, some, well...Didn't end so great. Thankfully, whenever I'd wake up and see them in my kitchen, all feelings of grief were quick to fade away.

It was on Friday, in third period that I got an insane idea. We were sitting in class when the announcements started, reminding us of prom. "I can't wait for prom!" Dani, a friend of mine who sits behind me, said in excitement. A few of the others students joined in, gushing about their dates, dresses, etc. I sighed and rolled my eyes, until Dani spoke to me. "Hey, Alex! Who're you goin' with?" She asked.

"...I don't think I'm going, Dani." I replied quietly, so as not to catch anyone else's attention.

"Why not?" She asked, tilting her head to the side a bit.

"I never asked anyone." I sighed.

"Really? Gray asked me this morning..." Rainbow said from my right. If I were drinking anything, I would have done a spit-take right there. Instead, I stared at Rainbow, mouth agape.

"Wh-what? When?" I gasped.

"This morning. Why, what's the big deal?" She asked, dumbfounded. I groaned and sat back in my chair.

"Well, Scott from mah fifth period asked me, too. I just didn't know what ta say." Applejack said from in front of me.

"And I think Jason from Psych was gonna ask me..." Twilight mumbled. I glanced over at her, and she only gave me a small grin, averting any eye contact. I sighed again, shaking my head.

"Why not ask Dana?" Rarity suggested.

"Well, who are you goin' with?" I asked her, turning in my seat and awaiting an answer.

"That'd be me!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, plopping herself in the seat next to Rarity.

"...What." I asked, my tone completely deadpan.

"Well, no one here asked me, Raine, or Faith. So, I figured, why not!" Pinkie explained. Rarity, on the other hand, stared at Pinkie in confusion.

"Patience...When did we all agree to this?" She asked slowly.

"We didn't! I just decided now!" She replied happily.

"So...That still means Faith hasn't been asked, either, Alex." Dani cooed. I gulped, looking over at Fluttershy, who apparently hadn't been paying attention to the conversation, as it took her a moment to realize I was looking at her. She looked up from her notebook, made eye contact with me for a moment, and blushed lightly, giving me a small wave. I smiled back, and waved as well. "See! You two are perfect for each other!" Dani gushed. "I can see it now, you two, dancing together to the perfect slow dance..."

I completely ignored Dani after that, feeling a bit warm, maybe even flustered. My stomach started feeling funny, too, so I assumed I must have eaten something bad.

That wasn't such a bad idea...Come to think of it, me and Shy have been getting pretty close the past few weeks...We'd sit in my room and talk, laugh, mess around on the internet... We have indeed been spending a lot of time together and enjoying each other's company...Maybe...

"Alex?" Fluttershy called out.

"Huh?" I mumbled, shaking my head and looking up. "Yeah?"

"Well, um, it's just... The bell rang..." She replied quietly. I glanced around the room, and, aside from the six of them, I also saw a chuckling Mr. Donnovan.

"Go home, Alex. Get some sleep." He said, pushing up his glasses and going back to grading work. I snickered, standing up and walking out of class with the girls. When we returned home, I secluded myself in my room to give myself time to think. I only had about an hour to myself, until a knock on my door was heard.

"Yeah?" I called. The door opened, and I smiled when I saw who it was.

"Um, Alex? Gray and Dana are here..." She informed me in a near whisper.

"O-oh. Cool. I'll be out in a sec." I replied absently.

"...Is everything alright?" She asked me, approaching me and placing a hand on my shoulder. I chuckled and nodded, putting my hand atop hers.

"Yeah, just thinkin'." I replied.

"Oh. Okay."

"Anyway, let's get out there." I suggested. Fluttershy smiled and nodded, and I stepped out of my room and into the living room, to meet Gray and Dana.

"Hey there, ya ruttin' hermit." Gray chuckled. "I heard you had a very interesting third period." He teased, nudging my side and winking.

"...Okay, who-?" I started, but, judging by the massive grin on Pinkie's face, I didn't even bother finishing my question.

"Whatever. Bring the carne?" I asked. Grayson nodded, pointing to a bag on the kitchen island that had meat and other various vegetables in a special seasoning. "Shiny. Let's get to cookin'."

Me and Gray started up the grill and got to cooking, while the girls stayed inside to prepare desert. I took a drink from my soda, and sighed.

"So, what're ya gonna do?" Gray asked me, leaning against the wall.

"About what?" I asked, flipping a piece of meat.

"You know what about. About prom." He explained.

"What about it? I'm not going. Didn't go last year. Don't need to go this year." I said simply, taking another drink.

"So, what, you're gonna let the girls go while you just chill at home?" He asked with a scoff. I thought about it for a moment, until I nodded.

"Pretty much." I chuckled. "Besides, how do you know those six will be going, anyway?" I asked.

"Well, I'm taking Rainbow, as a friend, of course," He started, though my teeth clenched when he mentioned that. "Then I'm sure Twilight and AJ have dates. Dana, Rarity, Pinkie, and Shy are the only ones that don't, and I think they're just gonna go in their own little group. Though, I heard someone wants to ask Fluttershy." He said with a grin.

"Shut up." I mumbled, turning up the collar on my polo to hide the oncoming blush.

"Ah, come on, man! It'd be perfect!" He stated. I sighed and nodded in defeat.

"So, what, should I ask her now?" I inquired.

"Uh, no. You take her out first, duh." He scoffed. I furrowed my brow.

"What? So, what, you took Dash out when you asked her?" I asked. He shook his head and replied.

"No, man, I already said, me and her are only going as friends. This, though. This is different. And before you ask how, let me explain. You and Shy have been getting real close, anyway! Plus, you know you wanna take her, man. We can all tell, by the way you look at each other during breaks, how you're always around each other, and even the way you talk to each other. This is gonna be the real thing, man." He said with a smile. I quirked a brow, and sighed in defeat.

"Alright, fine. I'll ask her later..." I murmured.

"Ask her now, gorramit!" He urged. I huffed, and nodded.

"Fine." I snapped, and, wouldn't it be my luck, Fluttershy and the others all stepped outside.

"Is it almost ready?" Applejack asked. She took a quick sniff in the air, and smiled. "Smells great." She commented. I removed a tortilla from the grill, and handed her the plate with the others, along with another plate that had a layer of grilled vegetables.

"That it does." I replied simply, glancing over at Fluttershy, then Gray, who motioned his head towards the shy girl who took a seat at the patio chair. I retreated under my aviator sunglasses, and turned my attention elsewhere. Unfortunately, I didn't notice until the last minute that Gray had chugged his soda, and chucked the can at me.

"Wha- hey!" I barked, glaring at him. He motioned towards Fluttershy again, and I growled in annoyance. "...Fluttershy?" I said after a moment's hesitation.

"Oh, yes?" She asked, looking up at me with a small smile.

"I was wondering, erm..." I began, and I swear, girls must have some kind of sixth sense, because they all started to beam the second I started speaking again. "I was wondering if you'd let me take you out tomorrow, or, something..." I asked, ignoring the immense blush that painted itself on my face.

"...T-take me out?" Fluttershy replied meekly, and I saw that her face was beet red.

"Y-yeah, you know...The two of us?" I added, clearing my throat. Gray and the other girls just looked on with small smiles.

"...Okay." She squeaked, and I had to strain just to hear her.

"Alright! Drinks all 'round!" Gray exclaimed, going in to grab more sodas...At least, I hoped they were sodas. The other girls were all giggling and talking amongst each other, like the bunch of schoolgirls they were. Though, I did notice one thing. Dana wasn't anywhere to be found. I then got the feeling that this would all come back to bite me in the ass when it was all done.

And I was definitely right. Later that night, I had found out that Dana bailed, giving us an excuse somewhere along the lines of. 'I'm not feeling good. At all.' It's probably safe to assume that's all in half truth, but, when I found out, I wasn't too worried about that.

"This was a mistake." I told Gray, as we sat outside, only being lit by the shining moon.

"How so?" He asked, taking a drink of milk after chowing down on the brownies Pinkie had made.

"Because I'm in too deep. Far too deep." I sighed. He didn't reply, only stared at me with a strange expression. I quirked a brow, but then, grimaced. "Oh, god, not like that, you twit! I mean emotionally. With Fluttershy."

"Care to elaborate?" He then asked.

"Well, I mean...Now it's gonna be even harder." I mumbled in reply. A look of understanding passed over Grayson's face.

"Oh, I think I know what you mean now." He replied, nodding his head.

"I mean, it's all a matter of time. Each and every day, my chances of losing the girls grow, each minute could be my last. It's like I'm playing Russian Roulette." I rambled, shaking my head.

"I get it." Gray interjected.

"I mean, Christ! Now I've gone and asked Fluttershy out on a date! And I'm gonna be taking her to prom! For what? Just to go and lose her the next day? I mean, Celestia, at any time, can just waltz right in! 'Hey, Alex, time to go bye-bye!'"

"Alex."

"Seriously, Gray, it's only a matter of time, and now, it's gonna be 20 percent worse on me-"

"Alex!" Gray barked, standing up.

"...The hell's wrong with you?" I scoffed.

"It's not what's wrong with me, it's what's wrong with you!" He retorted. I raised a brow, completely taken aback. "You're always thinking about that, man! You're always thinking too far ahead, or living in the past! You're oblivious to what's right in front of you!"

"Yeah? And what's that, Gray?" I argued.

"Happiness." He stated calmly. "You have the chance to be with someone who likes you for exactly you. A kind spirit that wants to know you as well as you know her. And you're too worried about what might come ahead, instead of what is happening now. Jesus, Alex. Stop for two seconds and live a little. Live in the now, instead of trying to worry about the future, or your past." He finished, and it was quiet for a moment, until he shook his head and walked towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow, man." He said, before heading inside to say goodbye to the girls. A few minutes later, I heard his car engine start, and the engine softly get further away.

I sat there for a while, all by myself, thinking about what Gray had just said. No, it was crazy to think that. Of course I can see the happiness. I don't think too much about other stuff, do I? I mean, sure...I spent a while grieving over my brother's death...Three years. And I mean, I suppose I didn't deal with it in too healthy of a way. And, yeah, I thought an awful lot about when the girls left...I hardly thought about them at all, actually. I only thought of how hard it'd effect me, and...

Damn... I was wrong. Gray was right. Maybe I should start thinking of my happiness. People like me better when I'm happy. The girls like me better when I'm happy.

I like me better when I'm happy. So that's what I'm gonna do, I told myself. I'm gonna enjoy what I have. I'll cross any bridges when I come to them, but for now, I'd enjoy the journey.

With that, I stood and sighed contently, going back inside to my friends. I bid them goodnight, and decided I'd head to bed. I had a big day coming up, after all.

( Wow. Whenever I have a hiatus, I have a hiatus.
Terribly sorry it took so long to update, but you know how me and my good ol' pal Writer's Block get along.

That is to say, not well at all.

Anyway, enjoy, and thanks for reading. To everyone who's supported me throughout this whole thing, I'd like to say thank you.
To anyone who has disliked this work or has trashed it, I'd still like to thank you for giving it a chance.
To those who have been nice enough to give me kind words, either of encouragement, or of how much you adore this story, I thank you for those kind words.
Every single one of you. Thank you.
Remember to check out my blog. Since it's Halloween, it's name is changed to alexspookhorn.tumblr.com but will be changed back to normal by tomorrow. Thanks, everyone. Have a good day. )

Chapter 30

"I-I can't do this," I stuttered, adjusting the sleeves on my collared shirt. I had rolled them up, and instantly began fiddling with them in a vain attempt to get them to match in length.

"You're fine, Alex." Gray muttered.

"No, I'm not. I had another dream last night, Gray." I said, looking back over at him. And, it was true. That night's dream was particularly terrifying.

It was about two, maybe three in the morning. I couldn't sleep, I was just staring at the ceiling. It was terrible irony, and I was pissed that God decided to give me this little nightmare. There was slow, gentle knocking at my front door. Confused as to who it could be, I got up and exited my room, reaching the front door. Celestia was standing tall, still in equine form, staring down at me. She had accused me of stealing her little ponies. Even as I explained the situation to her, even when the girls came to defend me, Celestia was too many emotions to name at once. I would assume she was about to banish me to the moon, but I had woken up.

I didn't even get to tell Gray about the dream, though, when he sighed in frustration. "Alex. You remember what I said last night, right?" He asked, clearly straining to keep his cool.

"...Yes." I gulped, unbuttoning the shirt for the nth damn time.

"Need I get a baseball bat to get it through your thick skull?" He hissed. I sighed, and shook my head. "Good boy, now, get out there. I think the girls should be done with Fluttershy by now." He says, switching from Pinkamena to Pinkie in a second.

Yes, I just made that reference. Deal with it.

Anyway, I sighed, looking over myself in the mirror. The maroon colored collared shirt I wore over a slim black V-neck looked surprisingly good on me- until I decided to button the middle three buttons again, figuring I'd just undo it again later. My worn gray jeans were perfectly hemmed, and, for some odd reason I'll never really get, I decided on wearing something other than steel toed combat boots. I just wore normal, black boots. Call me crazy and spontaneous.

I brushed my hair to the side with my hands right quick, before taking a breath, and stepping out of my room. Gray was right, I heard the girls whispering and gossiping amongst each other. I stepped into the living room, and it became incredibly silent.

Fluttershy looked...Amazing. She was wearing a pale yellow top, with a very wide collar, so the collar reached at about the top of her shoulder on each side. The sleeves were small, reaching to her elbow, and were styled with green stitching at the end of the sleeves. She also wore a flowing pink skirt, that, at it's highest point, reached just above her right knee, and then reached the middle of her left calf at it's lowest point. Even her hair, which was up in a casual, yet beautiful ponytail (God, I love puns) looked amazing, with her bangs still parted over her eyes, just with a bit more...Bounce. We locked gazes, and both blushed intensely.

"...Fluttershy, you look..." I trailed off, at a loss for words.

"A-Alex, you, um, well, oh my..." She stammered quietly, letting her bangs cover her eye, and staring a hole into the ground in front of her.

"Well, this ain't awkward." AJ quipped, crossing her arms and grinning.

"And it ain't cute, either!" Pinkie giggled.

"A-anyway..." I began, clearing my throat. "We'll be back soon. Try not to ruin the house while we're out, alright?"

"Don't you worry, none, Alex. Me an' Twi will make sure no one makes any trouble." AJ told me with a wink. I smirked and nodded, looking over to Fluttershy.

"Ready?" I asked, holding a hand out to her. She stared at it in fear, with wide eyes and her mouth agape. I started getting worried, that maybe she was beginning to have second thoughts about this whole thing. Just as I was about to retract my hand, she slowly extended hers, placing her soft, delicate hand in mine. I happily took hold of her, and we headed towards the door.

"Bye!" Rainbow called out. "You two lovebirds have fun!" She cackled, before closing the door.

"Oh, it's so adorable!" I heard Rarity coo.

I led Fluttershy to the passenger side of my car, and opened the door for her. I let go of her hand as she sat comfortably, and hesitated before closing the door.

"Fluttershy?" I said quietly.

"Yes, Alex?" She asked, looking down at me.

"I just wanted to say..." I trailed off, trying to catch the courage to say what I wanted to say. She waited patiently, and began to look concerned the longer it took for me to talk. "I just wanted to say that you look absolutely beautiful tonight." I said, smiling at her. Fluttershy smiled back, albeit with an intense blush, and looked down at her lap, where she laid her hands.

"Um...Thank you..." She said. Just as I was about to close the door, she spoke again. "You look very handsome, as well." With that being said, I walked to the other side, and started the engine, driving off to the movie theatre.

The drive to the movies was spent making idle chat, and the movie itself was pretty cool. It was just a small light-hearted romance comedy. Thankfully, Fluttershy was still able to get the humor of us humans, and really enjoyed the movie- I even actually pulled one of those lame fake-yawns-to-place-an-arm-around-her-shoulder moves. Even in the darkness of the theater, you could see her face glowing red with an intense blush.

After the movie, I took her to a local coffee shop, ordering a small vanilla coffee for her, and a white mocha for myself.

"Thank you for taking me out tonight, Alex." Fluttershy said quietly from the seat on the sofa next to me. I flashed a smile as well, nodding my head.

"Don't mention it, it was my pleasure. Thanks for saying yes." I replied, taking a small drink. We were quiet for a moment after that, and it was almost an awkward silence.

"Alex...?" She said in a whisper. I quirked a brow, and looked down at her.

"Yeah?" I replied, afraid that something was wrong.

"Why did you want to take me tonight?" She asked, staring absently into her drink.

"What do you mean?" I asked quietly, not liking where this conversation was going.

"I mean...Why me?" She sighed, looking up to look at me. "You could have asked Rainbow- you seem to get along with her...Or Twilight, because you're both very smart... Even Rarity, I saw how much she took a liking to you- mmph!"

I cut Fluttershy off by gingerly laying an index finger over her mouth to shush her. "Faith," I said with a slight laugh, amused by the confused expression on her face, and the way her eyes were focused on the finger that shushed her. I brought my hand back, sighing. "That's...Actually a good question. I think, maybe...Because you're what I needed. You're who I needed." I began, looking ahead. "I've lost everyone...My friends...Family...Myself..." I felt my eyes begin to water, and my hand instinctively covered my wrist with the larger scar. "I just...You were the one to treat me right, to be kind to me and comfort me, when I couldn't even help myself." I smiled, trying not to worry her, but it didn't work too well. She brought her hand atop mine, removing my hand from the scar.

"Alex..." She whispered, sniveling. I shook my head and continued.

"You showed me kindness when I needed it most, Fluttershy..." I sighed.

"But what about Gray? Dana, and the others. So did they..." She replied, tilting her head to the side a bit.

"True," I admitted, nodding my head. "But, I don't know...When I'm with you, I can smile. I can really be happy. Being around you, it..." I trailed off, looking for the right words. "It just makes me feel great."

Fluttershy smiled and blushed lightly at the confession. "And what about you?" I asked, smiling.

"What about me?" She repeated.

"Why would you say yes? Let me take you out, that is." I explained, crossing one leg over the other.

"Oh, well, um..." She stammered, retreating behind her curtain of hair. "I-I, um, oh my..." She sighed, collecting herself long enough to reply. "Because, well...You've put a lot aside to help us. You're very caring, and very considerate. And you're so sweet, to all of us. I enjoy time alone with you, I enjoy being able to smile around you, and being able to talk around you."

"Oh, wow..." I said with a small smile. She didn't say anything afterwards, just nuzzled herself into my neck, smiling contently. My heart just about exploded, and an intense wave of happiness washed over me, as I wrapped an arm around her. We sat there for almost a whole hour, completely silent, but we barely moved an inch. And, when we did, it was usually to take a drink, or to watch people enter and exit the store.

"Alex?" Fluttershy said, after nuzzling me for the third time, and after the fourth heart-exploding incident. I looked down at her, smiling widely as I saw he eyes meet mine.

"Yeah?" I said, widening my eyes as she brought her hand to my cheek. Her hand, it was so comforting. It felt almost as if every single ounce of unhappiness accumulated inside of me was removed, just by Fluttershy's gentle touch. I grabbed her hand, but kept it in place.

"Thank you for taking me out tonight. I had a really nice time with you..." She whispered. The tone in her voice definitely backed up what she had told me, as she had that dreamy, lost-in-happiness voice.

"It was my pleasure, Faith." I replied in the same happy tone. I checked my watch, noting that it was close to nine thirty. "We should probably head back..." I added with a sigh. She nodded in understanding, giving me a disappointed huff. "Don't worry, we'll have more time." I told her.

"What do you mean?" She asked, looking up at me.

"Faith," I said, grabbing her hand. "You wanna go to prom with me?"

Fluttershy's eyes practically lit up in excitement, and she nodded vigorously.

"Oh, Alex, I'd love to!" She squeed, hugging me tightly.

"I thought you'd say that." I chuckled. We drove back home, discussing different plans for prom, which made the drive go by quite fast. I pulled into my driveway, opened the door for her, because I'm just such a gentleman, and we walked up to the front door. I turned to her, just under the porch light, and we smiled at each other.

"Thank you again, Alex. I had a wonderful time with you..." She said quietly, looking up at me, though she let her hair cover her right eye again.

"The pleasure was mine, Fluttershy." I replied. We stood there, for just a few moments, and we both moved closer to each other. We were lost in each other's eyes, getting closer with each passing second. Our faces wee only inches away- she closed her eyes, and my heart began to race. Our lips were just moments away, when...

"Hurry! They're about to kiss!"

My eyes burst open, and I glanced over to the side. Six pairs of eyes were peering through the shutters next to the door, when they snapped shut.

"A-Alex?" Fluttershy said, opening her eyes, and looking at me- apparently she was disappointed that I had gotten so distracted.

"Two seconds." I said, throwing my door open. "Alright! Who's idea was it to spy on us?" I shouted, and was answered by various answers, all blaming the other on wanting to spy. I sighed, and smirked, shaking my head and turning to look at Fluttershy, who was still standing under the porch light, smiling sweetly at me. I held my hand out to her, and she took it, as I led her inside, closing the door behind her.

( So yeah. :D
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Chapter 31

That following week was rather hectic. The girls all had to get dresses- not cheap, mind you. And very time consuming. Ever spent three and a half hours inside of a clothing store? It isn't very fun.

It was the Friday before prom, when everything was finally settled, and I was a nervous wreck. To be honest, I don't know why. Oh, wait, maybe it was because I finally had a chance to be in a relationship with someone who really cared for me, and was on the verge of being ripped out of my life! Silly me, how could I forget that?

Man, I need to lay off the sarcasm...

Anyway, they were really making a big deal of prom, and were now charging nearly fifty bucks for tickets- for couples. You don't wanna know what the price for singles were.

Going back to me, and pardon my narcissism, I had been wigging out the whole week. I managed to coax my mom into getting me money, but, that didn't go as expected. I guess you could say I really didn't coax her, she just...She was same old mom. Helpful and selfless.

I called her up Monday night, asking for extra gas money from my account, because I said I wanted to go on a trip instead of going to prom, like back up to the lake. But...I didn't feel right. It didn't feel good lying to my mother like that. It was nauseating. So, I told her the truth- not the obvious truth. I'm not sure how my mom would take to me telling her that six magical girls entered our home. It's safe to assume it wouldn't go well. So, I stretched the truth. Said some really good friends of mine couldn't go, and I even had a date that couldn't make it. My mom, this wonderful woman, she totally understood. In fact, she was proud of me for being so selfless and wanting to help those close to me.

Also, we caught the tickets the day before the prices skyrocketed. Call us lucky.

It's crazy, because as these thoughts all rolled through my head, I didn't notice as the fifth period bell rang. And I especially didn't notice as a fluff of bright pink hair was draped over my head. It isn't very fun, having a pink ball of fluff block your airways.

"Gah! Dammit, Patience!" I sputtered, shaking my head. Pinkie and Fluttershy both giggled, before the former grabbed me by the wrists and pulled me up.

"Come on, silly! We gotta get home!" She laughed, skipping out of class. I smiled in amusement, and looked over at Fluttershy. We instinctively grabbed at each other's hands, walking out together.

"Never expected this..." I mumbled to myself.

"What?" Fluttershy asked curiously, looking up at me.

"This," I replied, bringing out interlocked hands up to explain. "When you all came here, I never would have thought we'd get this close. I thought it'd be, like, you're here for one day, then, bam. Gone...Out of my life."

"Oh, Alex..." She sighed. "Well, it's a good thing we didn't, right?" She then said with another smile.

"Yeah. Right." I replied, heading to the truck to meet the others. The drive home was rather noisy, as they all began talking about their plans for prom. There was the occasional 'subtle' compliment at mine and Fluttershy's choice of dates, especially from Pinkie- the little spy that interrupted Shy and I the weekend before- but they were all in good nature, so I didn't mind much. Returning home felt good after a long, stressful week of school, and it made me feel much better that I only had a few more weeks until I graduated.

"So, are you excited?" Twilight asked me later that night, as we sat down to watch television.

