Torn Between Two Worlds

by Alex Barkhorn

Chapter 26

"Alex?" A voice whispered.

...I thought I was dreaming of... but that's Rainbow's voice, not Fluttershy's...?

"...Alex." The voice said at a normal tone, albeit with a bit of annoyance hiding in the tone as well.

"Mmf..." I groaned, keeping my face glued to my pillow. Someone let out a huff of annoyance, and poked my bare shoulder.

"Aaaaaalex." Rainbow Dash sang. After poking me a good five times, I reached out and snatched her hand.

"...Can I help you?" I said, after raising my head and looking up at her.

"Wanna go for a run?" She asked with a grin. I furrowed my brow in annoyance, and glanced at my phone on the dresser. Clicking the button on it's front, I saw it was barely five that Sunday morning.

"...Rainbow, it's five in the morning." I reminded her. She gave a small shrug.

"Yeah, so?" She replied. I gave it a quick thought, and sighed, nodding.

"Yeah, sure. I’m up now anyways. Lemme get dressed." I sighed, eliciting a chuckle from the girl.

It was a crisp Sunday morning, and the sun was just beginning to peek over the mountains. I stretched my legs out for a second before starting off with Rainbow Dash. We kept it slow at first to warm up.

It had been a while since I'd actually been jogging - I usually did my cardio workout on an elliptical nowadays. Though, my stamina and endurance were solid, so I was able to keep up.

Rainbow really surprised me with how athletic she was, quickly pulling slightly ahead of me. I couldn’t help but watch her as she ran. She stood at a mere five foot two, while the other girls ranged from five foot five to around my height, five foot eight. However, she was thin with an athletic build, her body working perfectly to maintain her pace. A picture perfect example of what you wanted to see in a healthy young woman.

She must have felt my eyes on her as she glanced back at me, “enjoying the view?” She teased.

I blinked quickly as I met her eyes. "Totally," I snarked, speeding up to catch up with her.

We ran for a good hour, just around the neighborhood. We ran through residential areas, small paths that interconnected different streets, and even along the nearby golf course that was relatively close by. A few blocks before the house we suddenly found ourselves racing. We were neck and neck the entire way, trying to find that extra ounce of energy to outdo the other. We were only yards away from our finish when Dash found one last burst of speed, bolting ahead of me and reaching the driveway before slamming her feet to the ground as she tried to stop herself going up the driveway. I stopped next to her, collapsing onto the grass, trying to catch my breath. Dash, also breathing heavily, chuckled as she fell to the grass next to me.

We lay there and laughed for a few moments, staring up at the morning sky, watching as the clouds floating by were painted in intense bursts of red and orange. Suddenly, Dash stopped laughing, and reached her arm out to the sky, as if trying to grasp the clouds, as she did back in Equestria.

"It's like... I'm so close to them... I can almost feel them... But they're still so far away." She said quietly, smiling sadly. I looked over at her, a sympathetic smile on my face. "Alex?" She called, not looking at me.

"Yeah, Rainbow?" I replied quietly.

"...You think I'll be able to do it again? Fly, that is. Go back up in the clouds. Feel the wind in my mane, again." She asked, slowly dropping her hand. I sighed, turning to look back at the sky.

"I dunno, Dash," I admitted. My answer definitely saddened the poor girl, as she sighed heavily, looking up at the sky with a dull and lazy expression. Suddenly, an idea hit me. "Hey, why don't you try out for the track team?"

"The wha’?" She asked, snapping out of her daydreams.

"The track team. It's a sports team at school. They compete in a bunch of different activities. Running, hurdling... Some other stuff I really don't know about." I said with a slight chuckle.

She gave the idea some thought and, judging by the smile on her face, she must have liked the idea.

That very next day, the first thing I took her to do was sign up for the team. I left the others for Gray to take care of. Much to his dismay, as Pinkie had gotten into my Pixie Stix stash (God help him), so it was just the two of us. The coach was a bit skeptical, as it was a bit last minute to sign up, but he recognized her from his Fitness class, so accepted her.

"This is gonna be so awesome!" She squeed, hugging me. "Thanks, Alex! This was a great idea!" She beamed. I chuckled, nodding.

"Ah, come on. Like I'd let the fastest flyer- er, I mean. Like I'd let the fastest runner in Equestria just laze about in my house all day. Come on, I'm smarter than that." I joked.

