It Gets Better

by Flame Star

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, Crossover, Alternate Universe, Human, Main 6, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Comedy, Romance, Sex
Length: 11212

Life has a way of making things turn out alright in the end: even if you have to go through hell for it.

Life has a way of making things turn out alright in the end: even if you have to go through hell for it.

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Alec never thought that he'd ever end up being much more than and ordinary person in the crowd: just another face you'd never think twice about. However, when he and his two friends, Joey and Lindsey, are transported to Equestria during a weekly game night, that all changes. Now, imbued with fantastic abilities, he forges a new path: a path lined with love, heartbreak, friendship, trust, and betrayal.

Published 2014-04-13 21:40:03 UTC
Last updated 2014-04-22 21:59:49 UTC

This Is Gonna Be Fun

“Ya know, I’m really glad I already beat the game: having only one side of the powers gets boring after a while.” I stated, controller in my hands as I split my attentions between the screen in front of my, and the screen to my side: the one in front currently displayed inFAMOUS Second Son, the latest game in the now-trilogy that I had become smitten with so long ago. The other, which sat to my left, was my computer, which was currently keeping a Skype call running between me and my two friends, Lindsey and Joey.

“You do realize that, as much as you talk about it, we really don’t know much about it? I mean, you’re the only one that’s ever played it out of us three.” Quipped Joey before sighing defeatedly. “Rats got me.”

“Again? Come on, I can fight dragons, and you can’t even handle a few lousy rats?” replied Lindsey, who, if the sounds coming from her Skype call were anything to go by, had just vanquished one of the aforementioned behemoths.

“Yeah, well, I can’t shoot fire out of my mouth. The best I can do is slow time and summon some rats.” Joey shot back, prompting me to mediate.

“Ladies, ladies, you’re both pretty.” This drew a small snicker from me, but a groan from the other two. “Besides, we both know that my game is better.”

“Whatever you say, ‘Banner Man’” Lindsey retorted, with a tone that indicated a rolling of the eyes.

Just as I was about to reply, the power in my house seemed to go out: the lights flicked out, and the TV did the same. My computer, though it ran on a battery, was now frozen, with my friend’s voices only coming through broken and staticy. I sat confused for a moment before my TV flicked back on. But, instead of displaying a blank screen, it shone with an intense, blindingly bright light. Moments later, I lost consciousness.

When my eyes finally flitted open, I was in a place that was most definitely not my bedroom back at home: the ground was covered with grass and leaves, with trees all around us. It was painfully obvious that I was now in a forest, apparently alone: that is, until I heard a groan about five feet to my left. Turning, I saw a very strange sight: a female form, fully adorned in plate-like white armor, with a matching shield and horned helmet, a sword at her belt. The form slowly rose, and as it got to its feet and turned towards me, I was thoroughly surprised by the face that I saw: it was none other than my friend, Lindsey.

“Lindsey? Is that...is that you?” I asked her, taking a step back.

“Yeah. Wait, is that...Alec? Is that you?” She replied, tilting her head slightly. “Why are you dressed like that?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” I fired back, gesturing to her. “Where’d ya get the armor?”

“Armor?” She looked down at herself, gasping in a combination of shock and awe. As she looked over herself, she began to sound more frightened than she had initially. “This is really freaky. This...this is downright terrifying.”

I heard rustling to my right and spun, instinctually unraveling a chain that was wrapped around my right forearm. I didn’t have time to process the development as a figure emerged from the undergrowth at the edge of the small clearing that Lindsey and I had found ourselves in.

“Hello? Alec, Lindsey, are you there?” I immediately recognized the voice as that of Joey, my other friend. Rewrapping the chain around my arm, I called out to him.

“We’re here Joey. And before you ask, yes, we’re just as scared and confused as you are.”

He froze, drawing a sword that was at his waist. “Alec? Is that…” He lowered the sword, tilting his head inquisitively. “Is that you?” He seemed to look me over, no less confused. “Why are you dressed so weird?”

“Like I said to Lindsey, I could say the same to you.” I fired back at him, starting to get a bit agitated at the situation.

A mask set on his forehead, obviously pulled up and off of his face. He was dressed in a long black cloak, with sword drawn and a pistol at his belt.

“Alright, so, let’s get this straight: you look like Corvo, Lindsey’s got some pretty sparkly armor, and me…?” I looked around questioningly, waiting for a response.

“You look like a delinquent.” The two answered in unison, locking eyes after doing so. “That was weird.” The both continued. “So was that.” This process repeated itself until I yelled for their attention.

“A more accurate explanation, please!” I shouted, glaring at them both.

“Alright, ah...red beanie, leather over-jacket with some pins on the chest, chain on your ar-” I cut her off there with a raised hand, my mind already beginning to connect the dots. “So, I’m dressed like Delsin, Joey’s dressed like Corvo, and you’re dressed like…” I trailed off, turning towards Lindsey. “Lindsey, what kind of armor were you wearing in your game of Skyrim?”

“Ah...the Deathbrand set. Unique Stalhrim armor set.” She replied, though a bit questioningly.

“And, Lindsey, would you say that that set of armor looks somewhat like a series of white plates of material?” I asked.

“I’d...say so, yeah.” She finally answered, though a bit apprehensively. “Why?”

“Because, Lindsey…” I started, smirking slightly. “You’re wearing it. And I think I know why: we became our characters in everything but body.” I paused, a realization dawning on me. “Lindsey, shout at me.”

“What, why?” She replied, obviously confused and shocked by my sudden outburst.
“Because, I wanna test my theory. Now, Unrelenting Force.” When she didn’t act immediately, I continued. “Hit me!” I yelled at her, finally spurring her into action.

“Fuus….Roh DAH!!” She yelled, releasing an immense wall of force in my direction. Instead of turning and running, I ran towards the force, willing my body to dematerialize. My body did as my mind willed, with my body dematerializing into a cloud of red smoke, which then reformed into myself once again a few feet from where I had been standing.

“Fuck yeah!” I yelled, throwing a hand into the sky in triumph before I turned to Joey. “Shoot me.”

He was visibly in shock from the display that he had just witnessed, and when he finally recovered, looked at me like I was crazy. “What? No, I’m not going to shoot you, I’d kill you!”

“You’d be surprised what I can take, Joe. Now, shoot me!” I smirked at him as I spoke, bouncing on my feet.

