Arrival

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"Alright see you later Alex!" I yell as I walk away from the school. Another rough day at another rough school. I wouldn't say I'm the most popular kid at this school, but I'm definitely not the least popular, I just kind of exist. Alex has been my best friend since we were only five years old. Now, here we are in highschool, still the best of friends.

There's also Skyler, my crush since middleschool. So our group consists of myself, Alex, Skyler, and Alex's sister. Skyler has been my crush for almost three years now, and we're really close as friends, but she just never gave me a chance despite the fact that I'm pretty sure she knows that I like her.

I start walking away from the school to my house which is only about fifteen minutes away on foot. I plug my headphones into my phone and try to drown out the world. Alex had to save my sorry ass again today from some asshole jocks on the football team. They tried to shove me into my locker for the umpteenth time, only for Alex to run up and do some weird martial arts thing that cause them all to go to the school nurse. That kid is like a damn ninja. I try to act tough, which I actually am, but when five steroid addicts jump you at the same time, it's pretty hard to defend yourself.

Thankfully, today is Wednesday, and we never have homework on Wednesday. That means when I get home I can just chill out and play video games. Unless my little sister decides to bother me, I should be able to just relax and forget about my rough day.

I turn down my street as my house comes into view. A jog once I can see my house, and make it there in only a minute or two. I turn the doorknob to find that it's actually unlocked, which means that my sister is home already.

"Hey Emily? You home?" I yell as I close the door behind me.

"In the living room!" I hear her respond. I walk to the living room and plop down my bag on the chair in the corner, and join her on the couch.

"How was school?" I say, rubbing her head. I love Emily, but she can be a real pain sometimes, so I try to keep her on my good side.

"Good! We got to make a bunch of art projects!" She yells excitedly.

"Cool, I got to take a Trigonometry test, and got shoved into a locker. Sounds like you win huh?"

"Hehe yeah!"

I turn my attention to the show that's she's watching and I give out a little chuckle.

"You still watch this show Em? C'mon aren't you a little old for..." I try to remember the name of the show until it pops up while going to the commercial break. "...My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic?" I finish with another chuckle.

"No! I love this show!" She yells as she hugs the remote. "Wanna watch it with me?"

"As much as I want to..." I say even though I really don't. "I have my own show to go watch. I say as I stand and walk upstairs. I open the door to my room and launch myself on my bed. I turn on my Xbox and sign in. I scroll over to Netflix, and search for the show I want to watch.

"Ahhh, Walking Dead. I love this show!" I say to myself as the episode loads. I hear my mother's car door shut outside, and pause the episode to go greet her

"Hey mom!" I yell as I walk run down the stairs. "Have fun at work?" I say as we enter the kitchen.

"Oh it was just fantastic!" She says in her excited motherly tone. "I got to help a little girl meet her hero when she came out of surgery. I think it was some TV star, but it was so sweet!"

My mother is a nurse at the hospital downtown where they usually work with younger children. I had to go there when I broke my arm last year, despite being seventeen. The nurses there are so nice to their patients, so it's no wonder that my mother would fit in perfectly there.

My mom walks into the living room and sits down with Emily and asks her about the show she's watching, just like I did. The only difference is that she didn't leave, and decided to watch it with her. It's a girl thing I guess.

I watch them for a minute from the kitchen before heading up the stairs. I only make it about half way up when a sudden earthquake along with a loud "BANG!", makes me fall down the stairs and almost break my arm again.

"AGH! How there hell is there a earthquake in Florida!?" I yell as the quake stops. Neither my mom, nor Emily respond. I look at them to see that they're both looking through the glass door that leads to the backyard. In the yard, is a smoking egg-shaped meteor in a fairly large crater.

"Holy shit..." I whisper to myself. I'd seen enough movies to know that a meteor like this usually isn't good. The inner nerd in me thinks it could be some weird alien, and fight or flight kicks in. I run to my parents room and grab my dad's old 1911, and head for the backyard.

"Stay in here!" I yell at the two on the couch. I slowly slide open the glass door and take aim. I slowly approach the meteor with my gun pointed at it. I finally approach the crater after what feels like forever, and I cautiously kick the meteor. The last thing I expected to happened was that it would open up like a container. A strange steam emits from inside of the container that makes me cough and cover my eyes. When I look back, I see a familiar figure that I know that I had seen just recently.

"Emily! Get out here!" I yell behind me. Emily comes running out with a scared look on her face. My breathing becomes heavy, and my body starts shaking. There's no way this is possible, this can't be real.

"What? What's wrong Matt?" Emily says as she hides behind my leg with her eyes closed.

"D-Do you recognize... this?" I say, waving my gun towards the figure. Emily slowly comes out from behind me and gives out a small, surprised gasp at what she sees.

"R-Rainbow?" She says, recognizing the character that we had just literally seen on the television not minutes ago.

"Go.. go distract mom." I say, waving her away now that I've confirmed what the creature is. "I'm gonna bring it to my room. You cannot tell mom about this remember? This is our little secret."

I don't want our mom to know about this just yet, she would probably have a heart attack. I'm surprised I haven't had one myself yet. I scoop the creature out of the crater and start heading back to the house. I see my mother on the phone with what I'm assuming is the police. Luckily her back is to me so I slip in, and head up the stairs. I use my shoulder to nudge my door open and lay the, I guess it's called a pony, down on my bed.

The pony is a light blue, maybe cyan, with multicolored hair and huge eyes which are currently closed. I place my ear to her chest and hear a gentle heartbeat. I hover my hand in front of her nose and feel a small movement of air which confirms that she is still breathing. Emily comes in and tells me that mom didn't notice me bring the pony in. I lock the door behind her and place Emily on the bed next to the pony.

"Alright Em, what is this thing?"

"That's Rainbow Dash, she's from my show!"

"Okay, but your show isn't real, you know that."

"But she's right here!"

"Okay, okay, just... let me think. If this is real, and a cartoon character just came to life in our backyard, we can't let anyone know about this, not yet anyway. If the government found something like this, they would probably try to do tests on her, and you don't want that, right Em?"

"No! I don't want them to do tests on her..." Emily says. I didn't tell her what those "tests" were, as a ten year old shouldn't have to know about dissection.

I realize if she wakes up and sees us without warning, she'll probably freak out. I take an old jacket that doesn't fit anymore, and rip the sleeve off. I tie the fabric around Rainbow's eyes and lean against the wall with a sigh.

"What are we gonna do..." I mumble as I rub my eyes. "There's a cartoon pony... on my bed..."

"Dis... wha..." A faint mumble comes from my bed. I look between my fingers and see that Rainbow is slowly waking up. I rush over to her and try to make sure this is as easy for her as possible.

"Don't move. You literally fell out of the sky." I say, keeping her in a laying down position. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Discord... ugh, there was... an argument. He tried to... Twilight. I jumped in front of her." Rainbow mumbles in mixed up words and stutters.

"Rainbow Dash... I'm gonna get straight to the point. I'm going to be blunt with you." I say as I get ready to take off the blindfold.

"What? Blunt about what?" Rainbow says as she comes back to her senses.

"About this." I say as I yank away the blindfold. The room is completely quiet for minutes on end as she just looks between me and Emily, jaw hanging open.

"Who... What are you!?" She finally yells.

"Shhh, don't be too loud. I'm Matt and this is my sister Emily, we're humans. You crashed in our backward in some weird meteor. I have reason to believe that you are from a different dimension or universe. Don't freak out."

"How do you know my name?" Rainbow says with a skeptical look. I hadn't thought she would ask that. How do you tell someone they're from a cartoon?

"Emily, turn on my Xbox." I say pointing to my Xbox and TV.

"What's an Xbox? Rainbow says. "And when can I get out of here?"

"You can't leave. Not yet." I say sternly. "If anyone finds out about you, they will take you, and they will do tests on you. You're lucky we found you before someone else did."

"What do you mean? I can just fly home! Let me out!" She yells as she tries to walk over to the window.

"Rainbow you don't understand!" Emily speaks up for the first time. "This isn't Equestria, this is earth. You can't go home."

"What... I'm not in Equestria?" Rainbow says as her ears droop and tears start to form in her eyes. "I-I'm stuck here?"

"We don't know that! Now, look at this. It may shock you so please don't freak out." I say as the Netflix logo pops up. I search for "My Little Pony", and when the logo for the show pops up, Rainbow just about flips out.

"How did you get a picture of my friends!?" She yells at me angrily. "What the buck is this!?"

I ignore her a play the first episode. Hopefully this won't go too bad.

Forty-five minutes, and a lot of crying later, Rainbow finally accepted that she wasn't real, at least not in this world. Now that she knows that she's stuck here, at least for now, she's become more open towards me and Emily. She also understands that she can't be seen by anyone besides my family, and that I will be the one to introduce her to my parents.

Eventually my mom calls me and Emily down to talk to the police who have showed up to inspect the meteor. I explain what I saw, lying about just what was inside the meteor. I see Rainbow peeking down at us from the stop of the stairs, and wave at her to get back in my room. A special group in hazmat suits show up and take the meteor away. Of course my dad would come home during the whole thing so we have to explain why his yard has a giant crater in it.

Night comes around and everyone heads to bed. I make sure to lock my door before laying down. I let Rainbow, who is tired from crying all evening, sleep in my bed, while I sleep in my sleeping bag on the floor.

As dumb as it sounds, I have a magic, talking pony with wings living in my bedroom. This could change my life forever. If word gets out about Rainbow, we could be harassed by paparazzi for who knows how long, or worse.

I just hope everything works out for the better.

Stay Hidden

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"Matt.." A quiet raspy voice whispers from above me as I slowly, groggily, wake up from my slumber. I look up through squinted eyes to see a cyan pony looking down on me from my bed. I almost freak out as my memories haven't quite returned to me, but then I recognize the pony and give a sigh of relief. I look over at the digital clock on my shelf and it says that it's only three in the morning.

"What?" I mumble as I rub my eyes in an attempt to make my vision clear.

"I-I'm scared. I can't sleep because for the first time in like forever... I'm scared." She says with a sad tone. Under normal circumstances, I would tell whoever woke me up at three to suck it up and go to bed. However, she did just get ripped away from her world and woke up here where she learned that she can't go home and her entire existence has to be kept a secret.

"C'mere." I pat the floor next to my sleeping bag. She jumps down and sits next to me, sobbing so quietly that I barely even notice despite the absolute silence resonating through the house. "I understand how you must feel, but you can't just give up. Keep going, and don't look behind you. The past is the past, don't let that haunt you, instead, make a new future for yourself. Live, and be happy, that's my motto..." I saw as I place a hand on her back. She looks up at me in understanding, but I can tell she's still upset.

"I can't be happy... without my friends..." She mumbles as her ears droop.

"Then make new ones." I say sternly as I look her directly in her eyes. "Emily is here for you, and so am I. My parents, though they might freak out at first, will totally accept you. Everything will be fine Rainbow, but you need to make one thing your priority here."

"And what's... that?" She says as she wipes tears from her eyes with her front leg.

"Be. Happy." I say with a confident smile.

We sit in silence while Rainbow slowly dries her tears. After a few minutes pass, she, to my surprise, embraces me in a tight hug that makes me a little uncomfortable.

"Thanks Matt." She says as she pulls away. And with that, she hops back into bed. I roll over and tuck myself back into my sleeping bag and give a loud sigh. It takes only a few seconds for me to drift back into the realm of sleep.

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

"What's that!?" Rainbow yells as she jerks up in my bed. I leap out of the sleeping bag and slap a hand over her mouth.

"Quiet! It's my alarm clock, I need to go to school." I say as I turn the clock off.

"You still go to school? I thought you were seventeen." Rainbow says as she cocks her head.

"Yeah... Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, where I'm from, we only go to school as fillies, then we just focus on what our Cutie Marks tell us our destinies are." She says like she expects me to know what the hell she's talking about.

"Cu... Cutie Mark!? What the hell is that!?" I yell with a chuckle. I remember that my parents might hear me, so I quiet myself.

"You know, the thing that tells you what you're talent is?" She says as she pulls the covers down to reveal a weird tattoo. "Mine means that I'm good a flying and I love speed, two very true things!" She says with a cocky attitude.

"Yeah... anyway enough of your weird bullshit, I need to get going. If you're going to meet my parents you better come now, because I'm not leaving you here alone with them." I say as I slip on my hoodie and jeans.

"Nice jacket." She expresses as she hops off my bed and completely ignores what I just said. I look down at the hoodie and realize why she likes it. The thing is practically the same shade of cyan as her.

"Yeah yeah, let's go get breakfast." I mumble as I swing open my door. It hits the wall with a loud thud. I'm definitely not a morning person, so in the morning I give less fucks than I normally do about anything. I have Rainbow sit at the table while I make the one thing that I know how to cook, toast. I pop two pieces of bread into the toaster and flick the switch to turn it on. I lean on the counter, rubbing my eyes to try to get the sleep out.

"How do you think they'll react to a freak like me?" Rainbow says as she plays with a fork on the table.

"You're not a freak... And they'll probably be shocked like I was, but I think they'll be okay with you staying here.

"I hope you're right..."

"I am. I'm always right." I express with a cocky attitude as the pieces of toast pop out of the toaster. I put them on two separate napkins, and hand one to Rainbow.

"Here's your five star meal. Remember to leave a good review on my website." I say with a dumb giggle. That's what the morning does to me.

"Website?"

"I'll explain later."

"Rainbow!" Emily appears at the base of the stairs, holding her teddy bear with one hand, and rubbing her eyes with the other.

"Hey squirt." Rainbow says nervously, still not used to Emily being so energetic towards her. It doesn't help that Emily gives her an even tighter hug than she gave me.

"Want a poptart Em?" I say as I pull out the box of pastries from the cabinet.

"Yes!"

"Okay just give me a minute."

The moment I'd been dreading all morning finally comes when I hear both of my parents coming down the stairs.

"You two stay here." I say as I rush out of the kitchen. I put myself in front of my parents and give them an awkward smile.

"Heyyyyy" I say awkwardly as they give me curious looks. "So you two look great this morning!"

"What did you do now Matt?" My dad says as he rubs his face. "You're never this nice in the morning unless you did something stupid."

"I-I didn't necessarily DO anything, but..." I rub my head as my voice trails off. "Maybe I should just show you, then explain."

I lead my parents to the kitchen, giving them more compliments to try to butter them up. When we turn the corner, everything goes quiet. Rainbow stares at my parents with a blank expression, while my parents stare at her with mouths hanging open. Emily just happily eats her poptart while looking between all of us.

"Surprise!..." I say as I dramatically shake my hands.

Ten minutes later, my dad was just staring at his coffee, while my mom excitedly riddles Rainbow with questions that she is way to eager to answer, considering most are about flying and her wings. After introducing everyone and explaining how Rainbow got here, my dad just kind of brushed it all aside, probably hoping that this was some weird dream. My mother, however, was so intrigued with Rainbow, that they instantly became friends.

"I gotta hit the road." I say as I place my plate in cup in the sink. "Rainbow... just don't break anything."

"You say that like you think I will!" I hear as the front door closes behind me.

I take a look at my truck, contemplating whether or not I should take it. I feel the cool autumn breeze blow towards me, and decide to walk to school. I plug in my headphones into the jack on my phone, and try to lose myself in the music. It takes about twenty minutes to reach the school, the sight of it bringing me dread. I sigh as I realize I'll have to go through another dreadful day here.

"Matt!" A voice calls from across the parking lot. I turn and see Skyler running towards me with a piece of paper. My heart flutters just at the sight of her.

"Y-yeah?" I stutter nervously.

"Check it out! You're in the newspaper!"

"What!?" I yell as I rip the paper away from her. To my horror, I see a picture of the front of my house, my mother, Emily, and myself standing in front of it, as well as a picture of the crater in my backyard. "The police... oh shit." I mumble under my breath. My heart stops when I take a closer look at the first picture. The photo is in black and white, but if you look closely at my bedroom window, you can see Rainbow looking out towards the street!

"Skyler! Where did you get this!?" I yell in desperation. I can't let anyone notice this, if they do, my normal life is over!

"The school set up a stack by the front entrance." She says with a confused look as she points to the school with her thumb.

"Thanks!" I yell as I full sprint towards the entrance. I see that the stack if already gone, only a few papers remaining. "Shit... FUCK!" I yell to myself in my mind. This is it... If anyone sees Rainbow in the picture, they'll ask questions, and those questions will learn to her being discovered.

I try to calm myself down. "Okay... if I can just make it through today, I should be fine..." I whisper to myself as I stare at the doors.

I walk towards them slowly. "Here goes nothing."

*RIIIIIING*

The final bell rings, and I power walk out of the classroom. I ignore the strange looks I receive as I sprint out the doors. I sprint home, backpack smashing into my back with each step. Now I wish I had taken my truck this morning.

My nightmare sadly becomes reality when I see a crowd of what appears to be civilians, mixed with news reporters. In the center of the crowd, I see Emily who must have just gotten home from her school. Her elementary is literally down the street, so my parents let her walk home from school everyday. Looks like she got here before me. To my shock, when I get closer, I can see a news reporter kneeling down with a microphone pointed at Emily.

"We have reason to believe that there is a strange creature in your house." The news reporter says. "At first it was believe to be a toy, but we got a report from a civilian that claims to have seen it move, and look at him through the window. Can you confirm that this is true?"

"Hehe. Yeah that's my friend Rainbow Dash! She was in the meteor yesterday." Emily squeals excitedly.

Anger flows through me when I hear what she says. I push aside everyone watching, and scoop Emily off her feet. She gives a little yelp, but calms down when she see's I'm the one who grabbed her. I put my hand over the camera that the man behind the reporter is holding.

"This report is over!" I yell as I walk towards the house. I place the key in the lock, and turn. I swing open the door, only to see Rainbow right fucking there.

"Rainbow! Inside, now!" I yell angrily.

I hear voices behind me rise in surprise and excitement. "That's the creature!" "It is real!" "I can't believe it!" Different voices scream from the yard. I see the camera, the red light showing that this is indeed live, pointed right at the three of us in the doorway.

"GO THE FUCK HOME!" I yell as loud as I can as I slam the door and lock it. I peek out the window, only to see that nobody has moved an inch. I rush over to the television and flip to the news channel.

"...confirmed to be real!" The reporter finishes the second half of her sentence. "This is truly the biggest news this year!"

I hit the power button and stare at my reflection in the blank TV.

"Matt..." Rainbow says in a sad tone. "I didn't kno-"

"It's my fault." I butt in. I don't want to get angry at her. She's been through so much in just one day, I can't afford to upset her even more. "I should have closed the curtains. That picture wouldn't exist if I had just thought about that."

"...So what now?" Emily asks, hugging my leg.

"First, you're going to apologize to both of us for breaking your promise of keeping Rainbow a secret."

"Oh... I'm sorry." She says, squeezing my leg even tighter.

"Okay... we need a plan. We're gonna be celebrities now, all of us. We're going to need get used to the attention. Rainbow, you and I will probably asked to do a lot of interviews. I'll decide if we accept any of them. If anyone ever tries to take you, I want you to fly as far away as you can, then come back here when you think it's safe."

"Got it." Rainbow says with a military salute. "I won't let you down again."

"Again it wasn't your fault." I say messing with here mane. "And besides... maybe this won't be so bad..."

Friends

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Guess who gets to stay home on a Friday? I do!

My dad decided it would be best if I stayed home with Rainbow today and make sure that the press don't tear down our front door. You can probably imagine that my parents were damn furious when they arrived home to see nearly a hundred people in our yard and driveway.

So, here I am playing Call of Duty at eight in the morning with a cyan, magical pony that fucking fell out of the sky. Rainbow takes up the right side of my bed, while I lay back on the left, wasting my time playing video games. She's still asleep, but I don't mind as it means I can play without being bothered. Thankfully, because it's still a school day, there aren't many little kids on the game as usual, which means I don't have to hear about how they banged my mom last night every five seconds.

As soon as a round ends, I get a message from Alex, which surprises me since school should be starting right now.

"I heard the news, is it really true?" Alex says via message.

"Yeah, insane right? Anyway why are you at home?" I reply

"Sick as a dog. Why are you home?"

"Trying to keep the press from breaking down my front door." I say as I hear a knock on my door. I throw the Xbox controller down and run out my bedroom door. I rush down the stairs, only to see a news van in my driveway. Another knock comes from outside, but I just ignore it and head for the kitchen.

"Cereal and Milk it is..." I mumble to myself as I contemplate why I never learned how to cook. I slowly eat my cereal, still tired as hell despite being awake for almost an hour. A soft clopping sound emits from the stairs, and I see Rainbow almost fall down the second half. I struggle to hold in a laugh as she stumbles into the kitchen and plops down into a chair.

"Morning!" I yell as I stifle my laugh.

"Ungh... Why didn't your alarm go off?" Rainbow moans, face pressed into the table.

"I'm staying here today. Don't want the press to break in and steal you."

"Haha, I didn't know you cared Matt."

"I didn't know you were such a loud snorer, yet here we are." I say with a smirk.

"I do not snore!" Rainbow's head shoots up and she gives me an angry stare, though I can tell she's just joking because of her own smirk.

"You sound like a race car engine! It's a miracle that I got any sleep."

"What's a car?" Rainbow asks. I understand her curiosity as she hasn't been outside at all in the past two days to even see a car.

"It's like... a carriage, but it doesn't have to be pulled by anything. It runs on an engine and fuel."

"Huh. Does it go fast?"

"Depends on the model. If you have some shitty van from the fifties, then no, but if you have a more modern car, then yeah they can go pretty fast."

"Do you have a car?"

"I have a truck that I bought myself last year. It can reach well over a hundred miles per hour on the right terrain."

"Can I ride in it?" Rainbow asks with an excited expression. I think over my options before I respond. I told my parents I would guard the house while they were gone, but if Rainbow isn't here... then there's nothing to protect!

"I suppose we could go out for a while, but if we do you'll have to understand that people will probably swarm you if we get out."

"No problem! I love attention!"

"Yeah? Let's see about that." I say as I fish my keys out of my jacket pocket by the door. "I should probably go to the store, we're out of milk. You okay with that?"

"Buck yeah!" Rainbow says, jumping into the air and hovering. This is the first time I've actually seen her fly outside of the show.

"Buck?" I say with a confused expression.

"Oh, sorry about that." She says with a sheepish smile.

"I don't know what there is to be sorry about. That isn't a swear word at all. Besides, half my vocabulary is swear words!" I say with a chuckle as I head for the back door.

"Why are you going to the backyard?"

"There's a news van out front. We're going to sneak out the back."

"Oh... okay." Rainbow says, not really understanding the situation.

"Just follow my lead." I say as I slide the glass door open. "Okay, I want you to fly up above the house, and wait for me to get in my car. When you see me get in, fly straight for the door on the right side, I'll have it open for you.

"Got it!" Rainbow yells as she flashes upwards in a rainbow blur. I run around the side of the house and jump the fence connecting the backyard to the front yard. I sprint up to my truck and swing the door open, flinging myself inside. I reach over and throw the passenger side door open. Rainbow zooms down in the blink of an eye, and is sitting next to me before I know it.

Somehow the news reporter and her cameraman are still looking at our front door, oblivious to our escape. I start the engine and pull out of the driveway as fast as possible. I floor it down the street, watching the reporter rush back to the van at the sound of my tires screeching on the pavement.

"Yeah! We made it!" I yell as I turn a corner, losing the news reporters. "Hive five!" Of course I'm left handing as Rainbow stares at me with a confused expression.

"High... five?" She asks, her voice cracking in an... admittedly cute way.

"Right... no fingers." I chuckle as I come to a stop at a stop sign.

"Can I steer?" Rainbow asks eyeing the steering wheel. "It looks so fun!"

"Okay, first of all, you probably can't even reach the pedal. Second, it would be illegal for someone to drive without a license. Third, only people can drive, you are an animal, not a person." As the final words escape my mouth, I realize what I just said could be REALLY offensive.

"Animal? What is that supposed to mean?" Rainbow looks at me with squinted eyes.

"That's... not what I meant..." I say as I awkwardly rub the back of my head.

"You do know that I'm not an animal, right?"

"Yeah... I know that. I consider you to be a person, even if you aren't exactly a human in body, you are in mind, and that's what matters." I say with a reassuring smile while messing her mane up with my hand.

"That's better." Rainbow says, her normal happy smile returning. "Now, let's get to the store! I want to see what your society is like!"

"Alright alright!" I say, flooring it towards the highway.

About fifteen minutes go by before we pull up to the local Walmart parking lot. I try to find a parking space while finishing up our conversation.

"...So you do have ponies here!?" Rainbow yells as I tell her about how I had ridden a horse this past summer at camp.

"Yeah we do... Move asshole!" I interrupt myself as some guy runs in front of my car. "Sorry, but yeah we have ponies and horses here. The thing is, they aren't sentient like you and me. They're just dumb animals like a cat or dog.

"That's so crazy to think that I'm the only smart pony in the entire world!"

"Well... I said sentient, not smart." I say with a chuckle as I avoid a hoof trying to slap me.

"You take that back!"

"Make me!" I yell as I pull into a parking spot and hop out of the truck. I walk around the back to open the door for Rainbow, when a high pitched voice yells out from behind me.

"Mommy! That's the guy from the news!" A little girl screams from a couple cars down. Her mother is stuffing bags into the trunk, but takes a second to look up at me. My eyes widen as I actually recognize the woman.

"Mrs. Laura!?" I yell as I rush over to greet her. Mrs. Laura was my chemistry teacher last year! What was she doing here on a school day?

"Matt?" She responds with a friendly smile. "Why aren't you at school?"

"You probably heard about the news yesterday, right?"

"Indeed. Is the poor darling with you?" She asks, her animal loving side coming out.

"Actually, yeah, come over here." I say as I return to my truck. I open the door and Rainbow falls out onto my chest, having been previously leaning on the window. I catch her and carry her back to Mrs. Laura's car.

"Hey! Let me down!" Rainbow laughs as she struggles in my grip, which I only tighten when she fights back.

"Nah, you're like a teddy bear! A really... heavy teddy bear. Gees you're heavier than I thought!"

"I am NOT fat!"

"I never said you were!"

"Mommy! It's Rainbow Dash! From the show!" The little girl screams. Mrs. Laura closes the car's trunk and gives out a little gasp at our approach.

"Oh my... it was true! I didn't believe it at first but now..." She says as Rainbow finally breaks free and lands on the ground with a loud clopping sound. Mrs. Laura's daughter runs up and hugs Rainbow around the neck, surprising her in the process.

"Can I ride her?" The little girl says, looking up at me with excitement flaring in her eyes.

"Sure, why not!" I say with a smirk as I pick her up and place her on Rainbow's back. Rainbow tries to look happy, but motions to me to kneel down to her level.

"You owe me." She whispers into my ear before she starts trotting around the car. While Rainbow gives the girl a ride, I catch up a little with Mrs. Laura. Turns out she was here to pick up some medicine for her sick husband, which explains why she wasn't at work. I explain to her how Rainbow had suddenly come into my life, which makes a great story to keep us busy while Rainbow starts to get dizzy from trotting in circles.

Eventually, we go our separate ways, much to the little girl's displeasure. We make our way to the front of the Walmart, getting many stares and camera flashes along the way.

"Okay... this is a little more uncomfortable than I thought it would be." Rainbow mumbles as we walk inside. The automatic doors open and she jumps back in surprise, her wings flaring out from her sides. "What the hay was that!? How did that door open on it's own!?"

"I would explain the technology to you, but since you barely grasp the concept of a television, I think I'll just explain later." After watching the show with Emily some more to understand Rainbow's world, it was made clear to us that their technology is basically useless compared to ours, so explaining every single new thing to Rainbow gets really annoying.

We enter the store, and we're hit with a blast of cold, refreshing air. We get surrounded almost instantly by people of all ages, asking for not only Rainbow's autograph, but also mine! Somehow, Rainbow can fucking write with her mouth, which somehow actually works. Never did I think that I would become famous overnight because of a damn cartoon character come to life.

We manage to push through the crowd, and we eventually reach the grocery portion of the store. The crowd has dispersed by this point, and the grocery section is pretty empty, so we can shop in peace.

"Ew..." I hear Rainbow half gag, half mumble behind me?

"What?" I turn around to see her looking at the freezer that contains the raw beef used to make hamburgers.

"Who in their right mind would eat this?" She says as she cringes away from it.

"Um... me? It's pretty damn good when cooked."

"That's just sick... Why can't you just eat flowers or hay or something?"

"Because we can't digest hay and some flowers are poisonous to us... I wonder how a pegasus burger tastes..." I say with the most evil smirk of all time.

"MATT!"

"I'm joking, I'm joking!" I say while losing my shit. "Now THAT would be sick."

"Oh... you had me for a second there." Rainbow says, putting a hoof over her chest.

As we shop, my mind comes up with a bunch of questions, some scientific, that I decide to bother Rainbow with.

"You know... You aren't physically possible."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Well, you're like what, half my size? And your wings are pretty small compared to the rest of you..."

"So?"

"So, you shouldn't even be able to get off the ground, much less fly as fast as you do. How do you explain that?"

"Magic, actually."

"Okay, but that doesn't really answer my question."

"I don't know! I think it makes pegasi lighter than we would be without it. Without magic, we wouldn't be able to fly. So yeah, I am physically impossible... but only without magic."

"Also, what the hell is up with your hair? It looks like a box of crayons threw up on you." A can of soup flies at me, but I dodge it at the last second.

"There's nothing wrong with my mane! I was born like this!"

"But that isn't how genetics work..."

"Just go with it! I'm unique, deal with it."

"Alright Mrs. gay pride."

We head to the cash register where I buy a gallon of milk, two bags of m&ms, and a bag of beef jerky. We head back to the car where we plan to snack on the candy, and I have a plan to freak Rainbow out with the jerky.

We enter the car, fortunate enough to have not been noticed by anyone, and sit back and relax.

"So... What are eminems?" Rainbow says, holding a bag in her hooves.

"It's M and M, not eminem, and it's a type of candy. It's basically just little pieces of chocolate wrapped in a layer of sugar." I end up having to open her bag because of her lack of fingers.

"How do you live without fingers?" I brag while wiggling my hand in front of her face.

"Hey, hooves are cool too..."

"Yeah? For what?"

"...Stuff"

"Ha, yeah. Here try these." I say as I place a couple of pieces on her hoof. She tosses them in her mouth and chews slowly. Then her eyes light up.

"Give. More. Now." She demands while reaching over to me.

"Whoa, hold your horses!" I say, pun definitely intended. We snack on our candy for a few more minutes while I make more horse puns that mostly annoy Rainbow with just how bad they are.

"Want some jerky?" I say deviously.

"Ew! Matt get that away from me!" Rainbow yells as I dangle the jerky strip in front of her face. "Matt please!"

"C'mon, it's good! See?" I tease her as I take a bite of the strip.

"How... How can you eat that."

"Because that's how I was born. Deal with it." I say, referencing her response from earlier.

After our little relaxation session, we head back home to spend the rest of the day playing video games and watching TV.

The time is now ten at night, and I'm making my way to the roof of my house to watch the stars. Every now and then, I like to sit back on the roof and look up at the night time sky, dreaming of what it must be like to be able to be up there. My uncle works down at NASA, and he's the one that got me interested in flight and space travel.

"What are you doing up here?" Rainbow calls out from behind me, giving me a mini heart attack.

"Star gazing... dreaming..." I whisper the last part just barely loud enough for her to hear. She sits down next to me and, to my surprise, nudges up into my side. "You're so damn lucky..." I mumble to under my breath.

"Me? Why?" Rainbow asks in confusion.

"You can be so free... My whole life, I've wondered what it would be like to just fly through the clouds, go wherever I want..."

"Oh... it is pretty fun. I wish you could go flying with me."

"Yeah well... The only way that would happen would be if I had a plane, and even then I would be limited to what I could do. But you... you can truly be free up there."

"Mhm..."

We sit in silence, just staring up at the stars for a good twenty minutes before another question arises.

"Rainbow... If you're so free like I said... Why are you still here?"

"Matt, you and I both know I can't go home. Not on my own anyway."

"No no no, I mean why are you still HERE, when you could go anywhere else in the world?"

"Because this is the only place I can call home on this crazy planet. I also made a really cool friend that I would hate to lose."

"Aw, c'mere!" I say as I pull her head under my arm and ruffle her mane. We laugh and mess around until we can't even keep our eyes open.

We crawl back into my room, tired as humanly possible. I fall down on my sleeping bag, but don't have the chance to fall asleep before a hoof jabs into my side.

"Matt, it's your bed... I want you to use it now. I'll use the sleeping bag." I don't even question her, and I crawl into my own bed and sink into the mattress.

A few minutes later, I'm stirred awake by a ruffling sound coming from the floor. I look over the edge of the bed to see Rainbow struggling to get comfortable on the floor.

"Ugh... C'mere..." I mumble as I reach down and pull Rainbow onto the bed. "Now go to sleep."

"Thanks Matt..." Rainbow whispers with a sigh.

"What are friends for?"

Wings

View Online

"Alex get down!" I yell as the projectiles begin flying at us.

"Oh shit!" Alex yells as he falls backwards to avoid the paint ball.

"We got two to the left, and three to the right, and it's just you and me... What do you suggest?" I say to Alex as I pull out my pistol.

"Run and gun?"

"Yeah! Run and gun!" We sprint out from our hiding and fire blindly at the other team. I manage to take out two before I'm shot in the chest several times. Alex goes down soon after.

"Well that was fun." Alex says as we exit the facility. I decided it had been a while since I had hung out with Alex, so I decided to play a few games of paintball with him.

"Yeah, you know you had fun when you walk out with bruises on parts of your body that you didn't know you had."

"So what now?"

"Xbox at my place?"

"Hell yeah! I want to meet that thing that landed in your yard."

"Rainbow? Nah, not gonna happen today man."

"What? Why not!? Skyler said that EVERYONE was talking about you in school yesterday, I so want to meet that creature."

"Again, it's Rainbow, and you can't see her because she isn't even home right now."

"Really? Where'd she go? The way the news showed you protect her made it look like you were her bodyguard."

"Well, I am... in a way. Anyway, my mother, Emily, and Rainbow are having a 'Girl's Day Out'..." I say the last part with air quotes. "I think they went to the beach."

"Oh, okay. Anyway I hear that Xbox calling us, let's go!" Alex says as we hop into my truck.

As I start the engine, my phone goes off in my pocket. I sigh and pull it out, only to see that the call is from my mom. I decide I should probably answer, considering that she never calls unless it's an emergency.

"Sup?" I say casually.

"Matt? I don't mean to interrupt your day with Alex, but I need you to do me a favor."

"And what would that be?"

"It's Rainbow..."

"What!? What happened mom?"

"She was showing off some trick to a group of her 'fans' when she crashed and injured her little wing, bless her."

"Oh man... What do you need me to do?"

"Could you please take her to the hospital? My car won't start and I know you wouldn't want me to send her alone in an ambulance."

"Um..." I say glancing over at Alex who is just giving me a curious stare. "Sure... I can do that."

"Oh, Thank you honey! We're at the beach over by your school."

"On my way." I say as I hang up and toss the phone into the back seat.

"What was that about?" Alex says as he buckles his belt.

*Sigh* "Rainbow fucked herself up and now I have to deal with it."

"Gees, What are you doing about it?" Alex mumbles as we pull out onto the street.

"My mom wants me to take her to the hospital, but I don't think I'm gonna go that..."

"What? Why not?"

"I don't want her to be on any kind of records, not yet anyway."

"Makes sense... I guess."

We sit in silence as I drive down the highway towards the beach. When we arrive, I jump out of the truck and hurry down towards the water. I spot a large group of people gathered around my mother and Emily, who are trying to help Rainbow on the ground.

"Son of a bitch..." I mumble to myself as I push through the crowd. "Well well well, if it isn't the technicolor pony that tries her best to make my life harder than it already is." I say with a smirk as I kneel next to Rainbow.

"Shut up Matt... And I'm fine... really." Rainbow says as she tried to stand up, but only yelps in pain as her wing crumbles up next to her when she tries to move.

"Come on..." I say as I pick her up slowly. "Stop struggling or it'll only hurt more!"

"I can't help it! I can't get comfortable."

"Alex, can you stay here with my mom and Emily? I don't want them to be alone without a working car."

"Oh uh, yeah I guess so." Alex says as he looks at Rainbow in my arms. "You two have fun."

"It's not that fun from my perspective!" Rainbow yells as she continues to try to get comfortable in my arms.

"I said it before, and I'll say it again... You are a heavy little guy aren't you?" I tease Rainbow as I walk back to my truck.

"I'm not heavy and I'm not a guy..." She mumbles in defeat. I place her gently onto the passenger seat and close the door behind her. I hop into the truck on the drivers side, and start up the engine.

"So you're taking me to the hospital now?" Rainbow asks, gripping her injured wing in her front legs.

"Hell no, I'm taking you home."

"But... my wing!"

"Hey, I took highschool Biology, I think I can fix up a little wing.

"That doesn't sound like a good idea..."

"Don't worry! I got this!"

I drive as fast as I can back into town, hoping to get home before Rainbow starts whining again.

"I bet you cried." I tease Rainbow as we pull into my neighborhood.

"What? No way! I never cry!"

"Bullshit, that's all you did on your first day here."

"That was different!"

"I suppose it was... Sorry"

I pull into the driveway and kill the engine. I pick Rainbow up from the passenger seat, but she squeaks when I try to move her side with the injured wing. I manage to get the front door open with one hand, and I head for the stairs. I make my way to the bathroom where I hope I can fix her wing on my own.

"Okay... hold still for a second." I say as I place Rainbow on the bathroom floor.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm gonna find out what's wrong, then I'll fix it! Simple!"

"Matt, you aren't a doctor..."

"Hey! Don't underestimate my medical skills." I get down on one knee and prepare Rainbow for what I know will be a painful experience.

"Alright... I'm going to pull your wing out now okay? It'll hurt but I need to find out what's wrong."

"Okay... I trust you..."

I pull out her wing slowly, but when I reach a certain point, Rainbow lets out a loud yelp. Luckily, she doesn't retract the wing, only stiffens it. I being feeling around the different bones and joints until I find what's wrong. At one point, I squeeze a joint and Rainbow lets out a loud gasp. The joint feels different than the ones around it, and I identify it as a dislocated joint.

"Okay I know what's wrong, and I think I know how to fix it. You have a dislocated joint that needs to be put back into place. It'll hurt really bad at first, but it'll feel much better when I'm done."

"O-Okay... Do it." Rainbow mumbles, biting her lip.

"Okay on the count of three..." I say as I grip the end of her wing. When I pull down on it, the joint should pop into place. "One... Two... THREE!" I pull down as hard as I can on Rainbow's wing, and I feel a satisfying pop. Rainbow lets out the most high pitched scream I've ever heard, but quickly calms down as the pain quickly dissipates.

"It... You did it! Oh Celestia, thank you Matt!" Rainbow says as she moves her wing around. She jumps up and wraps her legs around my neck and squeezes me into her chest.

"Can't... Breathe..." I gasp as my face is crushed into her neck.

"Oh, sorry, sorry!" She says with a sheepish smile.

"No problem... Here." I say as I pull out a roll of gauze. "This will help keep the joint in place. Don't fly for a few days and you should be fine."

"Got it doc!" Rainbow says with a salute that makes me chuckle.

"Sooo what now? You kinda interrupted my day, and it's getting late and I doubt Alex will be coming over. Maybe we coul-" I cut myself off when I turn around and see what Rainbow is doing.

"Rainbow!" I yell as I turn and put my hand over my eyes. "Are you serious?" Rainbow somehow managed to turn the shower on and is bent over the side of the tub with her ass in the air, showing me more than I wished to see.

"Wha- OH!" She yells as she realizes what she was doing. Her tail quickly dashes between her legs and her face turns a deep red.

"Why? Just why?"

"I'm still covered in sand! I didn't think that would happen..."

"Whatever, just take your shower, I'll be in my room."

I close the bathroom door behind me and head for my room, laughing to myself at the situation and how stupid it was. I plop down on my bed and pull out my laptop, deciding to browse the web for a while.

"Is that me?" I mumble as I see a picture of myself on Google. "What the hell?" I just searched my name into Google to see if there was any news about me or Rainbow, and I found what looks like a cartoon version on myself standing next to Rainbow.

"What're you doing?" Rainbow says as she pops into my room. She jumps onto my bed and shakes like a dog, getting water all over me.

"Jesus, Rainbow! You're soaked!"

"You didn't leave me a towel!"

"...Fair enough. Anyway I found this picture of us on the internet, but it was obviously drawn, not taken by a camera."

"Internet?"

"Ugh... It's like a giant library of information in one place. I can ask any question and get an answer in a matter of seconds. You can put videos and pictures on here too that anybody in the world can see."

"Whoa that's so cool! Show me." Rainbow says as she presses up into my shoulder to look at the laptop, getting my shirt wet in the process.

I click on the link connected to the picture and it leads to a website that has a bunch of fan art from different shows and such drawn by a bunch of different users. A lot of the comments under the picture consist of people saying that there's no way Rainbow was actually real, and that the picture was dumb because of the fact that I was in it.

"Is that us?" Rainbow says, pointing a hoof at the screen

"No! It's some other rainbow haired pony and some other guy with shaggy brown hair that just so happen to be exact copies of us!" I say sarcastically. "Of course it's us... but who the fuck would draw art of us?"

I type 'Matthew Green' into the search bar of the website, and dozens of pictures pop up. Almost all of them consist of both me and Rainbow together. Some pictures had comments on them that made me cringe inwardly. One comment on a picture of me and Rainbow from the news report said, "I totally ship them!" I decided to not explain what that means to Rainbow.

I type 'Rainbow Dash' into the search bar and immediately regret my decision. Some of the pictures show... parts of Rainbow that shouldn't be shown. Some even have her making out with other characters from the show!

"What is this!?" Rainbow yells as she pulls the laptop off my lap. Why are there pictures of my..." She doesn't get to finish before I slam the laptop shut and toss it onto a bean-bag chair across the room.

"That's enough internet for today..." I say with a blank expression as I stare at my reflection in the TV.

"Agreed!" Rainbow yells as she eyes the laptop.

Eventually my father returns home from work, and my mom comes home after having her car fixed. I tell them about my day, leaving out the parts about what I found online.

"Popcorn's ready!" I whisper loudly as I walk into my dark room. It's almost midnight, but neither Rainbow nor myself can sleep, so I decided we should watch a movie.

"Ah, nice!" Rainbow says as she shifts under the covers of my bed. I sit down on top of the sheets next to her and start the movie on my Xbox. We had argued about what movie to watch, but we decided to watch a comedy that I had actually been wanting to see for a while. Two bags of popcorn, and a couple of hours later, the movie ended and it was time to hit the hay.

Rainbow's been asleep for a few minutes before I finally lay back on my pillow and give out a sigh. I'm beginning to close my eyes when Rainbow shifts into my side and curls a leg around my arm in her sleep. I would pull away as it's uncomfortable for me, but that would wake her up, and I don't feel like trying to get her to go back to sleep.

Being out with Rainbow yesterday, and her going to the beach today, makes me wonder what school will be like for me. Will I get a lot of unwanted attention? And if I do, will it be positive or negative? Will Skyler and Alex accept her into our little group of friends?

The questions begin to fade as I slowly drift off to sleep, Rainbow wrapped up under my arm.

School - Part 1

View Online

"Wake the fuck up!" I yell as I shake Rainbow. She refuses to get up for her first day of school. Yesterday was Sunday, and we all voted that Rainbow should go to school with me. We even signed her up and everything. I figured it would be for the best as it wouldn't be a very good idea to leave her home alone all day. So here we are, Monday morning, about to run late because Rainbow is acting like a little kid.

"No... Matt, turn the light off please." Rainbow mumbles from under the sheets.

"Hell no, I don't want to be late!" I yell as I rip the covers off of Rainbow. She shivers as the cold morning air hits her suddenly. I wrap an old jacket around her to satisfy her, and pull her out into the hallway.

"Go get breakfast, I'll be down in a minute."

"Matt... I don't want to go! School is so boring!"

"Hey look, you were finally right about something! I don't want to go either, but life isn't fair. Now go eat."

"Fiiiine..." Rainbow trots down the stairs towards the kitchen while I head for the bathroom. I open a cabinet and pull out a razor and begin to shave the small amount of stubble that had grown over the weekend. I wash my hair in the sink, and rush downstairs.

"You must have gotten up early mom!" I express as I see the spread of different breakfast foods. She made eggs, sausage, bacon, toast even!

"Yup, thought I would make something special for Rainbow's big day. But it looks like she isn't all that excited about it." My mom says as she cleans a pan. I look over at Rainbow who is just eyeing the sausage and bacon with a disgusted look on her face. Her plate only consists of eggs and toast.

"Whatever, more for me!" I say as I plop down next to Rainbow. "You sure you wouldn't like some nice bacon?" I tease Rainbow as I wave a strip in front of her.

"Ew..." She mumbles as her eyes follow the strip of bacon. She scarfs down her eggs without even using a fork, but I don't judge her considering she can't really pick it up.

"You excited for school?" My mother asks as she continues to wash the dishes.

"I'm only going because Matt doesn't think I can take care of myself." Rainbow says as she gives me a stare.

"It's not you I'm worried about, I just don't want the house to be surrounded all day."

"I'm still not excited about this..."

"Seriously though, you aren't even taking any classes. You're only going to follow me around all day. You're lucky that you don't have homework and tests to worry about."

"I guess so. Will I get to meet your friends?"

"Probably. You already kinda met Alex at the beach. Then there's Skyler..." I lean in close so only Rainbow can hear me. "Don't tell anyone... but I kinda have this huge crush on her."

"Y-you what? Uh, I mean, my lips are sealed!"

"Good, now let's get going." I say as I jump up and push in my chair. "Thanks mom!" I yell with a wave as we run out the door.

We jog over to my truck in the cold morning air. I know when we get to school, we'll be immediately surrounded with a ton of people talking about us, but all I hope for is that it will be positive, not negative.

"Ready for more attention today?" I say as I open the door for Rainbow.

"Oh of course." Rainbow says sarcastically. "I just hope we can get through the day alright..."

"What's up with you today? You aren't your self-centered, peppy self today. Is something up?" I say as I reverse into the street.

"What? I-I'm fine, really!" She instantly perks up. "I"m... tired, that's all!"

"O...kay then. Anyway, I can't wait for you to meet my friends. They're pretty cool, compared to me anyway."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, I'm not the most popular guy at school, though I wouldn't be surprised if I am now... People usually just kinda push me aside or try to get on my nerves."

"Why would they do that?" Rainbow says angrily.

"Because I'm different than them, that's why. I play video games and shit, they play football and other stuff so they think they're better than anyone who doesn't."

"That doesn't sound fair at all! I'm going to give them a piece of my mind!" Rainbow says as her wings flare out involuntarily.

"Please don't. If you get mad, it just means that they win. If you show that they're getting to you, that just makes them even happier, so just ignore them like I do. I'll be fine, you don't need to be worried about me. In fact, I'm more worried about you."

"Why? Will they try to bully me too? Because I won't let them!"

"Well that depends on who you talk to. The nicer people like my friends will be glad to meet you. However, there are people who will laugh at both of us because you're from a show made for little kids."

"It's still weird to be referred to as a 'character' you know. It's weird that your entire world has heard of me even though I didn't exactly exist that long ago."

"Well apparently you've always been real. My hypothesis is that the TV show, and the world that you came from are two different things. It has to be since new episodes of the show are being made with you in them, which proves that you aren't actually the Rainbow Dash from the show, but are in fact an exact copy from some weird alternate universe!"

"...You lost me, but I'm gonna agree with you anyway."

"It makes sense if you don't think about it too hard." I say with a chuckle. "Shit, looks like we're here... You ready for this?"

"I think so. Just... stay close to me please."

"I wouldn't abandon you Rainbow." I give her a little smirk. "No man... or pony, left behind."

I park near the middle of the parking lot and jump out of the truck. I take a look around and see that I'm just on time with a good fifteen minutes before homeroom. I walk around the back of the truck and open the door for Rainbow. She jumps down and takes a long look at the school.

"I haven't done this in years..." She mumbles.

"Well, again, you aren't taking any classes, you're just going to follow me for the day."

"Okay, let's go then..." She says, her voice shaking a little. Never would I think that THE Rainbow that I've come to know would ever be nervous about anything.

We walk through the parking lot at fast pace, hoping to avoid any unwanted attention. A voice comes from a man getting out of his car to our left as we near the front entrance.

"Ah! Mr. Green! it's good to see you." The voice belongs to the principal, Mr. White.

"Morning Mr. White!" I say with a wave as I come to a stop. Rainbow tries to keep walking, but I grab her tail and pull her back.

"Matthew, this must be your new friend from the news report!" Mr. White says as he bends down to Rainbow's level.

"Hey little guy, how are you?" He talks to Rainbow like she's my pet which makes me almost burst out laughing.

"I'm not a guy." Rainbow says in confusion.

"Oh my! It talks!? Matthew this is incredible!" He looks up at me in astonishment. He clears his throat and recomposes himself. "Excuse my outburst, I am Mr. White, the principal of this school." He holds out his hand towards Rainbow.

"I'm Rainbow Dash." She says simply as she puts her hoof in his hand.

"I must be getting to my office now, have a good day Mr. Green!" He says with a wave as he heads for his office.

"Well that happened." I chuckle under my breath.

"He seems... nice..." Rainbow says with a weird expression.

"Well I need to go to my locker and get my history book. C'mon."

We make our way through the cars in the parking lot until we reach the front door. Most of the other students are already inside, so I don't have to worry about them until I actually enter the building.

"Ready?" I say as I put my hand on the door handle.

"Yep, let's do it!" Rainbow suddenly perks up.

I open the door, and immediately the entire hallway goes quiet. Heads turn directly towards us in the blink of an eye. I immediately regret even coming to school today as I look at all the different pairs of eyes staring at us.

We just walk quietly through the hallway, trying our best to ignore the whispers and stares we're receiving. I pull my hood over my head and head for my locker. My locker is on the bottom so I have to kneel to reach it. I unlock it and reach in and grab my history book. I turn around to see that Rainbow is no longer behind me.

"Rai-" I'm cut off by a girly squeal.

"Oh my God! She's so cute!" A girl's voice squeaks from around the corner. I get up and peek around the corner to see Skyler and Alex kneeling down in front of Rainbow.

"Don't fucking run off on me." I say as I approach the group.

"Matt! Is this the thing from the news? She's so cute!" Skyler says as she scratches behind Rainbow's ear. To my surprise, Rainbow is completely out of it with her eyes shut, obviously enjoying the scratching.

"I had no idea she would do that." I say as I point where Skyler's hand rest on Rainbow's head. Once she stops, Rainbow snaps back to reality and blushes deeply as she realizes what she just did.

"Alex, thanks so much for watching my mom and sister on Saturday, and sorry that it kinda ruined our day."

"No problem. I see she's better now. Did you end up taking her to the hospital?"

"Nah, I fixed it myself. She has the most annoying scream I've ever heard by the way. It's so high pitched!"

"Hey! There's nothing wrong with my voice!" Rainbow yells in defense.

"She talks!?" Skyler expresses excitedly. "That's so cool!"

The first bell rings which warns us that we have only a few minutes before class starts.

"I gotta go!" I yell as I look at my watch. "C'mon Rainbow!"

We start to jog towards my class which is on the other side of the building. When we get there, all of the other students in that class are already in their seats. Just like earlier, they all go quiet when we enter. I walk to my seat and plop down my bag on top of the desk. Rainbow sits down on the floor next to me and just looks around, trying not to make eye contact with anyone.

"Hey look, it's the pony boy!" A deep voice yells from across the room. I look over and see where the voice came from.

"Fuck... it's Jack... just ignore him." I whisper down to Rainbow.

"Hey Matt! My little sister watches that damn show. I didn't know she was manlier than you!" Jack mocks at me. His friends around him laugh at my expense.

"I can't believe this..." Rainbow mutters just loud enough for me to hear. Her wings start twitching involuntarily as her expression turns to one of anger.

"Just ignore them. This is my problem, not yours." I whisper back as I pull my books out of my bag.

Jack gets up and starts walking towards my desk. He looks all too excited to make my life a living hell, but I won't let that happen.

"What's wrong Matt? Pony got your tongue? C'mon say somethin'!" He's right next to me now, staring me down with his dumb smile.

"Matt I-" Rainbow is trying to say something to me, but is cut off by what I do next. Without even thinking my fist flashes through the air and makes contact with Jack's nose which makes a satisfying cracking sound. He backs up and covers his nose which is now bleeding profusely.

"Y-you little-" Jack's cut off as the teacher walks in.

"Jack sit down. Now!" Thankfully my history teacher is really strict and doesn't put up with Jack's shit. Jack obeys him, but gives me the most hateful stare as he heads for his seat.

"You... you hit him!" Rainbow whispers in astonishment. "I can't believe it."

"I'm sorry. I acted without thinking."

"Sorry!? Are you kidding!? That was awesome! I'm glad you stood up for yourself Matt. I like that."

"Class! please welcome our new student..." The teacher pauses to look at a clipboard. "Rainbow Dash?" He says questionably.

"Uh... hi." Rainbow says with a sheepish smile and a wave. The rest of the class gives mixed reaction from silence to friendly waves and greetings.

During class I continuously reach down and scratch behind Rainbow's ear, trying to keep her calm during the lesson. She leans into my hand and even falls asleep at one point during the lecture.

The first class ends after what feels like hours, and I realize I still have the entire day ahead of me.

As I leave the classroom I mumble to myself, "This is going to be a really long day..."

School - Part 2

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"Rainbow? Raaaiiiinbooow." I try to snap Rainbow back to her senses. We're at lunch now, but she's just resting her head on a hoof and rolling an apple around on the table.

"What's her deal?" Alex says with his mouth full.

"I don't know... She won't respond to me." I say as I take a drink from my cup. I put the cup down, and grab Rainbow's shoulders and turn her towards me.

"Huh? What?" Rainbow snaps back to her senses.

"Rainbow, what the fuck is wrong with you."

"What do you mean?"

"You've been depressed since homeroom. What's up with you?"

"Oh I just... feel bad for being a burden..."

I look over at Alex and Skyler, and ask to be excused for a minute. I lead Rainbow outside, behind the lunch hall. We sit down against the building together.

"What do you mean by that?" I ask as I reach my arm around Rainbow's shoulder.

"I've just been a burden to you this whole time... Ever since I came here, I've done nothing but ruin your life. When that guy started making fun of you just because of me, I felt so bad... I love y-... hanging out with you, but I don't want anyone to make fun of you because of me..." Rainbow fades off. I'm stunned by what she just said, but I can't help but think over the past few days. Sure she changed my life, and sure it was hard to watch after her but... I wouldn't trade these last few days for anything.

"C'mere." I pull her into my side, her head resting on the side of my torso. "You're one of my best friends, even if we only met about a week ago. I wouldn't trade the time you've been here for anything. Sure, at first I was weary about what life would be like with a pegasus, but... now I couldn't imagine life without you. Don't ever think you're a burden to me."

Rainbow doesn't respond verbally, but I can feel a wet spot growing on my shirt, and her shoulders are shaking with each breath. I hold her against my shirt, not saying anything, even when Alex and Skyler come out and sit next to us. The four of us just sit in silence until the bell rings for the next period.

"Time to go I guess..." I mumble as I unwrap my arm from around Rainbow. "I'll see you guys later." I say as I stand up.

"Yeah, can't be late for Trig!" Skyler yells as she jogs away with a wave. "C'ya Matt!" My heart flutters as she addresses me directly. I just wish she'd give me a chance one day.