"Excited? For what?" I asked, glancing over at her. She clicked her tongue and playfully gave me a shove.

"For graduating, silly." She replied, smiling at me.

"Oh," I chuckled, shrugging. "I s'pose I am."

"You suppose?" She muttered, raising a curious brow.

"Well, I mean, look at it this way. I've been going to school for twelve years now, I've been waking up early, been worried about assignments and projects, dealt with bad teachers or lame grades, and, on the other hand, I've had lifelong experiences and met people that I'll remember for the rest of my life. It's kinda hard to swallow, so, it'll probably hit me during graduation, or a little after." After I said my piece, I sighed heavily, slouching against the couch and crossing my arms.

"Aren't you going to college?" Rainbow asked, turning around from her spot on the floor to get a better look at me.

"Well, yeah. But that's totally different." I retorted.

"How?" Fluttershy asked quietly, from her spot right next to me.

"...I dunno, it just is." I stammered, scratching the back of my neck and ignoring the feeling of sounding like an utter fool. "Because, think about it. I'm going to be living on campus - on my own - the workload is gonna be bigger, different class schedules..."

"People have been tellin' me it ain't that bad. Heck, some say they've heard it's better than high school." AJ pointed out.

"She's right, I hear a lot of students our age talking about some relative of theirs who say they love the college experience." Rarity added.

"Whoa, hey now, no need to attack me all at once!" I joked, trying to change the subject, and ignoring a slight headache that was heading my way.

"Who's attacking you? They're just all proving you wrong!" Pinkie said, avoiding any tact whatsoever.

"...Thanks, Pinkie Pie. You're a pal." I muttered, completely deadpan.

"Anytime, Alex!" She exclaimed joyfully. I rolled my eyes in amusement, before standing up.

"I'm gonna get some air," I said, walking outside without another word. I stepped outside into the cool night air, and plopping down onto a patio chair. I stared up at the crescent moon, and threw my legs up onto the patio table to make myself a bit more comfortable.

Why is everything about the future so...Mysterious? Suspenseful? It's horrible. I hate it. I don't know what I'm gonna do when I graduate. I don't know if graduation is gonna really effect me, anyway. I don't know what college I wanna go to, if Gray or Dana will go to the same school, or even stay in touch. And I especially don't know how I'll react when the girls leave me.

That's the thought that always haunts me the most. When, where, how...It's all up in the air. Will it be late at night, when I'm asleep? Will it be a tearful goodbye? Or will Celestia be so pissed, she'll send me off to the moon? I couldn't stand the thought of it. A monster headache came my way, and I literally had to hold my head in my hands and clench my teeth, hard. I felt hot. Very hot, it was incredibly uncomfortable. I felt like I was dying.

A hand found itself on my shoulder, and I yelped in surprise, nearly having a heart attack.

"Gah! Ah'm sorry, Alex!" I must not have noticed Applejack come outside, I was probably too caught up in the pounding headache I was suffering through. "Alex, are y'alright?" She asked, sitting on the chair next to me and placing a hand on my forehead. "Yer burnin' up..." She breathed.

"I-I'm fine..." I choked, turning in the other direction so she didn't have to see my pained face. My breathing became fast, and very erratic.

"Ya sure don' look fine tah me, Alex!" She said, fear beginning to take her over. "Girls! Git out here!" She called inside. I was now curled up on the pavers below me, and I began to panic.

It felt like I was dying.

"Oh my gosh, Alex!" I heard Fluttershy cry, running over to my side and kneeling next to me. "What's wrong?" She asked, grabbing me and looking into my eyes.

"I-I...I dunno, I just...I..." I couldn't speak at all, I was just stunned, struggling to breathe. It felt like a huge pressure made it's way into my chest, pushing against my lungs, refusing to let me get any oxygen.

"Quick, get him inside!" Twilight ordered, as she, AJ, and Rainbow helped me up, leaving Pinkie and Rarity tended to a panicked Fluttershy. The girls hefted me into my room, trying to calm me down, telling me to breathe, everything was alright, and all that crap. When they got me to my room, they set me on my bed, where I curled up on my side, staring into space with wide eyes. The three of them looked at me in fear.

"What do we do?" Twilight whispered.

"More importantly, what's wrong with him?" Rainbow said.

"Who cares? First thing's first, Rainbow, get me a cool washcloth, now!" Applejack ordered. "Twi, I need you to get him something to drink, somethin' like juice." Twilight nodded, walking out the door. She then turned to look at me, and I stared back at her in utter fear. "Alex, I need you to try to calm down."

"I-I can't, AJ, I can't, I-I" She cut me off by looking forcefully at me, lightly grasping me by the shoulder.

"Yes you can, Alex. Look at me. Breathe. With me. In," She began, exhaling. "And out," She exhaled. I tried copying her, but my breaths were too shaky to control. A few minutes later, after she placed the cool washcloth on my head and tried to get me to take a drink of some apple juice, she began speaking to me again. "Alex, look at me." This time, I was able to look her in the eyes. "You're gonna be alright, sugar. Nothin's gonna hurt you, Ah'm right here. Okay?"

I nodded, and tried to speak. "...O-okay."

"Good. Now, try to tell me what happened before you began to panic."

"I-I dunno...I started to feel sick just before I went outside..." I whispered, trembling.

"Then what?"

"Then, I...I just sat there."

"Did anything happen? Did you see anything?" She asked.

"No," I shook my head, and I noticed the other girls come in my room, just before squeezing my eyes shut. "I mean, I just sat there and thought..."

"About what?"

"About...About everything. School, my friends...All of you..."

Right then, for the next five minutes, I was able to vent all of my pent up fears. Every little thing that has been haunting me the past couple of weeks, just let out, right then and there. Mind you, it took a long damn time because I had to pause every minute so AJ could calm me down, with Fluttershy's help, but I managed to get it all out.

"Oh, Alex..." Rarity sighed when I finished.

"I never knew how worried you were...You poor thing..." Twilight chimed in.

"Alex, don't you worry none. You're our friend, now, and we'll always be together." AJ said with a confident smile.

"No," I said, shaking my head quickly. "That's a lie. I know it is."

"Alex!" Rarity gasped.

"No, Rarity. It's true. You know it, and I know it." I cut in. I looked at all of them, and they didn't have any reply, nothing to comfort me.

Except Fluttershy.

"Alex..." She said gently, sitting down next to me. I began to scramble away from here, but I couldn't get any farther, because my back touched the wall, blocking my escape. She placed a hand on mine, and looked me dead in the eyes. "You're right." Right then, five jaws dropped, but she continued anyway. "There is no way we can be sure that we will or won't stay here. Sooner or later, Princess Celestia will come for us..." She began to cry, grabbing onto my hand with both of hers now. "But I promise you, we will always be your friend. We all promise." She said, and the others nodded their heads with small smiles. "When we're gone, I can promise that we may be away, but we will never be gone. You'll always be in our hearts. I promise you." She then practically jumped on me, pulling me into an embrace and crying silently.

"She's right, darling. She's completely right." Rarity said, wiping a stray tear from her eye.

I didn't reply to anyone. I didn't say anything. I just sat there, stroking Fluttershy's hair as she cried, trying to digest what they all told me. I knew it was true. I just...I couldn't just yet. I knew I'd have to let it sink in. But, for the time being, I just sat there, holding the crying girl, and looking around at the other girls that were sitting around my room.

( No, I am not dead.
Yes, I haven't updated here in a while.
No, I have not forgotten about this fic.
I just update more constantly on fanfiction because people on there are a bit less snobbish or dickish when it comes to criticism.
That's not to say I can't handle criticism. I just don't like when my story is straight up called out without some words of wisdom, or maybe even advice.
....Anyway, I'll be posting the remaining nine chapters here, and I have about three or four more in planning before...Yeah.
Anywho, once again, sorry for the absence. Hopefully things will be back to normal.
Don't forget to check out my tumblr. I'll give a link below, as I changed the url.

TUMBLR: remixedwriter.tumblr.com

Chapter 32

"Alex, wake up! Wake up, wake up, it's the big day!" Twilight shouted. I grumbled and opened my eyes, looking over at a smiling Fluttershy next to me, and the rest of the girls hovering over my bed. I groaned, and slammed my head back into my pillow, but was poked and prodded at by the lot of them for the next five minutes.

"Okay, I'm up! I'm up." I scoffed, yawning and sitting up, stretching and yawning loudly. I sighed, and stood up, looking myself over in the mirror. I looked tired- not dead tired, like usual, but just a bit. My hair was a mess- it had grown in the weeks since my mother had left. It was now long enough to cover just a small portion of my right eye, and long enough in the back to tie into a stubby pony tail- pun not intended.

"Good. Now, Dana and Gray called, they said they're on their way over." Twilight informed me, and I looked back at her, after tying my hair back.

"What? Why so early?" I asked, a bit uncomfortable with Dana after the other day. Or, rather, nervous for what she'd have to say.

"Well, Gray, he said he wanted to help ya get ready, for whatever reason." AJ said with a shrug.

"And Dana said she'd like to help us get nice and prettied up." Rainbow Dash added, obviously not too enthusiastic about having to get too frou-frou for tonight. Applejack huffed lightly, obviously her way of agreeing. I chuckled and nodded, looking at the clock. It was ten o'clock already, so i figured I could start getting the basics ready.

As predicted, Gray and Dana showed up about half an hour later, and I got the chance to talk to Dana about what was going on.

"So, you're okay with this?" I asked, raising a brow.

"Um. Yes? Why wouldn't I be?" She replied, crossing her arms.

"Well, I dunno... You seemed upset the other day." I replied sheepishly.

"Yeah, well, I'm fine now. Excuse me, I have to help the girls." And with that, she walked off.

"She's probably fine. Most likely just upset no one asked her." Gray told me a few minutes later, when we were readying our tuxes. I looked back at him, surprised by what he had just said.

"No one asked her? Really?" I scratched the back of my head for a moment, thinking. "Huh..."

"Heh. Why do you sound so surprised?" He inquired, folding his slacks neatly.

"I dunno," I shrugged. "I just figure someone would by now."

"Hm. Maybe she was waiting on you." Judging by his tone, he was obviously joking, most likely trying to tease me. But, still...Maybe he was right. I mean, there always was slight tension between Dana and I, but I thought that was just her being Dana. "But, it doesn't matter now. What does matter, is that you get your ass ready." Gray chuckled.

"...We don't leave for another two hours." I informed him matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, but you look like a freakin' hobo." He retorted, pointing a finger at my scraggly scruff of facial hair. I hadn't shaved for a while, so calling it a shadow would be a bit generous- mind you, I wasn't full on Grizzly Adams, thanks Christ.

"Oh, right...Eh-heh." I nodded, heading towards my door. "Right, then. Be back in a flash." I smirked, and went into the hallway. I needed to get my razor from my bathroom, but, as I went to open the door, I heard someone shout.

"Alex, wait!"

I raised a brow and looked over, and only saw Dana staring right at me. SHe had a look of shock, maybe even confusion, but I didn't bother paying attention- I wanted to get this done as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, I should have listened to the 'warning'.

When I snapped my head forward, inside the bathroom, nearly naked in only her bra and panties was an extremely shocked Fluttershy. We both stared eachother dead in the eyes, unmoving. We just stood there.

"Uh...Hey, Shy." I choked.

"...Hi." She managed to squeak.

"...You forget to lock the door?"

"Oh, no...The lock is still jamming."

"Oh, right...I should fix that." I looked down at my cabinet, and back up at her. "I just, uh...Needed to get my razor."

"Oh...Okay." She gulped. Without breaking eye contact, I leaned down, grabbed my razor, and turned tail, slamming the door shut and darting to my room. The second I did, I heard an embarrassed shriek come from the bathroom.

"What the hell happened?" Grey asked, heading for the door. I stopped him from even touching the handle, before explaining the situation to him. It didn't entirely help that I was still incredibly flustered from the situation, so, after I told him ten minutes later, he busted up in wild laughter.

"Oh, Christ, that's priceless!" He gasped, literally rolling on the floor in laughter. I growled in anger, before letting it go and simply smirking, going to my guest bathroom to shave.

Thankfully, I knocked. It was vacant.

I came back, sporting a small variant of a chin spike of facial hair, and got a thumbs up from Gray. "Lookin' sharp, man. Now, get your ass showered and ready."

And that I did. About forty five minutes later, I was all showered and shaved, my face was washed, and my teeth were nice and clean. Mind you, it was close to half an hour after noon, but, hey. I was kind of on schedule.

"Alrighty, then, man. Time to get your tux ready." He said with a grin, breaking out two bags from my closet- one with his tux, one with mine. I unzipped my bag, and overlooked my get-up.

The pinstripe pants were perfectly pressed (say that five times fast) and looked great. I put the black leather belt over it as I gently placed it on my bed, and rummaged around the bag again. This time, I pulled out my plain white dress shirt, that came with a black vest and a crimson red tie. Last, but not least, was my pair of black boots- dress shoes are overrated, and too hard to maintain.

After I had put everything on and looked myself over in the mirror, I was pretty damn satisfied. Not to sound too vain, but I looked pretty damn good. Even Gray gave a wolf-whistle- as mocking as it was. I looked over at him, and he was all dressed as well. Plain black slacks, a white dress shirt, and a black jacket to go over it. His tie was a deep midnight blue, that, somehow, seemed to shine in a cyan color. Fitting, as his date was Dash.

"You know what the difference between me and you is?" I asked, grabbing my pinstripe jacket, and throwing on my black and crimson fedora.

"What?" He asked, smirking.

"I make this look good." I teased, opening my door and walking out to the living room. The girls, save for Fluttershy, were all out and ready. Twilight looked great, as she had picked out a dress that was lavender in color with a deep purple belt, that went down to about her knees.

Rarity was next, sporting a lovely, sparkling white gown. It was a bit short for my tastes, reaching a few inches above her knees, but I figured I could deal.

Pinkie's dress was actually pretty funny, because it wasn't actually pink, but, rather, blue, with a yellow hue at near the bottom that reached down to her shins. She was even sporting a blue and yellow belt to go with it.

Rainbow Dash's was, of course, very awesome. It was small, about the same size as Rarity's, being to her mid thigh. It was a brilliant cyan in color, with a large black belt that had a gold belt buckle on it.

Applejack's dress was a striking red, almost crimson color, that reached down all the way to her ankles. Fortunately, she refrained from wearing her trademark hat, but still had her hair in a beautiful braid.

"Where's Faith?" I asked Rarity and Pinkie, after we had all complimented each other on our outfits. I looked over at Dash and Gray, who were taking photos together, along with Twi and AJ's dates.

"She's being same old Faith, poor girl is just so nervous." Rarity informed me. Just then, I heard the creak of a door from down the hall. I peeked into the hallway to see Fluttershy barely poking her head out, before she squeaked nervously, and went back into the bathroom. "Faith, dear, come on out. You look stunning." Rarity said with a smile.

"...Oh...Okay." She gave in, and opened the door, stepping out to us. My eyes lit up when I saw how beautiful she was.

Her dress was long, and flowing. The same length as Applejack's, but it was yellow in color, with a slit starting at the knee on the left side. The edgings were laced with a forest green color, which perfectly accented the overall pale yellow color of the dress. She had a butterfly hair clip on the left side of her hair, opposite of where the bangs parted, and the back was styled into a bun with lacquered chopsticks, most likely courtesy of Dana.

"Faith, you look absolutely incredible." I breathed, still taken aback by the girl that was in front of me. Fluttershy squeaked, and allowed herself to hide behind the part of her hair that was still in her face.

"Um...th-thank you..." She said, incredibly quietly. I had to strain myself just to hear her.

We got pictures out of the way, and everything, and it was off to dinner at a small-time Italian joint. Which was perfect, since it was decently priced, not too crowded, and pretty damn delicious. An hour and a half later, we made it to the school's large gymnasium, where the gig was being held. They managed to make the place look awesome- the theme was New York in the 20's, hence why a lot of people were wearing zoot suits and such, and the DJ played some pretty good music. None of that poppy radio junk, but some pretty good electronic and dubstep beats. Now, a lot of the people were doing...Let's call it dirty dancing, but thankfully, the girls and their dates managed to dance without having to basically have sex on the dance floor. Shy and I took a break, and had a seat outside the gym, after I grabbed some punch for the two of us.

"Thank you so much for asking me, Alex." Fluttershy said sweetly, slowly sipping her punch.

"It was my pleasure. I'm having a great time." I replied with a smile. She lowered her head, smiling, and glanced up at me. She placed a hand on mine, and squeezed gently.

"You're a very nice boy, Alex." She said quietly.

"Thanks, Faith." I said, a bit concerned as to what brought this on.

"No, really...You don't deserve all of the bad things you get." She said, starting to sniffle.

"Faith...? Really, it's alright..." I said, not being able to stand the sight of the poor girl sad.

"You're just...You're such a good person...You do so much, and expect so little..." She trailed off for a moment, leaning into my shoulder. "You're an amazing person...Alex..."

I was at a loss. Did I do something wrong? Was it something I said? The whole night, the whole day, I never brought anything up, except how beautiful she looked, and how I was so happy to be with her. It was terrible, I felt like I messed up horribly.

"Faith...Please, don't cry. What happened? What did I do?" I asked.

"I-it's nothing, I...I just am really glad you're happy now. You're such a good person, Alex..." She stopped herself from crying, thankfully, right when they began to announce prom king and queen. Perfect.

"Hey, I think I know what will cheer you up." I suggested, standing up and taking her hand. She sniffled one last time, before smiling again and nodding.

What happened next was a huge freaking shocker.

I hadn't been paying attention to the nominations, seeing as how I don't pay attention to have the crap around school, but then I heard something that made my jaw drop like a one-ton anvil.

"Alright! Prom King and Queen of this year are...Grayson Turner, and Raven Davis!"

I literally did a triple take, looking to the stage and seeing Gray and Rainbow Dash hugging eachother tightly, and thanking the crowd.

"What in the seven hells?" I shrieked, though it was barely audible due to the cheering.

"What?" Fluttershy asked.

"When the hell were they nominated?"

"Alex, they handed out the voting ballots last week. Don't you remember?" She asked. The look on my face must have been a sufficient answer, as she simply smiled and shook her head in amusement. The DJ then turned the track to a slow song, allowing the King and Queen to have their dance. Gray and Rainbow still looked stoked as all hell that they had won, and Gray managed to lead Rainbow into a dance. I figured, to hell with it, I'll be the first to start. So, I grabbed Fluttershy, held her close, and began to dance with her, keeping one hand interlocked with hers, and another on her hip. Eventually, she leaned her head against my shoulder, and we danced peacefully. That is, until a minute later, when they turned the damn wubs on again.

Hours passed, and more dancing commenced. The lot of us had the time of our lives, partying, dancing, laughing, and enjoying the night. It made me regret all of the times I passed up opportunities like this. Nights when I could have gone out with friends, when I could have had the time of my life with my friends. But I quickly pushed those thoughts out of my head, to enjoy the now. It was funny, right as I was thinking that, I looked over at Gray, who gave me a wink and a single nod.

Unfortunately, they had to usher us out at close to eleven.

"That was so much fun!" Pinkie exclaimed, skipping alongside the rest of us. Fluttershy and I were hooked together, arm in arm, as was Rainbow and Gray.

"Seriously, and congrats, you two. You make a great king and queen." I complimented to the two.

"Aw, thanks, Alex. To be completely honest, I didn't think we'd win. I thought those snobby jerks would have beaten us." Rainbow said with a chuckle.

"Well, congratulations, anyway," Fluttershy added. "So, um, what now?"

"I dunno about you guys, but I'm beat. I think Takara and AJ's date already took them home, so we should probably head there." Gray said with a yawn. He looked at me and Fluttershy, then Pinkie and Rarity. "Why don't you two ride with me." He suggested. "We'll see you at your place in a few, man."

"Alright, then...?" I called back to him. "Huh." I mused, looking back at Fluttershy with a smile. "Well, let's go home, then." I suggested.

The drive home was nice and peaceful. We made the occasional idle chatter of how much fun the night was and all that jazz. When we made it home, we noticed some lights on, and Gray's car parked curbside in front of my lawn. I opened Shy's door for her, and grabbed her hand, leading up to the front door, where the porch light was shining brightly above us.

"I had an amazing night, Alex." Fluttershy said, taking a hold of both of my hands with hers.

"Me too." Was all I replied with, and I felt my heart start to pump faster. We said nothing for the next minute, just looked at eachother, as if staring into eachother's soul. I didn't even notice, but our faces were slowly getting closer. I wrapped my arms around her waist, and hers around my neck. I could feel her warm breath against my lips, and her forehead touched mine.

"Alex..." She whispered longingly.

"Fluttershy..." I whispered back.

Fluttershy...I hadn't called her by her real name all night. Fluttershy. Fluttershy. Not Faith. Not Faith Sherman. She was Fluttershy, from Equestria.

I was torn. If I took the plunge now, if I committed myself, that would be it. It would make this whole situation so much more difficult for me. For the both of us. It would break our hearts.

But, God, did I want this. We both did, I needed it. I finally had someone to care for me in a way more than a friend or family member could. A person who generally wanted to be with me for me, and not because of my money, or because they were desperate. A person, the most kindest, more sweetest girl ever, genuinely wanted to be with me.

But couldn't. Not for long, anyways.

I wanted to. I shouldn't. I didn't know what to do. I stood there, motionless, our lips still only inches away.

What do I do? What road do I go down?

Chapter 33

Oh, God, I didn't know what to do. I think she could detect my hesitation, because I could feel her start to draw away. Dammit! I couldn't move! I...I messed up.

"Well, um...We should get to bed." I heard her whisper, and couldn't help but detect a pang of sadness in her voice. I nodded silently, letting her turn on her heel and walk inside. I stood out there, silent for a few minutes, before Applejack came and poked her head out the door, looking at me with a scowl, and I knew why.

"Really, Alex? Really?" She scoffed. Another moment of silence, and I turned to one of the two pillars next to my door, and applied my forehead to the stucco. Hard. And then I did it again. Even harder. Applejack sighed, and shook her head. "C'mon, lets git you inside. It's late as it is." She said gently, gently grabbing me by the arm and leading me into my room. The place was dead quiet, and the only lights came from the hall bathroom, and from the girls' room.

"I got it from here..." I told AJ, sullenly, opening the door to my room.

"Alright, then." AJ replied.

"Hey, Applejack...?" I called, before she closed the door.

"Yeh, Alex?"

"...Ya think...Should I go-"

"Do what you think's best, Alex. This is your life. I can't tell ya how to live it." She said with a supportive smile. I tried smiling back, but didn't bother, and nodded my head.

"Right...Thanks." I sighed.

"Any time, Alex. G'night." She smiled, before closing the door to my room. After taking off my tux, and making sure my lights were shut off, I slammed my head into the pillow, practically falling asleep on impact.

And then, the nightmares returned.

I couldn't remember much. All I do remember, is that it was another Celestia dream, as she came to take the girls away. Only...It wasn't in anger. She didn't punt me to the moon to chill with Luna. If anything...She looked kinda sympathetic. Regretful, even. I think Gray was with me, and even after a happy, yet tearful goodbye, I snapped, and began thrashing around and crying. Gray had to sit there and hold me back...

Thankfully, I woke up close to four A.M. Hey, if four hours of sleep meant that I wouldn't have to suffer a whole nightmare, I'll take it, no questions asked. The bad part is, ya get real bored, real fast. So, to pass time, I decided to watch some movies.

Who woulda thought movies could be so time consuming. By noon, I hadn't even left my room. In fact, I didn't even wanna leave. Call it unconscious motivation from being a complete flake to Shy last night if ya want, I still think I just lost track of time...

Anyway, it was Twilight who first noticed my absence, so came to investigate. I heard a knock on my door, and turned my head from my couch to look at the door. "Alex? Alex, are you in there?" She asked. I didn't respond. Or, at least, not for a while. I was about to respond, when I heard another voice.

