Rainbow's Adventure on Earth

by TheRealShadowFoot

Ch. 4 A Temporary Home, a Temporary Family

Dash popped out from behind the chair. She left the sitting room and called to Alex. Alex was in the kitchen cooking up some lunch. He had been awfully hungry, and couldn’t bear another grease-laden burger or something like that. Instead, he did something he rarely ever had time for. Alex picked up a wide variety of fresh vegetables and fruits from the market, along with some cheese. Alex decided it was high time he got back into cooking on a daily basis. At least he might have food in the house when there was company.

Alex was chopping up some carrots, romaine lettuce, and celery. He followed this up with two containers of juicy grape tomatoes, which he favored considerably over sliced or any other manner of tomato in general. He popped these into a massive plastic bowl easily twice the size of his head. He then made his way to the grocery bags, pulling out some sweet red onions, and string beans. He wasn’t sure what he was making, but it felt right. Topping the medley off with some fresh broccoli heads, he gazed upon his masterpiece.

Dash watched contentedly as Alex strode about the kitchen. Noticing that he was singing to himself, she smiled like a school filly again. He was cute, no doubt about it. Most everypony back home took her for a fillyfooler, which wasn’t entirely true. She just played both sides of the fence. She really did not want to have to break the truth to him, but her time was running short. She watched him for a little while longer, taking note at how deft he was with the kitchen tools in his hands. His hands were large and rough, as they well should have been, but he chopped and diced and sliced and cut as if he’d been raised with those things in his hands.

Alex decided it was high time to get to work on dessert. A delicious fruit salad his mom used to make whenever there were funds available for it. He rummaged through the other grocery bag, pulling out red, green, and yellow apples, green and purple grapes, and an assortment of small berries and nuts. “This is definitely rabbit food”’, he thought to himself. He went to popping grapes off of their vines and dropping them into a smaller bowl. Next on the list were apple chunks, dried cranberries, blueberries, and some of the nut mix, which contained walnut, almond, and pecan pieces. He dropped a couple cans of mandarin oranges in the bowl, and proceeded to mix the sweet and juicy concoction. Only then did he notice a certain prismatic-haired houseguest watching him with the slightest blush on her face.

Alex turned and stared Dash straight in the face. He had a goofy grin on his face and spoke up. “Well hello there Sarah, surprised to see me?” She nodded and walked into the kitchen, dropping her gaze from his. She always got lost in those blue-green eyes of his.

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“Alex, I have something I need to tell you.” Dash stated flatly, all emotion fleeing her normally chipper voice. Alex looked at her confusedly, and started to speak.

“You don’t have to explain anything to me, Sarah.” He said, softly. Growing up with three sisters, he knew when a girl was hurting inside. His sisters were his life and he’d do anything to keep them happy.

“Yes, I do, Alex. please hear me out.” Dash pleaded. Alex nodded.

“Can it wait till after lunch, maybe?” Alex asked. “The salads are freshest within the first hour of being prepared.” Dash nodded to him and sat down. She noticed her stomach did feel sort of hollow and empty, which probably was due to nerves and insecurity more than anything.

As Alex sat, he tried to read Sarah’s expression. He noted that her face was not one of heartbreak, but loneliness, as if she didn’t have a single friend in the world. Something truly horrible must have happened or was happening, he thought to himself. Keeping her gaze mostly downcast, Sarah waited to be served.

Alex dished out a hefty serving of the vegetable medley, which he had added a bit of cheese to as an afterthought. Then off to the side in a smaller dish, he served out some of the fruit medley. He then poured out some sweet, golden apple cider for his guest and himself. It was only just barely the closing of the fall season, so the cider plants were still running in full swing.

Cider was Alex’s favorite drink of all time, even though it had less than desirable circumstances if he drank more than his fair share. This cider was a special, “enhanced” batch a close friend had made for him. It was actually a year old, but was allowed to ferment, resulting in delicious hard cider. He figured it would make whatever Sarah had to say come out easier.

They ate in relative silence, only sharing brief snippets of how the day had gone so far. The conversation, though less than spectacular, was comforting. After Alex had cleaned up the dinner mess, Dash swallowed the lump in her throat and got Alex’s attention.

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“Alex, I have something very important to tell you.” Dash started. “Please, promise you’ll hear me out before talking, or making any decisions you might later regret.”

Alex nodded, and gestured for her to continue, obeying her plea to stay silent.

“Uh…I’m not from here, for starters.” Dash labored through every word. “I’m not from this city, nor this country, not even from this planet.” She said. As much as Alex wanted to protest, he did not. Why would she not be from here? She looked human enough to him, and he wasn’t exactly convinced aliens existed.

Dash started again. “I’m from a place called Equestria. Lots of ponies live there. Pegasi, Earth Ponies, and Unicorns.” Alex simply blinked at Dash, incredulous. Had he picked up some insane girl he felt sorry for? No. She was far too composed to even feel remotely insane.

Taking a deep breath and struggling with herself still, Dash continued.

“I’m a pony too, a Pegasus. We can fly and stuff.” She said offhandedly. “My real name is Rainbow Dash. What you see now is how I came into this world. Whatever happened to me, it changed me to fit in better, I guess.”