I walk with Rainbow towards my Spanish class, but what she said lingers in the back of my mind. Did she really think that she was a burden to me?

As I take my seat in Spanish, I pull out my phone while I wait for the class to start. I open up the Instagram app and go to my profile. Ever since my name was revealed on the news, I've gained tens of thousands of followers that I don't even know. I open up the camera, and see if I can attempt to cheer Rainbow up.

"Hey Rainbow, look over here." I point to the camera on the phone.

"What are you doing?" She asks as she sees herself on the phone screen.

"Taking a selfie!" I say happily as I hit the button that takes the picture. The picture doesn't come out how I like it, so I try again. "Smile this time!" I say as I kneel down next to Rainbow and wrap my arm around her. I lift the phone above us to get a top-down view. Rainbow puts on a happy expression, and sticks her tongue out when she sees that the screen changes whenever she moves. I snap the picture of us and decide to put a description.

"Hanging out with Rainbow at school. #bestfriends"

I post the picture and show it to Rainbow once it's been uploaded.

"You like it?" I say happily as I admire the picture.

"I love it! I didn't know you could even do that!"

"Phones truly are amazing..." I trail off as the teacher walks in. I quickly stuff the phone in my pocket and sit up in my seat. We sit through class, both of us now happy and ready to finish the day.

*RIIIIING*

The final bell rings, but I stay behind for a minute while Rainbow talks to the teacher. The teacher used to be in the Air-Force, so they're both talking up a storm about flying.

I lean up against the wall while I wait, and take out my phone which is loaded up with Instagram notifications. I unlock the phone and head for the Instagram app.

"Holy shit! Four-thousand likes already?" I mumble to myself. It's amazing how much attention you can get from one news report. I decide to read the comments which, to my surprise, are all pretty positive. I notice a trend of people saying stuff like, "They're so cute together!" or "Rainbow is adorable, he's so lucky!" It makes me smile to see people actually supporting Rainbow instead of putting her down like Jack.

"Ready?" Rainbow hovers in front of me.

"Hey, you're flying again!"

"Yep, the old wing's feeling better now. Thanks again for fixing that."

"My pleasure. Now let's get outta this hell hole." I say as I point my thumb towards the door. We walk into the hallway, but I'm looking at Rainbow when I ram into someone walking past us. I look up to see Skyler looking at me, rubbing the side of her head where we made contact.

"You have a hard head Matt!" She says with a giggle.

"Oh, uh I... Sorry Sky!" I stutter. She pulls out her phone and shoves the screen in my face.

"Matt! This picture is adorable!" She yells as she waves the phone in front of me. I recognize the picture as the one I had taken just a few hours prior.

"Oh thanks Sky!" I thought it would cheer Rainbow up, and it seems to have worked."

"Where is she anyway?" Skyler says as she looks around.

"What? She was right here..." I spin around wildly until I spot Rainbow laying on top of a row of lockers. I sneak over where Rainbow is laying down, her eyes closed. I pull on her back leg which is dangling over the edge, and she falls down into my arms with a yelp.

"You could've just nudged me you know." Rainbow says as she follows me through the parking lot.

"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?"

"Whatever."

"So did you like Skyler? She's pretty cool huh?"

"She's... okay I guess."

"Okay? Just okay? She's amazing Rainbow!"

"I just don't... really like her."

"What about Alex?"

"Oh, he's cool! Pretty funny if you ask me."

Why does she like Alex, yet seems to have something against Skyler when all she's been is nice towards Rainbow. Did something happen that I didn't see?

We hop into the truck and I turn the key. The ignition starts up, but I don't move at all. I just stare at Rainbow who is playing with her hooves, looking like she's thinking deeply about something.

"Wanna get some ice-cream?" I ask, trying to snap Rainbow out of her funk.

"Just you and me?" She snaps back rather quickly

"Uh, duh." I retort, slightly confused.

"Yeah! Let's go!" She suddenly perks up. What is up with her emotions today? She's like a damn rollercoaster.

We drive out of the school and onto the road that connects to the highway. We rock out to the radio on the way to the local ice-cream place downtown. I decide to try to reach out to Rainbow again as I notice that she still looks slightly bummed.

"C'mon Rainbow, what's got you down? It's not the whole burden thing still, is it?"

"It's nothing, I promise."

"No, it's not nothing. I can't be happy if you aren't. So please tell me what's up."

"Matt. Please, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

I respect her decision, but I can't stop thinking about what's got her in a bad mood. I decide it might be time to change the subject.

"You know, the fall prom dance is coming up in a few days."

"What's that? Some event?"

"Yeah, it's mainly for couples, but some people still go just to hang out with friends. I don't usually go, but we could go hang out there if you want to."

"Are you asking me to a dance?"

"In a way I suppose."

"Of course I'll go!"

"Cool. It'll be a blast if you're there with me."

We arrive at the ice cream place, only to immediately get swarmed. I ask everyone for some alone time with Rainbow, and thankfully most of them back off. I place our orders and carry our ice-cream back to the table.

"Order up!" I say with a smile as I slide Rainbow's cup across the table.

"Thanks Matt!" Rainbow is about to just dive it before I stop her.

"C'mon Rainbow. Have you never heard of a spoon?"

"Have you ever heard of hooves?" She retorts sarcastically.

"Touche. Here let me. I don't want you making a mess." I grab an extra spoon and dip it into Rainbow's ice-cream. "Here comes the airplane!" I say teasingly.

"Really?" Rainbow says with an annoyed expression, though she giggles happily as well, showing that she's just joking around too. "C'mon already."

Rainbow opens her mouth slightly and I slide the spoon in through her lips.

"It's like feeding a baby." I chuckle. "Anyone ever tell you that you're like a big kid?"

"Yeah, you on multiple occasions." Rainbow says through a mouthful of ice-cream.

My phone vibrates on the table, indicating that I got a text. I unlock the phone and open the messaging app. What I see makes my heart stop in sheer joy.

"Rainbow! Look at this!" I shove the phone in her face. On the screen is a text from Skyler with one single word...

"Prom?"

Missed Signs

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"She... asked you to the dance?" Rainbow says, her ears suddenly drooping.

"Yeah! Isn't this great!? I've been waiting for this for three years Rainbow, and it finally happened!"

"So... I guess I'll just stay at home then. You guys have fun..." Rainbow starts to get up from her seat.

"Hey whoa." I grab her leg across the table and pull her back into the booth. "You're still coming with me Rainbow. It won't be the same without you there."

"But you're just gonna be with Skyler all night, why would you want me there? I'd just be in the way..."

"Because you're my best friend Rainbow. Whether you realize it or not, I do care about you. I'm not gonna leave you alone during the biggest event of the year."

"Really? You'd give up being alone with Skyler for me?"

"Of course. Alex will be there too, maybe you can get to know him better too."

We continue to slowly eat our ice-cream while just making friendly small talk. When we finish, I throw away our cups and wave for Rainbow to come meet me outside. I open her door and she hops in with a flutter of her wings. I get in my side and close the door with a relieved sigh.

"Hey, I don't have any homework today. Wanna go catch a quick movie?" I say as I pull out my phone.

"Can't you just do that at home?"

"Well yeah, but going to a movie theater is so much more fun."

"Why?"

"It's all dark and stuff in there. It makes you feel more immersed in the movie."

"Just us?"

"Unless there's somebody hiding in the back seat, then yeah." I say sarcastically. "What makes you ask?"

"Oh uh. Just wondering."

"Okay then... Let's get moving."

I turn back onto the highway and head towards the movie theater near my house. Along the way, I notice Rainbow look up at me and open her mouth, only to look away and say nothing. She repeats this several times. There's obviously something on her mind, but I just can't figure it out. I decide to brush it off, not wanting to bother her about it anymore than I already have.

My phone goes off as I pull into the parking lot. I unlock it to see my mom calling me.

"What's up?" I respond to my mom in the casual way that I usually greet her.

"Matt? Where are you? Why aren't you home yet?"

"Oh I went out with Rainbow for a while. We're at the movie theater right now. Do you need me to come home?"

"Oh no no no. I just wanted to know where you were. You two have fun together."

"We will. Thanks mom." I hang up the call and look over at Rainbow who's just looking up at me with a stare.

"Um... can I help you?" I retort as she doesn't take her eyes off me.

"Huh? What?" Rainbow blinks and shakes her head. "Sorry I was just thinking."

We walk up to the ticket booth where I buy two tickets for an action movie I had been dying to see. I knew Rainbow would love it too as we have the same tastes in both music and movies. When we enter, an employee tries to stop us saying "No pets allowed." Let's just say Rainbow did NOT take kindly to being referred to as a pet.

"Where do you wanna sit?" I whisper as we enter the theater.

"Up there." She whispers back as she points to the upper corner of the room. It's not where I would choose, but if it's what she wants, then I guess we're sitting there.

We walk up there stairs, getting a few looks and acknowledgements as we walk past people in their seats. I take the seat in the very top left corner, and Rainbow sits next to me on my left.

"Why'd you chose these seats?" I ask as I pull out my phone to check Instagram again.

"It's private up here." Rainbow says calmly, yet she tenses up just a second or two after finishing. "B-Because y'know... nobody will try to talk to us, that's why."

"Makes sense." I open the camera once again. "Another picture?" I ask as I turn on the flash.

"Yeah!" Rainbow leans in closer to me to get in the shot. She wraps her front leg around the front of my chest in a hugging position which takes me by surprise. I raise the phone above us and snap the picture, being temporarily blinded by the bright flash.

"Ow. Shit, I forgot about that." I chuckle as I rub my eyes. I type in the description, "#movies with Rainbow" and post the picture. "Like it?" I turn the phone towards Rainbow.

"I love it." She says simply, still practically laying down on my chest. The lights dim and I lock the phone so I won't be illuminating the corner of the theater.

Not long into the movie, I feel Rainbow go limp. I look down to see her asleep, her head resting on my shoulder. I decide not to wake her, even though there's still a lot of time left before the movie ends. At least she's smiling in her sleep, so something must have perked her up.

"Matt? Is that you man?" A whisper comes from a couple of rows down. I look down to see Alex and his sister shuffling into a seat.

"Hey Alex!" I half shout, half whisper. "What're you doing here?"

"I thought I'd take my sister to this movie. I heard it was really good. Looks like we're a little late."

"Nah, it's only been about fifteen minutes since it started."

"Dude, come sit with us." Alex waves down to the empty seats next to him.

"I'd love too but..." I glance down at Rainbow who is now resting her head on my lap after I moved the armrest. "I'm sorta pinned down. Oh hey dude, Skyler asked me to the dance!"

"No way really? Dude you finally did it!" We both do air fist bumps since we can't reach each other. "Is Rainbow goin' with you?"

"Yeah, but she seemed bummed when I told her I was going with Skyler too."

"Probably doesn't want to be a third wheel."

"Yeah, you're probably right. I'll try to keep her involved."

"Alex, I'm trying to watch the movie!" Alex's little sister says as she nudges him.

"Alright, alright! We'll talk later Matt. The princess demands I shut up."

"Haha I know the pain." I chuckle as I think of Emily and how she's always up to something. I have to completely turn my phone off to keep it from vibrating constantly from all the Instagram alerts. I like the support from everyone on there, but it can get slightly annoying to have hundreds of notifications.

I watch the movie while subconsciously scratching Rainbow's head. I notice the theater starting to drop in temperature, and I start to shiver. I'm about to reach over and grab my jacket from the empty seat, when I feel Rainbow shiver as well. She tries to curl up to retain heat, but ends up stretching out again. I drape the jacket over Rainbow, and she stops fidgeting.

"There." I say to myself. "Now stop shaking."

The movie lasts for about another hour and a half before the credits start to role. I thought it was really good. Too bad Rainbow missed almost all of it. I take the jacket off of her and drape it around my shoulders.

"Rainbow wake up. Movie's over, time to go." I try to shake Rainbow awake. All I get in response is a moan and her digging her face into my stomach.

"Fine, be like that." I pick Rainbow up and hold her to my chest, all four of her limbs wrapping around my neck and torso. Gees, she is such a heavy sleeper.

I exit the theater and spot Alex in the lobby with his sister.

"Ah, Alex, we meet again!" I walk up to him, trying not to drop Rainbow as I wave.

"I do believe we do good sir!" He tries to retort in a British accent. "Why are you carrying her?" He points to Rainbow curiously.

"Because she's lazy and I'm not enough of an asshole to force her to walk."

"Haha, anyway, how'd you get Skyler to ask you to prom dude?"

"I don't really know! She just sent me a text asking me to prom. I said yes and that was that."

"Dude, call her. Ask her why."

"My phone is off and I can't reach it. Can I use yours?" Alex hands me his phone. I have to look over Rainbow's shoulder to even seen the screen. I call Skyler and hold the phone up to my ear, just barely being able to balance Rainbow in one arm.

"Alex?" Skyler answers.

"Nah, it's Matt."

"Oh! Hey Matt! What's up?"

"Uh Alex wanted to know why you asked me to prom. I was kinda wondering myself as well."

"Why did I ask you? Because Alex told me that you liked me today before lunch." My eyes shoot up at Alex who has a prideful smirk on his face.

"You sly son of a bitch." I say to Alex after lowering the phone so Skyler can't hear me. That would explain why she was so cheerful towards me today.

"I thought you already knew that I liked you." I say to Skyler.

"I had no idea! Sometimes all the signs that somebody likes you are there, but you just don't catch them! I'm sure you know what I mean. So I thought I'd make your day and ask you to the dance. If it goes well there, then maybe... something could develop between us."

"Thanks Sky!" I quickly hang up and toss Alex his phone.

"You set me up." I smirk as I shift Rainbow into my other arm.

"Surprise! I figured I had to step in or nothing would ever happen between you two!"

"Well it's the best 'gift' I've gotten in quite some time."

"Anything for my best-bro." Alex then looks at his watch. "Shit, I should get going. I'll see you tomorrow Matt." Alex and his sister walk out of the lobby and into the parking lot.

"Ready to go home Rainbow?" I ask even though I know she won't respond. I get a lot of stares of course since I'm carrying a blue pegasus through a movie theater, but that's the price of friendship I suppose.

I place Rainbow down in the passenger seat and buckle her in. I jump behind the wheel and rev the engine. I pull out onto the street and head for home.

About five minutes into the drive, I hear a moan and I see Rainbow sitting up in the corner of my eye.

"Well well well, look who finally woke up."

"Huh? What happened? Where are we?"

"Heading home. You fell asleep during the movie. By the way, how the hell do you get cold with a layer of fur?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You fell asleep on me and started shivering. Just wondering how your coat didn't keep you warm."

"I did what!?" Rainbow suddenly blushes deeply.

"Haha, don't worry, it wasn't awkward or anything. Emily has fallen asleep on me before. I don't care really as long as it's a friend that does it."

"Oh... okay. Good..."

"Anyway, what do you want for dinner? My mom just sent me a text saying we can get whatever since we're getting home kind of late."

"Like going out for dinner?"

"Yeah... Oh right! You've never been to a restaurant here have you? Oh you'll love this one pizza place down the street."

"Yeah! Let's go there!"

"Alrighty then." I turn off the road I'm currently on to get on the right road to the little pizza cafe. We pull into the parking lot a few minutes later. I hop out of the truck and open the door for Rainbow. She jumps out but falls on her side when she hits the ground.

"Ow! I guess I'm not totally wake yet." She laughs.

"I guess not!" I hold out a hand to help her up. We walk into the pizza place, a bell ringing on the door when we enter.

"Ah! Matthew Green! My favorite customer!" The chef standing in the kitchen doorway yells when he spots me. All the customers at the tables around us all stop and stare, though I'm starting to get used to it by this point.

"Uncle Luigi! The usual please!" I yell in response. He's not actually my uncle, but that's what everyone calls him. I come here with Alex and Skyler alot, so it's no wonder he knows all of us by name at this point.

"Coming right up!" He rushes into the kitchen.

"What's the usual?" Rainbow asks as we sit down in a booth.

"Cheese pizza, with extra cheese." I say as I spin a knife on the table. "You'll love it!"

"Sounds really good actually." Rainbow says with a smile.

"Y'know Rainbow... today was actually really fun."

"What?" Rainbow perks up suddenly.

"Yeah! Besides the whole Jack thing this morning, this was a really fun day. I'm glad you were around to enjoy it with me."

"T-Thanks Matt. I thought it was fun too!" A small sparkle in her eyes catches my attention. It was as if what I just said had some big impact on her. What is up with this girl?

"The usual! As usual!" Uncle Luigi slides a pizza across the table. "And some drinks for the lovely couple."

"Thanks Uncle Luigi!" I wave as he walks back into the kitchen. "Wait... did he just call us..."

"I-I think he did." Rainbow looks towards the kitchen, though she's blushing deeply.

"Probably just a misunderstanding." I place a slice of the pizza on a plate.

"Y-Yeah, misunderstanding..."

"Here ya go." I slide the plate at Rainbow who stops it with a hoof.

"Holy Celestia! That smells good!" She suddenly snaps back to her perky attitude. She tries to pick it up by the crust between two hooves, but it just falls back onto the plate.

"We're doing THIS again aren't we?" I laugh as I pick up the slice.

"I suppose we are." She smiles back as she bites off a piece of the pizza from my hand. "Wow! That's amazing!"

"Right? I come here all the time with Alex and Skyler. You won't find pizza as good as this for miles!"

We continue eating and laughing. At one point I try to pull a slice away from Rainbow after she took a piece off, but a strand of cheese stretched between her and the slice for a few feet. I had to pull the slice above my head just to get the cheese to break. It was such a simple thing, but it made us laugh till our sides hurt.

"One more picture?" I take out my phone once more.

"You bet!"

I move to the other side of the booth and sit next to Rainbow who leans into my side. We both hold a slice of pizza in our mouths and smile at the camera. I snap the picture and we both laugh at the result. We look so dumb holding the pizza in our mouths, but we decide to post the picture anyway with the description, "We like to do dumb stuff."

Likes and comments roll in just seconds after posting the picture. I have to completely mute my phone to keep it from vibrating constantly.

I leave the money for the pizza on the table and hop out of the booth. We walk out the door, both waving at Uncle Luigi through the kitchen window.

"Thanks again Uncle Luigi!" I yell as I open the front door. The sun is just peeking over the horizon now, so it's probably best that we get home soon.

"Ready to get home?" I ask while yawning as I start the truck engine.

"Yep. I'm still really tired."

"If sleeping was a sport, you'd totally be in the Olympics."

"What's the Olympics?"

"A major sporting event held every four years. Countries from all across the globe compete to see who's the best at different sports and activities."

"That sounds so cool! I want to go!"

"Well you're out of luck. The next summer Olympics won't be for another nine months. Even then, we'd probably have to travel to a different country."

"Ah dang it... You gotta promise me something though."

"And what's that?"

"Show me what kinds of sports you play here. I wanna see what humans do for fun when it comes to athletic stuff."

"I suppose I could do that. Our city has teams for different sports like baseball and football."

"Yes!" Rainbow pumps her hoof in the air.

We drive home in the dark, the sun having set pretty quickly. I pull into the driveway at about seven and let Rainbow out of the truck.

"Damn, it's only seven? I thought it was later than that." I say as I look down at my watch.

"So we still have a few hours to just chill?" Rainbow says happily as she flutters around me.

"Looks like it!"

We walk in and I greet my parents, who are glad to see we made it home alright. We head up to my room and shut the door. We both jump onto my bed, and I proceed to switch on my Xbox.

"Another movie?" I look over at Rainbow.

"You know it!"

I pick a highly rated romantic comedy. I'm not much into romantic movies, but the comedy tag caught my eye. I always love a good laugh.

The movie plays for a while until it reaches some romantic scene where the main characters are kissing on a couch. Not the part I really care for, but Rainbow's eyes are transfixed on the screen, so instead of fast forwarding, I just check Instagram on my phone for a few minutes before looking up again to see the scene STILL going.

"You ever kiss someone Rainbow?" I say casually as I throw my phone down between my legs.

"Wh-what?"

"I asked if you've ever kissed anyone. Y'know, like a boyfriend or something?"

"Oh uh... I've never dated anyone..." Her ears drop in what I assume is embarrassment. "Have you kissed anyone Matt?"

"Well unless you count my mom, then no I can't say I have... Do you smell something? I think it's coming from..." I shove Rainbow to the side a little to reveal a wet spot where she'd been sitting.

"Holy shit Rainbow. Did you..."

"OHMYGOSH!" She screams as she quickly grabs the sheets up in her front legs. "You didn't see that!"

"I had no idea you liked romantic movies THAT much." I laugh. I guess the kissing scene had gotten to her a little too much.

"Stop laughing it's not funny!" Rainbow is almost in tears at this point. I stop laughing as I see that she's really embarrassed.

"I'm sorry Rainbow. I'm not mad at you if that's what you're thinking."

"Y-You're not?" She sniffles, trying to hold in her tears of embarrassment.

"Nah, it's a completely natural bodily function. I don't really give a shit." I say nonchalantly as I lay back on my pillow and fix my eyes back on the movie, which luckily is getting back to the comedy part.

"It's still... I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Now come on, watch the damn movie."

Rainbow lays back down next to me, but she's still shaking, probably nervous that I'll be mad at her or something. The movie comes to an end a while later, and it seems Rainbow forgot about her little 'incident'.

"Night blueberry." I chuckle as I flick the light off.

"Blueberry?" Rainbow asks in the dark.

"Yeah, cause... get it you're... nevermind." I turn to face the wall. "Goodnight."

"You too Matt..."

Rainbow falls asleep quickly, but I can't help but think about the fall dance. I'm filled with excitement over the fact that I finally got Skyler's attention.

I just hope Rainbow won't feel like a third wheel...

Prom

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**11 Days Later**

"Dammit... I'm fucking done!" I collapse on the bleachers, Alex dropping next to me. After running two miles in gym, we were just about to pass out. "How are they still going!?"

We sit and watch both Skyler and Rainbow as they continue to run around the track. Rainbow must have a hell of a lot more stamina than us since she's a pony, but Skyler... well I can't explain her. She's always been big on running.

"You think they'll ever stop?" Alex says through heavy breaths.

"Doubt it..." I wipe the sweat off my forehead. "Hey, today's Friday right?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"So tonight's the big dance. I'm pretty excited about it."

"You're still on with Skyler right? Nothing's changed?" Alex says, finally catching his breath.

"Yep! Just one downside though. She said she just doesn't feel the same way about me as I do to her. BUT she said if it all goes well tonight, she might give me a real shot!"

"Nice dude!" Alex gives me a fist bump. "What about Rainbow over there? She got a date?"

"Nah, not really. As far as I know, we're the only two guys she talks to on a regular basis, so unless you asked her out, I don't think she does..."

"I don't think I'd ask out a pony though." Alex swipes his bangs off his forehead.

"Hey, what does that mean?" I feel slightly offended, though I don't really know why.

"Oh I mean... I've got nothing against her but... I mean she's not human. It would be weird y'know?"

"I mean... I wouldn't let that hold ME back if I... had feelings for her."

"Ah but there's the real question Matt. Do you have feelings for her?"

"W-What? Me and Rainbow? I don't think so man. I mean... she's really cool and all but... I don't know man, would that even be legal?"

"Well by definition she's not an animal soooo I don't think it would be illegal, but it might be frowned upon. I don't know dude, I can't speak for society as a whole. You didn't answer me though Matt. Do you, or do you not have feelings for her?"

"Well... I... may have thought of it once or twice, but I just don't think she'd feel that way. Besides, I doubt she'd fall for a human right?"

"I can't answer that dude. I'm not some fucking mind reader."

"Whatever, if my watch is right, then gym is almost over. Let's go hit the showers before it's too late."

We walk sluggishly to the showers and wash down. I dress back into my school clothes and wait for Rainbow by the gym door.

"C'mon, where the hell is she?" I tap my foot on the ground and stare at my watch. "I'm ditching her if she doesn't walk out her in the next minute." I mumble to myself.

"Hey Matt!" I look up to see Rainbow flying towards me, her hair hanging down over her face.

"How can you even see?" I ask as I part the wet hair in front of her eyes. "Anyway, let's hurry up. It's the last class of the day! Then we can go home and get ready for that dance tonight."

"Oh yeah... the dance." Rainbow slows down slightly.

"Hell yeah! It's gonna be so fun! Especially with my favorite pegasus there. Who knows, maybe you'll be named prom queen!"

"Yeah... can't wait!"

We walk into my last class of the day, which is Trigonometry, my least favorite class by far. I sit down at my desk, while Rainbow sits in an empty desk in front of me. In most classes she has to sit on the floor or in the back due to lack of seats. However, the student that sat in front of me in Trig moved just a day or two ago. So now, Rainbow actually gets a real chair to sit in, and I don't hear her complaining at all.

"Hooooly Shit." I mumble to myself, my head buried in my arms on my desk. I look up with one eye and see Rainbow rolling a piece of paper around on her desk. She's lucky as shit since she doesn't have to pay attention at all. It seems like if I look away for one second, I lose track of where we are and end up failing the lesson. Being the bored idiot that I am, I just stare at Rainbow's hair, trying to think of a prank to pull on her.

"Matthew? Do you know the answer?" My teacher calls out. Ah fuck. I'm doomed now!

"Uh..." I say dumbly, regretting losing focus of the lesson. Don't get me wrong, I get all A's and B's, I'm not an idiot. I just don't like to pay attention.

"I know!" A girl in the back of the class raises her hand. Ah, Abby, the smart ass girl that everyone gets annoyed at for knowing everything. I can't even be mad at her as she just saved my ass.

I look back at Rainbow, who's shoulders are moving up and down gently. Is she fucking laughing at me? I pull back on one of her wings as revenge.

"Ow!" She whispers. She doesn't turn around since she probably already knows why I did that.

*RIIIING*

"Oh thank the Lord!" I quickly throw on my backpack. "Come on Rainbow, let's get the fuck outta Dodge." I stand up but Rainbow doesn't move at all. "Oh my god! I'm not carrying you again!" Sure enough, she's sound asleep on the desk without a care in the world.

"Son of a..." I bend down and scoop her up. "This is the last fucking time."

I run out into the hallway, and run as fast as I can to my truck.

"Huh?" Rainbow mumbles. I look down to see her eyes slowly opening. "Are you carrying me?" She looks up at me, her eyes red from sleep.

"Yes I am. And it's only because I wanna get out of here. You can get down now." I try to drop her, but she clings onto my jacket.

"Nope! You're gonna carry me!" She had an evil smirk on her face as she closes her eyes again.

"You little..." I'm cut off by a yell from down the hall.

"Matt Green! Come here!" I spot Jack down the hallway. Oh shit. He's been out since last Monday getting surgery on his nose. He was out an extra week for some football tournament. But now, he's back, and it looks like he wants some revenge.

"Oh shit!" I yell as I sprint out into the parking lot, Rainbow slowing me down slightly.

"Come here pony boy! I ain't done with you!" Jack is shoving people out of the way as he barrels towards me. I quickly open my truck's driver side door, and basically throw Rainbow into the passenger seat.

"Huh? What's going on!?" She panics after hitting her head on the other door.

"No time, gotta drive!" I lock my door just as Jack smashes up against the window. I floor it out of the parking lot and head straight for the highway.

"Holy shit... that was close." I try to catch my breath while also maneuvering through the traffic.

"Was that Jack? What did he want?"

"Apparently he wants revenge for breaking his dumbass little fucking nose!" I spit out angrily. "I just hope I can avoid him at the dance..."

"Don't worry, if he tries to mess with you, I'll show him what for!" Rainbow raises her hooves into a fighting stance.

"Rainbow, this isn't your battle. I don't want you getting hurt because of me."

"And I don't want you getting hurt because of me!" She retorts. She has a point. Jack starting mocking me just because of Rainbow. Of course I wouldn't hold it against her, but she is technically the cause of all this.

"Look... do whatever, but promise me you won't get hurt." I take my eyes off the road for a second to look directly at Rainbow. "Promise me that, and I'll be fine with whatever you decide to do."

"Trust me Matt, nobody will lay a hoof on me! I'm too quick."

"THAT I believe." I say with a chuckle.

We eventually pull up to the house and I spot Emily just entering the front door as we exit the car.

"Sup Em." I wave to her as I open Rainbow's door.

"Hey Matt!" She runs up and hugs me around my waist. She runs up and hugs Rainbow when she jumps out of the passenger seat.

"Hey kid." Rainbow wraps a wing around Emily's side.

We all walk inside after I unlock the front door. Rainbow and Emily plop down on the couch to watch TV, but I head up to my room to get ready. The dance is in a couple of hours, so I want to be ready as soon as possible. I walk into my room and let out a long sigh of relief, glad that school is over for the week. I walk over to my closet and pull out a pair of black pants and a white t-shirt. I slip off my jeans and pull on the black dress pants. I change out of my red t-shirt and pull on the white one.

"There we go..." I fix up my clothes in the mirror. I pull a black jacket off of the rack and put it on over my t-shirt. "It's no tuxedo, but it looks nice as shit..." I mutter to myself.

I'm about to close my closet when I catch a glimpse of light green in the top corner of the closet.

"What the hell is this?" I pull out the piece of fabric and unfold it. It's a small green dress with white trimmings along the edges. I think it might belong to Emily, but something just looks off about it.

"Is this Rainbow's?" I turn the dress around at different angles. It definitely wouldn't fit on a human, so it must be hers. I assume my mom made it for her as she's always been really good a sewing and creating clothes.

I place the dress back where I found it, and close the closet. I got into the bathroom and pull out my razor. I shave off the stubble that's grown over the week, then I wash my hair in the sink. After drying off, I style my hair, making my bangs spike in the front. I head downstairs and jump next to Rainbow on the couch. My weight from jumping makes Rainbow and Emily bounce into the air before falling back down.

"Matt! Why did... you... do..." Rainbow starts to lose her words as she stares at me. I give her a confused look and wave my hand in front of her eyes.

"Uh, earth to Rainbow? Come in Rainbow."

"Oh uh... sorry."

"What are you guys watching?" I turn my attention to the TV, which is currently showing a commercial for some mattress.

"Me of course." Rainbow points to herself with a prideful expression. The show jumps back to a shot of Rainbow. The title pops up at the top of the screen. "The Mysterious Mare Do Well."

"C'mon! Let's watch football or something." I beg Emily.

"Oh! I remember this!" Rainbow points to the screen.

We watch the show for a while, though I'm not all that focused on it. What I did pick up from it, was that Rainbow had a serious ego problem.

"Jesus, Rainbow. You're ego is fucking huge."

"Hey! That was a long time ago! I'm different now."

"I can confirm, that that is not true at all." I chuckle. I'm quickly hit in the arm by a hoof. I retaliate with a flick to the ear.

"You wanna go Green?" Rainbow says playfully.

"It's not like it would be much of a challenge... Rainbow Crash." I tease her after having picked up a nickname that she hated from the show.

"You!" Rainbow tackles me off the couch and we roll around, throwing limbs at each other. We laugh the entire time though, showing that we weren't actually fighting. I finally get flipped on my back, Rainbow pinning down my arms.

"You're strong Green, I'll give you that." Rainbow says cockily as she flips her hair out of her face.

"Yeah, I am!" I catch her off guard and flip her onto her back. Now I have her pinned to the floor. "Take that Dash!"

"Alright you win!" Rainbow giggles under me. For one second, our eyes lock and we stop laughing. We both just stare at each other with small smiles on our faces. What am I feeling? Why did I suddenly just stop laughing?

"Are you two gonna kiss or something?" Emily pipes up from the couch. I quickly throw myself off of Rainbow and roll towards the TV.

"Emily!" I yell as I throw a pillow at her. "Not cool." I look over to Rainbow to see if she's going to say something, but instead she's just blushing deeply. Probably just embarrassed.

"What's going on in here?" My mom walks through the door, laughing at the sight of us sprawled out on the floor.

"She started it!" I point to Rainbow immediately.

"What!? No I didn't! You said I had a big ego!"

"I... might have said that."

"You DID say it!"

"I think your ego is just fine Rainbow." My mom jumps in.

"Thank you!" She shouts back in gratitude.

"I'm just saying, you really, REALLY like winning and being the best." I retort.

"Yeah, but doesn't everyone?"

"Yes, but you take it to whole new level Dashie."

"D-Did you just call me..."

"Sorry, that sounds dumb, it just slipped out."

"No no... it's fine." Rainbow looks up at me with a small smile.

"Whatever you say!" I throw my hands up in defeat. "It's about time to go. You need to do anything first Rainbow?"

"Uh, yeah actually I do." She flies quickly up the stares towards my room.

"Did you make her that dress?" I look over at my mom who's still putting her work stuff down.

"Yes I did! It took me two days, but it came out very nicely. It took a while to get her measurements though."

"She doesn't seem like a fancy dress kind of person though. Did she ask you to make it herself?"

"Actually yes. She asked if I could make something would impress someone. Didn't say who though."

"Really? That's weird..."

"I'm ready!" Rainbow slowly comes down the stairs in her green dress.

"Holy..." I mutter to myself. The dress itself looked nice enough by itself, but it really compliments her color scheme nicely.

"Does it look okay?" Rainbow starts spinning in circles. "Does it make me look weird?"

"It's pretty!" Emily says from the couch.

"Thanks!" Rainbow trots over to the door. "C'mon Matt, let's go!"

"Alright, alright!" I open the door and Rainbow walks to the truck, but I'm stopped by someone pulling on my collar.

"Ooooh my baby is so grown up!" I spin around to see my mom. "You two have fun together alright? And be home by eleven!"

"I will mom, love you!" I walk up to the truck and let Rainbow in. I enter the driver side and bring the engine to life.

"So... How do I look?" Rainbow looks over at me with a nervous expression. I stop at a stop sign and look back to her.

"Just one thing." I reach over to her. She had done her mane for the first time since I've met her. She tried to make it look all fancy, but it just wasn't her. I ruffle my hands through her hair for a few seconds before letting it fall back into it's normal messy look.

"Matt! What was that for!?" Rainbow asks angrily.

"There, you don't need that Rainbow."

"Yes I do! I want to look my best!"

"You're beautiful the way you are, and you know that." I being to drive forward again.

"I-I'm... what?"

"Beautiful? Don't tell me nobody has ever told you that before Rainbow."

"No... actually everybody always says I look nice or just okay..."

"Well I think you're gorgeous Rainbow. You'll definitely make someone really happy if you ever make it back home."

"What do you mean by, 'If I ever make it home'?"

"Well I doubt you'd ever fall for a human right? But if you make it back home, you'd totally make some lucky stallion very happy."

"Yeah... humans, ew." Rainbow looks down and rubs the back of her head.

"Something wrong?"

"Matt I... never mind. It's nothing important really." She laughs nervously.

"I just- Oh hey we're here." I cut myself off as I pull into the school parking lot. "Ready to get your dance on?"

"You.. bet!" I can tell Rainbow is forcing herself to be enthusiastic, though I just can't tell why. Everything's going perfectly right now.

"Matt!" I spot Skyler running up to me in a stunning dress. I think I hear a puff come from Rainbow, but I can't process it before I refocus my attention to Skyler.

"Holy shit..." I say to Skyler as she approaches. "You look amazing Sky!"

"Thanks! My mom helped me pick it out and... Oh my gosh! Rainbow you look so cute! Oh my gosh!"

"Thanks... Matt can we go inside now?" Rainbow looks up at me, but her eyes are squinted and her nostrils are flared. The hell is her problem?

The three of us are about to enter the gym when a large amount of pressure is put on my shoulders. I watch as Alex basically jumps over me and lands with a thud.

"Sup guys?" He spins around with his hands out. "Like the tux?"

"Hell yeah man. Gimme some." I hold out my hand for a fist bump. "You got a date man?" I ask Alex.

"Nah, I'm a lone wolf tonight. Which means that I'm totally available." He says smugly.

We open the gym doors, only to be blasted by a wave of loud music. Tables and chairs are scattered throughout the gym, with a cleared out space in the middle for a dance floor.

"Whoa they totally outdid themselves this year!" Skyler shouts over the music.

"Yeah! You guys want some punch!?" I yell back.

"That sounds nice!" Skyler has to cover her ears.

Alex and I walk over to the punch table while Skyler and Rainbow sit down at a table. We each grab two cups and start filling them up with a ladle.

"Looks pretty cool this year huh?" I don't have to shout now that the loud song has ended.

"Yeah, looks like they actually put effort into it this year." Alex responds as the next song starts up.

"You sure you don't mind being a 'lone wolf' as you put it?"

"I'm cool man, it's Rainbow you should be worried about."

"Huh? Why's that?"

"Dude she looked totally bum when you guys came in here. What did you say to her?"

"Nothing! She was all happy and shit until we got here!"

We carry the drinks over to the table and place them in front of Rainbow and Skyler. I sit between the two and Alex sits to the left of Skyler.

"And how are my two favorite ladies doing?" I wrap an arm around each of their shoulders.

"Good!" They both shout at the same time.

"Music's a little loud though!" Skyler shouts over the blasting bass.

"It hurts!" Rainbow has her hooves pushing down on her ears. The music is already loud enough for us, but with her ears, Rainbow probably hears the music even louder than we do.

We chat, or at least try to, until finally a quieter song comes on, a slow dance actually.

"Shall we?" I stand up and hold out my hand to Skyler.

"We shall." She takes my hand and stands up. Alex heads over to the snack table, and Rainbow... she just kinda leans her head on a hoof.

"Rai-" I try to get Rainbow's attention, but I'm pulled into the middle of the dance floor.

"I'm not much of a dancer." I tell Skyler as we slowly spin in a circle.

"Ha, neither am I."

We dance slowly for a few songs. I'm finally doing what I'd dreamed of for three long years... But something feels off. I look over to check on Rainbow, and what I see makes me stop moving entirely. She's got her head buried in her front legs, her shoulders are bobbing up and down. Did something happen?

"Matt..." I look back at Skyler who's looking at me with a worried expression. "Tonight's been fun, but look at her, something's really bothering her. Please Matt, for me, go be with her."

"But Skyler..."

"Go Matt!"

I nod and start walking towards Rainbow, when I see the devil himself start approaching our table.

"Well well well, why's the little pony crying?" Fuck... Jack.

Rainbow doesn't look up at all.

"Well if you ain't gonna talk, I'll make ya! This one's for Matt!" Everything goes into slow motion as his fist raises into the air.

"NO!" I full sprint towards Jack. Just before his fist can make contact, I barrel into him, throwing both of us to the floor. I hear Rainbow gasp as we hit the floor with a thud.

"There you are you little shit!" Jack snarls at me. "It's time for a little payback!" Jack's fist comes down hard on the center of my chest. I cough as the air is forced out of me. The music has stopped now, and everyone in the room is staring at us. Nobody tried to help... except for one.

"Leave... Him... ALONE!" Rainbow shouts louder than I've ever heard her scream before.

"What's that little pony? Do you love him or something!?"

"Yes I do!"

Jack is stunned by the answer, but not as blown away as I am. I don't have time to be shocked though. I take the opportunity to grab Jacks arm and flip him off of me. I stand up and grab his arm.

"Nighty night." I say calmly. I take the middle of his arm, and snap his elbow backwards over my knee. Jack lets out an animal like scream as his elbow snaps in half.

"YOU LITTLE SHIT!" He yells as he flails around on the ground. His friends come and rush around him, but one look at me and they don't even attempt to say anything to me.

I snap back to my senses and spin around violently looking for Rainbow.

"Alex!? Where'd Rainbow go!" I grab Alex by his shoulders as I notice him nearby.

"She flew out the door after she yelled. Nobody knew what she meant by 'Yes I do'... What did she mean by that?"

"I'll tell you later dude!" I yell as I rush outside. I throw the door open and I'm hit by a blast of cold wind.

"Where the hell is she!?" I yell to nobody in particular. I look up at the gym roof and see a small bit of rainbow colored hair flapping in the wind over the edge.

I run around to the back of the gym where I find a ladder that leads to the roof. I knew it would be pointless to try to yell at her over the wind, so I knew I'd have to take the direct route.

I reach the top of the gym where the winds blows violently at my clothes. I run up to Rainbow who is sitting on the edge of the gym, her face buried in her hooves.

"Rainbow?" I come to a stop a couple of feet behind her.

"What do YOU want!?" She spits out as she turns to me. Her eyes are puffy and red.

"I want to know why you ran out!"

"Because now you know the truth! I know you hate me now, so leave me the buck alone!"

"I don't hate you Rainbow!"

"You said I could never fall for a human Matt! Well guess what! I did!"

"Rainbow..."

"No Matt! You were right! I'm just some dumb animal! I'll never be Skyler will I? Will I Matt!?"

"That's not true!" I finally realize why I'd been feeling weird around Rainbow lately. I hadn't even noticed it... but I think I've fallen for her too...

"Yes it is! Say it Matt! Tell me I'm an animal!" She's crying even harder now. I feel so bad for not noticing sooner. Thinking back the signs were all there! How could I have been such an idiot!

"You're not an animal Rainbow!" I retort. "I would know because I could never fall in love with an animal!"

"W-What?"

I pick Rainbow up as the wind whips past us at incredibly fast speeds. Her bottom half dangles down, but I support her upper half. She buries her head in my chest and wraps her legs around the back of my neck.

"I love you Rainbow! And nothing could ever change that!"

"You what!?" Her head pops up extremely fast. "Stop messing with me Matt!"

"I'm not kidding Rainbow! I fell for you, and I can't deny it! I may not have been aware of it at first, but I realize it now! These past couple of weeks have been the best weeks of my life... And I owe it all to you!"

"You really fell in love with a pony Matt?" She chokes through her tears.

"No, I fell in love with YOU."

A sheet of cold rain starts to fall on us, but we don't move at all. We just stare deeply into each other's eyes. I pull her tighter into my chest as tears start to roll down both of our faces.

"I never thought I'd fall in love with an egotistic pegasus."

"And I never thought I'd fall in love with a dorky human."

We laugh gently at our own comments before Rainbow's eyes slowly close. She slowly starts to lean her head towards mine, and I understand what she's trying to do.

My mind goes blank and my body goes numb as our lips slowly meet together for the first time.

Play Ball - Part 1

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"Whoa..." I mumble as we part. It feels like a ton of weight has been lifted off of me, like all the stress I'd had for the past few weeks just suddenly disappeared.

"Thank you..." Rainbow buries her head into my shoulder. "I never expected you would ever like me Matt..." She chokes out.

"I'd be an idiot not to." I brush her soaking wet hair out of her face, then proceed to push away my own.

We just stand in the pouring rain on top of the gym roof. I want to think everything will be perfect now, but I don't know if it will. My biggest challenge now will be getting everyone to accept us being together. What if they never do? Will it bother me if people think badly of us? Should I really care about what others think about us, when all that really matters is that we're finally happy?

"It's getting really cold up here." I chuckle as I place Rainbow down gently. "Shall we head back inside?"

"Yeah, we're soaked." Rainbow laughs as she spreads out her wings. "Oh wait..."

"What?" I pause as I'm about to climb down the ladder.

"I... can't fly when it's this wet."

"Oh my... really? Can you climb a ladder?"

"I think you should carry me down."

We make it to the bottom of the ladder, Rainbow riding on my back with her legs wrapped around my torso. We walk towards the front of the gym.

"You can still fly, can't you?"

"Hehe, yep!"

"You lazy little..." I laugh as we enter the building.

"Matt!" Skyler and Alex run up to us. "Are you guys okay!?" Skyler stops in front of us with a worried expression.

"Never better!" I say as I try not to get the floor soaking wet. "What happened to Jack?"

"Dude his mom came in, and he was crying like a baby! He's probably on his way to the hospital by now! You seriously fucked him up man."

"Well I had to protect my girlfriend." I say smugly.

"...What? But Skyler wasn't even o-" Alex stutters.

"I-I think he means... her." She points to Rainbow, who is just smiling up at me.

"Wait, dude. Are you and Rainbow..." Alex starts point at both of us.

"Together?" I finish his sentence. "Uh, yeah, I suppose so... This isn't weird to you guys is it?"

"I think it's adorable!" Skyler squeals. "I always thought you two were cute together."

"Alex?" I look to him for confirmation.

"Dude..." Alex pulls me over to a table to tell me something privately. "Are you sure about this?" He whispers.

"More sure than I've ever been."

"And are you happy with her?"

"Yeah... I am."

"Then I support you dude." He pats my back hard with an open palm.

"Thanks Alex." I sigh with relief.

"I always got your back." Alex says as we return to Skyler and Rainbow.

"So! Who's gonna come dance with me?" Skyler says as an upbeat song starts playing.

"Shall we?" I look down at Rainbow who is starting to bob with the beat.

"Yeah! This song is amazing!"

The four of us run out into the the dance floor where everyone is jumping and spinning to the music. If I remember correctly... the song is called I Love It by Icona Pop. Not a bad song at all!

"This is the best night ever!" I yell as the three of us jump with our fists in the air. Rainbow is just kinda bobbing up and down with her eyes closed, the biggest smile I've ever seen on her plastered on her face.

We dance and laugh the night away, finally together as friends with no tension between us. Rainbow apologized to Skyler for giving her the cold shoulder for the past couple of weeks, and they quickly became good friends. Alex and I seemed to find ourselves at the snack table a lot, and Rainbow even did some flying tricks between songs. Everyone loved her stunts, and it made me proud to call her my friend.

Eventually, the time came where we all had to part ways. Rainbow and I walk out of the gym into the cold autumn night. The music pulsed from the gym behind us, though it was muffled by the thick walls.

"This night couldn't have been better..." Rainbow sighs as I start up the truck engine.

"Well, it would've been nice if I didn't get socked in the chest." I laugh. "But otherwise, yeah, this was the greatest night of my life." I reach over and mess with Rainbow's mane which is still damp from the rain.

"Are we going to tell your family?" Rainbow looks over at me as I drive down the dark road.

"I... don't know yet. I'm not sure how they would react."

"Yeah, it's probably weird that you're dating a pony." Rainbow sighs.

"It's not Rainbow. Not to me anyway..."

"I wish I wasn't like... this" She moves her hooves up and down her body for emphasis.

"I already told you that I like you for you." I reach over and flick her ear. "Besides, it makes you unique y'know? What other guy can say he's best friends with a pegasus with rainbow hair?" She smiles up at me, her eyes watering slightly.

"I'm just glad somebody likes me for me."

We pull into the driveway at about eleven. Everyone's probably asleep by now, so I try to be quiet as we enter. We quietly walk upstairs to my room.

When we get in, Rainbow immediately throws her dress off.

"Ugh! Finally! I hate those things."

"I knew you did! I totally called it!"

"I only wore it to impress you."

"I figured that out a while ago." I say as I throw off my jacket which is still slightly damp.

"So... what now?" She jumps up onto the bed.

"What now?" I repeat as I change into a pair of shorts. "Now, I get some sleep. I'm tired as shit." I turn off the light, and I jump onto the bed and roll over on my stomach.

"Thanks..." Rainbow mutters a few minutes later.

"What?"

"For giving me a chance."

I turn over to face Rainbow, and see her eyes starting to water again. I know what she must have felt for the past couple of weeks. I'd felt the same thing for the past three years. I surprise her by leaning over and giving her a quick, small kiss on the tip of her nose. She laughs quietly before wrapping her front legs around me. We fall asleep not long after.

"Emily! No! This is mine!" I hold the plate of bacon above me head.

"Matt! Please?"

"There's more in the freezer! Make it yourself!"

"What are you two doing?" My mom walks down the stairs in her robe.

"Trying to keep my breakfast." I retort plainly as I continue to hold the place above my head.

"You two..." My mom mumbles with a small smile.

I take the plate upstairs and close the door to my room behind me. I lean against the closed door with a sigh.

"Finally." I eat a strip of the bacon as I sit down at my desk. I open up my laptop and throw on my headphones. Rainbow is still snoring behind me, so luckily she won't protest about eating bacon right in front of her.

A blue box pops up on my screen with a couple of buttons and the word "Alex" I recognize it as a Skype call and answer it.

"Hello?" I say sluggishly, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. The light next to the webcam comes on, meaning that Alex can see me and my room.

"Sup Matt!" Alex's webcam shows him sitting in his room.

"Why are you calling at eight in the morning Alex?"

"Just wanted to ask you something... Is that Rainbow in your bed?" I see him point to Rainbow behind me.

"Yeah, why?"

"Dude did you guys..." He makes a circle with one hand and puts his finger on his other hand into the hole.

"Alex! The fuck man? No!"

"Haha, I'm just messin' with you. Anyway, I was gonna go with my parents to a Suns game today, but they both have to work. I have two extra tickets, you guys wanna go?" He holds up three baseball tickets in his hand.

"Sure! I promised her that I'd take her to a sporting event sometime soon. It'll be cool to teach her about baseball."

"Alright cool! I'll stop by your house in about two hours to pick you guys up."

"Okay, see ya!" I hang up and take my headphones off. Rainbow moans behind me as she stretches under the sheets.

"Matt? What was that?"

"Alex is taking us to a baseball game today! You said you wanted to see our sports here, so there you have it!"

"Oh cool!" She springs up in the bed. "Oh this is gonna be awesome!" She pumps her hoof in excitement. "Just one question."

"What's that?"

"What the hay is baseball?"

"I think it'll be easier to explain once we're there." I laugh as I pull out another strip of bacon. "Want some breakfast?" I tease her.

"Matt! Come on, I thought we agreed that you wouldn't eat that stuff around me!"

"As I recall, you weren't awake when I brought it in here, so it"s not my fault."

"It's still gross..." Rainbow mumbles as she wraps the sheets around her.

"You haven't even tried it."

"I'm not going to eat meat."

"Whatever, your loss." I eat the rest of the bacon. We watch a movie for a couple of hours until I hear a honk from outside.

"That must be Alex." I say as I turn off the Xbox and hop out of bed.

"Let's go!" Rainbow says excitedly as she heads for the door.

"Hold up I need to change first." I say as I open my closet.

"Ugh! Why do you guys wear clothes so much? I never do!"

"We aren't covered in fur, that's why." I retort as I throw on some jeans and a hoodie.

We run down the stairs and almost plow into my mom.

"Sorry mom! Going to a baseball game with Alex! See ya later!"

"Have fun!" She waves after us.

We run up to Alex's car where he's waiting in the driver's seat.

"And how are the lovers doing today?" He teases as we hop in. We both get in the back seat as the passenger seat has a bunch of school stuff in it.

"Already doing that huh?" I laugh as I buckle myself in.

"Seriously Rainbow? You fell for this guy?" Alex points a thumb back at me.

"Yeah! He's an idiot but... he's my idiot." She looks at me with a smirk.

"I'm smarter than you I bet."

"No way. I'm totally smarter."

"Oh yeah? What the square root of 144 times eight?"

"Oh shit he got you there." Alex says back to us when Rainbow doesn't say anything.

"Uh... Fine you win." He ears droop in defeat. "But I'm still faster than you."

"That's not fair, I can't fly! And it's ninety-six by the way."

"We're almost there. Can you two stop arguing and just make out already?" Alex says with a chuckle as the stadium comes into view.

"I'll do it out of spite motherfucker!" I pull Rainbow's head towards me and tap a quick kiss on top of her head.

"Damn, that's some real passionate shit right there." Alex retorts as we pull into the parking space.

"Whoa... that's huge!" Rainbow gapes at the stadium before us.

"Bragan Field..." I mutter as I take in the atmosphere around us. "Nothing better than a game on a Saturday."

"This is the last game of the season isn't it?" Alex asks as he pulls out two baseball caps. He hands me one an I slip it on, ready to cheer for my team.

"Yep, too bad they won't play again for a while... It's good timing though."

"Why's that?"

"Rainbow would have to wait months to see a game if we hadn't come today."

We look down at Rainbow who is still staring at the giant stadium ahead of us. She looks over at us to say something.

"Do I get a hat?" She says as she hovers in the air.

"Unless you want to be deaf, than no. The hat would just push your ears down. I doubt you'd be able to hear well." Alex says as he flips a third hat around in his hand.

"Oh..." She lands on the ground.

"Wait I have an idea. Alex do you still keep that pocket knife back here?" I say as I open the car door.

"Yeah, under the right seat."

I pull out the knife and open it. It twirl it around, watching the sun reflect off the surface.

"Here give me the hat." I hold out my empty hand to Alex. He hands it to me and I place the hat on top of Rainbow.

"Okay... cut here, and here." I mutter to myself as I look to see where her ears will go. I take the hat off of her and place the tip of the blade inside the hat. I cut two slits where her ears would be and push them open slightly.

"Boom! There we go!" I express as I toss the knife back in the car. I kneel down and place the hat on Rainbow's head. I push the first slit open and pull her ear through it. I repeat the process on the other side.

"That... doesn't look bad at all actually." Alex says as he rubs his chin.

"It's awesome! Thanks Matt." Rainbow says as she looks up at the hat.

"Let's get in there already." I start to walk to the stadium. Alex and Rainbow follow behind me as we head for the front gates. We wait in line to get in, while also drawing in stares from everyone around us. Rainbow and I are used to it, but Alex is freaking out as people try to talk to us or take pictures.

"It's like being friends with a celebrity." Alex mutters as we near the front of the line.

"Technically, we are celebrities." I say back as I dramatically wave my hand at him. "Back off peasant." We laugh as we reach the metal detector.

The guards that let us in don't say anything, but they do give us weird looks when Rainbow passes through.

"Whoa!" Rainbow gasps as the field comes into view. "This looks amazing! Is this the field?"

"Yep, looks like they put new grass down recently." I say as we walk out into the stands. "Where are our seats Alex?"

"Oh you're gonna love them! We're right behind the home team dugout!"

"Oh nice! We got some of the best seats in the house!" I explain to Rainbow who looks really excited to be at some athletic event.

"Shit, the players are already taking the field. Let's get down there." Alex leads us to our seats. We have three seats in the row just behind the Suns' dugout. Rainbow sits between Alex and I. As soon as we sit down, we hear people whispering around us. A man in the row behind us reaches down to us with a baseball.

"Excuse me sir." He says as he taps my shoulder. "I don't mean to interrupt, but would it be possible for your friend to sign for my daughter?" I look next to him and see a little girl staring directly at Rainbow with a huge smile.

"Of course!" I take the ball, not wanting to make the kid unhappy. The man hands me a black sharpie from his shirt pocket. "Rainbow, sign this." I hold the ball in front of her.

"Why?"

"Just do it." I uncap the sharpie and place the end of it in her mouth. I hold the ball for her while she signs it. She drops the sharpie in my hand and I put the cap back on. I hand the signed ball and the sharpie to the man behind me as I say, "Enjoy the game!"

"We will, thank you." He says with a smile. I can here his daughter laughing behind us in happiness. It felt good to make someone happy like that.

"Okay, so how do you play? What are the rules?" Rainbow asks while looking at me and Alex.

"Okay, see the guy on mound of dirt in the center?" I point to the pitcher who is still warming up. "He throws a white ball at the guy over there." I point to the batter who is also warming up.

"Okay, then what."

"The guy he throws it at is called the batter, he has to hit the ball with a stick called a bat. If he misses the ball, but it goes where he could have hit it, it's called a strike. If the ball goes somewhere that he cannot hit it, it's called a ball. If he gets three strikes, he's out. When a team gets three outs, they switch from offense to defense. If he gets four balls, he goes to that white bag which is called first base."

"What if he hits the ball?"

"If he hits it inside those two white lines, it's fair game. He has to try to run around all of the bases and reach home plate, but he can stop at any base as long as nobody else is there. If he makes it to home plate, he scores a point for his team. If somebody catches the ball before it hits the ground, he's out. If he hits the ball outside of the lines, it's a foul ball and it counts as a strike."

"And if he hits it over the fence?"