"Alex...? Um, Alex, hello?" Fluttershy called to me. "Uh...Maybe he's asleep." She then suggested. Twilight must have agreed, as I didn't hear anything else afterwards. It was a repeated process for another couple hours, them coming to check on me, but each time I never answered my door. Hell, I poked out for about barely a minute just to grab some snacks, ignoring any look from the girls they gave me- Fluttershy especially. Seemed as if Rainbow Dash was a bit pissed at me to, judging by the glare she gave me from Fluttershy's side. I came to the assumption Shy hadn't taken the other night too well, so Rainbow was there to console her. I scurried back to my room, hearing one of the girls call my name.

"Alex, hey, wait!" Twilight called out, following me to my room. I sighed and stopped just short of my door, and turned around to look at her.

"Yeah?" I replied tiredly. She stopped herself in front of me, and looked at me, wincing a tad bit.

"Wow, Alex. Didn't get much sleep?" She asked gently, reaching out to feel the dark bags under my eyes. I jerked my head away, averting my gaze.

"No." I answered shortly. Twilight retracted her hand and nodded slowly, lacing her fingers together behind her back.

"You know, we're all wondering what happened last night." She said, breaking the silence, and looking at me with a worried look. I was a bit zoned out, so it took me a while to register what she had said. Finally, after more silence, I replied.

"Yeah. So am I." And with that, I retracted back into my room.

This cycle continued for the rest of the day. I was too ashamed, I felt too guilty to go out there and talk to them. What was I gonna say? That I didn't kiss a girl that cared about me as much as I care about her because...Because why?

That very thought struck me at about one in the morning, as I was staring at my ceiling. Why didn't I kiss her? Now that I got a chance to think about it...I guess it was only because of that fear. That same, haunting fear of the girls leaving. But...It had been months now. Close to graduation, even. And still, not even a peep from Equestria. You figured, with all of their power, they'd have found the girls by now.

I sat up in bed, thinking about this revelation. Maybe...Maybe they were here to stay, after all. But then again, that still isn't a good thing. Not for them, at least. It isn't fair that they're just stuck here in a world they're still trying to understand. The least I could do was make it as memorable for them as possible... Fluttershy, especially. I hate playing favorites, but she's dragged in just as deep as I am. I knew I'd have to do something about that.

I woke up, somehow having fallen asleep, feeling pretty tired- granted, I only got about five hours- but I managed to get myself moving all the same. I threw on some random clothes, not feeling the need to get all prettied up anymore, and stepped out into the kitchen. My boots clacked on the tile floor, which is really the only sound that was made. The girls stopped eating and stared at me. I scoffed and raised a brow.

"What?" I sighed.

"Well, it's just that we haven't seen you come out of your room in a whole day!" Pinkie informed me.

"Tact, Pinkie. Get familiar with it." I said with a slight chuckle. "At any rate, you're right, and I'm sorry. I just haven't been feeling good, is all. Really."

"Not much sleep again?" AJ asked me, raising a brow.

"Eh, not entirely. I got a few hours. I just..." I stopped, and glanced at Fluttershy. "I dunno. Whatever. Let's go to school."

I was pretty much like that with the girls for the next couple of days. Even at school, Dana and Gray noticed how sullen I had become. Of course, when I told the two what happened between me and Shy, they could kind of understand why, but that didn't stop them from giving me hell about passing up that chance.

It was Friday already, and things didn't get better, though they didn't entirely get worse. Sleep was fine, I suppose, but I found it hard to talk to Fluttershy. I couldn't even bring myself to hold her hand, I felt like she resented me after leaving her hanging. Sure, there'd be the occasional trading of words between us that wouldn't last more than a minute, but, still. It didn't feel right.

We were on our way to my car after our fifth period class, when Rainbow and Fluttershy veered off to a new direction. "I have to grab something, I'll be right back," She had told us. Naturally, Shy followed her, and we all shrugged it off. We waited at my truck for a few minutes, and we were all wondering what had happened to the two of them. Finally, we heard voices. Four of them- two girls, two boys. I was not happy at all with hearing the voices of those two boys.

"C'mon, Raven, it's Friday. There's a big party at Aaron's house, it's not like you have anything better to do!" Jake laughed, as he and Aaron were walking right behind Rainbow and Shy. I clenched my fists, and leaned against my truck, looking away and crossing my arms. Twilight must have felt the anger flowing from me, and, as such, placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"I do, actually. Not to hang out with you losers. Do you not remember the night you pushed me down when trying to get at Alex?" Rainbow retorted with a sneer.

"Oh, come on, that's water under the bridge. Besides, I found out Faith here is pretty feisty. I like feisty." Aaron purred, walking next to Shy and placing an arm around her, that she instantly shook off and bolted towards me. "Ah, c'mon, babe!" He called out, grabbing her by the wrists and pulling her back in what he thought would be a playful manner. I clenched my fists, struggling to keep my anger under control, until I heard Rainbow scream as well.

"Get off of me!" She shrieked. I looked over at Aaron put an arm around her, but he only got shoved off. Aaron looked pissed, almost enough to hit her. That's when I lost it.

"Hey!" I barked, running over to them. "Why is it that I always catch you two being idiots around my friends?" I shouted.

"Can it, Barkhorn, this doesn't involve you." Aaron scoffed. Fluttershy squirmed in his grasp, looking at me in fear. Rainbow, on the other hand, managed to give Jake a swift kick to the shin, and ran off. Shy, however, didn't have the courage to act in violence.

"Take your damn hands off of her." I growled. "Just let her go." I added, and my emotions must have gotten the better of me. Looking at Fluttershy that scared, seeing her in so much fear, and me just standing there, doing nothing...I felt horrible.

"Aw, Barkhorn, you gonna cry?" Aaron taunted.

"Let her go. Please." I whispered, slowly walking near them.

"Don't even try it, Alex. There's two of us, and one of you. We have the advantage. Ain't that right, Faith?" Aaron asked, looking down at her. I growled in anger, and was about to approach, when Jake snuck up behind me and tried to kick me in the back. Thankfully, these idiots didn't know how to properly fight, so the kick didn't hurt too bad. Still left a bruise, though. I looked over my shoulder, and did a quick back kick to his stomach, causing him to double over. Fluttershy gasped in fear, and I walked over to Aaron, who released Fluttershy.

"Who has the advantage now?" I said calmly, and he backed up, ready to fight. "I'm not gonna waste my time with you today. So I'm only gonna say this once. Get the hell outa my sight. I get sick enough from having to be in the same school as you. If I ever see you ever bother any of my friends again, it will not end well. For either of us." There was an eerie tone in my voice, a threatening one, as I spoke. "In fact, if I see you outside of school, it won't end well."

Jake made it back to his feet, and ran over to Aaron, who caught up to him. "Then you won't see us, next time." He said, running off with Jake. When they were out of sight, I groaned, feeling my back. No permanent damage, but it still hurt like hell.

"Are you alright, Alex?" Twilight asked. I turned around to see the girls all crowded around Dash and Shy, with the latter looking to the ground in shame. I walked up to her, and the girls backed up a step.

"Fluttershy...Are you okay?" I asked gently, cupping her face in my hands.

"Y-yes..." She whispered. Her eyes began to water, and she let her hair cover her face again. "I-I'm sorry, Alex...I'm sorry I caused trouble for you again...I always cause trouble for you, I'm so-"

"Don't be sorry. I'm the one who's sorry." I interjected. She looked up at me, a bit confused, before I brought my lips to her, pulling her into my embrace. It must have come as a shock to her, hearing her give a mild squeak of surprise, but she quickly accepted it, and I felt her arms wrap around my shoulders. I heard Rarity, Twilight, and Pinkie all give out a little, 'Aw.' Though, Rainbow and AJ both let out small chuckles. I pulled away, and looked at a smiling Fluttershy.

"It's back..." She said quietly.

"What is?" I asked, smiling widely.

"That...That little light in your eyes, it lights up when your happy." She said sweetly. I laughed lightly, and hugged her tightly.

I'm happy when I'm with you... I thought to myself.

That was that. If you were looking at it from a certain view, we were officially dating. Though, we never called it that. We preferred saying we were just together. Mr. Donnovan and our third period class practically gushed everywhere because of it.

"It's so cute!" Or, "Aw, you guys look great together!" And, my personal favorite, "You guys are such a perfect couple!"

Things were now back on track. Mom said that she was close to finishing things on her end and would be home soon, I started looking for places to move into after school, and my grades were starting to pick up. We were so close to graduation, I could almost taste it.

Gray and Dana were over, helping me look for places to move into- Turns out, we were all planning on attending the same University, thank god. We were all keeping tabs on different places with different price ranges, and I got up to get us all a drink. Someone whispered something, and everyone laughed.

"Alright, who's talking smack?" I called back to them. "Pinkie?"

"Nuh-uh, not me!" She called back. I smirked and shook my head in amusement, going back to them. I was about to sit back down, when I heard a knock at my door.

"Huh. Wonder who that could be..." I mused aloud, checking the time. Almost nine at night. "And at this time...You guys stay put. I'll be back in a sec." I told them. I wandered over to the door, and slowly opened it. Standing there, was a face I never thought I'd see- then again, with my luck, I couldn't say I was too surprised.

Chapter 34

"Hello, Alex." The man in front of me, James Callaghan, my father, said to me with a small smile. I noticed he had the same midnight blue eyes as me, but resembled my brother in facial structure. His medium length dark brown hair was graying ever so slowly, in that distinguished sideburns-only kind of way, and there were a few strands of grey in his full goatee. I stood there, staring and unmoving.

"...Hello." Was all I managed to say, as surprise had my tongue at the moment. Another few silent moments, until he removed his hands from the pockets of his slimming suit.

"Can I come in?" He asked. I don't know what came over me and why I didn't just slam the door in his fucking face, but I decided to humor him and let him in. I led him into the living room, and Dana and Gray, knowing who this was, stared at me with wide eyes- unfortunately, the girls were in the dark as to who this man was.

"Hello, Gray. How's your father?" He asked, as if everything were hunky-dory with my friends.

"...Fine." Was all Gray replied with. James gave an uncomfortable clearing of the throat, before looking at the girls.

"More friends, son?" He asked me. I nodded, but didn't bother with the introductions. Though, when he called me 'son', the girls' expressions changed, knowing who this was.

We talked for a while, about incredibly trivial things, including school, my relationship with Shy, and other nonsense, and I tried my hardest to stay civil with him. He must have wanted to say something if he had the balls to come visit me.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again," I said dryly, taking a seat next to Fluttershy, who grabbed y hand in support and gave it a light squeeze.

"Well, I'd assume so... And, Alex, I'm sorry about leaving you and Nick. It's just... Things were tough. Your mother and I-"

"Let's not go down that road, James." I interrupted quickly. He chuckled softly and looked at me.

"You can call me Dad, Alex. It's okay." He said, sounding a bit Hurt. I only gave him a look as if he were stupid.

"I just wanted to see you graduate. Me and Kate are here-"

"Kate? Remarried already, huh?" I scoffed.

"Alex, it's been almost fifteen years. I moved on. Why can't you and June do the same? Even at Nick's funeral, you couldn't even talk to me.."

"Don't talk to me about moving on." I said angrily, standing up and beginning to pace around. "Why did you come by." I demanded.

"... I just wanted to see my boy graduate." He sighed, standing up and producing a small envelope. "I'm proud of you, son. And I wanted to give you a gift," He told me, handing me the envolope.

"What is this?" I asked, opening the seal. Inside was a check- a quite generous one.

"Your college tuition, paid in full. Probably some extra just in case, what with your birthday coming up next month, I figured it'd be appropriate." He said with a smile. I looked at it, then back at him, my face cold and unmoving.

"... I don't want your money." I told him.

"Lex, really, it isn't a big deal, go ahead and take it-"

"I said I don't want it." I insisted angrily.

"Alex, please, just take it. Ever since you were just a kid your mother wouldn't let you accept the money I would send, so please-"

"That's because I didn't need money! I needed a father!" I shouted, surprising everyone in the room- myself included.

"What did you want me to do, Alex? Stay and be miserable? For your mother to be miserable? We both know you wouldn't want that!" He retorted.

"No! Of course not! But when something is broken, you fix it, not just throw it away! Turn your back on your family, just move to the opposite side of the country!" I cried out. There was a moment of silence, but then, I ripped up the check and tossed it aside. "Go." I whispered.

"Son..." He said softly, reaching out to me. I jerked back, avoiding his touch like the plague.

"Go... I'm not your son..." I sniveled. He got the hint, and nodded, stepping towards the front door. He stopped and looked back at me with a small smile.

"I'm very proud of you. You've grown into a fine young man. Your mother's very proud of you, too. Goodbye." He said.

"... Thanks." I huffed. I heard the door close, and stood still, letting my hair cover my eyes like a veil. Someone approached me, and I saw it was Gray.

"... Alex, I..." Gray began. "I'm sorry."

"Ya know, actually, this works out better. Now there won't be a surprise come graduation day." I said confidently, though judging by the look on Gray's face, he was about convinced as I was that I was alright at the moment. The girls all stood up, remaining quiet, but they were looking back and forth between me and Gray. Fluttershy looked like she wanted to approach me, and outstretched her arm by just a bit, but didn't budge.

"Alex, it's alright to be angry." Dana told me. I chuckled and shook my head.

"Heh. Why should I be angry? I mean, at least he gave me a proper goodbye this time, ya know?" I sighed.

"Still, Alex, I'm sorry, I mean, I wish I could-"

"You know, guys, there's nothing you have to do, alright? Not like I'm still a kid, asking my brother and my mom why dad left. I mean, I did fine without him, right?" I asked, still smiling, but I felt my breath become quicker. The girls and Gray all nodded in response to my question. "I learned how to throw my first baseball without the bum, I learned how to drive- mind you my brother helped- I learned how to fight without him, right man?" I asked quickly, though didn't give Gray enough time to do more than just nod. "I had almost fifteen awesome birthdays without him, he never so much as fucking called, though, so he can just go to hell!" I screamed, looking at the door where he had just exited. Grayson looked at me, tears brimming in his eyes, as he stared at me. Dana approached Gray's side, and I noticed they were all looking at me the same. Those horrible, tearful, sympathetic eyes that wanted nothing more than to just make all my pain vanish. My emotional wall began to crumble, and I scoffed. "I didn't need him then, and I don't need him now." I hissed, beginning to walk away.

"Alex, wait-" Gray called, going to grab me by the arm, but I jerked it away from him before he could hold me back.

"No, Gray, you know what? I don't fucking need that guy. I'm going to get through college without him. I'm gonna make a career, I'm gonna make a name for myself without his help! And I'm going to find the girl of my dreams and marry her, and I'm gonna have a little boy and little girl with her, a whole bunch of kids, and I'm gonna be a better father than he ever was! And I sure as hell don't need him for that! Because there isn't a fucking thing he can tell me about how to love my kids!" I shouted, tears pricking at my eyes. They fell from my eyes like a busted faucet, and Gray was staring at me, into my eyes, with so much pain and hurt.

"Alex..." Fluttershy whispered, walking to Gray's side and grasping my hand. I looked down at her, crying silently, before looking back up at Gray.

"...How come he doesn't want me, Gray?" I croaked. I was about to fall to my knees to just sob there and wallow in my pain, but Grayson shot his arms out and pulled me into a tight embrace, holding onto me as we both cried.

That night, we tried to forget that everything in the past couple of hours hadn't even happened, but there was enough awkward silence to last me a lifetime, so Gray and Dana decided to head home.

"We'll look for more places tomorrow, Alex." Dana said, patting me on the shoulder. Though, that wasn't enough for her, so she pulled me into another embrace. "You're gonna be okay." She said with a sniffle. I chuckled lightly, hugging her back. "Thanks, Dana. I'll see you at school." I told her. She broke the embrace, and headed into Gray's car. I sighed and leaned against the doorway, watching them drive off into the night, before a soft touch grabbed at my hand.

"Are you alright, Alex?" Fluttershy asked, looking up at me with concerned eyes.

"...No." I answered truthfully. "But, don't worry about me. I'll be fine, eventually." I said quietly. I moved a strand of hair out of her face. I leaned down to give her a quick peck on the lips, and she smiled sweetly.

"If you insist. Now, come on. We should go to bed. We only have a few weeks left of school, so let's just get it over with." She said gently, leading me into the room.

I didn't get a wink of sleep that night, to be honest, but it gave me time to do some thinking. I had gotten along just fine without the guy. To be honest, I can't remember thinking about any of the things I had told Gray, but it was all true. James left me and my brother almost fifteen years ago. Did I need him? Hell no. We got along just fine without that prick, and I turned out alright. Sure, there were a few slip ups, things could have gone differently, but I was still a better person.

I learned how to be a man without him- a real man. Not just some schmuck who tried to hide all of my pain. And I'll be a better father than him.

Father...

I turned my head to look at Fluttershy, who was sleeping peacefully in the bed next to me, albeit with her hair strewn across her face. I smiled, and grabbed at her hands, and sighed. What if...Just, what if this all works out. I manage to marry the girl of my dreams, regardless of where she hails from. I'll be happy. I'll be a good husband. And I'll be there for my kids. I'll be a good father. A damn good father. Normally, I like to learn from my mistakes. But, since I've yet to make any in this particular department, I'll just learn from James.

Chapter 35

"Oh, yeah! Three days left!" A friend of mine, Seth, said after third period that Friday. I chuckled and looked over at him.

"Well, for me. You still have another two years left in this hellhole." I reminded him.

"Eugh, don't remind me!" He groaned. Sherry, another friend of mine and Seth's, snickered as well. I looked back at her and laughed as well.

"What're you laughin' at! You got another three years, Freshman!" I laughed, playfully nudging her.

"Well, excuse us, old man, but I don't have much control of my age." She retorted.

"...Point taken." Was all I replied with.

"At any rate, it's not gonna be the same next year. Without all of you, that is." Seth sighed, looking at me and the others.

"Well, I'm sure you'll all survive just fine without us." Twilight said with a small smile.

"Besides, it ain't like you known us fer too long, anyway. We just got here." Applejack informed him.

"Still, you all became our friends. Doesn't mean we can't miss you, right?" Sherry reminded us.

"Yeah, you gotta point there." Dash replied with a slight chuckle.

"Besides, you brought my buddy outa his funk! Well, one of you," Seth chuckled, nudging me and looking at Fluttershy.

"That's true," Sherry added. "He definitely seems happier. Less cynical. Thanks, Faith."

"O-oh, um...You're welcome..." Fluttershy replied quietly, averting her gaze to the ground but smiling happily.

"Alright, come on now. I gotta reputation to keep. Can't hold onto it if you keep going on about how not-cynical and snarky I am." I chuckled, eliciting laughter from the group.

We parted ways when we got to the parking lot, and, since we'd see each other in school for the last time that next Tuesday, it was a kinda emotional goodbye. I mean, there were a lot of people in school I did and didn't like, and Grayson was definitely my best friend through anything, but Seth and Sherry...I had just met Sherry that year and Seth the year before, but they were still really good friends. And since I wouldn't be in school with them anymore, it was safe to assume I wouldn't see them much at all.

"Are you alright, Alex?" Rarity asked me on the ride home.

"Yeah, I'm fine...It's just...Surreal, you know? I'm graduating. I'm moving ahead in life. It's a huge step. But, at the same time...I'm gonna miss the experience. I'm gonna miss it all. And I regret not taking chances, and doing all that stupid crap when I was a kid." I replied sadly.

"Oh..." Rarity sighed. "Well, think of it this way, Alex. Those decisions made you who you are today." She told me.

"She's right," Twilight chimed in. "You're all still you, no matter what happened. You shouldn't have to regret anything."

"Thanks, girls." I said with a smile. When we got home, I found that Gray and Dana had beat us there, and were waiting outside his car, leaning against the driver door. He smiled when he saw us pull in, and waved, and walked with us inside the house.

"Come on, Alex," Gray said, when I told him what I had told the girls in the car. "You may have made some mistakes back then, but it's not like it completely ruined you." He informed me. I stopped dead in my tracks, as I was mixing together a salad, to stare at Gray as if he were stupid, and I heard Dana snicker. "...Okay. They were some pretty bad mistakes. But, you're still here. You're still you. You're still my best friend, and I wouldn't have you any other way."

"Thanks, Gray," I murmured. "It's just...It's crazy, ya know? We're outa here. We're outa high school, we're going to college. Getting jobs, going to a University. It's all happening so fast. And with this current situation, I dunno how we're gonna manage."

"We will," Dana assured me. "We can get through anything, Alex. You know that." I sighed, and nodded, giving her a small smile.

"Yeah. You're right, Dana."

"Right about what?" Fluttershy asked, walking in the kitchen.

"Ah, nothing," I replied, giving her a quick kiss as she made her way to me. "Just me freaking out, like usual."

"And, like usual, Gray and Dana are here to remind you that you're just being crazy and spazzing out over nothing?" Rainbow asked, walking in as well, followed by the others.

"Pretty much." I replied with a chuckle. We lounged around for the next couple hours, when Gray suddenly shushed everyone, and muted the television.

"Gray, what the-" I was cut off when he shushed me again, and I heard it as well. The light rumbling of a garage door opening. Gray and I stared at each other in fear. It was the rumbling of the garage door opening. And only one person had the remote to that garage.

"...Seven hells!" Gray and I screamed at the same time, scrambling to our feet.

"What, what is it?!" Twilight asked in fear.

"Is it Jake and Aaron?!" Dash asked, and looked about ready to throw a couple of blows.

"No, it's..." I started, but heard a door open.

"Alex! I'm home early!"

"It's my mom!" I squeaked in fear. My mother walked into the kitchen and looked over into the room we were in, and was smiling, but it faltered when she saw everyone in the room.

"Hey, Grayson, Dana...Alex, who are these? More friends?" She asked pleasantly, but Gray, Dana and I knew that tone. She wasn't being pleasant. She was pissed that there were so many people in the house.

"Uh...Y-yeah, they're new to town." I replied, breathing quickly and twitching my hand to flex open and closed.

"Oh? All of them?" She asked, setting her suitcases down.

"...Yes?" I replied, but Dana nudged me in the back. "I mean, yeah, they are."

"Oh, I see..." She nodded, crossing her arms and observing the girls. "It's a pleasure, girls. My name's June, Alex's mother." The girls all gave different hello's, save for Fluttershy, who grabbed my hand and hid behind me. "Is she okay?" My mother asked worriedly.

"She's Shy." I explained with a slight chuckle.

"Oh, is she your girlfriend, then?" My mom asked with a smile.

"Whh-what gave you that idea!?" I almost shrieked. She looked down at our interlocked hands, and back up at me. If my dominant hand were free, I'd have facepalmed right there. "...Yeah, she is. This is Faith. Faith Sherman. Faith, this is my mother, June Barkhorn." I said, and prayed to every deity I could think of that Fluttershy would at least say hello. Much to my surprise, I was wrong.

"Hello, ma'am. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Fluttershy's soft voice rang out. My hand was freed, and I saw Shy was holding a hand out to my mom. She took it happily and gave it a shake.

"Likewise, Faith." She retracted her hand, and Shy grabbed hold of mine, while my mom walked to the kitchen for a water. "So, where do you all live? Around here, I'm guessing?" She asked. There was a long moment of silence, before I answered.

"Um, kinda, yeah." I stammered.

I couldn't do this. I can lie my way out of anything at school, and talk my way out of most scuffles. But this was my mother.I can't lie to this woman. Not to save my life. Not just because it's a big no-no to lie to parents, but this was my mother. I'd feel terrible for lying to her about stealing a cookie from the cabinet. That's just how I am with my mom.

"What do you mean, 'kinda'?" My mom asked suspiciously.

"Alex, go ahead." Dana said with a nod.

"Alex, what's going on?" My mom demanded. I sighed in defeat, and tried to think of a way to explain things.

"...Mom. Do you believe in miracles?" I started. She quirked a brow, but decided to play along.

"Of course I do. Why?" She asked, but I could tell her tone was more curious and worried than it was upset and accusing.

"...You remember how...I wasn't really all...'there' for a while?" I asked, pointing at my head. The topic made her uncomfortable, but she still nodded. "Because...I think it's a miracle...You know that show I've been watching, too? My Little Pony?" I asked.

