Hoop Dreams

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14

Chapter 1

I'm nervous as hell.

This is it. The championship game. We've made it all this way. But if we lose this game, it'll all be for nothing. I quickly pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming. I can't believe this is happening.

But before we go any further, let's take it back real quick.

My name is Philip Booker. I'm 19, and I love basketball. I play for my college team, the Florida State Seminoles, and we've made it all the way to the championship. It's usually pretty hard to get there, so that's kinda why I'm freaking out.

Then on the other hand, there's my team. To every regular student at Florida State, we're just basketball players. They cheer for us at games, but if we lose or get hurt most students don't care. But to everyone on the team, this is more than a team. We're more than just teammates. We're family. If someone gets hurt, it hurts all of us. We stick with each other through thick and thin, and this is the moment that all of our hard work and practice got us to.

"Yo Philip, you ready?" said Johnny. (His actual name is Jonathan, but most people call him Johnny. The coach calls him Isaac. He's kinda the best player on the team, in my opinion.)

"Yeah," I said. "Just nervous. Nervous as all hell."

"We feel you, man," said DB. (His name is Dwayne Bacon, but we just call him DB.) "It's scary for everyone."

"Yeah...", I replied, my voice trailing off.

I put on my jersey and headed out onto the court to loud cheers. I was used to both cheers and boos, so I hardly noticed.

The coach was waiting for us at the sideline. "Alright, I want Isaac starting at the four. Booker, I want you at the one. Bacon, you're at the two. Sutton, you're at the five. Robinson, you're at the three. Got it?" The five of us nodded and walked out onto the court. We were all pretty pumped. There's something about walking onto the court at the start of a game that pumps you up. Or maybe it's just us. As we took our spots on the court, Daniel Sutton, who probably looked up to me the most, said, "We got this."

I'm not sure why, but I believed him.

For the entire first half and most of the second half, the game was close. We couldn't get a lead, but neither could the other team, the Gonzaga Bulldogs. They won the title last year, so none of us expected this to be easy.

With about three minutes left on the clock, the coach subbed me in. I didn't go out there thinking it was hero time and I was gonna make the game winner. I just played and hoped we could gather a lead.

As we entered the last minute, the game was....still tied. Surprise surprise. The whole team was gassed, including me, and I don't think we had the energy to play an overtime period.

I passed the ball to DB, who, in a stroke of luck, was fouled.

He made both free throws, which was good, but it looked like Gonzaga was going to have the last possession, which was bad. I had a feeling they would try for three, so the moment they passed it to the worst shooter on the team, I fouled him.

It was my sixth foul. I was out of the game. I had intentionally fouled him so at most the game would be tied. I just hoped that I had made the right choice.

The guy I had fouled went to the line, and made the first free throw. I bit my lip and watched as the ref handed him the ball for his second.

He missed.

The moment it happened, the bench went crazy. There was really nothing they could do at this point, even if they fouled us to get the ball back. They knew it, too. The guy that missed the free throw looked like he was going to remember this day as the worst day of his life. His teammates weren't even speaking to him. Sutton ran the last few seconds off the clock, and that was it.

We were champions.

Our bench was empty, as everyone was on the court celebrating. This was a huge moment. We had lost in the playoffs twice since I've been here, and making a championship run was the best thing that could have happened to this team.

Like I said, this wasn't supposed to be an "underdogs win" story or anything like that. I didn't make a game-winning shot. But we won.

After a team celebration, we all went home. It was pretty late, so I fell asleep almost instantly.

The next day, I woke up to find that I had received a letter. I'll just sum things up and say I was going to the NBA draft. I had been wondering if I would, and even stressing about it sometimes, so this was a huge relief. I called some of my teammates and found out that Johnny, DB and Sutton were going too. Robinson wanted to finish college, so he wasn't really concerned about not being invited. But for me, this was big.

Author's Note

First Chapter!!

I'm not really trying to be 100% accurate with every detail in this story, but if I got something wrong, please let me know.

By the way, I used my actual name for the main character, so sorry if it's lame :l

Chapter 2

Draft day is super exciting if you're going as a prospect, but also pretty scary, as there's always a chance nobody will draft you.

Usually, when players go undrafted, they enter the NBA G League. If you go into the G League as an undrafted prospect, any team can call you up into the NBA. But that didn't mean I wanted to end up there.

The draft was kinda cool at the beginning. I got to meet with some of the other prospects, like a pretty funny guy named Donovan Mitchell. He was going as a top prospect, though, so I knew he was a higher level than me.

I also got to meet the guy who was going as the first overall. His name was Markelle, and he seemed pretty cool. I hoped that I would get to play with some of my college teammates.

"With the sixth pick in the 2017 NBA Draft," said the commissioner, Adam Silver, "the Orlando Magic select Jonathan Isaac."

I clapped just like everyone else in the room. I was happy to see Johnny get drafted. When you think about it, the nickname Johnny really didn't fit him at all, but that was what we called him and that was what he answered to.

I wondered if I would be picked next.

"With the seventh pick in the 2017 NBA Draft," said the commissioner, "the Minnesota Timberwolves select Lauri Markkanen."

Guess not.

I waited a little bit longer. DB was picked twelfth, by the Detroit Pistons, and Sutton was picked sixteenth by the Bulls. All of my teammates had been picked before me, and it wasn't a good feeling.

"With the twentieth pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder select Philip Booker."

There was an absolute rush in my heart as I walked up to the stage, and I was handed a Thunder hat. I made it, mom, I thought. My mom never supported my dreams. I knew that she had no idea I was here. But it was still the best night of my life. Also, the Thunder had players like Paul George and Russell Westbrook! I would get to play with superstars, and that thought could have lifted me a hundred feet off the ground.

After the draft ceremony finished, I congratulated DB, Sutton, and Johnny and we talked for a while before heading home.

I had taken the bus to the draft, so I had to take it back home. I rode it to the bus stop near my neighborhood. I put my hoodie over my head and started walking toward my home. As I was passing the woods area outside my neighborhood, I heard a rustling from within the trees.

Most people would've stopped walking and looked. But even though my heart started pounding, I kept walking. Then I heard it again, this time closer to the sidewalk. This time I stopped walking. My curiosity was getting the best of me. I felt like I was really going to regret it, but I turned around and looked.

Then my life changed.

I saw something light blue in there, but I couldn't tell what it was. What was weird was how clearly I could see it, even though it was nighttime and the woods were pitch-black. Still though, I didn't trust the situation. After a short internal debate, I decided to take a closer look. I began to step cautiously toward the blue figure, and as I approached, I heard another noise.

It was a whimper.

My initial thought was that this was somebody's dog that had gotten lost in the woods and cut on a tree branch.

I was half right.

A moment later, the figure emerged. My heart gave a jolt, and I almost fainted. What I was seeing couldn't have been real.

It was a light blue horse with a rainbow mane and tail, but it didn't look like a regular horse. It looked like a cartoon character. After a moment, it saw me. It jumped and tried to run away, but fell to the ground on what looked like a bad leg. I noticed a sizable cut along its rear right leg. As I approached it, it said, "Stay back!" in a half whimper that I'm assuming was supposed to be a brave voice, based off of the look it was giving me. I just stood still, staring at it. I had never seen anything like this before in my entire life.

I took another step toward it, and again it told me to stay back, but I continued. Whatever this thing was, it was injured, and I guess it was the Good Samaritan in me or something that made me want to help it.

I bent down on one knee in front of it and inspected its leg. It was a pretty bad cut, tantamount to a gash. I studied it and concluded that whatever it was, it was a female, given the rainbow mane and tail, the way the eyes looked, and the voice. I reached out to feel the cut, and it attempted to kick me, which only resulted in it whimpering in pain again.

"Easy," I said. "Don't move."

"W-What are you gonna do?" it said.

I took off my jacket and pressed it against the wound. It was freezing cold, so I instantly regretted it. The creature let out a cry of pain, and tried to push my hand away. "Stop!" it said.

"I need to apply pressure," I said. Then, without thinking, I picked it up and walked home cradling it in my arms the way my mom probably cradled me when I was a baby.

Once we were inside, I laid it down on the couch, and headed to the bathroom to grab some alcohol, peroxide and gauze. I then returned to the creature. "This might hurt," I said, and put some peroxide on the gauze. I then pressed it to the wound. The creature yelped again. After a few seconds, I removed the gauze, then took a new piece and put some alcohol on it. Again, I pressed the gauze to the wound, and again, the creature yelped. Once I removed it, I took a look at the wound. It was still bad, but much cleaner. I then wrapped the leg in gauze, then picked the creature up and carried it to the guest room. I laid it on the bed. "You need to rest," I said, then walked out. "Holy shit," I said, leaning against the wall. I couldn't believe what I had just done.