"That's called a home run. If the ball goes over the fence, the team gets one point for ever person that's currently on base, including the batter."

"Okay, cool I think I get it now. Which team are we cheering for?"

"We're cheering for the Suns, the team wearing the black, yellow, and white uniforms."

We refocus on the game as the players take their positions.

The crowd cheers wildly as the first pitch is thrown.

Play Ball - Part 2

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"Yeah!" The crowd screams as the ball soars up and over the left field fence. It's the fourth inning and it seems that Rainbow now understands at least the basics of the game, allowing her to participate in cheering at appropriate moments.

"What a hit!" Alex yells as he sits back down.

"Hey, we're at the top of the line-up." I say while pointing at the next batter. "Hey! How about one over here!?" I yell.

The pitcher winds up and lets the ball fly. The batter makes contact, but the ball doesn't hit at the right angle, and it heads straight for the stands. It's coming at us, but it's way too high to reach. But we have something that nobody else does.

"Rainbow! Up!" I yell as I point at the ball above us.

"On it!" Rainbow takes off at lightning speed and appears in front of the ball. The crowd gasps, then cheers when Rainbow catches the ball against her chest. "Got it!" She yells while holding the ball between her hooves.

I look over at the big screen while Rainbow descends back into her seat. When she lands I jump slightly and point at the big screen.

"Dude, that's us!" Alex yells as he waves in the direction of the camera. Rainbow and I wave with him as people try to push their way into the camera shot. The camera doesn't move off of us when I think it will. Even the players are staring at us on the screen.

"It's like they've never seen a rainbow colored pony before." Alex mutters while still waving with an awkward smile. Eventually the big screen fades back to the stats of the batter, and the game continues.

"This is fun guys." Rainbow says while putting a leg around each of our shoulders.

"Are you kidding? This is more than fun. This is the best game I've ever been to!" Alex says while watching the batter.

"Yeah, you make it so much more fun." I say while ruffling Rainbow's hair. Rainbow smiles and leans on my arm, placing a leg around my chest in a hugging position. I think it might look weird, but I don't push her away since I know I'll have to get used to it eventually. I put an arm around her shoulders and pull her into my side.

"Hey, Alex." I say while pulling out my phone.

"Yeah?"

"Take a selfie with us in it."

"Gotcha." Alex catches my phone after I toss it to him. He opens Instagram and goes to my profile. "Holy shit, you got a ton of followers."

"Yeah, you can thank the news for that. Now take the picture man!"

Alex opens the front camera and points it at us. Rainbow and I smile, still holding each other. Alex leans towards us and extends his arm so that we all fit into it. He snaps the picture and hands the phone back to me.

"Nice, this looks really good." I say as I post the picture. For the description I put, "Baseball with Rainbow and Alex. #suns"

I pocket the phone and go back to holding Rainbow to my side. We watch the game until the sixth inning when something I wasn't expecting to happen, happened. Between innings they always do some game or something to entertain the crowd. Well this time, they're doing one of those kiss cam things, and guess who they ended up putting the camera on.

"Uh..." Alex says as he stares at himself on the big screen. On the screen is the outline of a heart with Rainbow and myself in it. Alex can be seen on the side of the screen. Rainbow and I look at each other, then smile awkwardly at the screen. In private, I wouldn't mind this at all, but they want me to kiss her in front of thousands of people. The camera doesn't move, and everyone around us is cheering for us to do it. Eventually we both give in to the crowd.

Rainbow leans up and plants one right on my lips. She holds it there for a second or two before pulling back and listening to the crowd. Thankfully they aren't laughing like I thought they would. Instead, they're actually cheering and screaming for us. The camera pans to a different couple and the three of us breathe sighs of relief.

"That was awkward..." Rainbow mumbles as she leans back into me.

"I don't know, I kinda liked it." I say while twirling a strand of her hair.

"You don't mind the fur?" Alex chuckles.

"What's wrong with my fur?" Rainbow says in defense.

"I don't really mind. Kinda tickles though."

"Does it also tickle your..." Alex points down at his crotch and loses his shit laughing at his own joke.

"Alex, come on dude." I deadpan. "We didn't do that, did we Rainbow?"

"Uh no. We didn't."

"Yeah yeah, you will though, I'm calling it." Alex pulls down his hat and looks back at the game.

"Whatever man." I go back to watching the game.

"Who all knows? Y'know, about you two being a thing." Alex asks a few minutes later.

"Just you and Skyler actually. I haven't told my parents or Emily yet."

"Just make sure they're ready for it when you do. No telling how they'll take the news."

"I just hope they don't disapprove of it..." I look down at Rainbow who fell asleep a couple of minutes ago. She lets out a little sound that makes both of us laugh.

"Did she just fucking neigh in her sleep?" Alex tries to cover his laugh with a hand.

"I think so, I wish I had recorded it to hold it against her later." I laugh. I wake Rainbow back up so she won't miss the game.

The game ends about half an hour later with the Suns taking home the win.

"That was so fun!" Rainbow expresses as I open the car door for her. I enter in after her and sigh as I lean back.

"I usually don't have that much fun at games, but you two made it worth the while." I say as I pull her into my side. I've found that I subconsciously hold her like this. It's so addictive and she loves when I do it.

"You guys up for lunch? It's only like noon." Alex says as he pulls out onto the road. "We could try that barbecue place down the road."

"Yeah, I don't think so. Rainbow would puke so hard if we just walked in there." I say as I try to think of an alternative. "We could go to Uncle Luigi's! It's been a while since we've been there."

"Sounds like a plan." Alex heads in the direction of the pizza place. "So Matt, isn't your birthday next Saturday?"

"Hey, yeah, it is! I almost forgot about that myself."

"It's your birthday next week?" Rainbow takes her head off my shoulder to look up at me.

"Yep, October 16." I say as the restaurant comes into view.

"Good to know..."

We get out of the car once we park, and head into the restaurant where we're greeted by Uncle Luigi again.

"The usual?" He says before we can even say hi.

"You know it!" I reply as we sit in a booth. I sit with Rainbow and Alex sits on the other side from us.

"You guys make me jealous y'know." Alex says as he spins his phone around on the table. "You meet just two and a half weeks ago, and now you're like the perfect match up. I've never found anyone like that."

"You totally will dude. I'm calling it now that you'll find someone by the end of the year."

"I don't know man, I've never really been one to date. Speaking of which, did you guys go anywhere yesterday? A first date perhaps?"

"Unless you count sleeping, then no." Rainbow says as she looks up at me with an annoyed look. "All he wanted to do was sleep."

"You're parents are really trusting Matt. Letting you sleep with a girl in your own bed every night. My parents would NEVER let that happen."

"Well they probably wouldn't expect us to... do anything. We aren't exactly compatible if you haven't noticed."

"I doubt you'd be able to make her happy anyway." Alex chuckles with an evil smirk. Rainbow tries to cover her own snicker with a hoof.

"What are you getting at?" I say in defense.

"I'm saying that I bet you're not packin a punch if you know what I mean." Alex and Rainbow just laugh even harder.

"You don't know that! I am not small!" I can practically feel my face turning red.

"You better make her happy soon Matt. Wouldn't wanna walk in on her doing it for herself." Now Rainbow's face turns red as well.

"Can we cut it with the sex jokes now?"

"Well we need SOMETHING funny to talk about." Alex replies.

"How about how Rainbow neighed in her sleep?" I chuckle.

"I did what?" She looks up at me with a confused expression.

"You fucking neighed in your sleep like a horse. It was kinda cute, but funny at the same time."

"I'm not cute." She mumbles as she crosses her front legs and her ears droop.

"Oh yes you are." I say while messing with the feathers on her wing. "You're like a big teddy bear."

Rainbow goes to say something, but is cut off when our pizza is slid onto the table along with our drinks. We eat and drink for a good hour before Alex stands up.

"Looks like I gotta go. You guys need a ride home?" Alex says as he takes out his cut of the bill and places it on the table.

"I think we'll walk. It's nice weather today."

"Alright, well I'll catch you guys later." Alex waves to us as he walks out of the parlor. We wave back before turning out attention back to each other.

"Want a milkshake?" I ask Rainbow. "I've got some cash left."

"Sure!"

I order a chocolate milkshake which is brought to us not long after.

"So are we sharing this or what?" Rainbow asks as I put in two straws.

"Yep. It's so cliche though. But it's the little things that matter the most."

We both slowly drain the glass of its contents while talking and just enjoying each others company.

"I wonder what we'd be doing right now if you hadn't spilled the beans last night." I say while we're just looking into each others' eyes.

"I'd probably be depressed and you would have no idea." She responds.

"I'm sorry I didn't catch on sooner. You know you can tell me anything and I won't judge you for it. You should have just told me how you felt."

"What matters is that we're here now, together." She smiles as we finish the drink.

"C'mere." I mumble as I pull her up to me. I can taste the milkshake again as our lips meet together.

Gone

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*Rainbow's Point of View*

"Where is he..." I mumble to myself as I walk in circle's in Matt's room. "He was supposed to be home by now..."

Last night, after the baseball game, Matt dropped me off at home. He said he was going out to get some groceries for his mom and that he would be home before I knew it. Here I am now, on Sunday morning, and he never came back. His mother has already called the police, but they couldn't find him anywhere.

"I'm worried about him." Emily says from Matt's bed. "Why didn't he come home yesterday?"

"I don't know!" I yell back in anger. Tears stream down my face as I think of all the worst possible things that could have happened to him. He could be dead for all I know.

A knock on the door makes Emily and I run downstairs. Matt's mother opens the door to reveal Alex and Skyler, both look worried.

"We came as soon as we heard." Skyler says as they both enter. "Have they found any leads yet?"

"No, we don't know anything yet." His mother says through tears.

"Calm down. We'll find him." Matt's father tries to comfort everyone.

"What if we never see him again?" Alex says as he rubs his eyes. "I can't lose my best friend."

"I'm going out to look again." I say as I walk out the door. I had tried looking around earlier with no luck. I'm not giving up yet.

I take flight as fast as I can and begin to look around town for any signs of Matt. After finding nothing after hours of searching, I return home. When I reach the house, I spot two police officers walking up to the front door. I land behind them and listen in as the talk to Matt's parents.

"We found something at a gas station near the store you said your son was shopping at." The first officer says as he flips through a note pad.

"What was it? Is it anything good?" I ask from behind. The officer rubs his forehead and sighs.

"I'm going to be honest with you guys. We found ALOT of his blood on the cement outside of the gas station."

"What!?" I yell in shock.

"We have to inform you that your son could possibly... be dead. I'm sorry, but if he doesn't show up in the next few days, we'll have to consider him dead." The officer says, his voice cracking slightly.

"What!? NO! He can't be!" His mother yells through tears.

My legs go numb and my wings go limp as the news hits me hard. Is it possible? Could he really be gone... forever?

*6 Days Later - Matthew's Birthday *

Sounds of crying fill the room as Matt's family cries. He was announced dead three days ago. The funeral was planned soon afterward. I've been crying since then. I lost the one thing I loved in this new world. To make it even worse, we're burying him on his birthday. I can't take much more of this.

I lean on his coffin and cry until all of my tears are gone.

"WHY!?" I punch the top of the coffin. "Why did you leave me!" I yell through tears.

The service goes on, and once it's finished, we all get up to go bury the coffin.

The room goes quiet and everyone turns when the back doors slam open.

Where I've Been

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"I'll be back soon, I promise." I wave to Rainbow in the door way as I unlock my truck. "I just need to get a few groceries."

"Okay, I'll be waiting!" Rainbow waves as she closes the door.

I start up the engine and pull out of the driveway. I drive down the road, the only sources of light being the street lamps. A blinking symbol on my dash shows that I'm running low on fuel.

"Shit, gotta make a pit stop." I say as I pull into a nearby gas station. I fill up on gas while leaning up against the pump. I close the gas cap and pull my truck into a parking spot in front of the little convenience store. I decide to go in just to buy a drink since my throat is feeling a little dry.

"Is this all?" The cashier says with a bored tone as I place a bottle of coke on the counter.

"Yep." I place the cash on the counter and walk out into the cool night air.

"There he is!" A rough, deep voice yells from around the corner. Before I know it, three men are on me, pinning me to the ground. I hit the ground with a thud, and I feel a warm liquid leaving the back of my head.

"Where's the creature, boy?" The man in the middle asks.

"What creature!?" I yell as I struggle against them. I assume they mean Rainbow, but I can't let them find out where she is.

"Don't play dumb boy! We saw you on the news! We want that creature!"

"Why!? What do you want with her?"

"Are you fucking stupid kid!? Do you know how much money people would pay for something like that? Now tell us where it is!"

"Fuck you!" I headbutt the man who is right in front of my face.

"You little... Take him." Is the last thing I hear before a fist appears in my vision, and everything goes black.

"Wha..." My vision spins around, and my head hurts like shit. "Where..."

"Ready to talk kid?" The three men appear in front of me. Two other men stand behind them to make a total of five. They look like they've been living in a dump for months with their dirty clothes and greasy hair. I look around me and realize I'm in some sort of warehouse. My hands are bound to the chair I'm sitting in by what feels like ribbon.

"I'm not telling you shit!" I spit at them as I struggle against my restraints.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." One of the men pulls out a pistol and aims it at me. I just give him a deathly stare. I'm scared shitless, but I can't let them know that.

"Don't kill him you idiot!" One of the other men yells at him. "We need him alive!" The man lowers his gun, but keeps his eyes locked on me.

"You'll talk... or you'll be spendin' the rest of your days in this here warehouse." One of the men bends down in front of me.

"The police will find you assholes."

"I don't think so boy. We're miles from Jacksonville... They'll never look out here. Let us know when you're ready to pipe up." The five men leave the room and leave me to myself. I notice that they were dumb enough to leave everything in my pockets. Unfortunately, even if I could reach my pockets, there's nothing that I could use to cut myself free.

The next days comes by slowly as I wait in my chair. Slowly I've been able to rub the ribbons across a piece of metal on the back of the rusty chair. They barely give me any food. All I receive is some hard bread and dirty water.

Eventually, my time to escape comes.

"Still quiet today?" One of the men walks into the room. Little does he know that my bindings are now broken. And as luck would have it, this is the man with the gun.

I don't say anything as he approaches me. Instead, I stare at my feet as if I were sleeping.

"Hey! I asked you a question!" He approaches me as I eye the gun in his pocket. When he's just inches from me, I jump up and tackle him to the ground. I wrap my hands around his throat while pinning down his arms with my knees. I push down as hard as I can on his throat as he struggles and gags for air. I push back with all of my strength to keep him from getting up. I watch with anger as the life slowly drains from his eyes. I choke on my breath as I realize that I just killed someone.

"Holy... fuck." I pant as I fall on my knees. I don't have time to think about what I did. I grab the gun out of his pocket and turn it around in my hands. I pull the magazine out and check the ammo. Seven bullets... that's good enough for me.

I run around the to the room where I know the other four men are probably staying. I press my back up against the wall and cock the gun. I don't want to, but I WILL kill them if I have to. I peek around the corner to see the four men sitting on old chairs around a wooden table. It looks like they're playing poker, and they have no idea that I'm up. I turn into the doorway and aim the gun at them.

"Don't move!" I yell as I place my finger over the trigger. "I will shoot!"

"Whoa boy... I wouldn't do that if I were you..." One of the men says as he raises his hands in the air.

One of the other men thinks he can get the jump on me as he jumps up from his seat. He rushes at me with a large blade, but he isn't fast enough. My ears ring as a bullet flies through his chest. He falls the ground with a scream.

"Get him!" The other three men rush at me. I fire two more bullets which take down two more of the men. The final one rushes at me, but my gun jams as I pull the trigger. He tackles me to the ground and pulls out a knife. He tries to thrust it down on my throat, but I catch his hand just inches above my neck. Flashes of my fight with Jack go through my mind as I try to push the man off of me.

Instead of trying to force the man's arm upwards, I push it to the side. It makes contact with the ground with a clinking sound and it flies out of his hand. He runs after it, but I remember the first man I had shot. I run over to his body and pick up the large knife he had dropped. I turn around and see the man heading for me again, knife in hand. I don't even process what I'm doing as I launch the knife out of my hand. It hits home with a sickening squishing sound as it lodges in his throat.

The man falls while holding the handle of the knife. I watch as he stares directly into my eyes as the life quickly drains from his. Once he's down for the count, I take into account just what had happened. I scream angrily as I look at the bodies around me. I'm covered in dirt and blood, and I'm the last man standing. I'm a survivor.

"FUCK!" I yell as I spin around and take in my surroundings. I can't freak out now, I have to find my way back into town. I quickly run outside, only to find myself in the middle of what looks like a forest. I whip out my phone to find that I don't have a signal, and that the battery is almost dead. I check the van they had brought me in, but it's out of gas.

I start running in a random direction, hoping to find a main road or any form of civilization. I start walking once I begin to run out of breath. I take in the nature around me, almost forgetting about the gruesome scene I had left behind. According to my phone, it's Monday night right now. I stop at a lake in the forest as I become to weary from hunger to walk. I set up a pile of wood and attempt to start a small fire.

I find a piece of flint by the lake and bring it back to the wood pile. If I had something that was metal, I could start a fire. I remember the gun in my pocket and pull it out. I start scraping the flint across the side of the barrel until sparks start to fall off. The sparks start to ignite on the wood until finally a flame erupts from the pile. I sit in front of the fire, thinking about how I'm going to get home... If I do at all.

I pull out my phone and stare at a picture of Rainbow and I at school. What if I never see her again? Could she move on and find someone else if I don't come home? No! I can't think like that. I have to survive, for my friends, for my family, for her!

It's been four days since I escaped from my kidnappers, making today Friday morning. I've been able to find food fairly easily, though it's only enough to keep me going. I've come across a dirt road that I am now walking along, hoping to find some form of civilization. My heart starts to race when I come across a cabin with smoke coming out of the chimney.

"Hey! I need help!" I yell as I stumble towards the cabin. The door slowly opens, and a girl with blonde hair opens the door. She looks to be about my age, and you can tell by her clothes that she's used to living out in the country.

"Pa! C'mere!" She yells with an obvious southern accent. An older looking man with white hair slowly walks out. His eyes widen when he sees me stumbling towards them.

"Oh heavens!" He walks quickly up to me just as I'm about to fall from exhaustion. He catches me and leads me back to the cabin. A younger man, who I can only assume is the girl's brother comes as to help him. "Let's get you inside boy, it looks like you've gone through hell and back."

"You... have no idea." I sigh as we enter the cabin.

"Where are you from?" The man asks as he sits me down at a table. The girl brings me a cup of water which I gladly accept.

"Jacksonville..." I mutter between sips.

"Oh my! You're quite a ways away from home aren't ya?" The brother says as he leans against a cabinet.

"What? How far are we from there?" I ask as I almost choke on my water.

"Jacksonville's a good fifty miles south of here." The girl says with a warm, friendly smile.

"I need to get back to my family. I've been missing since Sunday." I retort.

"Well what brings you out here?" The man asks.

"I was kidnapped by five men. They kept me in some warehouse a few miles from here.

"Kidnapped? Did you escape!?" The girl asks.

"I suppose so... but I had to do some horrible things."

"Like what?" The brother asks. I take the gun out of my pocket and slide it to him across the table.

"I think that should explain it..." I mutter as I rub my eyes, remembering just what I did.

"That's a fine piece right there." The man says as he picks it up. "I can't blame you for what you did. It was in self defense I'm assuming."

"Yeah... I almost gave up all hope before I escaped. I almost gave up again on the way here..."

"You have quite the will to live. What keeps you going?" The brother asks.

"My family... friends... mostly my girlfriend. She's the best things that's ever happened to me. It would kill her if she thinks I'm dead. Hell, for all I know, they already declared me dead."

"Oh my... I'm so sorry." The girl says as she sits next to me and places her hands on mine. "I can't imagine going through that."

"You can stay here for the night if you wish." The man says as he places the gun on the counter. "Your story seems to check out."

"Thank you sir. Is there any way I can get home?"

"I suppose John here could drive you into town tomorrow." The man replies.

"I'd be glad to. What's your name?" He asks as he holds out his hand.

"Matthew... Matthew Green." I say as I shake his hand.

"I'm John Brown. This is my father, Colton Brown, and that's my sister, Alice."

"Thank you... for taking me in." I sigh as I rest my head in my hands.

"You must be starving." Alice says as she heads to the stove. "Let me whip something up for ya."

"I'd love that, thanks." I reply dryly as my stomach churns. It's been almost a week since I had a solid meal.

A few minutes later, Alice places a plate of eggs in front of me. I watch the steam coming off of them as my stomach growls loudly. It has to be the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. While I eat, she cleans the wound on the back of my head, along with some smaller cuts on my arms and legs.

"I can't thank you enough." I say as I finish the eggs. "You don't know how hard it's been..."

"Well I got lost in the woods for two days once... That was hard enough as it was. But you? You survived for days out there. I'm impressed a city boy like you could pull it off." Alice says as she takes my plate.

"I watched a lot of movies." I chuckle for the first time in days.

"I'm sure they were totally accurate." She laughs back. "Y'know, I like you Matthew Green. You remind me of my brother."

"You can just call me Matt."

"Alright then Matt. Want to get some sleep?" She says as she points at a couch in the next room. It's only noon, but I haven't slept soundly in days. I walk over to the couch and fall on it. I fall asleep almost instantly.

"Up and at em!" Alice yells from above me. My eyes slowly open to see her blonde hair dangling down in my face.

"Already?" I say groggily as I look out the window. It's still dark outside. "What time is it?"

"Five A.M." She says excitedly. "John's taking you home in a few minutes so get ready!"

"Alright, alright, I'm going." I get up sluggishly and stretch. I feel so refreshed now. If I hadn't found this cabin, who knows what would have happened to me.

We walk outside where John is waiting by a rusty old pickup truck.

"Howdy there Matt." He says as he spots us. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, I need to get home as soon as possible. Alice, thanks again for everything. Tell your father I said bye." I say as I step into the passenger seat.

"Bye Matt! I hope you make it home!" Alice waves as we pull out onto a dirt road.

"So Matt. What do you plan to do when you get to Jacksonville." John asks.

"Hopefully my family will be home. I wonder what their reactions will be when I get there."

"What if they already declared ya dead? They may have already had a funeral."

"Then they'll be even more shocked... Do you think I should tell them about what I did to escape?"

"I don't know man. If it were me, I would tell someone, but not everyone. Do you have someone that can keep a secret?"

"Yeah... I do actually, my girlfriend."

"Then tell her, and only her. If you get the secret off your chest, you probably won't feel as bad about it. Then it's up to you if you decide to tell anyone else."

"I think I'll do that... Oh crap, today's my birthday."

"Really? Well consider this trip my present to you Matthew."

"It's one of the best gifts I've ever gotten." I sigh as I stare out the window. I watch as the trees pass by until we eventually reach a highway. We drive for hours until finally in the distance, we spot Jacksonville.

"There is it!" I point at the buildings in the distance. "And we made good time too! It's only noon."

"Yep, do you need me to drop you off anywhere?"

"My house probably. I'll give you directions once we get into town."

We finally make it into town, and I sigh with relief that I'm finally home after going through a week of hell.

"Turn here." I point left as John pulls onto my street. He parks in front of my house. "I can't thank you enough for this John." I say as I shake his hand again.

"No problem man. Anything for another man in need."

"Hey if you're ever in Jacksonville again, look me up!" I say as I step out of the truck.

"I think I will. You take care now." He says as he drives away. I watch him until the truck is gone, then I run up to my house. I put in my key and unlock the door.

"Mom!? Rainbow!?" I yell as I look around the house. "Anybody?"

I notice a red circle on the calendar in the kitchen. I walk over to it and see that it's today's date. Written in the box is "Funeral"

"Holy... they're at my funeral right now!?" I run back out into the driveway. My truck must have been towed home from the gas station as it's sitting in the driveway. I hop in and start the engine. I floor it to the only funeral home that I know of. I just hope I haven't missed them yet.

I speed down the road as I make my way to the funeral home. Sweat pours down my face as I race through town. I finally arrive and I jump out of the car. I run up to the front doors. There's still a bunch of cars in the parking lot, so they must not have left yet. I run in through the front doors into the lobby. I'm still covered in blood and dirt, but I don't care right now.

I burst through the doors that lead to the main room. Everyone turns and goes silent when I burst through the doors. I made it... I finally made it home. I fall to my knees as I begin to laugh in pure happiness. Tears stream down my face as I look around at all the different people in the room. My eyes focus on the one figure that moves. Coming down the middle aisle, is a blue figure with a rainbow streak behind them.

I catch Rainbow is my arms as we fall on the floor. I squeeze her against my chest as we both cry heavily. Rainbow lifts her head to look me in the eyes. Her eyes are puffy and red, and her mane is a mess.

"I-I can't... believe..." She stutters before hugging me again. "We thought you were dead!" She screams.

"I thought I was too..." I say calmly as I try to push back my tears. She looks me in the eyes again before I pull her head down towards mine. I press my lips onto hers, and she quickly pushes back. We stay in the position for minutes on end as I hear cheering and crying erupting from everyone in the room. I don't even care that everyone saw Rainbow and I kissing.

"What happened to you..." Rainbow whispers as she looks me in the eye again.

"I'll explain later... just know that I never gave up. I kept going... for you Rainbow."

We press our lips back together as all of my worries and stress finally melt away.

Reunited

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"Matt!" Alex runs up to me where I'm currently on the floor. I pull away from Rainbow for a second to look up at Alex and Skyler running towards me.

"Guys!" I yell as I quickly jump up and embrace the two. "Holy shit, I didn't think I'd ever see you guys again!"

"What happened to you?" Skyler asks as we pull away. They both look at my bloody and dirty clothes and face.

"A lot of shit. I'll explain everything later... Let's just say I took a little trip."

My parents and Emily soon follow and we all embrace in a big group hug. The rest of my family and friends attending also come up to me and are equally shocked that I'm actually here.

"Matt... were you just kissing her?" My mother asks as she looks over at Rainbow.

"Oh, uh, I..."

"I'm proud of you." She quickly says back to me.

"Really? It doesn't weird you out?"

"Of course not. You're my son, I could never be ashamed of you. Besides, Rainbow is a nice girl, I'm sure you'll make her very happy."

Rainbow runs up behind me and jumps on my back. I hold her back legs by my waist and hold her as if I were giving her a piggy back ride.

"I want to know everything that happened." She whispers in my ear.

"Okay, but only in private." I respond as I walk outside into the warm sunlight. I carry her to the truck and open the passenger side for her. I wave to my family and tell them that I'll meet them at home.

"Okay, now will you tell me. Please?"

"Fine, alright..." I sigh as I remember the past few days. "But you aren't going to like it."

"I don't care. I want to know."

"Alright... I stopped at a gas station to put more fuel in my truck. I went inside to buy a drink, but when I came out... These three guys grabbed me and knocked me unconscious. I woke up in a warehouse up north about fifty miles away. I... escaped, but I had to do some terrible things Rainbow..."

"L-Like what?"

"I... killed them all..."

"Y-You..."

"Let me finish. They were going to hold me there until I gave them what they wanted. If I didn't do anything, I would have died there Rainbow."

"What did they want from you?"

"...They wanted you."

"Me!? This all happened because of me!" She starts to break down into tears again.

"They... wanted to sell you for money. I didn't tell them anything. I did what I had to do to protect you."

"I-I think I understand. How did you get back here?"

"I had to survive in the woods for four days. Eventually I came across a cabin where I met a nice family. They took me in and cleaned me up a little. They also gave me some food and water, as well as place to sleep. One of them drove me back into town not long ago. I drove to the funeral home as fast as I could."

"You have no idea what it was like when you never came back. I thought you might have just... left me." A tear slowly streams down her face.

"Hey, look at me." I stop at a red light. I put my hand under her chin and make her look directly at me. "I will never leave you. If there's one thing that describes me, it's loyalty."

"What a coincidence..." She chuckles under her breath. "Please, promise me that no matter what, you'll stay by me. Never leave me again."

"I promise." I say as I wipe the corners of her eyes. I ruffle her mane up and she laughs lightly. "I fought life and limb just to see you again."

"You don't know how much that means to me..."

I pull into the driveway, and my parents pull in not long after. We all walk inside together, finally reunited. Emily and my mom won't stop asking me questions about what happened. My father is just glad that I made it back in one piece. I explain what happened, but I leave out the details about what I did to escape. I can't let anyone else know about that. Not yet.

"Oh... son of a bitch." I sigh in relief as the hot water pours down on me. This has to be the best shower I've ever taken. I watch as the water below me turns a dark brown as the dried blood and dirt washes off of my skin.

"Do you need help?" Rainbow mutters from the other side of the shower curtain. I can't see her directly, but I know she's waiting on the other side. I tried to get her to leave the bathroom as I don't feel comfortable taking a shower with her in the room. She insisted on staying, and I only let her stay because I know how worried she was that I went missing.

"I'm fine. Just relaxing... Damn this is nice."

"Can I get anything for you?"

"Rainbow, I know I've been missing for a week, but you're being just a tad bit clingy."

"I'm sorry... I just don't want to lose you again. I feel like if you go out of my sight, you'll just vanish."

"I'm not going anywhere Rainbow. That's a promise." The water suddenly stops as I turn the handle. I grab a towel and wrap in around my waste. I step out of the shower where I see Rainbow with a sad expression, her ears drooping down.

"There, now I'm free for the rest of the day. I'm all yours." I say as I slip on a clean t-shirt. Rainbow's expression turns to one of joy at my words. She must have really been traumatized by this whole thing. Maybe even more than I am.

"Can we go to lunch? Just us?" She asks as I pick up a pair of shorts.

"Yeah, I suppose we could do that." I say as I pick up my boxers. "Can you turn around for a second?"

"Yeah."

I slip on my boxers quickly, then my shorts. "Alright, turn."

Rainbow looks back at me with a smile. It feels nice to be clean after living in the wilderness for a week.

"I want to go to that barbecue place that Alex mentioned. Is that okay with you?" I ask as we walk downstairs.

"I would normally says no, but it is your birthday... so fine."

"Yes! Thanks Rainbow. Don't worry they have salads there too. I'll buy you one of those."

"Oh, really? Okay, that's not so bad then."

"Dad! We're going to lunch. I'll be back in a little while, for real this time." I yell as I open the front door.

We walk to my truck which only reminds me of the whole incident again. I try to shake it off so I can focus on the here and now. I buckle Rainbow into the seat, then start the engine.

"You're not small..." Rainbow mumbles under her breath.

"Wait, what!? You looked!? I told you to turn around!"

"Just for a second! It's only fair since you've seen my..." She points down but doesn't finish her sentence.

"Well we're even then... Just don't pull that again." I laugh. I want to be mad, but I just can't get angry at her. She's too innocent looking to yell at.

"So, you're eighteen today right?"

"Yep, and I'm one of the oldest kids in my grade. I'm a junior, but I'm supposed to be a senior. I started school a year later than most kids."

"I don't know what any of that means, but happy birthday."

"When's your birthday Rainbow?"

"I don't know your months, but it's the eighth day of the fourth month. I'll be nineteen then."

"Wait, you're older than me?"

"Looks like it!" She laughs. "Does that bother you?"

"No not really. I just thought you were younger than me."

"We're practically the same age. A few months is nothing."

"I suppose you're correct about that." I say as I pull into a parking spot. "Ready to be surrounded by a ton of different meats?" I say with an evil smirk as I open the door for Rainbow.

"Not really... Just don't put it up in my face. I hate it when you do that."

"I love doing that. You're cute when you're angry. You're like a little fluffy ball of rage."

"I am not cute!"

"Yeah you are, and yelling isn't helping your cause at all."

"Welcome to Sonny's!" A woman greets us as we enter. "How many today?"

"Just two." I say as I hold up two fingers. She looks at Rainbow behind me and lets out a little gasp.

"Oh, pardon me. I didn't expect to see any celebrities today." She says which only boosts Rainbow's ego even more. She leads us to a booth and hands us two menus. "What would you like to drink?"

"Um, I'll have a sweet tea. Rainbow?" I look over at Rainbow who looks like she doesn't know what to say.

"Um, I'll have that too." Rainbow says as she looks up at the waitress.

"Have you ever had sweet tea before?" I ask as the waitress walks away.

"Nope, just normal hot tea."

"Well, it's the best drink in the south. If you live in the south, you're raised to love tea."

"How do you afford all of this?" Rainbow asks as she looks down at the menu.

"I had a job during the summer. I saved a lot of the money to use during the school year. My parents also give me some cash to buy gas for my car. I use anything left over from that as well for lunch and other things."

"Oh, okay then... This all looks disgusting..." Rainbow gags as she reads through the menu.

"How the fuck do you live with these?" I say, completely changing the subject. I pick up one of her hooves in my hand.

"Well I was born with them... We usually pick stuff up with our mouths. I can pick up bigger stuff with them, but they aren't like your hands."

"Yep, these are REALLY useful." I brag as I wiggle my fingers around.

"I feel useless when you have to do everything for me. Everything here is designed to be used with hands. I feel like I can't do anything by myself here."

"Well, that's what I'm here for. I like helping you do stuff."

"Really? I thought you'd feel like I'm just slowing you down."

"Rainbow, you already know that I don't see you as a burden. I like you for you. I wouldn't change you even if I could."

Another waitress comes back with our drinks and asks for our orders. Rainbow gets a simple little salad, and I order a smoked turkey sandwich.

"Isn't this the best thing ever?" I say as I take a sip of my tea.

"It's amazing!" Rainbow's already drained half of her glass which is pretty big.

"Right? I always get tea at pretty much every restaurant I go to."

We chat for a while as we wait for our lunches. After a few minutes have passed, two girls, both look to be about my age, run up to our table.

"Oh my gosh!" One of them squeals.

"Um, hey?" I say awkwardly as they look at both of us.

"You're Matthew Green right?" One of them asks.

"That's correct."

"And this is..." The other one gapes.

"Rainbow Dash. The one and only." Rainbow brags as she puts a hoof on her chest and spreads out her wings.

"Can we get a picture with you guys!?"

"Sure, why not?" I say as I stand up. Rainbow gets up from the other side of the booth. The girls stand together, with me on their left and Rainbow above and behind us hovering. They snap the picture and squeal again in that high pitched scream that girls like to do when they're excited.

"It's so cool to meet a celebrity in person. Thanks for the picture!" They wave as they exit the restaurant.

"They seemed nice." I say as I sit back down.

"Yeah, I love it when people recognize me and don't freak out in a bad way." Rainbow retorts as she sits down across from me.

"Y'know, for a pony, you sit down an awful lot like a person." I say as I notice how she's sitting just like I am. "Isn't that uncomfortable?"

"Not really. This is how I always sit unless I'm on the ground." I have noticed that before. On the ground or on a flat surface, she sits on her haunches like you'd expect her to.

"So, can you stand on just two legs?" I ask, my curiosity starting to get the best of me.

"I can stand on my back legs, but I can't walk like that or I'll lose my balance. What's with your sudden interest with my body?"

"Oh, just curious. I like to know everything about everything around me. I guess you could say I'm good at observing the little things. I also find it fascinating to compare our similarities and differences."

"Like how I have hooves and you have hands?"

"Exactly like that. The more I can learn about the world around me, the more prepared I am for any given situation."

"You're such an egghead Matt. You remind me of one of my friends." Rainbow smirks as she chews on her straw.

"Maybe I am, but I'm proud of it. Hey, while we're on the subject, why not learn more about each other?"

"Alright, what do you want to know?"

"How about... Do you have any special talents? Other than flying in general."

"Sonic Rainboom." Rainbow says with a cocky smirk.

"You mean sonic boom? Like breaking the sound barrier?"

"No, I mean Rainboom, as in breaking the sound barrier and creating a giant rainbow."

"Bullshit, there's no way you can break the sound barrier, much less create a rainbow from it. Rainbows are formed by light particles bending, not the sound barrier breaking."

"Well, you obviously haven't seen me do it then. How about I show you later?"

"Alright you're on."

"Good, now how about you? Anything special you can do?"

"Uh, I can survive in a forest for almost a week by myself. Does that count?"

"I suppose it does." Rainbow laughs, her voice cracking.

"I like when you do that." I say as I point at her.

"Do what?"

"Your voice, it cracks a lot. I like it. It makes you... well, you."

"Really? You like my voice?"

"Yeah, it's unique."

"Wow, everyone always laughed at my voice until I met my friends. They always laughed at me when it cracked like that..."

"Like I said earlier, I like everything about you, even your flaws."

"Thanks Matt..."

"There is ONE thing that I still don't believe."

"What's that?"

"Your fucking hair. I STILL call bullshit on that being natural. You had to have dyed it!"

"It's not dyed! It's completely real."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Your snoring doesn't help..."

"What was that Rainbow? If I remember correctly you sound like a broken motor."

We tease each other until our food finally comes about ten minutes later.

"I've said it a million times, and I'll say it again, that's gross Matt..." She says as I take the first bite of my sandwich.

"It's fucking good. Here, try it." I say as I rip off a piece of turkey.

"If I try it, will you stop shoving it in my face all the time?"

"Promise."

"Fine..." She opens her mouth and I toss the piece of turkey in. Her eyes widen and she immediately spits it out onto a napkin. "I can't do it! It's too gross!"

"Whatever, you're missing out." I say as I continue with my sandwich. Rainbow eats her salad by just stuffing her face into it. I laugh at her for it, and she explains that it's how she's always eaten and that it was normal in her world.

"Twenty dollars? Damn that's not that bad." I say as I pick up the bill.

"I've been meaning to ask, how does money work here?"

"Well it's different all around the world, but in this country, we have coins and bills. Each bill has a number on it which represents how many dollars it's worth." I pull out a twenty and show it to her. "This is worth twenty dollars, see the twenty in the corner?"

"Oh yeah, that makes sense."

"What's your currency like?" I ask as I clip the money to the bill.

"We have these gold coins called bits."

"How big are these bits?"

"A little smaller than my hoof." She says as she holds out one of her hooves.

"What!? Are they pure gold!?" I yell as I get a little too excited.

"Yeah, why?"

"Rainbow! Do you know how much just one of those would be worth here!"

"Uh, no?"

"Hundreds of thousands of dollars!"

"Wait wait wait. Why is that?"

"Gold is a rare metal here, just a small amount is worth thousands of dollars!"

"Whoa, really? Gold is pretty common in Equestria."

"Too bad we don't have one of those bits. We'd be rich."

"I don't need money, I have you." Rainbow says as we stand up.

"Do you know how sappy that sounded?" I laugh as we head for the cash register.

"It just slipped out! I can't help it if I like you."

"Aw, is the sappy pony embarrassed?"

"I am not sappy!"

"Whatever you say Rainbow Sap."

"That was terrible, and you should feel ashamed." Rainbow says as I pay the cashier.

"Okay, I'll give you that one." I say as we walk out into the autumn sun.

"Hey, let's go to a park or something so I can show you my Rainboom!"

"Sounds good!"

I hop into the car and give Rainbow a warm smiles after buckling her in. We just stare at each other, then laugh lightly.

"What are you doing?" Rainbow says through a soft laugh.

"Just remembering how lucky I am to have you around." Once the words leave my mouth, Rainbow hits the button to release her buckle. She quickly leans over to me and closes her eyes. I lean towards her and place my lips on hers.

I feel like the luckiest man on earth.

Broken Barriers

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"So... you're telling me, that you, a living creature, can break the fucking sound barrier?"

"Yes, I've done it multiple times." Rainbow brags.

"Rainbow, I believe pretty much everything you tell me, but when you tell me that those tiny little things can push you past the speed of sound, it's completely normal for me to call you out on that!"

"But Matt, I've done it in that show that I'm apparently from. Emily's seen me do it on there before."

"Alright, let's say that you CAN do this sonic boom thing. There's still no possible way for you to create a fucking rainbow from it."

"Yes I can! Matt you should believe me!"

"Okay, then explain how it works."

"Magic." Rainbow says plainly.

"See, there's where you're whole explanation falls apart. There is no magic on earth. Zero, none, nothing."

"I still have magic Matt. Did you forget that it's the thing that lets me fly?"

"Well... I suppose that's true. Alright, when we get to the park you can prove it to me."

We arrive a couple of minutes later at a park near my house. It's pretty open with only a few trees scattered throughout the entirety of the premise.

"Alright, let me stretch." Rainbow starts stretching her wings as we near the center of the park. It's pretty busy today so people are watching us as we walk by.

"I'm gonna record this shit just in case you aren't bluffing." I say as I pull out my phone.

"Oh I'm not, trust me." Rainbow says as I start recording.

"This is Matthew Green... It's October sixteenth and history is about to be made, here, in Jacksonville Florida. Ready Rainbow?" Rainbow nods and takes off in the blink of an eye. She quickly becomes a small dot in the sky before turning and quickly flying to the left. She quickly makes a u-turn and starts coming back down at a forty-five degree angle. Everyone around me has stopped what they were doing and are now staring at the sky. I'm tempted to yell, "It's a bird, it's a plane!"

A sound starts to erupt from high above us. It sounds like a jet, but it's slightly muffled. A white cone starts to form around Rainbow as she heads for the ground.

"Holy shit... she's actually gonna do it..." I mumble as I keep the phone focused on Rainbow. The jet-like sound quickly erupts into one of a bomb. A ring of colors spread out from where Rainbow actually broke the damn sound barrier. Her speed increases even more as she starts to head back towards the park. "Holy fuck! She fucking did it!" I yell as I quickly maneuver the phone to keep Rainbow in the shot. She comes down hard and skids across the grass at an insane speed. She comes to a stop a few feet away from me, and looks up at me with the most cocky smile I've ever seen.

"Told you." She says as she flips her hair out of her face.

"My girlfriend's a badass..." I mumble as I snap back to my senses. I look around to see a bunch of people on their phones. This is totally going viral in the next couple of days, no doubt about it. People all around us are cheering and clapping, others are taking pictures of Rainbow as she walks back towards me.

"Believe me now?" She asks as she slaps my leg with her tail.

"I... guess so." I say, still stunned at what just happened. "Let's get out of here before the police show up or something."

We run back to the truck with Rainbow bragging about how fast she is.

"I'll admit, I didn't think you had it in you." I say as I pull back onto the road.

"Never doubt the amazing Rainbow Dash!"

"I'm surprised your head hasn't exploded yet." I say with an annoyed look.

"What?"

"From your ego..."

"Matt!"

"I'm sorry but it's annoying when you brag all the time!"

"Are you mad at me Matt?" Rainbow's ears drop. "I was just kidding."

I sigh and rub my eyes. "No, I'm not mad Rainbow... In fact I'm the opposite. I'm proud of you for your abilities. I'm just... remember when we were on my roof?"

"Yeah, and you said you wished you could... oh..."

"I'm just jealous of you is all." I say as I try to perk up again. I don't want Rainbow thinking I'm mad at her. "I envy your abilities."

"Oh... Matt, I'm sorry, I won't fly anymore if you don't want me to."

"No no no, you can do whatever you want. I don't control you Rainbow. Ah, just forget it. It's just some dumb dream I've always had."

"It's not dumb, it's amazing. I wish I could find a way for you to fly with me..." An idea, no, an amazing idea pops into my mind, but I'll have to jump on it fast.

"We should get home now." I say as I quickly turn a corner.

"Why? It's only like... three in the afternoon."

"Because, I want to do something, but I need my computer to do it."

"Um, okay then. What is it?"

"Can't say. Not yet anyway. Let's just say I remembered about a little something I saw in a pamphlet."

"Come on! Tell me!"

"You're like a little kid Rainbow." I laugh at her excitement. "It's a surprise."

"Ugh, fine..." Rainbow crosses her front legs and pouts.

We pull up to the house a few minutes later, and I rush inside to my laptop. I wave to my family as I pass them as I run up the stairs with Rainbow in tow. I sit down at my desk and open up my laptop.

"Okay, now will you tell me what you're doing?"

"See for yourself." I say as I open the web browser. I find the website I'm looking for an click on the link.

"What's skydiving?"

"Only the closest thing to free flying I can get. It'll let me be up in the air with you."

"Whoa really!? You can fly with me!?"

"Well, it's more like falling with style..." I laugh at my own joke, which Rainbow doesn't get.

"So, what is it exactly?"

"They take you up in a plane and you jump out. when you get near the ground, you open your parachute which slows you down enough to land. On the way down, it feels like you're flying. Now that I'm eighteen, I can do this legally!"

"That's actually really cool! How much does it cost?"

"Let me see... Oh shit, that's a little pricey... I could probably afford to buy one ticket. You could just follow the plane and fall with me once I jump out."

"Sounds good to me."

"Now I just need to ask my parents. Even if I am eighteen, they'd flip if I did this without their permission."

*The Next Day*

"This is going to be amazing." I say as I drive with Rainbow to the skydiving place. "The little prep class might be a little boring though."

"It'll be worth it, trust me." Rainbow says as she moves around excitedly in the passenger seat.

The building comes into the view, and Rainbow squeals in excitement. This is going to be the best birthday ever.

Free Fall

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I can't hear much as the engine sputters to life. After arriving at the skydiving facility, I bought myself a place on one of the planes going up today. I had to take a class that explained the whole thing to us, as well as demonstrating what to do once we're out of the plane. To save some cash, Rainbow will not be in the plane with me, but will instead follow the plane through the air until I jump out. There are four other people on my plane, a couple in their twenties, and a couple in their, I'm guessing, early thirties. I look like the odd man out by sitting alone in the back of the plane, but little do they know that my partner is right behind us.

I look out the window as see a rainbow streak just a little bit behind us. The windows are tinted so Rainbow doesn't react when I wave to her. I gave her instructions on what to do when we jump. She's supposed to wait until I'm falling, then she'll fly up next to me and close her wings. We'll fall together until I'm ready to pull my chute. Once I pull my chute, Rainbow will start flying again until we reach the ground.

"Alright! You guys remember your training!?" The instructor yells at us.

"Yes sir!" We yell with a few cheers and hollers.

"Then let's do this thing!" He yells back as he opens the side door. Wind quickly rushes in and fills my ears. I can't hear anything other than the rushing wind through the plane. The instructor waves out the door for us to jump. We're at about fifteen thousand feet right now, so the drop should last for a decent amount of time. The two couples jump out first, then I make my way to the edge of the platform. The instructor gives me a thumbs up and pats my back which is the sign I should jump. I take a deep breath and look at the ground below us. This is it, this is what I've been dreaming of my whole life. Well, the closest thing I can get to flying.

"HOLY FUUUUUCK!" I yell as the initial shock of falling kicks in. I look up to see the plane flying away from us at an incredible speed since I've lost most of my horizontal momentum.

Rainbow swoops down towards me and starts falling in front of me. I can see her face as I lean in her direction. She's laughing hysterically, as am I. This is the most exciting thing I've ever experienced. I near Rainbow and grab onto her front hooves. We spin around in a horizontal circle as we laugh and watch as the ground moves towards us. It's not flying exactly, but with Rainbow... well let's just say this is was better than flying as long as she's here with me.

The wind makes her hair stand straight up, making her look really weird. I laugh at her and point to her hair, to which she retorts by doing the same to me. I pull out the camera I brought with me and aim it at us. I didn't want to risk breaking my phone, so I brought an old digital camera that I don't use anymore. I hit record and get both of us in the shot. We both wave and laugh at the camera before whooping and hollering as we cheer with pure joy.

The time comes too quickly when I have to pull the cord on my vest. I wave to Rainbow and point at the cord to signal that I'm about to pull my chute. I pull the cord, and immediately all of the momentum of my falling goes straight to my crotch. I just went from over a hundred miles per hour to about ten in a matter of nano seconds, all of that force has to go somewhere.

"Ah! Fuck!" I yell as I grab my crotch in pain. I'm having too good of a time to be mad though, so I end up just laughing hysterically. I can actually hear now, so I start laughing as Rainbow hovers down next to me spewing a bunch of nonsense with the biggest smiles on her face. I hold out my arms and grab her out of the air.

"Ah! Matt!" She struggles as she loses her balance in the air. She quickly calms down when she sees that I'm supporting her against my chest. She spins around so her stomach is up against my chest.

"So, was I right or was I right? Flying is awesome isn't it!?" She says ecstatically.

"It was amazing! How are you not doing this 24/7!?"

"I used to when I didn't have to stick by you all the time." She jokes.

"Maybe I like you sticking around." I say with a laugh as I pull her up to me. Our lips meet and stay together until we're just a couple hundred feet from the ground. I drop Rainbow and she hovers down to the ground where she waits for me to land.

I hit the ground a little harder than I intended too, and roll to a stop a few feet in front of everyone.

"Nice landing." Rainbow smirks as she lifts the parachute off of me. I slip all the gear off and shake myself off.

"Totally meant to do that." I say as I brush myself off.

"That was amazing." Rainbow huffs as we plop down into the the truck.

"No kidding. I can see why you love it so much."

"Was this our first date?" Rainbow says with a soft laugh.

"Actually no. I... already planned that out."

"Really!? When is it? Where are we going?" Rainbow starts spewing out questions.

"Chill, chill. I wanted to do it this evening if that's okay with you. I've had this planned for a while now."

"Of course that's okay with me! It's not like I have anything else to do, my life practically revolves around you Matt."

"The same could be said about you. You made this whole experience thousands of times better than it would have been if I came alone."

"Aw Matt." Rainbow starts to obviously blush, and she tries to hide it.

"Awww, is this the return of Rainbow Sap?" I laugh as I turn onto the highway.

"I'm not sappy!"

"Don't worry sappy pony, you're secret is safe with me."

Rainbow lets out a little snort which only gives me ammo to my gun.

"That's real cute." I tease her. Any time she makes a weird sound, I call her out on it and she absolutely hates it.

"What?"

"Your little snort thing that you do."

"It's not cute, it means I'm annoyed."

We tease each other for the rest of the car ride back to the house. Once we get home, I hook up my camera to my laptop where my whole family watches the recording of us skydiving.

"I wanna do that!" Emily says excitedly as she points to the screen.

"In eight years, be my guest." I say as I keep my eyes on the video. Watching Rainbow laugh and having such a good time makes me glad that I found out about her feelings when I did. If I hadn't, I probably would've ended up with Skyler, and Rainbow would've fallen into depression. It's definitely a good thing that she revealed how she felt, even if it wasn't on purpose. In fact, I have Jack to thank for that. If he had never tried to attack her, then she wouldn't have said anything about her feelings. So, where ever you are Jack, thank you... Oh and also fuck you.

"You two are adorable together." My mom squeals. "You're perfect for each other!"

"You guys are dating!?" Emily says, being the last to know about us.

"Yeah, is that a problem Em?" I say as I turn in my chair.

"No, I like it!"

"Dad, you haven't said anything about us. Are you okay with us being a thing?" I say as I look over at my dad. He looks at me, then at Rainbow, then back to me.

"Just... don't do anything... in bed." He groans as he rubs his face with a hand. He's really supportive of everything I do, so I'm glad he came through for me.

"I don't plan too." I look over at Rainbow. "Right?"

"Heh, yeah. No way." She laughs nervously.

Everyone leaves my room until its just me and Rainbow. I surf the internet, checking the news and social media while Rainbow watches me from the bed.

"You know... if we ever got like... really serious... just, what would do if we wanted to have a filly?" Rainbow asks nervously from behind me. I spin around in shock, not expecting her to ask anything like that.

"I... didn't really think that far ahead. We aren't exactly compatible." I say as I take off my headphones so I can hear her better.

"So, say we do get pretty serious..."

"Rainbow, where are you going with this?"

"I don't know... I just hoped that one day we might get close enough to... y'know. Not now of course! I-I wouldn't want to do that yet."

"Nothing says we HAVE to do that y'know. Besides, I think you're being a little dramatic."

"It would be nice..." Rainbow mumbles under her breath, though I pick up on her words anyway.

"Rainbow, you know I don't care about that kind of stuff. Hell, if somebody said we could never kiss again, so be it. As long as I'm around you, life couldn't be any better."

"I just don't want our relationship to be different than anyone else's just because of what I am." Rainbow pulls out her wing and points to it.

"That's the thing though. You ARE different. But you know what? That's why I like you. You're unique, so what if society frowns upon us? I say fuck 'em!"

"So, what you're saying is... if we do get serious, you'd... consider doing stuff like that?"

"Rainbow, I'm eighteen and so are you. We have our whole lives ahead of us. We can worry about that stuff later when it actually matters. If we ever got the point where we got married, live on our own, and want a kid, then yeah, I could consider it. But until then, physical shit doesn't matter at all. What matters is you and me, here and now. So what I'm trying to say is, when the time is right, and if that time does come, then I think I'd be okay with that."

"Really? You wouldn't say no because I'm... well, not a human?"

"I wouldn't say no without a valid reason."

"Thanks Matt." Rainbow jumps off the bed and lands on me, knocking the air out of my lungs.

"Y-You're welcome." I gasp as I try to suck in air. "Hey, while we're on the subject, did you have to do this in my room..." I trail off as I reach down and rub my crotch area. I think Rainbow gets the message when her face turns red.

"W-What!? I never did that! Why would I do that!?"

"Rainbow I'm not an idiot. I woke up to you doing it last weekend! I didn't say anything because I didn't want to make it any more awkward than it already was."

"Y-You saw that!? Matt! That's private stuff!"

"Then why'd you do it in my bed! While I was in it no less!" At this point I don't care that she... ahem, played... with herself. I just thought I'd take the opportunity to embarrass her.

"I thought you were asleep!"

"How could I sleep when you're so loud?"

"Ugh, this is so embarrassing." Rainbow rubs her face with her hooves. "Why did I do it?"

"Yeah, why did you do it?"

"Because! I was stressed okay? Everyone does it Matt. It's not funny."

"Not everyone..."

"Wait, you've never... Really?"

"Really. I just told you like literally thirty seconds ago that I don't really care about physical stuff like that."

"Ugh! Now I feel even worse about it!"

"Would it make you feel better if I said I didn't really give a shit? I'm fine with you doing... well whatever it is you do. Just not in my bed."

"O-Okay. I won't do it again." She says with a sheepish smile, her cheeks blushing a deep red. After a few minutes of silence, I turn back to my laptop, but that doesn't mean that I shut up. I'm gonna embarrass her till she passes out.

"So, who were you thinking about?" I say casually as I keep my back to her.

"What?"

"When you were... y'know." I'm smiling an evil smile now, but she can't see that.

"Uh, that's, uh, none of your concern!"

"Was it your's truly by any chance?" This is too good. She just keeps putting down more ammunition for me to use!

"Uh..."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"I didn't even answer!"

"Whatever you say rainbow pony. I'm going on the internet." And with that, I begin to look around on the news.

Tonight is our big first date, and I just know it'll go perfectly... right?

Date

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"I'm so excited for you!" I can hear my mom squeal from the kitchen. The three girls are down there talking about my date with Rainbow in a little bit. I'm just upstairs on Skype with Alex and Skyler.

"It's gonna be awesome!" I hear Rainbow yell.

"Was that Rainbow?" Skyler asks. We can all see each other since our webcams are on.

"Ugh... Yeah, she's just over excited is all."

"What's up with her?" Alex asks.

"First date..." I sigh as I drag my hands down my face.

"What's wrong with that? You seem upset Matt. You should be happy!" Skyler pipes in.

"I am happy, it's just... Rainbow got me thinking earlier about some pretty important stuff."

"Like what?"

"She wants to know what I would do if we ever wanted to have kids one day..."

"Oh... shit, man that's not something you just ask about and forget. What did you tell her?" Alex asks as he shifts in his chair.

"I told her what would make her happy. The truth is, I'm not sure what I would do. I mean, Rainbow is amazing and all, but I just don't see us ever having kids."