"Yes, Alex. What's the matter? What's this have to do with where they live?" She asked. I sighed again, shaking my head.

"Mom...The night you left to Vegas, I was out with Gray. We were walking, talking about My Little Pony and having a nice night. Then, he had to go, and it was just me...So, I left home, but...There was this strange presence, this weird feeling...Then, a miracle happened. These girls, they just appeared-"

"Okay, time out." my mom interrupted, causing me to clench my fists in annoyance. She knows I hate being interrupted. "You're not serious, are you? These girls...They remind me of the ponies you'd draw. The hair, and-"

"Mom, I'm not joking." I said, as seriously as I could. "They just...They just appeared, like magic...But mom, they've taught me so much."

"Enough, Alex. This isn't funny anymore. Who are these girls?" She asked, beyond mad.

"Mom, for Christ's sake, listen to me! I'm not lying! These girls, they're those ponies! Ask Gray, ask Dana- hell, even Christine believes me!...Why can't you?" My mom didn't reply to me for a while, only stared at the girls as if they were her own kids she was scolding.

"...What do you mean, 'they taught you so much'?" She asked slowly. I smiled, and gave my reply.

"I can finally be happy. They taught me things I already knew, but, they just made it that much more clear. Mom, I...I was in a dark place. For a long time. But, these girls...They helped me through it. They let me know that there is good in this world. They assured me that things could be okay, in time. They just...They've done so much for me, mom," I started to choke up a bit, as emotions rushed into my mind. "I owe these girls so much...They've showed me kindness I will never forget."

My mom must have started to believe me, as her eyes softened as she listened to me speak. But that last inch of skepticism was still in her. "Alex, this is rediculous. This makes no sense!"

"As much sense as your 'God' that couldn't help me when I needed it?!" I snapped. "...I...I'm sorry, mom, but...If you believe in miracles, you'll believe that these girls were my miracle." My mom was about to argue back, when we heard the doorbell ring. I took that as an opportunity to get the hell out of there, but, when I looked through the peephole, I looked back at my mom. "You have to believe me...And if you don't, I have one last piece of proof." I said calmly, opening the door.

"Hello," The person at the voice began in a gently voice. "I'm looking for some friends of mine, that I believe may be here. Is it alright if I come in?"

I could swear I heard the six girls' jaws drop like anvils, but I nodded, allowing the stranger in.

At least, mom thought it was a stranger.

Chapter 36

"No..." I whispered to myself, lowering my head and shaking it, almost as if I were trying to erase everything like an etch-a-sketch.

Standing in front of me, tall, elegant, and beautiful, was a very human Princess Celestia, in a long, beautiful flowing gown. Her hair, I just...I just want to know how it was still so beautiful, so flowing.

Accompanying her was her sister, Luna, who was dressed very similarly, only in a deep midnight blue, and Twilight's brother, Shining Armor, in surprisingly casual clothing- a white collared shirt with a dark blue tie, and black slacks. Well, it was safe to assume that's who they were- they all looked very similar to common humanization drawings I've seen around the net.

"No?" Celestia replied, walking in. She must not have known I was talking to myself when I had said that.

"Young human, I demand you tell us where Twilight Sparkle and her friends are!" Luna demanded. To be honest, it was hard to take her seriously- she didn't look any older than myself at this point, and she was my height exactly, but the gravity of the situation was too heavy for me to crack wise.

"Shining!" I heard Twilight cry.

"Twilie!" Shining called back, as the two ran to eachother, embracing awkwardly, with Shining obviously having a hard time adjusting to his new body. I had to turn my head at the sight. As much as I wanted to be happy for her, I just...couldn't watch it.

"You lied to us?! How dare you!" Luna shouted. I winced, looking back at my mom, who was standing with a facial expression that just screamed, 'I don't even.'

"Sister, please," Celestia said soothingly. She looked back at me, and smiled warmly, seemingly putting me in a trance. "What is your name?"

"My name...It's Alex. Alex Barkhorn." I replied, keeping my chin held high.

"Alex Barkhorn. My name is-"

"Princess Celestia." I interjected.

"And you're Princess Luna," Gray spoke up, walking to my side.

"So that makes you Shining Armor," Dana chimed in, walking to my other side. Celestia smiled, and nodded her head.

"It seems you know much about us." She surmised, causing the three of us to nod slowly. "I assume this is due to the television program you watch us on?" She then said, causing the three of us to give her looks of shock.

"You...How'd you know?" I gasped. She chuckled lightly.

"Magic is a very powerful thing, child." She replied.

"Okay, time out!" My mother nearly shrieked. Everyone turned to look at her, and she was practically fuming.

"Mom...Calm down-"

"Don't tell me to be calm, Alex! I demand to know why I have all these strangers in my home!" She shouted, clearly more distressed than angry. Celestia walked towards my mother with a most elegant gait, placing a hand on my mother's shoulder, and smiling. Thankfully, this calmed my mother.

"I can understand how very confusing this all may seem, Mrs...?"

"June...June Barkhorn." My mother replied through clenched teeth.

"Mrs. Barkhorn. But I can promise you that we will answer any and all questions you have. But for now, I suggest, for everyone's sake, we all take a moment to calm ourselves. Is that alright?" Just the gentle tone Celestia used seem to be working it's magic on my mother, who looked around the room, and slowly nodded.

My mother led us to the den near the kitchen, sitting us down on the couch, recliner, floor, and just about anywhere we could fit. I helped my mother prepare iced tea for everyone, and was worried to death at how quiet she was. When everyone was comfortable, I sighed and leaned back against the kitchen island, and waited for someone to speak. After a few queit minutes, Celestia was the first to speak.

"Well, then, Mrs. Barkhorn-"

"Call me June." My mother said quickly. I sighed a quiet breath of relief. If she was allowing them to use her first name, this might not turn out too bad.

"Alright. June, my name is Princess Celestia. I come from the land known as Equestria. It is a world far different from yours, with a far different society." She began.

"Let me guess. Ponies?" My mother scoffed. Celesita, seemingly unphased by my mother's barbed tongue, nodded.

"That's right. My sister and I, Luna," She took a moment to gesture to her younger sister. "Rule the land together..."

She then took the time to fill my mother in on all the details. How Twilight was her prized student, sending her to Ponyville, the Nightmare Moon incident- which was, let me tell ya, the grandest meaning of the word 'awkward'- and all of the crazy adventures. Just as Dana would put it, and as my mom seemed to be thinking, it all seemed too outrageous to not believe. About halfway through, Christine even had to make a drive over, as my mom was just having too much difficulty to comprehend it all. When she finished, nearly an hour later, she let the information sink in.

"...Okay." Was all she whispered.

"What do you mean, okay?" I asked my mother.

"...Alright. I believe you. I believe you, son." I smiled and nodded, before turning to look back at Celestia. I was about to send her a flurry of different questions, but she detected this, and held up a hand.

"I understand you have many questions for you, child. But I have questions of my own." She said in a rather stern voice. I gulped and meekly nodded my head. "First off, how did these six come to be in your presence?"

I sighed, and took a few minutes to relive the memories. Looking over at the girls, who were all giving me strong smiles, and Fluttershy, who approached my side and took hold of my hand (catching the princess off guard, by the way) I explained my story to them. I told her everything that has happened in the past few months, which, in turn, had me explain Nick, a few other things as well, and how Christine helped me with the girls.

My mother wasn't too psyched that I had a family friend help forge documents, but, I ignored her for the time being.

I told her what happened over the course of the following months. The memories of the girls, how I had to help them adjust, the stories of their hardships and overcoming those hardships. I told her how I treated them like family, and how grateful I was to them all. I didn't even realize until I was done that I had been crying as I spoke. My mother, Christine, anf Fluttershy were crying along with me, my mother especially.

"Alex...Why didn't you tell me any of those things?" She asked, referring to my scars. I sniveled and shook my head.

"I-I...I didn't want you to worry...I didn't want you to judge me..." I replied, lowering my head.

"Oh, son," My mother said gently, embracing me. "I would never...You're my son, and I love you, no matter what," She said through tears, gently rubbing my back. "I wish you could have told me...I wish I could have helped you, and be a better mother for you...I had no idea..." She couldn't finish what she was saying, she was sobbing so hard.

"No, mom, please. Don't cry. You are a great mother...I'd be dead without you, mom...You, Christine, Gray and Dana...All of you..." I struggled so hard to keep the tears in. I've had enough crying to last me a lifetime at that point. When we managed to calm down, I looked back at Celestia, Luna and Shining, who all had warm smiles.

"It seems I have been worrying for no reason, then. My faithful students have been in caring hands this whole time. It is very comforting to know this." She approached me, and placed her hands on my shoulders. "You tell a strong tale, Alex. And you yourself are a very, very strong individual. I cannot express how grateful I am to you for watching over my little ponies- well, rather. My little students." She chuckled, eliciting a laugh from the others. "I cannot thank you enough for caring for them as you have. For teaching them lessons I hope they never forget."

"No, Princess," I shook my head, smiling at her. "It's them I should be thanking. They've done so much for me, I...I can't begin to express how much it means to me. I don't know where I'd be right now if not for them."

Celestia smiled knowingly, before sighing. "Well...Then it shall pain me to say this, Alex, but..."

I already knew where this was heading, and the tears were already spewing out of my eyes. I felt my mother approach and grab my free hand.

"I'm afraid I must bring them home. This world is not meant for them. We all know that." She gave me sympathetic eyes, placing her hands back on my shoulders.

"I-I know..." I sputtered. "I just...I..."

"Excuse me, Princess..." I heard Twilight say. All the attention went to her, and she cleared her throat, before speaking again. "Well...Since we have been attending school with Alex...I-I mean, this is the last week of school. And since we're in the same class as Alex, that means...We graduate this week." I smiled, along with the others in the room, knowing full well what she was getting at. "So, um...Would it be alright, if, maybe, we all remained here until we graduate alongside Alex?" She twiddled her thumbs nervously, awaiting a reply. Celestia raised a skeptical brow at Twilight, until, she smiled and sighed, closing her eyes and nodding her head.

"I suppose that is alright." She replied. The girls, Dana, and Gray all cheered in joy, hugging myself, eachother, and even my mother. I could tell this was all so much for her to handle, but I could also tell that she was happy that I was happy, and that's all that matters to me.

"I still have questions, though." I reminded her. "How...Exactly how did you get here? How did you even find out where they were?" I inquired. The others listened, as eager to hear an explanation as myself. Celestia chuckled to herself, and pointed at her forehead, where her horn would be.

"Magic, my child. As I said, it is a wonderful things. What Twilight used was a very, very difficult inter-dimensional transportation spell, perfected only by Starswirl the Bearded. The past few weeks, I have been slaving over the various spell books, until, finally, I perfected the spell myself. It seems as if Twilight's spell was too weak- which only makes sense, since she didn't finish the spell, so is now unable to use magic in this form." She paused for a moment, before outstretching her hand. Her hand began to glow a faint yellow aura, and, seconds later, the glass on the end table began to glow the same aura, and floated to her hand. It was a struggle to keep my attention focused on her, and not the dumbfounded expressions I expected to see on my mother and Christine's faces.

"Fair enough," I replied with a small smirk.

That night, my mother and I tag-teamed to prepare a beautiful dinner for everyone, with Pinkie swapping in for me when it was time to bake. She got along very well with my mother, with her positive attitude. In fact, my mother quickly warmed up to all the strangers at her dinner table. But, it didn't matter. We were all friends, enjoying eachother's company. After dinner, Gray and Dana left, after giving everyone hugs and other such nonsense. After they left, my mother turned to the royalty in the room and spoke.

"I assume this means you'll all be staying here for a while." Celestia nodded her head.

"Yes, it seems so. I apologize if it's any imposition." She said, giving a slight bow of her head.

"Oh, no...It's alright. From what I've heard, it's really the least I could do. You've all done so much, as indirectly as it seems, for my son." She said, placing an arm around my shoulder. "So, Celestia, and Luna. You two can share my room, and...Shining Armor can room with the girls. Which means I get the couch." My mother offered.

"No, June, I could never-" Celestia began, but my mother held up a hand and shook her head, revealing a gentle smile.

"Please, I insist. It's really no big deal." She assured them. Celestia and Luna smiled gratefully, nodding their heads.

"Thank you very much. We are very grateful." Luna spoke up, bowing her head as her sister did moments ago.

We all settled into our respective rooms, but I stepped out, walking up to my mother who was readying the couch for herself.

"Mom, I...I can't begin to explain how much this means to me." I said quietly.

"No, Alex. It's alright. I'm just...It's a lot to take in. But, that happiness, the one I see in you...That's the son I haven't seen in a long time. And I'm glad to see you happy again. That's all I want. If this is what makes you happy, I have no problem doing anything I can for you." She explained. I smiled, and gave her a big hug.

"I love you, mom." I whispered.

"And I love you, son," She replied. "Go get some rest." She told me, breaking the hug by pulling away. I nodded, heading to my room and shutting the door, laying on my bed while staring at the ceiling. The events of that day raced through my mind, until my brain had enough and practically forced a shut down, allowing a gentle sleep to take over.

Chapter 37

"Good morning, everyone." My mother greeted as we all filed in the backyard for breakfast.

"And good morning to you, June." Celestia greeted with a smile, sitting down in one of the patio chairs. I myself grabbed a couple extra folding chairs to make room for everyone.

"Did you all sleep well?" Mom asked everyone, earning nods or verbal responses from everyone. "That's good. How about the three of you, did you all have a smooth first night?" She asked, turning her attention to Celestia, Luna, and Shining, who all nodded.

"Yes. While it is very difficult adjusting to your human form, we managed well all the same." Luna replied, and I couldn't help but chuckle. We seriously had to do something about her way of speaking. Twilight, who was sitting across from me, also giggled, most likely having the same thoughts as me. Luna glanced over at us, and cleared her throat. "I-I mean...It was kind of hard adjusting, but, yes. I slept fine." She restated, in a much softer tone.

"That's good to hear," I spoke up, smiling.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Rainbow asked, sitting back in her chair and sighing contently.

"Dunno," I shrugged in response. "I guess just hang out." After a small moment of silence, I then looked at Celestia. "By the way, Princess."

"Yes?" She responded with a small smile.

"Is there anything you can do about Twilight and Rarity's magic? Since you're able to use it, I'd only assume you can help them out."

Celestia shook her head, looking at the two. "Unfortunately, I haven't perfected the spell myself. In order to use the magic in your new form, you have to do the spell right the first time. If they were to revert back, and then change to human form once more, with the perfected spell, they could use magic. I have no effect on them at this point." She explained.

"Can't you just change them back?" Shining asked.

"Better yet," My mother cut in, causing all of us to look her way. "If they can't use magic, how can they even revert back?"

Everyone was silent, realizing my mother was right. How could they change back if Twilight couldn't use her magic?

"I'm currently working on a solution to that." Luna announced. "I offered my help to my sister, as I felt it would be a burden to have to master all of these powerful spells. Starswirl's writings are very vague, but I feel I understand more every time I study the spell."

"Well, that's good," Mom said with a smile. "Breakfast is ready!"

After finishing breakfast, I showed the newcomers around my house and told them a bit about the neighborhood. They were older and seemed more capable of handling these things, so I didn't have to worry too much if they wanted to walk out for a stroll. Shining spent time with his sister, eager to listen to her stories and what she's encountered. Celestia did everything she could to help my mother- she thought of it as a way of repayment, even though my mother put up quite a fight, not feeling right to have royalty help her with the cleaning. I actually couldn't find Luna for a while, until I heard her, Applejack, and Rainbow shouting from my room, of all places. Fluttershy and I, who were sitting out back with Rarity and Pinkie, excused ourselves to go see just what the hell they were doing. When we walked in, I saw them all sitting in front of my tv, playing one of my video games, Marvel vs. Capcom 3. AJ was rolling on the ground in laughter, most likely at the utterly dumbfounded look on Rainbow's face. Luna was grinning smugly, and looked up at me.

"Hello, Alex." She greeted from her seated position on the floor, in front of my couch.

"Uh...Hey, Luna. What's going on?" I asked, walking in and observing the screen. My eyes grew a few inches when I observed the win/loss ratios. She had beaten RD almost five times straight!

"We're playing these...'Video games', as you call them. We don't have anything nearly as entertaining in Equestria! Would you like to play?" She asked with a smile.

"Um..." I began with a snicker. Oh, man. I couldn't ruin poor Luna's fun here. I go HAM on MvC3, I couldn't spoil her fun.

"Please?" She asked, her deep blue eyes pointing at mine.

"If you insist," I sighed. I picked my usual team, and yawned, sitting on my couch, with Fluttershy taking a seat next to me. The match started, and I had trouble keeping up with her character's torrent of attacks. I started to panic as she picked off two of my three characters, until, somehow, she won.

"What?!" I choked, standing up, and causing Rainbow and AJ to burst out in wild laughter. "What?!" I repeated, utterly dumbfounded.

"That was much more difficult than when I played against those two," Luna said with a giggle, crossing her legs and looking up at me.

"...What." I muttered. "No, okay. I haven't even played this in months. Plus, I didn't even try. Let's go again." I said, straining to keep my patience in line.

"Guys, you gotta check this out!" Rainbow shouted out my door.

"What's with the yelling?" Mom asked, walking in with Celestia. Soon enough, everyone else crowded in to see me get my ass handed to me. I managed to win once, but Luna was a freakin' master at this game. I even put in other games- Call of Duty, Soul Caliber, and a few others I had downloaded, and she took to it like a fish takes to water!

"Okay, I give up." I scoffed, flinging my controller onto the couch and standing up. The girls began chuckling, and I couldn't help but snicker myself.

"Well done, Little sister. I believe you've gotten Alex's approval." Celestia said, obviously joking and looking over at me. While the look on my face looked angry, or upset, I actually wore a huge grin, thinking it was the funniest thing in the world that Luna was a gamer, and that she kicked my ass.

"Yeah, time for me to take my leave. I do think that I've taken enough ribbing today." I chuckled, eliciting laughter from the others.

Everyone went back to what they were doing, and Luna, RD, and AJ joined us in the back. It's strange, after talking with them all, excluding Luna...It felt weird. Like, they weren't ponies anymore. Well, okay, they obviously weren't, but, I mean.. They seemed human. They had all adjusted perfectly well.

It didn't seem right. They didn't belong here, did they? I felt horrible, thinking about something like that, but I knew that it just wasn't their place to stay here, and it wasn't mine to ask that they stay.

"Alex?" Fluttershy called out, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Uh, yeah?" I replied, sitting up straight.

"Is everything alright?" Luna asked, looking at me in concern.

"Oh, he's fine. Alex tends to just slip off in his own little world from time to time." Rainbow jested. I was about to speak in my defense, when my mother interrupted me.

"It's kinda like talking to a brick wall." She added. I looked over at her, mouth ajar in offense, when the others began to burst out into a giggle fit.

"Oh, please! I get it from you!" I shot back, grinning at my mother.

"Yes, yes. It's all true." My mother said, sighing in defeat. Sharing another laugh, we dropped the situation as quickly as it popped up.

It felt like we had all come together as a little family, and it felt like a huge relief for me and my mother. Things were usually lonely, with just the two of us, so we both needed this. Breakfasts and dinner were always together, and my mother got some gardening done with the help of the sisters, with Shining most likely doing the heavy lifting or other work.

Enough about them, though. Gray and Dana came over that Sunday night, because we had to study hard for the upcoming finals, especially with one having already passed. (We took Wednesday's final early, because Seniors had to go to graduation rehearsal Wednesday.) Celestia was rather impressed, with Twilight especially, at how hard we studied and worked together.

And it was all for the best. While our fellow students would groan, sigh, and scoff at the questions on the exams, the girls, Dana, Gray and I all breezed through them. Wednesday had come, and we were all getting ready to drive down to the event's center in town, where graduation ceremonies were held.

"So, Celestia, Shining, Luna," Christine began, walking into the kitchen with Shy and I. "How are you adjusting to Earth?"

"Quite well, thank you," Celestia replied. "We had some prior knowledge to this dimension, as Starswirl seemed to have encountered a human- which explains how he came across this spell in the first place."

"You're kidding?" I gawked, standing up straight. "A human went to Equestria? Who? When?"

"No one knows the name- Starswirl's writings were damaged throughout time. Though, judging by the writings and drawings, her name might begin with either an L or F. It seems as if that's what Starswirl would write next to her." Shining spoke up, leaning against the wall with crossed arms.

I couldn't help but chuckle, as I was pretty sure who it might be. But, I dropped the situation all the same.

We wasted no time getting to the rehearsal, which I honestly believed to be the biggest waste of a Wednesday if I ever saw one. It was essentially all crap we covered in school- Walk one at a time, grab the diploma with this hand, shake the old guy's hand with the other, walk down, blah blah blah yawn-o-rama. Though, I heard Pinkie and Rainbow plan a fun little prank involving a beach ball. So, it wasn't all that bad.

"Like I said. Waste of two hours." I scoffed, walking back into the kitchen when we returned home.

"Better than being at school," Applejack cut in, getting a slight chuckle out of me.

"She's gotta point," Pinkie added with a wink.

"So, three more days..." I sighed after a few moments of silence. The girls all gave me silent nods.

"I'm sorry, Alex." Celestia said with a gentle smile.

"Look, don't be," I replied. "It's for the best, really." I sighed and grabbed Fluttershy's hand, as her hand gave mine a gentle, comforting squeeze. "I understand, I completely understand. They don't belong here- they have lives back in Equestria. It'd be unfair for me to want them to stay." I smiled up at the princess, who nodded her head.

"You say that like we don't wanna leave," Rainbow grumbled. I looked over at her in mild surprise. "What? It's true. I mean, yeah, it sucks not having wings. It sucks not being back home, but...It was still totally awesome."

"It definitely was a new experience." Rarity added in.

"A bit of a challenge, yeah, but what can ya expect?" Applejack chuckled.

"We made a whole bunch of new friends!" Pinkie exclaimed with a wide grin.

"And we learned so much from you- from all of you."

"It was...Nice." Fluttershy whispered. At first, I was concerned with her input, but when I looked down at her, I could see why. Her eyes were watering, and she was blinking rapidly, as if struggling to not let any tears fall. I could practically feel the mood in the air take a deep nosedive, and I pulled her closer.

"...I'm so sorry, Fluttershy." I sighed, sniffling a bit.

"Why..?" She asked, pointing her bright, cyan orbs right up at me.

"I...I didn't mean to make this so hard on you... On all of you." I felt warm tears stream down my face every now and again, but continued on. "I should have never gotten so attached." I grumbled, slowly sounding more and more cynical as I spoke. "It could have been easier...For both of us, that way."

"Alex, no," Twilight spoke. "Don't be sorry. You've been nothing but amazing to us. To all of us."

"You were so generous, taking us in all of a sudden." Rarity said.

"And you never let us down, or let us give up." Rainbow added.

"You were nothin' but strong, openin' up to us, bein' honest, and lettin' us help ya." AJ said matter-of-factly.

"We had nothing but a great time! You were such an amazing friend to us!" Pinkie gushed, squeezing me in a bear hug.

"You were amazing, and treated us so well." Fluttershy said sweetly.

"And you taught us all a valuable lesson about friendship. Which reminds me, princess-"

"I think a letter is unnecessary." She said with a knowing smile.

I felt another pair of arms wrap itself around me, and turned to see my mom, who was burying her head against my shoulder and crying.

"Mom! What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" She assure me, chuckling and looking up at me with teary eyes. "I've just..I can't remember the last time I've seen you so happy." She smiled, and looked at the others. "I never thought I'd be saying this, but...Thank you all, so much. It's hard to believe a group of ponies could help my son like this. I'm just...I'm so grateful, to all of you."

"The pleasure was ours, June." Fluttershy said with a kind smile.

After I managed to clean myself up from being an emotional wreck, I joined the others as they started dinner. It felt so normal, so natural, now, to have everyone at my side again. It was still hard to believe that they were days away from going back home, but it felt a little easier on me, now. The more I thought about it, the more I convinced myself that I would be alright. That I wouldn't let these lessons be for nothing.