Later that day, I had to take Dash back to school for track practice. I brought the other girls along as well, considering it was a beautiful day and there wasn’t really much they could do at home that they couldn’t also do here. All of us simply watched the practice from the bleachers as the team ran laps, worked with the hurdles, and even ran some 4x400 relays.

Damn did she kick some serious ass in that. Noone had any chance to catch her. One guy pulled even, but she just looked over and smiled before increasing her speed even more. Even though it was just practice, the girls and I cheered her on. I was so proud of her, especially when the coaches and a couple of the senior class members, presumably the captains, approached her.

The girls were all excitedly chatting about Rainbow, I was looking over the team and noticed an unsettling amount of scowls on faces throughout the team, all of them directed towards Rainbow Dash. It worried me, to say the least.

Much of my worry was laid to rest throughout the week as Dash kept attending practices, performing very well each time. She even got herself into some important position for an upcoming meet. Don’t ask me what, I’m not a runner. But it looked like she had finally earned the approval of her teammates.

"Alex! You'll never guess what!" Rainbow exclaimed as she burst through the front door Thursday night. Thankfully we’d found someone who lived nearby who could give her rides home from practice.

"You're right, Dash. I never will." I quipped, staying focused on the stir fry I was making. She rolled her eyes and punched my shoulder.

"My teammates invited me to a party tomorrow!" She said, squealing excitedly. I smiled at first, but something about it didn't quite seem right with me.

"A party? What kinda party?" I asked. Rainbow thought for a moment, and just shrugged.

"Hm. Dunno. But, they all said they'd really like it if I could go! So, can I?" She asked. I chuckled, the realization striking me that not only did I act like a father to them, but they saw me the same in return.

"I gotta admit, Dash, I'm not entirely sure you should. I don't feel too comfortable sending you out to some kids' party, especially since I don't know them." I admitted reluctantly, my grin widening slightly as I realized just how much I really did sound like a dad. Rainbow, however, was obviously upset by my answer.

"What? Why? What's the worst that could happen?" She asked. I turned around and fixed her with a look that screamed 'Really?'

"Okay, you got me there," she admitted. She pouted and folded her arms, huffing in defeat. I shut my eyes, trying to keep my will strong, but, in the end...

"Okay, one condition," I said.

"What? What is it?" She shouted, darting up to me and smiling wildly.

"...Try and see if I can go. Just so I can keep an eye on you," I explained sternly. She nodded vigorously, jumping up and down in excitement.

"Alright! I'll ask tomorrow! Thanks, Alex!" She squealed, hugging me tight, and running back towards the living room, where the rest of the girls were doing homework. I groaned in slight discomfort. There was definitely something off about this whole thing. I tried to shrug it off, as I was happy for her. But something was there, nagging at the back of my mind.

The next night, Rainbow and I got all prettied up for our night out. She was decked out in a white track jacket, with a two-toned stripe of cyan and navy running down each arm. It was zipped up halfway, so as to show the sky blue v-neck underneath. Her blue jeans were tucked into her shin-high navy blue boots, and, finally, she had a pair of dark cyan shades atop her head - obviously not to wear, they were just one of those weird hair things that girls do. I, myself, just decided on a black crew neck shirt, with a grey denim jacket, worn black jeans, and jet black boots. Call me plain.

When we arrived, the party was already in full swing, made apparent by each window being illuminated by a light, and cars parked all outside the place. Rainbow was practically bouncing up and down in anticipation.

"...Dash, you're acting like Lyra right now." I said with a chuckle as I turned off the truck.

"Oh, heh, whoops." Dash giggled as she stepped out of the vehicle, and walked towards the house with me. I recognized a few faces. Dash, on the other hand, quickly became the center of attention. People were complimenting her, high fiving her, the whole lot of them knew about Raven Davis.

Dash began mingling, while I hung back and supported the nearest wall with the aid of a can of soda. It seemed to be the only can of soda around too. Everyone else seemed to have some kind of alcohol in hand. Beer, coolers, even some of those spiked lemonade drinks. I heard the clink of shot glasses from all directions as well, as people downed vodka and tequila shots.

It all made me a little uncomfortable. No, not because I’m a straight edge - well, ok, I don’t drink or do drugs, but I have no need to label myself, or anyone else, as anything. Hell, even being called a Brony by Gray creeps me out a little.

No, I'm uncomfortable with alcohol because of what happened just months ago. I had just gotten my license, and I, being the nocturnal bugger that I am, was randomly browsing the internet for ponies. That's when I got a phonecall from Gray. As previously stated, Gray was very popular. Everyone loved him, everyone wanted him to go to their parties. So, one night, he went.