"You could always adopt." Skyler says, trying to find a solution to my problem.

"Even then, how do you explain to a kid that your mother isn't even the same species? I love Rainbow to death, but I don't know if a kid is really a good idea. Y'know what? Fuck this, I'm thinking too far ahead. We aren't even married, why should I worry about this now?" I say as I hang up abruptly. I stand up and let out a long sigh. Time to focus on the here and now. I'm going on my first date with Rainbow, and it's going to go perfectly.

I change into a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans. I told Rainbow I wanted it to be casual, and that she didn't have to wear anything special unless she wanted to. Boy was she relieved when she learned she wouldn't have to wear a dress.

I walk down stairs as I listen in on the conversation my mom and Emily are having with Rainbow. I don't really pay attention all that well, only picking up little things like my name or something like that.

"Oh, are you ready Matt?" Rainbow shoots out of her seat and hovers in front of me with a huge smile. Her smile alone is enough to bring me back to my perky, energetic self.

"Yep, it's gonna be so fun, I just know you'll love it."

"Wait! Let me just..." My mom stops us before we reach the door. She quickly pulls out her phone and opens the camera app. "Smile!" I grab Rainbow out of the air and squeeze her against my chest. I know it annoys her when I grab her out of the air, but that's why I did it.

"Alright, bye guys." I wave to my family as we walk out into the cool evening air.

"So, where are we going?"

"Somewhere where we can just be together."

"But, where's that?"

"You'll see! Gees, so nosy." I tap her on the nose and her face scrunches up. We hop into my truck and head out onto the road. I turn towards the edge of town where I plan to take Rainbow for the evening. Little does she know that I packed a little gift in the back on the truck.

"So Rainbow..."

"Yeah?"

"Did I ever tell you the story of when I had my first crush?"

"No? I thought Skyler was your first crush."

"Well, technically she was. But there was this one girl..."

"Who? What was her name?" Rainbow quickly asks, showing her defensive side a little.

"Promise not to laugh at me?"

"Promise."

"Okay... there was this show... it's called an anime. There was this really cute girl on there, and she was my favorite character. I was like thirteen years old, and she was always running through my mind. It was really, really dumb, but I had the biggest crush on her Rainbow. And you know what sucked the most?"

"What?"

"I knew it would never happen. I knew at least with Skyler there was still a slim chance since y'know, she's real. I knew I could never get the girl in the show, no matter how bad I wanted it. You know who proved me wrong on that?"

"Who?"

"You did." I laugh. "You came from a show too. It just goes to show that reality and imagination aren't always that far apart..."

We park in a small parking lot, and the scene in front of us is fully revealed. The sea is calm, small waves crashing on the shore. The sun is still slightly over the horizon, meaning we made it just in time to see the sun set over the ocean.

"It's beautiful..." Rainbow mutters as we slowly walk towards the water. In my hand is a covered, flat box. We sit down on a blanket and sit next to each other. "So what's in the box?"

"A present... for you."

"F-For me? Matt, it's YOUR birthday, not mine!"

"Don't be ridiculous, my birthday was yesterday. And besides, maybe I just wanted to get you something nice." I hand Rainbow the box, and she stares down at it curiously.

"What is it?"

"Open it and find out." I say with a sarcastic look on my face. She slowly opens the box, and her jaw drops when she sees what's inside.

"Matt... I-I'ts..." Rainbow stutters as she carefully lifts her gift out of the box. She pulls out a framed photo, which actually has several pictures in it. There's one of Rainbow and all of her friends, one of us from prom night, one from school, one from the game...

"It's been almost a month since you came here Rainbow. Can you believe how fast time goes by when you're happy?"

"Matt..." Rainbow covers her mouth as tears start to form in her eyes. I grab her and pull her into my chest where she cries softly. Tears of joy soak through my shirt.

"I know how hard it was for you when you first got here. You just... showed up unexpectedly. Neither of us knew each other, and it seemed like you'd be a real handful to keep hidden. It got me thinking. What do you do when something bad happens to you? Sure, you could cry and feel sorry for yourself. But the right thing to do, is to remember the good times. That's what inspired me to make this. Whenever you're feeling down, or angry, or alone... just look at this and remember the good times."

Rainbow quickly lifts her head and looks me directly in the eyes. I look at her, the sunset and ocean in the background, only making her look even better. She chokes a little on a tear, then proceeds to wrap herself around me as her lips press hard into mine. I don't press back, but I let her do whatever she wants. We continue this until we run out of breath.

"You're really good at that for someone who's never done it before." Rainbow laughs lightly as she pulls away. She keeps herself wrapped around me as we just enjoy each other's company.

"Guess I'm just a natural."

"Did you really mean it Matt?"

"Mean what?"

"Earlier you said I was the best thing that ever happened to you... Is that true, do I really mean that much to you."

"I think I've made that pretty clear. Hell, I almost died for you! And you know what? I'd do it all again if it meant keeping you safe."

"You're the only thing I have. Please, don't ever leave me." Rainbow buries her face into my shirt again. I can tell she's crying again by the wet circle growing on my chest.

"I'd never do that. I'll always be here..." Rainbow looks back up at me, her eyes shining from crying. "Has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful eyes? They're really big too."

"You have really small eyes." She laughs gently. I fall on my back and hold Rainbow to my chest. We just stay in that position until the only light around us is the moon and the stars.

I've actually almost fallen asleep when Rainbow starts to squirm around on my chest.

"Something up?" I ask, my eyes still closed.

"I... just starting thinking about something. Just... needed to move something."

"Wait, are you..." I feel a wet spot on my upper leg.

"I can't help it! It's just the mood and everything!"

"Hey, hey, calm down, it's not your fault. Just think about something else and it'll go away."

"I'm trying too, but this is just too perfect Matt."

"Here, maybe this will help." I pull her face down to mine and our lips meet again. I start to get lost in my own thoughts, but I'm able to push them away before they can get to me. Rainbow starts to make these moans that let me know she's getting into this a little too much. "Rainbow, I think," I try to say something, but Rainbow interrupts me.

"Please Matt! Just let me have this, just for a minute!"

"F-Fine." I reluctantly agree, and she goes back at it. Her body keeps me protected from the cold autumn wind. She's like a fluffy blanket on my chest as we continue to enjoy each other into the night.

"I can't thank you enough..." Rainbow whispers from her side of the bed.

"For what? The date?"

"Well, that... But I meant for giving me a chance."

"I could never turn you down. You're just so... perfect..." I say as I pull Rainbow into my side.

"I know I am." She laughs gently. I respond by messing up her mane.

"Rainbow, if I had said no that night at prom... What would you have done?" I ask. Rainbow gasps then wraps a leg around my arm.

"I-I don't even want to think about it."

"Neither do I." I say as I shiver a little. "I couldn't imagine what I would have done if you got hurt because of me."

"I love you Matt..." Rainbow sighs as she drifts off to sleep.

"Love you too..."

Interview

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*2 Weeks Later*

"Do we have to do this?" Rainbow whines at me.

"I know it'll be hard for you, but just chill out and go with it."

"What if I don't know what to say?"

"Then I'll answer for you. I can cover for you if you're at a loss for words."

We're currently waiting in the back of the news studio, waiting for our interview to start. About a week ago, I got a letter in the mail asking Rainbow and I to come onto the local news channel. We get a good fifteen minute segment where the interviewer will ask us questions about Rainbow and who she is. I'm kinda psyched about it, as I think it'll be good for Rainbow to get the world to know her better.

"You're on in two minutes." One of the guys working the cameras says over to us. We watch as the three reporters sit on a couch in the main studio. They're talking about something that I hadn't really been paying attention to. I look down at my watch to see it's only about a minute before we have to get out there.

"Ready for this Rainbow?"

"I... Yeah, I got this."

"-and today, we have two VERY special guests with us." A man on the couch waves for us to come onto the set. I nod down to Rainbow and we walk out onto the set. We wave at the cameras quickly and sit down on the second couch across from the reporters.

"Today we have Matthew Green, as well as a very special guest, Mrs. Rainbow Dash. Guys, welcome to the show."

"Happy to be here." I say professionally as I shake the man's hand. He's sitting between a woman and another man who are giving us both warm, friendly smiles.

"Well, since our time is limited today, what do you say we get to the part everybody's dying to see?"

"Sounds good to me." I say as I wrap an arm around Rainbow.

"We have some questions submitted to us via Twitter, but first I must ask. Are you two together Mr. Green?"

"I..." I look over at the camera. Should I really reveal this on national television? Ah, fuck it, people will find out eventually anyway right? "Yeah, we are I suppose." The woman reporter responds differently than I expected her to.

"You're very lucky Matthew. She's beautiful isn't she?" The woman nudges the man next to her.

"You bet. Very cute." Rainbow blushes at their compliments and snuggles up into my side to kind of hide herself.

"Okay, first question. Where are you from, and how did you get here?" The male reporter asks.

"From what I understand, she was defending a friend or something. I was never able to get a full explanation out of her, but she said something about a guy named Discord."

"Actually." Rainbow sits up and looks at the reporters. "My friend, Twilight got in a fight with this guy named Discord. He cast some spell on her, but I jumped in front of her. Next thing I know, I'm in Matt's bedroom."

"A spell you say? That sounds a little far fetched." The woman reporter says.

"You're talking to a pegasus. I don't think anything is far fetched about this." I say with a chuckle.

"You make a good point Mr. Green." She laughs back.

"Okay, second question, this one's for you Matthew. What is life like with Rainbow, and if you could, would you have prevented her from coming to you."

"Wow, wasn't expecting that. But to answer your question, life has been absolutely amazing since Rainbow came here. It's been a little over a month since her arrival, and every day has been a new journey with her. I wouldn't trade her for anything."

"Aw..." The woman reporter coos.

"You seem very happy together." The man on the right says with a smile. "Have you gotten any negative reactions to being with each other?"

"We haven't told anyone except for my friends and family. So, really, you guys are the first to get the inside scoop." I say with a wink. "But, I suppose we will get some hateful comments coming our way. I see Rainbow as just another person, not some kind of animal. I can understand if other people don't understand that though."

"Well, I certainly support you two, and I wish you a very happy life together."

"Thank you." Rainbow says with a happy smile, her head still pressed into my side.

"Okay, final question. Rainbow, are you happy being here on earth?"

"..." Rainbow just stares at the reporter. She looks up at me and gulps. She turns back to the reporter. "I love it... at first, I missed my friends. I thought I'd never be happy again... Do you know what it's like to be ripped away from your home, and then to be told that you can't go back? It's horrible. But I found a new source of happiness, a light in the darkness if you will. About a week after arriving here, I started to develop feelings for someone. I think it's pretty obvious who that was... To be honest, I've never been happier than I am now. Without Matt, who knows what would have happened to me? I-I love him. I need him." Rainbow starts to tear up at the end. I knew I meant a lot to her, but I didn't know her entire life revolved around me.

"That's... Oh come here." The woman stands up and walks over to Rainbow. They hug each other and both tear up, both being moved by Rainbow's speech. I might have been tearing up myself a little...

"Well, sadly we're out of time for today. Hopefully we can get you two back on sometime. Would that be possible?" The reporter on the right says.

"We'd love to sir. Thank you." I stand up and shake the reporters hands. Rainbow follows behind me and does the same. We wave to the camera one more time before walking off the set.

"That was an amazing speech at the end there Rainbow." I say as we enter my truck.

"And I meant every word I said. Do you know how much you've changed me Matt? You've made me all sappy and soft." She laughs as she playfully punches my arm.

"I know what you mean. I've seen you on the show, and you never acted like you do now."

"Well, I've never been in love as much as I am now."

"I can say the exact same thing." I say as I ruffle her mane around. "Shall we head home?"

"You bet."

Run

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Ah, nothing like a good run to get the stress out of your system. I decided to take a nice jog through downtown by myself, just to take in the surroundings. In reality, and I hate to admit this, I felt like I'd spent too much time with Rainbow lately. It's been way too long since I just had some me time y'know? I should probably get with Alex and/or Skyler some time soon to hand out. I've been so tangled up with Rainbow that I forgot I still have a life outside of her. So here I am, Monday afternoon after school, taking a nice jog through the streets of downtown Jacksonville.

"Ah..." I breathe in slowly and let out a happy sigh as my head bobs up and down while I run. I focus solely on the music blasting through my headphones. The setting is perfect too, a bunch of beautiful, tall buildings with the sunset reflecting off of them. I've been so stressed lately that I forgot to enjoy the little things in life. Most of my stress is coming from school. While quite a large majority of the students love Rainbow, some of them still give me trouble because of her. Remember Jack? He's back with his arm in a sling. I'd bet you my life that he'll be after me once he's recovered again. He's not the only one that's been a real asshole lately. Pretty much all of the football team (the biggest assholes in town) love to mess with Rainbow. They'll pluck the feathers off her wings or some shit like that, and it's pissing both of us off big time.

Have you ever gotten the strange feeling that you're being followed? Well I'm getting that right now. My biggest fear since being kidnapped is that there might be more people looking for me or Rainbow. If those guys I killed have any other connections, their friends might come after me, whether its for revenge or to get Rainbow. Either way, I don't like the idea of somebody looking for me.

That's when I notice it. A black van a couple of blocks back has been following me for quite a while, I just never really gave it any thought until now. I don't turn around, as I don't want them to be aware of the fact that I'm on to them. My heart jumps into my throat as I realize it's the exact same van that those other pricks kidnapped me in. Shit, these guys are with them!

I try to blend in with other people on the street, but that's not really working as they still follow me around every turn. I come across a coffee shop and quickly slip in. I take out my earbuds and place them in my pocket. I lean down and try to catch my breath. I can't call the police... what would they do if they found out I killed five people? I didn't leave any evidence at the crime scene, and I doubt the police even know where the warehouse is. I could probably say I did it in self defense, but who knows what the court would say. I'm eighteen now, so I could be tried as a murderer if my story didn't check out with the jury. No, I have to deal with this on my own.

"Sir, can I help you?" The girl behind the counter says with a curious yet friendly smile. She looks to be maybe in her late twenties. If only she knew what I was going through. There's no way in hell I'm going back to that damn warehouse.

"Uh, no... no thanks. Just catching my breath." I say as I hold up one hand to her.

"Oh, okay. Just let me know if you need something."

And that's when three men walked through the door. They look younger than the men who took me the first time, maybe in their twenties or thirties. I can tell they were affiliated with the other men because of the symbols on their jackets. I had seen them on the other men's jackets, but never really gave it much thought. The symbols look like bloody knives. Because that just screams "Hey! I'm a friendly guy!"

The three men glance at me before sitting down at a table close to the door. They probably don't want to make a scene in the cafe. I have to get out of here, I can't stay in this place forever. I casually open the door and walk back out into the cool evening air. I start jogging at a slow pace until I'm a good distance from the cafe. Then I start to sprint.

I turn to see the three men quickly jumping back into their van. That confirms it, they're definitely after me. Fuck me. I'm eighteen, I shouldn't have to put up with this shit! I can hear their engine start as I turn a corner and start heading for the center of town. I have to get back to my truck, but that's on the other side of the fucking city! I parked it in front of a sports store on the edge of town. It's a good three miles away! Just my luck...

I see the truck swerve around the corner at a terrifying speed. I can't blend in with the people on the street, because there's barely anybody out here! I take a turn through an alley, hoping to throw them off guard. Unfortunately, they come to a screeching stop just in front of the entrance to the alley. Two buff men jump out and start sprinting right for me. I start to topple over trash bins and boxes as I increase my speed. This isn't good. I have to go three miles, and I'm already starting to run out of breath. This is just not turning out good for me. With every passing second, the men just seem to gain on me. Will I have to try and kill them too? I don't think I could do it out in public like this. At least the warehouse was secluded and its likely that it will never be found by anyone other than this gang.

"Go the fuck away!" I yell as I exit the alley. I run out onto the street where I'm almost plowed over by a car. It comes to a screeching stop, and the driver yells something at me, but I don't hear it through the blood pulsing through my head.

Then I spot it. My saving grace. A bike just sitting in front of a little store across the road. It's not tied down or anything, and nobody's really watching it. I don't really give a shit about stealing right now if you couldn't tell. Morals be damned.

I hop onto the bike and speed off down the sidewalk. I see the black van pull up in the street, and the two men jump back in. The van's tires screech as they try to get a grip on the pavement. I haul ass down the sidewalk, hoping to lose them. To my dismay, they quickly reappear a few blocks behind me. Fuck, Rainbow where are you when I need you!? If she was here, then she could just carry me onto a roof or something. Scratch that, I'm probably too heavy for her to lift. The only bright side of this, is that they're coming for me, not Rainbow. That means this is probably an act of revenge, not to try to get to Rainbow... Then it dawns on me. If this is all for revenge... they aren't going to kidnap me... They're gonna straight up kill me!

"Hey watch it asshole!" A man yells as I pass him at a high speed, almost plowing into him. I ignore him and keep peddling as fast as I can. I can feel the muscles in my legs straining from overuse. I can't stop now though, if I do, I'm as good as dead.

I turn into a wider alley than the last one. I peddle down the center before realizing that it's wide enough for the van to fit through. An explosion rings through the air, and one of the walls sparks in front of me. Holy shit are they shooting at me! What the fuck! What a cheap ass move! I start to swerve to try to dodge incoming bullets. Thankfully they fucking suck at aiming. What is this? Some shitty Michael Bay movie? Hell, if I didn't know any better, I'd say I was in some kind of story.

I swerve out onto the street, only about one mile away from my truck. If I can get a good jump on them, I'll have enough time to get in my truck and get on the highway. I would still need to make it across the highway and into the suburbs. Shit, I should've just ran there instead. Who the fuck runs in the city anyway?

I can see the parking lot in the distance, and a spark of hope sparks inside of me. I pedal even faster, the muscles in my legs begging for relief. Sweat pours out of every part of my body, and it sucks. My hands keep slipping off the handles, and my pants are sticking to my crotch in a very uncomfortable way.

I practically fall off of the bike as I stumble towards my truck. I can barely breathe, and my legs are doing a horrible job at supporting me. I quickly pull myself into the driver seat and start up the engine. I can see the van approaching quickly from down the street. Thankfully they stopped shooting once we got out of the alley. I guess they thought we had enough privacy there to shoot.

I floor it onto the street that leads to the highway. Ten miles, that's all I need to travel. I look in the mirror to see the van quickly speeding up on me. Fuck the laws! I'm trying to save my ass! I speed up over the speed limit and start taking turns like a guy out of an action movie. I get to the exit that leads to the highway and quickly turn off. Once I'm in the right lane, I check behind me again to see... they're gone. I sigh with relief, but my heart quickly jumps when I see them practically next to me. These fuckers just don't give up!

I have two choices. I could try to lose them by speeding down the highway, but that would put me in danger, as well as innocent people. However, If I could somehow make the van crash, I could easily get away. I think the second option sounds best, and I start to slowly drift towards the van. I look up at the passenger window to see one of the men holding a revolver, and it's pointed straight at me. I quickly swerve to the left and my truck slams into the van. Both of our cars start to spin around in circles, and the cars around us have to swerve out of the way or come to a stop completely. My car comes to a stop after smashing into a guard rail. Pain shoots through my arm as I realize a shard of glass has stabbed right through my shoulder.

I grunt and pull the glass out as quickly as I can. Lightning bolts of pain shoots through my entire body, and I start to wish I hadn't done that. I look up through blurry eyes to see the van a few meters behind me, and the engine is smoking up a storm. A flame shoots up from the engine as the inner workings of the car ignite. I quickly pull into reverse and take off down the highway, leaving the entire scene behind me.

My shirt is soaked in my own blood as I speed down the highway. Almost home... almost home...

I pull onto my street as my head starts to spin. I feel extremely light, and my vision is starting to blur. I come to a screeching stop in front of my house as I tumble out of the truck. I land on the ground, my legs still weak, and roll onto my back. I yell as pain shoots through my body once again.

I turn my head to the left to see my entire family, Rainbow included, running out into the yard. Rainbow screams in a horrified manner when she sees the blood on my shirt. I must have hit a vein or something. Rainbow takes off, and quickly appears right in front of me.

The last thing I see is Rainbow's face. Her mouth is moving but I can't hear her...

Then everything faded to black.

Awake

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Darkness surrounds me. Where am I? I turn swivel around to try to take in my surroundings, but there's one problem. There aren't any. The last thing I remember is tumbling out of my truck, and then my family ran out to me. Did I bleed out? Am I dead!? I wonder what everyone thought when they saw my banged up truck, as well as a blood covered figure on the ground next to it.

"Help!" The voice was distant, but I couldn't see a source. Then, out of nowhere, the surroundings are filled in. I'm back in the warehouse. That god-forsaken warehouse. I've seen this before... The five men, the chair, there's only one difference. I'm not the one in the chair.

"MATT!" Rainbow shrieks in the chair. My heart races in my chest, and adrenaline courses through my body. I charge one of the men, but when I go to tackle him, I just phase through him and end up tumbling across the floor. I look up so see the man with the gun. He hadn't killed me, but maybe-

*BANG*

It was like it was in slow motion. I saw the bullet going through the air. I watched it travel at any incredibly slow speed... Then it made contact.

The chair toppled backwards along with Rainbow. All I can see if Rainbow's eyes looking into mine, but there's no life in them, the spark is gone. Instead, all I see is a bloody hole on her forehead...

Then it was all gone...

"Ah!" I gasp sharply and try to sit up, only for my arm to prevent me from doing so. It feels like its on fire, and I grab it with my other hand.

"Oh, you're awake!" The only person in the room says. A nurse. I squint my eyes and look out the large window in front of me. I can see the entirety of the city, and the sky is pitch black.

"What... happened?" I sigh with relief. It was only a dream...

"You lost a lot of blood Mr. Green." The nurse says as she checks a chart. "You had to get a transfusion."

"What? Who was the donor?"

"Well well well. Look who came back to us." Alex walks into the room with a cup of water. There's a bandage on his upper arm.

"You did?" I say with an amused smile on my face. I didn't even know we were the same blood type.

"You bet I did. Your mom called practically everyone she knew to come to the hospital. I rushed over as soon as I heard. Turns out we got the same blood type man."

"Where's everyone else?" I ask, my voice scratching due to being dry.

"They all went home. I'm the only one here right now. To be fair it's like, three in the morning."

"Well, looks like I'm missing school tomorrow." I say with a light chuckle.

"Yeah. Man you should have seen Rainbow when they told her she couldn't be the one to donate blood to you. Turns out she's A just like you. They were worried that her blood might have some weird effect on you, so they had me do it instead. She flipped out when they told her that."

"Sounds like something she would do. Hey, come to think of it, how are you still here at three in the morning?"

"I told them I wasn't feeling so hot after they drew my blood, and they let me stay till I felt better. To be honest, that was a total lie, I just didn't want my best friend to be alone in a hospital."

"Ha, thanks man. Yeah, I'd be pretty upset if I woke up alone. I'm glad you stayed."

"Mhm, Rainbow also freaked out when they said she had to leave. She was grabbing onto your bed and everything screaming bloody murder. She said something about you dying or something if she wasn't there."

"Yeah, remember when I disappeared for a week? Ever since then, if she isn't around me, she thinks something bad will happen."

"Well, it looks like she was right. You went out without her and almost bled to death. Hey, nobody knows what happened to you, wanna explain?"

"Some of those douches that kidnapped me had friends apparently. I think they wanted revenge. They chased me through town until we got onto the highway. They had a gun pointed at me, and I swerved into them, and we both crashed into the guard rail. I guess some of the glass from my windshield broke off and hit my arm."

"Wait, you said revenge, what the hell did they need revenge for? I thought they wanted Rainbow for money."

"Oh... um well..." I look around the room and into the hallway to make sure nobody can hear me. "Close the door first." Alex gets up and shuts the door, then sits down on the couch next to the bed.

"Okay, what happened exactly?"

"First of all, you can't tell ANYBODY about this got it? Only Rainbow knows about this."

"Got it."

"Well, when those men first took me, they held me in this warehouse for a couple of days. Do you honestly think they just let me go? No, I had to fight my way out. I... I did some things that I still regret even now. Alex I took the lives of five men that day. They weren't innocent, but I still feel horrible about it. But, at the same time, I'm glad I did it. You know why? Because I proved to myself that I wasn't weak like I had always thought I was..."

"Wow... that's, something man." Alex rubs the back of his head while looking at me. "Man, my best friend is a bad-ass." He says with a little chuckle.

"Heh, I guess. I probably could have made it out without doing that though. I just kinda panicked in the moment of it all."

"I'd probably do the same thing. So what happened once you escaped? You were still gone for like five days after that."

"I wandered around the woods of what I guess was Georgia. You wouldn't believe how hard it was, it's nothing like it is in the movies. I was ready to give up until I found this cabin, and the guy living there brought me back here."

"Dude, you're like a survivor. I never knew you were this cool." Alex says with a hearty laugh.

"Just call me Jack Shepherd and throw me into a jungle. I got that shit." I say, grateful that the mood is lightening.

"Well, you weren't on an island to be fair."

"Ah, fuck your technicalities."

Alex stays with me through the night, and even destroys his perfect attendance to skip school. At about eight, I hear the sound of hooves clopping down the hallway, and Alex wakes up at the sound.

"Matt, get ready for the most emotional girl that ever existed." Alex chuckles as he stretches.

"Don't I know it." I know she's gonna come in here and flip the fuck out that I'm awake, so I come up with a straight up EVIL plan. "Alex, play along, act like I'm in a coma or something."

"Dude, you are pure evil." He laughs, but I can tell he's gonna do it. This might piss Rainbow off, but I think it's worth it. Call me an asshole, but jokes on you, I already knew that.

"Alex! Is he awake!" Rainbow bursts through the door. I've covered my head with the sheets so Rainbow can't see me smiling my evil smile.

"No, he never woke up. Rainbow, it's not looking so good... They don't think he'll ever wake up." Alex sounds like he's choking through tears. I'll give him this, he's a damn good actor.

"What!?" Rainbow screams as she practically jumps on me. She wraps herself around me, and thankfully she doesn't pull the sheets down, or my cover would be blown. "Matt!"

"Ah!" I suddenly jerk upwards and wrap my good arm around her. She shrieks and twitches before going silent. I let the covers drop off of my face and stare at her, the sunlight coming in through the window behind her.

"You... You idiot! She looks angry now. "How could! You... do..." She starts to break down again before falling back on me. She sobs and sobs into my chest while I try to ignore the shooting pain through my arm. According to Alex, they had to reattach some tendons in my shoulder that had been torn by the glass. Thankfully, they said I should be back to normal pretty soon as the tears were fairly small. What really concerned the doctors was the amount of blood I had lost. Once they got that all sealed up, they said I'd be better in no time.

"Don't bucking do that again!" She says rather loudly as I stare into her eyes just inches away from me.

"I won't, I won't." I laugh lightly. "How did you even get here? Did my parents bring you?"

"No... I kinda... sneaked in..."

"So you flew here? Alone!?"

"Yeah, I had to see you!"

"I told you not to go anywhere alone Rainbow. What if somebody had taken you or something?"

"Me!? What about you Matt!? You almost got yourself killed!"

"I'm not worried about me, I'm worried about you. I don't care about myself as much as I care about you."

"Are you two gonna kiss or..." Alex says from the other side of the room.

"Yeah, I am." I say as I quickly pull Rainbow's face down to mine.

"Ugh, gross lovey stuff. I'm going to the bathroom." Alex gets up and walks into the hallway, leaving Rainbow alone with me.

"Matt... what happened to you."

I explain what had happened to me while I had been out running. Rainbow flips out on me that I should have either stayed home or taken her with me. I'm glad I didn't bring her with me. I don't want her to have to go through that, even if she could just fly away.

A few hours later, they let me out of my bed, and I can change back into my normal clothes. They want me to stay at least until they know I can get around fine on my own. I walk with Rainbow down to the cafeteria, my arm bouncing around in a sling.

Rainbow and I grab some food for lunch, which is basically some soda and a small salad. I'm about to pay for the food when a voice calls out from behind me.

"Hey Green!" I know that voice. Fuck, this is just my luck... I turn around and my assumptions are proven.

Jack...

Jack

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"Son of a bitch..." I mumble under my breath. I slide Rainbow behind me using my leg, and try to put myself in front of her. Is he seriously going to start shit here? In a damn hospital? At least it would be a fair fight, as we only have one arm each.

"Well well well, if it isn't Matthew Green. What happened to your arm Green? Break your shoulder jerking it to that animal again?" Jack says with an evil smirk. I can already feel the adrenaline coursing through every vein in my body. Rainbow starts to come out from behind me, but I put my foot on her chest and slide her backwards. I'm not getting her involved.

"What the hell are you doing here Jack? Shouldn't you be off punching babies or something?"

"Physical therapy Green. You remember why I have this fucked up arm right? I would hope you do."

"It was the best night of my life." I smile slightly.

"Yeah? Well you ruined my life Green! And you're gonna pay!" Jack suddenly charges at us, despite being in a public area. Is he fucking serious? Before I would probably be shitting myself just at the sight at him. But after all the shit I've been through, getting kidnapped, killing people, being shot at, he's not much of a threat to me anymore.

"This way asshole!" I yell as I quickly jump to the side and run out of the cafeteria, Rainbow close behind me. "Rainbow, get the fuck out of here, this is my battle."

"Oh no no no. I'm not going anywhere Matt. Nothing good ever comes from me leaving you."

"Well... then stay out of my way!" I reach the elevators, only to find that they're all busy. "Fuck, the stairs!" I quickly turn the corner and head up the stairs. If I can get back to my room, I can lock the door, and Rainbow will be safe.

"Come here you fucking pussy!" Jack quickly bursts into the stairwell, only about a few steps behind us. Rainbow can quickly fly up to the top, but I have to try to full sprint up a flight or stairs. I reach my floor and tumble into the door that leads into the hallway. Now I just need to find my room and I'll be home free. I quickly turn a corner, only to almost plow into a nurse. I maneuver around her, only to hear Jack plow into the cart she was pushing seconds later.

"There! Rainbow get the hell in there!" I point to my room as we quickly approach it. Rainbow flies ahead of me, and watches from the doorway.

"Just let me take him Matt! I'm stronger than you think!" Rainbow says with worry in her voice.

"No! Now close the damn door!" I say as I practically slide into the room. She closes it quickly, and I flip the lock behind me. Just in time too, because Jack starts pounding on the door. He continues this for a good thirty seconds before security practically carries him away.

"Holy... Holy shit." I gasp for air as I lean against a wall with my one good arm. "What is up with my life?"

"Matt! You need to let me help you in situations like that! I could have taken him!"

"I have no doubt in my mind that you could practically kill him Rainbow. The thing is, I could have taken him too. You know why I didn't? Because I had no reason to."

"You had plenty of reasons to Matt! What about the last two times you hit him!?"

"I only did those things to protect you! I just told you earlier that I don't care about myself as much as I do you Rainbow! Why can't you understand that I'm just trying to protect the one's I love!?"

"I-I..."

"I need some air." I quickly unlock the door, sure that Jack was gone by now, and head down the hallway. I see a staircase that's labeled for employees only, and being the idiot I am, I opened the door and stepped inside. I slowly walk up the stairs, thinking back on the goods and bads from the past month and a half.

I reach the top door, only to find that it leads to the roof of the hospital. I'm pretty damn sure that I'm not allowed up here, but I don't exactly care at the moment. I walk outside where I'm suddenly hit by a blast of cool wind. It feels good against the sweat pouring down my skin. I take in a deep breath and legitimately smile. It feels amazing to be up high. I walk over to the edge and look down to see the street hundreds of feet below me.

"She just doesn't seem to get it..." I mumble to myself as I rub my aching shoulder. Other than a dull pain, it feels fine considering what I'd been through.

As I rub my shoulder, I think back on all the things that have been happening lately. I've almost been killed, kidnapped, stranded in a forest, and bullied all because of Rainbow. Am I really okay taking so much shit just for her? I want to be, I really do. She's important to me... But I don't know how much more I can take. Am I just going to spend the rest of my life trying to hide from some guys who want to kill me?

"Matt..." I hear the door creak open behind me. I don't turn, as I know it could only be Rainbow, considering Alex already left.

"Yeah?" I keep staring out at the city, the wind whipping my hair in every direction.

"I'm sorry, I'll just go." I hear her begin to walk back down the stairs. I sigh and call back to her.

"No. Come here." I say calmly. I hear her slowly approaching behind me. I turn slightly to see her with her head down.

"I guess I was being a little too defensive huh?" She says as she walks up next to me.

"No... no, it's my fault. I overreacted. I really do care about you Rainbow, I wish you would see that. I don't want you anywhere near Jack, or those guys who tried to practically kill me, or anyone else who might want to do anything to you. When it comes down to it, I don't like protecting you, I really don't."

"Wha-"

"Let me finish. I don't like doing it, but if it means you'll be safe, then I will. I'd rather be the one who takes the beating, you don't deserve it."

"You don't deserve it either Matt! And everything that has happened to you has been my fault..."

"Maybe it has, but I deserve it. I'm not a good person Rainbow. But you? You haven't done anything to deserve to be hunted like some fucking animal."

"You ARE a good person! You're good to me! I don't care what you did, I don't care about your past, I care about you, now! And you've been nothing but amazing to me, and I couldn't be more grateful!"

"...Let's get back inside." I turn and slowly walk back to the door. I don't let Rainbow see it, but a small smile starts to spread across my lips. It's really nice to have somebody like her. I totally don't deserve her.

"So, let's make a rule Matt." Rainbow says as we ride in the back seat of my mom's car. It feels really weird to not be the one driving, but I'm not going to be able to for at least a week.

"And what would that be?"

"You don't go anywhere alone, like, ever. And I won't go anywhere without you."

"Sounds fair enough." I wrap my good arm around her and start playing with the feathers on her wing.

"Matt! Stop pulling on my feathers! It doesn't feel g-" Rainbow suddenly stops talking and lets out a sharp gasp. I guess I made her do that, because she gasped as soon as I squeezed the area that connects the wing to her body."

"What? Did I do something?" I laugh as I let go of the joint.

"N-No, you... do it again." Not what I was expecting, but okay. I squeeze the joint again, and Rainbow's entire body spasms. I guess it's a pressure point? I can use this shit to my advantage in the future for sure. I roll the joint around between my thumb and index finger, and Rainbow keeps moaning in a rather annoying way. Okay, this is getting a little weird. I let go of her wing, and pull my arm back over to my side.

"Hey!"

"Sorry, the Matt spa is closed, come back later." I lean back in my seat and close my eyes.

"Can you at least do the other one? It... felt really good."

"If I do you'll owe me." I say with a smirk.

"Ugh, fine. Just do it." Rainbow says, her right wing twitching.

"You two having fun back there?" My mom says from the driver's seat. Shit, I kinda forgot about her.

"Well, one of us is." I say as I lean over an begin massaging Rainbow's wing joint. She closes her eyes and sighs before starting that annoying fucking moaning sound again. If there is a wet spot on the damn seat when she gets up, so help me God...

"You need to do that more often." Rainbow says as we walk up the stairs to my room.

"What, bleed to death or rub your wing?"

"That's not funny, and I meant my wing... it felt really good."

"Now, are we talking like tight muscles being massaged good, or are we talking like... a pleasure point..."

"Uh..."

"I'll take that as the second thing then..."

"Matt! It's not that weird."

"You keep telling yourself that. I'll massage your wing for you, but only if you don't fucking moan the whole time."

"That just kind of happens. It isn't my fault."

"So! Anyway, I'm going to take a nap, so..." I toss myself onto my bed, making sure not to land on my bad arm. I kick my shoes off and wrap myself up in a blanket. I hear Rainbow sigh and walk out of the room, only to return like five minutes later.

I hear my covers shuffle around, then a warm mass presses up into my back. I feel a leg wrap around my chest, then I feel Rainbow's face press up into the back of my neck.

"You really like wrapping around me don't you?" I say quietly, already half asleep.

"It's a little comforting. Why? Do you not like it?"

"Nah, I like it. You're like a big teddy bear, real soft."

"Just go to sleep already." Rainbow laughs lightly.

"I'm on it..."

Second Impact

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*2 Weeks Later*

"Fuuuuuuck... This is gonna be expensive..." I watch as my beat up truck is lifted into the air at the repair shop. The good news is, my arm is quickly recovering, and I no longer need the sling to support it. I still can't really use my arm for much, but I can drive at least.

"If you had just stayed with Rainbow this wouldn't have happened." Skyler says as she stares up at the bottom of my truck. We walk back to her car and get in. Skyler and I were going out to drop off my truck at the mechanic, then we were going to lunch. Did Rainbow get mad when I told her I was going out with Skyler? Of course. Did I give a shit? Of course not. Why would I?

"I still would have crashed even if she was there. It's not my fault that I'm so popular nowadays."

"If by popular you mean wanted dead by a gang of thugs, then yeah, you're popular guy of the year."

"I wonder what ever happened to those guys... I saw that their engine caught on fire, so I wonder if they..."

"I doubt they got killed from the fire Matt... Now the crash, now that might have gotten them."

"I just... nevermind. I gotta get over that something right? Anyway, what do you want to do for lunch Skyler?"

"How about that little cafe near your place? I hear they have a little of everything there."

"Sounds good to me. Let's get going, they said my truck won't be ready for quite a while."

"Ha, yeah, that thing really took a beating didn't it... Say, Matt, you've been a lot more... open around me lately. What gives? You used to always say like one or two things to me, then spend the rest of your time talking to Alex."

"Oh, uh. Well I guess you already know that I had a major crush on you for years. I guess I was just always nervous around you. T-That didn't offend you at all did it? Not talking to you as much as Alex?"

"Nah, not really. I always thought you were just shy. I know that you had know Alex longer than me, so I figured you just felt more comfortable around him."

"Well, I guess I'm more open with you now because of Rainbow."

"She really is a nice girl Matt. You're really lucky."

"Yeah... I am. Hey, do you like anyone Skyler?"

"Well... there is this one guy. I think you know him."

"Yeah, who would that be?" I say with a little smirk as we pull into the parking lot.

"Um, okay, you have to promise not to tell anyone. Cross your heart." She says with a little giggle.

"Alright, now spill it."

"Its... Alex." Skyler twirls a strand of hair around her finger as she closes her door.

"Haha, no way! If you told me that like a month ago, I would have been so pissed. But now, I totally want to see that happen. You gotta tell him Skyler!"

"Well, I don't know Matt. He just doesn't seem like the type to date y'know? Hey, isn't that your mom's car?" Skyler points to a car a few spaces down.

"Fuck, it is. Wonder what they're doing here. You sure you still want to eat here?"

"Nah, you're family's cool. We'll just eat with them."

"Okay then, its probably all the girls because my dad still has to work on Saturdays."

"Lets just hope Rainbow doesn't try to kill me for being with you." Skyler laughs as we approach the front entrance.

"True that, she gets really defensive about me. But I like that about her."

We walk into the cafe, and spot the three girls sitting at a large booth in the corner. Sounds like they're chatting up a storm. We walk over to the booth, and I take notice of the seating arrangement. My mother and Emily are sitting in the same booth, facing us. Rainbow, however, has her back to us, so she can't see us coming.

I hold up a finger to my lips to let my mom and Emily know not to say anything. I see them smile and look back at Rainbow. I quietly approach behind Rainbow, and quickly grab her out of the booth.

"Ah! Let go of me you-" She begins to scream, but cuts herself off when I spin her around to face me.

"What were you about to call me?" I say with a smirk.

"Matt!? Don't do that you idiot! I almost hit you!"

"I could take it. Anyway, what are you guys doing here?" I ask as Skyler catches up to me.

"Girls day out." Emily says with a little laugh.

"Is that so?" Skyler says as she stands next to me. "Looks like Matt has to go then."

"You wish. Lunch with my four favorite girls? I'm all about it." I say as I take a seat next to Rainbow. Skyler sits on the other side of the booth with my mom and Emily.

"So, how has the cute couple been doing?" Skyler asks as she folds her hands on the table.

"Why does everyone call me cute!? I'm not cute!" Rainbow says in protest. She absolutely hates it when anybody says something along those lines about her. Of course it just gives me more ammo to annoy her with.

"Are you kidding? Skyler, you remember her in that little dress right?"

"Yeah I do! I almost died from cuteness overload."

"I hate you guys." Rainbow mumbles as she crosses her front legs over her chest and pouts.

"Okay little rainbow horse. Let's chill out and order." I say mockingly as I flick Rainbow's ear which twitches in response.

We order our lunches, some of which make Rainbow almost puke, and start to make small talk. Turns out Emily doesn't think I've spent enough time with her lately, and my mom wants me to take her out and do something with her sometime soon. Guess I'm going to have an Emily and Matt day.

"Rainbow..." I whisper as he wing flicks me in the side. "Stop that..." She keeps doing it. "The hell do you want?"

"Could you..." She whispers as she points to her wing.

"What? No, not in a fucking restaurant."

"What's up with you two?" Skyler asks as she notices us whispering to each other.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. Rainbow just... has issues, y'know?"

"Issues!?" Rainbow says as she looks at me with a confused look.

"Yeah, she was just complimenting me on how amazing I am, weren't you Rainbow?"

"Sure... whatever." She rolls her eyes sarcastically.

"You guys are so cute together." My mom says in that excited mom voice.

"Yeah, I'm lucky I guess." I say with a small smile as I pull Rainbow into my side. She looks up at me with her own smile, and she sticks the tip of her tongue out at me.

"Aw..." Skyler says as she spins her straw around in her drink. "Rainbow's the best Matt. She's a keeper."

"Hah, don't I know it."

"You weren't jealous of Skyler were you Rainbow?" I say with a light chuckle as we walk into my room.

"What!? N-No I..."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"I'm just nervous that you might still like her."

"Like I'd leave the perfect girl for someone else." I say as I flop down onto my bed. I stare up at the fan as it spins. I do that thing that every kid has done where you follow one blade around and around until I get dizzy. Then Rainbow suddenly appears in my vision.

"You think I'm perfect?"

"Well, almost. There is that ego thing you got going on. But yeah, otherwise you're pretty amazing."

"NOW will you massage my wing?" She says with a little smirk.

"Are you going to do that annoying moaning thing again? Because if you do I'm not gonna do it."

"I mean... I can try, but I can't help it if I do."

"Fucking... fine, c'mere."

"We haven't done this is forever." I sigh as I gaze up at the stars.

"I know right? It's amazing out here... Almost makes me want to just fly up and up... and just keep going."

"Don't I know it..." I'm currently lying on my roof, watching the night sky with Rainbow. She's currently lying on her back on my chest. I have my arms wrapped around her as we take in the world around us.

"So when are you supposed to get your truck back?"

"Probably in a couple of days. They said my car was pretty fucked up, and that it would be really expensive. I really wish I hadn't had to wreck it just to get away from those guys."

"Well, it isn't as bad as getting kidnapped right?"

"Oh, definitely not. Do you know how hard it is to spend five days in a forest with nothing but an empty gun and little to no survival skills?"

"That does sound pretty rough..."

"I'm just glad they hadn't found you instead. Who knows where the hell you would be right now if they had gotten their hands on you. I'm glad that it was me that got, even if that was the worse week of my life."

"I wish it hadn't happened at all Matt... I can't imagine what you went through. At least I could have just flown home."

"Yeah, well... that's in the past now. Gotta move on I guess..."

"Matt, do you ever regret going out with me?"

"What? Why would you even ask that?"

"I don't know... Its just after everything that's happened to you, I thought you would have hated me by now. I just want to know that you don't regret falling for me..."

"You really still think I'd hate you because of what happens to me? Rainbow, you know me better than that. I don't think it would even be possible to get that mad at you."

"Mhm." Rainbow flips onto her stomach and quickly presses her lips onto mine. I'm about to close my eyes when the house practically vibrates. A loud explosion comes from the backyard behind us.

"What the hell!?" I yell as I climb up to the top of the roof. Rainbow follows behind me, and when we get to the point that we can see the backyard, we stop dead in our tracks.

"Matt is that-"

"-Another meteor..."

Crystal

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"What the hell..." I almost whisper as I stare at the small pillar of smoke coming from my backyard. "A second meteor..."

"Matt, isn't that what I came in?"

"Yeah... It is. Let's check it out." I slide down the back of my roof without really thinking. Its a little too late by the time I realize I'm on top of a two story house, and I'm quickly sliding to the edge of the roof.

"Matt!" Rainbow yells behind me as I disappear over the edge. Well... fuck.

I hit the ground with a thud, and a dull pain shoots through my bad arm. Luckily I didn't land directly on it.

"I'm... fine!" I yell up at the roof as Rainbow jumps off and glides down to me.

"You're such an idiot." She mumbles as she helps me up.

"Yeah yeah, let's just check this out." I walk slowly over to the meteor in the center of my yard. Memories from two months ago quickly flash through my mind as we approach. Is this another one of her friends? Is there going to be another one now?

We approach the meteor as the smoke dissipates from around it. I notice it looks different than the one Rainbow came in. Its the same shape as the first meteor that Rainbow arrived in, but its definitely smaller than the other one was. Its about the size of a basketball, maybe a little bit bigger.

"Whats in it?" Rainbow mumbles as I kneel down and pick it up.

"I can't really see much out here, its too dark. Lets get it back inside, then we'll see if there's anything in it."

We jog back to the house and open the glass door. I try my best to be quiet, though I doubt anybody slept through the explosion from the impact. We make our way back to my room, and I close the door behind me before flipping the light switch on. Alright, time to open this baby up.

"Okay, open it Matt. I wanna know what it is, especially if its something from Equestria!"

"Alright, let me figure out how to open it."

"Just do what you did when you found me."

"I would, but there's one problem with that. I didn't open your meteor, it opened on its own."

I try tapping the meteor, kicking it, twisting it, but with no luck.

"Here, let me try." Rainbow just holds out a hoof and taps the meteor, which proceeds to make a whooshing sounds as if an air seal had been broken. The meteor opens like a chest, and the contents are revealed. Two small objects lay inside. A small note, and a weird crystal.

"What does that note say?" Rainbow asks as she hops up on the bed next to me.

"Okay it says this." I say as I unroll the note. "Dear Rainbow, If you find this, watch the message embedded in the crystal. -Twilight"

"T-Twi... Oh my gosh..." Rainbow gasps as she covers her mouth with her hooves.

"Message in a crystal? What the fuck does that mean?" I say curiously as I lift the crystal up in my hand. I stare at it, watching the light from my room pass through it. I tap the top of it with my finger, and it begins to glow a brilliant white.

"Rainbow, turn the light off, hurry." Rainbow quickly hops over to the light switch and flips it down. The room is lit up by the crystal's light. A bright beam of light shoots out from the top, and projects an image on the wall. The image is Rainbow's five friends looking back at us.

"Its... my..." Rainbow chokes through tears.

"Rainbow, if you're hearing this, then that means the spell was a success. We sent this message to you by sending the package to the coordinates you were sent to. Discord has been locked away for what he did, and he won't be sending anypony else anywhere."

"What the hell is this..." I mumble as I stare at the projection, my mouth agape.

"The five of us have been working nonstop to find a way to get you back home. We can't even begin to imagine what you must be going through... We've found a way to send objects to the world you now reside on, but we have yet to find a way to bring you home. Princess Celestia was able to track you down, and that's how we found your coordinates. We're getting close to finding a spell to bring you back home, it shouldn't take much longer. We miss you Rainbow, and we're doing everything we can to save you. Now I'll let the girls say something to you."

"Hey Rainbow, we really miss ya... Ah'm sorry this happened to ya, and we're trying our best to bring ya back. Hang in there partner." The orange pony, who I recognize as Applejack says.

"Please come back, we miss you Rainbow." Fluttershy says through watery eyes.

"Darling, life just isn't the same without you here." Rarity speaks next.

"I'm going to throw you the biggest party ever!" Pinkie...

"We miss you Rainbow, and we can't wait to see you again..." Twilight says through small tears.

"We love you Rainbow." They all say at the same time. Then the projection disappears in a flash of light. I stare at the blank wall, my mind trying to process what I just saw. I slowly turn my head to look at Rainbow, who looks just as stunned as I am. Her hooves are over her mouth, and tears are streaming down her face.

"Ma..." She chokes out. I quickly pull her into an embrace, and we both ball our eyes out, but for different reasons. She's crying because she finally saw her friends again, and she now has hope that she'll be able to go back. But me? I'm losing it because now there's a chance that Rainbow will leave earth forever. Could I ever let that happen? If it came down to it, what would she choose...

Me? Or them?

"I can't believe they're coming for me. I thought they would have given up..." Rainbow says quietly as we lay under the covers of my bed.

"Rainbow, you should know that they would never give up on you. Who would? You're too special."

"Isn't this great Matt? I can finally go home. I can see my friends again."

"Yeah, great news..."

"What's wrong? We should be happy right?"

"No, we shouldn't be! What do you think is going to happen Rainbow? That I'll just forget about you or something? That I'll still be with you!? Because if you believe that, its bullshit!"

"I-I... would be gone forever, wouldn't I?" She says with realization.

"Yea, I'd never see you again! I can't lose you Rainbow, you've made my life worth living, if you left forever, I wouldn't have much reason to live anymore!"

"You would... Oh, Matt!" Rainbow wraps herself around me as the tears begin to flow. "I can't just choose something like this! What if they just take me without notice? What if I don't even have a choice?"

"When it comes down to it, you have to make a decision Rainbow. I can't stop you from going back if that's what you want... Just go with what your heart tells you."

"I don't want to leave you Matt. But... I also really want to see my friends again. I can't just make that kind of decision..."

"I just hope that when the time comes... you make the right one."

"A crystal?" Alex says as we walk down the sidewalk on the cool Sunday morning.

"Yeah, it was some sort of a message. More like a video message actually."

"Well what was on it?"

"Rainbow's friends... from the other world."

"Really!? That's so cool! An alien message from another world."

"Not as cool as you might think. They said they were close to finding a way to bring Rainbow back to their world. That means that we would never see her again..."

"Wait, seriously? Dude, I don't think she would just up and leave you. I've seen how she looks at you Matt, she's like, head over heels for you."

"I don't know man... She looked pretty excited to get back to her own world. It wouldn't surprise me if I came home and she was just gone."

"Well, what do you think she'll choose?"

"To be honest, I really don't know. I'd hope she would choose to stay here, but I wouldn't blame her if she wanted to go back."

"I guess only time will tell huh?"

"Yeah... I guess so..."

Feather

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*November 25, 2015*

We've gotten four more notes since the first one crashed into my backyard. What were in the crystals? Well, all they were, were a bunch a of updates on the spell that Twilight had been developing. Am I depressed? Yeah. Am I angry? Definitely. But most importantly, is Rainbow happy? Well, that's not something that I'm sure of.

So, here I am, lying down on my bed throwing a baseball up and down. Its time like these when you're bored and upset that you start to think of the deeper things in life. I think about how the ball kind of represents how my life has been since Rainbow's arrival back in September. My life has gone up and down, up and down. It looks like my life is about to make a large downward spiral. According to Twilight's last message, the spell is pretty much complete. Rainbow could vanish at any moment.

"Matt? Can I come in?" Rainbow knocks on my locked door.

"I don't know..." I mumble as I catch the ball and sigh. This is really getting to me. If she leaves, my life is pretty much over. She is the candle, and I am the flame, I can't live without her. If she disappears, my flame goes out.

"Please Matt." I can hear she's starting to choke on tears. "You've been shutting me away for the past three days. Please tell me what's wrong."

I get up slowly and walk to the door. My hand hovers over the handle for a good minute before I slowly lower it, and open the door. Rainbow looks up at me with red, puffy eyes, and I'm sure mine look the same.

"What do you want?" I mumble as I walk back to my bed.

"To be with you. You've been so reclusive lately." Rainbow jumps up on the bed next to me and starts rubbing her head on my side.

"I've just been thinking about stuff..." I sigh as I realize all of the things I might not be able to do with Rainbow. I'll never get to spend Christmas with her. I'll never get to celebrate her birthday... I'll never get to do anything with her again.

"Is it about me?"

"It... yeah, it is. I'm sorry, I just really don't want you to go."

"I don't want to go either Matt..." She says with a weak voice as she wraps her legs around me. "But I might have to go back."

"I can't lose you Rainbow. Not now, not ever!" I practically yell as I squeeze my eyes shut. I grab her tightly against my chest, and the tears begin to flow. "I'm nothing without you..." I whisper into her ear.

"Matt..." Rainbow sobs back... Then it happens. I don't really notice it at first, but then I see it. A faint glow around Rainbow's body.

"Rain..." I gasp. The air in the room starts to slowly move in a large circle around us. The light around her body grows and grows.

"Matt, what's going on!?" She yells as she grabs onto me.

"It... its happening..." I mumble in realization. "Fuck! NO! THIS CAN'T HAPPEN!" I yell with all my strength.

"MATT!" She screams. Then the wind stops, the light dissipates, and she's gone...

*3 Weeks Later*

"Dude... you gotta come back inside..." Alex mumbles from the entrance to the school.

"I'm good... go without me..." I say as I sit on the front steps.

"C'mon Matt, you're skipping class again, and the teachers are pissed at you. You can't keep doing this every day, especially in the rain."

The cold rain pours down on me as I watch each droplet hit the ground. "I said... no..." Alex slowly walks down to me and sits down to my right.

"You can't keep living like this Matt... I know you miss her, but skipping school and sitting in freezing cold rain won't make it better. I'm trying to help you out here, you need to move on."

"I don't want to move on..."

"Well you have to! You may have lost your girlfriend, but because of that, I lost my best friend! Please Matt, stop this!" He grabs my shoulder and his eyes begin to water.

"I'm still your friend Alex, I just need my time to-"

"No, you need to get it together man!" He's being harsh, and his words hurt, but in the end, I know he's right.

"...I'm getting too cold." I slowly get up and make my way back into the school. I sigh with a little relief as the warm air hits me as I enter. The depression and darkness clouding my mind almost immediately returns once I've warmed up.

"Let's get you back to class..." Alex leads me back to our third hour class.

"Yeah... Its time to move on..."

I walk into my room and chuck my bag across the room. I go limp and fall face-first onto my bed. The tears come quickly, and it doesn't take long for my eyes to start burning.

I roll onto my back and grab my Xbox controller off of the table next to my bed. I open the Netflix app and pull up the one thing that has been able to give me a little bit of comfort. The MLP theme song starts playing, and my tears slowly dry away. Every time she comes up, a small smile makes its way to my face. When an episode ends, the depression returns. I can't keep doing this for the rest of my life, I know that, but I can't seem to be able to push away the thoughts.

*Buzz*...

"What the hell?" I whisper to myself.

*Buzz*...

I get up off the bed and head for my bag which is now laying on top of a tall cabinet where I keep my movies and games. I have to stand on my toes to reach the bag. Probably wasn't the best idea to throw it up here. I grab for my phone to check it, but my hand brushes against something different, something soft. I pull my hand down, my phone in my hand along with another object. My eyes light up and my mouth hangs open as I ignore the text and place the phone in my pocket. I stare at the other item, and a small smile spreads across my face.

In my hand is a single blue feather. I turn it between my fingers and smile my first real smile in weeks. Something I can remember her by other than pictures. I guess it flew up there when she vanished. All of that wind probably ripped the feather out of her wing, and it landed on top of the shelf.

"I miss you Rainbow..." I drag the feather through the air, imagining her flying. Then I saw a small spark. It engulfed the feather in a dull light.

"What the fuck..." The light spread down my hand slowly, then up my arm. In a matter of minutes, the light had spread across my whole body. What the hell... Was the spell still affecting this single feather?

Then the wind started. The same wind I had felt three weeks ago. I spin around and watch as papers and small objects fly around my room. My vision is quickly filled with a pure white light.