Hours passed, dinner was done with, and everyone was ready to head to bed. I remained outside on the patio, looking up at the moon, when I heard the sliding door open, then close.

"It's so strange, not having to raise the moon on my own." Luna chuckled, walking towards the chair next to me and taking a seat. I didn't reply, only chuckled lightly at what she said, still looking skyward. "Alex...Are you sure you are going to be alright?" She asked worriedly.

"Of course," I replied with a smile. "It'll be difficult adjusting, but, I'm just glad I had them with me at all."

"I see," Luna replied with a smile of her own. I yawned silently, and she giggled softly, looking over at me. "You should get some rest." She suggested.

"Yeah, you're probably right." I said with a small laugh. I stood up and stretched my arms out, sighing contently. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Alex." Luna called to me as I walked inside.

"G'night, Luna."

I crept my way back to my room and reached my bed, pulling the covers over my head.

I was nearly asleep, when I heard my door slowly creak open, then closed again. Not really being coherent enough to give a damn, I only turned to my other side, when I felt my sheets lift up, and someone get into the bed with me.

Chapter 38

Oh my God...My head...

What happened last night? Last I remember was talking to Luna before going to bed. Why do I have this skull splitting headache all of a sudden?!

I grit my teeth and sucked in a breath of sharp pain, and opened my eyes, struggling to adjust to the bright light. Sun had just barely come up. Must be early, I thought. So, I turned onto my side. My eyes snapped open, and I saw Fluttershy lying next to me in bed. I bolted upright in bed, but quickly brought my hands up to clench my aching head. This all startled Fluttershy, who groggily opened her eyes and sat upright herself.

"Alex? Alex, wha's wrong?" She asked, rubbing her eyelids. I turned to look at her, but it was then that I noticed something extremely unusual.

I don't think she was wearing a top.

...

Okay, I'm pretty sure she wasn't wearing a top.

"Fl...Flu-Fl..." I stammered, unable to even say her name. She looked down at her bare skin, then up at me. In almost an instant, her face began to glow with an intense blush. She gave a mild squeak, and burrowed herself under my blanket. There was some shuffling for a while, and I assumed she was looking for her top to put back on. I myself fell out of bed, and got up, frantically searching for my shorts in my messy room-

Wait. I always wear my shorts to bed.

...

No.

NO.

"Um...Fluttershy?" I asked in a whisper, sliding my shorts on.

"...Yes?" She murmured in reply, emerging from my sheets with a shirt on.

"...What happened last night?" I asked slowly, dreading the answer.

"Um...W-well, I...I wanted to show you how much I appreciate-"

"Nope. Nope. Nopenopenopenope. Don't finish the sentence." I gasped, pacing back and forth around my room.

"Alex, I'm sorry...Did I do something wrong...?" She asked. I looked up at her, and she seemed about close to cry due to complete embarrassment, or fear that she messed up.

"No!" I assured her, shaking my hands. "No, of course not! Shy, let's just-"

"Alex!" My mom called from outside my door. "Time for breakfast! Wake up!"

I almost screamed in surprise, but brought my hand to my mouth to suppress my shriek. I looked at Fluttershy, who was just as shocked, and brought a finger to my lips, indicating for her to be silent. "Alright! Be right out!" I called back. I waited for a moment until I was sure my mother was gone, and I snuck out of my room, with Shy following right behind me. We entered the kitchen in a cool, casual manner.

Until I noticed that everyone was staring at us.

"...Um. Goodmorning?" I greeted with a nervous chuckle, sweating bullets.

"Morning, sleepyheads!" Pinkie greeted with a joyous bounce. "Pancakes for breakfast! Me and June made 'em!" She said from the kitchen. I looked at her with a smile, but the smile soon faded when I noticed the sly look on my mother's face.

I decided to ignore it.

I cannot begin to explain how awkward breakfast was. Well, for me at least. Everyone else was talking, save for me, Shy, and my mom. We'd give the occasional quick response, but didn't contribute much to any conversations. I quickly excused myself, with Shy following right behind me.

"Where are you going?" My mom asked.

"My room." I answered tersely.

"What about you, Fluttershy?" She then asked.

"U-um...With Alex..." She squeaked, though the last two words were nearly inaudible. Before anyone could question us further, we made it to my room, and let out simultaneous sighs of relief. Realizing how incredibly awkward breakfast was, we both looked at each other, and began laughing. Why? I've no ruttin' idea. We just sat there, laughing, and looking at each other, which would cause us to laugh harder for some strange reason.

We continued on for a couple more minutes, until we found ourselves on my couch, both of us laying on our backs, but her, on top of me, with her head resting on my chest. Our left hands were interlocked, and my right hand was preoccupied with playing with strands in her hair. We didn't say anything. We didn't need to. We could have laid there for hours if we wanted to, and we'd still be happy. Eventually, she looked up at me, and I smiled, laughing lightly.

"What?" I asked.

"I'm really gonna miss you." She told me with a sad smile.

I couldn't help but give a small smile of my own. I sat upright, trying my best to keep her in the same place without disturbing her. I brought my face down to meet hers, and gave her a deep kiss, before pulling away. "I know. And I'm gonna miss you too, Shy."

I wrapped my arms around her in an embrace, and she lightly held on to my arms, resting the back of her head against my shoulders. Again, we remained like that for a while, silent as the night that was beginning to take over the horizon.

At this point, I was utterly surprised that no one had come for us, because we were so cooped up in our room. We had been there for hours, almost the whole day, and no one had questions?

"We figured you needed your time alone." Twilight said, when I had excused myself to grab Shy and I a drink.

"...Really?" I asked quietly, raising an interested eyebrow.

"Yeah. Your mother suggested it." Rainbow chimed in from the couch, though her tone was rather indifferent, and she was focused on the tv.

"Huh...Where is she, anyway?" I asked, looking around the room.

"The Princess and your mother left. They needed to get things for your grad party." Rarity informed me from her spot on the recliner. I only nodded in response, before making my way back to the room.

"What are you two doing in there?" Luna inquired, who was next to Pinkie Pie on the floor.

"We're just...Sitting with each other. Together." I replied simply. She gave me a knowing smile, and nodded her head, and I made my way back.

Shy had been messing around with my stereo system while I was gone, and she placed a CD into the tray, closing it, and observing the cover case. After observing it, she clicked a button, and I immediately recognized the song. The smooth guitar intro, slowly becoming clearer. The band joining in. Finally, the lyrics.

"Hello, I've waited here for you, Everlong..."

My heart caught in my throat. I'd always play this song to myself before I went to bed, usually on nights I slept by myself. It was one of my favorite songs, from one of my favorite bands. She must have heard me play it some nights... I'm glad she did. The song reminded me of her.

She noticed me walk in, and stood up, walking towards me. Giving me a quick kiss on the lips, she grabbed my hands and led me back to the couch, and we sat down, eventually laying down in the same position as before. Playing with her hair again, I began to tear up a bit. I'd miss moments like these. I'll miss spending time with Fluttershy. I'll miss hearing her gentle voice next to me, rather than on the tv or computer screen. I'll miss her being at my side. I'll miss her loving smile. I think the thing I'll miss the most is her touch. Her hugs, the way her hand fits perfectly in mine, her soft, fluffy, silky hair against my neck as we embrace each other.

I think she must have felt my mood take a nosedive - another thing I'll miss. How well she knows me. She looked up at me, seeing how glossy and red my eyes were, and instinctively reached up to cup my chin in her hands, wiping a tear that must have somehow fallen from my eye. Her soft touch felt so gentle, so relieving. I brought my hand up to hers, grabbing it as if it were my only lifeline. We looked at each other, with the same, pained eyes, but also with loving, affectionate smiles.

I brought her closer, and we slowly began to fall asleep in each other's arms. I held onto her, protecting her with my bare arms and my warm embrace, and she was balled up in my arms, with her hands resting on my chest. I could feel her warm breath on my collar bone, and her muscles started to relax, indicating she was falling asleep.

"Alex..." She whispered, yawning quietly.

"Yeah?" I replied, yawning as well, suddenly feeling tired.

"I..." She trailed off after mumbling something inaudible.

"Huh...?" I said quietly, afraid she had fallen asleep.

"...I love you..." She whispered, before falling asleep with a content smile on her face.

My heart exploded in joy, and I began to silently cry in happiness, holding her a bit closer without waking her up, until I slowly fell asleep myself.

Chapter 39

Ya know, if a few months back, you would have told me I would have been love, I'd have called you a loony.

Come to think of it, if you would have added to that, and told me I would have been in love with Fluttershy, I would call you crazy, and I woulda sent you off to the Happy Hotel with the funny jackets.

But, now, it isn't exactly a strange concept. Especially now that I was with someone I can truly say I loved deep in the dark, dank crevices of my heart. But, hey. It's happening, and I'm not one to argue with fate.

...Well that was a bare-faced lie, now wasn't it? Heh.

But to move along a bit, Shy and I didn't entirely want to spread this little tidbit to the others, us using the little L word with each other. Not only because it was none of their business at this particular moment in time, but we all know the looks and words we'd get. Not just the jovial ones, but, the things they'd say concerning their departure. We both knew this wasn't the greatest idea. We both knew this was gonna be that much harder. And we both knew it's what needed to be done. But we also both knew there's no fighting true love.

Especially after what had happened when I woke up that Thursday to the information that me and Fluttershy... That we, um...

Never mind.

Friday night, we were all getting our outfits for the next day all primed and readied. Mom was an angel and went out to get the girls nice little dresses or outfits - all under a decent price range, mind you - and they were prepping them. Even the princesses managed to snag a few new duds, though I spared a bit of trouble and offered Shining some nice dress shirts and such that I never wore.

While in the company of Fluttershy in my bedroom, I was placing my new skinny midnight-blue tie around my neck to tie it up a bit, so I wouldn't have to in the morning. I heard a knock at my door. I turned to see my mom standing, leaning against the door frame, smiling at me.

"My little boy is graduating." She said quietly, in a tone that implied either joy or disbelief. I'm hoping it was the former.

"Eeeyup," I chuckled, successfully prepping my tie. Shy took it off my hands, placing it atop my dresser, next to my various colognes and sunglasses. I sighed, turning back to my mother, who was still smiling from ear to ear.

"I'm so proud of you, Alex," She told me, standing up straight. "You're such an amazing son." She added, sniffling slightly.

"Aw, c'mon, mom." I sighed, not in the mood to do any more crying. "I couldn't have done it without you. I mean it." I assured her.

Her heart must have welled up in pride, because she turned on the waterworks then, and embraced me. I think it was all the years of trouble and hardship, turned to determination for the two of us, that caused her to be so emotional. Fluttershy joined us in the hug, and, eventually, I felt a couple more arms wrap around us. It was safe to assume the girls had heard what was going on from their rooms, and decided to be another leg of support.

"You have an awesome mom, Alex." Rainbow Dash complimented, smiling and crossing her arms, and leaning back against my wall. Pinkie and AJ, who were the ones joining the hug, pulled away with a smile.

"Seriously! Your mom is super duper nice, Alex!" Pinkie added. I smiled and nodded at her in thanks.

"Come on, guys. I've had enough tears shed recently- those of joy, or otherwise." I chuckled. Mom chuckled herself, pulling away.

"What? I can't be ecstatic that my little boy has all grown up?" Mom asked, crossing her arms as we heard Twilight, Dash, and AJ snicker. I think I even heard one of them scoff, 'Little boy...'

"Nope." I replied jokingly.

"Goodnight, son. Night, everyone." Mom said, walking out of the room.

We all said our own goodnights to each other, and headed off to our respective areas of nightly rest.

Don't ask why I worded it like that. It's been a hectic time writing this down, and I'm starting to get exhausted. I don't really have that much time, anyway. In fact, these chronicles are simply a last resort, just in case. See, the thing is-

Whatever, we'll get to that eventually.

I don't care what anyone says, I will never wake up at any time before seven in the morning. That is just too damn early. And considering my graduation was at ten, and we had to be there by nine, and there were eleven of us in one house to get ready, we all had to wake up a bit earlier than I'd like to get ready. Hell, we almost didn't make it. Christine, Gray and Dana, who were coming with us, along with their families, were stuck waiting while everyone else was scrambling around to get ready. It must have been a funny scene for them, though. Seeing bright-haired figures run to and fro across hallways and in and out of rooms. Woulda made me laugh, anyway.

That's right, though. Gray and Dana's parents showed up, and it was nice. I really liked to talk to Dana's folks, but Gray's parents and I were friends as well. Hell, we're practically family already. It's one of those situations where I practically walk in the door, yell, 'Hi mom, hi dad!' and head to Gray's room. Goes both ways, too. Anyway, it was an awkward, yet still hilarious situation, introducing everyone to them.

"I don't think I've seen them before. Are they all friends as well, son?" Gray's mom, Lynnette, asked after initial intros were out of the way.

"Uh, yeah. You probably remember Raven, who I took to prom," Gray said, as Rainbow Dash gave a quick wave as she ran back into her room.

"Right," Gray's father, John, grunted. Don't get me wrong, he's a cool dude, but he's kinda... Distant. Still, though. Real cool.

"By the way, Alex, how've you been? It's been a while since you and Gray visited us." Dana's dad, Mitchell, said.

"Oh, ah," I began, chuckling a bit and mussing up my hair with my hands. "Sorry, Mitch. I've just been...So incredibly busy. You would not believe it." I replied with a slight smile, earning a discreet chuckle or smirk from Gray and the girls.

"Don't worry, Alex, Mitchell's just giving you a hard time." Dana's other father, Brandon, assured me. "But you're still welcome any time, both you and Gray." He added.

See, this is why I like my group of friends. They come from a nice background and caring parents. Hell, both of my friends' parents' refer to me as their other son.

"Okay, sorry, sorry, I'm ready!" Mom yelled from her room, hurrying to throw her shoes on.

"My, my, June, you look lovely!" Mitchell complimented with a smile.

"Well, your child only graduates once!" She replied with a smile of her own, finally managing to place her shoe on the appropriate foot.

"Everyone good to go?" I asked aloud, turning my attention to the hallway for a brief moment to find the rest of the group emerging from the rooms, ready, and all looking like perfect dime pieces. Everyone replied with their own confirmations, and I smirked, crossing my arms. "Shiny, then. Let's get goin'!" I said in excitement, leading everyone out the door, and closing it behind me when everyone was out.

It was absolute hell finding parking, so our parents let us all out in the front of the events center to save time and get to the dressing rooms. Gray and I went our separate ways from the girls, and got ready in the room. Then, it was time.

They led two large lines; one line of boys, the other of the girls, naturally. We could kind of see out towards the audience from behind the large curtains, and we began looking for our parents. I saw Dana and the girls look for our adults, as well. But I noticed a very familiar face in the crowd, in the fourth or fifth row. It was James. I immediately furrowed my brow and may have even begun to growl in anger, when Grayson placed a hand on my shoulder. I looked at him with the same angry face, but he wore a strange smile.

"Alex," He began, and already he had calmed me down. "It's alright, man. He just wants to see you graduate. Just give him that."

I barely managed a grumble in response, which, if coherent, would have been a string of very nasty obscenities. But, what Grayson said did have a bit of truth behind it, so I let it slide. If I was lucky, he'd just leave after the ceremony and stay away from me.

It was finally time. We managed to get in line so strategically, that the girls would go after each other, until, finally, it was Gray, then Dash, then me, then Fluttershy being called out to receive their diplomas, so we'd walk offstage together. It was an amazing feeling, being up there in my cap and gown, overlooking the crowd. Parents and other family members alike, my fellow students and I. We had made it. We had survived high school, made it through the system, and were ready to tackle life head on and become the adults we were made to be. It was an amazing feeling. And I couldn't have done it without the people in my life. So, with the camera on me right as I exited the stage after receiving my diploma, I pointed right at the camera, and yelled as loud as I could,

"I love you mom. You're my world."

The woman who was coordinating where to go after walking down noticed, and smiled. "That was a very lovely thing to do," She had told me.

"It was the truth. My mom is everything to me." I replied. We traded quick smiles, before I went to sit next to Gray. After everyone received their diplomas, we were instructed to switch our tassels to the appropriate side, and figured, to hell with it, and threw our caps in the air.

"We did it, man!" Grayson exclaimed, pulling me into a brotherly hug, which I happily returned. "We're outa here, man! We're done! We're moving on!" He continued to exclaim, hugging other friends and faculty. I only stood there in silent shock, but not a sad or negative kind. No, this was happiness. I couldn't believe it. Mere months ago, I was on the verge. I was lonely, I was depressed. I was a mess up. But friends, new and old, it was crazy to think that they had gotten me this far. I was suddenly snapped out of my thoughts as I was nearly tackled over by a pink blur.

"We did it ohmygosh we actually did it!" Pinkie Pie yelped, almost squeezing the life out of me. Soon enough, Dana the others joined in.

"We're so proud of you, Alex!" Twilight praised. The others all shared their own agreements, and I smiled from ear to ear, overwhelmingly joyous. I didn't even notice I was crying tears of joy until Fluttershy wiped a tear away. I pulled her into a tight embrace, and we held onto each other for a while. I really wanted to tell them how proud I was of them as well, but I was at an utter loss for words.

It was an amazing moment on an amazing day.

"We're so proud of you all!" Brandon shrieked, as he and the rest of our parents, along with the princesses and Shining, walked over to us. The next hour or so was spent outside, taking the pictures of everyone. I mean everyone, too. The six girls and the princesses and Shining, then me and mom, then me, Gray, and Dana, and then even all of us wacky graduates. The first few pictures were ruined when Pinkie, Gray, and I all decided to make silly faces, but we managed to get a few great snapshots in. I don't think I can remember a time I was so happy, yet so sad at the same time. The only thing that was missing was Nick. I started thinking of this when we began to take smaller group photos, and looked up in the air. I still have that picture to this day. Fluttershy, Gray, Rainbow and I all standing together, but there's me, being an ass and staring longingly into the sky with a sad smile on my face. God, I make that picture seem so depressing. But it's one of the only things left, and I cherish it. I keep it inside my jacket pocket at all times.

Man, I need to stay current. Well, your current.

Jegus, okay. Back on track.

After pictures, though, something peculiar happened. I didn't think too much into it, because I didn't think it'd effect me in any way. But at the time, it was one of those things where I felt like something wasn't quite there. Almost as if it wasn't the last time I'd have this feeling.

Pinkie and I were waiting for everyone else to have their pictures taken, when a little girl, about ten or around that age, tugged on Pinkie's gown. Pinkie smiled at the young girl, who had short, messy dark brown hair, large blue eyes, bronze skin, wearing a pink and lavender sundress with floral patterns.

"Hi! What's your name?" The little girl asked sweetly.

"My name is Patience! What's your name?" Pinkie replied happily, earning an adorable giggle from the little girl.

"My name is Ashleigh!" She replied with a large smile. "Do you watch My Little Pony?" She then asked innocently. Pinkie and I instantly froze, and shared quick glances.

"Um, yeah! I do! Why?" Pinkie asked with a nervous chuckle.

"'Cuz you look like Pinkie Pie! She's my favorite!" She squeed.

Pinkie returned it with a squeal of adorable-overlord, and looked about ready to attack the child with hugs, before a teen, maybe a year or two younger than me, ran up to her.

"Ashleigh! Don't ever run off like that again, you worried me half to death!" He said. He really seemed worried too. He probably had the same skin tone, but it was kind of hard tot tell, as his skin was pale from fear and worry.

"But Enzo Nii-Chan! I just wanted to say hi! Look, she looks like Pinkie!" She said, huffing and crossing her arms.

"Okay, first off, we're not Chinese or whatever. Second, who the heck is Pinkie?" The boy scoffed. He then looked up at us. "Sorry if she bothered you." He apologized, grabbing his little sister's hand.

"Oh, no worries, dude." I assured him, smiling. "She's adorable, dude. Take care of her." I then told him. He smiled and returned the nod.

"Thanks. C'mon, Ash, let's get going. Mom and Dad are waiting." He said, mussing up her hair. She let loose another laugh, and jumped on his back and piggy backed on him. The sight made me smile. The kid looked like a good big brother.

"Alright, Alex, let's get going before traffic gets heavy!" My mom called. Pinkie and I followed them and we all made it to our cars, and took off back to Gray's house for a barbecue. But, almost the whole time, I couldn't help but think about that kid who had called out Pinkie. Not entirely her, though, but...Both her and her brother. It was a strange feeling. Like, something that was nagging at the back of my mind.

"Alex, are you alright?" Shining Armor asked me, sitting at the table across from me.

"Wha?" I mumbled, looking at him. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine." I replied with a sigh.

"You sure? You look worried." He pressed on. I sighed, and chuckled, shaking my head.

"Really, man. I'm fine." I assured him, looking over at Twilight. "Take care of her, man. That's all I gotta say." I said quietly.

"Don't worry, I will." He replied with a nod. "Ya know, Twilight told me about you and Nick..." He said cautiously. I immediately perked up and looked at him. "Sorry! Sorry, I was just..."

"Don't worry man. It isn't something I'm gonna let hold me back." I assured him.

"Right," He chuckled. "Well, I just thought...It just makes me proud to know that I'm a big brother. Because it sounds like you have a close relationship like us, though."

"Thanks, man." I said with a smirk, bumping fists with him.

The party went by smoothly, until Gray approached me a little before the sun set. "Dude, guess what?!" He said excitedly.

"We know I'm not good at guessing games, man." I chuckled, throwing an arm around Shy.

"Well you're no fun... Anyway! A friend of mine just invited me to a party." He said with a smile. I immediately grimaced.

"Dude, come on, you know I don't like parties!" I groaned, facepalming.

"No, no, dude, it's in a nice suite in a hotel downtown!" He said with a grin.

"If this is your way of convincing me otherwise, you're doing a bang up job, bro." I quipped, my tone completely dry and deadpan.

"Oh, ha. Haha. Ha. Do standup." He sighed, obviously let down. I tried to ignore his upset face, but, eventually...

"Who's party is it?" Dana asked.

"Bianca's!" He replied quickly. Eh. Bianca was a person I could moderately tolerate.

"I dunno, Gray..." Applejack said slowly.

"C'mon, guys. Her parents are gonna be moderating every now and then."

"...Fine. Let's get going. But as long as Luna and Shining join us. Gotta have someone watching over us who's actually responsible." I sighed.

"Awesome! I'll get the van from the 'rents, and you can take your truck!" He said. Before I even got a chance to respond, he zoomed off to his parents. Dana went to tell her folks, and I let my mom know we'd be heading out as well. Celestia seemed to be giving Luna and Shining specific instructions, with the other six girls listening in as well.

"Just be careful, Alex. You know there's going to be some nutjobs out there, with tonight being graduation for all the schools." She warned me.

"Don't worry mom, I'll be alright. I'm cut out to handle anything." I joked, giving her a quick hug.

"I'm so proud of you, Alex." She sighed, smiling and tilting her head to the side.

"Thanks, mom. I'll see ya tonight. If not, tomorrow morning."

"Be safe!" Mom called, as we all piled into our respective vehicles. But, right as I was about to start the ignition, something stopped my hand. Something didn't feel right. At all. I couldn't explain the situation, or even the feeling, but it was a strange feeling in my gut. Kind of like it was slowly beginning to sink.

"Alex, is everything alright?" Luna asked from the passenger seat. Fluttershy, Twilight, and AJ all looked at me from the back seats, concerned with my hesitance as well.

"I'm fine." I replied quickly, starting the engine and reversing out of the driveway. I began to follow Grayson, and the feeling in my stomach began to intensify as we drove closer to the town.

It's always the worst luck, when you finally give in.

Chapter 40

( Warning: This chapter contains strong language, some psychological abuse, and violence. Read at your own discretion. )

"C'mon, Alex. Stop looking so grumpy." Fluttershy encouraged from her spot in the rear seat. I barely gave her a sideways glance, before focusing on the road in front of me.

