Torn Between Two Worlds

by Alex Barkhorn

Chapter 13

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

My best friends.

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

Comments

[BaconHazard]

Amazing. Nuff' said.

Stay frosty!
~Hazard~

[Spiffers]

Loving the story. Not SUPER DE DUPER EXCELLENT AMAZING... but quite good nonetheless.

I figure I'll be reading this til the end

[Kurtytime]

More chapters please! This is very good and I will be following it till the end. Just saying this is one of the better dimensional crossover fics ive read. If that makes sense

[epreeses1]

I like this a lot but I have a little problem.
Sometimes whhen you change who's talking you don't tell the reader. I myself am trying to figure out a balance between when to say who spoke and when not to say.
There were a few spelling errors that could be quickly fixed with a once over after you write
other then that great story and I love where it's going

[Lord Nopony]

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

I'm not gonna cry!! *sniff*

[DragonEmeraldKeyBladerXZ]

MUST FIGHT THE FEELS

[BlackPowder]

I'm waitin' for momma to come home. That'll be fun.

[The Crystal king]

EHHHHHAAHHHHH!!! the feels