Then it all disappears...

"Where... Rai..." I try to lift my head, but it quickly falls back down to the ground with a thud. I can feel the dirt through my hair. Wait, dirt?

My eyes quickly shoot open, and the sun burns them. I quickly close them shut and groan as I try to sit up. It takes a minute, but I make it into a sitting position with success. Where am I?

I look around, my eyes still slightly blurry, and try to take in my surroundings. I'm in some kind of field, and there's a light snow falling to the ground. Snow in Florida? The fuck?

I get onto my feet and stretch the muscles that feel tight and unused. I start to walk in a random direction, trying to find any kind of land mark. The feather... the wind, the light. Had I gone to the same place as Rainbow? Was I... in her world? I keep walking and walking until I come to a hill that overlooks a small town. I recognize it, and for the first time in almost a month, all depression and sadness flees from my mind. Ponyville... I can't believe it.

I start to full sprint into the small village, and realize quickly that I'm probably the only human here, and that none of the residents have seen me before other than Rainbow. I come to a stop on the edge of town, and peek around the corner of a house. The streets aren't very busy, and I can see the lights on inside of a lot of houses. Then I spot it, the library. The central hub of the town. I can see lights on inside of it, and dull music blaring from inside. A party? Maybe Rainbow is there.

I take off quickly into town, towards the library. I get a few looks from the ponies as I pass by them, but I give it no attention. I have a goal, and I'm going to reach it.

I reach the front entrance of the giant tree, and stare at the front door. Is this really happening? Am I really here? What if I'm just going insane? I push the questions aside and peek in through the window. I don't see Rainbow, but I see Twilight and Applejack talking off to the side. However, on the banner, it says "Welcome home Rainbow." Score.

I don't even bother to knock on the door. I try the handle, and find that its unlocked. I slowly open the door, and luckily nobody seems to notice. Not yet anyway. I see her, there, in the middle of the room. I can see her expression. She has a smile on her face, but I can tell its fake by the look in her eyes. She's trying to be happy.

"We're glad to have you back Rainbow." I hear Rarity say over the music.

"Yeah, its good to be back." Rainbow responds with her fake smile. Then the music stops. All noise in the room comes to a halt. All eyes are on the doorway where I'm standing. I stare at the only one I care about.

"Huh? What happened to the-" Rainbow looks around in confusion before looking at the doorway. I don't even say anything as I full sprint into the middle of the room. Rainbow doesn't even move. Her smile disappears, and her eyes quickly begin to water. I practically dive onto her and we roll across the floor. We come to a stop, and Rainbow is on my chest and I'm on my back.

"Are... real?" She mutters, her pupils small as pinpricks.

"I-I'm real. I'm really here." I say through my own tears.

"Oh Celestia..." Rainbow chokes out, her voice going into a higher pitch. She quickly buries her face into my chest and begins to sob. I can feel all eyes on us, and I can see some gaping jaws around the room from the corner of my eyes. I don't care though, I have her back. She's finally back.

"I found you Rainbow... I found you..."

Equestria - Part 1

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"Ah!" I hear a scream from across the room. Suddenly I'm lifted into the air, and I feel the ground under me, or more like I DON'T feel it anymore. I see a weird pinkish glow around me, but Rainbow is still in my arms, and she doesn't even seem to notice.

"Put her down!" Now I can see Twilight looking at me with a mixture of confusion, horror, and anger. I guess I should have expected this, its not like humans are a common thing here right? In fact, it probably looks like I attacked Rainbow the way I tackled her across the floor.

"What? No!" I say back in protest. I thought she was gone forever, there is no way in hell I'm letting her go ever again.

"I said-" Twilight starts but gets cut off.

"Cool it. Hes cool..." Rainbow says quietly as she looks between the two of us with puffy red eyes. All eyes are on us, and all of them have distinct expressions in them. I guess that's just a special talent I've always had, I can tell emotions just by looking at someone.

"What!? Are you crazy Rainbow? This is probably some creature from the Everfree Forest!"

"No, I'm not crazy. Let him down so he can actually explain to you!"

Twilight gives me a suspicious look before dropping me to the ground where I land with a thud.

"Ah... my ass... thanks for that by the way Twilight." I say sarcastically as I stand up. I place Rainbow down on the ground and she immediately presses up into my leg.

"H-How do you..."

"Know your name? Because I'm a genius." I can use this to my advantage to freak them all out. I start pointing around the room at Rainbow's friends. "And that's Applejack, that's Rarity, that's Fluttershy, that's Pinkie Pie, and this is Rainbow Dash. You are Twilight Sparkle, fourth princess of Equestria. Is your mind blown yet?"

"I...I..." Twilight's eye twitches and her mouth hangs open slightly. I can hear faint snickers from around the room. At least some of them have a sense of humor. Rainbow just looks up at me with a smirk that just screams, "Was that necessary?"

"How about I explain, while he shuts up?" Rainbow says with a slight chuckle. She walks up to what looks like a DJ booth, and steps up to the microphone. "Guys, you might be wondering who and what this guy is. It started a few months ago when I was teleported away by Discord. I was sent to a world called Earth, where the dominant species are these things called humans. This guy right here is the one who found me. I didn't know him, and he didn't know me, but he took me in and gave me food, shelter, and his friendship. We quickly became close friends, and he has been taking care of me since I vanished. This is Matthew Green... and I love him... a lot." Rainbow finishes as she looks at me with a genuine smile, her eyes beginning to water again.

"Love? Like as in-" Twilight starts.

"Yes, I love him Twilight, and I don't care what anypony thinks."

I walk up to the microphone and kneel down in front of it to adjust for my height.

"Hey, whats up everyone? I'm Matthew Green, and I'm the one who has been protecting Rainbow for the past three and a half months. I risked life and limb to keep her safe, and it almost cost me my life on multiple occasions. But you know what? I love her, and I would do it all again if it meant she would be safe." I say as I pull Rainbow into my side and stare at the crowd. I hear murmurs from around the room, as well as some whispers.

Everyone goes quiet again before the two of us are surrounded on the little stage. I'm assaulted with thank you's and friendly compliments for keeping Rainbow safe while she was gone. Even Rainbow's friends, including Twilight, come up to me once the crowd dissipates.

"Ah can't thank you enough Mr. Green for protecting her." Applejack says as she tips her hat.

"It was no problem at all, and please, call me Matt."

"Well Matt, I'm grateful for what you did for Rainbow. How can we ever repay you?" Twilight says.

"...Twilight, can I speak to you in private please?" I say as I stand up. She nods and follows me outside where the sun is setting over the horizon. "Lets walk and talk."

"Okay, what is it?" She says as we begin to walk.

"As you could probably guess, I have a family, friends, and a life of my own back on my planet. I didn't come here on purpose, so its not like I really planned to suddenly arrive here. Is there any way I can get back?"

"You could probably ask our princess, Celestia, for help with that. I know for a fact she knows how to do it since she was the one who developed the spell to bring Rainbow here. All she would have to do is reverse the spell to send you to Earth."

"Oh, that's good news. I can't wait to get back with Rainbow, its been really dull and lonely without her."

Twilight stops walking, and I turn around to face her when she does. "Wait, what? Rainbow is staying here, you know that right?"

"Um, no? I want to take her back with me. I can't live here, but she easily fits in back where I'm from. She's made a life for herself there."

"And how do you know she would even want to go back with you?"

"Because I know Rainbow. We were talking about if she would return if she had the choice. I'm pretty sure she would have stayed with me had she had the choice. But apparently, you didn't think about that and you just took her from me!" My voice starts to rise as I realize my eyes are starting to water.

"We didn't even know you existed until twenty minutes ago Matt, so we just assumed she would be thrilled to be home."

"She WAS home! She was happy there, and so was I! It destroyed my life when she disappeared! I don't think you understand when I say that she means everything to me, and that I can't live without her."

"I-I'm so sorry. I didn't know this would happen. We need her though, she's the element of loyalty. Without her, we can't use the elements. What if we were attacked without our biggest weapon?"

"I... fuck, I'll just see what this Celestia says. Maybe she'll have a solution. When can I see her?"

"She's pretty busy this week, so you could probably make your way up to Canterlot in a few days. Until then you're more than welcome to stay in the library with me."

"I appreciate that Twilight. Hey, can you send a note back to my place for me? My parents are probably gonna worry."

"Sure, no problem!"

"Hey, why can't you just send me back? You sent the messages to Earth, why not me?"

"I don't have that kind of power. It was hard enough to get inanimate objects there, I doubt I have the magic to get a living creature there. Celestia, however, could do it pretty easily."

"Oh, Okay. Thanks for the help then. Lets get back to the library, I really miss Rainbow, its been weeks since I've seen her."

We head back towards the library where Rainbow is waiting just inside the door with her other friends. She runs out and greets us when we come back.

"So, what were you guys talking about?" Rainbow asks as we sit down on Twilight's guest bed. She let us go upstairs to her room to be alone for a few minutes to catch up.

"How I'm going to get home."

"What? You can just stay here with me Matt. We can be together forever now!"

"No, I can't stay here Rainbow. I have Emily, my parents, my friends, and an entire future ahead of me. I have to go back, and it has to be soon."

"But... I just got you back, I don't want to lose you again!"

"Which is why I want you to come back with me Rainbow. We can be together on Earth!"

"How would we even get back?"

"Twilight said we should head to Canterlot in a few days. She said that Celestia would be able to send us back to Earth."

"I'd love to go back with you Matt. I don't care where we are, as long as we're together, I'll be happy."

"Well now that that is settled, lets get back to that party." I say as I stand up. "Shall we?" I hold my hand out for her. She places her hoof in my palm and hops off the bed.

This is going to be an interesting week.

Equestria - Part 2

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"You'll still be here in the morning, right?" Rainbow says as she hovers in front of me in the doorway of the library.

"Duh, I'm not going anywhere without you." I say as I pull her out of the air and into my chest. Her legs wrap around my back and she quickly plants one on my lips.

"Then I'll see you then." And with that, she takes off like a bolt of lightning. I turn around to see Twilight looking at me with a little smile. "What's your problem?" I say with a little chuckle as I close the door.

"I just thought that was adorable." She says with her own laugh.

"That's not the first time I've heard that. You sound just like my friend Skyler, I really think you two would get along."

"Maybe we would. Anyway, I'm going to head to bed now, Spike's already asleep up there, so try not to wake him up. You can use the shower if you want, just try not to be too loud." She says with a yawn as she walks up the stairs.

"Alright, I'll head up in a little bit, I'm gonna chill down here for a while." I say as I lean back on the wall. I sigh and rub my eyes as I slide down the wall until I hit the floor with a thud. I take my hands off my eyes and pull my legs into my chest as I just look around the room. I remember by phone in my pocket and pull it out. No signal, of course. I open the photo gallery and swipe through it, thinking back on all the memories I've made in the past four months. Its only about ten minutes before I hear a clopping sound coming from the stairs. I look up to see Twilight coming down towards me in some robe.

"What happened to going to bed?" I say as I hold me phone between my legs limply.

"I just came down to get some water... Whats that glowing thing you're holding?"

"My phone? Oh, right, you guys don't have these. Well come here, let me show you." I say as I pull my phone back up in front of my face. Twilight trots on over to me and takes a set against the wall. I scoot closer to her to let her have a better view.

"So, what does it do?"

"Well, the overall premise of it, is that it allows you to talk to someone else, no matter where they are. Lets say I'm here, in the library, and you're in Canterlot, and I need to contact you. I would type in a certain number onto the phone, and I would be able to talk to you! Of course, you would need radio towers and another phone, but you get the gist."

"That sounds a lot like the spell that Spike uses to send letters... interesting. What else can it do?"

"Well, it can be used as a camera." I say as I open the camera app. I change it to the front camera and my face, as well as Twilight's, comes up on the screen.

"I-Is that us?"

"Duh, who else would it be?" I say as I snap a photo. "Wanna see some pictures I took on Earth?"

"Pictures from another world!? Of course I do! Why would you even need to ask something like that!" I open the gallery and the first picture to pop up is the first one I took of Rainbow. The picture shows us in a classroom, Rainbow looking up at the camera while I kneel down next to her. I remember taking this picture like it was yesterday."

"Wow, she actually looks... happy..."

"You bet. Its hard to remember any time she was sad other than when she was hiding her feelings from me." I scroll over to the next picture which shows Rainbow and I holding pieces of pizza in our mouths. It makes both Twilight and myself laugh hysterically. The next one brings back some emotional memories. It shows Rainbow and I, soaking wet, kissing out in the rain on prom night. I remember Alex taking this picture without me even knowing and then sending it to me the next day.

"You two really do look perfect for each other. I'm glad you found her Matt, I really am. I just don't know what to do... I want her to be happy with you, but I don't know if we can afford to lose one of the elements."

"I get what you mean by that, but I feel like you're not telling me everything Twilight."

"Ugh, no... I'm not. I didn't say it earlier, but now that Rainbow is back, I really don't want her to leave. Shes my friend too, I don't want to lose her either..."

"Oh... I hadn't thought about that... Well, who knows, maybe Celestia will have a solution to our problem."

"Yeah, you're right. The princess always knows what to do." Twilight says as she yawns. "I'm going to bed now, for real this time."

"Alright, I'll be there in a minute, I'm taking a shower first." I say as I follow her up the stairs. I enter her bathroom to find its a lot better looking than I thought it would be. I turn on the shower to get the water warm, and I lean against the sink while I wait. Once the water is warm, I strip down and step in. The warm water feels amazing since its pretty cold out right now. Ha, never did I ever think I would be taking a shower inside of a tree, in a land full of magic and ponies. The fuck has my life come to?

I don't wash my hair since I usually do that first thing in the morning anyway, so it would be pointless to do it now. I step out of the shower, only to find its really cold in the rest of the room. I groan as I force myself back into the bathroom, and wrap up in a towel. I change back into my clothes, and head to the bedroom. My eyes are heavy, and my body aches from the cold, as well as just being tired in general. I fall face first onto the guest bed, and roll up in the sheets. The bed is way too small for me, so I have to curl my legs up to my chest. I quickly fall asleep to the sound of Twilight lightly snoring.

*Knock*

"Ugh... what?" Twilight moans as we both wake up to the sound of knocking at the front door. I unlock my phone to see that its only seven in the morning. I'm used to waking up this early for school, but I guess Twilight isn't. Fuck, speaking of school, I'm probably gonna fail this year if I keep missing so many days. Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll excuse me of the all the days I missed since, really, none of them were my fault. We get up sluggishly and waddle down to the front door where the knocking continues.

"Who disturbs my slumber?" I say with a slur and a chuckle. Gees, I sound fucking drunk. I can see Rainbow hovering there with a big dumb grin through my blurry eyes. "Oh, its just you." I say as I close the door in her face. I laugh to myself before opening the door again. "I'm just kidding, I'm an idiot in the morning."

"You're an idiot all the time." Rainbow says with a laugh as she wraps herself around me. "Can I borrow him for a while Twilight?"

"Just have him back by eleven." Twilight jokingly says like a protective parent.

"C'mon, I want to show you so many things Matt." Rainbow says as she bites down on my sleeve and basically drags me outside. We start walking into town, but I'm annoyed that she didn't let me grab my jacket first. Its cold as shit out here!

"So, what did you want to show me?" I say, my voice still groggy from sleep. I rub my eyes and groan as the sun burns them.

"I don't really know! I just thought we would travel around and see the town. I want you to see my home now!"

"Rainbow, I've already seen Ponyville several times on your show. What else is there to see?"

"Oh, um... How about we just go look at some shops?" She says as she leads me down a side road.

"I don't remember seeing any shops in the show, what are you talking about?"

"There's a little shopping district on the south side of town. I guess it was just never shown in that show... Its still weird to think there's a show about us."

"Well, like I said, I think the show and this world are two different things, so its not completely the same. Well, show me these shops, maybe there will be something interesting."

"Okay, here take these." She tosses me a heavy little bag. Where the hell did she just pull this from? Yeah, I'm not gonna question it, probably magic or some confusing shit like that. I open the bag and my eyes shoot open.

"Holy crap! Are these those bits you were talking about Rainbow!?" I say as I take one out of the bad. They're surprisingly heavy, but I guess that's to be expected from gold.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot that I told you about those. Now you can get rich back in the other world I guess. You can keep some if you want."

"Nah, that's too easy. I'll bring one or two back, but I won't sell them. I wanna earn my money through hard work." I say with a confident smile.

"Ugh, that sounds so lame Matt, its just like you."

"Yep, that's me! Lame ol' Matty." I say with a chuckle as I close the bag back up and stuff it in my pocket. It weighs down my leg, but I compensate for it by shifting my weight. We walk into a little shopping district, and immediately I'm surrounded by what feels like hundreds of pairs of eyes. I just ignore the stares and keep walking, making sure to stick close to Rainbow. Now I now how she felt her first few weeks back on Earth.

"So, you gonna go clothes shopping or something?" I say sarcastically as I eye a couple of clothing shops.

"What? No, Matt, you know I'm not like that at all! I was hoping to look at some sporting shops or something." Now there's something I can be interested in. We walk into what looks like a general sporting goods shop. There's some familiar equipment l spot on the shelves like hockey sticks and such. Rainbow immediately squeals as she flashes over to a bunch of stuff that I don't really recognize.

"What's this shit?" I say as I walk up to her with my hands in my pockets to keep them warm.

"This stuff is not... what you said. Its Wonderbolts memorabilia! I love them!"

"Wonderbolts huh?" I say as I unroll a poster. It shows three pegasi with smoke trails behind them. "Yeah, I think I remember these guys from the show."

"They're my heroes!"

"Am I your hero?" I say with a smirk.

"Oh course you are." She says with a laugh as she rubs up against my leg. I notice something that catches my eyes across the store. I jog over to a shelf where I pick up a compound bow. I pull the string back to test its strength, and I instantly love the feel of it.

"I'm totally buying this." I say as I walk past Rainbow and towards the checkout counter. I lay out a few bits on the table to purchase the bow and a six arrows. I put the quiver of arrows on my back, the put the bow over my chest like a sash. "Well, how do I look? Like Robin Hood?"

"Robin Hood?"

"Nevermind, lets get some lunch, I'm starving." We walk out of the shop and head for a little cafe near the middle of the shopping district. We sit down at a table outside, though I have to basically sit on the ground because of how low the tables are. The waiter gives me a strange look, but quickly recomposes himself before levitating two menus over to us. I'm never going to get used to seeing magic like that.

"Gees, there's just a bunch of salads and stuff... damn it." I mumble as I flip the menu over.

"Well yeah, there's like no meat here. At least, not in Ponyville. Just get a salad or something."

I'm about to respond to her when we both hear a blood curdling scream.

Equestria - Part 3

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"What the fuck?" I say as I quickly jump out of my seat and drop my menu. "Where did that come from? Rainbow, fly up and see if you can see anything."

"Got it." She says as she hovers up about fifteen feet above me. She spins around looking for the source of the scream, then points over a building and yells. "Scoot!" Then she's gone in a flash.

"Rainbow! Wait!" I yell back as I sprint in the direction she flew. I almost plow into a couple ponies, but I'm able to maneuver around them, despite the bow and quiver on my back. I slide around the corner of a building and spot the source of the scream. Rainbow is standing defensively in front of a little orange pony. What was her name? Scootaloo or something? I run up to them and spot why she had been screaming. In front of the two is a thing that looks like it jumped out of a Greek mythology book. Its part lion, part... a bunch of other stuff, point is, the thing looks real dangerous.

"Stay behind me kid!" Rainbow says as she pushes Scoot behind her with her back leg. The creature roars at Rainbow and charges her. Rainbow jumps on top of it and starts punching the top of its head. Yeah, like that will do anything. The creature flips over and pins Rainbow to the ground. She screams in surprise as its about to bring its claws down on her.

"Hey fuck face!" I yell before it can attack her. Rainbow has her legs over her face, but she peeks through them to look at me. The creature lunges away from Rainbow and starts to charge me. I don't move a muscle as it barrels towards me.

"Matt! Run!" Rainbow screams as she picks herself up. But I don't. I wait for the perfect moment. When its only a few feet away from me, I roll to my side to dodge it. The creature's momentum carries it farther than it intended to go, and it rams into the back of a building. It shakes itself off and starts running towards me. I pull the bow off of myself and load a single arrow into it. I get down on one knee and take aim. When its about twenty feet from me, I let the arrow fly. A direct hit to the eye. It drops instantly and its body shakes violently before it comes to a stop. I pant heavily as the adrenaline starts to fade out of my body.

"Matt! Are you okay, are you hurt!?" Rainbow says as she flies up to me and grabs me around the waist. Shes crying a little, but I don't point it out since it would probably just embarrass since just about everyone is staring at us with mouths gaping open.

"I... I'm fine. Really. But are you two okay?" I say as I grab Rainbow's front leg. There's a bloody cut going horizontally down it. "Jesus, Rainbow, did you have to get yourself hurt?"

"Its not that bad... really I'm fine." She says as I drop her to the ground, her leg gives out under her, and she grunts as she hits the ground.

"Um, thank you sir... for saving me." Scootaloo says as she slowly walks up to us.

"All in a days work." I say with a smile as I kneel down and ruffle her hair. "Maybe we'll run into each some time soon, but I need to go fix up my girlfriend." I say as I point over at Rainbow who's still failing to stand.

"Rainbow Dash is your marefriend!?" She yells with a large smile. "That's so cool! You're officially awesome." She says as she holds a hoof out towards me.

"Ha, you know it." I say as I make a fist and bump it against her hoof. "See you around." I say as I walk back over to Rainbow.

"C'mon Matt, I'm fine!" She tries to protest as she keeps falling on her ass. I laugh at her as I kneel down and put my hands under her side.

"Come on already, I'm taking you back to the library. That cut's pretty nasty... Gees its deep too!" I yell in surprise as I look at my hand which is now covered in blood. I wrap Rainbow around me like a hug, and start to jog back into down. Her head is over my shoulder, so I can't see her face, but its most likely got an embarrassed expression plastered on it.

"This is so embarrassing..." She says as she confirms my suspicions.

"What is? Me or being hurt?"

"Being hurt... I can still fly Matt, you don't have to carry me."

"Maybe I just want to take care of you. Would you rather I put you down?"

"Uh, no... no keep going." She says as she sighs and pulls herself tighter into me. I knew it, shes just trying to cover up her soft side again. I continue jogging through town until I reach the library. I open the door by slamming my shoulder into it.

"Matt! What the hay are you doing!" Twilight yells as I almost barrel into her. She gasps when she sees Rainbow in my arms. "Oh my Celestia! What happened!? Why are you covered in blood!?"

"Its not mine, its hers. I say as I lay Rainbow down on the floor. "Oh my God, Rainbow wake up." I say as I see Rainbow's eyes closed. Her breathing has slowed noticeably, and her front left leg has basically turned red. "It must have hit an artery or something!" I say as I rip my shirt off. I wrap it around the cut and start putting as much pressure around it as I can.

"Hold on! I think I can fix this!" Twilight teleports into thin air before appearing back in front of me only a few seconds later. She has some kind of medical kit, and pulls out a needle and thread. "I'm going to stitch it up. You need to hold the cut open Matt so I can reach whatever it is that's bleeding in there."

"Okay... Okay I got it." I say as I open the cut with my fingers. Twilight uses her magic and lowers the equipment down into Rainbow's leg. I'll hand it to her, she stayed awake longer than I did when I was bleeding out. I doubt she's going to need a blood transfusion if we can get it closed up now.

"Okay, I got the internal bleeding to stop, now I need to close the cut on the epidermis. You can let go now."

I let go of Rainbow's leg and sit back. I wipe my arm on my forehead which is now covered in sweat. I end up spreading blood on my forehead, but I don't exactly care right now. I'm already covered in it, so what's a little more?

"Alright... that should do it." Twilight says as she backs away and lets out a few heavy breaths. She casts a spell over Rainbow that seems to scan her body. "Her body is returning to normal status, it looks like she should be fine..."

"Sheesh, where did you learn to do that Twilight?" I ask as I grab Rainbow's hoof in my hand and stare at her closed eyes.

"I read A LOT of books if you can't tell." She says with a light chuckle. "And I used a little healing magic that should help."

"I can't thank you enough Twilight." I say as I lean over and ruffle her mane.

"I would do it for anyone. Its definitely good that you got her here when you did, or she might have ended up needing a transfusion. Say, what happened to her anyway?"

"Some creature attacked her and that little filly Scootaloo. Rainbow took the blow trying to protect her. I killed the thing with this bow, but it was too late I guess." I say as Twilight levitates a couple towels over to us. We being to scrub the leftover blood on the floor.

"You really are perfect for her aren't you?" She says with a little smile. "I wish I could find somepony as amazing as you Matt."

"Don't you worry about that, you'd make an amazing girlfriend for any guy here. You'll make someone really happy, I know that for a fact." I smile as I continue scrubbing the floor. I'm not even looking at her when Twilight wraps herself around me.

"That's the nicest thing I've been told in quite a while." She says as she pulls back and looks at me.

"Anything for a friend." I say as I tap the tip of her nose. "Now, I need to clean up, like really bad. Are those stitches waterproof?"

"Should be, I'll clean this mess up down here while you do that."

"Alright, I'll see you in a few." I say as I scoop Rainbow up in my arms, holding her like a newborn baby. I carry her up the stairs and into the bathroom where I place her down on a towel in the corner of the room. I take the crumbled up shirt I brought up with me and unravel it in front of me. Great, my only shirt is torn up and bloody. I toss it in the garbage and sigh as I rub my face. I look at myself in the mirror, shirtless, dirty, and bloody. I guess I can just wear my jacket like a shirt until I can get back home.

I start up the water in the shower, but plug the drain so that it will fill up like a bath tub. Its freezing cold outside, and a hot bath sounds like a damn good idea to me. Despite Twilight being smaller than me, her tub is surprisingly big, its actually bigger than my own. I'll just clean myself off, then I'll wash Rainbow's cut off so it doesn't get infected. I assume Twilight already cleaned it, but you can never be too safe.

Once the water is warm enough, I slowly get in and sigh in relief. The water feels amazing after being outside in the cold for so long. Then I notice a pair of eyes looking back at me.

"How long have you been awake?" I ask as Rainbow slowly stands up. Her leg twitches a little, but she catches herself and adjusts her balance.

"Um, just a minute or two." She says, a little bit of nervousness in her voice.

"You saw me take my clothes off didn't you?" I say as I facepalm.

"Uh, what!? I um..."

"How does your leg feel?" I ask, trying to change the subject.

"It hurts, but not too bad. How long was I out?"

"I'd say about twenty minutes, give or take. I need to clean the wound when I'm done in here. Twilight is downstairs if you want to wait down there with her."

"Actually..." She says as she slowly walks over to the tub. "Can I just join you?"

"Um..." I stutter.

"Please? Just this once? I won't try anything." She says with a little smirk.

"I... fine, get in." I say as I shift over. Its a good thing Twilight's tub is huge, or else we'd be really cramped. Luckily there's more than enough room for both of us. Rainbow gets in, spilling a little water over the side onto the floor in the process. She sighs as the water washes over her. She sinks down and lays down in a similar position as me. She rests her head on my chest and her legs rest a little too close to my crotch.

"Comfy?" I say sarcastically as I start twirling her hair around my finger.

"Very." She says with a light laugh.

I lean back and sigh. I'll admit it, this isn't all that bad. I thought she'd try to be all over me, but shes acting like she always does. I close my eyes and actually almost fall asleep before Rainbow starts to laugh.

"What's up with you?" I ask as I open one eye to look at her.

"I'm not the one who's UP." She says as she points one hoof down to my nether regions. "I didn't know I was that good."

I look down to see that I am indeed... aroused. How the hell did I not even notice that? I shift my legs so my left leg covers myself, and sigh in embarrassment.

"You never saw that." I say as I groan in frustration.

"Oh but I did see it Matt. Stop being so stiff."

"Was that a pun?" I say as I look over at her.

"Ha! Yeah it was!"

"Well it sucked." I say as I close my eyes again. "... Oh son of a bitch! Now I'm doing it!" I facepalm myself in response to my accidental sex pun.

"You know... I could help you get rid of that." Rainbow says, her voice changing tones rather suddenly. Her leg starts to move towards my lower regions, and her head starts to rub against the side of my face.

"Holy shit, really?" I laugh as I rub my face. "You're gonna try that on me? My will is too strong for you little rainbow pony."

"Oh come on!" She moans as she crosses her front legs and pouts. I almost feel bad for her. I know she'd love that, but I'm not sure I'm ready for it. Call me weird or whatever, I know most guys would jump at the chance to get off with some girl, but I want to make sure I do it only when I feel the time is right.

"Ugh... maybe later... if I feel like it..." I sigh as I lean by head back against the wall.

"Really!?"

"I said maybe. That doesn't mean yes." Its really just more of a way to get Rainbow to stop trying to get all over me. I love her to death, but this is something that I personally want to think longer about.

"Well, for now you can give me this." The says as she moves on top of me. Her tail brushes across my you-know-what, and it doesn't really help the cause too much. Now shes laying on her stomach on top of me. She wraps her front legs around my neck and pushes herself down towards me. Our lips meet, and I wrap my arms around her back, pulling her into me.

Now this is something I won't object to.

Equestria - Part 4

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Rainbow decided to stay the night at Twilight's place. There wasn't nearly enough room for the two of us in the guest bed, so here I am, chilling out on a pile of blankets and pillows. Lucky me. My phone says its about six in the morning, and today Twilight said she would take us to Canterlot. My phone is at about twenty percent battery, so I should probably preserve it since there aren't any chargers here.

I lift myself onto my feet with a grunt as I run the sleep out of my eyes. I pile up all of the blankets and pillows neatly in a corner before walking over to the kitchen. I open the cabinets only to find stuff like salad ingredients and even some flowers. I settle on an apple, and walk over to the front entrance of the library. I walk outside into the cool morning air and start to walk around. So what if Rainbow freaks out that I'm gone? I want to take a little stroll and explore on my own.

I start walking towards the east side of town, music blaring in my ears through my ear buds. If I just play music through my phone, the battery shouldn't drain all that much. My head bobs with the music, and I might have even danced a little.

"What are you doing darling?" I hear a voice over the music. I open my eyes to see Rarity with a pile of fabric in her magic.

"Jamming out, taking a stroll. What are you doing?"

"Picking up some materials for a new dress line that I was inspired to make. Would you like to see what I've made so far?" She says with a friendly smile.

"I guess I got time. Rainbow and Twilight are still asleep so I have nothing to do right now really."

"Splendid! Now, if you'll just follow me." She says as she trots over to a little building. I recognize it as her shop, and follow behind her, still moving with the music a little. I probably look like a complete idiot.

"Hey, Rarity, I kinda destroyed the only shirt I had, could you do anything about it?"

"Like what? Do you want it repaired or a completely new shirt?"

"Well, I think its probably beyond repair considering its stained with blood and torn almost in two."

"Goodness! How did... blood, get on it? If you don't mind me asking."

"Rainbow got hurt, almost bled out on us. Twilight was able to fix her up though."

"Oh my, I hope she is alright."

"Oh yeah, she snapped back to her normal self almost immediately, maybe a little too fast."

"Anyhow, I could spare the time to create a new shirt for you Matthew, but I will need measurements and the such before I can get started."

"No problem, where should I stand?" I ask as we enter the building. All I have to wear right now is my hoodie, and its a little itchy without a shirt under it.

"On that little stage right there will be fine." She says as she points to a small stage on the other side of the room. "Please remove your jacket while you're at it."

"Um, okay..." I say as I slowly pull my hoodies over my head. The cool air hits me instantly, and I grab the jacket to my chest. "Holy crap, its colder than I thought."

"Whatever do you mean? It feels lovely in here."

"Yeah, well I don't have a coat of fur. I need clothes to stay warm."

"Ah, I was wondering why you always seem to be all dressed up. What about in the summer? Do you need them then?"

"Um, duh. Maybe not as much, but everyone still wears them."

"Why?"

"Uh, because I don't want to walk around naked, that's why. I've still got self respect."

"I fail to see why that would be necessary, but whatever makes you happy." She says as she levitates a measuring tape up to me. "Hold your arms out."

"I'm gonna assume this is the first human clothing you've made right?" I say with a laugh as she takes the measurements of my torso.

"You got that right, it certainly is an exciting opportunity. Have any ideas for the design?"

"Um, I like red... How about a red t-shirt with the letters RD in a big black font on the front?"

"I think I can manage that. Alright, I got the measurements. If you could come back in about an hour, I should have it done. Could you describe the font you want the letters to be?"

"Um, like these I guess." I pull out my phone and show her the logo for the band ACDC. I always liked the font they used.

"Oh, I can already see it in my head! Alright I'll see you in an hour then."

"Alright, would you like me to pay now or later?" I ask as I pull out the sack of bits Rainbow gave me yesterday.

"Oh, that won't be necessary. You've done so much for Rainbow, this is the least I can do."

"Are you sure? I really want to-"

"Its fine Matthew, really. Now go, have some fun!"

"Well, alright then. C'ya in a little while then!" I say as I start jogging outside. I place the ear buds back in my ears, and lose myself in the music as I run through town. I run a good mile or two before coming to a stop in front of the library. I put my hands on my knees and take in heavy breaths. The cold air burns my lungs, but I feel refreshed and rejuvenated.

"Morning." Spike opens the door and starts walking out.

"Hey man, what's up?" I say as I stand up and, still taking in large breaths of air.

"Going to visit Rarity." He says as he points into town.

"Oh, hey I just saw her actually. Shes making me a new shirt."

"She is? Huh."

"What, don't tell me you're jealous of me Spike." I say as I roll up my earbuds and place them in my pocket.

"Wha- Me, jealous? Why would I be jealous?" He stutters.

"Because you like her." I say with a smirk as I lean up against the tree.

"H-How do you-"

"Know that?" I finish his sentence. "I have my ways." I enter the library, but spare one last glance behind me. I left the poor guy dumbfounded. I laugh to myself as I close the door behind me.

"Morning." Twilight says as she comes down the stairs. "Sorry about making you sleep down here."

"No problem." I say as I stretch my legs to keep them from tightening up. "Hey, what time you wanna leave for Canterlot?"

"I'd say about noon would be the best time."

"Good, because I need to pick something up from Rarity in a little bit. Shes making me a new shirt."

"Oh, okay then. Rainbow is still sleeping, I'm going to make breakfast, want anything?"

"Nah, I'm good. I think I'll go disturb a pegasus in her sleep." I say casually as I walk up the stairs. I see Twilight smile and shake her head out of the corner of my eye. I make my way to the bedroom where I hear Rainbow snoring. "I'm gonna prove she snores like this once and for all." I pull out my phone and open the camera app. I set it to record and hit the red button to start the video. I aim the phone at Rainbow.

"And here we see the rare Rainbowish Dashicus in her natural habitat." I say with a bad Australian accent. "It could be dangerous, but I'm gonna poke it. Wish me luck mates." I walk up to Rainbow and poke her in the neck. She doesn't even budge. "Alright, now we'll have to try something else." I pinch down on the joint that connects her wing to her body, and she jumps up with a yelp.

"WHAT THE BUCK!" She yells as she looks around the room. I'm on the floor losing my shit.

"This is so going on YouTube!" I say through my laughs. I end the video there and pocket the phone.

"Matt! Don't do that!"

"Why? Did I scare the poor pegasus?"

"M-Maybe..."

"C'mon, get up, Twilight is taking us to Canterlot today to see if we can get home."

"Fine..." She mumbles as she rubs her eyes. "Carry me." She holds he front legs out like a little kid asking to be picked up.

"Why? You can walk now."

"But I don't want to."

"Fucking... fine, but this isn't going to be a regular thing." I pick her up out of the bed and throw her over my shoulder. I walk out onto the stairs and make my way to the kitchen. I turn the corner and see Twilight at the oven making what looks and smells like eggs.

"Aw, that's just adorable." She says as she sees us answer. I just laugh in response because I know Rainbow is about to go off on her. I plop Rainbow down into a seat and start walking for the front door.

"Matt, you just got here, where are you going?"

"I need to go pick up the shirt. It might be ready by now. Keep the rainbow one in check alright?"

"Rainbow one? What?" Rainbow looks up at me with a confused expression, but I'm already out the door. I walk into town, taking in the morning noise. The air feels a little warmer now, so I can actually enjoy being out. I run into Applejack at her little apple stand, and we chat for a minute. I catch her up on what happened during the past four months back on Earth. She wishes me luck on getting home, and I head on my way.

"Rarity!? You here?" I ask as I open the front door to her shop.

"No need to yell darling, I'm right here. And you're just in time too! I just finished your order." She holds up a red t-shirt in here magic. I grab it out of the air and observe it. It looks just how I'd pictured it in my head. Red with RD on the front in a cool black font.

"Thanks! This looks really good!"

"You flatter me Matthew. Let me know if you need anything else."

"I will, thanks." I quickly throw off my hoodie and slip on the t-shirt. It feels really smooth, not itchy like the hoodie. I toss the jacket over my shoulder and make my way back into the streets.

"Ready?" Twilight says as she holds out two tickets to me and Rainbow. We take them and board the train. We make our way to the back where we expect there to be only a couple of passengers, but the entire car is booked other than one open seat. I sit down next to the window, and Twilight sits to my left. This is a problem as there is no room for Rainbow at all, or so I thought. The next thing I know Rainbow is in my lap like a cat.

"Um, comfortable?" I ask as I readjust her so I can be comfortable. Now we're in more of a hugging position, only her back is on my chest instead of her stomach. I wrap my arms around her torso to keep her in place.

"Yeah." She sighs as she leans her head back against my chest. She looks up at me, her face upside down, and stick the tip of her tongue out at me. Why must she torture my heart?

"You two..." Twilight trails off with a laugh. "You have something special."

"Yeah, emphasis on special." I chuckle as I ruffle Rainbow's hair. We sit in silence for about twenty minutes, just watching the scenery move back out the window. Rainbow fell asleep not long after departing, so now its just me and Twilight.

"So... is she going with you?" Twilight asks, her ears drooping slightly.

"I... guess so. I don't really know whats going to happen Twilight, but I hope we can both benefit from it."

"I hope so too. I don't want to lose Rainbow again, but I know you don't want to either. And I know that you can't stay here much longer, you still have a life back in your world."

"Yeah, that I do..."

"Wake the fuck up." I shake Rainbow violently since she wouldn't wake up when I tried the nice way.

"Wha..?"

"Come on, we're in Canterlot."

"Oh, okay." Rainbow clings on to me when I try to put her down.

"This again? Really?"

"Ugh, fine." She jumps down and stretcher her legs and wings before following Twilight out into the train station. We leave the station and begin walking towards the city. It looks a lot bigger in person than it did on TV. I get a lot of weird looks and even some scoffs from the upper class residents, but all they get in response is a nice middle finger. Of course they don't know what that means, but its still satisfying for me.

"There, up ahead." Twilight points as we near a giant castle.

"Holy shit! That thing's huge!" I gasp as I have to actually look up to see the top of it. We walk up to the front steps where a few guards try to block our way before they see Rainbow and Twilight. They let both of them pass, but stop me when I try to enter.

"The elements may enter, but you must stay out here." One of the guards says in a deep voice as he tries to push me away.

"Hey! Hooves off!" Rainbow says as she comes back for me.

"He's with us. Twilight says from the stairs that lead up to the front entrance. "Let him through."

"Yes princess, our apologies." They let me by. We make our way into the main part of the castle which branches off into a bunch of long hallways. Directly in front of us is the throne room. Twilight leads us to the throne room.

"I sent a note ahead of time to let Celestia know we were coming." Twilight says as we approach the giant double doors. We push them open to see Celestia being surrounded by a bunch of nobles with paperwork.

"If you could please sign here princess." One of them says, trying to get her to sign something.

"Ahem!" I cough rather loudly. All eyes turn to me, and the nobles almost flip their shit at the sight of me.

"What is that thing!?" One of the cries out.

"Thing? Really?" I scoff in disgust.

"Could you all please clear out?" Celestia asks the nobles politely. They all scatter through different exits before you could even blink. "Twilight, good to see you again." She says with a smile as she gets up and approaches us. Rainbow and Twilight bow, but I don't see the point. I mean, she isn't my princess. Instead, I greet her like a friend.

"Princess, pleasure to meet you." I say as I hold out a hand. She shakes it and gives me a friendly, warm smile.

"You must be Matthew. Twilight and Rainbow told me much about you in a letter. I can't thank you enough for protecting one of my little ponies for those four months."

"It was my pleasure. I would do it all again for her."

"Ah, I see, are you two an item?"

"You could say that."

"Well then I must congratulate you both!"

"Thanks princess!" Rainbow says from behind us.

"Now, why was it that you wanted to see me about Matthew?"

"Oh, yeah, well I need to get home. I think I got brought her because of the spell that also brought Rainbow back. I touched a feather she left behind, and I guess it still had magic in it."

"I see, and do you intend to bring Rainbow Dash back with you?"

"I would if it is at all possible. I understand if she has to stay though..." I say as I rub the back of my head. Celestia is silent for a minute before speaking up.

"Maybe there's a way..." She mumbles to herself. I pull out my phone to casually check the time, but she seems to take notice of it. "Matthew, may I see that device?"

"My phone? Um, yeah I guess." I toss to to her and she catches it in her magic. She observes it before closing her eyes. The magic on her horn and around the phone start to glow so bright that we have to close our eyes. When we open them, the light is gone, and Celestia actually looks kinda drained.

"That took more magic than I thought." She says as she passes the phone back over to me. Not only is the phone now at full battery, but there is a new app on the home screen that wasn't there before.

"What the..." I mumble to myself as I open it. Its nothing but a blank white screen with a small red circle in the middle. "I don't remember installing this."

"That, Matthew, is your ticket home. I scanned the device to see how it functions, then I created an application that has my own enchantment on it."

"Whoa, seriously? You're like the next Steve Jobs! What does it do."

"It is a transportation device."

"How do I use it?"

"Think of a place, any place and aim the device at a flat surface, preferably a wall. Then, press the button on the screen, and you'll see what happens."

I think of Twilight's library, and aim the phone at a wall close to us. I press the button and a lighting bolt of light shoots out of the top of the phone. It strikes the wall and opens up a round portal on the surface. I can see the inside of the library, and my mouth gapes open in amazement.

"Holy... that's..." I stutter as I look down at the phone. I press the button again and the portal closes. "How did you even make this!?"

"Its simply a modification of the spell we used to return Rainbow Dash to Equestria. It scans your brain waves to find the coordinates of a location, then projects a portal wherever the device is pointing. Simple in theory, but it took a large amount of magic to create, so use it wisely."

"So this means, if Rainbow ever needed to come back to Equestria... then I could easily send her back, as well as retrieve her?"

"Indeed."

"So that means Rainbow can come home with me!?" I almost yell excitedly.

"I can go back!?" Rainbow says happily. Even Twilight looks happy knowing she can get Rainbow back at any time. If they ever need us, they can just send a message like they had when they sent those crystals to us.

"We'll let you go then. I'm sure your family and friends are worried about both of you." Celestia says as she leads Twilight out of the room. "Lets give them some alone time." I look back at Twilight and give her a friendly smile and wave.

"Thanks for everything Twilight! We'll definitely visit often, right Rainbow?"

"Definitely! We'll totally come back all the time!"

"Well, if you promise you'll visit, then I guess I can happily say goodbye for now." She says as we closes the double doors behind her, leaving Rainbow and I alone in the throne room.

"Ready?" I ask as I point the phone at the wall.

"Definitely. Wherever you go, I'll be right there with you." She says confidently. I press the button and another flash of light shoots out of the phone. A portal opens up and shows an image of my backyard. We walk slowly up to it, filled with new found happiness. Once we're just inches in front of the portal, we look at each other and smile.

"I guess this is the beginning of a new adventure huh?" I ask as I look down at the phone.

"You bet it is."

And with that, we walk into the portal, there's a bright flash of light, and then I can see again. In front of me is my yard and the back of my house.

"Home at last."

Gifts

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"It feels like years since I've been here..." Rainbow mumbles as we walk up the stairs towards my room. Its the middle of a weekday so we're the only ones home.

"It was miserable without you y'know. I couldn't go two seconds without thinking about how much I missed you."

"I know the feeling..."

"What did you do for those three weeks that you were gone?" I ask as we both fall onto my bed. I pull her into my side and she scoots around until she's comfortable.

"Well, when I first got there, I was in shock. Suddenly I was with you, then the next thing I knew, I was sitting in Twilight's library. They all surrounded me, all of them were so happy... I broke down and had to lie that they were tears or joy, but really, I was broken. I spent the next three weeks hiding in any place I could be alone. Then my friends decided to throw me a party to welcome me back. I decided to go, thinking that I would need to accept the fact that you were gone forever. I was actually starting to feel a little happy again when you burst in suddenly. In those few seconds, I was the happiest I've ever been in my entire life."

"And I can't describe the joy I felt when I saw you standing there Rainbow. I may show it, but I rarely say this... I love you Rainbow Dash." I say as I pull her onto my chest.

"Y-You used my full name. You never do that." She says with a small smile. Her eyes are glossed over with tears that are beginning to form. The next thing I know, her lips are pressed into mine, and I don't even know how long we stayed like that.

When we finally came up for air, it was because I heard the front door open. I rush down stairs, and see my mother walking in.

"Mom!" I run up to her and embrace her suddenly.

"Matthew! Oh my god, where have you been!?"

"Its a long story, I'll explain later when everyone is here. Just know that I wasn't in any danger... not this time."

*Christmas Eve Morning*

"Oh, fuck! How could I forget!?" I yell to myself as I pace around the room.

"Forget what?" Rainbow stares at the calendar that I was looking at just seconds ago.

"Today is Christmas Eve! That means tomorrow is only the best holiday ever!"

"Well, what is it?"

"Its this holiday where everyone comes together, friends and family, and you exchange gifts with each other, as well as just enjoying being with the ones you love. I can't believe I forgot to tell you about it."

"That sounds awesome! So, I should get you a gift?"

"You don't have to do that Rainbow. It is your first Christmas after all, you shouldn't have to get me anything."

"Maybe... Anyway, I'm going to play with Emily out back. You wanna come?"

"Nah, I need to... do something. I'm going out, I'll see you in a little bit." I say as I slip on a jacket and grab my keys.

"Wait, you're going out alone? I'm coming with you then." She says as she perks up and gets into some kind of defensive stance.

"I'm not going alone, I'm going to pick up Alex and we're going to go... never mind, you don't need to know." I say with a mischievous smirk as I head down the stairs. Rainbow tries to protest from behind me, but I'm already outside before she can finish. I hop into my truck and lean back and let out a sigh. That was a lie, I'm not picking up Alex, or anyone for that matter. I need to get Rainbow a gift, and I can't let her come with me if I'm doing that.

I start the engine and head towards a shopping district downtown. I turn into the parking lot of a mall, and hop out of the car. I take in a deep breath, then let it out and watch the steam come from my mouth. Even though its Florida, it can still get really cold here. I walk slowly through the parking lot, keeping an eye out for anyone who might be watching me. I can't be too careful nowadays with some gang that has it out for me. I reach the front doors which open automatically, and make my way inside. I take my hood off and rub my hands together for warmth.

"Okay, where to start?" I mumble as I walk into the middle of the mall. "What do you get for a pegasus with a serious ego problem?"

I look from shop to shop, and I can't find anything that would really be perfect for her. If I'm gonna do this, her gift has to be absolutely perfect, or nothing at all. I eventually come across a little shop on the far end of the mall, and I enter. I don't remember ever really seeing this place before. It seems to have just a bunch of different stuff, without any real theme to it.

"Excuse me." I say as I walk up to the cash register. And older woman comes out from the back, and gives me a warm smile.

"Ah, Merry Christmas! How may I help you?"

"Uh, I was looking for the perfect present to get my girlfriend, is there anything in here that would make a good gift for her?"

"Well, is you describe her, I could probably help you out a little better."

"Oh, well, she likes sports, and she loves anything with a rainbow on it. She can be pretty cocky, but also has a sensitive side that she likes to hide."

"I see, so she is not one who likes the girly types of gifts?" The woman says with a light laugh.

"You could say that. Sometimes I forget that she's even a girl with the way she acts. But sometimes... she can be so amazing and down to earth. She deserves nothing less than perfection."

"We have some jewelry, but other than that, nothing really comes to mind that would fit the description of your sweetheart."

"Oh... well thanks anyway." I say glumly as I walk out of the store. Just as I'm about to leave, the woman stops me in my tracks.

"Did you ever think to give her something that cannot be bought?"

I don't even turn around to acknowledge her, but her words echo around in my head as I continue walking. Maybe that would be the best thing to do. I've checked pretty much every store in this place, and nothing would be good enough for her. The only problem is, I still don't know what to do for her. I try to think about something that she wants, and an idea pops into my head.

I pull out my phone, and make sure nobody is watching, and open the portal app. I aim it a wall, and think of Twilight's library. I run through the opening in front of me, and disappear into a flash of light.

*Later That Night*

I stumble as I come to a stop after teleporting in front of my truck in the mall parking lot. I spent the entire day in Equestria getting the perfect gift for Rainbow. Twilight was a major help to me by using her princess status to help me out. Tomorrow morning, I'll reveal the gift to Rainbow, and hopefully she'll love it. I toss the gift into the passenger seat, and make my way back to the house.

When I pull into the driveway, I spot a speck of blue and other assorted colors waving at me from the roof. I tuck the gift under my jacket, and wave back as I enter the front door. I hide the present under my bed before going out and making my way to the roof.

"What are you doing up here?" I ask as I lay down next to Rainbow.

"Star gazing, waiting for you to come back. You took a long time, what were you doing?"

"Oh, um. Nothing important, just handing out with Alex y'know?" I say with a poker face. I guess she falls for it because she turns onto her side and places a leg over my chest. Her wing spreads out over the leg as well as my chest like a blanket. We look up at the stars together, enjoying each others company and warmth.

"Is... that star getting closer?" Rainbow mumbles as she looks up at the sky.

"That's not a star!" I quickly throw myself on top of Rainbow as the meteor just barely misses us and makes contact with the ground in the backyard. "Holy shit, that was way too close." We make our way to the ground and I pick up the meteor. Inside is a single note which basically wishes Rainbow a happy Hearth's Warming Eve, which I guess is their version of Christmas.

"Can we go inside now? Its getting cold, even for me." Rainbow asks. Both of us are shivering now that we aren't holding each other. We make our way back inside where we sit on the couch in the living room. We watch some old Christmas movies on the TV while Rainbow lays on top of me like a blanket.

"Those are a lot of gifts." Rainbow mumbles as she looks over at the Christmas tree in the corner of the room.

"Yeah, probably for Emily. I don't get much anymore now that I'm not a kid."

"Well." I yawn. "I guess we'll see tomorrow."

A few minutes later, Rainbow falls asleep on my chest, and I can feel her breath through her nose blowing on my hair. I get up and carry her back to my room, where I place her under the covers. I change into a pair of shorts and make my way under the sheets with her. I turn off the light, only for a leg to wrap around my check a minute later. I turn my head to see Rainbow's face just inches from mine.

We fall asleep with our lips pressed together in a warm smile.

Air

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"Matt, wake up." A small whisper enters my dream. I ignore it, trying to re-enter the realm of sleep. "C'mon, get up!"

"What?" I mumble as I slowly open my eyes. I look to my left through my blurry vision to see Emily in her pink pajamas bouncing on my bed. I look up to see Rainbow's face directly in mine, still snoring up a storm. I quickly press up against her lips to wake her up. Normally I would find some prankish type of way to stir her from her rest, but its Christmas, so what the heck. I don't even care that Emily is watching.

"Is this my gift?" Rainbow says with a yawn as she stretches her wings out to the side.

"Not even close." I say as I pull her back in for another one.

"Ew, lovey stuff." Emily mumbles with a giggle.

"C'mere you little..." I laugh as I pull her over to us. Rainbow wrestles with her on the bed as I stand up and stretch. I quickly change shirts and brush the hair out of my face. I should probably get it cut soon, my bangs are starting to reach down to my eyebrows. I clap my hands before speaking again.

"So, who wants to open presents?" I say with a smile on my face. I didn't think it would happen after Rainbow vanished, but here we are, Christmas day, together as a family. Then it hits me. Do I consider Rainbow to be part of my family? She certainly isn't related by blood, and we aren't related by law either. We're so close though, that if we weren't head over heels for each other, I'd probably consider her to be something like a sister.

"I do!" Emily quickly opens my door and runs down the stairs while giggling Rainbow laughs and trails behind her just a few seconds later. I pull out the gift from under my bed and hide it in a bag from my closet. I got the rest of my family gifts too of course, but they didn't even compare to what I got for Rainbow. I make my way down stairs where the rest of my family is waiting in the living room with Christmas music slowly playing in the background. I see Rainbow clearly for the first time now that my vision has cleared up.

"Holy... I think something is eating Rainbow's face." I say with a smirk as I sit on the floors next to the tree. Everyone else is sitting on the couch except for Emily who is next to me.

"What? What does that mean?" Rainbow quickly starts batting a hoof around her face.

"I mean your horrible bedhead. It looks like the janitor at the crayola factory dropped his mop into a color mixer. You need to brush that like, really badly."

"Matt, you should know not do make fun of a lady's hair!" My mom says as she fixes her own hair.

"Your mother is right Matthew. You have to wait until they aren't around, then you talk about it!" My father laughs as he finishes sipping his coffee. Both of us burst out into laughter, but the three girls are less than amused at our immature behavior. Oh course, all of that stops when I catch a pillow with my face.

"Haha VERY funny." Rainbow says as she rolls her eyes. "Can we get on with it? I'm too excited!"

"Yeah yeah, lets get to it guys." I say as I pick up the first present. "To Emily, from Mom and Dad." I say as I read the tag. The box feels rather light to me. I toss it over to Emily, who in turn shreds the wrapping paper open. She gasps in excitement when she pulls out what is inside.

"I love it! I love it, I love it, I love it!" She yells as she clutches the shirt to her chest. She pulls it away and unfolds it for all of us to see. On the front is a picture of a very familiar blue pegasus with a rainbow trail behind her, flying through the air.

"No! That'll only boost her ego more!" I say with a laugh as I cover Rainbow's eyes with a hand.

"What? Are you kidding? That's the best thing ever! Who wouldn't want one of those!?" Rainbow says as she breaks free. Ah, so close.

"And there's the ego... Anyway, next gift." I grab a box and toss it to Rainbow. It was labeled that it was from everyone in the room, except for me! Way to go guys, leave me out of it why don't ya? Make me look like the bad guy.

"I wonder what it is." Rainbow squeals as she rattles the box around. I have to help her open it since its taped shut. I grab the pocket knife that I had left out a couple of days ago off of a stand and cut the box open. Inside is a poster of the Wonderbolts that looked to be pretty huge. Where the fuck did they find something like that? Rainbow lets out a cry of joy before pushing the poster over to me.

"Matt, PLEASE let me put this up in your room!" She says with the biggest smile ever plastered on her face. I move the hair out of her eyes and laugh at how big they are.

"Alright, alright! Chill out hyperactive pony."

We go through the rest of our gifts until only two remain, and both have Rainbow's name on them. The only thing is, one says "From" and the other says "To".

"You... got me something Rainbow?" I ask as I pick up the small bag that had my name on it.

"Well yeah, I couldn't just get you nothing."

I open the bag and gasp lightly as I pull out the contents. I hold up a framed photo of the two of us on the beach during a sunset. Its a top down selfie, but it really captures the moment. Its been one of my favorite pictures since I took it. When and how did she get it framed though. On the back is a message written in pen.