God dammit, the things I do for my friends. Gray knows how much I hate parties, because, no matter what, there is always drinking involved. And I knew that Dash must've been feeling the same. I can just imagine her in Gray's car right now, sitting, arms crossed, and a scowl on her face.

"Alex, why do you not like the festivities that your friends throw?" Luna asked with a curiously raised brow.

"Because for one thing, half the people that are involved are people I've disliked since I started highschool. And, two, I don't necessarily appreciate the shenanigans that goes on during the parties." I replied in a harsh tone. Luna, feeling the sting of my words, slightly winced, and averted her gaze out the window.

"Alex, sheesh, calm down. Gray already assured us we'll be fine. Didn't he say their parents would be involved?" Twilight asked, poking her head forward and over the center console. I only rolled my eyes at her, and scoffed.

They'll understand soon enough. The lengths I go to make my friends happy.

We followed Gray to some fancy-schmancy hotel in the center of town, and gave our vehicles to valet. We walked through the center lobby, and I couldn't help but grimace at how posh the joint was.

"Eugh. I don't belong here," I commented, wiping some of my hair out of my face and tying it back into a nubby ponytail. "I can feel the glares." At first I was joking, but one of the passer-byers gave me a glance, that I happily returned with a friendly middle finger.

"Alex, at least try to enjoy yourself. It's not everyday you graduate." Gray scolded. I only scoffed and crossed my arms, following everyone into the elevator. I guess he was right, in a way. The girls would be gone the next morning. Go out with a bang, and all that.

The disgusting sinking feeling I had in my stomach never went away. I feel as we escalated in the tin box, my stomach sank lower. It was kind of ironic, to be honest.

The suite we were on was on the twelfth floor, and when we exited, I stared around in confusion. In the hallways, there was only about four doors. I quirked a brow, and followed Gray as he looked for door 413. I could here the blaring music behind it. Lovely. Dubstep, but the shitty mainstream dubstep. No Omni, Aviators, MHM, or anything good. Call me hipster, whatever.

Bianca opened the door, her bouncy blonde hair almost covering her face. "Heyyy! Gray, I'm glad y'made it!" She said with a slight slur in her voice, and a giggle that lasted twenty minutes. I gave Grayson an intense glare that he pretended not to notice. She then turned to look at me. "Alex!" She squealed, causing me to wince, and she pulled me into a hug. Eugh, I could smell the alcohol on her breath. "I ha'nt seen you in aaages! Thanks fer comin'!" She cooed, causing me to grimace and pull away from the hug.

"Yeah, wish I could say the same!" I said in false joy. Grayson tsked and elbowed me sharply, and I just glared at him again. Thankfully, Bianca assumed I was just being playful.

"Welp! Help yerself, drinks and snacks are over there, and have fun!" And with that, she went to flirt with some other guys.

"Tact, Alex. Tact." He scolded.

"Oh, fuck you, dude." I snapped back. "You knew this bullshit would happen bringing me to a party."

"I'm just trying to get you to have some fucking fun! Can't you do that, just have fun for your friend?" He asked in annoyance. "I mean, come on, how fucking hard is it just to have a good time? Jesus, I can't do anything with you."

"Piss off, man! You know full well that I fucking hate these parties! I'm just not the kind of party person!" I shot back, hurt by his last sentence.

"Alex, just, come on man! Can't you do this for me? Stop being selfish!"

"Fuck you, dude! What's more selfish, forcing me to go to a party, or giving me a guilt trip about it!?"

"Stop arguing and just have a good time!"

"No." I replied shortly, walking off to find a drink of non-alcoholic value, leaving him to stand there, glaring at me as if I was the worst person alive, and the girls to sit there awkwardly.

The entire time, I placed myself in the corner. Fluttershy was by my side almost the entire time, trying to get me to have a good time, or just talk to Gray because we shouldn't argue, blah blah blah. And the response was always the same. That he tricked me. He knew that I hated these parties, and that he should expect nothing more from me.

She eventually gave up, much to my relief, and I looked around and observed the others. Luna stuck with Twilight, who stuck with Rainbow Dash. The three of them remained around some people who I noticed and actually trusted to be with the three. AJ and Rarity were with a couple of their friends, as well, and a few guys. Thankfully, when they tried to make a move, they were immediately rejected. Smart girls. And Pinkie was pretty much all over. She seemed to be a social butterfly, though that was to be expected. Gray was hanging around Pinkie, but also socializing with various other people who I either didn't recognize or didn't care for. And he was obviously trying to ignore the very pissed glare I would give him.

Then a commotion went on around the door. Upon seeing who it was, my jaw dropped. As if my night couldn't get any fucking worse.

"Jake! Aaron, omg I'm so glad you made it!" Bianca stuttered. Jake placed his bottle of beer on a nearby shelf to give her a hug, and Aaron followed suit.

"Why." I muttered.

"Huh?" Fluttershy asked, not noticing their grand entrance.

"Shy, we're leaving." I said, grabbing her hand. But I wasn't fast enough.

"Holy shit! Everyone call the presses, lookit who's at another party!" Jake jeered, eliciting a few snickers. I growled in anger and dropped Fluttershy's hand, turning to look at him. "What are you doin' here, Barkhorn? Back to ruin another party? You'd think the last party was enough, but damn, goin' for two?" He snivkered, taking a swig of beer.

"Look, Jake, I'm not in the mood to trade insults with you. Just let me go without having a battle of wits with you. Sans wits on your part, of course." I said calmly, muttering the last sentence.

"What'd you say? I couldn't hear you. Try speakin' up like a man. Didn't your daddy raise you right?"

Too far. Too fucking far. I shut my eyes, hearing a few low "Ooh"s from the crowd.

"Wait a minute, that's right. He didn't! He ditched your sorry ass." He had a slight slur, so it was safe to assume his false confidence came from his intoxication.

"Jake. Shut up. You're drunk and you're acting like an idiot!" Applejack called out, pushing her way through the crowd.

"Christ, don't you ever know when to talk? No one's fuckin' talkin' to you, get out of my face." He then proceeded to push her aside. She came back, fist cocked back and ready to strike, when I intervened.

"Hey, what the hell's the matter with you?! Didn't your mother ever teach you how to treat women? Or are you just imitating your father at this point, is that how he treats her? You know what, you're pathetic." I spat, beginning to walk away.

"At least I have a father figure! I didn't end up a fag like you."

I stopped dead in my tracks, and turned around. "What the fuck are you talking about?" I asked. I wasn't gay, and last I heard, there were no rumors saying otherwise.

"You mean you haven't told anyone? Not even Gray over there?" He asked with a snigger, looking over at Gray, who wasn't even trying to pay any attention. He just looked down at the ground in shame.

"You're just gonna sit there, dude?" I asked, now that his name was brought up.

"Oh this is too good! Yo, everyone," Aaron called, and everyone who wasn't paying attention, suddenly now were. "Dunno if you knew this, but this queer over here watches My Little Pony!" He cackled, and I clenched my fists in anger.

"How the fuck would you know?!" I shouted in anger, ignoring the laughter from everyone else. Everyone being every person in the room.

"We heard you call that one Pinkie Pie," He began, and my body froze. Oh, shit. "Such a stupid fuckin' nickname, but fitting. So cute you name your girlfriends after the ponies, Alex!" He mocked, using a stereotypical homosexual man's accent to insult me even more.

There was laughter all across the room. People were throwing words at me like fag, queer, homo, and a bunch of other nasty names. The girls all crowded me, trying to get everyone to shut up and stop laughing. I looked at Gray, who was only looking at me. Was he seriously that pissed at me?! Finally, I squeezed my eyes, trying to deflect the jeers and laughter. But it became too much.

"Everyone shut the fuck up, you worthless pieces of filth!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. "Can't you see what the fuck this despicable piece of garbage is doing?!" I barked, pointing a finger at Jake. "It's people like him that make other people kill themselves! People like him that give people crippling fucking depression!" I cried.

"Stop being a bitch, Barkhorn!" Aaron laughed.

"No, fuck you, you vile excuse of a human being! Your very fucking existence is a plague to this fucking Earth, and the fact that you breathe the same fucking air as me is enough to give me cancer, you dirty fucking spineless filth! Think for two fucking seconds, everyone. People like him cause children to take their lives. Little fucking kids, thirteen year olds, people your fucking age. Your friends, your family, they splatter the wall with their brains because of this. And you all support it! You cannot sit there, and tell me for a second, that you don't know someone who was bullied, and took their own life. I dare every single one of you to think. And I know for a fucking fact that one of you knows the person who fits the description. They're fucking looking at you all in disgust, you're all fucking trash and you all deserve to burn!"

After my rant, I panted, having exerted almost all of my energy.

"Wow. Real classy speech Barkhorn, but can it. If you're gonna kill yourself, do it. No one would miss you." He was obviously pissed that I had called him and Aaron trash, but tried not to show it.

"And what if he did, Jake? What if he did? And he left a note saying you made him? Your face is plastered all over the news, saying you're a killer, a murderer. That you caused a young life to be taken. All you do is cause pain and misery, and you're nothing but trash because of it. Dirty fucking trash that doesn't belong on this Earth. You think this is funny? How's this for funny. You're just the fucking asshole in school who didn't care, who caused people to take their lives. Next thing you know, you're out of high school, and your lack of intelligence is the only thing you have. You can't get anywhere in life with the popularity you had in school, so why the fuck should a local burger joint even give more than two shits about you?! Everyone you knew has moved on with their lives. They don't care for you. You're destined for nothing but failure, and you have no one to blame but yourselves. You could die, and we'd remember you for only a few minutes, if you're lucky. Then, nothing. Zip. People move on with their lives because you were just some arrogant fool who provided a chuckle for five seconds. People will move on with their lives because people don't care about you. Get that through your thick fucking skull!"

Everyone looked at Grayson in shock. No one expected that outburst. Not even me.

"Ballsy words, Turner. But this doesn't involve you, get lost." Jake snarled.

"You're just pissy because you know it's true. You could drop dead right now, and people will scream and cry. Tomorrow, they'll post about you online. Next week, you're just old news. Get used to it, because it's your fucking fault." He hissed. I was still shocked beyond recognition. I couldn't even fathom my feelings at the time.

The room was dead silent. All you heard was Jake, Aaron, and Gray's heavy breathing.

But I had had enough, and bolted out of the room, hiding the tears in my eyes. All the girls chased after me, along with Gray, leaving a very stunned and terrifyingly angry Jake behind. The room was still silent.

I hopped in an elevator and slammed the "close door" button as hard as I could.

"Alex, wait!" Fluttershy cried.

"Alex, hold on!" Gray added

The others were just as concerned and called for me, but, thankfully, the doors closed.

I began breathing heavily, and erratically. I felt a pressure in my chest, and I got light headed. Another panic attack. I slumped to the ground, tears streaming down my eyes. The second the doors open, I ran as fast as I could for the exit. The second I reached the doors, though, I thought I heard the elevator doors open, and the others poured out, running after me.

I sprinted as far as I could, rounding corners, until, finally, I reached an empty street. Feeling every ounce of willpower and strength leave my body, and I collapsed, falling onto all fours.

I've never felt such humiliation in all my life. I seriously couldn't even begin to tell you how incredibly depressing that was for me. To be put on the open fucking spotlight, and for my friend to not even back me up. Sure, he came in, but at the last minute. Too little too fucking late, Turner.

I breathed heavily, trying to control my loud sobs. Tears fell from my face, and made small splashes on the pavement below. Then I heard the voices.

"Alex! Alex, where are you?" Twilight's concerned voice rang out.

"Alex, please, just talk to us!" AJ added in.

"C'mon, Alex, Shy's a mess over here!" Grayson added. I perked my head up, and slowly began to hear her quiet sobs grow ever so closer.

"A-Alex, please, just talk to us." She sputtered through her sobs. I staggered to my feet, running for their voices. I rounded a street corner, and heard Fluttershy call my name. "Alex!" Her voice seemed hopeful. Almost relieving that they had found me. I sprinted for her, embracing her in a hug.

"What the hell was that about, man!?" Gray yelled, throwing his arms up in disbelief. I ignored him. I didn't want to talk to him.

"Alex, what's the matter with you! You had us worried sick!" Rarity gasped, looking very stern.

"I-I'm sorry...I just, I couldn't...It was too much for me." I gasped, keeping my hold on Shy. Not that the either of us were in a hurry to let go, anyway.

"Alex, what were you thinking?!" Gray shouted. Again, I ignored him. "Alex, you can't keep ignoring me like this! What the hell, is this the thanks I get?!" He scoffed, causing me to wheel around and stare at him.

"Pay you back for what?! For waiting til the last fucking minute to have my back?!" I screamed, causing him to back up.

"Alex, calm down," He pleaded.

"I'm calm! I'm the fuckin' posterboy for calm and tranquility! And you're the posterboy for god damn backstabbing assholes!" I cried. "Just...Go away. You might as well have laughed at me too." I hissed.

"Alex!" Twilight gasped.

"What the hay, Alex, that was so uncalled for!" Rainbow scoffed.

Gray, getting the message, and, apparently not being one to argue, hung his head in shame.

"Alex, I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything, I just..."

"Don't even bother, Gray! Just...Just go. I can't even look at you right now..." I turned me head away, resisting the urge to cry and trying to ignore the pain of my breaking heart.

He nodded his head, and turned back to walk to the hotel. Eventually, the girls managed to get me to do the same. We walked on opposite sides of the street. It was dead silent throughout the streets. Even though it was downtown, it was nearly empty. The occasional car would pass by, or maybe the occasional bicyclist. But nothing more. It was eerily empty.

I could here Grayson's footsteps from across the street, but my gaze was averted to the ground, holding onto Shy's hand as she led me and the girls towards the hotel to get my truck from valet.

About four blocks from the hotel, I oddly enough decided to look back up. I glanced across the street at Gray, when something caught my eye. A rat ran from the alleyway that was about ten yards in front of him. Huh. Must be a stray cat that spooked it.

Suddenly, arms reached out, and pulled Grayson into the alley. I then heard quiet thumps and sounds of Grayson screaming, but it was muffled, as if he were gagged.

"Gray!" I screamed, wrenching my hand from Fluttershy's grip to run across the street. I almost got hit by an oncoming car, but slid across the hood of it. He screeched to a halt, and got out of his car to say something, but I was already in the alley, with the group behind me screaming my name.

I couldn't see in the dark. The closest light was above us, but literally only gave a dim flicker of light every few seconds. Damn there not being a full moon! I could make out blots of dark shapes, though, and I made out two somebodies jumping Gray, who was on the ground, unconscious. Or playing possum. I prayed it was the former. I reached for a piece of two by four laying in the garbage next to me, and smacked it over the first assailant's back, hearing a sickening crack as the wood splintered in two. The second figure, which I assumed to be Aaron, due to the height, stood up and sent a fist my way. It made contact with my ribs, and I let out a sharp gasp. Another fist sent my head snapping back, and I stumbled backwards. One dashed towards me, but I retaliated with a kick to the chin, causing them to stumble back in a haze. They fell against the brick wall, and the other rushed me. The light flickered again. I saw a glimpse of bright metal shining, and being sent my way. As fast as I could, I tried to block the attack, feeling a sharp pain on my forearm. The pain must have sent a signal to my brain to release more adrenaline, as things became more fluid, my attacks more consistent. The dazed figure got back up and distracted me for a second, allowing the other to quickly attack once again. I deflected both attacks best I could, but stumbled back. My hand touched something cold and hard. I gripped it, and found I was holding a steel pipe. The gloves were off, and my friend's safety was on the line, as well as mine. I swung away with the pipe, making contact with a rib here, or a back there. The pipe made contact with something hard, and I heard a clang, and a scatter along the ground, as if something had fallen. The two assailants quickly retreated, leaving me there, bloodied and bruised, breathing heavily. I wiped blood from my chin, and the world around me quickly came back.

The fight felt like it lasted days, but it must have been about only twenty seconds, if that. The group of girls were outside the alley, screaming my name. The person who almost hit me with his car was shouting at me to come out. I picked up Gray, hefting his arm over my shoulder, and securing him by grabbing his belt, and limped out with him.

"What's the matter with you, kid, you almost got killed!" The driver said as I made my way to the light of the street. His whole expression changed to one of shock, and the girls all gasped. Twilight and Rarity went pale. Fluttershy fainted, and AJ and Dash had to grab her.

"I-I...Jake, Aaron, they..." I staggered, realizing pain and feelings were coming back. My forearm stung like hell, and I checked it. There was a deep gash, and it was bleeding heavily. I then felt a slowly numbing throbbing pain at my torso. The numbness began to withdraw as my adrenaline did, and it began to feel so intense. Like, my body was on fire, at the epicenter was the pain. I looked down, and the panic set in.

Blood was growing around a particular point on my torso, just below my right set of ribs. Crimson began to slowly pour out of my shirt, and the pain became too intense. I began panicking, and accidentally dropped Gray, who caught himself as he was regaining consciousness.

"Alex! Oh, gosh, no Alex! Just, stay calm!" Twilight sounded more panicky than me. I tried to calm myself, by taking deep breaths, but that only caused the pain to intensify. The man pulled out his phone, and dialed a series of numbers.

"9-1-1? Yeah, this kid here..." Feelings began to blank out. Nothing but pain. Horrible, horrible pain. I dropped to my knees, clutching my wound, and, in my peripherals, I saw a dented butterfly knife. Must have been what I hit with the pipe after I had been stabbed.

My whole body began to tremble violently. I felt like throwing up, but nothing but bile crept up my throat. The others rushed by my side, but were too afraid to move me, they just sat there in panic and confusion. Gray began to become more aware, but not any less concerned. His bloodied and bruised face seemed to give a look of manic fear.

"Alex! Alex, stay with me, brother!" His voice sounded hollow, and seemed to echo in my head. As if he were on the end of a very far corridor.

Everything became dull and blurry. My focus and vision, faltering. I fell to my stomach, thinking to myself, 'This is it, isn't it? I get to see my brother. I get to see my grandmother again.'

The last thing I remember was the sound of sirens, and dull flashes of color.

Then, nothing.

Chapter 41

“Get him in there! What are you doing, hurry up!” Grayson shrieked, as paramedics frantically moved back and forth between himself, and getting Alex wheeled into the back of the ambulance. “I’m fine! Get Alex to the damn hospital!” He shouted.

Meanwhile, Alex’s mother was being consoled by the Princesses, as the police explained what Gray had already told her. She was still in shock. She looked like she wanted to sob until she passed out, but she was just so stricken with worry and grief, she could barely nod as the police talked to her.

Grayson watched as they wheeled his best friend into the back of the ambulance and sped off into the street. The police offered Grayson a ride to the hospital, but he had to deny it. Still, they handed him their cards, as they needed a full police report of the events. He was pretty happy that they were sympathetic enough to hold that off until his friend was better, but that was quickly extinguished as he looked at Fluttershy, sitting on the curb, with her head in her hands and a vicious shake rattling her body.

She’d been like that since Alex passed out from losing so much blood. She couldn’t look at him, and, aside from all the screaming she did, was nearly silent. Rainbow Dash was right next to her, shushing her when she gave the occasional whimper, and holding her when she would shake too violently. The other four girls only sat close by.

June, on the other hand, was pacing back and forth in front of Luna, Celestia, and Shining. They all stood politely, with their heads bowed in respect, patiently awaiting something to happen.

Suddenly, everyone heard a loud cracking noise. Gasping, Rarity looked behind her to see the commotion.

Grayson had slammed his right fist into the brick wall of the building next to him. What really startled everyone was the small cracks in the cement where his fist was. Blood trickled down his fingers, and he slowly brought his down to his side, using his now good hand to support himself as he leaned against the wall.

“Miss Barkhorn...June, I...I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault.” He snivled, turning around and showing his tearful face. “I didn’t...I didn’t mean to hurt him, I didn’t - I didn’t mean it, I promise...” He broke off into a fit of sobs.

“Grayson, what are you talking about?” June asked, walking towards him. He tried speaking, but couldn’t. His sobs became muffled when June pulled him into a motherly embrace, shushing him. “Gray, tell me what happened.” She said gently.

“I-I... We were at the party, a-and they found out...Jake and Aaron, they found out he watches My Little Pony...And they called him a fag and a queer, and, and Alex...I didn’t help him, I just stood there, and I’m so sorry June, I shoulda said something...If I did, maybe I wouldn’t have gotten jumped, and Alex, he wouldn’t have gotten hurt, and I’m so sorry!”

Gray broke into another sobbing fit that lasted well over ten minutes. Finally, he seemed spent, physically and mentally. His voice was hoarse, and he could barely speak, let alone cry.

“We should get to the hospital as soon as possible.” A quiet and timid voice spoke up. Fluttershy had perked her head up from her hands, glancing over her shoulder at Gray and June.

“Fluttershy is right. We must stick by Alex’s side this entire time. He’s our friend. We’re not going anywhere until we know he is safe.” Celestia added with a gentle smile.

It was a rather cramped ride to the hospital in nothing but Gray’s car and June’s Mercedes, but they managed all the same. When they arrived, they were initially not allowed to enter since they were operating, so all they could do was wait outside the OR. Hours passed. The new day came, and still no word.

Around 3 a.m., the doctor emerged from the room, removing his face mask. “Mrs. Barkhorn?” She asked. June nodded and stood up. Seeing as how mostly everyone, save for Luna and Fluttershy, were asleep, she spoke quietly. “There were...Complications. The main problem was that there was a large cluster of nerves that were affected. And his lung was hit in the attack- not completely punctured, but we still had to take a look at it. The wound went between his left fifth and sixth rib. Essentially, if it were a few centimeters to the left...It would have hit his heart.” She explained. But June could feel there was something more. Her tone didn’t seem too hopeful.

“What else is there?” She asked, afraid to hear the answer.

“Well...He’s in stable condition. That isn’t to say he’s doing good, though. He’s lost a lot of blood. To be frank, I’m very surprised he survived the blood loss. He’ll need a transfusion. I don’t know for how long, but it’s best he stays under for a while. At least until his body recovers.” The doctor replied. She placed a hand on June’s shoulder, looking her dead in the eyes. “There isn’t much we can do at this point but pray. Pray that he wakes up, no different than the boy he was yesterday.” She explained.

June went through the standard paperwork bull, while Gray sat at Alex’s side inside his room. The girls were all asleep, as they all shared the extra bed and chairs in the room- Christine came by and, being good friends with the surgeon, allowed them the extra space. Grayson only stared at Alex, and it scared him. Bandages covered his lean figure, his arms were perfectly at his side. Over his mouth and nose was an oxygen mask, and his chest would rise and fall with each breath. Every time his chest fell, Gray would fear that it wouldn’t rise back up again.

Movement caught Grayson’s attention, as Fluttershy approached Alex’s bed from the opposite side. She stood over him, eyes red from the tears she’s shed. Grayson only stared as she silently pulled up a chair, sat right next to Alex’s bed, and placed her hand on his. She didn’t acknowledge Gray. Didn’t speak at all. She only sat and watched, allowing a constant, yet silent stream of tears to flow from her eyes. The only sound was the constant, rhythmic beating of Alex’s heart monitor.

|~| Grayson’s POV |~|

It’s been almost four days since Alex came to this dreadful hospital. It’s been days since I’ve talked to him.

Since he’s been awake.

It’s been a hell of a week so far. There’s not much on the case against Jake and Aaron. They’ve been taken into custody on charges of attempted manslaughter with a deadly weapon. Jake was the one that actually stabbed Alex; Aaron was just an accessory. Trial was going to be soon, hopefully after Alex wakes up.

They don’t know why he hasn’t woken up. They have no legitimate reason. Yet, at the same time, they say it’s not a surprise. The transfusion didn’t do much, it just stabilized him a little more.

Dana came by the morning it happened. She was a wreck. The second she saw him, she burst into tears, and rushed to his bedside. Sure, she calmed down eventually, but...It was just depressing. She talked to him. Just sat there, next to Fluttershy, and talked to him. Saying things like, “Hey, Alex. Remember when we were kids, and we always played tag in the schoolyard? And eventually, we’d get all the kids to play with us, because they saw how much fun we were having? You would always let them play because all you wanted was to have fun with everyone.”