Slowly drawing the pistol at his belt, he raised his arm, closing his eyes before firing. His arm jerked high into the air from the recoil, and the bullet, struck me in the shoulder. Pain seared through my body, but only momentarily. Almost immediately, smoke issued from my body, heading towards my wounded shoulder, dissipating moments later. Rolling my shoulder, I felt no pain: no trace that any injury had ever been sustained. “Hell yeah! I’m as strong as a god-damned Conduit!” I shouted, revelling in my new-found powers.

We all looked down at ourselves, studying our bodies. We reacted with varying degrees of joy and apprehension, both scared of our new abilities, but also eager to become used to them. Looking up at the two who had joined me, I smiled: we had finally become something greater than we had ever thought we could have been.

“Alright, guys. It’s dark. I’d say about...midnight. We need to head out, try and find some civilization.” I stated, unintentionally trying to establish myself as leader of our pack of super-powered teens.

They responded with nods, following me as I headed what felt to be Northwest, with Lindsey lighting a torch that she seemingly produced from nowhere. Silently thanking her for her bag of holding skills, I pressed on ahead, my chain ever so slightly unwound as I watched the fringes of the light for any threat. Not long after, I saw a shape move at the edge of the torchlight and stopped the group, holding our position. The shape moved towards us, revealing it to be a large wolf, teeth bared in a snarl. Initially, I was unafraid of a single wolf: then, however, three more emerged on either side, totalling seven large beasts, all ready to attack. Turning back, I looked at my two companions. Time seemed to slow down as my mind raced, two decisions being weighed in my head.

‘I can tell them to run, to keep going while I hold off the wolves. They’ll make it out for sure, but me...I don’t know just how much my new powers can withstand. On the other hand, I can leave them for dead and save my own hide; let them fight these damn things, and see if they make it out alive.’

The choice seemed instinctual to me. I turned to the wolves, the chain around my arm unwinding. “Go. I’ll fight these fuckers, you guys just get out the forest. Find a town or something.”

“But, Alec-” Joey started, but I cut him off.

“I said go!” I yelled, and they took off, running the way we had came before looping around. Now faced with only a single target, the wolves circled me, seeming to single me out as the weakest of the former group.

The wolves charged, but they didn’t get a chance to sink their teeth into flesh. I crouched down for only a moment, smoke beginning to swirl around my arms before I launched myself skyward. My body dematerialized once more, coalescing into three balls of smoke that twirled around one another before coming together again, reforming my body at the top of a loop. I smirked as my body turned, and I began hurtling back down towards the trees. I was high above the treetop now, and as my body hurtled down towards the ground, I willed myself to gain momentum. Twin jets of smoke erupted from my hands, hurtling me faster towards the ground. The moment my body struck, I exploded with an enormous concussive force, sending the wolves flying and flattening the trees in a ten foot radius. As my body reformed, I smiled. “Oh, yeah...this is gonna be fun.”

So THAT'S Where We Are!

When I finally emerged from the forest, I was tired and exhausted. That blast, which I remembered as the Orbital Drop, almost immediately depleted my energy. I wouldn’t be using any of my abilities until I recharged: and that wouldn’t possible until I reached an open flame to absorb some smoke to fuel my powers. Brushing away the undergrowth and lower limbs of trees, I spotted a house on the edge of the forest. I exited the thicket of trees and made my way toward the house, knocking on the door. I quickly began to feel dizzy, collapsing just before the door opened fully. The last thing I saw before my eyes slipped shut was pink hair and a white rabbit.

“A week, maybe two? I’m not quite sure just how much damage his body sustained before he made it here, so it’s hard to tell exactly when he’ll be fully recovered.” spoke a voice which I could not yet see, though it sounded near and somewhat concerned. Groaning, I slowly opened my eyes, and was greeted with grating mid-morning brightness shining in through the window.

“Ah, fuck, that’s bright!” I held up a hand to cover my eyes, eliciting a gasp from the room. Lowering my hand, I looked around, taking in my surroundings. I was in a rather cluttered room, apparently on the couch next to the window. Animals scurried around here and there, but eight people sat on chairs: two of them my friends, Joey and Lindsey, but the rest, all girls, I did not recognize. There was one with long, straight pink hair, who kept hiding behind it; another with similarly colored hair, through she looked fit to burst from excitement. Another, this one with chromatic hair of all the colors of a rainbow, sat looking slightly bored, but still concerned at the situation. One that I took to be a farmer, as she wore a stetson and leather boots, seemed to be scolding the rainbow-haired girl, but she was being paid no heed by the girl in question. Finally, the last two, who had horns sprouting from the top of their foreheads, seemed both fascinated and concerned: one had long purple hair, styled in a way that projected elegance and grace. The other looked rather...bookish, one that seemed more for reading than action. She also had purple hair, but shorter, with two streaks running through it: one pink, the other a darker shade than her hair.

“As a great man once said, ‘you can’t kill me’.” I smirked as I spoke, chuckling slightly as I began to sit up. As I did, pain flashed in my chest, and my hand flew to my chest just below my left shoulder. “Fuck…” I trailed off, holding up a hand as one of the girls began to rise and move towards me. “I’m fine.” Taking a deep breath, I finally managed to get myself sitting upright, taking a better surveyance of my surroundings. The room seemed to be a sort of...cottage, a quaint little home removed from the hustle and bustle of urban life.

“Alec, we...we thought you were a goner when you stayed behind. How...how did you survive?” Joey asked, unbelieving of my ‘luck’.

“Let’s put it this way: I’m tough as all hell.” I replied, earning a small snicker from the rainbow-haired girl. Flashing her a look, she was smiling, covering her mouth with her hand to hold back what I assume would normally evolve into raucous laughter. “Anyway...would, uh...would you girls mind giving us three a moment? I, uh...need to talk to them for a second.”

The six unfamiliar faces all looked at each other for a moment before slowly getting up, heading up the stairs and out the room. The rainbow-haired one was the last up, and as she looked back down at us, I flashed her a quick wink. She first looked a bit shocked, but soon smirked and returned the wink before heading the rest of the way up the stairs.

“Guys, as crazy as it sounds, I know where we are.” I said, turning to my two companions.

“What, really?” Lindsey answered, sitting forward on her seat.

“Yeah. Now, uh...just bear with me, because it’s going to sound fucking insane when I say it.” I replied, looking at both of them as I spoke.

“Just spit it out already, Alec. Where are we?” Asked Joey, obviously becoming a bit agitated.

I paused a moment before I continued, looking for the best way to say this. Leaning forward, I whispered to the two. “Equestria.” I then sat back against the couch, looking at them both. They were incredulously, looking at me as if I were insane.

“...are you fucking stupid? Equ-” I cut Joey off before he could continued, pointing at the stairs. He understood what I meant, and chose his words carefully as he continued. “That place, doesn’t exist.”