I checked my phone. 2 missed calls. One from DB, one from Sutton. I texted both of them back, telling them I'll talk to them in the morning. Then I threw my now-bloody jacket in the washing machine and let it run. After it was dry, I hung it up. I went back into the guest room. The creature was sleeping. I decided now was the time to try to figure out what it was. I went onto my laptop and searched "rainbow horse" on Google. The first result I got was a baby's show, so I clicked images. After scrolling for a bit, I found what I was looking for. It was a picture of the same creature. I checked it out, and figured out that it was a pony by the name of Rainbow Dash. This was a lot to unpack for my tired and stressed brain, so I shut off my computer and decided I would stop there. I couldn't let her know I knew these things, though.

I set my alarm for 7:00 so I could be ready for the draft combine, then fell into my bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

Author's Note

So!

This chapter was a loooooooot of work!

I put a ton of effort into it, so please comment and tell me what you think of the story so far!

Chapter 3

I woke up the next morning to my alarm clock. At first, I was confused as to why I had set an alarm. After a minute of pondering, it hit me. The combine. It started at noon, so I had some time. I went into the guest room and checked on the pony. It was still sleeping, but part of me was shocked that it was still here, because part of me thought that I was hallucinating last night. Seeing it there proved that I wasn't.

I made myself some cereal and proceeded to watch some TV. After a while I remembered that I needed to call my friends. I turned off the TV and called DB.

"Hey, man," I said.

"Hey," he replied. "What was up with you last night? What were you doing?"

"Just tired," I said. "Sorry."

"Anyway," he said. "I'm headed to Detroit, man! And it's an all-expenses-paid trip! All-expenses-paid, man!"

I could tell that he was hyped. "If you make it through the Draft Combine," I reminded him.

"Right, right," he said.

I then heard a noise from the hallway and saw the guest door opening. "Listen, man, I gotta go," I said. "See you at the combine."

"Yeah," he said. I hung up the phone and watched as Rainbow Dash walked out into the hallway, slightly limping.

"What's up?" I said.

"What is this place?" she asked.

"It's my house," I said. "It's not much."

"Are you kidding?" she said incredulously. "This place is huge!" I chuckled and sat down on the couch. I would have to wait until the pony was gone to call DB.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" said Rainbow.

"Sure," I said. "What is it?"

I was expecting her to ask me more about my house or my lifestyle, so it caught me off guard when she popped a loaded question. "Why did you help me?" she asked. "You don't know me and I don't know you."

"I'm honestly not sure why," I said. I was telling the truth; I really didn't know. "I guess because I didn't want to leave you alone out there."

"Oh," she said.

"How did you get here?" I asked. It was one of the questions I most desperately wanted an answer to.

"Well, I don't know," she said. "I remember I was trying to do a Double Rainboom, and then everything went white and when I woke up there was just trees everywhere. I heard a noise so I started running, but I got cut by a branch. And then you came and helped me."

She didn't say that much, but she explained some things, at least.

"Where did you come from?" I asked. It was another question I really wanted an answer to.

"I came from Ponyville, Equestria," she replied.

I had never heard of this place in my life, so I made a mental note to Google search it later. I decided to call Sutton. I told the pony to stay quiet and dialed his number. He picked up on the second ring. "Hey man, sorry I didn't call you last night,"
I told him.

"It's cool," he said. "So tell me, how does it feel to be headed to the NBA? Cause for me, it feels pretty fuckin awesome."

I laughed. "Yeah, it feels pretty good, but don't forget we still have to go to the draft combine. And there's a chance we might get sent down to the G League. So try not to get too excited yet."

"Come on, man, don't be a pessimist," Sutton said. "Just let me have my moment here."

"Alright, alright," I said. "Hope you're ready for the combine."

"Hell yeah. My biceps are lookin bigger than the weights I lift."

I laughed again. "Whatever, man. I'll see you later." I hung up.

"Who were you talking to?" asked Rainbow Dash, giving me a curious look.

"My friend," I replied. I didn't really think it was necessary to give her details.

"You talked about being 'drafted'", she said. "What's that?"

"We were talking about being drafted into the NBA," I explained. "It's kind of a big thing for us." The look on her face told me she knew nothing about the NBA, which I expected, given she wasn't even from Earth. I explained to her what basketball was, some of the NBA's history, and what it means to be an icon in the league. Playing in the National Basketball Association is more than just playing basketball. For some, it's making history. For others, it's being a team. For me, it's being able to learn from the players that I watched on TV in high school.

By the time I finished my explanation, Rainbow looked a little bit less confused. Hopefully she absorbed at least half of what I said. I checked the time on my phone. 10:32. I needed to start getting ready. I was about to go take a shower when I realized I was going to need to find a way to keep Rainbow occupied first. I grabbed a Rubik's cube off of the coffee table and handed it to her.

"See the little colored squares?" I asked. She nodded.

"Good. The goal is to get only one color on each side of the cube." With that, I went into my room, undressed, and headed across the hall to the bathroom. I locked the door, turned on the water, and hopped in. Twenty minutes later, I was showered and dressed, and once again trying to decide what to do with Rainbow. I went into the living room to check on her, and found her still trying to solve the Rubik's cube. I chuckled to myself. I haven't been able to solve that cube for the four years that I've had it.

I was pretty sure that that cube wasn't going to keep her busy until the combine was over, so I started brainstorming. After a few minutes, I got the idea to give her my old PsP, which still worked because I did my best to keep it in mint condition, in case I ever wanted to sell it. I went to go get it and when I returned, Rainbow was snoozing on the couch. The Rubik's cube was laying there with her. I said a quick prayer asking God to keep her asleep until I came back, then put on my shoes and headed out the door.

I was officially headed to the combine.

Author's Note

These are the first three chapters of my story!!

Hopefully you guys enjoy, and if you do, please comment and let me know! Chapter 4 coming soon!

Chapter 4

The draft combine was not nearly as bad as I anticipated. I had a lot of fun with DB, Jonathan(which is what he requested we call him now) and Sutton.

A lot of it was fitness tests and measurements, and also some scrimmages, which I did well in. But that's not the best part.

The best part is I'm invited to team practice. With Paul George. And Russell Westbrook. And Carmelo Anthony. It's in two days.

I was so in my own head when I got home that for a second I was surprised to see a bright blue horse with wings dozing on my couch. But then I remembered and quickly thanked God for answering my prayer.

I decided not to bother her and headed to my room to call Alex Robinson. He answered on the third ring. "How you doing man?" I asked into the phone.

"I'm alright," he replied. "Saw you guys get drafted. I'm proud of you. Same for DB. And Sutton. And Johnny."

"Actually, he wants us to call him Jonathan now," I joked. "For real, though, thanks, man."

"No problem. I think I'll stay here for one more year, then maybe I'll opt for the draft."

"Awesome. So what you been doing? Just chillin and watchin TV?"

"Actually, I've been workin. Tryna get stronger. Making my game better. Hopefully we can win again, but it'll be tough without you guys."

"Yeah...." I said, my voice trailing off.

"Anyway, I gotta go. But I'll talk to you again later if you want."

"Yeah, alright. Take care of yourself, man."

"You too."

I hung up and walked back to the living room. Rainbow was still sleeping. At this point I was willing to wake her up. I shook her lightly and her eyes popped open, which sort of startled me. "Sorry," she said.

"It's fine," I replied. "I was just hoping I could sit here." She moved, and I sat down, laying back and closing my eyes. I was starting to drift off when a growling sound snapped me back to Earth. I looked over at the blue pony. "Sorry," she said sheepishly.

It was at that moment that I realized I had no idea what these ponies ate. I had gone to get some stuff recently, but I live alone, so I was only really getting what I needed. One quick Google search later(I can only imagine how weird my history must look) I was armed with the knowledge that they ate fruit, which I had. I kept mine in the fridge, though, not in a bowl like most people. I grabbed an apple and tossed it to her. I was about to sit back down when my phone vibrated. It was an email notification. I checked to see who it was from, and almost jumped when I saw the name Billy Donovan. Billy Donovan! The official Thunder head coach! It was an introductory email explaining the practice procedures and requirements for being on the team. He was also asking for permission to text me personally, which I granted.

I sat down on the couch and rested my eyes. My body was exhausted, yet I was still pumped. I felt pretty nervous, though. I could end up playing terrible in front of three all-stars. Pretty scary thought.

I guess I must've dozed off, because when I opened my eyes Rainbow was gone. I got up and checked the guest room. She wasn't in there. Then I went to my room, and that's where I found her.

I wasn't too happy about her being in my room, but I had no idea how to say it. I scratched my head, trying to escape the awkwardness. Rainbow was looking at the posters on my wall.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing at a signed Michael Jordan poster.

"The G.O.A.T.," I said. "Michael Jordan."

"That doesn't look like a goat to me," she replied.

"I mean G-O-A-T," I said. "Greatest of all time."