It broke my heart, again.

June seemed strong about it. You could tell it was killing her on the inside, the way her eyes seemed so hurt and full of sorrow. But she would assure us, every day, that it wasn’t up to us anymore. She would console us when we hurt; Rarity was the first to break, and June was there in a flash. AJ and Dashie both lost it soon after, and June shushed them, sitting between them as she assured them everything would be alright. Then came Twi, and even Pinkie. But, Pinkie used the best of her charm to keep some spirits bright. She tried especially hard with Fluttershy. Pinkie and Rainbow were at her side the most.

Speaking of Fluttershy, she’s in worse condition than me and June combined. She hasn’t left the room- they moved him to his own room after the first night, so she just pushes two chairs together and sleeps next to him. Sometimes, I hear her crying in her sleep, as I enter to check up on him.

It doesn’t help that the princesses are becoming impatient. I can hear the princesses talking to Twilight at this very moment.

“But Princess! Alex isn’t awake yet, and Fluttershy is a mess!” Twilight argued.

“I’m aware, Twilight, and I am very sorry. But we must return as soon as possible, we’ve done enough waiting.” The Princess replied in a calm, yet commanding voice.

“That isn’t fair, though! Alex is our friend, and we need to be here for him as long as possible!” She pleaded.

“Twilight Sparkle. It is indeed tragic, the fate of young Alexander. But we can wait no longer. Equestria needs us, Princess Cadence cannot possibly rule without our help.” Luna added in.

“I cannot allow our society to suffer for the fate of one individual. I’m sorry, Twilight. But we have to leave by the end of the week. That is the longest I will give you.” Celestia sighed.

The end of the week. I checked my digital watch. Only an hour, and it’d be Thursday already. At this rate, they’ll be gone before he wakes up.

“It’s getting late,” June said, practically reading my thoughts. She was sitting next to Fluttershy, and stroking her hair, but must have been keeping an eye on me, as well. “We should get home and get some rest.” She sat up, slightly taking Shy with her, and looked down at her. “Fluttershy, sweety, are you sure you don’t want to come home with us tonight?” She offered with a warming smile.

Shy only shook her head slowly, not even glancing up at June.

“C’mon, Fluttershy...You’re a mess. Just one night, we can get you a proper shower and change of clothes. You’ll feel loads better.” Rainbow chimed in, approaching her old friend. Again, a lifeless shake of the head.

More silence. Nothing but the beeping of the monitor.

“Well...Alright. If you insist. I’ll bring you another change of clothes tomorrow morning.” June sighed, planting a quick kiss on her forehead. She and Grayson stood up simultaneously, just as Twilight entered with her head hung low. “Ready?” June asked, which Twilight replied with a nod of her head. “Then let’s go.”

Our walk to the elevator was silent for a while, until Twilight spoke up as we approached the metal doors.

“We have til the end of the week.” She said quietly.

“What?! Says who?!” Rainbow nearly shouted.

“I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash. But we must get back to Equestria.” Celestia said regrettably. I tried to ignore the conversation, and pressed the button to call the elevator. Now we needed to wait for it to get on this floor.

“That’s not fair! Alex isn’t even better yet!” Applejack, while far more calm than her rainbow hair-colored friend, was still clearly upset as well.

“It is a difficult decision, but it is a decision I must make as princess!” Celestia argued firmly. “That is why we must go back.”

The bell dinged, and the doors open. As everyone filed in, rushed footsteps filled the hallways, and we all looked to the side. Doctors and nurses were rushing down the hallway they just came to. They were barking orders, and entered a room at the end of the hall.

Alex’s room.

No. Please, no.

I sprinted as hard as I could down the hall, with the others shouting after me, but soon following. When I reached the room, I tried to enter, but one of the nurses stopped me.

“What’s going on, I have to get in there!” I shouted, trying to struggle past him.

“No, you can’t go in there! Sir, please!”

The dude was stronger than he looked, and I couldn’t get past him. I could hear the heart moniter go wild inside his room. I looked through the small window, and saw them all crowded around him.

I saw Fluttershy watching in absolute fear.

There was one doctor who must have been in charge, as he was barking orders and shouting at the others.

The line went flat.

They had to get a defibrillator and use them on Alex.

“Clear!”

Zap.

Still flat.

“Clear!”

Zap.

Still flat.

No response.

He was gone.

( Hey, lookit that. I managed another chapter this week. Praise the friggin' lord.
Anyway, hope you liked the chapter, feel free to read and leave constructive criticism as you see fit, and don't forget to check out my tumblr at remixedwriter.tumblr.com
Adios. )

Chapter 18

When I woke up the next morning, I didn't bother opening my eyes. Instead, I sighed contently, and stretched my arms out, brushing upon warm and soft skin. My eyes burst open. I saw AJ laying over the covers next to me.

"Wah!" I yelped sitting up too quickly, and losing my balance, falling over to the ground, flat on my face.

"Wha, huh?" I heard a groggy Applejack mumble. She peered over the edge of the sofa and gasped. "Alex, y'alright? Can ya move?" She asked, stepping down from the sofa and helping me up.

"I'm fine, but, AJ, what were you doing on the couch with me...?" I asked in a hiss.

"Ah... Ah dunno. Ah couldn't sleep, so I thought...Maybe if I slept with you, it'd help..." She replied sheepishly, twiddling her sandy blonde hair around her fingers. "Ah'm sorry, Alex..." giving me a sad pout as she finished.

...Dammit. Not a pouty face.

"It's alright, AJ. Just...Try not to let it happen again." I replied.

My door handle turned, and Fluttershy, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash all peeked in. "Hey, everything alright in here? We heard a banging noise." Rainbow inquired, and I shook my head in reply.

"It's nothin'. Just, another bad dream." I lied, giving a shrug.

"Oh. Wanna talk about it?" She then asked and, again, I shook my head.

"Nah, not really. Thanks, though." I replied quietly, stepping out with the girls. As we made our way downstairs, I saw Gray on the couch, with a blanket draped over his head and body. Twilight and Pinkie were standing over him, poking and prodding at him.

"He won't wake up..." Twilight said in bewilderment, poking at him again. Gray simply snorted, and turned over to his side. I sighed and crossed my arms, lowering my head in thought. An idea came to mind, and I’m sure the girls practically saw the lightbulb above my head.

"Pinkie?" I said, walking over to the pink-haired girl. I whispered something into her ear, and she shuddered, but nodded, walking up to him and inhaling.

"Wakey wakey, mister Gray!" She began. No response. "I was wondering if you could help me make some very special cupcakes!" She said with a slight hesitation. Gray immediately bolted up, falling out of his place on the sofa. He looked at Pinkie in horror, who was now rolling on the ground next to me in laughter. Hell, even the other five girls stifled some giggles. Gray shot me a very menacing glare.

"Not cool, man, very not cool!" He growled, rubbing the back of his head and standing up.

"Ha! Cupcakes! Oh, classic!" I managed between bouts of laughter, standing and hi-fiving a laughing Rainbow Dash. I sighed and wiped some tears from my eyes, helping a now calm Grayson up.

"So! Spring break! I've heard a lot about spring break, what should we do first?" Twilight asked, moving the subject along.

"Dunno. What do you feel like doing?" I asked.

"Anything!" Rainbow Dash chimed in with a wide grin.

"Alright, alright. Let's get a few ideas down, and we'll see what we should do." I suggested, and we all thought of our own little ideas. About half an hour later, we all settled on going to the beach. I had Pinkie call Dana to invite her along, asking if she could help provide proper wear for the girls. She was at my house within the hour, thankfully bringing along enough extra swimwear for the girls.

"Whose idea was this?" She asked when she entered the house.

"That'd be mine." Applejack suggested, packing the cooler with fresh fruit and vegetables. "Ah tried thinking of something that we could all do and enjoy, so I thought, why not go for a swim? Some girls from mah class were talking about a lake close by, so I had Twilight look it up."

"Oh, you mean Toeha?" Grayson asked, placing his sunglasses atop his head.

"Is that Vinyl Scratch's cutie mark?" Rarity cut in, as I slipped on my white t-shirt with the DJ unicorn's cutie mark. I nodded in reply as she looked it over thoroughly.

"The very same," AJ said in reply to Gray.

"Good idea. It's always nice this time of year. Water might be a bit cold, though." Gray said with a shrug.

"Eh, won't be an issue, Ah'm sure." AJ said, closing the cooler.

"And I'm sure you're right." I chimed in. "Well, then, Gray. Shall we?" I asked. He nodded, and we made our way to the beautiful lake.

It was about an hour’s drive to the small city that surrounded the lake, but the beautiful drive had the girls mesmerized the entire way. It was a road winding up the side of a mountain, passing by bright, tall pine trees that covered the entirety of the mountain formation. It was nothing but green, lush forest, with wildlife abundant in its depths. We passed the occasional deer, and even saw a few horses along some of the trails. A strange déjà vu followed the girls, seeing as how the stallions looked so different from the ones in their world, though once the lake came into view, they all had their gazes locked in the same direction.

The mountain path we took directed us to a beautiful mountain view that overlooked the lake. It was very big, almost twenty miles across, and ten miles wide. It was a brilliant, shining blue, clean as can be. The occasional boat or wave runner would skim across the water, making very subtle, but noticeable, waves travel to the shore.

"Oh, my...This is beautiful! The lakes in Equestria aren't nearly as big as this!" Fluttershy said in amazement.

"Lake Toeha is a very famous lake, and a great tourist spot." Dana informed.

"I can see why! Look at it, it's huge!" Rainbow said in excitement.

"And it's so clean and blue!" Pinkie added with a wide smile. Gray and I chuckled at their excitement, and drove closer to the beaches, looking for a place to park.

Oddly enough, that wasn't too hard, considering only a few people thought of coming to the lake at this time of year. Probably because the weather down at home wasn't as nice as up here.

"Oh, my, this feels lovely! The wind in my ma- I mean, in my hair, the fresh forest air, Applejack, sweetie, this was a wonderful idea." Rarity complimented.

"She's right, this was a wonderful idea." Twilight added with a smile.

"Aw, shucks, girls. No need to go on with complimentin' me, I just wanted us all to have a good time." AJ said honestly, giving us all a smile.

"Alright, you girls should go get changed. We'll remain out here." I said quickly, adjusting my sunglasses. The girls nodded in understanding, following Dana to the women's changing room. By the time they finished up, Gray and I had gotten all of our supplies together. We turned around, to see the girls exiting in their swimwear.

"Oh, my, this feels much better." Rarity said with a smile. Gray and I struggled not to stare at the deep purple two piece she was wearing, complete with a skirt addition to the swimwear.

"Hey, AJ, can ya help me? I don't think this is on right." Rainbow asked, pointing at her sky blue bikini top.

"I'll help," Dana insisted, placing a light white sweater over her own white bikini. "You're about my size, so I know the trick to these," Dana added with a wink and a soft chuckle.

"Well, hey, where's Fluttershy?" AJ asked in her red bathing suit.

"She was right behind me..." Twilight mused, wearing a lavender colored two-piecer.

"Uh, yeah, 'bout that...She's really shy." Dana said.

"Well, her name is Fluttershy." Gray pointed out.

"No, I mean...I only had one bathing suit left, and, it, er..." Dana trailed off. Gray's eyebrow's quirked up, but it took me a little longer to realize where this is going.

"You're joking." I whispered in fear when I finally clued in. Dana shook her head slowly.

"Sorry, it was the last one left, and I don't have money to buy her a new one! Besides, it was the only one that...Fit." She finished slowly.

"Fluttershy, sweetie, come on out. You look fine." Rarity insisted. I saw Fluttershy poke her head out of the changing room, and slink back in. Seconds later, she slowly walked out, with her head hung low.

Wearing a school swimsuit.

"Fluttershy, you look great!" Grayson exclaimed, walking over to her.

"Not that stupid swimsuit fetish..." I grumbled, facepalming as Gray approached Fluttershy. Though, she whimpered, intimidated by his advances, and quickly walked over to my side. I chuckled at Gray, who sighed and shrugged, following me to the beach. We recognized a lot of the beach-goers as students from our school, and figured that many of the others were most likely from other surrounding schools.

"Alright, there's still a few vacant spots. Let's find a spot, and-" I began, but got cut off by manic screaming.

"Geronimo!" AJ screamed, ditching her hat atop my head and sprinting into the water, followed by Rainbow and Pinkie. They dove into the water, and Twilight scoffed.

"They would." She huffed.

"Oh, just wait." I said with a smirk.

"What do you mean?" Rarity asked, and I held up a finger, insisting she wait a moment. Sure enough, the three girls emerged from underwater.

"Gah! Cold! Coooold!" Pinkie cried out.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" Rainbow stuttered, shaking and hugging herself, then Pinkie, for warmth.

"D-dagnabbit, Alex! Wh-why didn't you t-tell us it was c-c-cold?" AJ asked through chattering teeth, obviously not amused by the smart grin on my face.

"Shoulda let me finish my sentence, but no, you insisted on jumping in the water like a crazy person. How's it feel now, though?" I asked. The three let go of each other and blinked in surprise.

"Actually not that bad, now that Ah think about it." Applejack said honestly.

"Well, that's the thing. Toeha's water is freezing, but you get adjusted to it in only a few minutes." I said with a shrug, setting down a couple chairs and a few towels.

It really was a great idea, coming to the beach on a beautiful day like this. The girls were in an out of the water, occasionally socializing with the people they recognized from class. Hours passed, and the sun was beginning to set. Some of the people around started a bonfire, Gray and I found a spot near it, with the girls trailing close behind. We were now all dressed, as the water was a no-go in the coolness of the approaching night. With Gray and Dana around, I felt much more comfortable socializing with our other friends. To be honest, if one of them weren't there, I probably would have hung back, playing guitar by myself. In fact, I felt like a completely different person. Fluttershy, Twilight, Rarity and Dana were crowded around as I began to play my acoustic. A friend of ours, Cris, harmonized as I sang, and it turned out to be a good night overall.

"Wow, Alex. You're really good at that." Fluttershy complimented.

"I would hope so. The dude's been playin' for, what was it, five, six years now?" Cris asked, banging two twigs against his lap like drumsticks. I nodded in confirmation, playing a few random chords.

"That's a big ten-four." I replied with a smirk.

"Where are the others?" I heard Twilight ask.

"I think Rainb- I mean, Raven is with Patience, accompanying Gray over there," She pointed out, looking over at Gray who was indeed with the two pranksters, most likely planning some type of gag. "And Allison is over there with some of her friends." She finished. The two girls Applejack was hanging around with gave me a weird vibe, but, for the time being, I decided to ignore it.

Over with AJ and her friends...

“So, how you girls been?" Applejack asked with a smile, biting into an apple.

"Oh, pretty good, had a bangin' day, if you know what I mean." One of the girls, Katie, replied with a wink, though it seemed to be aimed at the boy behind AJ. Confused as to what she meant, Applejack followed Alex's advice by smiling and nodding.

"Ah, I see." She replied half heartedly, producing another apple. "Wouldja like one?" She offered politely.

"Uh, no thank you." The other girl, Cassie, replied with a raised brow. Applejack nodded, throwing her apple core in the trash, and getting to work on the next one.

"Boy, lemme tell ya. I sure do love apples." She then said with a small smile.

"Uh, we can tell. Is that all you eat?" Katie asked.

"Well, not really. 'course, there isn't much else I do eat, though. I'm a vegetarian." She said, to which the two girls scoffed.

"Really? So you don't eat, like, chicken or burgers?" Cassie asked. AJ shook her head slowly. "Why not?"

"Well, cuz it's not good for ya." AJ replied simply, figuring it was a sufficient enough answer.

"I...see." Katie said flatly, observing as Applejack then produced a small bottle of apple juice.

"What are you, twelve?" Katie snorted, reaching inside of her sweater and producing a small metal flask. "Here, drink this." She insisted. Applejack took the flask with a smile.

"What is it?" She asked, taking a moment to twist off the cap and giving it a sniff, immediately pulling away.

"It's...You don't know what it is?" Katie asked, dumbfounded.

"No, Ah don't." AJ replied honestly. Katie and Cassie exchanged quick grins, before looking back at AJ.

"It's a new kind of apple juice, distilled with other ingredients." She said with a friendly smile.

"Ya sure? Don't smell like apples..." AJ replied skeptically.

"C'mon, Allison. Drink it, it'll make you feel better, too." Cassie chimed in with a smile.

"...Ya sure?" AJ asked again.

"C'mon, Ali. We're friends, right? Would we lie to you?" Katie said with a sweet smile, and that was enough to convince Applejack.

"Well...You're right. Down the hatch." AJ said with a smile, taking a swig, and immediately sucking in a hiss of breath.

"Ooh, boy, that's strong apple juice!" She said hoarsely.

"Keep drinking, it gets better." Cassie said, suppressing a laugh. AJ nodded, and kept drinking.

Back around the bonfire...

I looked over at Rarity, who was holding Fluttershy who was nodding off. Checking my watch, I saw that it was already ten at night. I was about to go look for Gray, but he found me before I could move. "Hey, man. I think we should get going." He suggested, and I nodded in agreement. Rainbow and Pinkie yawned, which surprised me, and I looked around. "Where's AJ?" Gray asked quietly, looking around. We heard a small ruckus, and looked over, seeing a small plate of food on the ground.

"Oh, A-ah'm sorry, it was a mistake, honest." A slightly slurred voice said.

"...No." I breathed, standing up and walking over to the girl that knocked the food over. "Allison, are you alright?" I asked the girl, who turned to look at me with tired eyes.

"Alex, tha' you?" She asked, her voice still slurred.

"Um, yeah... AJ, what's wrong?" I asked. Applejack stumbled against me, using me as support, and beginning to cry.

"Ah, Ah dunno...Mah friends gave me some weird applejuice that musta made me sick, 'cause now I have an awful headache and I don't feel too well...Ah can't even stand straight..." She said, fear lacing around her words. I held her close as I led her to the others.

"Wait, weird applejuice?" I asked.

"Yeh, it was in a little silver container. Smelled awful strong, but they were mah friends and Ah believed 'em... Maybe it was just made with old apples..." She said ignorantly.

"AJ, that wasn't applejuice. That was alcohol." I explained quietly.

"What?" Gray hissed.

"Someone gave AJ whiskey, I think, and now she's got a good buzz going. Dana, do me a favor and take AJ to the van. We'll be there soon enough." Dana nodded, grabbing a hold of AJ.

"C'mon, sweetie, you'll be alright..." She said gently, leading a swaying Applejack away to the parking lot. I sighed and rubbed my temples in annoyance.

"Who would give AJ alcohol?" I hissed in anger.

"I think it was Katie and Cassie, I saw AJ hanging with them earlier." Grayson informed me, as we headed back to the van. I heard gagging, and the sound of something splattering into the ground.

"Ah, seven hells..." I grumbled. Behind the van, AJ was hunched over, vomiting into the trees and bushes. AJ seemed scared, and helpless. The sight caused my heart to clench up, and the other five girls crowded around Applejack, giving her words of kindness, and gently leading her into the car.

"What happened?" Twilight asked, when everyone else was in the van.

"Someone gave her alcohol." I grumbled.

"Oh, my...You think she'll be alright?" Twilight asked worriedly.

"I'm sure she'll be fine tomorrow." I replied with a sigh. "What bugs me is that those girls lied to her. They told her it was some kind of apple juice. Taking advantage of her like that... Makes me very angry." I said, barely keeping my emotions in check.

"Oh, that's what happened?" Twilight began. "Makes sense enough. She is the element of honesty, after all. Thinking they were her friends, she probably thought there was no reason to doubt them..." She finished sadly, sighing and settling into the van. I sighed in exhaustion, shaking my head and getting in as well. Twilight was right. Being the element of honestly, AJ really had no reason to doubt those girls. I tried to push the thoughts away, and occasionally glanced back at the grimacing Applejack. The sight, again, made my heart ache, and I looked away.

This was going to be tougher than I thought.

( A/N
Hey, guys. Sorry for that little hiatus. Things kinda got...Overwhelming, to say the least. But,t hanks for being patient. I really appreciate it, and all of you.
Big thanks to Pissfer, once again, for being my editor for these chapters. It really makes a difference.
At any rate, remember to check out my Tumblr account at:
alexbarkhorn.tumblr.com
It'd really mean a lot if you checked it out, followed it, asked a few questions, etc.
Thanks, guys and gals. )

Chapter 26

"Alex?" A voice whispered.

...I thought I was dreaming of... but that's Rainbow's voice, not Fluttershy's...?

"...Alex." The voice said at a normal tone, albeit with a bit of annoyance hiding in the tone as well.

"Mmf..." I groaned, keeping my face glued to my pillow. Someone let out a huff of annoyance, and poked my bare shoulder.

"Aaaaaalex." Rainbow Dash sang. After poking me a good five times, I reached out and snatched her hand.

"...Can I help you?" I said, after raising my head and looking up at her.

"Wanna go for a run?" She asked with a grin. I furrowed my brow in annoyance, and glanced at my phone on the dresser. Clicking the button on it's front, I saw it was barely five that Sunday morning.

"...Rainbow, it's five in the morning." I reminded her. She gave a small shrug.

"Yeah, so?" She replied. I gave it a quick thought, and sighed, nodding.

"Yeah, sure. I’m up now anyways. Lemme get dressed." I sighed, eliciting a chuckle from the girl.

It was a crisp Sunday morning, and the sun was just beginning to peek over the mountains. I stretched my legs out for a second before starting off with Rainbow Dash. We kept it slow at first to warm up.

It had been a while since I'd actually been jogging - I usually did my cardio workout on an elliptical nowadays. Though, my stamina and endurance were solid, so I was able to keep up.

Rainbow really surprised me with how athletic she was, quickly pulling slightly ahead of me. I couldn’t help but watch her as she ran. She stood at a mere five foot two, while the other girls ranged from five foot five to around my height, five foot eight. However, she was thin with an athletic build, her body working perfectly to maintain her pace. A picture perfect example of what you wanted to see in a healthy young woman.

She must have felt my eyes on her as she glanced back at me, “enjoying the view?” She teased.

I blinked quickly as I met her eyes. "Totally," I snarked, speeding up to catch up with her.

We ran for a good hour, just around the neighborhood. We ran through residential areas, small paths that interconnected different streets, and even along the nearby golf course that was relatively close by. A few blocks before the house we suddenly found ourselves racing. We were neck and neck the entire way, trying to find that extra ounce of energy to outdo the other. We were only yards away from our finish when Dash found one last burst of speed, bolting ahead of me and reaching the driveway before slamming her feet to the ground as she tried to stop herself going up the driveway. I stopped next to her, collapsing onto the grass, trying to catch my breath. Dash, also breathing heavily, chuckled as she fell to the grass next to me.

We lay there and laughed for a few moments, staring up at the morning sky, watching as the clouds floating by were painted in intense bursts of red and orange. Suddenly, Dash stopped laughing, and reached her arm out to the sky, as if trying to grasp the clouds, as she did back in Equestria.

"It's like... I'm so close to them... I can almost feel them... But they're still so far away." She said quietly, smiling sadly. I looked over at her, a sympathetic smile on my face. "Alex?" She called, not looking at me.

"Yeah, Rainbow?" I replied quietly.

"...You think I'll be able to do it again? Fly, that is. Go back up in the clouds. Feel the wind in my mane, again." She asked, slowly dropping her hand. I sighed, turning to look back at the sky.

"I dunno, Dash," I admitted. My answer definitely saddened the poor girl, as she sighed heavily, looking up at the sky with a dull and lazy expression. Suddenly, an idea hit me. "Hey, why don't you try out for the track team?"

"The wha’?" She asked, snapping out of her daydreams.

"The track team. It's a sports team at school. They compete in a bunch of different activities. Running, hurdling... Some other stuff I really don't know about." I said with a slight chuckle.

She gave the idea some thought and, judging by the smile on her face, she must have liked the idea.