It's always the worst luck, when you finally give in.

Who Gray thought was that night's designated driver actually took a few "Jell-O shots" or whatever, and drove head on into a pole. No one was killed, but Gray was in the passenger seat, and was seriously injured. The pole was just inches away from the both of them, but, somehow, Gray was the one who took the most damage. He was bruised, bloodied, and battered. When Dana and I visited him in the hospital, it was torture. He kept smiling and laughing, as if nothing happened, and as if he didn't regret his decisions. I never took a liking to alcohol in the first place, but those events pretty much set it in stone for me.

My memories were interrupted by a commotion in the backyard. There was basically a whole other party going on back there. When I realized that I couldn’t see Rainbow anywhere nearby, I sort of figured I knew what might be going on out back. Sure enough, I walked outside to see Rainbow surrounded by a bunch of drunken idiots, one of whom was handing her a bottle of hard liquor. She was looking at it questioningly. I knew that she knew what it was. That she knew what it did, to some degree at least. She was chuckling at the others, who were trying to get her to take "One little shot," or, "A sip!"

"Raven!" I called, causing her head to snap in my direction.

"Hey, Alex! Wanna have a drink with me?" She asked, as if this wasn't a big deal, bringing the bottle up to her lips before I grabbed her arm, stopping her. The group crowded around her booed at me, called me lame and said that I was ruining the party. I shrugged them off, waiting for Dash to reply.

"Alex, what's the big deal? It's just one drink, not like it'll do anything." She said, bringing the bottle up to her lips again.

"Raven, seriously. Don't." I said, my tone more pleading than demanding that time.

"Seriously, Alex, get lost! If she wants to drink, let her!" One of the guys shouted.

"Hey, piss off! If I want your two cents, I'll ask!" I snapped. And with that, I could tell that any possible civility left between us was gone. We squared off, approaching each other slowly before Rainbow intervened.

"Alex, what are you doing?" She hissed.

"Raven, what are you doing? You have a meet tomorrow, you can't go hungover." I informed her. "Besides, that's alcohol! A, you're underage! B, it's just...It's wrong! Look at all of these idiots!" I said, pointing over to the bumbling and stumbling jerkasses. "Is that your idea of fun?"

It looked as if my argument had gotten through to her but, a moment later, she looked up at me with a scowl. "You aren't my father, or anything, Alex. I can do whatever I want." I blinked, thrown off by her sudden change of heart. This was Rainbow Dash, the very Element of Loyalty, completely corrupted by the horrible, fucked up morality of today's standard teenager. It completely broke my heart.

"Fine!" I shouted, catching her by surprise. "Fine! Go ahead! Drink the whole fuckin' night away! Go to your fuckin' first meet hungover, throw it all away! See if I fuckin' care!" I barked as I turned around and walked away. The drunken assholes all jeered at me as I left. Then I heard one distinct voice in the crowd.

"That's right! Get lost, ya fuckin' loner!"

I stopped dead in my tracks, turning around to discover that Jake was indeed the source of the voice, Aaron right next to him, beer in hand.

"The fuck did you say, you fuckin' arrogant dickhead?" I shouted, storming towards him. Rainbow, again, intervened to push me back. I looked at her quizzically, "Really? You're gonna stand up for this fucking guy! After all he's done! What, you think these people are your friends? Because they fucking pressure you into doing shit you don't want to do? Ask yourself, Raven, would you really do this shit if no one else was around?" I didn't even give her a chance to reply before I turned around. "G'head, fuck it all up. See if I care. If you won't be loyal anymore, I can give up on it just as fuckin' easily." With that, I walked out, ignoring the jeers as I left.

I stormed to the truck, throwing my can of soda at the window, cracking it slightly. I opened the door and inserted the keys in the ignition. Before I could manage to turn the key, I started thinking about all the shit I had just said to Rainbow. How hypocritical of me! When she turned her back on me, I did the same instead of trying to help her. I grunted in anger, slamming my fist against the steering wheel, and placing my forehead against it, breathing heavily. About half an hour later, a quiet knock on the window caught my attention. I looked up to find Rainbow Dash standing outside of my truck. She glanced up, but, the second her eyes met mine, she averted her gaze back to the ground. I sighed, and stepped out of the truck.

"Alex, I..." She began quietly, sighing and shutting her eyes.

"I'm sorry." I said quietly as my hands found their way to my jacket pockets as I stared off to my right, at the little break in the neighborhood that gave a clear view of the mountains, which were shining brightly in the moonlight.