"At what?"

"Basketball."

"Why do you like basketball so much? It doesn't seem that cool to me." said Rainbow.

"I've loved the game for a long time," I said. "For me, it'll never get old."

I explained some of my other posters, then we walked back to the living room. It was almost 6 by now, so I decided to put some fish patties in the oven. I had no idea how these ponies felt about meat, so just to be on the safe side, I gave her something to distract herself with while I ate my dinner. I asked Rainbow if she ate salad, and she said she did(thankfully), so I chopped some lettuce, carrots, tomatoes and cabbage, added some dressing(just a small bit, to be safe) and gave it to her. She wasn't picky about it, like I expected. I was seriously grateful for that.

The next day saw me thinking about what do to with Rainbow Dash to keep her busy while I went to the gym. I don't think she was too happy to be alone again, because she seemed happy when I returned. It was like having a pet and a kid at the same time. While Rainbow was napping, I hopped onto my computer and did a bit of research. After ten minutes of reading about ponies, I had gleaned that five friends(which for some reason, she never mentioned), she didn't eat meat, and oh yeah, one more thing.

She's from a kid's cartoon show. A fucking cartoon show.

Upon reading that I could almost feel my blood pressure rising, so I stepped away from my computer and went to watch TV. I usually cool down pretty quick, and besides, it's really hard to be mad at Rainbow. If you saw her face you'd know what I mean.

But the weirdest thing was that I had been spending time with a cartoon character. It had landed in my world, in my life. And I was sort of comforted by it. Over the few days that I had spent with this pony, I had come to believe that it was something I could build a connection with. I know it sounds crazy, but at this point I would've welcomed that sort of bond.

But it wasn't like it was a computer program. It wasn't an automated bot. It was, so to speak, a real character, just, not real. My mind was boggled by this, so I decided to open up a conversation with Rainbow Dash to try and ease my spirits. She was staring out of the glass sliding door that led to my backyard, which confused me for a second. Then I saw the wings and it hit me: She wanted to fly. To spread her wings and feel the freedom of the sky, even if just for a little bit.

I walked up behind her, unlocked the door, and slid it open. She just stared at me. I walked outside and sat down on the grass, staring at the sky. The sun was starting to set, and the sky was a beautiful combination of blue, white, orange, and pink. I couldn't have asked for a better moment.

As I had assumed, Rainbow walked out and sat down next to me. I meant to close my sliding door, but I hesitated to move. After a minute, I got up and closed it. I then returned to Rainbow's side and said, "Beautiful, isn't it?"

After a short silence, she responded. "Yeah," she replied, staring longingly at the clouds.

"Well then, what are you waiting for?" I asked. She looked at me with the brightest expression I had seen from her. "Really?" she said. I remembered her leg and saw that the bandage was gone; she must have removed it herself. Her injury had fully healed. I nodded. "Go," I said, and watched as she took to the sky.

I'm not sure why, but I didn't expect her to return. Something inside of me felt that she was going to go and search for her home, where she truly belonged.

I was snapped out of my deep thoughts when I saw that she was coming back down to me. Instinctively, I ducked. She landed next to me, laughing. I started laughing myself, I guess because for the first time in a while, I didn't feel alone.

I had a friend.

Author's Note

Chapter 4!!

I'm really just running with the story at this point. I'm open to plot ideas, though!

Chapter 5 coming soon!

Chapter 5

I woke up today with more purpose than usual. Today was my first team practice. I checked the time: nine o'clock. Practice was at one, so I had some time. I was surprised to see Rainbow Dash awake. She was holding what looked like a cassette tape.

"Good morning?" I said, still half confused. She started and dropped the tape. "Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"It's cool," I said. "Whatcha got there?"

She stared at the tape. "I'm not sure," she said. "But it has that guy's name on it that you mentioned yesterday." She handed it to me. The tape read "MICHAEL JORDAN: NBA FINALS 1997". I dug around for my VHS player. I hadn't used it in years. I found it and set it up, then slid the tape in. The TV began to play some of MJ's highlights from game 6 of the 97 Finals. Even though I had already seen other recordings, I couldn't help but be blown away. The man was incredible.

Once the tape was finished, there was a brief silence. I was sort of in awe, but Rainbow wasn't.

"So that's basketball?" she asked.

"Yeah," I replied. I didn't really expect her to ever get into it, so I was okay with her not being that interested.

"Why do you like it so much?" she asked.

"Ever since I first watched it, I've loved the game," I said. "The intensity, the competitiveness, the roaring of the crowd. I've always wanted to experience it personally, and now I've got a chance."

About an hour had passed. I made myself some breakfast, then went to take a shower. When I came out, Rainbow was in my room again. She was staring at something inside. I walked up to her. "What's up?" I asked. Following her gaze, I saw that she was staring at my Kobe Bryant poster. When I saw it, I smiled. Kobe retired last year, but I'll never forget his game. I'm hoping to meet him someday.

I took a moment to tell Rainbow about Kobe and how he changed the game. It felt nice to have someone to talk to, to have company. I enjoyed discussing basketball with Rainbow, but I wish she was more interested.

By noon I was ready for practice and anxious as hell. I guess I wasn't doing a good job of hiding it, because as I was preparing to leave, Rainbow asked me, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," I replied. "Just a little nervous, that's all."

She smiled. "You got this," she said. I smiled back. I couldn't help but find this pony adorable. I thanked her and headed out. I was pumped to see some of my NBA idols.

When I got to the team's training facility, I took a moment to gather myself before walking in. When I did, I was extremely disappointed.

No PG. No Melo. No Russ. Just other rookies and players called up from the G League for the season. I probably should've expected this, though. Thinking about it, a rookies-only team practice made a lot of sense. But still, I was disappointed.

Team practice was actually pretty productive, and I learned a lot. I got to know some other players, like Terrance, who was also picked by the Thunder during the draft. Billy Donovan is a pretty outgoing coach, but he's also pretty tough. I try not to mess up too much around him, mainly because I'm scared of his judgement.

I was exhausted when I got home. I unlocked the front door, went inside, closed it behind me, and flopped onto the couch. It felt great to rest. I was about to take a relaxing nap when I heard the sound of Rainbow Dash saying "You're home!", sort of like a child happy to see their father again. I greeted her back.

"Hey, how come you never told me your name?" she asked.

I had never even realized that she didn't know my name. "Sorry," I said. "My name's Philip." Since she had more or less woken me up, I took another shower, then changed into some comfortable clothes and headed to my room. I settled into my bed and then saw that Rainbow had followed me. She curled up on the floor and closed her eyes. It made her look like a dog, or some kind of regular housepet. I was comfortable with her as if she was normal, but she wasn't. She was from another world, for god's sake.

I woke up from my nap to darkness. I had slept straight into the night. Wow, I thought. Guess I was really tired. I sat there in my bed, thinking. I had no idea where to go with my current situation. Given I now had a pony to take care of, I decided to head to the gym every Monday and Friday, given team practice was on Wednesday. That way, Rainbow wouldn't be as lonely. She was still sleeping, something I figured she did often, so I quietly left the room.

I was about to make myself some dinner when I realized I hadn't gone grocery shopping. I do it every Tuesday, but having Rainbow around had kept me so occupied that I forgot to. I grabbed my keys, put on my jacket, and slipped out the door.

I never like to waste time, so when I go shopping I get exactly what I need and head out. I grabbed all the things that I had on my list, and grabbed some extra things for Rainbow. Hopefully they wouldn't be a waste of the extra money that I paid for them. Once I got back home, I saw that my sliding door was open. I set down the bags and walked outside. Rainbow Dash was staring at the sky again, but I don't think it was for the same reason as last time.

"I don't belong here, do I?" she said, not taking her gaze off the sky.

I sighed. I wasn't ready for this to turn into a dramatic movie scene, but I wasn't about to lie, either. "No," I replied. "You don't."

"Then why did you help me?" she asked. This time she turned around and looked me dead in the eyes. The thing is, her question was lost on me. I never really took the time to think about why I helped her. I was just hoping I would never have to.

But here we were.

"I guess because...I was lonely," I said. "I guess you were what I needed in my life. To keep me company. To make me smile. I guess I was sad, but barely realized it, given I was focusing on basketball. I'm sorry if you feel alienated, but just know that you're not alone. Sometimes I feel like I don't belong here myself. But I'm here, and I'm here for a reason. So are you."

She stared at me for a moment, then looked down. A closer look told me she was crying. I went over to her and hugged her, feeling that was what she needed right now. What we both needed.

Author's Note

Woo Woo! Chapter 5!

Thank you to everyone who read this story! I appreciate it!

I tried to go for a sort of "sad and deep" moment at the end, hopefully you guys like it! Chapter 6 is on the way! Feel free to comment plot ideas!