That very next day, the first thing I took her to do was sign up for the team. I left the others for Gray to take care of. Much to his dismay, as Pinkie had gotten into my Pixie Stix stash (God help him), so it was just the two of us. The coach was a bit skeptical, as it was a bit last minute to sign up, but he recognized her from his Fitness class, so accepted her.

"This is gonna be so awesome!" She squeed, hugging me. "Thanks, Alex! This was a great idea!" She beamed. I chuckled, nodding.

"Ah, come on. Like I'd let the fastest flyer- er, I mean. Like I'd let the fastest runner in Equestria just laze about in my house all day. Come on, I'm smarter than that." I joked.

Later that day, I had to take Dash back to school for track practice. I brought the other girls along as well, considering it was a beautiful day and there wasn’t really much they could do at home that they couldn’t also do here. All of us simply watched the practice from the bleachers as the team ran laps, worked with the hurdles, and even ran some 4x400 relays.

Damn did she kick some serious ass in that. Noone had any chance to catch her. One guy pulled even, but she just looked over and smiled before increasing her speed even more. Even though it was just practice, the girls and I cheered her on. I was so proud of her, especially when the coaches and a couple of the senior class members, presumably the captains, approached her.

The girls were all excitedly chatting about Rainbow, I was looking over the team and noticed an unsettling amount of scowls on faces throughout the team, all of them directed towards Rainbow Dash. It worried me, to say the least.

Much of my worry was laid to rest throughout the week as Dash kept attending practices, performing very well each time. She even got herself into some important position for an upcoming meet. Don’t ask me what, I’m not a runner. But it looked like she had finally earned the approval of her teammates.

"Alex! You'll never guess what!" Rainbow exclaimed as she burst through the front door Thursday night. Thankfully we’d found someone who lived nearby who could give her rides home from practice.

"You're right, Dash. I never will." I quipped, staying focused on the stir fry I was making. She rolled her eyes and punched my shoulder.

"My teammates invited me to a party tomorrow!" She said, squealing excitedly. I smiled at first, but something about it didn't quite seem right with me.

"A party? What kinda party?" I asked. Rainbow thought for a moment, and just shrugged.

"Hm. Dunno. But, they all said they'd really like it if I could go! So, can I?" She asked. I chuckled, the realization striking me that not only did I act like a father to them, but they saw me the same in return.

"I gotta admit, Dash, I'm not entirely sure you should. I don't feel too comfortable sending you out to some kids' party, especially since I don't know them." I admitted reluctantly, my grin widening slightly as I realized just how much I really did sound like a dad. Rainbow, however, was obviously upset by my answer.

"What? Why? What's the worst that could happen?" She asked. I turned around and fixed her with a look that screamed 'Really?'

"Okay, you got me there," she admitted. She pouted and folded her arms, huffing in defeat. I shut my eyes, trying to keep my will strong, but, in the end...

"Okay, one condition," I said.

"What? What is it?" She shouted, darting up to me and smiling wildly.

"...Try and see if I can go. Just so I can keep an eye on you," I explained sternly. She nodded vigorously, jumping up and down in excitement.

"Alright! I'll ask tomorrow! Thanks, Alex!" She squealed, hugging me tight, and running back towards the living room, where the rest of the girls were doing homework. I groaned in slight discomfort. There was definitely something off about this whole thing. I tried to shrug it off, as I was happy for her. But something was there, nagging at the back of my mind.

The next night, Rainbow and I got all prettied up for our night out. She was decked out in a white track jacket, with a two-toned stripe of cyan and navy running down each arm. It was zipped up halfway, so as to show the sky blue v-neck underneath. Her blue jeans were tucked into her shin-high navy blue boots, and, finally, she had a pair of dark cyan shades atop her head - obviously not to wear, they were just one of those weird hair things that girls do. I, myself, just decided on a black crew neck shirt, with a grey denim jacket, worn black jeans, and jet black boots. Call me plain.

When we arrived, the party was already in full swing, made apparent by each window being illuminated by a light, and cars parked all outside the place. Rainbow was practically bouncing up and down in anticipation.

"...Dash, you're acting like Lyra right now." I said with a chuckle as I turned off the truck.

"Oh, heh, whoops." Dash giggled as she stepped out of the vehicle, and walked towards the house with me. I recognized a few faces. Dash, on the other hand, quickly became the center of attention. People were complimenting her, high fiving her, the whole lot of them knew about Raven Davis.

Dash began mingling, while I hung back and supported the nearest wall with the aid of a can of soda. It seemed to be the only can of soda around too. Everyone else seemed to have some kind of alcohol in hand. Beer, coolers, even some of those spiked lemonade drinks. I heard the clink of shot glasses from all directions as well, as people downed vodka and tequila shots.

It all made me a little uncomfortable. No, not because I’m a straight edge - well, ok, I don’t drink or do drugs, but I have no need to label myself, or anyone else, as anything. Hell, even being called a Brony by Gray creeps me out a little.

No, I'm uncomfortable with alcohol because of what happened just months ago. I had just gotten my license, and I, being the nocturnal bugger that I am, was randomly browsing the internet for ponies. That's when I got a phonecall from Gray. As previously stated, Gray was very popular. Everyone loved him, everyone wanted him to go to their parties. So, one night, he went.

It's always the worst luck, when you finally give in.

Who Gray thought was that night's designated driver actually took a few "Jell-O shots" or whatever, and drove head on into a pole. No one was killed, but Gray was in the passenger seat, and was seriously injured. The pole was just inches away from the both of them, but, somehow, Gray was the one who took the most damage. He was bruised, bloodied, and battered. When Dana and I visited him in the hospital, it was torture. He kept smiling and laughing, as if nothing happened, and as if he didn't regret his decisions. I never took a liking to alcohol in the first place, but those events pretty much set it in stone for me.

My memories were interrupted by a commotion in the backyard. There was basically a whole other party going on back there. When I realized that I couldn’t see Rainbow anywhere nearby, I sort of figured I knew what might be going on out back. Sure enough, I walked outside to see Rainbow surrounded by a bunch of drunken idiots, one of whom was handing her a bottle of hard liquor. She was looking at it questioningly. I knew that she knew what it was. That she knew what it did, to some degree at least. She was chuckling at the others, who were trying to get her to take "One little shot," or, "A sip!"

"Raven!" I called, causing her head to snap in my direction.

"Hey, Alex! Wanna have a drink with me?" She asked, as if this wasn't a big deal, bringing the bottle up to her lips before I grabbed her arm, stopping her. The group crowded around her booed at me, called me lame and said that I was ruining the party. I shrugged them off, waiting for Dash to reply.

"Alex, what's the big deal? It's just one drink, not like it'll do anything." She said, bringing the bottle up to her lips again.

"Raven, seriously. Don't." I said, my tone more pleading than demanding that time.

"Seriously, Alex, get lost! If she wants to drink, let her!" One of the guys shouted.

"Hey, piss off! If I want your two cents, I'll ask!" I snapped. And with that, I could tell that any possible civility left between us was gone. We squared off, approaching each other slowly before Rainbow intervened.

"Alex, what are you doing?" She hissed.

"Raven, what are you doing? You have a meet tomorrow, you can't go hungover." I informed her. "Besides, that's alcohol! A, you're underage! B, it's just...It's wrong! Look at all of these idiots!" I said, pointing over to the bumbling and stumbling jerkasses. "Is that your idea of fun?"

It looked as if my argument had gotten through to her but, a moment later, she looked up at me with a scowl. "You aren't my father, or anything, Alex. I can do whatever I want." I blinked, thrown off by her sudden change of heart. This was Rainbow Dash, the very Element of Loyalty, completely corrupted by the horrible, fucked up morality of today's standard teenager. It completely broke my heart.

"Fine!" I shouted, catching her by surprise. "Fine! Go ahead! Drink the whole fuckin' night away! Go to your fuckin' first meet hungover, throw it all away! See if I fuckin' care!" I barked as I turned around and walked away. The drunken assholes all jeered at me as I left. Then I heard one distinct voice in the crowd.

"That's right! Get lost, ya fuckin' loner!"

I stopped dead in my tracks, turning around to discover that Jake was indeed the source of the voice, Aaron right next to him, beer in hand.

"The fuck did you say, you fuckin' arrogant dickhead?" I shouted, storming towards him. Rainbow, again, intervened to push me back. I looked at her quizzically, "Really? You're gonna stand up for this fucking guy! After all he's done! What, you think these people are your friends? Because they fucking pressure you into doing shit you don't want to do? Ask yourself, Raven, would you really do this shit if no one else was around?" I didn't even give her a chance to reply before I turned around. "G'head, fuck it all up. See if I care. If you won't be loyal anymore, I can give up on it just as fuckin' easily." With that, I walked out, ignoring the jeers as I left.

I stormed to the truck, throwing my can of soda at the window, cracking it slightly. I opened the door and inserted the keys in the ignition. Before I could manage to turn the key, I started thinking about all the shit I had just said to Rainbow. How hypocritical of me! When she turned her back on me, I did the same instead of trying to help her. I grunted in anger, slamming my fist against the steering wheel, and placing my forehead against it, breathing heavily. About half an hour later, a quiet knock on the window caught my attention. I looked up to find Rainbow Dash standing outside of my truck. She glanced up, but, the second her eyes met mine, she averted her gaze back to the ground. I sighed, and stepped out of the truck.

"Alex, I..." She began quietly, sighing and shutting her eyes.

"I'm sorry." I said quietly as my hands found their way to my jacket pockets as I stared off to my right, at the little break in the neighborhood that gave a clear view of the mountains, which were shining brightly in the moonlight.

"You...What?" She asked, completely baffled.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you like that." I said again.

"Alex, no...No, I'm the one that's sorry. I...I shouldn't have acted like that. I never meant to hurt you. I dunno why I acted like that, so...I'm sorry." She said, looking up at me. I glanced over at her, then back at the mountains, shrugging. "Alex! Come on, I'm tryin' here! I...I should have listened to you. You're my friend. Not them. I should have listened to you, and I'm sorry." She persisted.

"You don't get it, do you?" I snapped, looking back at her. She blinked in surprise.

"Get what?" She inquired.

"Dash, what's your element?" I asked.

"...Loyalty." She replied quietly.

"And what does that mean?"

"It means that I'm loyal to my friends, that I'd never give them up or give up on them. That I'd listen to them and help them." She replied, her confidence coming back.

"Right, and wrong." I stated.

"What do you mean?" She asked, a bit annoyed.

"Dash, there's more to loyalty than being loyal to other people." I began, removing my hands from my pockets. "It's also important to be loyal to yourself. To thine own self, be true." I told her, looking down at her. "Dash, you have to think these things through. Is this really what would have been best for you? Remember what I asked? Would you have acted like that if any of those prats weren't there?" She shook her head in response, sighing again.

"It's a great thing to be loyal to your friends, and always being there for them," I stated, placing a hand on her shoulder. "But it's also important to be loyal to yourself. To do what's best for you is alright when it's called for. Making promises to yourself, keeping yourself in good hands and staying safe." I said, raising my other arm, and showing the scars on my wrists. "All this time, I've never held anything to these wrists. Because I was as loyal to myself as I was to my friends. I promised myself, no more of this. I told myself it wasn't good for me. Is this good for you, Dash? Putting all this on the line for other people?" I asked her.

"...No." She said with a small smile.

"That's my girl," I said with a soft chuckle. "C'mon. Let's get you home. You have a big day tomorrow." She nodded happily, and I turned to walk back to my truck when her hand caught mine, stopping me. I turned, and she embraced me.

"Thanks, Alex." She whispered. I didn't reply, smiling softly as I returned the hug.

The next day, wouldn't ya know it, was a blast. Dash excelled in nearly all of the events, and even broke the school record in the 1600 Relay! Oh man, did my heart ever well up, I was so proud of her. We all were, and we all cheered her on, and everyone gave her the recognition she deserved. Well, everyone but the mooks who decided to get drunk the night before, and were still suffering from hangovers. In the midst of all of the celebrations, Rainbow looked up at me and gave the biggest smile I’d ever seen. Well, aside from Pinkie anyways. I returned it a wide smile of my own, as she hugged her teammates and coaches, thanking them for the help, opportunity, and everything else.

The entire time, I couldn't help but tear up a bit. My little Dashie did it. She had been loyal to herself, and she’d done it.

That's my girl.

( Oh, good lord. That was quite the hiatus.

Sorry about that, actually. Kinda got a little too comfortable. But! Here's the latest chapter! Let's see, I got AJ, Pinkie, Rarity, Dash...Hrm. Wonder who's next ;]

At any rate, I hope you all enjoyed! Thanks a bunch for all of your support, I really appreciate it all! And I'd really appreciate it if you guys could check out my Tumblr. It has a bunch of cool info on it, so, go.

alexbarkhorn.tumblr.com

Thank you all again so much for the love and support you've given me, it really makes me happy!

Have a good night, everyone! )

Chapter 7

"Uh...Where're we goin', again?" Applejack asked, awkwardly climbing into the back seat of Gray's minivan. Okay, it was his mom's, but he drives it around when he needs to.

"The mall," I grumbled in reply, looking over at Gray in the driver's seat. Why he decided on this little field trip, I'll never know. But, the girls did need clothes if they were to be normal.

Or, rather. As normal as they could be in my world.

"What's a mall? Do they have candy? Or, maybe muffins and cupcakes and pies?!" Pinkie Pie asked excitedly. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Actually, they do." I replied with a slight yawn. I looked back at the girls, who were all looking around the van with curious and excited faces, save for Fluttershy of course, who sat there, staring down at her hands that were laced neatly atop her lap. "Everything alright, Fluttershy?" I asked her.

"What?" She replied in a mumble, looking up at me. She gave me a hesitant smile, and nodded. "Oh, yes. I'm fine." She said quietly, almost in a whisper. I frowned a bit at her response, but sighed, shaking my head and sitting straight again.

"Alright, to the mall shopping center!" Gray announced, starting the engine and driving off.

It only took about fifteen minutes to get to the shopping center, but the drive over there was the scenic route, and the girls all stared outside the window in wonder. I couldn't help but smile as they pointed out the various cows, birds, and other wildlife. Even Fluttershy would gaze out at the occasional bird or butterfly. It really made me happy that something in this world could even lighten these girls in their dark times.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when Gray slammed on the brakes and pounded his horn. "Gray, what the hell?!" I snapped, looking ahead through the windshield. "Ah, ruttin' hell..." I grumbled, applying my palm to my face when I saw who had just cut us off.

"What the hay just happened?!" Applejack asked, picking up her hat that had fallen off in the sudden stop.

"Those guys in front of us just cut us off," I grumbled.

"Is that Jake and Aaron?" I heard Gray whisper to himself.

"Whattaya mean, cut us off?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Same concept as when someone jerks in front of you in a race, Dashie." I replied, seeing the two mooks in front of us high five and look to turn at us. I glared at them and crossed my arms.

Jake and Aaron were your classic neighborhood bullies. Well, clincher is, they were physical bullies to those who couldn't defend myself, unlike me and Gray. With us, they're verbally abusive. I actually used to hunt them down in my younger days and catch them in the act. That was never a pretty outcome, for me or them. Unfortunately, my mom and school counselor ended my little vigilante days.

"Oh...Those jerks!" Dash cried out in anger.

"Simmer down there, Rainbow. Ain't gonna get anywhere lettin' yourself get all worked up." Applejack scolded, earning a huff from Dashie.

"She's right," Gray chimed in. "Besides, they're...Oh, nope. They're heading to the Galleria as well." He mumbled in annoyance, turning into the parking lot of the galleria. As usual, it was filled with shoppers, mainly teens our age. Gray parked near the shoe store, which was thankfully having a large sale.

"Alright, girls. First thing's first, let's get you some footwear. You can't walk around barefoot while you're here," I said, unbuckling my seatbelt and exiting the car. Gray followed, opening the door on his side, and I followed suit on my side. Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy exited my side, and Twilight, Dash and Pinkie exited on Gray's side.

"So, remember, Gray. Don't let me spend too much. A couple hundred, max. Shoes, a single outfit for each..." I started counting off different limits using my fingers, but was stopped by Gray.

"Dude, don't worry. We'll be out of here in an hour. Besides, this feels weird anyway. It's like I'm helping you shop for your children," He joked.

"Ha. Ha." I muttered dryly. We walked into the shoe store, and I could swear that there was some sort of female pheromone in there that caused all girls to go wild with shoes. The six of them were going to and fro between different sneakers and sandals, heels and flats, picking out their favorites. I facepalmed, and sat down near the back, where we'd be out of people's ways.

We'd barely been in there for ten minutes when the girls came back to me with their decisions. Unfortunately, none of them knew their own shoe sizes, so I had to help them with that, which only added on more time. It's strange, each girl picked a style unique to their own...Okay, that wasn't entirely strange, but it caught my attention.

Rarity was first, coming to me at first with black high heels. I rejected them faster than she found them, and she returned with lightly heeled pixie boots. They were cheap, and not as bad as her previous pair, so I approved.

Twilight was next, coming to me with plain black flats that you slip on. Fluttershy was after her, with the same style of flats, only in a pearl color, with velcro straps. They both fit the two and their tastes, so that made three altogether.

Dashie just about fell in love with a pair of sky blue Huck Taylor Konverse sneakers, that even had clouds as the design. Needless to say, I was proud of her decision.

Applejack nearly killed me with laughter when she saw a pair of shin high and pointed boots that were reminiscent of a cowgirls, so instead, I bought her a brown pair of shin high Doc Martini boots. A little more expensive than what I was going for, but she was hellbent on buying boots.

And that left Pinkie. I was terrified, since she was gone the longest, and was dreading what awful decision she was to make. "Alex!" She sang out from behind me. I cringed, and turned, completely surprised by what I saw. She was holding a plain pair of bubblegum pink Huck Taylor's, that almost seemed made just for her. I happily agreed, and paid for it all.

Let me tell you, thank God for sales week. Six pairs of shoes cost me just a little over 150 dollars, but that all came out of my wallet, so it wasn't a big deal.

Yet.

"Thanks a bunch, Alex! These things rock!" Rainbow Dash gleamed, as I helped them each put on their shoes. They had no problem putting them on, actually. It was just the lacing they needed help with.

"Don't mention it. Like I said, you all need to get used to this world, until you can find your way back." I replied with a smile, finishing the lacing on her shoes, finishing up the rest of them. I noticed Applejack try and readjust her hat, only to see her awkwardly twitch her fingers. "Among other things, we'' get you adjusted," I then added with a slight smirk.

"What next?" Gray asked. I thought for a moment, rubbing my hand across my chin. In the slight silence, I observed the dresses that the girls had appeared in. They weren't in bad condition. If anything, just a few dirt and dust stains.

"I suppose...Clothing." I replied with a shrug.

"Oh, finally! I can get out of this and into some different clothing! I just cannot wait to see this fashion!" Rarity announced happily, awkwardly clapping her clenched fists together.

"...Rarity? Try it like this," I said, demonstrating a human clap.

"Oh," She replied simply, chuckling to herself and clapping normally.

"Anyway, yes. Let's go to MidSun, they have decent clothing there. Nothing too revealing, too expensive, or too simple. Perfect blend." I said, leading them all to the store that was on the other side of the shopping center.

We entered the rather large outlet store, and I reminded myself to thank Celestia that it wasn't too crowded. I turned to look at the six, and tried to get their attention.

"Alright, girls, this place actually has people that can help you look for clothes. Don't answer too difficult questions. Like, if they ask your size, say you forgot. Or what style you want, tell them to decide for you. And if they name a bunch of weird things, just smile and nod. But remember, tell them only one outfit each. I dunno, say it's a birthday gift, this one outfit," I instructed, crossing my arms when I finished. They all gave nods of understanding, and I sighed.

"Way to go, den mother," Gray snarked quietly, earning a smack to the back of the head from me.

"Anyway, girl's clothing is down there. Don't take too long." I said, and they all took off in their own direction.

Worst idea, that was. I learned to never leave a girl unattended in a clothing outlet.

Me and Gray were waiting for nearly an hour this time before they had me pay. My eyes widened at the bill, as it nearly broke 220 dollars.

"Remember, Alex...It's for the girls..." I mumbled to myself, as I swiped my card and entered the pin. After I signed, I perked my ears when I heard something.

"Well, boys...How do we look?" Rarity asked. Gray and I turned around to see the girls, and our jaws nearly dropped like one-ton anvils.

Rarity was the first to step up, bouncing and fluffing her hair. She had taken a classy, yet modern style, choosing a sibil dress that was a beautiful white in color. In fact, it matched perfectly with her style.

"It took me a while to find something I liked..." Twilight then said. I looked over at her, and smiled. She had gone with a deep purple skirt that stopped at her mid-thigh, with black tights underneath. On her torso, she wore a black long-sleeved tee with pockets on the front.

"Looks great, Twi. You probably had an easier time than I did," Applejack said next. Her style wasn't all that surprising, as she wore an orange flannel shirt over a white tank-top. On her waist was a brown leather belt that held up a pair of denim blue-jeans, fashionably cowgirl of her.

"I could swear I told them to make it 20% cooler...But, it'll do," Dashie muttered, sticking her hands in the pockets of her dark and light blue hoodie. What I liked about Rainbow Dash's outfit, was that she had worn blue jeans, but her sweater caught my attention. It was thin and slimming, but the sleeves and hood were royal blue, whereas the rest of the sweater was a baby blue color.

"I think you look great, girls! Myself included!" Pinkie said in excitement. Pinkie's was unique, because there was really nothing special about it. She just wore a candy pink long sleeved tee, with dark pink striped going horizontally across. On her legs, she decided upon blue denim capris. Gray and I gave her a thumbs up, and I looked around.

"Hey, where's Fluttershy?" I asked. A small blue of pink hair caught my attention, and I surmised that she was hiding behind a clothing rack.

"Fluttershy, come on out. Let's see what you chose," Rarity encouraged. She thought about it, and eventually Fluttershy came out from behind the clothes rack.
"Does it...Look nice?" She asked shyly, looking away a bit, and blushing madly. My eyes widened in admiration, and I looked at her outfit choice. She chose a slightly baggy long sleeved tee, that actually had the sleeves end a bit past the elbow and into the forearm, that was a slightly off-white in color...Maybe even a really pale yellow. She also had a long skirt that reached down to about her ankles, and it's color was closely resembling her light pink hair color, and I couldn't help but smile at that.

"It looks great, Fluttershy..." I replied with another smile, and couldn't help but notice the look the clerk gave me. "Definitely gonna need new names, as well..." I thought to myself.

"Oh...Th-thank you very much..." Fluttershy replied, nearly inaudibly. Her blush deepened, and she looked to the ground with a smile.

"Anytime. Now, let's go home,"

After the girls' little demonstration of their new fashion, we exited the store, when an all too familiar voice stopped me.

"Well, if it ain't the loner and the prep. How's it going, chumps?"

"Aaron. Jake. It's a pleasure," I said dryly. "Oh, seven hells..." I then muttered, turning around to see the two, who were staring at us with cocky smirks on their faces. "This'll end well..." I whispered to Gray, who crossed his arms and glared at the two boys as well.

This 'verse just loves to throw awkward or just plain bad situations in my way, I decided.

Important Note From the Author

Hey, everyone. Alex here.

It has come to my attention that there is already a moderately well known fanfic out there under the name "Brave New World"

The clincher?

It's a humanization as well.

The reason this bothers me at all is because a goal of mine is to get this story featured on EQDaily, which is where I found this other "Brave New World"

So, I've decided that I need to come up with a new name so as not to sound like an unoriginal jackwagon. If you have any ideas for a new name, one that is somewhat similar to mine, please help me out and I'll be sure to give you a proper shout out for helpin' me.

So, please don't get confused when the title gets changed. I won't do so until tomorrow night, around this time, so it'll give me time to think of a new title, and give others time to get to this information on time.

Also, don't forget to follow me on tumblr. There, you can get more updates on how this story, along with my other projects, are coming along, and you can ask me questions on there as well.

Sorry for the inconvenience, everyone. Have a great night.

- Alex Barkhorn