"I love you until the end of time. -Rainbow Dash." I read out loud as my eyes start to water up slightly. Its such a simple gift, but I couldn't have asked for anything better. I quickly pull Rainbow into an embrace as I hear a camera click. Ugh, I guess moms will be moms.

"Okay, I got you something too." I say as I pull out the bad that was labeled for her. She grabs it slowly, and squeals before she even looks inside it. She pulls out its contents, but just stares at it with a confused expression.

"Um, what is it? Perfume?" Emily asks as she eyes it curiously as well. In Rainbow's hoof a bottle with a light blue liquid in it.

"Actually, its for me." I say as I take it back from Rainbow.

"Wait, what!?" She asks, even more confused.

"You'll see what I mean in a little bit. First help me clean up all this wrapping paper.

"Okay, so what the buck did you mean that it was for you?" Rainbow asks as we walk into my backyard.

"I had Twilight make this yesterday. Its going to allow us both to live out a dream today."

"What?"

"Remember how we've always wanted to fly together?" I say as I pull the cork out of the bottle. I chug down the contents which taste like liquid cotton candy.

"Wait..." Rainbow mutters as I throw the bottle down behind me.

"Well now we can." I jump up into the air about two feet, only there's one thing different. Gravity doesn't take effect. I hover up and down about two or three feet off the ground and hold my arms out, giving Rainbow a smug of a smile. Rainbow's eyes go so big, I think they're going to explode. She immediately takes off from the ground, and the next thing I know shes in my arms, and her momentum makes me sore up into the air. We're about a hundred feet over my house, and Rainbow is whooping and hollering in pure joy as we spin in circles. It feels a little surreal for me, but I quickly learn how to control my balance and flight direction.

Rainbow lets go of me and hovers a couple feet in front of me with her hoof over her mouth. "I can't believe it, we can finally go flying together!?"

"Yep, and its all thanks to Twilight. She made the potion for me when I told her about how we'd always wanted to be able to fly together. I figured skydiving was good, but its nothing like the real thing. We have twenty-four hours of flight time before it wears off."

"This is... I can't believe..." Rainbow quickly rushes up and plants one right on my lips, and she presses in hard. We start spinning slowly around like something out of a Disney movie. She pulls away a minute or two later, and puts on her game face.

"So, how fast can you go Green?" She says with a cocky smile.

"I don't know. Why don't we find out, Dash!" I say as I immediately take off as fast as I can. I have to think of it like falling horizontally, as in I have to tilt my body to control where I am going. There's what feels like a mental gas pedal in my mind that lets me controls how fast I'm going, and right now, I'm flooring it. The suburbs flash by under me as I must be going at least a hundred fifty.

Rainbow quickly catches up to me, obviously being at least ten times faster. She matches my pace and gives me a warm smile.

"I can't believe this is happening!" We both shout at the same time. This only causes us to laugh as we flash through the air. Its freezing cold, but I'm warmed up by the pure rush of adrenaline coursing through me, as well as the feeling of doing something this amazing with Rainbow. We reach the downtown area in no time, and we start swerving around skyscrapers like they were nothing more than obstacles on a course. We fly just inches above the Saint Johns River, and watch our reflections as we sore over the water. I'm sure people can see us, but since Rainbow is right next to me, they probably won't question the flying teenager next to her. I skim my hand through the surface of the water before bringing up a handful and throwing it at Rainbow. She giggles as she dodges it and tries to throw her own water at me.

We land on top of the tallest building in the city, and look out over the skyline together. We don't say anything as the wind whips past us due to being up so high. I look down at Rainbow, and she looks up at me, and I can't even find the words to describe the feelings that I have at that moment. Love? Nah, that doesn't even begin to describe these feelings.

I pick her up and hold her close to me as we enjoy each other's presence. Her head goes over my shoulder, and I can hear her whisper something in my ear over the rushing wind.

"I love you."

Swap - Part 1

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*December 31*

"I still have dreams about it y'know." I say as I pack up a backpack. Rainbow sits on my bed, dangling her back legs over the edge and kicking the air.

"About what?"

"Back on Christmas, when I finally got to fly with you."

"Oh, yeah! I've had dreams about that too! I would give anything to do that again."

"Yeah, too bad its a hard potion to make, so it looks like I'm grounded until Twilight can make another one. Anyway, help me pack, I need to be ready for tonight."

"What are you going to do tonight?"

"Well, its more like what are WE going to do tonight. Tonight is New Years Eve, which means they're going to drop the huge ball in New York, and I want to be there when it happens."

"Um, Matt, didn't you say that New York is on the other side of the country?"

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't matter anymore does it?" I say with a smile as I wave my phone in her face. Her eyes light up as she realizes what I'm getting at. I pause from packing and pull up a video of the ball dropping from last year. It really does look amazing, and Rainbow's expression shows that she definitely agrees.

"So, what are you packing exactly?" She asks as she trots over to the bag on the floor. She sticks a hoof in to try to open it, but I pull her away from it before she can. "Hey!"

"No touching." I say as I pull a large pocket knife out of the bag. "For protection, y'know, just in case..."

"Oh, yeah. Anyway, I'm going to go downstairs for lunch." Rainbow says as she trots out my door. I close it behind her as I fall back onto my back an sigh. I've been under a lot of stress lately, but the weird part is, I have no idea why. Whatever, I can't think about that now. I zip up my bag and head downstairs for lunch. I find my entire family, besides my dad, at the table in the kitchen. Looks like my mom made sandwiches for everyone. Of course, Rainbow just has lettuce and cheese on her's.

"You're so lame." I say as I sit down next to her. I grab a turkey sandwich and immediately dig into it. Rainbow lightly punches my shoulder and laughs.

"Not my fault I have these." She opens her mouth right in my face. I put my hand around her nose and jaw and squeeze her mouth shut.

"At least swallow first, that's disgusting." I say as I push her back into her seat. She laughs it off and continues on her sandwich. I sigh and place my face in my hands as I feel the stress coming back. I think I'm stressing over the midterm exams coming up in a week or two. I could really use something to take my mind off of it. Maybe Twilight has something that could help.

"Rainbow, wanna go visit Twilight?" I ask as I put my dishes away. "I need to get something from her."

"Sure, what are you getting?"

"Hopefully she has something that will take away stress. I feel like a ton of weights are on my shoulders right now, and I think its because of school."

"Oh, huh, I could use something like that too."

"What? What the hell could you be stressed about?" I say with a confused expression.

"I've been thinking about those guys who are out to get you lately. Its kept me up at night, and I've even had these horrible nightmares where you... Ugh, I don't even want to think about it."

"Well, looks like we're going to pay a visit to Dr. Sparkle today. Alright, stand back." I aim my phone at an empty portion of the wall and press the button to activate a portal. An image of Twilight's library appears in front of us. Twilight, on the other end, must have seen the portal open as she waves at us to come in. We step through the portal, and close it behind us once we've been teleported.

"Hey guys! What brings you guys here?" Twilight says as we rub the bright light out of our eyes.

"Just need a favor from you. Do you have any kind of potion that'll relieve built up stress?"

"Um, I think so. Hold on for a second." Twilight disappears into a door that leads to what I guess is a basement. She comes back up a few seconds later with a box in her magic. She places it down on a table and opens the top of it. Inside are a bunch of different colored potions.

"Wow, that's a lot of potions Twilight, what do they all do?" Rainbow asks as she peers into it. Twilight levitates two pink potions out of the box and puts them in front of us.

"I actually don't even know what half of these do, but these should clear your mind."

We chug down the contents, and almost immediately I feel the stress of my finals melt away like butter. Its almost as if I forgot about them completely.

"Wow, that works great!" I say as I toss the empty bottle into the box. Rainbow does the same, and I can tell by her expression that she feels better too.

"Hey... do you guys think you could try some of these out?" Twilight asks with a sheepish smile.

"Actually." I say as I look down at my watch. "I have to help my mom with some chores in a few minutes, but I can take a couple with me, and report back to you the results.

"Oh, okay. I promise that none of them are harmful, I just don't know what they do. If you could try these out, I'd be grateful." Twilight levitates two green potion over to me, and I put one in each pocket. I open the portal again, and wave to Twilight with a smile as we walk back into my house.

"Oh! Matt! Those should last twenty-four hours like the flight potion!" Twilight says just as we enter the portal. I nod in understanding before seeing the flash of light. When we get back, I help my mom clean the house and the yard for a while like I had promised I would. Rainbow just watches with an amused smile, knowing that she isn't helping at all.

"Alright, you're gonna help me, and you're gonna do it now." I say as I shove a sponge into Rainbow's hooves.

"What do you expect me to do? I can't even reach the sink."

"Well if you would stand on two legs..." I trail off. A wet sponge hits me in the back of the head. I turn around the see Rainbow looking at me with an annoyed look.

"Are you making fun of me?"

"I'm saying you aren't much help in your current state."

"Current state!? What does THAT mean?" Uh oh, I think I have officially pissed her off.

"Uh, nothing. Forget I said anything."

"You don't know how hard it is to be me Matt! I have to rely on you to do everything because of these!" Rainbow sits on her haunches as holds up her front hooves before storming off upstairs. I drop the dish I'm currently washing and head after her. I follow her into my room and close the door behind us so we can have some privacy.

"I'm sorry Rainbow, that just slipped out on accident."

"Whatever." Rainbow says as she stares down at her hooves while sitting on my bed. I sit down next to her and wrap my arms around her.

"You know I still love you for you right?" I say as I rock slowly sideways.

"I know..."

"Here, lets try these out, try to change the subject a little." I say as I pull out the two green potions. I pull the corks out of both and hand one to Rainbow. She holds it between her hooves and looks down at it. She brings it up to her lips and chugs the thing down. I do the same and swallow it with a painful gulp. Tastes like liquid fire. Damn.

"Ow, what the fuck was that?" I say as I cough the liquid down.

"Ugh, I don't know. Is it doing anything?" Rainbow asks as she looks at the large mirror in front of us.

"Nothing physically different as far as I can-" I get cut off by a painful headache. I see stars in my vision, and look over at Rainbow. Shes holding her head, and her nose is bleeding profusely. I feel a liquid against my lips and realize my nose is bleeding as well. The pain becomes too much and I fall into unconsciousness.

"Ugh... fucking..." I mumble. I try to open my eyes, but when I do I can't see anything. I can feel the bed sheets against my face. I must have flipped over when I passed out. I go to grab the sheets to flip myself over, but my hand feels... numb. I can't grab anything. Did my hand fall asleep? I guess I was laying down on it and cut the blood flow off. I lift my head up and open my eyes. The fuck is this blue thing in front of me? I push myself up as if I was doing a push-up, and the blue thing follows me. I swat at it, only for a small, sharp pain to shoot through my face. My heart stops as I look down to see what I just hit myself with.

"Ah... I... OH!" I can barely even stutter, much less talk. I let out a short, but loud scream and scramble off the bed. "No! No no no no! This is NOT happening!" I yell as I look down at my HOOVES. What the fuck!? I stumble over to the mirror and all I see is Rainbow looking back at me. This is some trippy horror movie shit. I look up at my bed, which seems so much taller now, and see MY body laying there unconscious. I feel the three new appendages on my body, twitching my wing muscles and tail.

...And then I feel the lack of an appendage. I twirl around in the mirror and lift my tail, only to see what I did not want to see. "Son of a..." And I just now realized my voice sounds high pitched and scratchy. Everything about my body feels foreign, from my mouth, to my legs, to my wings.

I'm about to freak out more when I hear my own voice scream in horror from on top of my bed. I turn around to see Rainbow, who I'm assuming is in my body, screaming while looking down at my (her?) hands. She looks down at me and gasps.

"Surprise..."

Swap - Part 2

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"AHHHHHHH!" Rainbow, in my body, screams for a good half a minute straight. I just give her a deadpan stare as I've already calmed down from my initial shock. Being the smartass that I am, I look down at my nonexistent watch and yawn.

"Are you done!?" I yell in annoyance as she finally stops to take in deep breaths. "Screaming isn't going to solve anything!"

"Are you bucking kidding!? I have every right to scream!" Rainbow attempts to stand up, only to fall face first onto the floor. I swear if she destroys my body, so help me...

"Would you just calm down!? Its not the end of the world! Twilight said the potion would wear off in twenty four hours, so get a fucking grip!" My voice sounds so much less harsh and serious considering it is now high pitched and cracks every other word.

"I'm trying! I can't even stand up without falling over! How do you even do this?" Rainbow attempts multiple time to stand on two legs, only to fall and grunt, signifying that she just hurt MY body again.

"Okay, how about we calm down, and help each other adjust to this." I try to say calmly and rationally. "We just have to survive a day without killing ourselves, and it starts with learning how to control our bodies.

"O-Okay. You first. How do I stand like this?" Rainbow finally got up, but has to lean against a wall with both hands to stay upright.

"Think of your torso as your center or gravity. Wanna go forward? You'll have to lean slightly forward to do that. Opposite for backwards. If you just want to stand still, you'll have to counteract any mistakes in your balance."

"What the hay does any of that mean?"

"Just... clear you mind and let your body do the rest." Rainbow slowly lets go of the wall. Once she is standing upright, with both arms out, she tries to stay still. She stumbles a little, but quickly readjusts herself.

"Okay, how do I walk?"

"Its just one foot in front of the other. Simple as that really."

"Okay..." Its still weird to see and hear my own body talking to me. Anyway, she takes one step forward, only to fall down on top of me. I lift up with a grunt and roll her off my back. I actually feel REALLY strong. I guess that comes natural for a pony, and the fact that Rainbow is so athletic. She gets up and tries again. One step, then another, and another. She is a bit wobbly, but after just a minute or two of walking in a circle, I'd say she has it down tight.

"Alright... this isn't so bad." She mumbles as she looks down at me. "Wow, I really do look amazing. Never seen myself from this angle."

"I see your ego is still a part of you. Now, help me walk. I think I understand how to stay standing."

"Okay, it goes front right, then back left, then front left, then back right. Easy."

"Not easy! I'm not used to having four legs, none of which have toes for balance!" I say right before taking my first step, or attempting to at least. I end up moving both front legs at the same time, and falling on my side like an idiot. I get up and try again. It takes me longer than Rainbow, but I finally get down walking and even running slowly.

"Uh, oh... this could be a problem..." Rainbow says as she looks down.

"Whats a problem?" I ask as I stare at myself in the mirror. Still creeps me out to see Rainbow's body staring back.

"You, I mean, I have to go to the bathroom..." She says nervously. I've never seen myself blush, but there is a first time for everything.

"Um, then just go? You've already seen my junk like three times, just go and get it over with. I guess I could use it too, though I don't know how to sit on a toilet with a tail."

"Just push it to the side, and try not to fall in." Rainbow says as she rounds the corner into the hallway. I hop up onto my bed, and try to pick up my phone which fell out of my pocket when I passed out. I look down at it, and notice the dried blood on my fur between my nose and lips. How did I not notice that yet? Come to think of it, my body has dried blood on it too. Hopefully Rainbow will be smart enough to clean it off. Anyway, I try to use the phone, but to no avail. I can manage to push the home button which brings up the lock screen, but the touchscreen doesn't respond to hooves apparently. Now I finally get why Rainbow hates depending on me for simple shit like this, it sucks! I manage to unlock the phone using my tongue, which is the only part of Rainbow's body that the damn thing detects, and open the contacts app. I can't see half my screen because it is blurred by pony spit, but I guess I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth... Pun definitely intended .

I scroll down my contacts, and call one of the two people I know who wouldn't completely freak out in a situation like this.

"Yeeellow!" The voice on the other end says once they've answered.

"Alex? Um, are you free by any chance? I kinda need some help."

"Rainbow? What are you doing on Matt's phone? And what do you need help with." Shit, forgot our voices changed too.

"Oh, um... there as an accident, and... oh just fucking get over here!"

"Whoa! Rainbow, I've never heard you swear before, whats up with that?"

"Just get to my house and I'll explain to you alright!?" I hang up abruptly and fall on my side with a sigh. This is going to be harder than I thought. It took like ten minutes just to call one person! Wait, ten minutes? Shouldn't Rainbow be done going to the bathroom by now? What gives?

I hop off the bed and make my way to the hallway. I enter the bathroom, which thankfully I can open because it has a handle instead of a doorknob, and stop in my tracks at what I see. I deadpan at Rainbow who is sitting there on the toilet, just looking down at my... yeah, nevermind, you get the point.

"What the hell are you doing? Stop staring at my crotch and get up, I need to piss."

"Wha?" Rainbow snaps out of it and looks down at me. "Oh, uh sorry... just instincts kicked in I guess. Just because I'm in your body, doesn't mean I'm not attracted to you."

"Holy shit Rainbow... Whatever, just get up. I need to go!" I can feel my bladder filling up by the second. How much does this girl drink anyway?

"Oh, right." She quickly jumps up and pulls up my shorts. She goes over to wash her hands in the sink, and I quickly jump on the toilet. Its almost second nature to pull down my pants, so when I try to, I'm disappointed to find I don't have any.

"Um, don't you want some privacy?" Rainbow asks as she keeps washing her hands in the sink. "Man these things are weird." She says as she wiggles my fingers around under the running water.

"Its your body, I don't see why I should have to hide it. Like I said earlier, I've seen this before, so there's nothing to hide." I say as I jab a hoof down at my nether regions. "How the hell do I work these muscles?" I can't believe I'm actually having trouble just trying to go to the bathroom.

"Just relax and let it flow." Rainbow says with a laugh. Seriously? That's your advice? Nothing on how to move the proper muscles to- Oh wait, yep there it goes.

"I'm gonna... leave you to that." She quickly rushes back into my bedroom. Son of a bitch, she left the door open, and I'm still sitting here. It would be just my luck that my mom would walk by just ten seconds later!

"Um, Rainbow dear, shouldn't you close the door before doing that?" She asks in a motherly tone.

"Oh, uh, right! Sorry about that!" I gotta keep my cool, don't wanna blow my cover. My mom would flip her shit if she found out about this, which she most likely will eventually. She closes the door after smiling and shaking her head, probably thinking that Rainbow was just being an idiot. Jokes on you mom! It was your son being the idiot! Take that!

I walk back into my room, not bothering to wash my hooves or anything... Not like I can reach the sink anyway. Simple shit like that makes me feel bad for yelling at Rainbow earlier. Now that I'm in her shoes, I realize just how hard it is for her to live in a world built for humans. I really should apologize about that, but now is not the time. I hear Alex's car pull up before I can even get back to my room. I rush downstairs, and wait at the door for Alex.

"This... is demeaning..." I mumble to myself as I sit there and wait for the door to open like a fucking dog. Thankfully its unlocked, so Alex can let himself in when I yell at him to come in.

"Sup Rainbow, wheres Matt?" He asks as he looks around the living room.

"Um, I'm right here." I say as I wave a hoof in front of him. Damn, this would be so much easier if I could fly. Too bad I have no idea how to do that.

"I said Matt, not you Rainbow." He says with a smile as he ruffles my hair and walks past me. I stop him in his tracks with my next choice of words.

"Oh, but Alexander, I am Matthew." I say with a horrible British accent, Rainbow's raspy voice only making it worse.

"What? Knock it off Rainbow." He says with a light laugh.

"But seriously, I am Matt. We switched bodies." I say with a deadpan stare.

"Okay, yeah right. If you actually are Matt, you would know something that only HE would know." He says as he crosses his arms and gives me a smirk. Shit, gotta think of something... Oh, I got it!

"When you were seven, you got stuck in one of those water drains on the side of the road after falling off your skateboard. Only I know this, as well as your parents and like three firemen who had to save your sorry ass." I finish with a cocky smirk. If that doesn't convince him, nothing will.

"Holy... Matt, dude, that is you! What the hell happened!?" He runs over and picks me up under my armpits. (Or are they leg pits?)

"Hey, whoa! Hands off my girlfriend's body dude!"

"Sorry, you're just so adorable." He says with that voice that you use to talk to little kids and animals. You know, the one that makes you sound like a complete idiot.

"Just put me down." I say with a laugh, trying to keep to happy atmosphere going. Rainbow comes down the stairs and stops when she sees us.

"Ah! Alex, what are you doing here!?"

"It would appear that this one," He nods his head at me, who had still yet to put down. "Called me and said I had to, and I quote, fucking get over here. How's Matt's body treating you Rainbow?"

"Y-You told him!?" She says, surprised for some reason. Why wouldn't I tell him?

"How long are you guys like this?" Alex asks as he finally puts me down.

"About twenty three hours and forty minutes." I say as I try to fix some of the feathers on my wing which are now uncomfortable as all hell. "Great, you messed up my feathers..."

"Isn't tonight New Years?" Alex asks, a smile growing on his face. What is he up to?

"Um, yeah, why?" I ask, curious as to what hes getting at.

"Well, that's going to be one hell of an awkward New Year's kiss!"

Swap - Part 3

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"So, what's it like Matt?" Alex asks as we lay back on my bed. Rainbow is downstairs playing with Emily, who thinks that she is actually playing with me, while I talk things out with Alex.

"Define 'what'. You mean being a totally different species, or the opposite gender?"

"Well, both." He says with a laugh. "It must suck to lose your... ahem, manhood."

"Meh, I'm over that. Although, it does feel like I'm missing something important down there. And the whole other species thing, I'm getting used to it, but I really feel bad now."

"Why's that?"

"Because I was giving Rainbow shit about not standing on two legs, not having hands, stuff like that. It just kinda slipped out though, I told her I didn't mean it which I really didn't. Now that I'm her shoes, I know how hard she has it. Hell, it took me ten minutes just to call you because I had to use my damn tongue just to use the phone's touchscreen. Apparently those things are pony friendly."

"Dude, seriously? You never insult a girl about anything. That's like... the worst mistake you can make dude."

"Ugh, I know that!" I say as I rub my hooves down my eyes. "Anyway, it really does feel weird to be anything but myself. I'm also really short right now, so I can't reach anything!"

"Do your parents or Emily know yet?"

"Nope, only you do. I was gonna call Skyler too, but I don't need her picking me up and cuddling me like a stuffed animal. I just know she would."

"Hah, a few months ago, you would've died to have her do that. What changed?"

"Y'know, I'm not sure really. I mean, I still like Skyler, like... a lot. Just not in that kind of way anymore. There's also the fact that I'm technically a girl at the moment, so it wouldn't really be the same y'know."

"Um, I guess. I mean, its still you up in there." He says as he knocks his fist against my head. "You're still a guy at heart."

"Whatever, lets go... I don't know. I just wanna do something to kill the time."

"We could go to lunch for a while. Its only like, what, one in the afternoon? Not too late to grab some grub."

"Yeah, I guess I could eat." We jump off the bed and head downstairs. Of course, I fall halfway down due to not being used to talking on all fours, but hey, I'd like to see you try it!

"Um, you okay?" Alex says with a laugh as he helps me up.

"Which one of you said that?" I guess I hit my head because I see like three of Alex.

"Hey, R- I mean Matt. We're going to lunch, wanna come?"

"Sure!" Rainbow gets up from the floor where she was playing with Emily. "Sorry, kid, duty calls." She says as she rubs the top of Em's head.

"Oh, okay. Bye Matt!" She waves to Rainbow, still not knowing it isn't me.

"So, where do you guys wanna go? I'll drive since neither of you can."

"Hey, I can drive now! Matt, let me drive!" Rainbow says as she looks between me and my truck.

"Um, no. I want to get there alive, and that won't happen with you behind the wheel. I vote that Alex drives. I think we should go to Sonny's, that sounds real good right now."

Alex lets out a little snicker, but I don't know why. I look up at him with a curious look, looking for an answer.

"Whats so funny?"

"Oh um. Its just that you won't be able to get anything good there, just some salad or something." Ah man, I hadn't thought of that. I might have my brain, but I also have Rainbow's tongue, which means I would hate any kind of meat. Damn it! I hate salads!

"Oh son of a bitch!" I say in annoyance as we get into the car. I go for the seat belt, only to find I can't grab it. I sigh and look over to Rainbow hoping she would do it for me. I swear to never give her a hard time about this ever again.

"How many?" The lady at the entrance greets us.

"Three." Alex says simply while holding up three fingers.

"Um, sorry sir. No animals in here please." Oh son of a... seriously? Its like this is all some lesson to show me how hard Rainbow has it on Earth. Seriously Twilight, if you planned this, I will personally come back to Equestria just to bitch slap you.

"Really? I'm not an animal. Now move." I say bluntly as I push past her and head for a table. She gives me a shocked look, but doesn't protest and leads Alex and Rainbow over to the table with me. She takes our drink orders, and we all order sweet tea. Man, I love that stuff.

"Hard being me isn't it?" Rainbow says with a smirk as she sips from her straw.

"Ugh, don't get me started! I didn't know you had it so bad!"

"Now you know why I used to say that you were the only good thing I had. I mean, I have other friends too now, like Alex and Skyler, but still, you keep me going." Rainbow reaches over and places a hand on my hoof and gives me a smile. My emotions are so fucking confused right now. I'm having a romantic moment with myself, how many guys can say they've done that?

"Alright, alright, enough with the lovey dovey stuff guys. We're here to hang out as friends." Alex says as he waves his hand in front of us and laughs. We snap back to reality for a second and laugh the moment off. I take my first sip of the tea, and I can definitely tell that Rainbow and I have different taste buds. This tastes a lot sweeter than normal, which I guess I should have expected. I wonder what meat tastes like for her. We all place our orders. Rainbow and I both get salads, as she still isn't comfortable around meat, and Alex gets a hamburger.

"Alex, when your burger comes, rip off a piece for me." I say as I bat a sugar packet around the table in front of me.

"Um, why? You can't eat meat, remember. I don't think you can even digest it."

"I'm not gonna swallow it, I just want to see what it tastes like to Rainbow."

"Ugh, it was bitter and tasted like garbage." Rainbow says as she remembers the time I got her to try a piece of turkey. She had spit it out almost immediately, was it that bad? Our food comes out a few minutes later, and we dig into it. Alex rips a small piece of his hamburger and places it on top of my hoof. I pop it into my mouth and only chew for a couple seconds before feeling nauseated. I spit it out and take a long sip of my tea to get rid of the taste.

"Ugh, dear lord that was horrible!" I complain as I push my salad in front of my so I can reach it.

"Told you." Rainbow says with a smirk that just screams "I told you so."

I look down at the salad in front of me, and wonder how much better it tastes to Rainbow than for me. Only one way to find out. Wait... shit, forgot I can't hold a fork, and I still have some self respect, so there is no way I'm going to stuff my face into the bowl.

"Ugh... Rainbow, could you..." I say sadly as I open my mouth slightly.

"Looks like the roles are changed." She says with a laugh as she puts some salad on my fork and brings it up to me. I've done this for her who knows how many times, but I never thought she would be doing it for me. Honestly, I wouldn't let anybody but Rainbow do this for me, and that's because its her body, plus shes my girlfriend, so I guess there's that...

The salad actually tastes like, ten times better than I expected it to. Normally, I can eat one, and it isn't very memorable. I'm not saying salads are bad, but they aren't amazing either. But now, holy crap is this stuff good. I can't get enough of it. Its also really easy to chew. I can just cut through it like butter thanks to Rainbow being an herbivore. Maybe this day won't be so bad after all.

Okay, this is bad, this is really bad. I'm freaking out over this, but I'm not even sure if I should be. Its New Years Eve, and you're supposed to kiss your lover at midnight right? What do you do if your lover is literally in your body!? I mean, technically the situation is still Matthew Green and Rainbow Dash, but in opposite bodies. Do I even want to do this? I mean, technically I'm a female at the moment, so its not weird is it?

"Matt? What are you thinking about? You've been quiet since dinner." Rainbow snaps me back to reality.

"What? Oh, um. I was just thinking about tonight actually." I say as mt senses come back to me. We're currently in the living room watching some rerun of some sitcom from the 90's.

"What about tonight? You still wanna go to New York?"

"Of course I do! I just don't... I mean, couples usually kiss at midnight, but I don't know if that would be awkward..."

"Oh... I thought about that too actually. I mean, its still us right? So I don't see why not. I'm still the good old Rainbow Dash that you know and love."

"Hah, that's all too true Rainbow." I slide over to her and wrap my front legs around her arm. I guess as long as I'm in her body, I might at well play the part. Its actually really comfy pressing up against her, I can see why she loves to do this so much. Then I get an idea.

"Um, Rainbow."

"Yeah?"

"You know how I rub your wings sometimes? Could you..." I say as I spread my left wing out. Rainbow chuckles a little and adjusts herself to get a better angle.

"Alright, just don't complain if its too much for you."

"I think I can handle a little r-" My eyes shoot open as she starts rubbing my joints. Holy crap this feels good.

"Um, I think I should stop now." Rainbow says as she starts laughing again. Wait, how long was she doing that? I lost time almost instantly. And why did she stop!? Oh, nevermind, I see why.

"Oh, shoot... Did I seriously do that?" I can feel my cheeks turning redder and redder by the second. I sigh and stare at the little wet spot on the couch and head for the kitchen. I head back with a roll of paper towels in my mouth, and start dabbing the stuff up. Seriously need to learn how to control these types of body functions before I do something even more embarrassing.

"Don't worry about it, I do it all the time." Rainbow is still laughing at me. I guess she has the right to do so since I give her a hard time any time she does this.

Eventually the time comes to head out. Eleven forty-five EST. That should give us time to get to New York to see the ball drop. I tell Rainbow how to open the portal since I can't really use the phone right now. I show her a picture of New York so she can picture the city before opening the portal. Once she has that down, a portal opens up in front of us in my room. We step through, and I immediately notice a slight difference in the air. Nothing to big, but it is a tiny bit chilly here. I look over at Rainbow, who is wearing just one of my t-shirts and jeans, and see that she is shivering like there is no tomorrow. I guess her coat of fur is whats keeping me warm. Thanks for that one Rainbow. I look down to see that we are actually on top of a building across from the building with the giant ball on it. I guess this gives us some privacy, as well as an amazing view of Time Square.

"S-So, whats so special about this ball?" Rainbow asks through her shivers. I motion for her to sit down next to me, and I wrap myself around her chest to keep her warm. I might be the girl at the moment, but its my job to keep her safe and comfortable, so I'm going to do that to the best of my ability.

"Millions upon millions of people are watching this live on television right now. You would have to be extremely lucky to even be here, much more to have a view like this. I'm so glad Celestia gave us that app, or we would be at home right now just snuggled up on the couch." I say as I transfix my eyes on the giant crowd below us.

"Snuggling on the couch doesn't sound all that bad right now." Rainbow says, still shivering. I feel bad for her as I kinda stole her warmth away from her. I should be the one freezing right now, not her. I press myself as close to her as I can, trying to be a source of heat. I've said it before, and I'll say it now. Being hugged by my own body is the weirdest feeling ever. We sit together, just enjoying the view until the ball starts to slowly move down.

"Oh, its going!" I yell in excitement as it starts to drop. The crowd is so loud, I can hear them from all the way up here.

"Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!" The crowd yells. I look over at Rainbow who is mesmerized by the sights in front of us.

"Six! Five! Four!" I join in on the yelling and cheering.

"Three!" This is so amazing.

"Two!" I can't believe I'm in New York on New Years!

"One! YEAH!" I yell loudly. Without even thinking, I lean up to Rainbow, and kiss my own lips, which again, feels really weird. But you know what? That's my girlfriend in there, and I say to hell with my confused emotions. We stay there on that roof for who knows how long as fireworks go off around us. Best. New Years. EVER.

"Oh thank Celestia! Its so much warmer in here!" Rainbow says in relief as we slip under the warm sheets of my bed. While I wasn't all that cold in New York, I know for a fact that it probably felt like the Arctic to Rainbow in my body.

"Well, I can make it a little warmer." I say as I snuggle up against her. In my body or not, I still love her to death, so acting like this in her body doesn't really bother me. "So, how was your first year on Earth?" I whisper to her as we lay in the darkness of night.

"Well, it wasn't really my first year, its only been like three and half months, but I get what you mean." She says with a giggle.

"Please, never giggle with my body again." I say with a light laugh.

"You got it." She says as she pulls me into an embrace. It doesn't take long before we've both drifted off into the realm of sleep.

Heat Of The Moment

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*1 Month Later*

Alex and I are walking out of school after our last class, discussing what had happened this morning.

"Seriously? You actually left her alone after all the shit you've both been through with that gang and everything? Matt, I'm your friend, but I'm gonna ask you this... are you fucking stupid!?" Alex says as he criticizes me for leaving Rainbow at home alone while I went to school. She had said something about being really sick, but wouldn't tell me what was wrong. Anyway, Its been a month since that whole body swapping incident. Turns out Rainbow truly does have it hard here. While that was a weird little adventure, not much has really happened since then.

"She said she was sick man. I've already missed a bunch of days last semester, I need to keep a clean slate this time. I almost failed a couple classes because I got kidnapped for a week, then I got trapped in another world for two days, not to mention the couple of sick days I've taken off. Besides, who am I to force her to come to school with me when shes really sick?"

"Well, that is a good point I guess. Whats wrong with her anyway? Fever? Flu?"

"No idea actually. She refused to tell me what was wrong, just that she didn't think she was able to come to school today. A little odd if you ask me, because she always tells me EVERYTHING. Sometimes a little too much if you know what I mean." I say with a chuckle as I elbow Alex in the side.

"Maybe she just doesn't want to seem too weak in front of you Matt. If you haven't noticed, she kinda wants to look strong and tough in front of everyone."

"I don't know. That could be the case, because what you said is definitely true. But on the other hand, she doesn't do that to me when we're alone. When nobody else is around, she gets all cuddly and emotional. So, really, I don't know what her deal was. It actually kinda makes me mad that she wouldn't let me help her."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I tried to get her temperature, and whenever I got close to her, she would scoot away and blush like she was scared or embarrassed about something. Almost like she was trying to hide something."

"What would there be to even hide? You two are together literally twenty-four seven. There is nothing on this green earth that you don't know about her."

"That's true I guess. I don't know, maybe she'll speak up when I get home. I hated having to leave her alone like that but... school comes first I guess..."

"Well, this is my street, I'll catch you later man." Alex says with a wave as he walks onto his street. Since Rainbow wasn't with me this morning, I decided to walk to school, which I am now starting to regret as it is a little chilly out here. I keep walking down the street that leads to my neighborhood. I still want to know what the deal with Rainbow is. She NEVER hides anything from me. Was Alex right? Maybe she was just trying to look tough...

When I approach my house, I see that I'm the first one home. Makes sense since I got out two hours early today. Thank God for teacher planning periods! That means two or so hours alone with Rainbow, sounds cool to me. I walk up to the front door and unlock it with my key.

I swing the door open, and open my mouth to announce my presence, but I'm hit immediately with an extremely strong odor. It isn't that it smells bad, in fact I kinda like it, but its so strong that my nose is burning. I gag and pull my shirt up over my nose and cough. Maybe she had been throwing up all day and the smell had spread through the house? I don't call out so I don't scare her, and try to follow the scent. It gets stronger as I head upstairs, and see that the bathroom door is closed. I press my ear up against the thin wooden door, and listen in.

"The hell?" I quietly mumble to myself. All I hear in there is grunting and some other sound I can't really distinguish. Maybe she was sicker than I thought. I push the door open, and try to see whats up.

"Rainbow? You oka- HOLY FUCK!" I guess she didn't see me come in, but she definitely heard me. There she is, mane ruffled up, eyes bloodshot, and covered in sweat and... other stuff, laying in the bathtub. "Why is my shampoo bottle half way up your ass!?" I yell angrily as I storm over to her. I did not leave her alone all day to get off in my shower!

"Matt! No, you can't be in here!" She yells as she throws the shampoo bottle. I cringe and dodge it, not wanting to touch it considering where it just was. The hell is wrong with her!

"No! Get out of there!" I try to pull her out of the tub, but she fucking bites down on my hand! I cringe back and give her a confused, and angry look. "What the hell is wrong with you!"

"Matt, please go away! NOW!" She yells as her eyes water up even more. "I don't know how long I can control myself!"

"What the fuck does that mean!? Do you know how worried I was all day? I was thinking of what was wrong with you, and here you are getting off with my shampoo bottle! I don't get it Rainbow what-"

"I'm in heat!" She cuts me off rather suddenly.

"...What?"

"You heard me! I'm in heat and I can't help it! Now get out before I try to do something stupid! I know how much you don't want to... y'know, do that..."

"Rainbow, I just-"

"GET OUT!"

I stumble back, actually offended that she would yell at me like that. I slowly close the door and stumble into my room. I sit down at the chair by my desk, and place my hands over my mouth as I lean back and scream into them. Its muffled, so hopefully she won't hear me. I'm so frustrated right now. Heat? Really!? I didn't know she went through that! How was I supposed to know that? And then I yelled at her for it... and that probably didn't help any.

An hour later, and I'm still sitting alone in my room, thinking. If shes been in there doing... THAT all day, then shes probably dehydrated. I get up slowly and head down to the kitchen. I open up the fridge and look around before finding a water bottle. I pour the contents into a glass, and bring it back upstairs. I knock on the bathroom door and wait for a response.

"I said go away..." She says with a sad voice. I ignore her and go in anyway. I kneel down next to the tub where shes just laying there, panting heavily, covered in different mystery fluids.

"Drink this. Maybe you'll feel better." I say calmly as I hover the glass inches from her lips. I tip it back slightly, and a little gets into her mouth.

"I'm not in control of my body Matt... I-I already feel it coming back just looking at you. P-Please don't make me do something I'll regret."

"That doesn't matter Rainbow. If something happens, its not your fault. Now please, drink this... for me."

"Matt." She says through tears. "Stop talking like that, its only making it worse." Now shes full on sobbing.

"I want to help you Rainbow! Please!" I say back. Then its like a film goes over her eyes. Almost like shes losing the battle against her body.

"Then help me!" She quickly jumps at me and goes straight for my shorts. She gets them down, but my boxers protect me as I fall backwards on my ass. Shit, shes lost control! Ugh, I should have listened to her! Now shes right on top of me, pawing at my boxers with her hooves. How is she so strong!? Curse her damn pony strength! I can't push her off!

"Shhh, just let it happen." She manages to pull my last wall of protection down. I lift my head up slightly to see just what I feared.

"Great, its already up." I say with a grunt as I let my head fall back to the ground. If this is gonna ever happen between us, its happening now, whether I like it or not!

We both pant heavily as Rainbow sits there on top of me. Did... we seriously just... holy fuck. Rainbow is still coming down from cloud nine while I try to push myself up. Holy crap, what did we just do!? Rainbow slides off of me, which makes a weird popping noise, and sighs in happiness as she opens her eyes. The film over her eyes is gone, and I can tell she finally came back to her senses. Her pupils shrink down to pinpricks when she sees me laying there half naked on the floor, panting heavily. Its not like I did much, she practically pinned me down and didn't even give me a choice.

"Oh Celestia... I-I, Oh no..." Rainbow chokes up and places a hoof over her mouth. She cries into her leg for a moment before running out of the room screaming and crying. I try to reach my arm out to her as she runs by, but with no luck. I quickly pull myself together and pull my shorts back on. I wash my face in the sink with freezing cold water, and stare at myself in the mirror. Son of a bitch, she actually did it...

I quickly flip the lights off and look around for Rainbow in the hallway. I see my bedroom door is closed, and I hear faint sobbing from behind it. I lean up against it and try to talk to Rainbow. I could just walk in, but I remember what happened last time I did that.

"Rainbow? You okay?" I ask calmly. No response. "I'm not mad, if that's what you're thinking."

"Are you bucking kidding me!? I just raped you, and you say everything is okay!?" I hear from inside my room.

"Rainbow, just let me in so I can talk to you. I'm not mad at you, I swear!" A good minute or two goes by before the door slowly swings open. How did she open a door with a knob? I guess her mouth... Wait, why am I thinking about that? There's more important things to talk about. I walk past her and sit on my bed. I pat the spot next to me to signal I want her to hop up. Thankfully, she complies and sits next to me, though she puts a little distance between us. She sighs and pushes her face into her hooves before groaning.

"So what, are we over now?" She asks with teary eyes. "Seriously, there is no way you could forgive me for that."

"But I do! Rainbow, I know that wasn't your fault. Please believe me when I say I still love you."

"But..."

"And I mean... it was kinda fun." I say with an awkward smirk. As much as I hate to admit it, in that moment, I had actually be having a little fun. Of course, I would never admit that to anyone else, so shut your mouth!

"W-What? Matt, no, I practically raped you. You should hate me now! Go ahead, stop acting nice and yell at me!"

I suddenly pull her into me and push my lips onto hers. I'm not going to be able to do this later once the heat comes back, so I have to do it now. We fall back onto the bed, and I laugh as I pull away from her slightly.

"You really think I could ever be mad at you?"

"I... thought you would want to get rid of me after that. You've always been so protective of yourself, what gives?"

"I guess it was just time for it to happen. Everything happens for a reason, maybe this was to open my eyes and to show me not to be so strict to myself.

"So does this mean it will be a common thing now?"

"Hey, I never said that." I say with a laugh. "But I'll definitely be more open minded from now on. I promise." We lay there for a few more minutes in an awkward silence. Then I decide to speak up.

"So, Rainbow... Was that your first time?" I say with a chuckle.

"Um... yeah." She says with a blush.

"Well, you were good, I'll give you that."

"Matt!" She says with a smile as she punches my shoulder. "Was it your first time?" She asks back.

"What do you think?" I say as I pull her on top of my chest. "Duh, of course it was. And it wasn't as bad as I thought..."

A few hours later, and Rainbow started to get worked up again. I put her back in the bathroom, as she insisted on being alone through this. Apparently, it'll last for another four or five days before it passes. That means almost a full week without barely seeing her at all. My dad and I have to avoid that bathroom whenever we pass by it. My mother is the only one who goes in to feed her and bring her water, since Emily is too young to know about all the stuff going on in there. I had to explain to everyone what was going on, which was super awkward. Of course, I left out the whole getting it on part, and I intend to never tell ANYONE. Not even Alex or Skyler. No, nobody can know about this. Its our little secret from hereon out.

An idea comes to me, and I pull my phone out of my pocket after dinner. An image of the center of Ponyville comes up on the wall in front of me. I smile as I slowly walk up to it. I intend to ask Twilight if there is anything I can get to help Rainbow out. If I can do that, then maybe I won't have to go a week without seeing her.

I smile as I walk forward, and disappear into a flash of light.

Resist

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I stumble into the library, and try to rub the light out of my eyes. The first thing I see is poor Spike cowering in a corner, with what looks like a pot on his head, and a spatula in his hand.

"Um, Spike, you good man?" I ask as I jog over to him.

"Ah! Matt! You have to leave, it isn't safe here!" He quickly runs into the kitchen when he hears something on the stairs. I look up and see Twilight walking down slowly. What the hell was her scared of?

"Oh! Matt! I-I wasn't um... expecting, uh..." She stutters as she slowly approaches me.

"Oh, sorry, I was just dropping by to ask for something. If you're busy I can just come back later."

"NO!... Ahem, I mean, I'm not busy right now. What d-do you n-need?" Odd, why is she stuttering so much? And... is she sweating now?

"I need something to help Rainbow, she's been... how do I put this..."

"In heat? Estrus?" Twilight suddenly spits out.

"Um, yeah. How did you know?"

"No reason..." Her voice just changed very quickly. What the hell... Oh, oh no this isn't good. Yep, there it is. Congrats brain, you just put two and two together! Nice job! Do you want a fucking medal?

"Actually, I think I have something..." I say awkwardly. "Thanks anyway Twilight." I go to open another portal, but the phone flies out of my hand and lands on a bookshelf across the room. D-Did she just fucking levitate my phone!? I spin around, only to have my vision filled by a blur of purple. Now I'm staring deep into Twilight's eyes. Uh oh, there it is. Yep, the same film that went over Rainbow's eyes when she lost control. Time to get the fuck out of here. If Twilight works like Rainbow...

I quickly reach up and grab both of Twilight's wings. She immediately goes limp on top of me and moans. This gives me the chance to push her off of me and run for my phone. I get a grip on the phone, but a pink aura covers it in my hands. This time, I have a good grip on the device, and I am NOT letting go.

"Twilight! You need to resist it! Just let me go, and nobody gets hurt!" I don't want to, but I will retaliate if I need to. No way am I gonna do it with another girl, especially with one of Rainbow's friends. If she ever found out, it would break her. Can't let that happen.

Twilight's magic starts dragging me towards her, but I still have a strong grip on the phone. This is my only ticket out of here, I can't lose it. What if it breaks!? Once I'm close enough, I take a chance. I kick Twilight right under he horn. Not hard enough to hurt her, but hard enough to make her lose focus and she stops trying to get my phone. I full sprint out of the library, and I can hear Twilight screaming for me to come back from her doorway. No way in hell! C'ya later Twilight! Maybe when you aren't trying to get in my pants!

I run a little ways into town before noticing something a little off. No stallions to be seen, only mares. What the hell? I guess the rest of the town is under the same effects as Twilight and Rainbow, but that doesn't explain why there are no dudes around. Are they in hiding or something? Who cares, I have a portal device, and I'm gonna use it. I open the app, and I have the phone pointed at a wall, but I don't get the chance to activate it. A quick vibrate from my phone tells me that the battery just died... Fuck

"Oh, Matt! What a surprise!" I swirl around to see Rarity, as well as the rest of her friends, including Twilight, excluding Rainbow. Once they make my presence known, every mare in the area turns and starts walking towards me. Thanks a fucking lot Rarity, some friend you are. I quickly run in the only open direction that I can see, trying to get away from the fifty-something mares now chasing me at almost double my own speed. Shit, not good, they'll catch me quickly if I don't speed up.

I break into an all out sprint towards Sweet Apple Acres, the only place that had enough wide open land to hide in. I sprint up the dirt trail, sure as hell that I would be grabbed and dragged into some weird ass orgy. Luckily, I was able to gain a good amount of distance on the crowd, and found myself alone in front of Applejack's barn. I quickly looks around for a place to hide, when I hear a whisper from the barn.

"Matt!" I look over and see a little orange head pop out of the barn.

"Scoot!" I quickly run inside and close the door behind me. Just in time too, because the mob just came up the path, and is now searching desperately for me. I turn around, and in the dim light, I see a few ponies that I knew from the show.

"Guys, this is Matt. He probably already knows all of you. He doesn't say how, just don't question it." She says with a grin. Its true, I know them all from the show, but they don't know that. Hiding in the barn is, of course, Scootaloo, as long as her two friends. Then there's Big Mac, and surprisingly, Shining Armor? The hell is he doing here?

"Hey guys, thanks for hiding me." I say as I take in deep breaths and slide down the fall until I've hit then ground.

"So, you know us huh?" Shining Armor walks up to me. "Who am I?"

"You're Shining Armor, Twilight's brother. You're a royal guard in Canterlot, a captain actually. You're wife is Princess Cadence, and she used to foalsit Twilight. That good enough for you, or shall I continue?" The look on all of their faces was enough to make up for the run here. I almost instantly burst out laughing uncontrollably.

"Y-You must have talked to my sister, there is NO way you know all of that about me. I've never met you!"

"Like I said, don't question it, he has his ways of knowing stuff." Scoot says with a laugh.

"Wait... I think I've heard about you... Matthew Green was it?" Armor asks with a face of curiosity.

"Yep, guy who kept Rainbow Dash safe on Earth?"

"Yeah! You're the guy! My sister has told me so much about you. She really is grateful to you, you know that right?"

"Of course, I talk to her often... Turns out today wasn't a good day for that huh? She tried to get all up on me."

"That's actually why I'm here. I came down to Ponyville to see if I couldn't help her get through this. She normally doesn't act up around me since I'm her brother, so I thought I would be able to help out. I didn't even get to her house before I was swarmed and got trapped in here.

"Wait, why are you three in here?" I point to Scootaloo and her two friends.

"We don't even know why we're hiding in here. Mah brother just told us to stay in here with him for a while." I look up at Big Mac, and he quickly walks over to me.

"They're too young to be affected yet. They're also too young to know about Estrus, so don't talk about it too much." He whispers in my ear. Gees, that might be the most I've ever heard him talk. In the show its always just like one or two words from him.

"Hey, Armor, could you do something for me?" I say as I fish my dead phone out of my pocket. I show it to him. "Can you generate a certain wattage of electricity into an object?"

"I suppose I could try. What is this for exactly?" I says as he takes the phone in his magic and eyes it curiously.

"The energy in my device ran out before I could use it to go home. Is there any way you can charge it up? If you do, I can get us all out of here."

"I can try..." He concentrates on the phone, and closes his eyes. A few seconds later, a small bolt of electricity makes its way into the charging port on the bottom of the phone. Nothing happens at first, so he pushes more energy into it. It takes a while, but once he gets the right voltage, he hold it there as the phone screen comes to life. It fills up rather quickly, reaching 100% in a matter of seconds.

"Alright! Now we're getting somewhere!" I realize my mistake a little too late. I peak out a crack in the barn door to see all of the mares running towards to source of my voice. They start pounding on the locked doors like something out of the Walking Dead.

"Quick! Go!" I open up a portal that leads to a park on the other side of town. That should give them time to find another place to hide for now. They all thank me before running through. I close the portal, and get ready to open my own. The door bursts down, and fresh sunlight pours in over the masses of ponies trying to barrel their way towards me. I panic and fumble my phone around before opening a portal on the ground. First time I did that, I only thought it worked on walls! I see a picture of my bedroom and jump down into it. Everything is gone in a flash.

I open my eyes to see my room. I sigh in relief as I realize how lucky I am to make it out of all of that without a scratch. Surely they would have torn me to shreds.

Ugh... I can already hear Rainbow moaning from the bathroom. She must be at it again. I think she loves that shampoo bottle more than me to be honest. I laugh at my own joke and plop down on the bed. Damn that running tired me out. Time for nap.

Night!

Practice

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*February 6* *Six days since end of Estrus*

I can't believe it has been almost a week since Estrus ended for Rainbow. While those were the five hardest days of my life, the following week was certainly worth the wait. After not seeing each other for almost a week, Rainbow and I became even closer than we had ever been. While we haven't... ahem, done "it" since that incident in the bathroom, we've definitely been a lot closer, both relationship wise, and physically. Nobody knows about what happened in the bathroom that day, save for the both of us. I almost slipped up and told Alex, but I was able to lie my way out of that one.

Now, Valentines day is coming up soon, and I have to plan something special. I have some ideas, but nothing is really final yet. But, today is a big day for Alex and I. With the spring quickly approaching, baseball is starting up again, which means tryouts, which means getting my ass up to the field as fast as I can. We both passed tryouts, and today is our first official practice. I almost didn't get up this morning for practice. Its Saturday morning here in Jacksonville, Florida, and let me tell you, it is absolutely miserable out here. Its only about eight in the morning, but it is colder than it has been out her in a long time. All I have on is a t-shirt and a pair of baseball pants. It looks like I'm not the first one here, but I'm definitely not the last, as people are still pulling up in their cars.

As soon as I hop out of my truck, the cold air hits me hard. I shiver immediately, and I can already feel my entire body going numb. My hands shoot into my armpits, and I can see my breath in front of me in the cold air. What the fuck nature, this is Florida! Why the hell is it so cold! I walk around to the other side of the truck and open the door. Out pops a rainbow pegasus, and she falls on top of me, only for me to almost fall backwards before catching myself. I insisted she stay home, but as soon as I told her I was doing some kind of sport, she insisted on coming. Whatever, if she gets bored, that's her problem not mine.

Alex's truck is already here, so I guess he got here earlier than we did. I grab my gear out of the bag of my truck, and lug in behind me. Luckily its one of those sports bags on wheels, so I don't have to carry it through the freezing cold. Rainbow jumps up on my back when she sees me shivering.

"You cold Matty?" She says with an obviously tired voice. She isn't used to waking up this early on Saturdays, and truth be told, neither am I. But we have to be ready for out first game on Wednesday. We won state last year, and I still have the ring to prove it, so every team in the state is out to get us. I don't mean to brag, but uh, we're kind of a huge deal.

"Fuck yes I am!" I say as a cold gust of wind passes over us. I shiver again, and mumble a few words that would make even hardened soldiers impressed. Rainbow quickly takes notice, and wraps her wings around my chest. Her body heat on my back, and the warmth of her feathers are enough to keep me sane until I reach the dugout.

"Well well well, at least one of us is warm." A voice says from the other side of the dugout. I turn around to see all my friends there, shivering like I am.

"Hey, Trevor wassup man!? I haven't seen you for like two weeks." I say as I walk up to the guy who called me out. We fist bump, and both recoil at the pain that shoots through our hands. Probably shouldn't do that when its so damn cold out.

"Nothin' much. She keeping you warm there?" He points to Rainbow, who has almost fallen asleep on my back. Curse her fur coat, what I wouldn't give to switch bodies again right now.

"Well, shes certainly tying to, but truth be told, I don't think any of us are going to stay warm today." I go around the rest of the dugout after dropping my back, and greet all my friends. While most of the people in here are pretty good friends of mine, none of us really keep up outside of the sport. Alex is the only one here that I really know personally. Speaking of Alex...

"Man, you two can't go anywhere without each other, huh?" He asks with a chuckle as we fist bump.

"Blame her, not me. She insisted on coming, even though she'll just be sitting here in the dugout. Too bad she can't play with us."

"Hey, I can play." Rainbow says, sounding drunk since she just woke up.

"No you can't. No offense Rainbow, but you don't have hands, so you can't wear a glove, nor can you swing a bat."

"I can totally swing a bat."

"Not fast enough to hit the ball anywhere... Oh, Rainbow, get down, the coaches are coming." Our three coaches walk onto the field and stand in front of the dugout. They talk with each other for a minute before telling us all to sit down. He does give a quick glance at Rainbow, but doesn't say anything about it. They give us the same old speech we always get. After about twenty minutes of them rambling on about the same stuff as always, they decide we'll play a scrimmage game. They split us up into two teams, and Alex and I are on the same team. He sends us out onto the field to stretch and throw, but I catch him while everyone else gets warmed up.

"Hey, Coach, can I ask you something?"

"Whats up Matt?" He asks with a still serious tone.

"Is there anything my friend here can do to help?" I point down at Rainbow next to me. "She wants to be a part of the team, but she doesn't seem to understand that she can't play with us."

"Hmm..." The coach rubs his chin for a second. "You know, we ARE the Stallions." Oh yeah, I forgot about that. The school's sports teams go by that name, and everyone identifies us as the Stallions.

"So, what does that mean?" I ask, still confused at what he is getting at.

"He could be our mascot, of course, we would have to get him a uniform and hat, but I could arrange that."

"I'm a mare..." Rainbow says with a confused look on her face. My coach just looks down at her with an apologetic look. Everyone around here knows she exists by now, but I guess that not everyone knows her gender. I mean, when your hair looks like that, how hard is it to tell that she is a girl?

"Oh, my apologies Mrs..."

"Dash. Rainbow Dash." She holds out a hoof to him. He kneels down and shake it. He puts his team hat on her, and pulls it down over her head.

"Welcome to the team Rainbow Dash." He says kindly. I guess we can find her a uniform later on. Man, she would look SO good with that blue and gold hat as well as one of our white and blue jerseys. My coach regains his professional composure, and looks back at me.

"Now get out there Green! Hustle!"

"Yes sir!" I quickly pat my glove and sprint out to the rest of my team. I can hear them both laughing quietly behind me, but that's none of my concern right now. Right now, I got a team to beat. Its about time I kick some ass!

"Son of a bitch..." Alex says as he rubs his hands together furiously. We've just finished warming up, and we're ready to start the game. A lot of family members showed up to watch, despite the fact that this is still technically a practice. If it were a real game, the stands would probably be filled completely, and then some.