Chapter 6

Last night ended up being one of the better ones of my life.

I had finally gotten something off of my chest that had been bothering me for years: I felt lonely.

I had never imagined telling that to anyone, let alone a cartoon pony from a little girl's show. But I did, and it's honestly insane to me how much Rainbow Dash has changed my life in the few days that I've spent with her. I'm honestly grateful to have her in my life, and I'm worried that eventually I'll have to let her go.

At the team practice yesterday, I met this guy named Kenny who had been called up from the G League for the season. It was his first season in the NBA, just like mine, yet he didn't seem nervous. He was calm and collected and seemed pretty nonchalant about his first NBA game coming up. I called him.

He didn't answer, and I was sent to voicemail. "This is Kenny Beecham. If you're hearing this, it's cause I can't come to the phone right now. Leave a message and I'll get back to you." The phone beeped. I hung up. Then Kenny texted me, telling me not to call him now. Guess he had better things to do. It was Thursday, a nice one at that, with a clear blue sky and a light breeze.

Rainbow had slept in my room last night, and I realized I should probably put something soft on the floor so she didn't have to sleep on the not-so-soft carpeting.

So while she watched some TV(I put on a show from Netflix), I ran over to Petco and bought a large dog bed. It was the best I could find, and Rainbow probably wouldn't care anyway. When I walked into the house, it was the first thing she noticed. "What's that?" she asked, indicating the bag the bed was in.

"A bed," I said, taking it out. I went and put it on the floor in my room, then returned to her and said, "You can sleep on that instead of the floor."

"Oh, cool!" she said.

I decided to let her run around outside for a bit, and afterwards I found myself telling her to bathe, which thankfully I didn't have to explain to her. She really was like a dog sometimes.

Later on, my phone vibrated. It was a text from Billy Donovan, our coach, reminding me about tomorrow.

My first NBA game was tomorrow, at six, and I wanted to hit the gym early, so I couldn't stay up late. After a dinner that I mainly spent conversing with Rainbow, I went to bed. The last thing I saw before closing my eyes was Rainbow Dash curled up in the dog bed. I wanted to laugh so bad.

I woke up at 6:00 AM sharp the next morning, and was considering heading to the gym, but decided I didn't want to be gone when Rainbow woke up. I grabbed my laptop and headed to the living room, wanting to learn more about Rainbow or how she got here.

I discovered another instance of Rainbow in real life, but it was in the form of a fictional mini-movie called My Little Dashie. After taking a brief look at some of the show's other characters, I decided to call Kenny. This time he answered.

"What's up?" he said, sounding sort of groggy.

"You feel like hitting the gym today?" I asked.

"If by 'gym' you mean team practice facility, then yeah," he said. "I'm going at 7, you?"

"Same time, I guess," I replied. Guess I'm not gonna need to renew my gym membership at the end of the month.

I was surprised by how dedicated Kenny was to his workout. He still didn't seem nervous about the game, but he worked out like he was trying to be as buff as possible come game time.

It seemed like only a few minutes later that 4 o'clock rolled around. After an inspiring pep talk from Rainbow Dash, I headed to Oklahoma City, which was pretty far from Dallas, which was where I lived. Once I arrived, it was nearly six o'clock. I headed into Chesapeake Energy Arena, feeling hype as ever.

The locker room was a lot nicer than the college one. I put on my jersey, then my Thunder team shirt over it, as I was going to be benched for most of the game. It was a preseason game, so most of the rookies and called-up players will be on the floor. I headed out into the arena to loud cheers. I went and sat on the bench. The fans weren't cheering for me, they were cheering for the OK3. PG, Russ, and Melo.

The OK3 were pretty dominant for most of the first quarter, and when they came to the bench, I saw Terrance and Kenny walk out onto the floor.

In what, at the time, was probably the biggest stroke of luck of my life, Russell Westbrook's bench spot was right next to mine. The man was the face of OKC and had been for almost ten years, and I was a rookie. He sat down next to me. For a few minutes, we just watched the game. Then he said, "So you're a rookie, huh?"

"Yeah," I said, assuming that he was talking to me. "Any advice?"

"Try to stay locked in," he replied. "Don't let nothing else get into your head."

"Thanks," I said. Then I blurted, "Do you miss KD?"

For a moment, there was silence. I was internally kicking myself for asking. Then he said, "Sometimes. But things don't always work out."

"Don't I know it." I said.

Westbrook turned. "You got family issues or something?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied. "My mom never really supported my basketball dreams. She didn't come to any of my games. I try to talk to her sometimes, but she doesn't listen."

He nodded. "What about your dad?"

"I don't know," I replied. "My mom tells me he ran away to prevent having to be a father, but I feel like she could be lying. I don't know what the truth is."

I saw Kenny come to the bench, and Coach Donovan subbed me in. We were up by 18 points, and it was almost halftime, so nothing I did would really make a difference. I did my best to play good defense, and took very few shots on offense. I was nervous at first, but it wasn't that bad when I got into the game.

I won't bore you with the rest of the details. Key takeaways are that we lost to the Nuggets and I had a conversation with Russell Westbrook. All in all, I was feeling pretty good during the road trip back home, up until I started thinking about what I was doing. Taking a road trip.

Players in the NBA have to travel all the time to play road games, and I couldn't bring Rainbow with me when I had to go to another city. Now I wasn't worried about the situation as much. I was worried about how I was going to tell her.

Author's Note

Chapter 6!!

First off, shoutout to Kenny Beecham (aka King of the 4th Quarter). If you get the reference, you get it.

Second, I'm really trying to stay regular with new chapters, so please tell me if the quality decreases! I want this story to be as enjoyable as possible!

Shoutout to the OKC fans!

Chapter 7

The city lights of Dallas didn't look nearly as welcoming as before. I arrived home, worried about the pony who had been here alone for the past two hours.

I found her napping, and breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn't gonna have to face any heat for a while.

I talked to Kenny over the phone for a bit, mainly about the game, and then made myself a sandwich for dinner. I didn't really feel like putting much effort into a meal right now.

I sat down on the couch, lost in my head. After a few minutes of pondering, I had made up my mind.

It was time for the hard part.

I went and woke Rainbow up. I guess she picked up the look on my face, because the smile that she displayed due to my return faltered. I led her to the living room, and was about to speak when I hesitated. Then I dove straight into the issue.

"There's no easy way to say this," I said. "My games are in Oklahoma City, or other cities."

"Oklahoma City?" she responded, clearly confused.

"I need to travel for road games," I said. "And I can't take you with me when I leave."

"So...what are you saying?" she asked. Her voice broke, and a lump formed in my throat, momentarily clogging it and preventing speech. Once I found my voice again, I continued. "I can't always be with you," I said. "And you don't deserve to be alone."

"Isn't there a solution?" she asked.

"I don't know," I said. "The only viable solution that I can think of is somehow returning you to your own world."

There was silence. I was trying to think of any possible way around the situation. But my mind came up empty. There was no way to make this work.

"Why can't you take me with you?" she asked, making me think of a child not wanting to part with their parent.

I thought again, and this time, as what I took to be a miracle from God, I found a solution.

"Maybe," I told her, "There is something we can do."

She looked ready to cry at that point, and she still smiled. That made me smile. I continued to explain my solution. "I can rent an Airbnb for road games, and you could stay there." She probably had no idea what an Airbnb was, but I could tell that she was happy that there was a solution.

The rest of the night was a bit better. The mood was lighter, and I discovered that Rainbow is great to watch movies with. I went to bed that night feeling semi-optimistic.

The rest of the preseason was, to be honest, pretty rough for me financially. Rookies don't make too much cash in the NBA, but I was constantly renting new Airbnbs so I could be with Rainbow. However, even though, like I said, rookies don't get paid a lot, they get paid more in the regular season than in the preseason, which meant renting an Airbnb could be a bit less of a financial struggle from then on.

Our first regular season game was against the Rockets. Coach Donovan had given me more minutes because I played pretty good, but I was still benched until halfway through the third quarter, where the score was 71-66, with the Rockets in front. I wasn't concerned about the score or whether or not we won. I was just focused on playing the best basketball that I could.

I was assigned to Austin Rivers, who was a decent offensive player, but on defense he struggled. He wasn't too difficult to guard, or to score on. I put up 9 points in my first season game, which wasn't bad, but we took the L, which was.

I've sort of developed a habit of arriving at my rental homes and relaying the games to Rainbow Dash, who always listens. That's something I'm thankful for.

The first month of the regular season was pretty normal, but something big happened on November 25th, in a game against the Mavericks. Terrance Ferguson, who was assigned to Maxi Kleber, went up for a block and came down hard, resulting in him breaking his ankle. So now he was out, and I was in. It was a four point game, and we were losing with most of the 4th quarter ahead. What was upsetting to me was that Kleber didn't seem too concerned about injuring Ferguson or taking the foul. So the first chance I got, I blocked his shot. And scored off the turnover.