"You...What?" She asked, completely baffled.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you like that." I said again.

"Alex, no...No, I'm the one that's sorry. I...I shouldn't have acted like that. I never meant to hurt you. I dunno why I acted like that, so...I'm sorry." She said, looking up at me. I glanced over at her, then back at the mountains, shrugging. "Alex! Come on, I'm tryin' here! I...I should have listened to you. You're my friend. Not them. I should have listened to you, and I'm sorry." She persisted.

"You don't get it, do you?" I snapped, looking back at her. She blinked in surprise.

"Get what?" She inquired.

"Dash, what's your element?" I asked.

"...Loyalty." She replied quietly.

"And what does that mean?"

"It means that I'm loyal to my friends, that I'd never give them up or give up on them. That I'd listen to them and help them." She replied, her confidence coming back.

"Right, and wrong." I stated.

"What do you mean?" She asked, a bit annoyed.

"Dash, there's more to loyalty than being loyal to other people." I began, removing my hands from my pockets. "It's also important to be loyal to yourself. To thine own self, be true." I told her, looking down at her. "Dash, you have to think these things through. Is this really what would have been best for you? Remember what I asked? Would you have acted like that if any of those prats weren't there?" She shook her head in response, sighing again.

"It's a great thing to be loyal to your friends, and always being there for them," I stated, placing a hand on her shoulder. "But it's also important to be loyal to yourself. To do what's best for you is alright when it's called for. Making promises to yourself, keeping yourself in good hands and staying safe." I said, raising my other arm, and showing the scars on my wrists. "All this time, I've never held anything to these wrists. Because I was as loyal to myself as I was to my friends. I promised myself, no more of this. I told myself it wasn't good for me. Is this good for you, Dash? Putting all this on the line for other people?" I asked her.

"...No." She said with a small smile.

"That's my girl," I said with a soft chuckle. "C'mon. Let's get you home. You have a big day tomorrow." She nodded happily, and I turned to walk back to my truck when her hand caught mine, stopping me. I turned, and she embraced me.

"Thanks, Alex." She whispered. I didn't reply, smiling softly as I returned the hug.

The next day, wouldn't ya know it, was a blast. Dash excelled in nearly all of the events, and even broke the school record in the 1600 Relay! Oh man, did my heart ever well up, I was so proud of her. We all were, and we all cheered her on, and everyone gave her the recognition she deserved. Well, everyone but the mooks who decided to get drunk the night before, and were still suffering from hangovers. In the midst of all of the celebrations, Rainbow looked up at me and gave the biggest smile I’d ever seen. Well, aside from Pinkie anyways. I returned it a wide smile of my own, as she hugged her teammates and coaches, thanking them for the help, opportunity, and everything else.

The entire time, I couldn't help but tear up a bit. My little Dashie did it. She had been loyal to herself, and she’d done it.

That's my girl.

( Oh, good lord. That was quite the hiatus.

Sorry about that, actually. Kinda got a little too comfortable. But! Here's the latest chapter! Let's see, I got AJ, Pinkie, Rarity, Dash...Hrm. Wonder who's next ;]

At any rate, I hope you all enjoyed! Thanks a bunch for all of your support, I really appreciate it all! And I'd really appreciate it if you guys could check out my Tumblr. It has a bunch of cool info on it, so, go.

alexbarkhorn.tumblr.com

Thank you all again so much for the love and support you've given me, it really makes me happy!

Have a good night, everyone! )

Comments

[DarkWing]

Geez, took you long enough.
Good chapter mang, hope to see one sooner than this one came out.

[Discount Irish]

why am I the first to comment?
...
~It's the end of the world as we know it~

[Guardian]

Finally! Glad to see you up again. But once again, it seems like you're rushing the conflicts to quickly.

[Insanity X]

1221854 Because you aren't
cache.ohinternet.com/images/d/d5/Nope_speech_bubble.png

[Sonic Flameboom]

I forgot I was following this story. Wasn't there a cover art image before?

[Discount Irish]

1221847
Damn you, you commented AFTER I hit refresh to check for comments

1222143
Stfu~

[Insanity X]

1225018
i.imgur.com/1LvuR.gif

[M-Tails-P]

1233919
Rarity is Adam Jenson, your argument is invalid.

[MythrilMoth]

The point at which this turns into ABC Afterschool Special and every chapter is A Very Special Episode? That's the point at which I tune out. I stuck with this for a while because it was cute and charming, but the afterschool special crap is obnoxious.