“I can prove it. Those six girls? All characters from the show. I didn’t at first, but now I recognize them. They are the ‘Mane Six’, the main characters of the show. Don’t believe me?”

“No, I don’t believe you.” Replied Lindsey, crossing her arms. “If we’re where you say we are, then why are they on two legs?”

“Maybe...maybe we’re in some...alternate universe, right? Where all of them are humans instead of...ya know. I mean, after all: we just randomly got transported to some forest and gained superpowers. Is anything else really that farfetched?”

At first, they seemed like they were about to reply, but could not quite form the words that they wanted to say. “Alright, maybe you are right. But if you are...then how do we get back?” Asked Lindsey, looking up at me.

“Get back? Why the hell would we want to get back?” Shot Joey, turning to look at her. “Do you see what we are now? We’re strong, we’re powerful: we can make a name for ourselves here. Start over, be what we want to be.” Joey stared at her for a few moments before turning to me, as if looking for validation. “Right, Alec?”

I stayed silent as I mulled over the options being presented here: return home, or stay here. “We really don’t have any choice but to stay here…” I paused as Joey turned towards Lindsey, already looking triumphant. “...for now, at least.” I continued, causing Joey to turn towards me again. “We’ll stay here for as long as it takes, but we’ll try and find a way home. But when the time comes, if it comes, I’ll leave the choice to return home on an individual basis.”

The two seemed to accept this, slowly beginning to nod to both themselves, and then to me. I called the girls back down to the room, and the filed in, taking their seats once more.

“What all can you tell us? How did you get here?” The bookish one asked, seeming genuinely interested in our situation.

“We, uh…” I looked at the other two, silently asking whether we should lie or tell the truth. Getting not much of an answer from either of them, I decided myself.

“We showed up in the woods outside of town. We didn’t know where we were, and so we set out to try and find a town or some other sign of civilization. While we were walking, we stumbled on some wolves. I told the other two to go ahead, while I held them off. They ran, but I stayed back to fight them.”

At this, the shy pink-haired girl hid further behind her hair, seeming to almost visibly shake. It took a great amount of willpower to pretend that I didn’t know why she was acting this way :a plight not shared by my two companions.

“Wolves? You fought off wolves? And got out of it unscathed? How?” The girl continued, incredulous to the happenings I was describing.

“Well, ah…” I bit my lip, thinking of the best way to explain. “I’m gonna need someone to start a fire.”

Everyone in the room looked taken aback, staring at me like I was crazy. To be fair, what I had just said was rather…screwy.

“I have powers. All of us do. Mine are powered by smoke. But, I used up all that I had when I fought the wolves in the forest. So, I need to absorb more in order to...demonstrate.”

I held out a hand, indicating for help up. No one reacted immediately, prompting the chromatically-haired girl to rise from her chair and help me to my feet. I thanked her with a small nod, which she returned before returning to her seat. Looking around the room, I gestured to the door. “Shall we?”

After we had all filed outside, Lindsey lit another torch for me to power myself from, as she demonstrated her own abilities first. She started with a few simple spells: mostly healing spells. Then, however, she went for a Shout. Angling her head towards the sky, she drew in a deep breath, before bellowing to the sky. A wave of force shot out from her mouth, blasting clouds out of its way before dissipating high in the sky. The girls stared, wide-eyed, at the raw power my friend possessed, before Joey stepped forward. Drawing his weapons, he showcased his martial abilities, stabbing and slicing at the air before summoning a swarm of rats. Initially, they moved towards the girls en masse, but were dispelled just before they could reach them. Handing the torch back to Lindsey, I flexed my hands, ready to get to work.

“All that? That’s nothing compared to me.” I smirked as I cracked my knuckles and neck, shaking out my hands before channeling smoke along my right arm. It was a mixture of sorts, combining the smoke with fire and ash for added impact. I started off by firing a few simple bolts into the sky, getting a feel for my new powers that I had yet to explore in full. Charging up something more powerful, I released a wave of fire and ash skyward, easily surpassing the bolts in power. Finally, I focused on an ability entirely different from everything I had shown: from another power set, even. My chest reared up as digital wings sprouted from my back and my body shot up into the air, hovering a few feet off the ground as my new wings flapped behind me. I smirked down at the group, chuckling ever so slightly. “You could say that I’m a bit of a badass.”

A Tale of New Roommates

After further explaining our situation, tactfully leaving out the part about us being transported from another realm by feigning amnesia, the girls decided that if we were going to be living in this town, then we might as well get a feeling for its people and layout. Joey and Lindsey had silently elected myself the speaker for our merry band of nitwits, and I promptly agreed to having them show us around town. When Pinkie Pie appeared in our faces one by one, flashing between us three newcomers and speaking in rapid-fire about parties, my two friends initially refused. However, a deflated looking girl and a stern look from me later, they quickly rectified their decisions, relenting to her plans for us. She visibly perked up, her gloomy frown instantly being replaced by a bright, bubbly smile. Having foresight to store what was deemed an ‘obvious weapon’, which excluded my chain, we headed for the town, with our small pack intermingling with the girls. Joey was taken aside by Applejack, who seemed to be interested in his ‘new-fangled technology know-how’, and she was questioning him about some of the contraptions he possessed. Lindsey, on the other hand, was being inspected by Rarity, who seemed absolutely determined to reinvent her outfit into something more fashionable. I myself was joined by the chromatic-haired speedster, who boasted about herself when I feigned ignorance of her.

“C’mon, man? How could you have not heard of me? I’m like, the fastest pegasus in all of Equestria!” She stated proudly, smiling at me confidently.

“Sorry, hot stuff. Just not ringin’ a bell.” I replied, flashing her a smirk. “But...you seem like a pretty good flyer, if even half of the things you say are true.” Before she could retort, I continued on. “So, I think I wanna ask you a favor: I want’cha to teach me how to fly. Can’t be that hard, especially when you’ve got a great teacher.” I finished, stroking her ego as I continued.

She let out a small chuckle, nodding as she looked up at me. “You know what? I like your style. It looks like you’ve already got the basics down, so I’ll just have to teach you the fancy stuff. But...don’t expect to be anywhere near as good as me. I may be teaching you, but I’ve just got natural talent.”

“I’m sure you do. Besides, being taught by the ‘best of the best’ sounds like it couldn’t turn out bad. That is, of course, unless you’re not as good as you talk yourself up to be.” I countered, looking down at her to gauge her reaction. She didn’t seem all together offended, seeing my words as more of a challenge than an insult.