In the end, it was a W in the record books, but an L for the team. Ferguson had been taken to a hospital, and since he was out, Coach Donovan told me I was going to have to play more. He said he was moving me to his second rotation, which meant that most of the time I would be on the floor at the same time as Westbrook and George. It wasn't that big of a deal to me anymore, though, considering I had played with them for a month now. Our record definitely could've been better, and our team was already suffering because of our struggling offense.

I had a lot on my mind that night, and when I got to my house I unpacked it all with Rainbow. It felt good to have someone to talk to when I had things weighing me down. This time was different than the others, though. Rainbow actually had some advice for me.

"You're letting these things get inside your head," she said. "Just relax. Clear your mind."

I knew she was right. I was glad to be home in Dallas, where I could walk out into my own backyard and just stare at the sky, siphoning my negative thoughts out into the night.

I really did need to clear my head, so I tried something I had never tried before: meditation. I was about 5 minutes into it before Rainbow Dash came up to me and asked me what the heck I was doing. But honestly, meditation and some green tea(try it before you judge me) became my recipe for calm. That combined with the ability to tell Rainbow anything I had on my mind was definitely helping my mental state. In fact, my mental improvements even carried over onto the basketball court, which led to me becoming sixth man. That was huge.

What seemed like only a little bit of time later, December rolled around. We had an afternoon game that ended in a blowout win over the Spurs. When I got to my Airbnb, which was very nice and in a section of San Antonio that had a lot of trees, I grabbed the gift that I had bought for Rainbow. It was a book, entitled The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and I hoped that she would like it.

I was nervous that she wouldn't care for it, and at first I thought I was right, when she unwrapped it and gave me a confused expression. After a bit, though, she seemed to find the story interesting. It was nice to share the holiday with someone else. I called all of my college teammates, I talked to Kenny for a bit, and visited Ferguson, who was out of the hospital and going through rehab for his ankle. I had bought him some new shoes that he wanted, and they were pretty damn expensive. All in all, December was a decent month.

Then came 2018.

Author's Note

Oof. I really struggled with this one.

I'm sort of running out of ideas for where i want this story to go, so if you read this chapter, please comment a plot idea!

Chapter 8

It was January.

Me and Rainbow were still bouncing around a lot, but there was almost always snow. It was freezing, which made being outside that much worse. Regardless, I tried to stay optimistic. It was a new year, which meant new possibilities.

It was a pretty normal month. Terrance Ferguson was approved to play, so my minutes dropped a little bit. I guess Coach Donovan saw potential in me, because he usually subbed me in during clutch time. I didn't have too much of a problem with it, but I was worried about messing up. I tried my hardest not to.

Something that me and Rainbow have in common is that we don't like the cold. When winter rolls around, I usually just crank up the heat in my house and stay inside. But we weren't always in Dallas, and when we traveled up north to play teams like the Raptors or the Blazers, the Airbnbs that I rented didn't always have the best heating system. Shit like that was unbearable. Especially considering I grew up in Florida, where it's usually warm.

We were in Oakland, preparing to play the Golden State Warriors. When we played our first games against teams like the Warriors and the Bucks, I was amazed at how well they played. It was shocking to me that I was in the league with my idols now.

I was at my Airbnb, reading a book. The rental home was a bit warmer than some others, so it wasn't complete suffering. I wasn't exactly sure what Rainbow Dash was doing, and it wasn't until I got up to go find her that I saw it. She was outside, in the snow. She had put on one of my coats, and was playing in the snow. I prayed that she wouldn't get frostbite and sat down to watch some game film. Coach Donovan had told me that it was important to study film so I can see how I play and make improvements.

Fast forward a few hours, and it's game time. Before every game Rainbow wishes me luck, and I carried that with me all the way to Oracle Arena.

The Warriors were the defending champs, having won last year, and having such a successful team has given them a violent crowd. These fans want to see Ws, and they get crazy when their team loses. I hadn't played here before, given our last game against the Warriors was at home, and I was a bit nervous thinking about how this game would go.

Turns out I didn't need to be worried. We cruised past the Warriors, and after the game I had a word with Paul George, who was a great player but sometimes struggled on defense.

"You had a great game," I said to him. "But you can improve on defense."

"Yeah, I know," he replied. "And no offense, but I don't need a rookie to remind me." He walked away after that.

Could've gone better.

Rainbow was happy to hear that we won, and even happier that we were headed home for a 2-week, 6-game home stand. I had been considering moving up to Oklahoma City, but it was colder there, and I wasn't a huge fan of that. Still, I also wasn't a fan of driving the two hours up to OKC and then the two back down. I had found some nice homes up there in some decent spots, but I didn't have the proper financial buffer yet.

I wished that I could take Rainbow around the city, but if I did, chances were best that somebody else would see her. And who knows what the result of that would be.

After I told her about my brief exchange with Paul George, she asked me, "What was his problem?"

I had nothing against Paul George. In fact, I looked up to him. The man had one of the most impressive and moving comeback stories in the NBA, after a horrible injury that put him out for a season. He sometimes struggled to get back to his pre-injury level, but he was a great player and was right behind Russell Westbrook in team stats. I understand why he didn't like my comment. If I were him, I wouldn't need some rookie with no experience in the league reminding me of my faults either.

"He was probably annoyed that I was criticizing him," I said. "I understand his point of view."

"So, he's a nice guy or not?" Rainbow asked.

"He's not a bad guy, he's just...he's dealing with some things." I realized at that moment that I had done a bad job of explaining the situation. "Being in the NBA isn't always glamorous," I said. "Under the bright lights, everything may seem great, but you have no idea what happens in the locker room. You get me?"

"Sure," said Rainbow, with an unconvincing nod. I decided to move on.

I had a documentary that I had been wanting to watch. Entitled Iverson, it was a documentary on Allen Iverson, who is my all-time favorite Sixers player. I took this time as an opportunity to watch it with Rainbow, who was beginning to learn more and more about basketball by living with me. Then again, I guess it went both ways, given I learned more and more about friendship by living with her.

If I had been living alone, I would've popped some popcorn, watched the documentary, then hung out with DB, who I spent the most time with. But given I lived with a pony, what I planned to do instead was watch the documentary, then make myself some dinner, then go to bed. I get up early on game days, Mondays, and Fridays, so I try to go to bed before eleven most nights.

The documentary was, for me, pretty good. I'm pretty sure Rainbow enjoyed it, given the comments she made(which were mostly positive). Sometimes I wondered what was going to happen to Rainbow Dash. I didn't think she was going to be with me for the rest of my life. As far as I knew, it was only a matter of time before Rainbow was sent back to her own world.

I definitely wasn't ready for that.

Author's Note

Hey people!

I really had a hard time writing this one, sorry for the low-quality plot development :l

Anyway, the story will be on hiatus for a bit, as I need time to think about what I want to do with this story and my life in general. Hopefully you've enjoyed the story so far, and I'll try and find the best way to continue this story!

Thanks to all the viewers :)

Chapter 9

Things began to look up more and more as we got closer to summer. The playoffs were approaching, and Rainbow Dash, being the competitive pony that she was, wanted me to win more than anything. We looked good heading into March, but by the end of the regular season we had just made the fifth seed. Our record was just enough to set us up against the Denver Nuggets.

The first two games were in Denver, so like always the team flew and I drove. When we arrived, one of the first things I noticed was how warm it was. I was pumped to play in my first playoff game, though, so I didn't pay too much mind to it.

After my usual pre-game ritual of talking with Rainbow, I headed over to the Pepsi Center to join the team. After taking a few practice shots, I headed to the bench.

Game 1 was a blowout. Nuggets one, Thunder nothing. I played a lot during the 4th quarter, but we couldn't mount a comeback. I headed to the sort-of-luxury vacation home to tell Rainbow. As I had expected, she wasn't happy about it.

"Relax, it's just a game," I told her. "Besides, we play them again in two days. Maybe we'll beat them then."

"You have to!" she replied. "You can't let them beat you again!"

For Game 2, the coach decided to have me on the floor to start the third quarter. The coach favored a specific rotation during close fourth quarters, mainly consisting of me, Kenny, and Westbrook. Kenny was good at hitting clutch shots in the 4th, so the team gave him the nickname King of the 4th Quarter. Whether he liked it or not, it stuck.

Kenny went out there and did his thing, putting us up by 3 as we entered the final 5 minutes. Clutch time. I checked in for Paul George, who looked absolutely gassed. I was assigned to Danilo Gallinari, who was a great outside shooter. He proved his talents by scoring 8 points on me within 2 minutes. Coach was about to signal timeout when I came down the court, pulled up at the top of the key, and launched a 3.

Swish.