"I... I can't believe how cold it is. I thought this was Florida!" I say as I shiver while sitting on the bench. Even with Rainbow wrapped around me, it is still freezing out here. We found her a little jersey in the storage shed, and it seems to fit Rainbow. I had cut two slits in the hat for her ears, and two more slits in the shirt for her wings. Her bottom half is still showing, but I doubt we would be able to fit human pants on her. We're lucky that our shirts fit her.

"You're so cute in that outfit." I whisper in her ear. Can't let my teammates hearing me so mushy with her, but its true, so I gotta at least tell her.

"Cute? I'm not cute Matt. If anything I just look like one of the guys y'know?"

"Nah, you're still a girl. A beautiful one at that." I kiss the top of her head quickly after making sure nobody was watching.

"Matt!" She giggles and pushes into my side.

The game starts quickly after, and we've actually drawn quite the crowd of family members. I feel jealous of them, especially when I see Emily and my parents wrapped up in big coats and blankets. Here I am in a jersey and thin pants. SO unfair...

"Matt, you're pitching, get out there." One of the coaches says as he reads the lineup off a clipboard. I lift Rainbow off of me and place her down just outside the dugout so she can watch. I'm lucky that I get to start, as there are a good thirty people in total on the team. You have to be good here to start.

"Wish me luck." I say as I pat Rainbow on the back. She gives me a smile and waves as I walk out onto the mound.

"Go get em!" She says in that little raspy voice that I love. I jog out to the mound, and pick up the baseball waiting for me. I toss it around in my hand while watching the batter take some warm up swings. I don't know how well I'm going to be able to throw right now. Not only am I out of practice at the moment, but there's also the fact that it feels like Antarctica out here right now. I can already feel my entire body becoming numb. I just want to go home where its warm... Oh well, gotta do my job I guess. I throw some warm up pitches and try to take my mind off the cold. I glance over at Rainbow, still jealous of her warmth. Images of our little incident flash back into my mind quickly. No! Bad brain! Not now you little shit!

Whoa when did the umpire get here? Did my coach really have to connections to just call some up like that for a non-official game? Gees, we really were big deals I guess. He blows a whistle to signal the start of the game, and the batter walks up to the plate. I nod at Alex, who is my catcher, and get into position to pitch. I bring the ball over my head, and let go at just the right angle. BAM! Smack dab into the center of Alex's glove.

"Strike!"

"Yeah! Go Matt!" I hear Rainbow cheer from the dugout. A couple of the guys on the bench cheer and holler as well, which makes her cheer that much less awkward. We really are a close team, considering we all cheer for each other when something good happens. I hear stuff like "Nice pitch!" or "Two more like that!" from the dugout. Good thing I taught Rainbow a lot about the rules of baseball, or else she would have no idea what is going on right now.

Alright, lets kick some ass.

"Alright guys, top of the seventh, two outs, and we're down by one. Matt, this is all you bub." Our coach says as we stand in a huddle. Its my turn to bat. My teammates slap my helmet as I walk out to the plate. Rainbow is still cheering for me from in front of the dugout. She can't see over the fence like my teammates can, so she's sitting on Alex's shoulders. Alex cheers with her as I walk up to the plate. If I get a good hit, we win, if I don't we lose. Here goes nothing.

The pitcher looks at me before nodding to his catcher. I'm distracted as I look at the air around us. I call for time-out, and step out of the batters box. Is that... snow? Is it really that cold!? I haven't seen snow in Florida in YEARS, and it was never this heavy. Wow, a truly splendid sight. Now, lets get back to this game. I wrap my hands around the handle of the bat as hard as I can. I can't even feel my hands at this point.

"Strike one!" The umpire yells. Bullshit! That was totally way too low. Whatever, next pitch.

"Strike two!" What the fuck? That ball curved so hard, I thought it was gonna hit me! This guy is good.

The next pitch seems to come at me in slow motion. My hands grip the bat even tighter as I watch the ball approach me. My sore muscles scream in protest as I bring the bat around as hard as I can. The bat makes hard contact with the ball, but I drop to my knees and let out a short scream. Holy shit, the cold makes vibrations even more intense, so making contact like that left my hands feeling like they were broken. I should be running right now, but I can't even get up as I push my hands into my armpits. Rainbow is quickly right in front of me, already freaking out with tears in her eyes. Guess she doesn't know that my hands just vibrated violently, nothing serious, but man did it hurt!

"That's game!" The umpire yells. Ugh, I guess I'm out. Great, we lost thanks to me. Whatever, at least now I can go ho-

"Matt! You did it!" Alex and the rest of my teams runs out the plate and jumps on top of Rainbow and I.

"What? We just lost, what's going on?" I say in confusion on the bottom of the pile. Alex comes into view a few seconds later.

"Dude, you didn't see? You hit it right outta the park! That ball is probably still flying!"

"Wait, we won!? Alright!" I scream in celebration, forgetting my aching hands. Rainbow finds her way towards me, and wraps herself around me, and plants a kiss right on my lips. A little public, but alright.

"You did awesome." Rainbow says as she hops into the truck next to me. I turn the engine on and crank the heat up as far as it will go.

"Holy crap... I'm in heaven." I say as I close my eyes and place my hands in front of the heater.

"I can help you warm up." Rainbow quickly gets in my lap and presses her lips furiously into mine. Good thing the windows are tinted.

"Whoa Rainbow, a little aggressive don't you think?" I say as I pull away after a minute or two.

"What can I say, I like athletes... Maybe later we could..." Her hoof slowly drags down my side and then down the side of my leg. I quickly grab her hoof and bop her own nose with it. I give her a little chuckle as I buckle her in.

"Maybe later... If I feel like it." I say with a wink as I start driving. "So, how do you like being our mascot? You know, we are the most popular team in the state right now."

"It is so awesome! AND I get to watch you play? That makes it even better!"

"You somehow made a miserable day into a fun one Rainbow, how do you do it."

"By being the best marefriend ever!" We both laugh and I lean over to ruffle her mane.

"Well, best marefriend ever, wanna go snuggle up and watch a movie?" I can already feel myself wrapped up in the warm covers of my bed. God, I would give anything to just be home already.

"You know it!"

And with that, we quickly rush home in anticipation of spending the day together, snuggled up in bed.

Could life get any better!?

Valentines

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*February 14*

Great... just great. Today is Valentines day, and I don't gave a gift for Rainbow. This is supposed to be my fucking job as the guy, and I'm totally gonna fail! Its not like I can just avoid the holiday either, because I already told Rainbow about it! Son of a bitch, that leaves one option. I make sure Rainbow isn't anywhere around me, and I open a portal to Twilight's library. I step through, and close my eyes as I anticipate the flash of light. Hah, I'm getting too smart for the portals, they can't hurt me any more!

"Gah! Matt! Don't scare me like that!" Twilight jumps as I suddenly appear in front of her.

"How was I supposed to know I'd appear in front of you? That is not my fault at all." I say while laughing.

"Well, now that my heart has stopped racing, what brings you to town?"

"I need to get Rainbow a gift for Valentines day, but I can't think of anything to get her. You're her friend, and you've known her longer than I have. What would you get her?"

"What's Valentines?"

"Like... Hearts and Hooves day, I think that's what it's called..."

"Oh! Of course I can help. I already have an idea!" Twilight's horn lights up and she hovers a book over to me.

"Daring Do? What's this?" If this was in an episode, then I certainly haven't seen it. Besides, why would Rainbow want a book? I'm big on reading but I know for a fact that she isn't.

"It's Rainbow's favorite book series. That's the newest one. It came out while she was on Earth with you, so she has no idea about it. I promise she will be the happiest mare on the planet if you give her this."

"Technically, she's the only mare on my planet." I say with a chuckle. Twilight rolls her eyes and smiles at my dumb joke. I wave and thank her as I jump into a portal. I love putting these things on the floor now. It makes me feel like an action hero, as dumb as that might sound.

"Gah!" I land right on top of Emily as I fall into my kitchen. "Matt, you need to stop with those portals." She says as I help her up. She has definitely matured since Rainbow arrived here. A few months ago she never would have said something like that.

"Sorry, I just did the same thing to Twilight. I gotta learn to control these better."

"You were in Equestria!? Can I go!?"

"Maybe some other time. Right now, I have to wrap a gift." I run upstairs and close my door. I snatch a roll of wrapping paper from my closet, and throw the two objects on the bed. Alright, I can do this, even if I do suck at wrapping gifts.

An hour and three paper cuts later, I was satisfied with my work. I write Rainbow's name on the front, and slap a bow on top of the present.

"There we go... RAINBOW!" I throw the book behind me and it lands under my desk. Rainbow slammed the door open as soon as I had put the bow on the gift. I hope she didn't see it.

"Whoa! What's up with you?" Her eyes had shrunk a little, and her wings were flared. Guess I scared her as much as she scared me. I let out a breath that I didn't realize I had been holding.

"N-Nothing. You just startled me, that's all!" I say awkwardly as I eye the desk.

"O...kay then..." Rainbow looks at me curiously before walking downstairs. Phew, dodged that bullet. I retrieve the book and stuff it into my backpack. I'll bring that with me on our date tonight. I haven't told her yet, but I'm taking her to a special location. I found an isolated island on Google Earth, and it looks beautiful from the overhead image I saw. It also looked like nobody lived there, which meant we'd be alone. I can't even imagine life without this portal app. Gotta remember to thank the shit outta Celestia next time I see her. Being able to teleport ANYWHERE, opens so many new doors for Rainbow and I.

"Matt, you coming down for dinner?" Rainbow asks a few hours later.

"Nope, and neither are you." I say with a sly smile and I get ready to open the portal app.

"What?" I hold up a picnic basket and wave it around in front of her. "A-A date?" She stutters in surprise.

"Yep! How does a romantic dinner on a tropical island sound?"

"Like a dream come true!" She quickly jumps over to my side. I toss the backpack with the book in it over my shoulder, and unlock my phone. Huh, two messages from Alex and Skyler. I'll read them later. It's Matt and Rainbow time. I point the portal at an empty area on my wall, and motion for Rainbow to go through.

"Ladies first." I say with a wave towards the portal. I can see a nice image of a small beach and the ocean on the other side. The sun is about to set, so we better hurry to get in the best lighting possible. Rainbow smiles and walks in ahead of me.

"MOM! I'M GOING OUT FOR A WHILE!" I yell before I enter. I'm just gonna assume she heard me. I feel the floor shift under me once I step through. Sand. Beautiful white sand. God, I haven't been to a beach in forever. I need to do this more often. Maybe we could build some kind of shelter here and make it like a summer house or something. That would be nice. I look ahead of me to see Rainbow already sitting near the edge of the beach, looking out at the ocean in front of us. Behind us is a small jungle of trees with some kind of fruit on them. I'd say the island is about the side of a village. Not all that big really.

"Hey beautiful, this spot taken?" I say like an idiot as I walk up next to Rainbow and place down a blanket. Once it's down, we both sit on it and scoot next to each other.

"I'm not beautiful. That's Rarity, I'm just the athletic girl that nobody would even think about dating." Rainbow says as she leans up on me. Well damn, that got a little depressing.

"What? You're beautiful, and we both know that. Why would you think any differently?"

"I-I don't know... I was just looking at myself in the mirror earlier, and realized how little I take care of my appearance. I mean, multiple ponies AND humans have thought I was a stallion. I mean, come on! Am I really that bad?

"You stop right now." I say sternly as I lay on my back and pull her on top of my chest. "You might now think it, but you're the most beautiful pony I've seen so far."

"You're just saying that..."

"No, I'm not. You're no super model, I'll give you that." I say bluntly. She gives me a weird expression, but I continue on. "But you're beautiful in your own way. Maybe it's your amazing hair, or maybe its just that glow of... awesomeness that you give off." I say with a smile. "Point is, I think you're amazing. Don't change."

No verbal response, but my head is pushed deep into the sand by Rainbow's lips. I sit up quickly, but I hold her close. The sunset over the horizon shines down on us as we sit there together. We pull away and I see tear streaks down Rainbow's face. I take the tail of my shirt and wipe her eyes, and she doesn't object. Those big magenta eyes...

"I got something for you." I say as I put her down next to me. She quickly nudges into my side, almost knocking me over.

"Really? You didn't have to-"

"But I did. You deserve the best after all."

"Hah, no I don't. You're just the best coltfriend ever."

"Boyfriend. Not a pony." I remind her with a smile. I open the backpack that I had dropped behind us, and pull out a light blue present with a white bow on top. "Happy Valentines." I say as I hand it to her. She takes it in her hooves and spins it around before tearing into it. When she pulls the contents out of the paper, she gasps and her eyes widen.

"H-How did you..."

"Twilight. She said you loved whatever that is. That's the newest book. She said it came out while you were here, so I thought you might want to read it."

"I-I THANK YOU!" She says excitedly as she is suddenly wrapped around me, wings and all. I hug her back and laugh at her excitement. If there is one thing she is good at, it's being excited over little things. Whatever this book is, it means a lot to her apparently.

"I didn't know you were an egghead Rainbow." I say using her own insult against her.

"W-What? I'm not an egghead!" She's blushing. I call bullshit.

"Then why do you love that book so much?" I say with a devious smile.

"Um... No reason?" She says with a dumb smile. I rub her head and we both laugh. The setting is perfect right now... almost too perfect. Fuck it, YOLO right?

I reach over and grab Rainbow's wing joints. Her eyes turn to pinpricks, and her entire body goes stiff, then quickly goes limp.

"So, is that how you're feeling right now?" She says with squinted eyes. Shit, already here, might as well.

"Maybe." I say as I continue rubbing her wings. She gets on top of me, and starts to put her hoof near the top of my jeans. She looks at me with that same look she had during Estrus, only this time, there is no film over her eyes. She leans down next to my ear and whispers,

"Alright then... lets do this."

Crash And Burn

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*March 31*

A month and a half since Valentines, and nothing exciting has happened! My life is starting to become boring again! Before Rainbow got here, my life was boring as shit. I went to school, came home, played games, then slept. Same thing every day. Now, take that schedule, replace video games with Rainbow, and it is pretty much the same thing. Don't get me wrong, I love her as much as ever, it's just that nothing really exciting has been happening. Although... I have noticed something odd recently. I remember being at one of my baseball games...

The replay flashes through my head as I remember the scene. I had been pitching, and it was near the beginning of the game. I remember looking past Alex and past the umpire, and seeing this weird guy on the bleachers. Even weirder, after the pitch, he was gone. Almost as if looking at him had made him vanish. He was in this black suit, and wasn't taking his eyes off of me. That's all I remember about him. I thought it was over after that, but I've actually noticed something else. While it isn't the same guy, I've noticed different people in the same outfits just watching me or Rainbow from a distance. Maybe they're with that gang... I don't know, maybe I'm just paranoid.

Other than that weird incident, nothing has really happened like I said. With the end of the school year quickly approaching, I'm starting to get nervous about my senior year coming up soon. Not to mention college... Shit, what will I do when I leave for college in two years? Will Rainbow be able to go with me, or will I have to leave her? I need to think of something else...

You know what, scratch what I said earlier, something cool has happened. I noticed a little while ago, near the beginning of March, that Rainbow looked like she was gaining a little weight. Not too much, but enough for me to notice when I actually look for it. I decided we both should exercise. I guess she hasn't been getting the same workouts that she had back in Equestria. She can't just fly around freely anymore like she used to.

For the past month, Rainbow and I have been going back and forth between home and that island we went to on Valentines. We loved it so much there that we decided it would be a cool hangout spot. So, whenever we had free time, we would travel to the island to build a shelter. So far we have the base and three walls of a decent sized cabin on the edge of the jungle. It overlooks the ocean, and it feels really homely even though it isn't finished. I have to borrow the tools from my dad's garage, but the skill is all me. I tell Rainbow what to do, and she does it without hesitation. I learned about construction from my uncle who used to be a carpenter, and I used his advice to build the cabin. We should be done with it within the next month or two.

During the summer, we plan to stock the place up and maybe stay on the island for a week or two. Of course, we won't stay for the whole summer, but a nice vacation is in order I think. I can already imagine the swimming, exploring the island, building sand castles... God I love her.

"Dude." Alex snaps me back to attention. "You've been day dreaming for like ten minutes."

"Yeah, what are you thinking about?" Rainbow asks next to me. We're currently sitting at the lunch table at school, and I hadn't realized I had been fantasizing about the island.

"Oh, I was thinking about our cabin." I say without realizing what I said. We hadn't told anyone about the cabin. My family thought we were just hanging out somewhere, but they had no idea we were building our own house.

"Cabin?" Skyler asks with a confused look. "I didn't know you guys had a cabin."

"Guess the secret is out." Rainbow says with a small blush. "We've been building a cabin hut thingy on a tropical island. We're gonna stay there for a while in the summer."

"What! No way!" Alex says as he almost chokes on his drink. "A tropical island? Matt, dude, please tell me you found a hatch!" Skyler and Rainbow have no idea what we're talking about.

"Yeah, sure, and it had 4 8 15 16 23 42 on it." I say with a smirk as I take a sip of my water. "Oh, and we saw this pillar of black smoke. Insane shit man." Alex and I both laugh.

"What are you two even talking about?" Skyler asks. She and Rainbow are both equally confused.

"Nothing, don't worry about it. Anyway, we should head out, lunch is over." I say as I check the time on my phone. I stand up with Rainbow and walk to my next class.

"Should we invite them over some time? Could be fun y'know." I ask Rainbow as we hop into my truck, thankful that the day is finally over.

"Definitely! But I still want our alone time."

"So do I." I say as I rub her ear between my thumb and index finger. I pull out onto the street, and we're on the highway in a matter of minutes.

"Ow." I hear Rainbow mumbles to herself.

"What? Did you hurt yourself?" I ask calmly.

"No, but my stomach hurts. I think I had something bad at lunch. Don't worry, I barely feel it."

"Hah, I feel you there. I've been left on the shitter multiple times by bad food. Just make sure you hit the John when we get home."

"Yeah, you're probably ri- MATT WATCH OUT!" Rainbow screams in a high pitched voice. I look quickly at the road to see a car ahead of us start to swerve. Shit, their tire popped! I can't stop! "MATT!"

That's the last thing I hear other than the crunching of metal, and tires squealing against the pavement.

"C'mon man..." The voice is distant, but I recognize it. How could I not recognize my best friend's voice? I open my eyes, but everything is a blur. I can make out a figure pacing back in forth in front of me. Why am I laying down? My head is throbbing with a dull pain, but other than that, I feel fine.

"A-Alex?" I say weakly. The figure stops moving and rushes over to my side. He places his hands on my shoulders and looks me in the eyes. My vision as cleared up enough to make out his facial features. He looks relieved.

"Oh God, you're awake." He says happily. "I knew you would wake up!"

"Wake up? Was I out?" I look around the room slowly. Hospital. Fucking Great.

"You've been in a coma for five days. They were starting to think you wouldn't wake up for quite some time." I look around more to see Alex is the only one in the room.

"Where's Rainbow?" I ask as my memories of the crash come back to me. She was in the car with me, is she okay?

"Well..." Alex rubs the back of his head. Don't mess with me man, tell me what's up.

"Well what? Is she okay? She's not hurt is she?"

"What? No! No, she's okay. She's in a small coma too, but they think she'll be out pretty soon. You definitely came in worse than she was.

"A-Are they treating her well? Is she hurt at all?"

"Yes, the doctors have been really good to her. But..."

"But what!? Did she break a bone or something? Broken wing?"

"No, nothing like that..."

"Then what?"

"When they were doing a checkup on her... they found something..."

"Found something? Like, a tumor or something?" Now I'm getting worried. What if she has like cancer or something!?

"No, nothing bad! It's just..."

"Spit it out!"

"...Rainbow's pregnant..."

Revelations

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"No, seriously, is there anything wrong with her Alex?"

"I just told you what I know."

"Dude, stop messing with me, it's not cool."

"I'm not! I'm telling the truth. Rainbow actually is-"

"No she isn't!" And there's the denial settling in. Alex is my best friend, so he wouldn't lie to me would he? No, he has to be lying.

"I'll call a fucking doctor in here right now to prove it!"

"She couldn't be pregnant though!"

"Are you saying you two haven't done it? If you haven't, then Rainbow's cheating on you Matt. We can get a DNA test done if that'll prove it to you."

"What's the point? We aren't compatible anyway, our genetics just don't match up. It would be impossible. But then again... She hasn't been around any guys in Equestria for that to happen... Tell me again that you aren't fucking with me."

"I swear on my life that I'm telling the truth. You're gonna be a dad Matt, and there is nothing you can do about it."

I rub my hands down my face and groan. How the hell could this even happen? It just doesn't make sense! Our genetics don't match, and if Biology taught me anything, it's that only two of the same species can reproduce. As soon as I'm out of here, I'm paying Twilight a visit, she might know what's going on. I gotta keep my cool...

Alright, they're letting me walk around today. They said Rainbow woke up about an hour ago, but she still doesn't know about her... situation. I asked if I could be the one to tell her, and they allowed me to see her for a little bit. The walk to her room feels like it takes forever, even if it is only about twenty feet down the hall. Thankfully I got to change into my normal clothes so I don't have to walk around in one of those damn hospital gowns.

"Knock knock" I say quietly as I walk into Rainbow's room. There she is, eyes closed, probably napping, with a bandage on her head. Luckily we had just both suffered from minor head trauma. We should be able to get out of here soon enough.

"Matt?" Rainbow says with a weak smile as I walk up to her bed. It's so much bigger than her, but then again, it was built for someone three times her size.

"Hey..." I say glumly as I kneel down next to her.

"You okay?" She says as she puts a hoof on the side of my face. "I missed you."

"I... I'm fine..."

"The doctors told me we were both in a coma for a few days. But... they told me they found something about me. They wouldn't tell me what was wrong Matt. I'm scared."

"You don't need to be, because I know what they found..."

"What? Is it something serious?" Rainbow says with a couple tears already forming in her eyes.

I don't respond at first, and I slowly reach my hand over to the sheets covering her body. I slowly pull them down to reveal Rainbow's lower half. I start to rub my hand over her stomach and I choke up a little on my own tears. I don't know if they're fear or joy, but that doesn't matter right now. I keep rubbing my hand over the little lump on her stomach, and eventually meet her eyes.

"...You're a mom Rainbow..." I say slowly.

"I... what, me..." She stutters a little before feeling her own stomach. That must have been why I thought she had gained weight, as well as why she said her stomach hurt right before we crashed. Damn it! The signs were all there but I missed them!

"Now, I have a question Rainbow."

"Y-You, wha-" She still can't make full words. I can see why.

"Am I, or am I not the father?" I ask seriously. Moment of truth folks.

"W-What? Of course you are! I haven't been with anyone else, I swear! Why would you even think that?" She says with a couple of tears streaming down her face. "Y-You aren't going to l-leave me are you?"

...Would I? If I stay with her, I'll have to be a father to God knows what that thing will look like. We aren't even married, and that means we'd have to GET married before the baby came. I could just send her back to Equestria and leave her there... No! What the fuck brain, why would you even think about something like that!?

"I'll never leave you." I say as I wrap my arms around her neck. We both sob there for a little bit, still not sure if the tears are from joy or fear of the unknown. "I need to go see someone, can you wait here for a few minutes?"

"I'm not going anywhere." She says with a light laugh. I pull out my phone, which the doctors gave back to me, and open a portal to Twilight's place. I could get in so much trouble for leaving the hospital, but screw it, here goes nothing. I walk through and almost stumble into Twilight on the other side.

"Hey Matt! What brings y- You don't look so good. Have you been crying?" Her voice quickly changes to one of worry.

"Yeah... I have. We got some news about Rainbow, and I'm still having a hard time accepting it."

"What's wrong with her? Is she hurt!?"

"No, it's um... Rainbow is pregnant, Twilight."

"WHAT!? Matt, that's amazing news! Why would you be sad about that!?"

"Because I don't know if it's really mine. I mean, our genetics don't match, she WAS here for three weeks without me in a depressed state. What if she did something stupid during that time and..." I almost start to break down again.

"Come here." Twilight says as she makes me kneel down with her magic and wraps her legs around me. "I have an idea. Follow me." I get up and follow Twilight into her basement where she has a ton of lab equipment. She pulls out a box with some medical supplies, and levitates it over to a table in the center of the room.

"What are you gonna do with those?"

"DNA test. We'll test if humans and Equestrian ponies are compatible with each other."

"Twilight, that's fucking stupid. I already know that two species can't reproduce."

"Do you really know that? If both of our genetics match up enough, it would be possible. Now, stand still while I take a blood sample." Twilight levitates and empty needle over to me, and I hold out my arm for her. She draws a little blood, and sets it down in a tray. I take her blood for her, and place it next to my own. She places the two samples into some machine, and it closes with a *ding!*

"So, this will compare our DNA?" I ask as I watch the machine buzz away.

"Yep! This will tell us if you're compatible with Rainbow or not."

"Again, I've never heard of two different species reproducing. Are you sure about this Twilight?"

"Magic." She says with a smirk. Of course she would bring magic into this. I swear, if magic is the answer to this, I'm going to flip my sh- Oh hey it's done. Twilight levitates the tray out of the machine, and reads a long list of results in front of me. She has a good poker face, because I can't tell what she's thinking just by her facial expressions.

"Well?" I say nervously. Moment of truth.

"...Told you so. I have no idea why, but our genetics are almost identical." She says as she shoves the results in my face. I'm no scientist, but I can tell that the results do indeed match up. No. Fucking. Way. So it's true, she didn't cheat on me! All the stress floats away, only to be replaced by a new kind of stress. I'm going to be a father... that set in rather quickly. I'm gonna have to marry Rainbow if I want to keep this from being too weird.

"Twilight, how long do ponies carry?"

"About eleven months. Why?" I do the math in my head. Let's assume she conceived on January 31st when she was in heat as that was the day she got me in the bathroom, that would mean... we should be expecting around Christmas this year. What a gift huh? Alright Matt, pull yourself together, this isn't a bad thing, so don't freak out over it... Oh damn it brain, thanks for thinking about THAT. If Alex knew about Rainbow, then surely my parents did by now. They're gonna beat my ass for getting a girl pregnant aren't they? Shit.

"Just wondering... Ugh, thanks Twilight, you really helped me out this time."

"No problem! But Matt." She catches me before I can leave the room. "I want you to bring Rainbow to Equestria for checkups, your doctors probably won't know how to treat her like we do. I'd say you should bring her here about once a month to make sure everything is going smoothly.

"I will, thanks." I say with a wave as I walk back upstairs and open a portal to Rainbow's room. I can see her in her bed through the portal, and she looks over at me and smiles. I walk through and run into her with a hug as the portal behind me closes.

"I'm here to stay Rainbow." I say as I start to rub the bump on her stomach again. It's small right now, but I can already see it getting much bigger.

"Thank you. I thought you would run out on me." She says through new tears.

"I would never abandon you. And I would never run out on our kid." Damn, referring to a kid as MINE is going to take getting used to. I mean, I'm a fucking junior in highschool for fuck's sake. Good thing we're both eighteen, or we wouldn't be legal age to marry. I suppose we'll have to get married in Equestria, unless they count Rainbow as a civ-

My mind stops. How did I never realize this? Rainbow never actually became an official citizen of the United States! Okay, well we definitely won't be able to do that here unless she takes the test to become a citizen. Maybe I'll have her do that over the summer.

I fall asleep with my head resting against Rainbow's stomach. Before I drifted off I could feel her stomach and chest moving up and down slowly as she drifted off as well.

This is gonna be one hell of an adventure... for both of us.

Haunting Past

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*May 25th* *Final Day Of School*

"You have to show them that you're really not scared, you're playin' with your life, this ain't no truth or dare, they'll kick you, then they beat you, then they'll tell you it's fair so beat it, but you wanna be bad!"

I yell into the microphone as my fingers dance across the electric in my hands. Can you say best band ever? I pulled out my electric guitar that I hadn't played in forever a couple months ago, and started a band with Alex, Skyler, and Trevor from the baseball team. Let me tell you something, we fucking rock! Here we are, last day of school, big ass talent show that the every student and their mothers came to. We're performing our own version on Michael Jackson's "Beat It", and we are totally killing it on stage!

We have me on electric and vocals. Alex is on the drums, Skyler on the keyboard, and Trevor on bass. The rest is prerecorded and playing over the huge speakers above us in the auditorium. Everyone is cheering for us like we're some professional band. Who knew we could all play instruments, and none of us even knew about it. Skyler is the best singer by far in our group, but her voice just doesn't do this song justice. So, being the idiot I am, I decided to step up and take lead vocals. Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

And there she is. Little Rainbow Dash standing in the front row, cheering like there's no tomorrow. I can spot the lump on her stomach from here, and if you had seen her two months ago, you would be able to tell it has grown slightly. Not much, but slightly. Honestly, if you didn't know there was a little filly/colt in there, you wouldn't even know she was pregnant, that's how small it is. I guess even though it has been four months for her, it would be the equivalent of about two months for a human girl. I suppose that explains the slower development. We still don't know the gender even after three monthly checkups. We don't really want to know either.

"Goodnight Jacksonville!" I yell into the mic as our instruments die out. Everyone cheers as we wave and walk backstage where we are congratulated by some of our fellow contestants. Of course, we get a couple disapproving looks from some of the bad sports who ended up not doing so well, but that's their problem not mine. Did that come off as kind of an asshole thing to say? Maybe, I don't know. I'm still too pumped up on sheer adrenaline to care.

You wouldn't believe how much Rainbow wanted to join the band. While I really wish she could, I turned her down for two reasons. First, she can't play any of our instruments other than vocals. Second, I don't want her moving around too much. Call me overprotective, but I've put quite a limit on what I allow her to do. Ever since she started getting those cramps that women get when their pregnant, I've restricted her from doing too much physical activity. She protests of course, but at the end of the day, she usually does what I recommend.

"If all contestants would please walk on stage, we will begin the award ceremony." I hear the announcer say over the speakers. Guess we were the last act. We all walk out on stage and stand in groups. They give out the third and second place trophies, and pull out the card with the first place winner on it. The four of us cross our fingers in anticipation.

"And the grand prize winner is... Impact!" The four of us jump and cheer in a group hug as they announce our group name. I was inspired to name the band after something significant in my life. We settled on Impact to celebrate Rainbow's arrival, and how she got here. They hand us a giant gold and blue trophy, and snap our photo. We won! Yeah!

"You guys were awesome!" Rainbow says excitedly as we drive down the highway. We all packed into Trevor's giant truck which can hold two in the front, and three in the back. I guess four in the back if you count our little friend on the way. Alex is up front with Trevor, and the rest of us are in the back.

"You know we were!" I say as I pump my fist. "First place, and summer starts tomorrow!? What could be better?" I say as I highfive Skyler.

"We totally rocked it out there. We should become like, the next big thing. Imagine it, the celebrity life, traveling the globe." Alex says as he pans his hand in front of him for dramatic effect.

"Trust me, the celebrity life isn't all that glamorous." I say as Rainbow and I look at each other. We know how annoying it can be to bothered by the press any time we go somewhere in public. Speaking of press, somehow word got out that Rainbow is expecting, and now I get weird looks at times when I'm seen with her. Guess there will always be people who look down on us being a thing. Whatever, that's their problem, not mine. I am, however, grateful for all the positive comments we get when we're seen together.

"So, how's the little guy doing in there?" Skyler says in that excited girl voice that none of us guys can stand. She and Rainbow both start to feel around Rainbow's stomach and giggle. I start to stare out the window as their little conversation starts to fade away in the background. We stop at a red light, and I stare out the window towards a pretty vacant gas station, save for one black sedan. It's late afternoon, and the sun has yet to being setting, so it looks really nice out right now. The rest of the conversation between everyone fades out as I squint my eyes and take a closer look at the sedan. No... that can't be right, I must be seeing things.

Watching us through the window of the sedan is that same fucker that I saw at my baseball game. The same guy that stared me down before vanishing just seconds later. I wasn't paranoid, I knew that for a fact now. This guy is definitely following either me, Rainbow, or both of us.

"Floor it..." I say quietly. Nobody responds at first.

"What was that Matt?" Trevor asks from behind the wheel.

"I said floor it." I say in anger as I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Dude, we're at a red li-"

"HIT THE DAMN GAS!" I say in both anger and fear. Whoever this guy is, it's freaking me out. Apparently, yelling was enough to get Trevor to hit the gas and take off into the intersection. Several cars swerve around us, but we make it to the other side without a scratch. We continue going a little faster than we should until I feel that the sedan is no longer following us.

"What the hell is your problem Matt?" Trevor asks as we pull into my street. Looks like this is our stop.

"N-Nothing. I just... saw something that looked dangerous... Look, I need to get off here so if you don't mind..." I unbuckle myself as well as Rainbow, and hop out of the truck. I pick up Rainbow and hold her in my arms like a baby. Baby-ception.

We walk into my house, ignoring the group calling me from the truck to get an actual answer. I head upstairs, Rainbow in arms, and enter into my room. I close the door behind us and sigh as I start to take my jacket off. I explain to Rainbow I saw that guy in black again. She's the only other person who has seen one of those people in black watching us. There have been several that we've spotted, but they've always been different people, but in the same outfit. But this time, I know for a fact that that was the same guy from the baseball game. The first guy we saw. We try to put that past us for a while as I continue taking off any unneeded layers of clothing.

Once I'm down to just a t-shirt and shorts, I plop down on the bed next to Rainbow. We both smile wordlessly as each other as my hand slowly makes it's way down to her lower abdomen. I was scared at first, I'll admit that. But now, I can't stop counting down the days to the actually delivery date at the end of December. I still haven't exactly proposed to Rainbow, but I'm actually not sure if I will before the baby is even born. While that might be weird for a normal couple, Rainbow certainly isn't normal by any standards. I think marriage will be the final step in us becoming an official family. I know I know, I'm doing things out of order, but it just feels right to me for some reason.

"You've been giving the foal more attention than me Matt." Rainbow says as she wraps a leg around my neck. I pull her into my side with my arms, and lightly bop the tip of her nose with my index finger.

"How do you know it's a foal? Maybe it's a little Matthew Green in there." I say as I lightly tickle her stomach with a finger.

"I'm not gonna give birth to a human Matt." She says with a laugh. "I'm surprised we even have compatible genetics in the first place. Did you ever find out how that was possible?"

"Well, I personally think we both have human-like genetics, and you just have a pony body. Or even the other way around. Of course that's not definite, but it's my theory. Of course, Twilight just told me it was magic, but that's Twilight."

"That sounds about right. I still can't believe I actually have a little foal in there." She says as she crawls up on top of my chest, the lump pressing into my stomach.

"You really don't seem like the pregnant type." I say as I push a strand of hair out of her face. "You've always been the athletic, carefree, tomboyish Rainbow Dash to me."

"Yeah, it's still really weird to me... I never thought I would be a mother, much less have somebody like you to help me through it."

"I'm sure you would have found somebody better than me if you never came here. Who wouldn't want you?"

"Actually... a lot of ponies." Her ears droop and her eyes have that glossy look to them that lets me know she might start crying soon.

"Are you kidding? You were like, the most popular mare in the show, what makes you think nobody likes you?"

"I... was picked on a lot as a filly. Ponies would make fun of my voice, or my hair, or..." She starts to choke up as the tears flow. I look directly into her shining magenta eyes and try to comfort her.

"Or what?" I say calmly as I push my hand slowly down her back.

"Or... my parents." She's able to choke out. "I-I was an orphan Matt. I never knew my parents." She's far past gone now. Maybe it's the hormones, or maybe it's actually this hard for her to talk about her past.

"Y-You were an orphan?" I say in shock. She never told me this. Why would she hide it from me?

"Y-Yes, and I was made fun of because of it. And that was only the beginning. Ponies made fun of me for just about everything I did. It mostly stopped when I moved to Ponyville, but I still have nightmares of all the ponies laughing at me every day." I can't believe this. THE Rainbow Dash... MY Rainbow got made fun of? Who the fuck would even have the heart to do that to someone as innocent as her?

"They told m-me that I would never find a special... special somepony. I believed them for so many years..." She breaks down again and buries her head into my shirt. This must be really hard for her to talk or even think about this. I hold her close to me and let her cry it out. I don't say a word for a good twenty minutes before Rainbow sniffles and looks up at me. "I guess I proved them wrong." I almost forgot what she was talking about, but I remember now. She did find someone special to her, and I found someone special to me. She really did prove them wrong.

"Wanna prove them wrong some more?" I say with a smile as I pull her face closer to mine. My lips hover just inches from hers.

"Gladly."

Out With The Old

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"Matt, you've been on that thing all day. It's the first day of summer, come spend some time with me!" Rainbow whines from my bed. She has a point. I've been on my laptop all day long. I've been searching for something that I've been thinking over since March. Damn, all these houses are so expensive!

"I'm trying to find something for the both of us. You'll thank me later." I say simply as I continue to browse the web. I hear Rainbow walk up to me, and she props herself against the desk with her front legs.

"What are you even looking at?"

"Well, might as well tell you." I say as I turn the laptop so she can see it. "I've been looking for houses for a while now. If we're going to be a family, I want to have my own place. There just won't be enough room for six people in this house. There's barely enough room for you. Besides, my parents still aren't happy about you being pregnant and all."

"I thought they were excited for us."

"Well, they are, and they aren't. They're disappointed in me for getting you pregnant, even though that wasn't my fault, but they're also excited to be grandparents. So, I guess they're happy for you, but mad at me."

"Oh, okay... So how do you plan to afford an entire house Matt? You're eighteen for Celestia's sake." I reach into my pocket without even looking at her, and pull out four bits. These outta catch me a pretty penny.

"These are worth hundreds of thousands. I'm gonna sell them." I continue looking at the screen.

"I thought you didn't want to sell any bits. You wanted to do everything on your own."

"Sometimes life takes a turn on you Rainbow. You just need to learn to adjust, and this is how I'm gonna do it." My eye catches a picture of a really nice two story house about two miles from here. It's really expensive, but I think the bits could cover it. I already told my parents I wanted to move out, and they can't stop me now that I'm eighteen. Don't get me wrong, I don't WANT to leave, I HAVE to leave. Rainbow and the baby are my responsibility, and I just can't take care of them here.

"So, you're really going to do this?" She says with an unreadable expression. I want to provide the best for her so... Yeah, I'm sure about this.

"You deserve the best I can buy Rainbow, so yeah, I'm sure about this. I think I'm gonna get this one." I point to the amazing two story house that almost looks like a damn mansion.

"Matt, that's almost a million dollars, are you sure you can afford it?"

"If I can't, I'll just borrow some more bits from Twilight, and use those to pay for the rest. No matter what, I will be able to afford this."

"If you say so. Whatever you think we should do, I'll support it." She kisses the side of my face before trotting off. All right... lets do this...

*2 Weeks Later*

"Alright, that's the last box." I say as Alex sets down the box of my childhood sports trophies. "Thanks again guys for the help. This really is a nice place."

"No problem, we're always glad to help!" Skyler says as she wipes her forehead. "So, when are you gonna take us to your little island house?" I finished the cabin on the island without Rainbow, but I still need to stock it with food and furniture. Looks like that'll be my next project.

"When I furnish it. Then the four of us can go hang out on our own personal island. How cool is that gonna be!?" I say excitedly as Rainbow comes down the stairs.

"It'll be awesome!" Alex says as he pumps his fist. "So, mister rich guy. How did you afford all of this anyway?" Alex asks with a smirk. I pull a bit that I hadn't sold out of my pocket, and flip it to him. "Is this real gold!?"

"Yep, straight out of Equestria. Still got like three hundred thousand in the bank. Keep that one if you want."

"Really!? Ah dude, I could buy so much shit with this!" Alex says as he clutches the gold coin.

"Um, I know you're gonna split that with me." Skyler says with a smirk as she slap Alex on the back. He gives her a nervous smile and nods.

"Matt, can you come lay down with me? I'm not feeling so hot." Rainbow says from the top of the stairs. I nod to her and she disappears back into the bedroom.

"I guess I gotta go. I'll let you guys know when we can hang out again!" I say with a wave as I walk up to the bedroom. I hear Alex and Skyler say bye before walking out the front door. I open the door to the master bedroom, but Rainbow isn't even in the room. I hear some grunting and heaving breathing coming from the bathroom. That's one good thing about this house, the bathroom is inside the bedroom, as apposed to my old house where I had to go down the hall to get to it.

"Rainbow? You good?" I say as I peek my head into the bathroom. I immediately gag and plug my nose with my fingers. There's poor Rainbow, hunched over the toilet. I push through the smell, and kneel down next to her. I can see tears on her face, probably from the strain being exerted on her. I remember being really sick last year, and the force of throwing up alone had me in tears all day. This must be from being pregnant.

I push the hair out of her face, and place my hand on her back. I rub my hand up and down the fur on her back, trying my best to relax her. When another violent surge come ones, I close my eyes, but keep trying to comfort her. I fill a glass of water from the sink and put it in front of her.

"Drink this." I say as I put the glass up to her lips. She nods slightly, and takes a small sip from the cup. She coughs a little before turning and wrapping her legs around my neck.

"I think it's over. Thanks Matt." She says weakly. I pick her up and carefully carry her back to our bed. Another thing I'm glad I was able to buy. A big king sized bed. I decided to only buy furniture and food with the money from the bits, everything else will be saved away for emergencies only. I still want to have a normal job with normal income. This still feels like taking the easy way out, but if it helps me take care of Rainbow and the baby, then it's worth it.

I gently put Rainbow down on the bed, and flip on the TV. Maybe a little television can help her drift off to sleep, even if it is only one in the afternoon. It still feels really weird to have my own place, but I'm glad that I'm not in any kind of debt. Most people are in debt for their house for years, but I got this just by asking Twilight for a few bits. Now that's what I call playing the system.

I'm about to walk out of the room, but a voice stops me.

"Matt, can you stay with me please?" Rainbow asks as she looks at me from under the covers with big, sad eyes. Dammit, she knows I can't turn her down when she does that. I walk back over and kick my shoes off. I get under the covers and put switch over to a movie on the TV. I turn onto my side, and pull Rainbow into my chest. I put one hand over her chest, and one over her stomach, rubbing the growing lump. Still another six and a half months until we can add a third member to our little unofficial family.

Rainbow sighs in contentment, and a small smile grows on her face. She drifts off to sleep a few minutes later. I close my eyes, and soon fall into a calm, dreamless slumber.

Chase

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Why exactly did you need me to go to the store with you!?" Skyler yells from behind me. After crashing my truck a second time back in March, I bought a motorcycle since it was cheaper than buying another car. I had to get another license for it, but it's really fun to ride. I could afford another car now, but I like the motorcycle so much, that I might just wait for the school year to start up again. I asked Skyler to go the store with me, but really I just wanted to hang out with her. I figured I've been hanging out with Alex so much, or taking care of Rainbow, that I had been neglecting her. I asked Alex to stay at my place while we were out to watch over Rainbow in case she needed something. Of course, she insisted she could take care of herself, but you never know.

"Because I wanted to hang out with you!" I yell over the wind. Kinda hard to talk while going down the highway at sixty miles and hour. She grabs onto my sides as I make sharp turns as we switch roads.

"I wanna hang out with you too! But did we have to take your motorcycle!?"

"Yeah! It's so fun! I do this all the ti-" Holy shit, that van almost rammed into me! I flip the guy off, only for the van to pull up next to me and match my speed. The window rolls down, and I see the thing that I thought I had left in my past. The guy in the passenger seat is wearing a black jacket with a bloody knife on it. The gang, they fucking found me again!? I thought they were all dead!

"Matt! Look out!" Skyler screams as we both look over at the van. The passenger has pulled out a large revolver, and has it aimed directly at our bike. A second later, and a flash comes from the muzzle, and I can hear the sound of metal on metal. I look down to see he just barely missed my leg, and hit the metal under my seat.

"Hold on!" I rev the engine and instantly speed up significantly. I spot a large wall at the end of the road, and an idea pops in my mind. I plunge my hand into my pocket, and prepare to set my plan into action. A few more shots are taken at us, but I continue on a path straight towards the wall. Only one place we can go now.

"What the hell are you doing!? Turn!" Skyler screams and her grip on me gets even tighter. Just a little closer...

A final shot flies through the air, but it misses and hits the wall ahead of us. Neither we, nor the van are even slowing down. Just a few more feet...

"NOW!" I quickly pull out my phone, and a bolt of light shoots forward into the wall ahead of us. The round opening opens up, and we drive directly through it. I close it the second we exit, and turn the handle bars sideways. If that didn't kill the guys in the van, nothing will. We slide to a stop, my bike making skid marks in the grass below us.

"W-Where are we?" Skyler says, her voice shaking. I'm about to answer when a door flies open, and a figure starts running towards us.

"Matt!? What's going on, are you okay!?" The figure says as it approaches us. I throw my helmet off and step off the bike.

"Y-Yeah..." I gasp for air. "Thanks Rarity."

"Ah!" Skyler screeches a little as she spots Rarity next to me. Seriously? You've known Rainbow for like what, ten months? You're gonna freak out over THIS?

"Welcome to Equestria, Rainbow's home." I say as I spin around and point to the world around me.

"W-Why are we here? Who were those guys?"

"Were you being chased? And what is this contraption?" Rarity asks as she pokes the side of my motorcycle. "And why are there these holes in it?" I guess she means the two bullet holes. I'm lucky they didn't hit the gas tank, or we'd probably be dead by now.

"Yeah, somebody was basically trying to kill me. I should probably look into it some more. Skyler, I'm sending you home." I open a portal that shows Skyler's house.

"Are you sure? I could help you if-"

"I'm sure. I don't need you getting hurt because of me." Skyler nods silently before walking into the portal. She disappears in a flash of light, and I close the opening behind her. I sigh and lean back on the bike as I sit down. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine." I say as I nod towards Rarity.

"Well, allow me to lighten the mood. I hear that you and Rainbow are expecting." She says with a smile.

"Oh, Twilight must have told you right?"

"Of course! The whole town seems to know by now. Twilight isn't the best with secrets."

"Well, it wasn't much of a secret, so I guess it's okay. But yeah, we're expecting the delivery to come in about six and a half months."

"Well, I certainly wish you the best of luck. Do you know the gender yet?"

"Not yet, but I don't want to know either. I want it to be a surprise." I say as I finally start to rid myself of the adrenaline in my veins.

"I hope you will visit us with the baby when it arrive Matthew. I can't even imagine how adorable it will be."

"Well, it'll definitely get most of it's looks from Rainbow. It'll probably look nothing like me."

"I'm excited for the both of you! However, I have some orders to fill, so I'll leave you to this for now." She says as she starts to walk away. She turns and waves with a smile before re-entering her shop. I get up and check over the bike to make sure it is still intact. I start up the engine, and thankfully it roars to life. I rev the engine as I hop onto the seat. I take off into the open fields on the outskirts of Ponyville just to... test it, yeah "test".

I hoot and holler as I fly over the hills on my sports bike. Whenever I get into the air, I let out a loud cheer of excitement. You can't find this kind of terrain in Jacksonville, but here, these hills are prevalent on the outskirts of town. Why hadn't I done this sooner? I gotta bring Alex out here some time, he would love it!

The sun starts to set, and I realize I'm low on gas. I open a portal on the back of a building, and ride my bike slowly into the opening. I appear in my garage, and park the bike facing the entrance. I hop off and open the door that leads from the garage to the kitchen.

"Guys! I'm back!" I yell as I walk up stairs. I enter my room to see Alex and Rainbow sitting on my bed, with Alex playing my Xbox, and Rainbow watching with interest. I can see why. He's playing a game where you fly around in one of those super fast military jets. That mare is addicted to flying like it's a drug.

"Sup man. Have a good time?" Alex asks as he pauses the game.

"Well... you could say that..."

"Alright, what did you do now?" Rainbow asks with a curious look.

"Um... so you know that gang that kinda wants to kill me because I kinda killed five of their members?"

"Yeah, how could we forget?"

"Weeeellll, they kinda found Skyler and I on the highway, and they may or may not have shot at us multiple times." I say awkwardly as I rub the back of my head.

"OHMYGOSH!" Rainbow shoots out of bed, and I flinch when she makes contact with me, not because of the shock, but because I told her not to move that fast while she's pregnant. "Are you okay!? You weren't hit were you?" Rainbow is well aware of guns are by now, so she knows just what kind of damage they can do. I really need to get a gun myself... Maybe I can get my dad's old 1911.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." I calm her down by pulling her into a hug. "Thanks for watching her Alex, was she too much trouble?"

"Other than the complaining about her cramps, then yeah, she was a blast." He says with a smirk as he pulls on his jacket. "I gotta head out. I hear dinner calling."

"Alright, I'll see ya later man." I bump his fist as he walks by. Once he's gone, I put Rainbow back into the bed. "Rest." I start to walk out of the room to fix up some dinner.

"Fine." I hear her say with a slightly annoyed attitude. "W-Wait, Matt! Come here!" I rush back into the room, expecting something to be wrong.

"What!? Are you hurt, sick, hungry?" I say like an overprotective parent.

"No! Come here!" She waves her hoof for me to come over to the bed.

"What happened?" I ask as I kneel down next to the bed. She grabs my left hand in her hooves, and places it on her stomach. Why is she smiling so much?

"The baby, it kicked!"

Vacation All I Ever Wanted

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"It actually kicked Matt!" Rainbow says in excitement as she squirms around on the sheets. I have my hand on her stomach, mouth agape, and tears slowly forming in my eyes. This has to be one of the most breathtaking things I have witnessed. I knew my son or daughter was in there, but to actually feel it moving... it's just so surreal. Rainbow laughs while crying at the same time, and feels around her stomach with me.

"T-This is incredible." I choke out. "T-This is actually my kid." And there's the tears. I'm not one to cry much, hell I didn't even cry when I took a shard of glass to the shoulder, but this... this is just an incredible moment for both of us. I never want it to end.

"I can't believe it Matt. I can't believe it." Rainbow whispers as I slowly pull away. While this is amazing and all, my own stomach is letting me know that it needs some nutrients.

"I'm gonna get dinner started, what do you two want?" I say as I lean on the frame of the door.

"Don't make fun of me for this, but I kinda want a peanut butter sandwich..."

"Doesn't sound that weird. I-"

"With pickles and mustard on it." I snap my head back towards her and give her my best "Dafuq?" look.

"EW! What the fuck Rainbow, that sounds horrible! Is this some pregnancy craving, or are you just really weird and I didn't know it."

"It sounds really good to me! Can you please make it for me Matty?" Damn, she called me Matty and gave me those sad eyes, the two things on this green earth that I can't resist.

"Fine, but if you vomit because of it, don't expect me to clean it up." I gag just at the thought of the awful sandwich, but make my way down to the kitchen anyway. I find myself in the lobby of the house, and take a second to admire the interior. The layout goes like this. You come in the front door, and it looks like a hotel lobby. There are two sets of stairs that lead to a balcony that overlooks the lobby. The bedrooms and my office can be reached from the balcony. If you walk under the balcony on the first floor, you will enter the living room which leads to the kitchen. Out back is a nice sized pool and some lawn chairs. That's the simple version of the house's layout, and I gotta say, I love it.

Back on topic, I walk into the kitchen and start pulling out the ingredients for Rainbow's disgusting sandwich. I spread the peanut butter on a slide of white bread, which is fine by me, but one I add the pickles and mustard, I almost run over to the sink to vomit. Just the smell alone... ugh, disgusting. No way in hell am I kissing her for a good day or so after this. I cut the sandwich in half, and start making my own dinner. I make a simple turkey sandwich, as well as a salad for the both of us to share. I place everything on a tray before pouring two glasses of milk. I carry the tray carefully up the stairs, and push the bedroom door open with my shoulder.

"Room service." I say with a smile as I walk in. I see Rainbow has a comedy movie ready on Netflix. I taught her how to manipulate my controller to do simple tasks like putting on a show. She can't place game obviously, but she manages to traverse the Xbox home screen fairly well.

"That looks really good!" She sits up against a pillow, and hold out her front legs to receive her plate. I hand it to her with a disgusted look, still not too thrilled to be anywhere near her stank ass sandwich. I place the tray down between us as I sit down on my bed. We spend the rest of the night eating, laughing, and enjoying each other's company.

"Got everything?" I ask the group as I shuffle through my bag.

"Yep, everything is here for the third time Matt!" Alex says impatiently. He taps his foot and looks at his nonexistent watch for dramatic effect. We're all standing in the front lobby of my house, checking over our supplies before heading out to the island.

"I want to make sure I don't have to come back for anything... Okay, phone fully charged, lunch, clothes... Looks like we're good."

"Finally!" Trevor says as he throws his hands in the air. "We've been ready for like fifteen minutes."

"Yeah, lets go already!" Rainbow says as she pushes up against my face. Bro, I can still smell your stank breath from that nasty ass sandwich. I pull a mint out of my bag and force it into Rainbow's mouth. "Hey!"

"No kisses until you eat that." I whisper to her before standing up. I unlock my phone and aim it at a wall ahead of us. "Alright, ready to see paradise?" I say with a smirk. Everyone gives a cheer and I open up the portal. Nobody has seen the completed cabin except for me. Of course, it hasn't been furnished at all. Right now it's just a glorified wooden box.

We all walk through the portal, and cheer once we feel the sand under our feet. It's a warm afternoon out in the Atlantic ocean, what could be better?

"It's beautiful out here!" Skyler says excitedly as she runs out to the water with her arms spread wide. While she does that, the three of us guys change into our swim suits. Skyler already has her's on, so she just has to take off her t-shirt and she's good to go. Rainbow doesn't need a swim suit obviously.

"Alex, get the nails, I'll get the net." He nods as he pulls out two large metal spikes from his bag. I grab some netting from my bag, and we head over to two trees on the beach. We nail the netting to the tree, and stand back to admire our work.

"Who's up for beach volleyball?" I say as I pull a ball out of Skyler's bag. Everyone rushes over, but I stick a foot out and stop Rainbow in her tracks. "Nope, not today mommy."

"Mommy? I- Oh, you're still worried about that? I can play Matt, I'm fine!"

"Even if you could, the teams would be uneven and-"

"I can keep score." Skyler says from behind us. "I think Rainbow deserves a break, let her play Matt, she can take care of herself. I think you forget that she is fully capable of doing so." I give a glance down at Rainbow and sigh.

"Fine, but if you start hurting at all, you stop. Got it?"

"Yeah! Okay, lets play!" She says excitedly as she starts to hover in the air. I don't want her flying at all, but I probably should lighten up. I might be a little too protective sometimes. Besides, she isn't the first pegasus mother right? They probably fly all the time, and I'm probably just being paranoid.

"Okay, here are the teams." I say as we all gather in a huddle. "I'll take Trevor, and then we'll beat the shit out of Rainbow and Alex." I say with a cocky smile as I high five Trevor. Why did I pick these teams you ask? Because what could be more fun than destroying your girlfriend and your best friend at volleyball?

"Oh, it is on. We get ball first." Alex says as they take their side of the net. Skyler stands to the side and gets in position to keep score.

"Alright, serve already!" I say as I stand in position to return the ball. Alex hits it up and over the net flawlessly. Trevor runs up and sets it up right in front of the net. I run up and spike the ball back over. Out of nowhere, a blue flash intercepts the ball, and it returns over the net.

"Hey, unfair! Why does she get to fly!?" Trevor says in a jokingly annoyed manner.

"Because I'm pregnant." She retorts as she sticks her tongue out. Oh, so NOW she'll admit she needs help. Well played rainbow horse, well played.

We spend the next hour or two playing volleyball with different team arrangements. Ever round, we switch out the scorekeeper so everybody has a chance to play. At about noon, we sit down in front of the cabin and being to dig into our lunches.

