The Pegasus & The Pegasister

Ashleigh knocked on the door to her house, waiting for it to be answered, until suddenly her dad opened the door.

“Ashleigh?” he said in disbelief, dropping the bowl he was holding, letting it tumble to the floor.

“You’re alive!” he shouted, throwing his arms around her and hugging her. “I thought you were dead!”

Ashleigh hugged her dad back. “I’m sorry dad. I didn’t mean to scare you guys...I got sent to eheh...another dimension.”

Her dad looked bewildered. “What?”

Ashleigh rolled her eyes. “Never mind. I have somebody I want you to meet as well.” she said, stepping aside to show Soarin.

“Hi.” Soarin said, waving.

Ashleigh’s father jolted back. “What is that? A blue horse with wings?!?”

Ashleigh grinned. “I told you, I went to another dimension.”

Ashleigh’s father sighed. “You kids are getting into some bizarre hobbies these days. Anyways, is the new...whatever that horse thing is, your new pet?”

Ashleigh shook her head. “Actually, he’s my boy-”she suddenly saw her father’s eyes flare up as he heard what she was about to say. Ashleigh immediately changed stopped.

“He’s a friend of mine I met over there!”

Shoot, I almost gave it away!

Ashleigh’s father still looked a little wary, but he nodded. “I’ll let him stay for dinner, but he’s got to leave once it’s nighttime.”

Ashleigh frowned. “Dad, we can’t leave him to fend for himself! Someone will hurt him. I know we don’t have a lot of room in the house, but he can share a room with me”

Ashleigh’s father shook his head. “No, I don’t want that thing in your room. If you want him to stay here, he can sleep out on the porch.”

Ashleigh looked over to Soarin, who looked ashamed to be in the room.

“I’m sorry.” she mouthed out to him. He nodded, but kept his gloomy expression.

“I’m going to make some dinner for us. Your mother, Jenna, and Patrick all aren’t here at the moment, but they’ll be back later on.” Ashleigh’s father explained.

“We thought we never going to see you again. We actually gave up looking about a week ago.” her father said. “Didn’t you miss us at all?”

Ashleigh nodded. “Of course I did! I didn’t want to leave. It’s complicated to talk about, but basically what happened is I got sent into a dimension full of creatures like him. We became really good friends, and he even saved my life. Isn’t that right, Soarin?”

“Oh, yeah it is.” Soarin replied, grinning. “And you saved my life too.”

Ashleigh’s father looked a little impressed. “You can speak pretty good english. Did she teach you that?”

Soarin shook his head. “I’ve always known how to talk. I don’t know how I learned to speak, I think we all do over there.”

Ashleigh’s father just nodded. “There are weird things going on these days.” he muttered.

Ashleigh and Soarin laughed, hugging each other, but after a few seconds, they drew away because of Ashleigh’s father’s glare.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Ashleigh blushed a little. “Just hugging my friend?”

Her father glared at her. “Don’t. I don’t want you touching my daughter.”

Soarin looked sad. “Okay.”

Ashleigh felt terrible for Soarin. It wasn’t bad enough that she had to lie and say that he wasn’t her boyfriend, but she wasn’t allowed to even hug him.

“Can I go to sleep now?” asked Ashleigh. ‘I’ve had a long day.”

Her father shrugged. “If you want to. But he needs to go outside.” he stated, pointing at Soarin.

Soarin’s ears drooped, before he sadly walked into the back yard.

“Can I have a blanket?” he asked timidly, trying to remain as respectful as possible.

Ashleigh’s father snorted. “Be grateful I’m letting you stay here.” he muttered, turning out the porch light.

Ashleigh felt her blood begin to boil to see her boyfriend put in such a degrading position. She walked to her room, refusing to talk to her father, before locking the door. After a minute of making sure that he wouldn’t be suspicious, before opening her window.

“Soarin!” she called softly, shivering at the icy cold. She could see the blue stallion, teeth chattering clumsily climb up the window and into her arms. It's freezing out here, how could my own father do this to him?

“I’m so sorry Soarin.” she said, running her hands through his mane and kissing him on the cheek.

Soarin wrapped his wing around her. “It’s okay Ash. I know you didn’t want to leave me out there.”

Ashleigh snuggled into him more. “Still...I’m really sorry about what happened. I’ll never let him do that to you again.”

Soarin sighed. “Thanks. I didn’t like it out there.”

Ashleigh grinned. “Do you want me to show you some of the stuff in my room? It’s still pretty early.”

Soarin nodded. “Sure!”

Ashleigh showed Soarin her computer. “Here’s the computer that sent me to you.”

Soarin sat down next to it and tilted the screen a little. “Looks pretty normal to me.”

Ashleigh smirked. “It is normal. It’s not supposed to transport me anywhere.”

“Oh.”