Gallo scored a few more points, but I was heating up, raining 3s and mid-rangers on the defense. They tried to gain a lead, but we held on. Tough game, but a win was a win. Series tied. Our hopes were high as we left the arena on the team bus, including me. We went back to the facility so Coach Donovan could give us a quick rundown of the strategy for Game 3.

"Have some rest, and be in town by noon tomorrow," he said once he was finished. When I got home it was 11:00 and Rainbow was sleeping in the foyer, where I assumed she had been waiting for me. I hung up my team jacket and took off my shoes. I picked Rainbow up and carried her to the bed she slept in like a parent would a child that fell asleep in the car.

Damn, having her really could be like having a child sometimes.

I drove down to OKC with Rainbow early the next morning. I took the opportunity to tell her about our Game 2 win. She was super happy about it, and her happiness was contagious. I was in a good mood when we reached the new home that I had bought in Oklahoma City with my improved salary.

I didn't have any games today, but Coach wanted a training session at one 'o clock. It was almost noon, so I had some time. I made myself a salad and ate it while I watched some film from game 2. It was crazy to me how many points I had put up. Rainbow looked amazed at my performance.

"Woah," she said when I finished watching, "How'd you get that good?"

"I just play," I said. "If I'm good, I'm good. If I'm not, I'm not."

"Are you gonna tell that to all your fans?" she asked.

"Fans?" I chuckled. "I might be alright, but I'm a rookie. Hardly anyone knows me."

"Aw, c'mon, ya gotta have fans! You're amazing!" Rainbow replied, astonished.

I laughed. "Thanks," I said. "But anyone with talent will tell you that there's always room for improvement."

We went into Chesapeake Energy Arena feeling ourselves. The energy in the arena was crazy. It brought the whole team up, and we took an easy dub. Game 4 was a sixteen-point win, giving us back-to-back blowouts and a 3-1 lead. We couldn't have been more energized heading into the locker room.

"Loud City," I said. "I love it here."

"You played good," Kenny told me. "All we gotta do now is close out."

And close out we did. Game 5 was a bit closer, but we still won, setting up a series between us and the Warriors. Since KD joined them, they've become nearly unstoppable, while the Thunder came out worse than before. But I didn't let the thought of Curry and KD playing on the same team scare me.

I also didn't expect us to move on.

For Game 1, Coach Donovan decided to try something different. He decided to play me sixth man. This meant I was going to have a lot of minutes and step it up. I was scared to guard any Warriors player, given they were known for crushing opponents in the playoffs. But hey, might as well try.

I was assigned to Andre Iguodala, and was being guarded by Draymond Green. Draymond was a star player, so scoring on him was tough. But my handles were better, and I was able to cross him over a few times. I scored 22 points, but it didn't matter.

It was a blowout. Once again, we were down 1-0. But this time, I didn't think we could gentleman-sweep our way into the next round.

I was right. Over the next week we lost 3 games in a row. The Warriors 4-0 swept us. We walked out of Chesapeake Energy Arena after Game 4 feeling pretty low. I headed to my house. Rainbow knew that we had been losing, and she was disappointed when I told her we lost. She kept telling me that we deserved to go farther, which prompted a question from me.

"Why do you care so much?" I asked. "When I win, you're ecstatic. When I lose, you're sad or upset. I'm not saying I have a problem with it, but why are you so invested in my career?"

I could tell by the look on her face that she wasn't expecting it. She thought for a moment and said, "I don't know, I guess because you're like family to me. You take care of me, you spend time with me, so to me you're family."

I was speechless. All the months since that night I found her had seemed to blow by. I had only a few times thought about our relationship, but had never taken the time to realize what it really was. In that moment I realized that she was like family to me. When I got home she was always there waiting for me. She celebrated my triumphs and mourned my downfalls.

She was the best thing in my life. And I told her just that.

The hug that followed lasted awhile, as neither of us really wanted the moment to end. It was something that lifted me inside, knowing that I really wasn't alone. She would always be there to support me, and that was all I really could've asked for.

Author's Note

Chapter 9!! Yay!

I spent a WEEK writing this, as I hit writer's block several times. But I did my best to finish the chapter strong, and the story will now be taken off of hiatus because I plan to do more writing!

Let me know what you think!

Chapter 10

Now that we were out of the playoffs, I could relax. I still had to work out, but I had more time to chill with Rainbow and watch the other teams fight for the title.

I put the games on my DVR, because I didn't feel like staying home to watch them live. I really wanted to take Rainbow out today, so I decided to take her to Beavers Bend State Park, which was about three and a half hours southwest of Oklahoma City and was pretty secluded, so there wasn't much chance of her being seen. I had never been to the state park myself, so the experience was new for both of us.

I wound up trying fishing for the first time, and decided to go with the catch-and-release method, as I wasn't comfortable eating fish right out of a body of water.

I saw some interesting wildlife, but I don't think Rainbow was that interested. I also tried golfing, but I ended up quitting out of frustration. There was a lodge, but I decided to head back home. I regretted that decision when I almost fell asleep on I-40 and was snapped awake by the ridges on the median. I quickly thanked God and was much more awake after that.

When I arrived home, I was wondering how Rainbow Dash had felt after I almost crashed, but when I looked behind me she was asleep in the back. I was tired but found the strength to carry her inside, and once she was taken care of I flopped onto the couch and fell asleep myself.

When I woke up the next morning, the sun was just starting to rise. It was early, so I assumed I was the only one awake. I decided to take a walk outside and gather my thoughts, which had really been all over the place lately.

It didn't really help as much as I'd hoped. I sat down at my kitchen table and thought for a minute. I decided to call DB. It had been a while since I had last spoken to him.

He wakes up early to exercise, so I knew he'd pick up. He answered on the fourth ring.

"Hey man, I'm in the middle of something, can I call you back later?" he asked.

"Sure," I said. He hung up. I put my iPhone on the table in front of me and stared at my reflection in the black screen. My life had been such a rollercoaster since I got drafted. Sometimes I wonder where I would be if I had driven to the draft rather than taking a bus. It's something I've pored over so much it's become a habit for me.

I didn't do much during the offseason, as I spent most of my time at the gym or shooting hoops at the practice facility. The time I spent at home I spent with Rainbow, though, as I said, we didn't do much. I usually just didn't feel like going anywhere.

One night I was watching an adult comedy movie with Rainbow next to me when, near the end, the TV shut off and the lights went out. Rainbow Dash, who I assumed either had never experienced a power outage or was deathly afraid of them, hugged me tight and didn't let go even as I got up to look out the window.

The streetlamps were dark and so were the other houses. It was a blackout.

I didn't bother to grab a flashlight. I sat back down on the couch and waited. Rainbow was silent.

When the power returned she still seemed shaken up. I couldn't help but ask about it.

"Are you afraid of the dark or something?" I asked.

"Sometimes," she replied.

I put the movie back on and watched till the end, and when it was over I asked Rainbow a serious question.

"Do you ever wanna go back home?" I asked. I wasn't fond of these serious moments, but the thought had been bothering me for a while now.

"I-I don't know," she replied. "I wanna see my friends again, but I don't wanna leave you."

That shocked me. This pony had been in my life for about a year, as opposed to however many years it spent in its actual home. It really was crazy how much of a difference a year could make.

"How?" I replied. "I'm assuming you have tons of people, or...ponies, waiting for you back in...where are you from?"

"Equestria."

"Equestria," I finished. "I enjoy spending time with you but I also know that sooner or later, you'll be going back home."

"I know," she said. "But I hope that day doesn't come for a long time."

I wasn't ready for a touchy-feely moment, so I just nodded. I didn't know what to say. Rainbow Dash was like a foster child to me. Letting her go wouldn't be easy, and just like her, I didn't want that day to come for a long time.

Author's Note

This chapter is a jumbled piece of crud, so my apologies for that.

I haven't been able to find organized writing time, so I usually just randomly write a little bit then go do something else. Hopefully I can write more this year, and give you guys some better chapters.

Happy New Year!

Chapter 11

I've been traded.

I received the news a few weeks before the preseason, and I still can't believe it.

The Thunder traded me and two picks to the Golden State Warriors for Nick Young and Kendrick Nunn, according to the phone call I received from the front office.

Stephen Curry. Klay Thompson. Kevin Durant. I was on a championship team. But given the amount of stars, I was probably going to get less playing time than I did in OKC.

I was happy to be moving to a better team, but also sad to leave OKC and worried about having to move to Oakland. It would be a long trip, so I had to start planning a way to get up there.

I decided to do something I hadn't done in a long time: invite someone over to my house.

I called Kenny and asked him if he wanted to come over for a bit. I just wanted some human company before taking off for Oakland. I've been doing my best to keep in contact with all of my other friends, but it's hard to find times that are convenient for the both of us to talk on the phone.