“Oh yeah? You want me to show you just how good I am? I’m just as fast on land as I am in the air, and I’ll prove it to ya. See that tree just on the edge of town?” She raised a slender arm, pointing to the ‘tree’ in question, which I recognized to be Twilight’s Library. “I’ll race ya there. Whichever one of us wins gets...bragging rights.”

“Just bragging rights? Heh, that sounds like you’re afraid to wager anything big. But, I’ll still take ya up on it.” I stopped walking, and she did the same, both of us getting down into a runner’s stance simultaneously. “Hey, Joey.” I called out, causing my friend to turn around. “Clear the way, then count to three.” He did as instructed, pulling the group off of the road before confusedly counting to three, upon which Dash and I set off into a sprint, with me gaining an initial lead thanks to a quick burst from my Smoke Thrusters which launched me upwards and forwards. However, she quickly caught up to me in a matter of moments, ending my small lead.

“I gotta admit, you’re fast. But I’m faster, and I don’t even have super-powers to cheat with!” With that, she pulled ahead, gaining about a foot in front of me before keeping pace to stay there. Willing my body to dissolve, my form disassembled, becoming a mass of smoke that quickly shot forward, passing her and leaving her a few feet behind me before coalescing to form my body. I continued to run, but was quickly caught by Dash once more, who was now flying alongside me.

“Okay, that’s a little cheap, don’t you think?” She asked, looking mock-disappointed.

“Says the one flying.” I retorted, looking up at her.

“Well...I’ll give you that one. Anyway, gotta go!” She ended before flying off, leaving me behind her. Focusing on another of my abilities, I smirked as my body began to shine with a bright light. I moved faster than ever before, seeming to be nothing but a trail of light to observers. I quickly caught, and passed, the pegasus, already forming a witty retort in my mind as I finally reached the tree. However, I wasn’t able to slow down quite right, with the result of this being me tripping and slamming my face into the ground just beside the tree before I touched it. Dash arrived only a moment later, looking down at me in disbelief.

“You beat me...how the buck did you beat me?” She questioned, seeming to be in complete shock.

“You can break the sound barrier, sure...but light’s faster than sound, honey.” I replied as I got myself into a sitting position, smirking up at her. “And I can go light speed.”

While it had taken Dash and I only a few minutes to reach the library, it took the rest of our group about an hour to finish the trek from the cottage to the outskirts of the city, with the girls already beginning to scold Dash as they arrived. I intervened, however, stating that I had issued the challenge, wanting to test out more of my abilities against hers. After a few exchanged words and glances, the tour continued, with a wary eye being cast at Dash and I whenever we joined up and began to talk once more. With my knowledge of the show fading, I gathered what I could from our tour, planning to head out on the town with Joey and Lindsey to get a more personal feel for the layout. After going around most of the town and seeing the more important landmarks, I brought up a topic for discussion: living arrangements. Being new in town, we obviously had no place to stay. No money, either, which ruled out semi-permanent lodging at the local motel.

“I call the cool guy.” Dash stated, appearing next to me as she grabbed my arm. “Gotta teach him how to fly right. That means early mornings, quick breakfasts, and no naps.”

I looked down at her, locking eyes with her for a moment before we both burst out into laughter, both of us knowing immediately that none of those things were going to be happening whatsoever.

“Uh...Joey. You’re good with animals, right?” I asked my friend, being responded with by a wary shake of his hand and a shrug. “Good enough. I think that, uh…” I motioned towards Fluttershy, again feigning ignorance caused by a lack of proper introductions.

“I-I’m...Fluttershy…” She answered, voice trailing off as she hid behind her hair.

“Fluttershy could probably use some help with the massive amount of animals around her house. You could help her out there. As for you, Lindsey: I think that one’s already taken an interest in you.” I stated, pointing towards Rarity. “Whether it’s because she likes you or wants to design something for you, I can’t quite tell.”

“A new outfit, darling. What she’s wearing now is just so…unbefitting!” Rarity exclaimed, finally acknowledging the goings-on of the current situation. “And that other boy’s outfit as well. They’re both just...not fit for them.”

“What about him?” Joey retorted, sounding a bit offended as he gestured to me.

Rarity took a few moments to look me over before smiling softly. “It suits him. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it’s just so...him.”

I smirked as I looked back at him, causing him to grumble a bit and glare at me for a moment before shoving his hands into his pockets and looking around at everyone. “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but me? I ain’t getting rid of this thing: I like it.” There was a slight pause before anyone continued, with Twilight now taking the floor.

“Anyway, since it looks like we’ve got living arrangements squared away for now, we should probably let our new guests get used to their new homes. Oh, and before I forget to-” She turned to me, her horn glowing a light purple as an aura of the same color momentarily enveloped me. “Cloud-walking spell, don’t worry. Wouldn’t want you falling from the sky in the middle of the night. And yes, it’s permanent.” I nodded to her, giving her silent thanks for her aid before I was being dragged away from the group by an eager pegasus.

“Uh...alright, I, uh, guess I’ll see you guys later then.” I called out before I was finally lifted off the ground and into the sky, dangling by my arm before I freed myself, flying on my own, albeit a bit more off balance than I’d like.

On the Wings of a Dream

Author's Note

This chapter includes inner monologue and bickering. I will distinguish the two from each other by marking the conscience with red text.

On the Wings of a Dream

“Now, flying is all about balance. You need to keep your weight even on each side of your body.” To demonstrate, my spunky instructor quickly got herself airborne and spread out her limbs, showing her even distribution of her weight. “See? I’ve got my weight spread evenly, and neither one of my wings is having to work harder than the other.” Folding her wings, she allowed herself to fall the short distance to the grass that awaited below, grinning at me confidently. “Now, you try it.”

Concentrating for a moment, I focused my powers on my wings, picturing them extending from my body in my mind. They soon sprouted from my back, growing larger as I poured more energy into them, soon growing to match the size of Dash’s own set. With a few small flaps, I shakily rose a foot or so off the ground, wobbling slightly as I did, eventually settling into a somewhat-stable hover. After holding my position for a while, I gradually become more stable in my flight, eventually able to maintain a fully stable hover before my wings suddenly dissipated, sending me down to the ground. Sweat beaded on my brow as I struggled to get myself even into a kneeling position, one hand still down on the ground to brace myself from falling.

“Hey, hey hey hey, you alright?” Dash rushed out, hurrying to my side and helping me to my feet. She was incredibly concerned, evident in both her voice and face. Deciding to help me to a bench, she put my arm across her shoulders and helped me to it: a comical sight, taking into account that she was at least a full six inches shorter than me. I began to chuckle as she set me down, causing her to raise an eyebrow. “What’s so funny?”