Alex nodded in understanding, fighting every fiber of his being to argue with this potentially insane young girl. What damage could have been done that made her so strange, and make up such incredulous lies? But somehow, inexplicably, Alex believed her. Her beautiful magenta eyes were full of sadness and sincerity. She can’t have been lying.

Dash, unexpectedly, grabbed his hands. They were rough but tender. “And right now, I’m lost, alone and afraid. I have no friends here, and I have no clue how I’m going to get back home. What I need, right now, is someone like you; I need a real friend to keep me safe from harm until I can go home.”

Dash was fixing to finish her speech by now. The cider tasted mighty familiar, and had a familiar effect on her. “I have nowhere to go, and my only possible way back home is to wait for my friends to help me. I know they will help me, but I don’t know how soon…” Dash trailed off, finally averting her gaze from Alex’s, tearing up as the thought crossed her mind that she might never make it home.

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Alex blinked, several emotions clouding his face at once. He hadn’t realized he was staring Dash in the eye, nor the fact that they were now, in effect, holding hands. Alex dropped his head almost at the same time Dash averted her gaze, her last sentences reaching him. Even though he didn’t fully believe her, he knew that she really did have nowhere to go, otherwise she probably would have left by now. It had been nearly two days and she probably would have left, seeking forgiveness from whoever he thought she had gotten in a fight with.

Alex spoke now, in a tone as gentle and caring as he could muster. “Sarah… I mean Dash,” he said. “I can’t honestly say I fully believe you, but I can tell in your eyes you’re not lying to me.” He heaved a sigh and continued his small speech. “You’re welcome to stay here until you can go back home.”

Dash’s eyes lit up excitedly, all former sadness gone. “Thank you, Alex! Thank you!” She cheered, jumping from the table. Even though it hurt her horribly, she had gotten the truth out and could really enjoy her time here. Alex stood up, and she hugged him, quite strong for a girl her size. Alex laid an arm on her back, holding her tight. He knew she needed a friend right now, and a hug could do immense things to lift one’s spirits.

The somber moment passed now, they broke their hug. Alex spoke up.

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“Dash, let’s see if we can find you some warmer clothes. Winter will be settling in soon, and you’re gonna need to stay warm if you plan to be out and about. You’re also gonna be here for a while it seems, so that’s even more reason for getting warm clothes. Let’s go visit my sisters.” Alex was almost positively strapped for extra money, and he only hoped his sisters had some warm clothes or at least some money to spare.

“ooh, that sounds fun.” Dash said, positively eager to lighten up the mood and atmosphere a bit, as was her nature. She never did care for seriousness, and preferred to be playing pranks or telling jokes, but as she just proved, she could indeed be serious when needed. Her nature was almost the same as Pinkie’s, though remarkably less exuberant.

As Dash followed Alex out to his truck, she realized it was much cooler than it had been earlier that day. She dashed inside, hiding from the sudden cold. Alex provided her a rather overlarge black hoodie that he had worn when he was a bit larger. He kept it cause it was that insanely warm. It practically enveloped her entire body and she looked immensely small inside it. Alex couldn’t help but laugh. She looked immensely cute wearing something that large, so he indulged himself in a glance at her while she was trying to find the head hole.

It was only about 4pm, so Alex wagered that at least one of his sisters were running their shop in the city. As he pulled up to the parking lot, he noticed that his favorite sister was working.

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Michelle was surprised at what just walked through her door. She saw her little brother Alex, which was exceedingly rare. He was accompanied by a rather attractive young girl. Seeing Alex was rare at best, especially on a nice day like today. And Michelle personally thought that Alex never made time for such things as dating. Not since he was in his late teens. But before she allowed her imagination to get the best of her, Michelle greeted her little brother with a huge hug.

“Hey there, stranger.” Michelle said. “I thought you would be off on some big residential project or something. What brings you to our humble clothes shop?” She inquired, fishing for answers.

“Oh, nothing major.” Alex said offhandedly. “My friend Sarah here just came back from college. She left all her clothes and stuff at campus since she could only afford a bus ticket. They wouldn’t let her bring more than her book bag on board.”

“And you’re hoping one of us three have some clothes she could have, right?” Michelle said, a snarky smile creeping across her face.

“Uh, yeah…” Alex said, blushing and deflated. He hated Michelle sometimes because she knew him all too well. Out of the four of them, they felt they were the closest. They even shared the same religion.

“Well, brother of mine, let’s take your cute little “friend” here and see If I can get her started.” stated Michelle proudly.

“Our other two siblings should be along soon. Keep them occupied until I get Sarah sorted out” Michelle said, dismissing Alex with a little wave. Still blushing profusely, Alex sat grumpily in a chair and pawed through the assorted old magazines on a nearby coffee table.

Most of the magazines were not what you’d expect in a clothes shop. Super Street, Time, National Geographic, and even Game Informer magazines were seen. Most of these were from Alex’s subscriptions. There were a few scattered Cosmopolitan and People issues about. Alex was thinking he had a stack still left at home that he had yet to paw through, only a few months old.