Thankfully, Rainbow was willing to stay in the guest room, or, at least, per her words, "out of his view". I promised her it wouldn't be long, because I felt kind of bad about having to hide her.

I was honestly sad about having to leave Oklahoma City, especially considering I hadn't even lived here for a year.

When Kenny arrived, I prayed that Rainbow was out of sight and opened the door. We talked mainly about our teams and our hopes for the upcoming season. I was sad about parting with him, because he had been a great teammate.

Everything was essentially normal up until he went to use the bathroom. I was browsing Bleacher Report while waiting on his return when I heard the bathroom door open, a pause, then a scream. I jumped up and whipped around.

My stomach sank as I saw Kenny in shock at the pony before him. He looked up at me, then back down, then back at me.

"What the hell is this?!?" he said, extending both arms in the direction of Rainbow Dash. "What am I looking at?!?"

"Umm..." I said, trying to find the words.

"I must be trippin," said Kenny. "Cause ain't no way in HELL I'm lookin at this damn.....THING right now!?!"

"Calm down," I said. "Please. Just give me a minute to explain."

"Please do." said Kenny in a low voice.

"Okay, well..." I searched for a good way to relay the story of how I ended up with Rainbow in the first place. "I just found her outside one night. I'm not sure how she got there, but she was there. So I took her in."

"When?" asked Kenny, looking me right in the eyes. "When did you take her in?"

"Almost a year ago," I said, breaking the eye contact.

"A YEAR ago?!?" Kenny cried. "You've kept this thing in your house for a YEAR?!? How?? We traveled all over the country for the NBA season! What did you do when we went on the road?"

"I drove," I said. "And took her with me."

"So that's why?" he said. "That's why you never went on the team plane? That's why you always traveled on your own? Because you were traveling with this thing?"

"Come on, man, it's not that bad," I said. "Why are you getting so worked up over this?"

"Imma sit down." he said, walking over toward the couch that I was currently standing next to. "Cause this can't be real. It can't be." He sat down on the couch and buried his face in his hands.

I looked over at Rainbow, who still looked shocked and hadn't moved.

"It's real," I said to Kenny. "It may seem impossible, but it's real. She's real."

"Okay," he said. "Okay. Whatever. Imma let you deal with this." He got up and headed for the door.

"Hold on," I said. "You can't tell anyone about this."

Kenny shook his head. "You're trippin," he said, then walked out the door.

After a moment of silence, I turned to Rainbow. "I want to be mad at you right now, but you're too damn cute and my mind is too damn weak for that." I sat back down on the couch and wondered what to do. I knew that if I called Kenny he wouldn't respond. He probably thought I was crazy.

"So, you're not mad?" asked Rainbow from behind me.

Without turning around, I said, "I'm not happy, but at the same time there's no point in me being mad. I just hope Kenny doesn't stay mad at me."

"Maybe if you give him time he'll come back," she said.

"Hopefully," I said. "But until then, we need to start packing."

"Why?" Rainbow asked. "Do we have to move somewhere?"

"Yeah, we do," I said. "Oakland."

"Where's that?" she asked.

"California," I replied.

"Why are we going to California?" she asked me.

I sighed. "Because I've been traded. Best thing for me to do is move to the home city of the team I've been traded to."

"What team?" she asked.

"The Warriors," I replied. "The team that swept us in the playoffs."

It was in that moment that I realized I was going the same route as Kevin Durant did two seasons ago. I was leaving OKC for Oakland and I honestly wasn't too happy about it.

I shook off the negative thoughts and headed over to my room, which with time had started to look less and less like my room. Most of the Kobe and MJ and other NBA posters had been taken down from the times I had taken them on the road. My console was in a box on the floor along with my NBA 2K games. I had carefully wrapped my autographed Shaquille O'Neal jersey up and put it away that morning. The only piece of basketball memorabilia that remained was my Miami Heat basketball, autographed by the 2012 Heat team. Its glass case shined in the dim light from my ceiling fan, and I could just barely see my distorted reflection.

I snapped out of my daze and began to organize the scattered boxes. At one point Rainbow came wandering by.

"Is there magic in your world?" I asked, wiping sweat off my forehead as I hauled a box over to the spot where I was stacking a few other boxes of my belongings.

"Yep." Rainbow nodded. "Lots of it."

"Must be nice," I grunted, going to pick up another box.

Just as I bent down to grab another load, my phone rang. I checked the caller ID.

It was Kenny.

Author's Note

Man, this chapter was shit.

I really wanted to add some sort of twist to the plot, and I thought maybe Kenny discovering Rainbow would work, but in proofreading this I'm not sure. Anybody else think this story is going downhill way too fast?

Ah, screw it. Imma keep writing.

Chapter 12

I pressed the green answer button and put the phone on speaker.

"Yeah?" I said.

"Philip, I don't get you man," said Kenny on the other end. "But I don't wanna give up on you either."

"What are you saying?" I asked.

"Lemme help you pack," he said. "Just don't talk to me about the blue horse."

"For what it's worth, it's a pony," I said, then hung up the phone.

I spent the next twenty or so minutes wondering how Kenny actually felt about helping me pack. I doubt that he really wanted to do it. I was his teammate, and he probably didn't want to give up on me for that very reason.

Before I opened the door for him I told Rainbow not to talk to him, figuring it was the best thing I could do.

When he walked in he took one look around, stared at Rainbow for a few seconds, then looked at me. "Come on," I said, leading him to the half-organized mess that was once my room.

With Kenny's help, I was able to finish much sooner than anticipated. He looked like he was ready to leave after packing the final box. Before he left I said one more thing:

"See you in the fourth quarter."

He shook his head, and I could've sworn I saw a smile on his face when he closed the door. I smiled to myself and turned to see Rainbow staring at me. Clearly she was confused. I was confused as to why she was confused.

"What?" I said.

"What did that mean? 'See you in the fourth quarter?'" she asked, tilting her head slightly to one side.

"It was an inside thing," I replied. "He's good in the clutch, so we call him King of the Fourth Quarter. Next time I play him, I'll be seeing him in the fourth quarter."

"Okay..." she said. I could tell she still didn't really get it.

Fast forward to opening night of the 2018-19 season. The house I bought in Oakland is a bit nicer than my old one, but still a one-story since aside from Rainbow Dash I live alone.

I entered Oracle Arena and noticed a small sign near the entrance.

It read CHASE CENTER: OUR NEW HOME COMING 2020!

Underneath the text was a picture of a construction site.

Huh, I thought. Guess Oracle's closing.

I made my way to the locker room and met the stars. A lot of the players seemed engaged in conversation. I saw the very large and luxurious locker spaces for Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson. Draymond Green also had a decent sized-locker.

My locker was barely wider than I was.

I changed into my Warriors warm-up jersey and prepared to head out into the open arena when I got a surprise:

Kenny motha-fucking Beecham.

I walked over to him and gave him a hug. "Who'd they trade to get you?" I asked, happy to see my former OKC teammate.

"They're sending Shaun Livingston to OKC," he replied. "They know they gotta keep the duo together."

"Yeah," I said. "Front office make any other trades?"

"Yep," said Kenny. "Right over there." He jerked his head in the direction of all-star big man DeMarcus Cousins. He was conversing with Kevin Durant, presumably over something funny, given the smiles on their faces.

"Wow," I said. "Looks like I'm getting a ring this year."

"Looks like it, considering we got five all-stars," Kenny replied. "You gotta feel for the Thunder though."

"Guess so," I said. "But I think Presti had his eye on Nunn, and Swaggy P was a nice fringe benefit to go with him."

"Presti got a few picks too," Kenny added. "That man is built different when it comes to general managing."

"Definitely," I agreed. "Come on, let's get out there."

On the way out I noticed a poster of the 2006-07 Warriors. The poster depicted the old slogan "We Believe" slapped over the classic starting 5 of Baron Davis, Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Jason Richardson, and Al Harrington. I thought of myself watching as those Warriors took on and defeated the first-seeded Mavericks in the first round of the '07 playoffs.

Good times.

We walked out into the cool of the Oracle Arena's lower bowl and the sound of the crowd chanting "Curry" met our ears. I imagined one day having an entire crowd cheering my name. Alas, the lost fantasies of every average second-rotation NBA player. I went and found my spot on the bench, then settled in as the 5 all-star Warriors starters and 5 slightly-above-average Celtics starters took the floor.

As I expected, we dominated. It turned out Coach Kerr didn't have me in the second rotation. He told me to expect to be in the third normally, and put me on the floor for the last few minutes of the game. A little disappointed, I headed out onto the floor to guard a very exhausted-looking Terry Rozier.

The man who had once been the infamous "Scary Terry" in the playoffs looked like he wanted to go home. We were up almost 30 points, so I definitely understood. On our next position, he seemed determined to shut me down. I assumed he needed a confidence boost.

Too bad he wasn't gonna get one from me.