“You’re tiny compared to me, and yet you’re the one helping me to a bench to sit down.” I continued laughing to myself as she simply shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. Before she could reply, however, I continued talking. “I’m fine, really. Just ran outta juice. Gotta recharge; only question is, where can I go…?” Looking up at her, I asked her. “There a TV store or something around town?”

She paused at my question, initially shocked before she seemed to mull over the question. “Um...I do know one, but…” She turned around, looking at the sun’s position. A lot of time must have passed since we had began training around noon, after discussing where to start over lunch, as the sun was now fairly low in the sky. “It’s probably closed now. You’d have to wait until tomorrow to get in.”

“Yeah...anyway, it ain’t all bad. Just one power set I can’t use.” Finally getting to my feet, I looked down at my body as it began to swirl with smoke, smiling as it faded back into my body. “I’ve got others. But, uh…” Looking up, I bit my lip: her house was far, far above us in the sky, and there was no way I’d be able to reach it on my own. “You, uh...mind givin’ me a lift?” I asked a bit sheepishly, holding out my hand to her for her aid. She rolled her eyes at me, but took my hand regardless, toting me back up to her home before setting me down just outside the door.

“I guess I can this time, but next time? Don’t use all ya got: save a little bit for the trip home, hot shot.” She smirked at me, flicking my nose mockingly. “Or, at least, don’t get so distracted by the pretty girl. Gotta be focused on the flyin’, not the fanny.” She teased, hand on hip as she mockingly wagged her finger at me.

You do realize that what she’s saying is true, right?

Hey, just because she’s right doesn’t mean I’m going to say that.

So you admit you were staring at her ass at least a few times?

No, I’m admitting that I was staring at her in general, not a specific part of her.

“Whatever ya say, hot stuff. And by the way, I wasn’t starin’ at your ass, just...you in general.” I shrugged my shoulder as I spoke, crossing my arms and gesturing as I spoke. “And even if I had been, could ya really blame me? Sure, ain’t what I’d call big, but, as they say, ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’.” She seemed a bit taken aback, looking at me with a small blush on her face before she turned away, muttering something under her breath as she opened the door to the house, quickly entering in and heading to her room. I stood in the doorway for a few moments, simply standing there before calling out to her. “Did I fuck up, or…?”

When she finally came out of her room, about an hour later, I was simply sitting outside the front door, feet dangling off the edge of the cloud.

“Alec? What are you doing out there?” She asked, obviously confused.

“Well...ya never really invited me in, and I didn’t want to intrude if ya wanted some alone time, so...I’ve just been, kinda...sitting here. Waiting.” I rose to my feet, cracking my back as I turned around to face her. “So...mind if I come in?”

She simply stared at me for a few moments before chuckling and shaking her head, waving for me to enter. “You know, every time I think you’re this huge badflank that doesn’t care what anyone thinks, you do something like this and show me that beneath that badboy exterior, you’re just a big teddy bear.”

I paused as I entered, midway in closing the door. Closing it the rest of the way, I turned back to her. “Oh yeah? That’s big talk coming from the girl who rushed away when a boy said she was cute.” At this she flushed slightly again, this time scowling at me.

“Shut up, you.” She shot back, indignant. “Now hurry up. If you want food, you’d better get in here before I eat all of it.”

The mention of food perked up both my head and my stomach, which responded with a loud grumble, causing me to smile sheepishly and place a hand over my stomach. “Shh. You’ll get food in a minute.” Raising my head, I flashed her a smile. “So, whats for eats?”

Dash’s cooking is...not exactly impeccable, but it was much, much more than just edible. It might have just been my famished stomach speaking, but I’d have to say that that might have been the best batch of Mac’n Cheese ever made. After thanking her for the food and promptly crashing onto couch, I finally laid down to get some rest, looking forward to recharging after a long day of training.

That night I awoke in a cold sweat, gripping the blanket that had been loaned to me by my housemate. My chest was heaving, and it took me well over a minute to calm down. The events of my nightmare were still fresh in my mind, and I wish that those images didn’t still haunt me to this day.

I stood in a forest clearing, the same one I had awoken in when I had first arrived in Equestria. Across from me stood Joey. However, he looked different than he had when I’d last seen him: he looked twisted and evil, as if a rage had consumed him and he was an embodiment of hatred and anger.

“I don’t want to do this, Joey. You’re my friend.” I yelled out to him, hand raised as smoke curled around my arm in long, snaking tendrils.

“Funny, because I’ve wanted to do this for a long time. Ever since we got here, I’ve lived in your shadow: all those years that you were here, I was nothing but an extra to our ‘friends’. But once you left, I thought I had a chance to take your place: to be a leader, and to have people look up to me. But no; they turned to Lindsey instead! They never even considered that I could help them in their time of need!” He shouted angrily, teeth bared as he raised his sword, pointing it at me. “And now this is where it ends, Alec: back where it all began. This is where we came here, and this is where only one of us will leave.”

I tried to speak, to think of something to calm him down, to reason with him, but nothing came. Despite how badly I wanted to believe otherwise, I knew that my only option was to fight him.

He charged at me, yelling with a fury finally released, slashing at me wildly with his blade. My chain snaked out from around my arm, glowing and becoming rigid as I charged it with my powers, using it to parry and deflect his reckless blows. After a particularly wild swing, he was sent momentarily reeling, and I took it as my chance to go on the offensive. Recoiling my chain, I ran towards him, dissolving into smoke just before he could strike me, reforming in the air behind him, grabbing him by the chin and dragging him down to the ground, slamming his head down to the dirt. He hit the ground hard, bouncing about an inch off of the particularly hard ground before rolling to his feet, raising his hand and leveling it at me.

“You might be stronger, Alec, but so am I.” Without any more of a warning, rats began to scurry out from the underbrush, hundreds of the vermin swarming towards me as Joey retreated into the shadows, disappearing into the darkness. Before I gave the creatures a chance to overwhelm me, I crouched down before launching myself skyward, body dematerializing into three balls of smoke, each trailing behind it a tendril of fire and ash before joining together, reforming my body. Turning back towards the ground, I forced myself to gain momentum, speeding myself toward the ground with help from twin jets of smoke and fire ejecting from either of my hands before slamming into the ground, totally obliterating the vicious vermin. The clearing was now covered in a thin layer of smoke, which slowly began to coalesce together, eventually becoming my body once again.

“Alright, Joey. No more games. Let’s end this, right here and now.” I called out, hand raised as I turned about the clearing, searching for my friend-turned-enemy.