Ashleigh laughed, before turning it on. The computer turned on, slowly but surely, ending up on the login.

“What’s that?” Soarin asked.

Ashleigh grinned. “Log in. It’s a tool to keep people from seeing your personal data on your computer.”

Soarin grinned. “Can I get one of those in my brain for the time I saw you nake-”

Ashleigh gave him a pinch. “Very funny.”

Soarin decided to go in a different direction. “Well at least you looked sexy. If you were ugly I really WOULD need a log in for my brain.”

Ashleigh giggled. “Thanks. Guess you’re lucky to have me as your girlfriend then, huh? Maybe it’ll pay off one day.” she added with a wink.

Soarin blushed and nervously asked in fake confusion; “Are you hinting at something?”

Ashleigh was about to give him a flirtatious reply before she heard a knock on her door.

“Ashleigh.” It was her dad.

Ashleigh and Soarin looked at each other for a split second, before Soarin slowly climbed under Ashleigh’s bed to hide while Ashleigh got the door.

“Yes?” Ashleigh asked, nervously hoping her father hadn’t heard her and Soarin talking. Her room was pretty soundproof, but there was certainly a limit to how loud they could be before her father heard sounds.

Fortunately, he had not come to talk to Ashleigh for that reason.

“Everyone is home.” He said, opening the door all the way.

Ashleigh let out a fake yawn. “Okay, I’ll be out in just a min.”

“Be quick,” he muttered, shutting the door. Ashleigh walked over to her bed and kneeled down to look at Soarin. “Want to meet the rest of my family? I promise they’ll be friendlier than my dad.”

Soarin nodded, he was eager to know more about his girlfriend's family, so long as they treated him okay. The two walked forward slowly, making sure that Soarin wouldn’t be seen coming out of her room. Once out, the two walked towards where the family was, where excited and surprised gasps exploded from the trio.

“Who’s that?” Ashleigh’s older sister Jenna asked, looking in confusion at Soarin. Before her question could be answered, Ashleigh’s mom and twin brother ran up to her. Ashleigh’s mom hugged her. “We missed you sweetie. Where were you?”

Ashleigh sighed. “I don’t even know. I ended up somewhere weird and I just tried to get home.” What she had said was not completely untrue, however, she did leave out the important details.

“Are you okay?” asked Patrick, patting her shoulder. Patrick was Ashleigh’s best friend who was related to her. She and her twin brother got along very well, and spent a lot of time together.

Ashleigh smiled and ruffled up her hair. “Yeah dude. Did you think I would abandon you? Who’s gonna go hunting with you if you never saw me again?”

Patrick gave her a fake punch in the arm. “I can get my girlfriend to put on a blond wig and I’ll call her Ashleigh. Then I’ll have somebody to go with.”

Ashleigh rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah right. You didn’t take your girlfriend hunting.”

Soarin stepped forward. “I’m Soarin.” he said, shaking Patrick’s hand.

Patrick smiled. “Cool to meet you. Is he your boyfriend?” he jokingly asked Ashleigh, grinning at her.

Then silence.

Ashleigh’s father glared at Patrick. “What did you say?”

Patrick gulped. “Sorry dad, it was just a joke. I know Ashleigh wouldn’t date some winged horse. I wouldn’t blame her even if she did though.”

“It’s not a funny joke. Loving some neon-colored farm animal is beyond disgusting and horrible. Do you understand me?”

Patrick grumbled, before turning to face Ashleigh. “Sorry.”

And that was the end of that, the family and Soarin spent the next couple of hours talking. But Soarin and Ashleigh hadn’t forgotten about her father’s cold remarks, and Ashleigh was on the last straw with what her father had said. Soarin and Ashleigh managed to sneak into Ashleigh's room without being spotted, where they contemplated the situation.

“Your dad really doesn’t like me.” Soarin commented, letting out a yawn.

Ashleigh nodded. “I don’t think he likes the fact that you’re a pony who can talk.”

Soarin sighed. “If only I was human he wouldn’t hate me.”

“Don't say that.” Ashleigh gave him a kiss. “I love you for who you are, not what you are.” she added, kissing his ear. "But to be fair, stallions are pretty damn handsome."

She then yawned, eyes growing heavy. “Well I’m tired. Want to go to sleep now?”

Soarin nodded, and trotted over to the bed, snuggling up in the warm sheets. “Mmm it smells so good.” he muttered groggily.

Ashleigh laughed. “That’s just the detergent I use on my bedsheets silly.”

Soarin looked a little embarrassed. “Oh.”

Ashleigh laughed again and climbed into the bed. “Mmm you’re so warm.” she murmured as she tucked a sheet in on the two of them.

Soarin mumbled something inaudible, turning to face her and smile.

“Night Soarin, love you.” she whispered, closing her eyes.

“Love you too,” Soarin whispered, pulling his tail around her and yawning, before sleep overtook her.