Under The Blue Sky

Another two months had passed and Alfred, with Rainbow Dash happily by his side, was now living a normal, decent life. He had someone to love everyday and every moment. He had responsibilities to uphold, like working on the farm with Applejack to make a living. He was confident in his surroundings and had made many loyal friends who supported his relationship. There were a few troubled opinions when Rainbow and Alfred first came out about it. At one point, he was even threatened by some of the local ponies who felt that a human had no right belonging in a place like Equestria. Luckily, things never got out of hand with the help of Celestia. Celestia was perhaps the most pleased with the news of Rainbow and Alfred getting together. She was so happy that Alfred was feeling much better after giving him the dreadful news. She had felt horrible that day and didn't want to see him that depressed and lonely ever again, which Alfred appreciated greatly. Any suspicious thoughts of her were now fading away, slowly.

Celestia still didn't have an answer to why he was here. She said that she was making little progress, since there wasn't much to start with. Alfred wasn't worried by this at all. He almost didn't care anymore. Coming to Equestria was a blessing so he wanted to enjoy the time he had while he was there. For all he knew it was possible that he could just wake up back home on the next day, so he tried to live everyday to the fullest. What Alfred didn't expect was to be told that he was immune to magic. Even though he and Twilight had spent an entire night proving it, Alfred still wasn't really sure. Apparently Twilight was right. Normal magic had no effect on Alfred, but dark magic was a completely different story. They had no way of finding that out unless they actually tried a spell on him, but that wasn't an option. Celestia decided that it was best left unknown for now, which Alfred agreed upon. She still came to visit and question him, which continued to be a little nerve racking, but Rainbow was there to comfort him.

She was always there. Ever since that one, strange night they were inseparable. Nothing could ever get between them or damage their relationship. Alfred had never known what it was like to be a part of something this special, but now he did, thanks to Rainbow. She had really opened his eyes to a world full of wonder and mysteries to be explored, and Alfred couldn't be happier. He had the time of his life spending every waking moment with Rainbow, and so did she. Rainbow was determined to fix this broken soul. She truly loved him, and this gave her the dedication and persistence she needed to be with him always. Rainbow wanted to be by his side and share all these amazing experiences and opportunities with him. They had both found a relationship that was strong. It was stronger than anything before. It had the power to make life worth living, even in the darkest of times.

What genuinely amazed Alfred was the loyalty of his friends, who supported the relationship. Alfred had managed to convince them all to meet at the library, after Rainbow insisted that they should tell them the truth. Alfred agreed uncertain of what they might think, but after he revealed the situation, with Rainbow Dash helping him every step of the way, the group responded with an explosion of joy, especially Pinkie (who literally exploded). Everyone was so glad to hear it, and Alfred was overwhelmed with gratitude. He never expected them to be this welcoming, although he probably should have. They took him in when he was nothing and at his lowest point. They could've easily sent him away or killed him, but instead he was introduced to all these nice and loyal friends. The kind that were extremely rare to see back home. After underestimating their friendship, he almost felt like he didn't deserve them. It wasn't his fault though, it was difficult to change his expectations after thirty six years of the same thing over and over again. Rainbow was also proud of him for coming out of his shell. She knew it was hard for him, but it needed to be done. It would only be worse if they didn't tell them early on.

Fluttershy seemed to be the most excited about the news, next to Pinkie of course. She always liked Alfred as a friend. He was calm and sweet. He never argued, he never bickered, he was exactly the kind of friend Fluttershy wanted. Whenever they spent time together she felt comfortable and not as shy as she would normally be. Alfred was a real nice man, who deserved someone like Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy couldn't be prouder of him. Applejack was also pretty pleased to hear it. She had noticed Rainbow and Alfred talking together each time they were out doing some silly challenge, which was often. Applejack had guessed that the two of them were becoming close and this news had only confirmed her suspicions. Applejack was probably the first to know about it because she would sometimes tease Rainbow for getting all nervous around Alfred when he wasn't with them. Pinkie Pie was ecstatic after hearing the words drop from Alfred's mouth. She went ballistic, bouncing all over the library while the others sat still. Instead of calming her down, the group let her run around thinking about all the parties she was going to throw. Besides, the others were too focused on Rainbow and Alfred. Twilight was also extremely happy. She was proud to see Alfred start to enjoy himself, especially after everything they had been through. She started to tear up a little after thinking about how far he had come from that moment outside Celestia's. Rarity seemed happy that they were together, but also a little jealous. This was the last thing Alfred wanted. He could see her disappointment in her eyes. He was all too familiar with fake smiles. As soon as he got the chance, he went to talk to her about it. They made up after talking it through. It wasn't as bad as it could've been, so Alfred was relieved with that. Overall, the responses that he and Rainbow had received were supporting, which was all they could ever ask them for.