“I thought you’d never ask.” I heard from behind me. Just as I turned around, a shot rang out, catching me in the center of my forehead. Joey’s pistol was leveled at my head, the barrel still smoking from a recent shot. “Boom. Headshot.”

I slowly crumpled to the ground, body already beginning to dissipate into smoke. As Joey stood over me, he smirked, shaking his head at me. “You always had to be the hero, Alec. But every hero has a villain, and you know that. And in this story, the bad guy wins.” Moments later, my body was gone, nothing more than a cloud of dispersing smoke. Joey turned away from my body, and was met by a face only inches from his own.

“No. The good guy always wins.” My hands gripped his face as I channeled energy into my hands. He began to shriek in agony, clawing at my hands in an attempt to tear them away from his face as smoke began to rise from his face. When his cries stopped, I released him, and he crumpled to the ground, two hand-prints forever seared into the flesh of his face.

Rolling the Stones

Author's Note

More arguing with himself this chapter. The conscience is again marked in red.

Rolling the Stones

I didn’t get anymore sleep that night; every time I shut my eyes, I could still see Joey, standing over me and grimacing down at me. I was silent at breakfast, looking more than a bit shell-shocked from my terrifying nightmare.

“Hey, are you alright?” Dash asked, sounding concerned. For someone who talked herself up so much, and seemed to exude an aura of confidence and tomboyishness, she was actually very caring to people: at least, to me she was.

“I’m...I’m fine.” I lied, faking a smile at her. “Just, uh...thinking. Gotta a lot on my plate up here.” I touched a finger to my head, smiling slightly. “But don’t worry about it. I promise, I’ll be fine.”

She didn’t respond, merely nodding her head a bit as she watched, eventually returning to her cereal before stretching out her wings and arms. “You wanna know something, Alec? I think you’ve earned a day off.”

I looked up at her, eyebrow already raised before I even began to speak. “Seriously? Yesterday I ran out of juice after only a few minutes of actually using the damned things, and you’re saying that’s day off-worthy?”

“Yes, I am." She retorted, lifting her head to look at me. “Because that shows dedication. If you weren’t really committed, you would have quit the moment you started to feel tired. Well, that, and…" She trailed off, suddenly finding her now-empty bowl incredibly interesting.

I nodded silently, eventually beginning to concede to her point of view. However, I did call her out as she suddenly became much more meek than she’d ever been. “Ya know, if ya got somethin’ to say to me, just spit it out.”

She didn’t say anything for a long time, simply circling her bowl with her spoon before she sighed and looked up at me. Yet another small blush played at her tanned cheeks, a meek smile on her face as she rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, since I’m not gonna make you really do anything today, I figured that we...might as well get to know each other a little better. I mean, you are kinda living here until further notice, so...we should probably get a feel for each other.” At that, I smirked, raising my eyebrow at her quickly. A beat passed before she turned bright red, waving her hands in front of her wildly. “No no no no, tha-that’s not what I meant!”

“Sure it ain’t, toots.” I still held that cocky, semi-flirtatious smirk as I rounded up both of our bowls and silverware, depositing them in the sink before turning around towards her. “But yeah, sure, that sounds fine. You’re right, we don’t really know much about each other, and it’d probably be a good idea to get to know the guy who’s sleeping on your couch, and the girl who’s letting you sleep on her couch.”

Finally, a smile beamed on her lips, showing off her teeth. “Great! Lemme just, uh...actually get ready." She gestured down to herself, still in her pajamas: a pair of Wonderbolts boxers and an undershirt. “Even I don’t wear this in public.”

“Oh, come on, ya look fine. And yes, I do mean that in anything I’ve seen you where yet.” I smirked at her as I replied, crossing my arms. “But fine, fine. Go ahead and get ready, you know where I’ll be.”

She puffed out her cheeks indignantly before hopping off the stool, her feet just barely unable to touch the ground when she sat. As she walked away, I really couldn’t help but glance her way. Even this early in the morning, groggy as we should be, she still had a swing in her step as she walked, hips swaying with each and every step. Containing the urge to let out a whistle in fear of her possible wrath, I instead contented myself with silently admiring her body until she turned the corner, taking her out of my sight. Alone with my thoughts, I nodded to myself. “I definitely wouldn’t blame myself.” I said aloud, smiling to myself. “Definite ten, if I had to even put her on the scale.”

When we finally set out, it was amazing what that girl could do in only five minutes: a shower and a complete change of outfit, along with what actually smelled like perfume. I didn’t say anything, but she actually looked like she was trying to impress someone. Who that someone was, I wasn’t quite sure, but they definitely needed to stop being an idiot and realize just how beautiful she normally is.

You’re doing it again.

Doing what? I’m not doing anything.

You’re basically saying how in love with her you are. You literally just said she’s always beautiful, you idiot.

I can think whatever the hell I want. I didn’t say it, now did I?

Maybe you should. You always say that it’s not nice to keep a lady waiting.

What the hell are you talking about? There’s no way she’s all gussied up for me: she’d know better. At least, I hope she would.

Whatever. Just don’t let the chance pass you by when it shows itself.

Yes, mom.

After finishing my mental argument with myself, I turned my head to look down at her, taking in her appearance. Her hair was long and flowing, coming down just past her shoulders on either side of her head and longer in the back, almost halfway down her back. She wore a small cyan jacket that ended high on her stomach, showing off her midriff. Her jeans hugged her slender, muscular legs, ending just above her rainbow sneakers emblazoned with her cutie mark on the outside of either shoe. I found myself captivated by her, unable to look away even as she looked up at me, locking eyes with me before I was finally able to look away, cheeks painted red with embarrassment. We continued on in an awkward silence before I finally broke it.

“So...who’s the lucky guy?” I asked, trying to seem nonchalant about the situation.

“Huh? What do you mean?" She replied, obviously confused by my sudden question.

“Well, you’re obviously trying to show off for somebody, somebody I’m assuming you’re attracted to. That outfit doesn’t seem like something you just decide to wear on a whim." I stated, gesturing to her as we walked. “And as short of a time as you took to get ready this morning, I can tell that you put perfume on: I could smell it the moment you walked out of the bathroom.” Reaching our destination, the Café du Coeur, I took a seat at one of the tables, continuing to talk all the while. “And you did your hair. Normally you just run a comb through it to get out some of the bedhead, but today you went all out: you actually brushed and styled it today. I’d even say you used conditioner." She sat down across from me but avoided my gaze, either not wanting to or unable to look me in the eyes.