"So, do you guys know the gender of the baby yet?" Skyler asks as she takes a bite from her apple.

"Nope, and we don't want to either." I reply as I lay back and stare at the sky.

"Is it a pony or some weird human hybrid creature." Alex says. I sit up and give him a weird stare.

"Did you really just ask that? It's a pony dumbass." I say with a chuckle as I lay back down. Rainbow lays down next to me and watches the clouds float over us.

"How did you manage to get a pony pregnant Matt? I took biology, and science would call bullshit on that." Guess I gotta explain this again for like the fourth time.

"Long story short, genetics are similar, apparently compatible, got raped in the bathroom, shit happens man."

"Hey, I thought we agreed we wouldn't call that rape." Rainbow whispers harshly into my ear. I laugh and ruffle her hair which seems to calm her down. The five of us lay back on our blanket and watch the sky, pointing out different shapes in the clouds. I even spot one that looks oddly like Twilight, but no one else seems to be able to see it, not even Rainbow. They said it looked like a blob, but I know what I saw!

"This is exactly what we all needed, what with the stress of finals and all." Alex says as we being to clean up lunch. We call nod and mumble in agreement before heading back out towards the beach. We all wade into the water, even Rainbow, and start messing around like the bunch of carefree teenagers we are. Oddly enough, Rainbow is the oldest of us at nineteen, which seems to slip my mind, as well as hers, pretty much all the time. I really feel like I'm the older one in the relationship, and I act like it too. Guess it just goes to show that Rainbow's personality doesn't exactly match her age, and neither does mine.

"Alright, who wants to get buried?" I say as I pull out some plastic shovels. Everyone votes on burying Alex, and we get to work. We all dig a hole big enough for Alex to lay in, which takes half an hour even with all five of us digging. Alex lays down on his back in the hole, and we start to bury him alive. We all laugh and have a good time as we slowly watch him disappear under the white grains of sand. Thankfully, Rainbow has yet to complain about any cramps or kicks so far. Seems like we're in the clear for now. I guess this means I don't have to be so protective and strict about what she does or doesn't do.

Eventually night time comes, and it's time to set up camp. We plan to stay on the island until tomorrow morning, just to enjoy the nature around us to the fullest. We set up our four sleeping bags, and only four since Rainbow is small enough to sleep in mine with me. We set up some logs we found on the edge of the jungles, and sit on them as we create a large bonfire in the center. It takes a while since we forgot matches, but I'm able to start a fire using some flint I found. We pile in leaves and wood, and begin to warm ourselves around the fire. We all tell funny stories about stuff that has happened to us, and we have a blast!

"And then, get this, she tries to jump up on the bed, but instead she flew over it and, SMACK! Straight into the wall!" We all laugh as I recall a time when Rainbow made a complete fool of herself. She blushes and rubs the back of her head as we all laugh.

"What about the time I caught you dancing shirtless in the bathroom?" She says with a smirk. Everyone starts to laugh at me now. Alright, well played, well played. I probably deserved that.

We start singing campfire songs, and we almost get past midnight before we start to slowly drift off. We all start to yawn as we walk back to the sleeping bags. I leave the fire going for warmth since it is nowhere near anything flammable. It should go out on its own soon enough anyway. I snuggle up next to Rainbow in my sleeping bag, and we both hold each other as we slowly drift off to sleep.

I check my phone to see it is only five in the morning. Meh, I'm already awake, might at as well get myself going. I carefully slip out of my sleeping bag to find that my four friends are still sleeping. Good, I just hope they don't think I stranded them here. I take my headphones out of my pocket and check to see if my phone battery is still high enough. I kept it off all day yesterday to preserve the batter since it is the only way off the island. Still at ninety percent, that means I can spare the battery to run with some music. I plug in my headphones and play my favorite rock song as I begin taking a jog around the island. It isn't all that big, maybe a little under a mile to make it all the way around. I should be back in no time.

The sun is just starting to peak over the horizon, and it gives to most amazing setting to run in. Ten months ago, I never would have thought I would be able to do this. Honestly, if Rainbow never came into my life, I'd probably be alone at home right now playing video games in my parent's house. Man, she really has changed my life for the better. I practically owe her my life now.

Once I make it to the other side of the island, I stop to take a breather. I take a sip from my water bottle, and lean back against a tree. The wind blows through my hair, and the sweat on my skin feels cool as it evaporates. I check my phone to see it is about ten past five. Better get back to the camp. Can't afford for anyone to wake up without me there. I half jog, half sprint back to the camp, the music in my ears helping to pump adrenaline through my bloodstream. I finally feel truly alive for the first time in forever. My life was so boring before Rainbow's arrival, that I had forgotten there was still fun to be had in this world. She really has been an eye opener for me. I could never thank her enough.

"There you are." Trevor says with a smile as I make my way up to the camp. He's the only one awake, which is good since it means nobody else saw I was gone and panicked.

"Just went for a jog. What are you doing up so early?" I whisper, trying not to wake up the others.

"I wanted to see the sunrise. Good thing I woke up, this is not something you'd wanna miss dude." We both look out at the sun over the water. It truly is a sight to behold. We sit on by the dying embers of the fire for another hour or so before everyone else starts to wake up. Rainbow groggily stumbles over to me before falling on my lap and falling asleep again. Skyler makes an "Awwww" sound at the sight of it, and I just roll my eyes and smile at her. She knows Rainbow hates when people do that.

"Yesterday was amazing." Skyler says as we reignite the fire since it is still a little chilly in the morning air.

"Right? It was exactly what we all needed. The perfect remedy for stress." I say as I pet Rainbow's head and back. She sighs in contentment in her sleep, and it makes me quietly chuckle to myself. It really was a fun day.

Once the sun has risen, we pack up all of our stuff except for the volleyball net. We decided to leave it here in case we come back later. I open different portals for everyone that lead to their houses. Once the final person leaves with their belongings, I open a portal back to my house. Rainbow and I take one last look at the ocean before stepping back into the real world.

We drop our belongings off in the living room before heading back upstairs. While we have been awake for a while now, we're still both worn out from yesterday, so we decided we should get some shuteye. It's so nice knowing I don't have to go to school for another two and a half months. Yesterday was only the beginning of fun times to come. Rainbow and I crawl under the covers, and fall asleep wrapped around each other.

This is going to be one hell of a summer.

In With The New

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"Everyone ready?" We stand outside my parent's house. We just picked up Emily, and we plan to spend a day with some new friends.

"Yes! Lets go already man." Alex half says half sighs. He really is impatient isn't he?

"Alright, remember, try not to stand out too much. Only Skyler and I have been here before, and Skyler was only there for less than a minute. Rainbow, make sure you stay close to us so nobody thinks we're some herd of weird creatures trying to attack the town or something stupid like that."

"I'm on it! Besides, everyone already knows you there Matt. I'm sure they'd welcome three new visitors." Rainbow says as she hovers in front of me. I nod and slip on my backpack before opening a portal in front of us.

"Whoa, that's trippy as all hell." Alex says as we look ahead the front of Twilight's library. Looks like a pretty sunny day there, so our plans should go just as I imagined. A day or two ago, I got in contact with Twilight, and we set up a get together with all of our friends. Unfortunately, Flutteryshy and Pinkie are out of town doing who knows what, so it'll be the eight of us together.

We jog through the portal, and squint as a bright light flashes around us. God I love this portal thing, it's just so damn convenient. Once the light has cleared, we rub our eyes before staring up at the giant tree in front of us. I smile as I walk up to the front door and knock. A few seconds later, we're greeted by Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity. Rainbow flies up to them and greets them with hugs and laughs. Emily, once she sees the three new ponies, runs up and wraps her arms around Twilight's neck.

"Um, hello." She says kindly, although somewhat confused. "Who might you be?"

"That's Emily, my little sister." I say as I try to pull her off of Twilight. C'mon, I know she's your favorite character, but that doesn't mean you gotta keep her in a choke hold Em.

"Oh no, she's fine Matt, really." Twilight says as she wraps a leg around Emily's back. I turn around to see everyone else talking in a group, and they're all surrounding Rainbow. Probably talking about the baby again.

"I assume you've all introduced yourselves?" I say as the three of us approach the rest of the group. Everyone looks up at me with big smiles.

"You bet partner. Alex here was just tellin' us about some of the crazy stunts you've pulled." AJ says as she points over to Alex. Figures, just like him to tell stories about me.

"Well, how about he walk and talk? I don't know about all of you, but I'm starving." I say as I point my thumb towards the door. Everyone nods in agreement, and follows me out the door. Twilight offered to buy lunch, which is nice considering five of us have no bits on us. As we walk towards our destination, I notice our group has kind of broken up into groups of two. Alex and AJ are talking up a storm about something that I can't decipher, Skyler and Rarity are talking about clothes or something like that, and Emily and Twilight are making friendly small talk between each other. Rainbow, being as loyal as she is, sticks by my side. Literally sticks by my side as in she's basically leaning on me as she flies.

"So Rainbow, any ideas on names for the foal yet?" I ask as we walk along in our little groups.

"Not sure... it would be helpful if we knew the gender. But then that would ruin the surprise."

"How about Skittles?" I say as I laugh at my own dumb joke.

"Seriously? You're not naming my foal after candy Matt."

"I was just kidding! But really, we should start thinking of names sometime."

"Yeah, and we should probably turn the guest bedroom into a room for the baby. Wanna work on that when we get back?"

"I was going to furnish the cabin tomorrow, but I guess we could do that instead."

We continue our small talk until we reach a decent sized cafe on the edge of town. Twilight leads us in, and I gape as I see the interior. It looks like a local cafe straight out of the fifties. Literally, it has those red leather booths with the checkered floor tiles, even a jukebox!

"It feels like Back to the Future in here man." Alex says as we walk in.

We all walk over to a large booth, and take our seats. Everyone sits in the same groups that we walked in, with four of us on one side of the booth, and four on the other. We order our drinks before leaning back and just relaxing. Feels good to be around to many good friends at the same time. Again, gotta hand it to Rainbow. Without her, none of this would have ever happened.

"Ah still can't believe that OUR Rainbow Dash is gonna be a mother!" Applejack says from across the table. Rainbow smiles and looks down at her stomach before rubbing a hoof over it. She leans into my side and looks up at me with a content smile.

"I'm not the only parent-to-be here."

"I'm way too excited for the delivery date in a few months. Having our own foal is going to be such an amazing experience for the both of us."

"So Rainbow... how is he in bed?" Alex looks over at us with an evil smile. Rainbow turns a deep red, everyone but Emily giggles since she doesn't know what that means, and I just stare at Alex with my mouth gaping.

"Well, how is he?" Rarity adds on, only to make it worse. I swear, my friends are evil, all of them.

"He's... uh... good?" Rainbow is able to stutter out. I slap my face into my hands and sigh. We've done it TWICE, and people are already asking how good I am at working my way around her? C'mon guys, I thought we were adults here.

"Yeah, ha ha, laugh it up. I don't see anyone else here getting any." I throw my hands up with that "Sweet burn" look on my face.

"Oh, my heart. That one hurt man." Alex says with a smile as he places his hand over his heart and pretends the fall over. Everyone laughs at him before we all regain our composers. After a while, a waiter comes to get our orders. Of course, the four humans at the table receive some odd stares and looks, but he seems to just go along with it.

"You guys have a really nice town here." Skyler says as she takes a sip from her drink. "I've never seen anything like it! And everyone is just so nice. Nothing like our world."

"She's got a point there. Our world sucks compared to this one. Little to no violence, the air and environment are so clean, and everyone is just generally nice." I reply.

"We try our best to keep harmony throughout not just our town, but also all of Equestria. As the elements of harmony, it is our job to spread the elements of friendship to anypony who needs it." Twilight explains with a happy smile. I check down to look at my phone, and notice it has a good eighty percent battery left. Meh, might as well capture the moment. Since I'm sitting on the edge of the booth, I have the perfect camera angle from here. I open up the camera app, and hold the camera high above my head.

"Everyone look here and smile." I say as I point to the camera. Half of them don't know exactly what they're looking at, but smile anyway. I snap the photo of the eight of us, and I gotta say, I don't think I will ever delete it. I just might get this framed if I can. It really captures all of us enjoying just being together as a group of friends.

"So, anybody got any interesting stories?" I ask to try to get a conversation going. We chat for a good twenty minutes before all of our food is brought out. Of course, most of it contains vegetables or some kind of flowers. We still talk throughout the meal, and something incredible actually happens.

"So, anypony got any crushes?" Applejack asks. The subject came up when we were talking about how Rainbow and I fell for each other.

"Um, actually..." Skyler rubs her hand up and down her arm before sighing. "I-I do."

"Really? Who is it?" Emily asks, now interested in the conversation.

"Well, he's here right now..." She says nervously. I remember her telling me about her little thing for Alex a while back. I had just forgotten about it until now. It's gotta be pretty obvious now though right? Alex and I are the only two guys here, and I'm very obviously taken.

"W-What?" Alex stutters as he almost chokes on his drink.

"I-I don't want to hide it anymore. I... kinda have a crush on you." She says with a nervous smile. Alex reach over Applejack, and she gets caught between the two of them, though she doesn't seem to mind.

"Oh, Matt, y-you aren't mad about this right?" Alex says as he starts to compose himself.

"Why would I be mad?" I say with a confused look as I eat a spoonful of salad.

"Well, you did have a thing for Skyler for three years..." Rainbow turns slightly red at Alex's words. I remember how much my crush on Skyler had hurt her before she revealed her true feelings to me. God, what I wouldn't give to go back and make sure that never happened. It kills me to think back and think I was making her miserable without even knowing about it.

"I have the perfect girl now, I think you can borrow the other perfect one." Two for one. Matt my boy, you are on point today. Both girls blush, and Rainbow even reaches up a kisses the side of my neck quickly before wrapping her legs around my back and chest. She leans her head on my side, and sighs a content sigh.

"I found the perfect guy." She says quietly. Everyone seems to hear her through, as all of her friends think it's just the cutest thing they've ever seen.

After lunch, we all head out to the park, and just sit around and talk some more. Rainbow and I sneak off at one point to take a walk around the lake. Long story short, we ended up laying down in a bush with Rainbow's face pressed up against mine for a good ten minutes.

Once the sun starts the set, the three other mares give their goodbyes before making their ways back to their respective houses. Skyler and Alex have really bonded since Skyler's little revelation at lunch. Turns out Alex kinda liked her too, which made it really easy for them to come together as a couple. It's actually a good thing for me too. I always felt bad for them when I would do anything romantic with Rainbow when they were around. I always felt like I would make them jealous of what we had. Now, I don't have to worry about that anymore. They have each other now.

I send Emily back to my parent's house through a portal before sending Alex and Skyler home. They gave each other a little goodbye kiss before stepping into their respective portals. Rainbow and I actually stay at the lake a little longer to watch the stars. As the moon rises above us, we hold each other close to our own bodies. We both laugh as we feel some more kicking in Rainbow's stomach. Equestria is an overall safe place to be, so it doesn't bother me when Rainbow suggests we spend the night here at the park. It is pretty warm here, and the grass is surprisingly comfortable.

It does get a little bit chilly as the night progresses, and Rainbow takes notice. As we're both falling asleep in each other's embrace, Rainbow flares out her wings and drapes them over me. I wrap myself in the feathers, and the chill of the night is replaced with genuine warmth.

Someone Worth Fighting For

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"Dad, I want your gun." I say as I walk past my father and enter my old home. He gives me a questioning look.

"Why would you need that?"

"I need to to protect Rainbow, as well as myself. Dad, there are these guys out to get me, as well as some weird stalker that's been following me around wearing all black. I can't buy one, and I really need it dad."

"Stalker? Why haven't you called the police yet?"

"Because... I want to keep Rainbow away from the government as much as possible. I've been able to so far, but I know it's only a matter of time before they try to get involved. I don't want to, but I WILL shoot anyone who tries to harm either of us, as well as this family. That's why I want your gun." My father stays silent, looking like he's thinking deeply about something. He gives me a wordless nod before walking upstairs for a minute or two. He comes back down with a black case in his hands. I recognize it as the gun case he keeps in his closet, and a rush of relief floods through my system as he slowly hands it to me.

"Thanks dad." I say as I wrap my arms around his neck. "This means a lot to me, really."

Once I'm back outside, I hop on my motorcycle and put on my helmet. I tie the case to my handlebars with a chain, and start up the engine. I make my way down the street, making my way back to my house. When it comes into view, I see Rainbow waving at me through the open bedroom window.

"Sorry I had to leave you alone for a few minutes." I say as she flies down next to me and I take off my helmet. I flip my hair around through the air to get it untangled from being constrained by the helmet. I should probably get a haircut, it's almost down to my shoulders, and I hate having long hair. I prefer having a short, messy looking hairstyle, kinda like Rainbow's, only without the whole trailing down the back of my neck thing she has going on.

"It's cool. I'm kinda hungry though, wanna go get some dinner?"

"Sounds like a plan." I sigh as I have to put my helmet back on. She stops me quickly and sighs with a smile on her face.

"You have a portal device Matt. You can just use that if you don't want to drive." I take her up on that, and pull out my phone. I take a glance at the setting sun before opening a portal to a small cafe not too far away. Rainbow smiles and waves for me to follow her through. She enters, and I start to follow behind her.

"What the fuck?" I swirl around to find something. I swear I saw a flash of light from some bushes across the street. I slowly turn back towards the portal... There it is again! I swirl around to see a figure in black sprinting out of the bush. I hold my hand out and yell at the guy, but he keeps running. I rush over to the bike where the gun case is still attached, and pull out the pistol. I flip the safety off and try to aim at the guy, but he is far gone. Damn, I was so close. I just KNOW that was the guy I saw at the game, as well as in that black sedan at the gas station. I pocket the gun after flipping the safety back on, and slowly make my way through the portal. I know it's illegal for me to have to gun on me off of my own property, but I'll do anything to keep Rainbow, as well as myself, safe.

"What took you so long?" Rainbow asks as I stumble out of the portal. I pat the gun in my pocket, just to make a mental note that it is in fact in my pocket. I shrug her off and tell her I was just watching the sunset for a minute. Luckily she takes the bate.

We enjoy our nice meal while casually chatting. Rainbow signs an autograph or two, which she is more than happy to do. I always like watching her interact with people who actually support her. There are quite a lot of people who don't approve of Rainbow and I being together, but I say fuck em. These people who do support her, and my favorite to interact with, and I never turn them down if they want a picture or autograph, or just to meet Rainbow.

Once it gets kinda late, we make our wake back through a portal that leads to our bedroom. I can't help but think of the guy in the black coat I saw earlier. Memories of the guy flash through my mind. Then it dawns on me. Every time I have seen the guy, he's always been watching me, and me only. I remember his deathly stare at the game especially. The way our eyes locked, the way my spine tingled just by looking at him. He's not after Rainbow, no, he's after me. Could he be a part of that fucking gang that wants to kill me? Maybe he's with the government... Or maybe he's just some creepy stalker...

"You okay Matt?" Rainbow says as I almost walk into a wall. I had apparently kept walking after exiting the portal, lost in my own thoughts.

"Oh, yeah, um. I was just thinking a little too hard I guess." I quickly pull the gun out of my pocket and tuck in under my pillow. Better safe than sorry. Rainbow doesn't know I have the gun yet, and I would like to keep it that way. I'm just glad she didn't question the gun case on my bike.

We go to sleep soon after arriving at home, only to wake up at about two in the morning. Actually, Rainbow woke up only to shove me awake.

"Matt, did you hear that?" She says as her ears swivel around, looking like they're trying to pick up a sound.

"There it was again." I strain my ears, but still can't hear anything. Maybe her ears allow her to hear things I can't. If I've learned anything from movies, it's that noises in the middle of the night are never good. I slide the gun out from under my pillow, making sure Rainbow doesn't see it. I make my way out onto the balcony that overlooks the lobby of the house, and check the magazine in the faint moonlight coming in through the glass panels on the roof. Seven bullets, looks good to me. I cock the gun to load the first bullet, and make my way downstairs.

Now I hear it. I head the sound of metal jingling against metal. Almost like a lock being brok-

*BANG*

The back door slams open and smacks against the wall. I duck down behind a couch in the living room, heart racing in my chest. The door is just feet from me, and I can hear faint sounds of movement coming from the other side of the couch. It's now or never baby. I risk a glance around the side of the couch to see three figures, each in black masks. None of them are wearing that black cloak though, no, they have leather jackets on with bloody knives on them.

Adrenaline takes over my body, and it seems that everything goes into slow motion. I pop up from behind the couch, and I can feel the pure adrenaline coursing through my veins. None of the figures see me before I can fire off two shots. One misses, and one hits a figure in the leg. The figure falls to the ground screaming. The other two run away in panic before I can even aim at them. They disappear into the trees behind my house in the blink of an eye. I jump over the couch, and approach the figure on the ground. I aim the gun at his head, my mind deciding what to do.

"You're a killer, do it. Protect her." One voice whispers to my mind.

"You're not a killer Matt, don't do it." There's my voice of reasoning. My finger hovers over the trigger, but I don't pull it. I slowly pocket the gun, and kneel down next to the body on the ground. The guy has stopped screaming, but is grunting and swearing in anger.

"Fuck... fuck you Green!" Wait a second...

I grab a flashlight from the kitchen and return to the body. I shine the light down on his face, and stare at the black mask. I wrap my fingers around a piece of the fabric, and rip it off. My heart stops dead in its tracks.

"JACK!?"

Confrontation

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"You're in a gang that's trying to kill me!? What the fuck you asshole!" I yell in anger. I hear the clip clop of hooves coming down the stairs behind me, and spot Rainbow with a worried look on her face.

"I'll kill you if it's the last thing I do." He spits out harshly. Literally, he just spat in my face.

"I have every damn right to kill you right now. Give me one good reason I shouldn't." I say through gritted teeth so Rainbow won't hear my threat. For the first time, Jack's eyes no longer show anger, but are replaced with genuine fear as I press the barrel of the gun to his head. I crush his arms into the ground with my knees as I basically sit on top of him. His life is completely in my hands. I decide if he lives or dies. I'm playing God now.

"Jack!?" Rainbow's outburst causes the fury in my mind to quickly dissipate. I look down at Jack, and slowly pull the gun away. What am I doing? This isn't self defense, I can't just kill someone because I hate them. I-I almost took someone's life again, and it had felt... good. I felt real power holding that gun to his skull. Why? What the hell is wrong with me? If Rainbow hadn't walked in, I probably would have shot the guy. I start breathing heavily as my heart begins to race. Am I having a panic attack?

"G-Get the fuck up." I jerk Jack up onto his feet, only for him to scream in agony as he puts weight on his leg. He starts to pull his hand back to punch me, but stops when I hold the gun back up. "Don't." I say in an alarmingly calm voice. I kick open a closet door in the hallway, and lock him inside. I whip out my cellphone, and call the police.

"Go back upstairs, and stay there until I say to come out." I say sternly to Rainbow.

"W-What? I'm not leaving you down here with... HIM."

"I'm not gonna have you around the police. Now GO!" She gives me a sad, yet understanding look as she makes her way back upstairs. I hear Jack grunting in either pain or anger, can't tell, from the closet. I call 911, and they arrive a few minutes later. Jack is arrested for attempted murder, as well as breaking and entering, and is taken away to the police station. I sigh in relief as the last of the police cruisers pull away from the house. I slowly make my way back upstairs, and switch the gun's safety back on. I carelessly throw it across the room, and it lands with a clanking sound on top of my work desk. I groan as I fall onto the bed, and a soft leg wraps around my neck.

"Is he finally gone?"

"We shouldn't have to worry about Jack any time soon. As for the gang... I don't know Rainbow. Would it be safe to stay here much longer? I can't risk you getting hurt in any way, and the only way to do that would be to relocate. It just isn't safe for me here anymore..."

"We can make it Matt. We've made it this far, we just have to keep fighting for what's right, and we'll come out on top."

"I don't know... Maybe it would be best if we just..." I squeeze my fingers into my eyes as what I'm thinking about hurts me on a physical level just to imagine. "You should get away from me."

"W-What? Matt!? What are you saying!?" Rainbow starts to cry her own tears as she wraps herself around me. "You can't leave me, you're all I have!"

"And you're one of the few things that I have, and that's why I can't lose you!" I grip her tightly against my chest. I can feel heavy breaths on my neck coming from her nose. Her body shakes violently as tears flow down both of our faces. I rub my hand through her mane, and grab a chunk of it in my fist as I pull her even closer to me.

"I-I won't let you. Even if it kills me. I'm the element of loyalty damn it!" She whispers between sobs. Wow, never heard her swear before. The next thing I know, she's on top of me, and our lips become one. We cry into each other for minutes on end. We finally fall asleep once there are no more tears to cry.

"That was stupid of me to say." I say quietly as the cyan pegasus lies on top of my chest. The morning light shines brightly through the window. I stroke Rainbow's hair as I hold her against my chest, never wanting to let go.

"Just never leave me. Please, for the baby's sake and mine, never leave me. If you do, I'll just find you again."

"I promise I won't. But I will protect you no matter what, even if it means giving my own life to do so. Nothing will hurt you, and I'll make sure of that." Rainbow shifts around on my chest before sticking her little orange tongue out me. The thing she used to do all the time when we first met. It always brightened my mood, and always got a good laugh out of both of us. The sight brings back pleasant memories of the past, and they all suddenly rush through my mind, filling my body with a warm, pleasant feeling. Damn, how simple things used to be. I remember just over a year ago, a couple of months before we met. My life was miserable, and it didn't feel like it was worth living. Then a special someone came in and saved my life in ways that she doesn't even know.

"I-I ugh." Rainbow starts choking on seemingly nothing, and her face starts to turn a pale green. My eyes shoot open as I realize what she is about to do, and reflexes kick in. I shoot out of my bed like a bullet, Rainbow in my arms. I burst into the bathroom, and place Rainbow down right in front of the toilet. A torrent of disgusting bile shoots out of her mouth, and I look away to keep myself from doing the same. Blood I can handle, but vomit? Nuh-uh. No way Jose, please try again later, thank you for playing. I guess I wasn't fast enough, as I spot the bile dripping down her chest and front legs. I sigh in disgust as I start a shower. Damn this morning sickness bullshit.

Once the water is warm enough, I turn around to check on Rainbow, who is just starting to return to normal. Her legs shake under her, and I can tell she is about to collapse. I catch her before she can fall, and cradle her in my arms like a baby. I can tell she feels uncomfortable being cared for, since y'know, she's supposed to be all tough and everything. I ignore her protests, and slowly lower her into the warm water rippling in the tub.

"I-I'm fine, really. I can clean myself Matt." She says through teary eyes that she is very clearly trying to hide. I shake my head silently and begin scrubbing her chest with a wet cloth. She tries to back away at first, but stops when I start running my fingers through the feathers on one of her wings. She turns into jello in a matter of seconds, and she finally gives up on trying to pull away. Well, she's already here, might as well...

My fingers dig into her back, and I can feel just how tight her muscles are. Damn, she's either buffer than I thought, or extremely stressed. I'm gonna go with the latter considering all the stuff she's been dealing with, me included. I press hard into the tense muscles, and Rainbow gives out some moans and groans of relief as I rub away the stress that's been building up over the past few months. Having a baby can do that to ya I suppose. When I get down to her wings, I stop and tap her on the shoulder. She looks up at me with half closed eyes, and I point to the wings for confirmation that I can continue. I know that pegasus wings are basically pleasure points, so I don't want to touch them if she doesn't want me to. She nods in understanding before resting her head back down in the shallow water.

My hands make their way to each joint, and each one relaxes once I'm finished. I can basically feel the stress leaving each joint as I continue over to the other wing. Once I finish those, I make my way down to her hind legs. I start at the hoof on one of them, and make my way up and around to the other leg. When that leg is finished, I press my thumbs as hand as I can right on her little cloud markings on each side. Her body spasms as thumb meets muscles, and she lets out a loud, long sigh of gratitude and pleasure. Once I finish my little amateur massage, I lean back on my knees, and tap to top of Rainbow's head. At some point during that last part, she fell asleep, and is now quietly snoring. I shut the water off after making sure she was clean of all bile, and carefully pick her up out of the tub.

I carry Rainbow back to the bed, and carefully tuck her back under, making sure not to wake her up. I silently close the bedroom door as I make my way downstairs. I pull out my phone to find it is only eight in the morning, and I have nothing planned for today. Scratch that, I now have something to do.

I spot the pool of blood that has begun drying up on my kitchen floor. I sigh as the memories of shooting one of my classmates flood back into my mind. Sure, I hated the guy with all my heart, but there was no way I could kill someone like that. He might have had the intent to kill me, which sickens me, but he never actually physically attempted to do so. I would have been in the wrong if I killed him, and I realize that now. My mind changes to a different subject as I clean, something more haunting. I remember that I had enjoyed the power the gun gave me. Having the power over whether someone died or lived. In that moment, I had felt alive. What the hell was wrong with me. Am I really a killer at heart? I did kill those five guys at the warehouse way back when... What if I really am just that, a killer? The thought sickens me to no end, and I almost lose my balance just at the thought.

No... I'm not. I could have killed Jack, but I didn't. That alone should prove that I still have at least some of my humanity left. I had to make a choice last night that tested both my humanity, and my morality. In the end, I let him live, and that fact alone is more than enough proof that I am the same old guy I've always been. A small smiles makes its way across my face as I finish cleaning. I'm not some cold blooded murderer, those five killings were in self defense, and still haunt me to this day. The realization that I never enjoyed those killings helps to relieve me of my own stress. I guess that joy I had felt hovering the gun above Jack like that came from adrenaline alone.

My mind quickly changes subjects as my stomach lets me know that it is time for breakfast. I turn the stove on an pull three eggs out of the fridge. I break them open onto a frying pan, and prepare my breakfast.

After scarfing down the eggs, I make my way outside to check the mail. I open the door, only to get hit by a blast of somewhat cold air, despite it being the middle of summer. That's Florida for you. I make my way out to the mailbox, and open it. I reach my hand inside and pull out a few envelopes. Just some advertisements and bills, the usual. I'm about to toss the pile of envelopes and papers down on a table in the lobby, but a particular letter catches my attention. I look down at the sender's address, and gasp rather loudly. Rainbow comes down on cue, and walks up next to me.

"What's up with you?" She asks groggily. Guess she heard me gasp.

"I-I got a letter." I say, my voice shaking a little.

"From where?" She asks curiously. I glance down at the letter, then to Rainbow, then back to the letter. I'm not sure if I'm filled with fear, anxiety, or something else, but some emotion takes over my body as I stutter out my next words.

"Not where, but w-who." I say slowly.

"Who is it from then?"

"T-The F.B.I."

Black

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"What's the F.B.I. Matt?"

"Federal Bureau of Investigation. They're with the government, the one thing I've been trying my damnedest to hide you from. Seriously, you stalk a guy and a pony for ten months before even trying to send a letter? Who the fuck does that?"

"The government by the looks of it. Why do you think it's something bad? Just read the letter already." I sigh as I rip open the small envelope. I pull out a single piece of paper with a stamp in the top left corner. I begin to read the message, my forehead wrinkling up in confusion as my eyes can the paper several times. "Well?"

"It... just has a time and address on it." I show the letter to Rainbow to prove my point. The few words on there address me with my full name, as well as a location with a time. I assume that means I'm supposed to meet somebody? Then it dawns on me. The black coat guy... was he with the F.B.I?

"Well, we should probably meet whoever sent this. Where does the letter say to meet this guy?"

"Um, today actually, at noon, at some coffee shop downtown. I guess I know what I'm doing today. Can't run from the government right?"

"Probably not. We should probably get ready soon, it's already like ten thirty." Rainbow says as she trots back up the stairs to do God knows what. I make my way out back, and stare at my reflection in to large pool. Should I really do this? What if it is some sort of trap, and they want to take Rainbow and/or the baby!? I could always just run away to Equestria and hide there... No, I have to do this. I want answers. I idly kick the water with my bare foot, and watch as it ripples across the surface of the pool. It's a simple thing really, kinda displays life in and of itself. Each decision we make has consequences, and the smallest little even can cascade into a downward spiral of chaos. I watch as some ripples cause other ripples which in turn move a couple leaves in the pool, making my metaphor come to life in front of my eyes. I walk back inside, closing the door behind me, only for it to bounce open again. Oh, right, broken lock. I should get that fixed... and probably some kind of security system that doesn't involve steel, brass, and gunpowder.

"Ready?" Rainbow comes down, and I almost jump back and stifle a small laugh.

"D-Did you do your mane Rainbow?" I say, trying my best not to burst out laughing. It isn't that I don't like it, in fact it's just the opposite. No, it is the fact that I never expected her to try to look all fancy or anything. Yet, here she is with her hair all combed out, tied together in the back with a little orange hair tie that I didn't even know she had.

"W-What? I can't look nice or something? We're meeting someone important, and I thought I should look good." She says as she blushes deeply. Never have I ever seen her with this kind of hair style. In fact, the only time I can remember her ever caring about her appearance was back on prom night, and that was forever ago. Not that she needs to change anything about her appearance to look nice, she already does naturally, but I will admit I kinda like the new hair style, though it just doesn't fit her really.

"You already look nice without the makeover dummy." I say as I pat her on the back of the head.

"I-I do?"

"Are we REALLY going to do this again? You really need to get your self esteem a little higher up Rainbow. You look fine the way you normally are, you don't need to change that to look nice. Now, lets go before we're late and get arrested or something." Rainbow blushes, but tries her hardest to hide it as we walk outside. I hop onto the motorcycle, checking the pockets on my jeans to make sure I have everything I need. Phone, wallet, keys, yep, that's just about it. Rainbow hops on the back of the bike and wraps her forelegs around my chest. I start up the engine, and make my way down the street. The wind feels nice against my exposed arms and face. I take in a deep breath of the late morning air, and let out a sigh, trying to calm my nerves.

We arrive downtown at the coffee shop about twenty minutes later, and hop off of my bike. We walk inside, and I realize this is the same little store I came into when I was running through the city to escape those gang guys. The same day I got impaled with a glass shard. I walk inside, and sit down at a table make for four, with Rainbow sitting down next to me. We wait about ten minutes, and when the clock strikes noon on the dot, two figures walk through the front entrance. I knew it! The guy in black! Next to him is some lady is a similar outfit. They spot the two of us and quickly walk over to our table. They sit down across from us, and quickly get down to business.

"Matthew Austin Green." He starts off.

"That's me." I say calmly, trying my best to keep my cool.

"We have some questions for you. If you'll cooperate, I guarantee that you will both go free when we are done." Go free? Wait, they don't want to take Rainbow away?

"I'm listening."

"Matthew Green, we have been watching you for several months now, and it would appear that you have noticed us several times. We were sent to inspect your friend here, and were even tasked to take her away at one point. We even came close to that as well, but then, something more... interesting came up."

"And that would be?"

"Take out your phone Mr. Green." I do as instructed and place the device face up on the table. "Unlock it." I type in my password and the home screen comes up. "We've watching you Mr. Green, we know about the portals."

"Y-You do?" I say nervously.

"Yes, we first picked them up when we notice some anomalies resonating from this city. We also received signals from New York and an isolated island in the Atlantic Ocean. Our task was changed from Operation Alien to Operation Portal. We are no longer interested in the alien Mr. Green, we want your device." I look down at my phone, and slowly hover my hand over it. I can't just let someone else have this kind of power. I barely trust my friends with it, much less some guy I don't even know.

"We wish to use it as an advantage for our military. Imagine the kinds of things we could do with a device like this Mr. Green." The woman speaks up for the first time.

"B-But I can't just give this away. You can't do that anyway, this is my personal property, you need my consent." I say nervously as I quickly pocket the phone.

"We have direct orders Green, and they are the get the technology for a device such as this, and we plan to do that any way we can."

"Well you're gonna have to take it from me then. This is my device, and I will NOT let it fall into the wrong hands. I created it myself, therefore it is mine, and only mine." I lie to them. I didn't create it, but they don't know that.

"We were hoping it would not come down to this." The man says in a calm tone. "We are... willing to make an agreement..."

"Like what?" I spit out.

"The device, in exchange for the guaranteed safety of the alien." I look over at Rainbow, then back at the phone in my hand, then back at the man. So, if I give them the phone, they'll leave Rainbow alone? "Of course, should you refuse, we will take the alien instead, as you have no legal rights over the creature."

Rainbow jerks back, somewhat stunned. I myself am stunned that they would stoop this low. So it's Rainbow or the portal magic? Seriously, why does this shit always happen to me. Then an idea pops into my head.

"What if I could get you another device? Would that work?" I ask, a new found hope rising in my heart.

"I suppose so. All we want is a portal device, and we will leave the both of you alone for good. Now, where is this second device?"

"Do you have a phone on you by any chance?" I ask the man. He slowly nods as he pulls out a black smartphone. "Do you have a pen and paper?" He pulls out a pen and a small pad of paper, and I begin writing.

"Dear Celestia, I hope this is not too much to ask, but is there any way you could make an app that will erase the memories of someone? If you can, please put one on this device. Rainbow Dash's life practically depends on this. Please reply ASAP. Your's Truly, Matt"

I take the man's phone, as well as the note, and open a portal on the floor next to us. It shows Celestia's throne room, and I take both objects and drop them through the portal.

"What did you just do!?" The man asks in a shocked tone.

"Just give it a second. I'm turning your phone into a portal device." I lie to them. In reality, they're falling for my plan all too well. A couple of minutes later, the portal reopens, and the phone and a scroll fly up an into the air. I catch both, and place the phone onto the table. I open the scroll to read it.

"Matthew, while I do not know what you need this power for, I will not deny it to you if it means protecting one of my loyal subjects. To use the application, push the button and aim it at someone. Think about a memory or event, and push the button. Anyone the device is aimed at will have that memory erased. You can also use this to implant new thoughts into the mind of whoever the magic is used on. Please do not make me regret doing this Matthew. Protect Rainbow Dash, but do not use this kind of magic for evil. Best of luck."

"Is that it?" The man unlocks his phone to find a new app on it. A smiles spreads across his face as the app opens, but my final step of the plan takes action. I quickly snatch the phone out of his hands, and aim it at the two. I think of every memory of both Rainbow and the portals. I then make up a new though, and implement that into the spell. I think about making them report back to whoever their boss is, and telling them that the portals no longer exist, and press the button. Both are shot with a bolt of electricity that seems to do nothing other than temporarily blind them. They both look dizzy before passing out on the table. I quickly throw my chair back and grab Rainbow. I full sprint out of the cafe and jump back on my bike.

"What did you do!?" Rainbow asks as we speed down the highway.

"I tricked them. For agents, they weren't all that smart! I had Celestia put what is basically a mind control spell on that guy's phone. I used it to not only wipe their memories of both of us and the portals, but also made them want to report back that the portals no longer exist. We should be in the clear... for now anyway."

"No more government?"

"No more government." I reply with a cocky tone. It's gonna take more than two dumbasses to outsmart me. With magic on my side, I'm fucking unstoppable. A smile grows across my face as I pull onto my street. I park in my driveway, and quickly run inside, Rainbow in tow. Finally, we're free of that. For now anyway. It is only a matter of time before they... come... after... Uh oh, I fucked up big time.

I didn't remember what they had said earlier. They only gave up on Rainbow because of the portals. If they no longer believe the portals are real, then that means they'll be after Rainbow soon enough. Dammit Matt! You fucked up again!

"W-We're just gonna lay low for a while, okay Rainbow? That means no portals, since they can detect them, and no more going into crowded areas."

"Um, okay?" She says, still slightly confused. I sigh and start rubbing my forehead. This may have just created even more problems for me. If they no longer care about the portals, Rainbow will be in danger. Why didn't I just give them the damn phone!?

"C'mon, I know where we can hide for a while." I quickly run upstairs, and grab a suitcase out of my closet. I quickly pack a bunch of clothes, as well as the gun, ammo, and some other little essentials. I run back downstairs with the suitcase, and stop next to Rainbow. I open one last portal. Inside is an image of the center of Rainbow's home town, Ponyville.

I had no idea this would be the last one I would open for the next two months.

Senior

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*August 18*

How do you get used to life on Earth after hiding away in Equestria for two months? That's the exact question I had when I came back to Earth in the middle of August. I came back to find bills upon bills piled up in my mailbox. Turns out just ditching your house isn't the best thing to do. I had to sell even more bits just to pay for all of the bills, as well as replacing all the spoiled food in my kitchen. Luckily, I haven't seen any government officials since returning, and the gang is nowhere to found. Maybe they'll finally learn to stop messing with me. However, with the government out of the way, that means my main priority is to stay away from the murderous gang out for my blood.

"Good to be back. I missed home, did you Rainbow?" I sigh as I begin unpacking my suitcase. I lazily throw my clothes and my gun into the closet, and fall back onto my bed for the first time in two months. Lets just hope life can go back to normal for once.

"Wherever you are, that's my home." She says, not realizing how sappy she sounds.

"That was the sappiest thing you've ever said." I say with a chuckle. It feels good to laugh again. I spent the last two month's at Twilight's place, and Rainbow would either sleep there with me, or go back to her own house. My phone died the second day we were there, but I didn't really worry about it. I figured when the time came, I could get Twilight to charge it up like Shining Armor did that one time in the barn. Luckily she was able to do so.

"I-I'm not sappy." She quickly blushes as she realizes what she said. I laugh to myself and look up at her. Her stomach has grown considerably larger during the summer, and it just makes me even more excited for December to come around.

I look at my phone for the first time since returning, and unlock it only to find hundreds of messages, alerts, notifications, just about anything that can be on a phone. Since this is the first time I've had a signal in two months, I'm just now getting everything. Messages flow in from Alex, Skyler, Emily, my parents, Trevor, and just about everyone I know. They all ask where I am or why I won't respond to them. Nobody knew where I've been for the past two months. I couldn't risk telling anyone though, it was probably for the best. I don't need to drag anyone else into this.

School starts in a few days, and I'm going to be a senior this year. Once this school year is finished, I can finally just live my life. If I can make it off my bit money, then there is really no reason for me to go off to college. I should just be able to take care of my family. Maybe we could even move somewhere else, Equestria even. It really is nice there, and I didn't mind having to spend my entire summer there. In fact, I'd say I had a lot of fun while I was there.

Welp, I'm tired, time for a nap.

*3 Days Later*

"Fuck this, fuck all of this." I mumble to myself as my group of friends walk up to the school entrance. First day of school, every teenager's worst nightmare. All three of us are hanging our heads and sighing as we make our way inside. I was able to sign myself up for the school year back in May, so I was good to go on those terms. Alex and Skyler don't look to happy about being here either. Rainbow couldn't care less.

After I got back, I met up with both Alex and Skyler, and explained what had happened, as well as where I had been for the last two months. They understood why I did what I did, but were still relieved to find that I wasn't dead or anything. Apparently I had just been marked as a missing person, instead of being considered dead like the last time I went missing. I guess they did that because they found my blood at the gas station.

"This sucks so much." Alex sighs as we reach our first class. We all have homeroom together this year, which is the only saving grace of this entire day. While the stress of having gangs and agencies trying to get to me is gone, I now have to worry about school work again. While I don't plan on going to college, I'm still going to try my best in class. I'm no quitter, so I'm not just gonna drop out of highschool because I can. I'm still going to try to get good grades, and try not to get in trouble.

"Tell me about it. How much longer until summer?" Skyler says as we sit down in our homeroom.

"Uh, nine months." I say as I rub my eyes, trying to get the sleep out of them. My life went from normal teenager, to whatever the hell it is now so fast, that I forgot what it means to just be happy. I try to remind myself that as I play back memories from the past year. I remember how simple my life was. Just taking Rainbow to the movies, or hanging out with Alex, everything seemed so much easier. I want to go back to that, and I'll be damned if I can't do it.

The rest of the day is spent trying to focus on getting used to my classes, as well as trying to straighten out the mess that has become my life. I notice Jack isn't here, probably still behind bars, or wherever the hell he went. That's one bad thing gone. The government isn't after me. Okay that's another good thing. Haven't seen any gang activity, so that's all clear. Yep, now all I have to do is get back my happy-go-lucky attitude back, and I'll be the same old Matt I used to be. Things are finally looking up for me.

*2 Weeks Later*

School hasn't been all that difficult yet, and I'm finally getting back to being a normal kid again. Well, if you consider paying bills and taking care of a rainbow colored pegasus normal. I've just been able to hang out with my friends, and I'm legitimately happy for the first time in months. I try to keep portals to a minimum, not wanted the government to pick up on them again. The only time I plan to use them, is to get Rainbow back and forth between the doctor and home. Haven't had to do that yet, but the time will come.

"So, Matt." Skyler says quietly as we walk out of the school together, Alex and Rainbow talking about something behind us.

"Yeah?"

"You seem like the old Matt again. I missed that. You've been so... serious ever since March. I missed the old happy Matt. I'm glad you're back."

"I'm glad I'm back too. I had to grow up so fast of the past year that I forgot I'm still a kid. I forgot the real meaning of friends and family. I tried to shut everyone out to take care of myself, and I forgot about how much fun I'd been having when I was around you guys. I'm sorry if it seems like I changed so fast, but, well I did. While it taught me a lot about life itself, it made me forget some pretty important things too."

"Well, I'm happy for you. You overcame those challenges, and now look at you! Amazing girlfriend, baby on the way, amazing friends, and a family that loves you. You really came out on top Matt."

"I guess I did didn't I? Man, I love you guys." I say with a huge smile as I wrap an arm around Skyler's shoulders. Alex and Rainbow run up to stand next to us.

"Hey man, hands off the merchandise." Alex says with a laugh as he walks up next to Skyler.

"Then stop talking to my girlfriend." I retort back with a smile.

"Touche Matt, touche."

Finally, everything is back to normal.

Star Of The Show

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*December 22* *3 1/2 Months Later*

Christmas break is finally here! I'm happier than I've been in years! I've gotten so much good news in the past few months, that I haven't been worried, or sad, or angry at anything at all. I learned that the group that had tried to take away Rainbow, as well as the portal device, was a rogue group of agents who were only in it for the money they could make off of Rainbow. They were fired, and that was the last I ever heard from them! The real government notified me that while they were indeed interested in Rainbow, they wouldn't try to take her forcefully. Oh, did I mention that Rainbow is now an official citizen of the United States? While it was a difficult process filled with paperwork and court cases, she was finally allowed to take the test, and she passed with flying colors! Pun most certainly intended.

Alex and Skyler have become really close as well. They're happier than I've seen them in a long time. Maybe even happier than me!

One thing still lingers in the back of my mind. No news on the gang at all. While this could be a potentially good time for me, it could also mean that they are still out there, still plotting a way to get me back for murdering five of their members. I really thing it is time they let that go, but they just seem so persistent to get revenge.

The only thing left to do now, is have my kid. Rainbow looks like she could explode if you just poke her stomach. She constantly complains about it, but she knows that in the end, it'll be worth the struggle. I do feel bad for her though, all that morning sickness and pains in her stomach. It must really suck.

My life finally took that 180 I'd been wanting for so long. I no longer feel like an adult being pushed down by a bunch of unseen forces, I now feel like the happy kid that I really am. The good old Matthew Green.

So, here I am, keeping myself awake at midnight, just thinking over how much my life has gone up and down over the past year. To be completely honest, I wouldn't trade any of it for anything. While some of the events in my new life have been pretty bad, I'm actually glad that they happened to me. They taught me what the world is really like, and that not everything is going to be okay in life. The good events have taught me that, even though sometimes the world may seem like a dark place, if you know where to look, you can always find a spark of light. That light, is my friends and family. They are what kept me going through it all, and I couldn't have done it without them.

As I lose myself in my thoughts, I can hear Rainbow moving around in the covers next to me. I don't think much of it at first until I hear her gasp violently, and her hoof is around my arm in the blink of an eye. She wrapped her leg around my arm so hard, that I can't even feel my hand anymore.

"M-Matt! It's happening!" She cries out. My mind comes to a complete stop, not quite sure what I just heard. My mind tries to process her words, and finally I snap back to my senses. I don't even respond verbally as I shoot out of bed like a bullet. My mind starts racing about what to do. Um, clothes, need those. I quickly pull on a pair of jeans. I run over to Rainbow, and she is just grunting in pain. I feel her face with my hand, only to find my hand covered in sweat. She's sweating so much, it's like a river is flowing down her entire body. I stumble around in the dark to find my phone. I finally find it next to my bed, and I shoot open a portal to the middle of Ponyville. It didn't occur to me that I could just open a portal straight to the hospital. Hey, I'm under a lot of stress, don't judge me.

I scoop Rainbow up in my arms and she groans in pain as I do so. Any little movement will probably hurt, but I have to do this.

"It's okay Rainbow, I got you. Just hold on!" I say with a panicked tone. I need to get her to the hospital NOW. I rush through the portal, only to be immediately drenched. I look up to see rain pouring down on us. Freezing cold rain. I look around, trying to find the hospital from where I am now.

"Hey! I need help! Somebody!" I yell over the torrents of rain. Nothing. What did I expect? It's the middle of the night, nobody is going to be out here. I look around for a minute before gaining back my sense of direction. I remember that the hospital is south of where I am now. I sprint in that direction, trying my best not to slip on the muddy ground below my sneakers. As I run, Rainbow continues to cry out in pain, which only serves as fuel to make me run faster.

There, over a building I spot a large white structure. I sprint with all of the energy I have left, and almost come to a sliding stop once I get inside.

"I need a doctor!" I yell. Nobody is at the front desk right now, but I guess that would be because of the time. A nurse runs out from somewhere in the back, and gasps when she sees Rainbow in my arms. "She's having a baby!" I say quickly.

"Put her on here." The nurse says in a surprisingly professional tone, despite the panic flowing through me. She brings over a stretcher, and I place Rainbow down gently. A doctor comes running out, only to start pulling Rainbow down the long hallway. I follow behind them, watching in sadness as I see her in pain. It breaks my heart.

"I'm sorry, you can't go any further sir." The doctor says as we reach a set of double doors. I give him a scowl, and if looks could kill, he would be dead.

"I'll go to hell before I leave her!" I say as I push my way through. The doctor gives me a look, but doesn't try to stop me again, We continue going down the hallway until we turn into a room. Rainbow is transferred to a bed, and is hooked up to some machines like a heart monitor and some other things I don't recognize. The doctor and three nurses, all who look tired, quickly rush around Rainbow, and start giving her instructions on what to do. I watch from close by, my heart racing both from running, but also from being nervous.

"Okay, push on three Mrs. Dash." The doctor says. She nods with tears in her eyes, and closes them shut in preparation for the pain about to be wracked through her body. "One, two, THREE!"

Rainbow starts to yell out in pain as she pushes with all her strength. It breaks me to see her in so much pain, but I know the reward will be worth her struggle.

"Keep going!" One of the nurses says. "You're doing great!" Another one says, trying to calm Rainbow down some. I chance a peek over the doctors, and catch a glimpse of something blue before they block my vision again. Rainbow continues grunting and screaming for another few minutes, then everything in the room goes quiet.

"Sir, come here please." The doctor says to me with a smile. I slowly walk over to them, the only sound in the room coming from Rainbow panting heavily. As I approach, I hear a new sound starting to resonate through the room. A small, yet, innocent crying sound. There, in the doctor's magic, is my kid. The doctors cleans it off with a towel before looking over at me with a smile. My eyes water up so fast that my vision almost completely blurs over. I run straight over, and the doctor levitates the little thing into my arms.

It looks just like Rainbow. Same colored hair and tail, with only a slightly darker shade of cyan for its coat. A tiny little thing. I slowly spin it around, and gently lift up the tail.

"Rainbow." I say quietly, but with a smile.

"Y-Yeah?" Rainbow looks up at me, just now coming out of her trance-like state induced by the pain. "D-Did I do it?"

"We have a daughter Rainbow." I say, choking on my tears. Rainbow covers her mouth with a hoof and begins crying tears of pure joy as I bring the filly over to her. I place her gently in Rainbow's forelegs, and she cradles it like, well, a baby.

"I have a daughter." She says quietly. "Matt..." She starts to break down out of pure happiness. I glance over at the doctor, who looks really tired, and mouth "Thank you." to him. He nods at me with a smile, and I look back down at my kid.

I just witnessed the miracle of birth.

"Do you have an idea for a name Matt?" Rainbow asks quietly as we sit alone in the hospital room. I think it over in my head for a minute before coming up with an idea.

"How about Star?"

"Why'd you choose that?" She asks.

"Because you came from the sky. I'm not gonna call her Meteor, so I thought Star sounded nice."

"And we would always gaze at the stars on your roof... Oh I know, Star Gaze." Rainbow says as she looks down at the baby. I smile in response as we just picked a name for our kid. Star Gaze.

"Hey Star!" Rainbow says quietly in a high-pitched voice. "I'm Rainbow Dash, and this is Matt." She says with a smile as she looks up at me. The baby is asleep, but I can already tell Rainbow loves talking to her. Especially in that voice that people use to talk to animals or babies. I'm actually surprised the baby came out with all of her fur, as well as a full mane. I thought it would be like a human baby where they have little to no hair. Learn something new everyday. The baby spreads its tiny wings out as Rainbow holds her, and Rainbow almost squeals in response.

"She's so cute!" She squeals out quietly. I carefully pick the foal up, and hold her in my arms. She's about half the size of a human baby, which makes sense since Rainbow is pretty small compared to me. I rock her gently in my arms, making sure that I never let go. I'll never let go.

*Christmas Day*

I carry the baby into my parent's house for the first time to celebrate Christmas. Rainbow recovered extremely quickly, probably due to her being extremely healthy, and was able to leave the day after the delivery. Emily, of course, is the first to see Star in my arms. She runs over and lets out an excited squeal. Star opens her eyes, revealing big green irises, and looks down at Emily curiously. These ponies apparently mature a lot faster than humans, so it shouldn't be long before she can walk and even talk.

"Oh my gosh. Matt, she is beautiful!" My mom comes over and looks down at Star, gently stroking her head with an index finger. "May I hold her?" I smile in response, and gently pass Star over to my mother. She bobs her up and down slowly, and smiles widely.

Rainbow and I walk into the living room, where I find my father waiting for us on the couch. He gives me a look, then quickly changes it to a smile as he gets up. He walks over to me and places a hand on my shoulder.

"I still don't approve of you having a child and not being married, but I'm proud of you son for not leaving like some men would. That makes you a real man."

"Thanks dad." I say quietly as I wrap my arms around his neck.

We spend the next half hour or so unwrapping presents and just enjoying ourselves as a family. Star looks over at the backyard through the sliding glass doors, and I slowly get up with her in my arms. I quietly make my way outside, making sure nobody follows me. I walk to the back of the yard, a smile growing across my face.

"This is where I met mommy" I whisper down to her. Star reaches out a little blue hoof towards an area that is still charred from the countless meteor strikes. "This is where it all began."

The original point of impact...

Author's Notes:

So that's it? Its just over like that? Nah, we can't just end a story here! There is adventure to be had! Lives to live! We must continue onward into a new chapter of life! So that basically means... A sequel is coming soon to a theater near you!

I can't thank you guys enough for all of the positive support you have given me over the past month. It really has been an amazing journey. I would hate to see it all come to an end, so that is why a new story will be coming out very soon. A direct sequel to Point of Impact. Keep an eye out, it should be up within a day or two!

Again, I have to thank every one of you for taking your time to actually read what I created. I hope we can continue to grow this story into something bigger in the future.

The name of the sequel is "Through the Rift" Can you guess what it'll be about?

Let me know what you thought of this arc of the story down in the comments!

This is BombShelter, signing off.

*SEQUEL IS NOW OUT!*
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/313709/through-the-rift