I drove to the elbow at full speed, then stopped and stepped back as far as I could. Rozier slipped and hit the hardwood, falling on his shoulder. As he scrambled to get back up, I stepped behind the arc and fired.

Easy.

I looked over at Coach Kerr, who looked positively stunned. I held up two fingers and mouthed "second rotation" to him as I sprinted to the other end of the floor. Hopefully he understood me.

Rozier was a bit bigger than me and was able to bully his way into the paint for a layup. Jonas Jerebko inbounded the ball to me, and I took off. At mid court I lobbed the ball over to Kenny, who stepped into a three-point shot, faked, then lobbed it back over the head of a slightly confused Terry Rozier to me. I layed it up and pointed in Kenny's direction, giving him a nod.

I finished the game with nine points. Not bad for a few minutes. I changed back into my casual clothes, took one last look across the room at that We Believe poster, then headed towards the entrance.

"Hey," said a voice from behind me that I would learn belonged to Kevin Durant, "Not bad." He patted me on the head and walked further away from me. I headed into the cool night air, which felt amazing after the game I had just had.

Only when I walked through the door of my new Oakland residence did I realize how wiped out I was. I had spent the last few minutes of the game giving it my all, and now I was ready to give in to some rest. I sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. A voice behind me reminded me that I wasn't alone.

"Wow," said Rainbow Dash, flying up over the back of the couch and landing next to me. "Was I that hard to notice?"

"Sorry," I said. "Just tired. But it was one hell of a game."

"Awesome! How'd it go?" she asked.

I pulled the game recording up from my TV's DVR. I fast forwarded to the last few minutes, then pointed to the man in the black and green Celtics jersey preparing to guard me. "That's Terry Rozier III," I said. "Got it?"

Rainbow nodded.

"Now watch this." I pressed play and watched as I drove, switched gears on a dime, stepped back, dropped Rozier, and hit the open 3.

"Woooaaaaahhhh! Did you make him fall like that?" she asked.

"I did," I replied. "It's called a crossover, and Coach Kerr was speechless." I admit that I fabricated a little bit, but I was super proud of myself and honestly felt I deserved it.

"Soon as I'm an all-star and Kerr tries to boast six all-stars on his roster, I'm gonna go back to OKC and ditch Oakland," I said. I was really excited to get a ring. But not one that I didn't earn. The Warriors had just swept Lebron's Cavaliers last season and then picked up another all-star in the offseason. Our team was tantamount to impossible to beat, and in the end I would most likely end up getting a ring when I barely played. But that was how the NBA worked, whether I liked t or not.

"So when's the next game?" asked Rainbow, watching the game replay that I had put on.

"Day after tomorrow," I said, leaning my head back on the couch and closing my eyes a bit, "And I'll be playing a little bit more this time."

Author's Note

Thank you to EVERYBODY who read this story!! 100 views is incredible and means a lot to me!!

I'm gonna try to introduce some sort of new concept every chapter, whether it be game action, dreams(hint hint), or conversations between the main character and certain NBA players, it'll always be something.

Thanks for the support and Chapter 13 is a-comin!

Chapter 13

I'm in my high school gym. I'm all alone.

All the lights are on full blast, but through the high windows is nothing but darkness. Empty darkness.

Sweat trickles down my forehead as I take shot after shot. Every time I shoot there's another ball in my hand. I'm not sure why, but I keep shooting. I have to.

I listen to the sound of the net as I drop one in. Swish.

The next one hits the rim. I feel my legs sink down a little bit. I want to look down but I can't. I have to keep shooting.

I take another shot. It rolls out. I sink down a little deeper.

I try stepping into a shot, but I can't move my feet. They're locked in place. I throw up another shot. That one finds the bottom of the net.

I make a few more before I miss again. I can't make all of them, and every time I miss I sink deeper into the gym floor. I don't know what's happening. But I'm terrified. I miss again. Now I'm waist deep in the floor.

I can't generate enough power to shoot it. I desperately lob the ball at the hoop with one arm. It hits the top of the backboard.

This time I fall all the way through the floor and into darkness. I try to curl up into a fetal position but I can't move. I close my eyes as I fall through the darkness.

Eventually I stop falling and hit solid ground. I open my eyes to see that I'm at Oracle Arena, in the middle of the court. I see four Warriors on the floor. Curry, Klay, KD and Draymond. The starting 5 for the Cavaliers are also on the floor.

I look over and notice KD throwing the ball to me. I wait until it reaches me, then grab it and see LeBron James trying to guard me, but slowly like everything else.

As he comes closer, I can hear the fans chanting "WIN! WIN! WIN!" Their cheers get louder every second.

"Come on!" says Kevin Durant, at a normal speed, which contradicted his slow movements. "Don't you want the ring? We need the ring!"

I'm speechless. As LeBron comes closer, I hear Klay.

"Take the shot!"

I take the shot just as LeBron closes in. The ball sails in slow motion toward the hoop, and after a minute or so falls through the net.

The fans are louder than anything else now. "WIN! WIN! WIN!" is all I can hear. The backboard lights up red, indicating the buzzer. "Yes!" yells Durant. "We win!"

I snap awake.

I'm hyperventilating and sweating like a pig. I look around my living room. All the lights are off, even though when I fell asleep they were on. I look down to see Rainbow Dash sleeping in my lap. I gingerly lift her off of me and get up to change my clothes.

A pair of fresh pajamas and a swig of water later, I head over to my room to go to bed. I remember Rainbow and carry her onto the bed, then fall in myself, attempting to forget my nightmare.

I gotta get the hell up outta Golden State.

I woke up the next morning feeling mildly optimistic. I didn't have a game today, so I could just sit back and watch the other teams play.

I got some interesting news this morning: LeBron James was leaving Cleveland.

He was headed to L.A. to play with the Lakers, and this made me wonder if this was about losing to the Warriors three times in the Finals. Russell Westbrook's contract was up next year, and rumor had it he was finally going to leave OKC when it expired.

Kawhi Leonard, meanwhile, was excelling. Last season he had been traded to the Raptors right before the deadline, and Toronto has been working great for him so far. I wondered if he could make the Finals again.

Although I expected a bt more action, the rest of my week was pretty uneventful. I did get moved into the second rotation, but I didn't manage to do anything memorable enough to have a lot of fans cheering for me.

When the weekend arrived, I had two days of freedom. I decided to spend them learning more about Rainbow Dash's previous home. She didn't talk about it much, which I guess was understandable. Hell, if I went through a transportation between universes I might even forget Earth completely.

My neighbor, a guy named Allen that I had only talked to once after his dog had taken a shit in my yard, had recently went out of town for a few weeks, so I deemed it safe for Rainbow to be outside if she wanted to. I let her out, then went into my room and sat at my laptop. I searched up Rainbow's name and found my way to the My Little Pony wiki.

I read about the show for about twenty minutes before I decided to head back outside and check on Rainbow. I headed through the much nicer sliding door and looked up.

Rainbow Dash was flying in large circles, leaving a streak of rainbow behind her. I didn't bother calling for her, because I knew she wouldn't hear me. I just sat in the chair I kept out back and watched. After five or so minutes I was struggling to keep my eyes open.

I'd been playing my ass off at every Warriors game trying to prove myself. I've received compliments from Steph and Klay and even DeMarcus Cousins, but that wasn't what I wanted. I wanted to be great.

But trying to be great was tiring. I wanted sleep right now.

Eventually she came back down, and we went back inside. One of the questions I had was why she never seemed to emit body odor. I was glad to have my shower to myself, but it confused me sometimes.

I had really run out of things to do with her, and I was struggling to find time to take care of her. I enjoyed her company, but I really needed to start trying to find a way to return her to her home.

After she fell asleep later that night, I put on my jacket, laced up my Timberland hiking boots, and headed outside. I walked down Avery Street until I reached the spot where, after the draft, I had found Rainbow Dash and her injured leg.

I took a deep breath and headed into the woods, fingering the pocket knife I had in my right pocket. These woods were sketchy, and I wasn't about to take chances. I walked for about ten minutes before coming to a clearing. It wasn't really a clearing, just a small space without a tree in it. I pulled out my phone and turned on the flashlight, shining it at the ground. I was looking for whatever it was that brought Rainbow here, or at least a trace of what it was.

After digging around for about an hour, I noticed an extremely soft and somewhat hollow-feeling patch of dirt. I dug into it and felt the layer of dirt getting thinner. Something was under here.

My heart pumped at the speed of light as I continued to dig. I eventually got to the bottom, and what I found made my jaw drop.

"No," I said. "No fucking way."

Author's Note

I wonder if anyone here actually cares what he found.

I'm going to start thinking of a way to end the story soon, because I'm having an influx of ideas and can't wait to get started on them.

As always hope you enjoyed, next chapter coming soon. Peace.

Chapter 14

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