“I’m not trying to impress anyone, alright?" She eventually responded, finally lifting her head to look at my face as she spoke. “I just wanted to look nice today. Is that a crime now or something?" She pressured, now adamant about denying my accusations.

I noticed a waiter coming our way and held up a hand, silently directing him to another table to avoid interrupting our discussion.

“Since when do you ever ‘just want to look nice’? I’m not saying it’s a bad thing; in fact, I love the new get-up. It’s just that I don’t get it. You don’t care if people don’t like the way you dress, you said so yourself to just the other day. So, what I don’t understand is...why the sudden change?” I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table. “Come on, Dash. You can tell me. You’re my friend, and if there’s some guy you’re into, I’ll help out.”

She looked at me strangely, a mixture of relief and disappointment. “Really? You’ve only known me for...what, a little over a month? And you’re seriously saying that you’d help me get any guy that I may or may not be after?”

“Of course I am. Like I said, you’re my friend, Dash. And that’s what friends do: they help each other." I stated, pausing to gauge her reaction. She looked happy, maybe even ecstatic, before I continued. “Unless it’s me, of course.” Her face seemed to break for a moment, lapsing into a devastated visage for a fraction of a second. “Oh, don’t look so crestfallen. I just like to play hard to get.” Relief seemed to wash over her as she visibly relaxed before leaning across the table, punching me in the arm.

“You’re a jerk, you know that?" She said, now more easygoing and beginning to return to her old tomboyish attitude I’d grown accustomed to.

“Yeah, I know; but hey, I’m the jerk that you put up with." I replied, finally waving over the waiter. I cracked a smile at her and she countered with her own, and before long, we were laughing and making small-talk over our drinks.

With the joy of the previous day’s bonding experience still fresh in my mind, and the nightmare that preceded it still gnawing away at me in the back of my head, I set out to gather my two other friends to discuss our recent endeavors, and to bring up the dream about Joey to Lindsey or maybe even Twilight, if I was feeling desperate enough.

I went around to the homes that my two companions were staying, leading them to the cafe I had visited the day before. As we three arrived and took a seat, we were approached by a server: specifically, the same one that had waited on Dash and I the previous day.

“Things not work out with that pretty girl, eh?" He asked, passing out menus to each of us and taking up his pad.

“Huh? What are you talking about?” I replied, confused by his statement.

“That girl you were with yesterday. Did things not work out? You seemed perfect for each other." He said, waiting to take our orders. Joey and Lindsey both look at me, smiling mischievously.

“Uh...we weren’t together, buddy. She’s just, ah...just a friend." I answered, wishing I could hide my reddened face behind my menu.

“Really? Because you seemed more than friendly to me: anyone would have taken you for a married couple." He added, looking to my two friends and taking their orders before turning back to me, ready to begin talking again.

I slammed my menu down on the table, speaking hurriedly and rushing my words. “Just a coffee is fine, thank you!” With that, he left, heading into the cafe proper to prepare our orders. Joey and Lindsey stared at me accusingly, preparing to use this new information to interrogate me.

“So...who’s the girl, Alec?” Joey started, crossing his arms as he stared me down.

“Uh...heh, I, ah...don’t know what you’re talking about." I blatantly lied, avoiding eye contact with both of them.

“Really now?” replied Lindsey, assuming the same position as Joey. “Because it doesn’t sound like it. You’re avoiding the question. Now...who is it, Alec?" She finished. She was always able to see through my lies, able to force the truth out of me. I was silent at first, looking between the two before sighing, hanging my head in defeat before lifting it to speak.

“Dash. I was here with Dash.”

They continued to look at me, now even more accusingly.

“But not like that! She gave me the day off from flight training and said that we should get to know more about each other, seeing as though we’re living together now." I replied hurriedly, continuing to act defensively about the situation. Joey seemed ready to continue questioning me, but Lindsey stopped him, laying a hand on his shoulder.

“Alec, I’m not going to tell you what to do, but...what happens when we find a way home? Do you really want to hurt her when you have to go back home?” Lindsey asked, her voice soft as she spoke. “Just think about the impact that what you do has.”

My face hardened, brow furrowing as I replied. “I’ll do what I want to do, Lindsey. Who I get involved with, if anyone, is my decision and my decision alone. I will decide my own future; us coming here is a chance to start over, to take control of our lives and create our own destiny.” It was now that the waiter reappeared, bringing us our respective drinks. Before he had a chance to talk, I shot him a daring glare, challenging him to speak. Forcing a smile, he turned and walked away.

“Alec’s right, Lindsey.” Joey said, looking over to the girl in question. “Back home, we were nobodies: just some stupid kids in high-school. But here? Here we can be something, more than we ever could have been back home.” He continued, smiling slightly. “This place is a clean slate. It’s a chance to start over and forge a new path for ourselves.”

“We can’t just abandon our old lives! We have friends and families, people who loves and care about us who would be devastated if we just disappeared, not even to mention or significant others.” Lindsey turned to Joey, gesturing as she spoke. “Joey, are you really telling me that you’re just going to abandon Ariel? Do you not care enough about her to do whatever you can to get back home to her?” She turned back towards the table, now speaking to both of us. “And I want to get back to Anthony. I care about him, and my family, and my friends. I want to go home. Don’t you guys want to too?”

Joey was silent, head lowered in shame as he contemplated her words. I, however, stared directly at Lindsey, face dark as I spoke.

“I don’t have anyone to go home to.” I stated flatly, voice monotone even as I continued. “My family doesn’t care about me. The only reason they’d miss me os because they wouldn’t have anyone to do their work for them? And my friends? They’re all online, and they wouldn’t question it if I just stopped sending messages: I’ve disappeared before. Loved ones? Newsflash, Lindsey, I don’t have one back ho-there.” I corrected myself, unable to bring myself to call the place I had came from home. It just...didn’t feel right. Home is where you belong, and that is not where I belonged. I rose from my seat, starting to walk away.

“Alec, I…” Lindsey started, getting out of her seat and started after me, stopping in her tracks as I whirled around, cutting her off as I started to speak.

“Don’t you ‘Alec’ me, Lindsey. I don’t have anything to return to.” I walked towards her, now outwardly angry as I continued. “I’m an outcast there. But here? Here I have people who accept me for who I am, people who come to me when they need help. These people...they care about me.” After I finished speaking, I turned on my heel, leaving my two friends at the cafe in stunned silence after my sudden outburst.