Alfred and Rainbow had also decided to buy a house to live together in, and after a few weeks of searching they found a perfect location near the hill that they had laid on all those weeks ago. They were now beginning to move in and Alfred was grabbing his belongings from the library. As he was packing the various outfits that Rarity had kindly made him, he paused when he saw his backpack lying on the ground next to his bed. It had been ages since he even opened the thing, which was understandable since it brought back such horrible memories. He walked over and unzipped it to reveal the framed picture of his family. He held the picture closely, just staring into it. It had been a long time since he had seen Luke's face. It had been a while since he even thought about Luke. He was too involved with Rainbow to spend time thinking about back home. They didn't talk about it, which was good, but it was also good to see his face again. He kept staring at the photograph until Twilight appeared in the doorway behind him, beginning to speak.

"How are you doing? Do you have everything ready?" Twilight said slowly, making Alfred turn around to face her.

"Uh, almost. I was just getting the last of my things." Alfred noticed that Twilight had spotted the framed picture in his hands.

"Oh, sorry. Am I interrupting?"

"No, no, definitely not," he said placing the picture back into the backpack and zipping it up tightly. "Actually, I think I could use some help packing my clothes."

"Sure!" Twilight said, trotting over to the bed and starting to fold his clothes. Alfred soon joined in with her and started packing. "So, I guess it's finally time for you to get your own place, huh?"

"Looks that way, you should see the house we're moving into. It's pretty big and has a nice feeling to it."

"I'm sure it does. I hope you enjoy it there, I know it's not a safe haven for books like this place is, but I guess it'll do."

"Hehe, I'm sure it'll do just fine."

"Remember you're still welcome to borrow some to read anytime."

"Yeah, thanks. I might just take you up on that."

"Do you remember when you first got here, you were so excited to see them all."

"Yeah, I remember. I guess that must've been a funny thing to see. I was just really interested about place, I mean, could you imagine what it would be like to wake up in a whole new world? It was something different, I'll tell you that," Alfred said while packing away the last of his clothes. He grabbed his case and backpack and headed to the main room with Twilight. "So, I suppose you won't have to put up with me here anymore."

"I guess so. I'll miss your snoring though, jeez, I feel bad for Rainbow," she said causing Alfred to giggle a bit.

"Hey, my snoring is not that bad." He said as they both started to laugh. After Twilight finished laughing she looked up to him, a little sadly.

"I will miss you, though."

"It's not like I'm going away forever, you'll still see me around."

"I know, I'm sorry. It's just, I'm proud of you Alfred."

"What?"

"It's good to see you so lively nowadays. I look at you now and I see a kind, brave man who has survived. There were some really tough times, like that moment when you heard the news. I felt so sad to see you that way. All I wanted to do was help you, and now you're doing wonderfully." Alfred knelt down to meet Twilight's eyes.

"Twilight, you are the best friend I could ever ask for. You took me in when I was lost, and you made me the person who I am today. Without you, I wouldn't know where I would be, probably dead. You've really made a difference, and I can't begin to thank you enough for it. I've learnt so much in the few months that I've been here, thanks to you."

Twilight went in for a strong hug with tears in her eyes. She felt so happy to be with him now. Ever since Alfred had arrived, she felt like a mother to him, caring for him and loving him. She was so proud to see him moving on. Alfred held her closely and whispered into her ear, telling her that everything was alright. He was suddenly reminded of the first time they held each other like this, and he was slightly surprised that they had switched roles. Twilight wasn't crying tears of pain or hurt, but of joy. She pulled herself off Alfred and smiled at him sweetly.

"Rainbow is a very lucky pegasus to have someone like you." Alfred simply smiled back and began to stand up.

"I'll see you soon Twilight."

"Until next time," Twilight said kindly as Alfred started to walk to the door. He turned back to Twilight who was sitting on the floor, looking positive. He nodded his head and left.

He was now on his way to his new home.