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A ringing of the bells above the door alerted Alex’s attention to his other two sisters, Irene and Melanie. They looked every bit the complement of one another, albeit 12 years separating the youngest from the oldest. Alex braced himself for what was about to come. He was now a victim of a bone-crunching hug from the both of them at once. Gasping for breath and smiling, he happily hugged his sisters back. It was rare they were ever all together at once, except for holidays and other such gatherings. They then bombarded him with various questions, all of which he answered as best he could. Questions about how work was, and his love life, and other random stuff sisters tend to usually ask their brothers.

As Alex answered and the other two listened, he was distracted by a small cough a few feet to his side. There stood Michelle, a beaming Rainbow Dash dressed in a white hoodie with pink trim, a pair of bell bottom jeans, and a pair of skater shoes, black with red trim and red laces. It was a very good look for her, Alex noted. Alex looked at Dash, and complimented her. He could just see the slightest rosy tint on her cheeks.

Alex was then told to sit back down, while the other two had a go at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow always liked attention, especially from big crowds, but this was a different kind of attention. Not awe or amazement, but acceptance. She felt perfectly content with the three girls fussing over her, about how nicely her hair turned out, and her small but trim frame, and her eyes. She guessed this is what having sisters felt like. These girls seemed to know exactly what Dash’s style was about. Not the frilly and constrictive dresses Rarity usually made her wear (though she did particularly like her Gala Dress), but comfortable, well fitting, well worn clothes.

Dash blushed at the fact that compared to humans, almost all ponies were naked. The snooty Canterlot and Manehattan ponies were exceptions. As Alex’s siblings fussed over her, she let her mind wander on to thoughts about what it would be like if she could stay here. She let herself believe that she could live here in relative peace. Only Alex had to know her true secret. Nopony else had to. And she could stay with Alex forever or at least until his and her time had come to pass.

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Alex drummed nervously on the arm of his chair. It was getting close to 6pm. He hadn’t expected to be here more than maybe an hour. Just enough time to grab a few outfits and go. He should have known better. Grumbling to himself, Alex laid his head back on the top of the chair. It was never a quick affair in this clothes shop. Sure, most of the materials were recycled and reworked into new articles, but his sisters spent ungodly amounts of time on individual customers. That’s probably why they did such good business. He always felt like a bit of a doll to them. They always wanted to dress him up this way or that. And occasionally, he indulged them, but made it a point to not make it a habit. Even their friends had offered to dress him up.

Alex was a very proud man and had been dressing himself since he was eight. He was not about to let that change. His wardrobe as they called it, was practical and easy to maintain. Mostly blue jeans and t-shirts emblazoned with the company logo he worked for. He did own a couple pairs of khakis and black pants for certain “dressy” functions, but that was it. The last time he wore anything like that was Michelle’s wedding, almost 10 years ago. He even had a couple dressy shirts, but how often does a carpenter get to wear something like that?

Alex walked out of the shop with almost a dozen bags of clothes, so graciously given to Rainbow by his all-too-caring sisters. He hefted them into the back of the pickup, while a beaming Rainbow Dash strutted proudly, almost purposefully, in her new favorite outfit. She now sported a brilliant cyan hoodie with a rainbow on the back. It was explained to Alex as a representation of her cutie mark she had back home. Below this was the same pair of jeans she had been found in. She liked the way Alex couldn’t take his eyes off of her when she wore them. He was very bad at hiding this.

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Dash even took the liberty of poking fun at Alex when she’d catch him staring. She was enjoying her time here, and being the kind of spirit she was, she liked to tease the poor man. He wasn’t really sure what to do to himself. She considered the clothes about as close to preening her feathers as possible. Though Dash horribly missed her wings, she was enjoying walking here or there. She never knew how relaxing it could be, especially when all she did was fly back home.

With their precious cargo in the back of the truck, Dash and Alex headed home for supper, both ravenously hungry now.

Comments

[VerdantSentinel]

Damn Rainbow got lucky there

[TheRealShadowFoot]

503252
I daresay she did. how many other humans you know will be that accepting? Especially when you're a pony fro another universe / dimension

[VerdantSentinel]

503404 Most of the people i know would call the police...

[TheRealShadowFoot]

Alex's character is largely based off of me, and I have to accept things for what they are, believable or not, because it's part of my belief system. Alex's attitude is quite laid back and accepting in general.

[TheRealShadowFoot]

553476
Is that a compliment? lol. Hope you read and enjoyed it.

[Saveer]

554192 Compliment it is probrably-older-than-me writer

[TheRealShadowFoot]

554202
why thank you. I"m glad someone considers my work on the ranks of MLD. There will be more chapters later, I just haven't thught of how to start the next one yet. I didn't expect people to like it so much.

[Saveer]

554215 Just PLEASE dont make it as sad i cant live through another one

[TheRealShadowFoot]

Well I can't promise that it wont end sadly. RD does have to go home eventually. But I"ll try to make their departure a lot easier on the heart, k? I've read MLD myself and immensely enjoyed it. But I wrote this several months after I read it.