Whirlwind Inside of My Head

After storming away from the cafe and flying back to the cloud that had become my home for the time being, I sat on the edge, feet dangling off as I continued to seethe with rage. This showed that my only friends from Earth didn’t even understand me, and if they didn’t, then no one truly did. They didn’t understand the plight I endured back home, and how wonderful being here is: just how amazing a prospect coming here and staying is to me. In this moment, I despised my old friends. But even as much as I wanted to hate them, a part of me resisted.

She’s right, you know.

Not now. I’m not in the mood.

No, definitely now. Now is when you need me the most.

No, I don’t. I’m fine on my own. I’ve pretty much been alone for years now, and I’ve handled it just fine.

You’ve never been alone. I’ve always been here, and I will always be with you: you can’t get rid of me. I’ll always be here to help you.

I sighed to myself, eventually relenting and delving into my own mind, readying myself for a confrontation with my own psyche. We stood in an empty space, two identical figures standing across from each other in the vastness of blank emptiness. It was now that I was finally able to get a look at myself since coming here. My skin had tanned and darkened, leaving me a light tan that replaced my previously semi-pale skin tone. A red beanie sat atop my head, concealing my hair beneath it. A leather jacket studded with pins over a black hoodie and plaid shirt, torn jeans and running shoes. And finally, a chain, wrapped around my right wrist. I looked...well, to be quite honest, more than a bit rebellious.

“Now, listen here, you son-of-a-bitch. You’re gonna shut your goddamn trap and listen to your own fucking head, got it?” the other me said, taking me off guard with his sudden outburst. “You’re being your own worst enemy here. You’re driving your friends away with what you’re doing: those two care about you, dammit. They want to be there for you and support you, but you’re not letting them. Sure, Lindsey isn’t agreeing with you. Big fucking deal. She just wants you to make the right decisions. She really does care about you, and she doesn’t want you fucking up your life just because you think no one cares about you back on Earth. That’s a total load of shit and you know it. Everyone you know would miss you if you just suddenly disappeared. Their lives wouldn’t be the same as they are now. And, as much as you think to the contrary, they do enjoy your company. You may think they hate you, but you’re just a bit too much for them every now and then. They do honestly care about you, you dense motherfucker.”

I was too shocked to respond, never thinking that I had this knowledge locked away inside of myself. To think that I had actually known this all along, even though I had been wallowing in my own unhappiness for years now...it only made me angrier. My mind had been keeping this from myself, and my brows furrowed in anger as I finally spoke up to my inner self.

“You never thought that there was a good time to bring this the fuck up? I’ve despised myself for every breath that I’ve taken for the past three and a half years, and you never thought to tell me this? And don’t give me the whole spiel about how I ‘knew it all along deep down inside’. If I’d known it, I wouldn’t have fucking hated myself and thought I was a burden to everyone, now would I?!” I yelled, beginning to step toward my mind’s representation of itself, fists clenched in rage. “You say you were fucking there for me, but you never fucking helped me! I was reaching up through the water, grasping for anything to pull me up, and you just fucking sat there and watched me drown, you son of a bitch! If you weren’t my own goddamn head, I’d fucking kill you, you worthless piece-of-shit!” I finished, letting out an almost-bestial scream as I fired a powerful blast at my other self. It simply passed through his body, proving me unable to do any damage to myself in my primal rage.

“Alec...you and I need to work together. I am your rationality, your reason. I see the truth. I make my decisions based upon calculations and intuition. But you? You are emotion. You are compassion and empathy, and your decisions are based upon how your actions will affect others. If we can finally work together, we can solve the issues that were created when you took over. Ever since you took more control, he’s been in a rut: he can’t get out of the hole that you’ve dug with just you helping him. You’re trying to claw your way out of the dirt, and I’m standing here holding out my hand to pull you up. I can help you to help him. He needs both of us. He needs someone to make decisions based on what is best for him, but he also needs an emotional influence on everything he does: but not to the degree that you have been doing. He’s unstable as he is now, teetering on the edge of a proverbial cliff, about to fall off if we don’t something about it. So, please...let me help.” His voice was soft, reassuring and calm: everything that it shouldn’t be. If he was reason and logic, cold calculations and decisions made based on nothing but data, then shouldn’t he be the same way? Instead, he seemed to be taking what was best for me, for us, into account. But maybe that’s what logic truly was: doing what’s best for the situation as a whole, not what was best for oneself.

“You...you’re right. He is a broken, and battered, and about ready to take a dive off the deep end. But when you were in control, he wasn’t happy either: he didn’t have friends, he didn’t have a social life. The gains that I’ve made, however small they may seem to you, are monumental in comparison to the things that you did. When he was more like you, he was smart, sure, but he wasn’t happy, either. But...we do need to work together. You and I...we need to be more in tune, so that we can help him. You can help keep me under control, and I can help you make better decisions: decisions based on what he feels, not what he thinks.” I responded, smiling slightly. “You know what? You’re not so bad, after all.”

When I was finally back in my body after the experience inside my head, I felt...different. Changed, but...better. I felt more in tune myself, as if something that had been wrong for so long had finally been fixed; as if some sort of conflict that had been roiling inside me had finally been resolved. I’m not sure how I didn’t notice it immediately, but I quickly realized that Dash was staring at me strangely, wings flapping to keep her at a steady altitude as she studied me.

“Alec?” she asked, eyebrow raised in a mix of worry and intrigue. “You okay? Ya seem...really out of it.”

“I’m...fine, actually.” I answered, my thoughts seeming faster and more focused than they had in years. “I actually feel really good, to be honest. Like...I just feel right, ya know?” I asked, looking at her for validation. My response seemed to reassure her, as she alighted next to me, feet dangling off the edge of the cloud as she sat next to me. “You know...I love this time of day.” I said, a small smile on my face. “I love sunset. It’s just so...beautiful. Sunset is really the only time of day I feel truly at peace. You wanna know why?” I asked, turning my head to look down at her. She didn’t respond verbally, settling for a nod as she stretched her arms and wings. “Because it reminds me of the people I care about, and how important they are to me. To me, it makes me realize just how beautiful some things can be, even when you least expect them to be so...amazing.” As I spoke, I couldn’t help but glance towards her, silently directing my words at her. “I makes me feel...at home here. Makes me feel...loved.”

Dash yawned quietly, starting to rise to her feet before I reached out, taking her by the wrist and looking up at her. “Stay here, will ya? I just...wanna watch a little longer.” She paused at first, staring at me before smiling slightly, settling back down next to me, looking out at the horizon along with me. We sat in silence for a long while as the sun continued to dip below the edge of the landscape, with Dash eventually leaning her head against my shoulder before falling asleep soon after. And in was in that moment, with Dash beside me, leaning against me at sunset that I realized something.

You're in love again.