I passed through the portal in George's arms. "Dust, leave the portal open." I let out a deep sigh as I rested against Cosmic's head. "We did it.... We did it."

Dust looked up at me, smiling. "I knew you would, Jason." She closed her eyes and nodded softly. "We knew you would, not a doubt in my mind."

I felt Cosmic stir, looking around slowly. "Where--"

"Somewhere safe." I stated, watching behind as Dust's pegasus body wandered in. "It's alright, it's gonna be alright."

God I hope so.

I closed my eyes, slowly forcing them open against my exhaustion. "Dust...can you do it?"

Dust looked down at her body counterpart. "Jason, you do--"

"Can you do it?" I asked, slowly getting walked over towards the bed where Dust was sat. "It's time, I need it to be time, I need this to be over."

Dust stared at me as George placed Cosmic and I near her. "I can try...." She turned her head towards Cosmic, sitting calmly, ready on the floor of the hotel. "I suppose the sooner we do this, the better." She turned back to George. "If you could hold Cosmic in one piece."

I watched, yet again. It was all I could do. Watching as George picked up Cosmic's head. Jason, calm down. You're upsetting our stomach.

I took a deep breath, the swirling feeling in my gut refusing to empty away. I couldn't do anything, I was as Cosmic was. Hopeless, helpless. "Just do it, George, just do it."

What do you think I'm doing?

I watched on as Cosmic's half awake head, now worn out and well fed after being plucked from the woods, was placed carefully against Cosmic's waiting stump. Dust turned to face her, watching on as he readied whatever spell she was planning. "Jason...I love you. Cosmic, George, I love you both too--"

White. Blinding, featureless white.

God, why is it so bright?

I opened my eyes, face to face with swirling grey, orange and blue streaks of electricity darting through the clouds that surrounded us. The roof of the hotel was gone, popped open like a tin can. I was alone. No Cosmic, no Dust, no George. Only myself, hanging in the air as my body was built, torn apart, rebuilt and torn down once again. I couldn't feel a thing.

But all I could do was watch. Watch as blue and orange surrounded me, tearing into the clouds, plucking parts of the grey out and tossing it into the now scorched floor of the hotel. I wanted to scream. I needed to scream, watching as bodies and heads were formed around me. Blue and orange, swirling in place, darting between the open ground.

I felt my skin tingle, my hands tighten up. I could only wait and watch, hands materializing under me, bones forming, slowly wrapping themselves in muscle and flesh. Ponies, a man, electricity. My world came together in the middle of the hotel room, bare to the sky, black, save the dashes of color that danced among the clouds and smoke.

And above it all, straight into the air, a column of light was centered a meter away, centered in the clouds.

Crack the sky

I opened my eyes, collapsed against the floor. The sky was clear, blue with perfect white clouds listing overhead. The sound of the city was deafened, and as I collected myself I could hear the distant echo of water. I stood up, my back in pain, my shoulders heavy, my hands cut and rough. I walked to the edge of the room, the roof, the higher walls, gone, ripped off and taken into the ether. I rested against a bit of broken plaster, tired, worn out.

The falls in the distance were calm, constantly pouring, always. I stared out at the beauty, enamored, happy, spent. I started laughing. "Is it over?" I looked back into the room, the silver portal still flickering as we'd left it. The room was perfectly fine from waist height down, clean, untouched by the torrent that had ripped the roof off.

A thick voice cut in. "Jason? You look like shit."

I turned away from the falls, spotting myself walking over. "...George?"

He shook his head. "Who else?"

I looked past him, my breathing loud, surprisingly heavy. "George...look." I pointed to them, four mares, laid out in a square. "George...it worked."

George slid up next to me, resting on the wall. "Four?" He slid down, rubbing his head softly. "Four? I--" He looked over to the portal. "Jason... do you have a plan?"

I licked my lips, sticking slightly as I nipped my tongue. "Doors still open...." I turned to George. "Can't have two of the same people in one place, right?" I rubbed my head. "Two of them probably don't even know me."

George took a deep breath. "I understand. I'll...get ready."

I turned away from the falls, over towards the mares. One was slowly coming to, a set of wings curled up, a horn jutting from her forehead. I laughed to myself. "Cosmic...do I need to call you princess now?"

The mare slowly turned to me, bleary orange eyes shooting into my head. "Jason?"

I rubbed her side, falling to my knees next to her. "Yeah...." I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her up against me. "I'm here."

Cosmic's chin jerked up, laying across my shoulder. "Jason...how many times have I nearly died now?"

I put my hand against the back of her head and took a deep breath. "Hard to keep track...." I could see George helping up the other set of mares. "George--"

He looked up at me, green eyes. "No idea who we are...I think these are mine."

I rubbed Cosmic's mane, slowly closing my eyes as George walked over and plucked the downed Dust from the hotel floor. "George...just- here." I held my free arm out.

George slowly dragged Dust towards me. "Make sure she knows you, Jason."

I held the mare against me, clutching each against me softly. Cosmic went slack against me, lean, fit, as she was training herself to be in the month since she became the body. Dust let out a short whimper, her chin bumping against the back of my head. "Jason?"

"I'm right here." I pressed my hand against her cheek, "I've got you--"

Dust went slack against me, toppling me backwards until I was flat on my back, a mare in each arm. "I told you Jason...I'd kill you if you died.... I told you...I'd say yes." She took a deep breath and rolled against me. "I told you we'd be married.... I can't let you get away.... I can't be alone anymore."

George looked down at me, two mares over his shoulders. "Jason...will you be alright?"

I nodded weakly. "Just, need a bit to catch my breath."

George nodded, carefully setting his mares down near the portal on the wall. "Jason...stand up."

I felt the mares lift away from me, taken by George towards the bed. "Jesus...I thought you were leaving."

George finished freeing me and extended a hand. "I am. But it's been almost thirty years, I'm not leaving unceremoniously." He pulled me up, straightening me out with one swift pull. "I'm only sorry we couldn't talk sooner." He threw an arm around me and pulled me tight. "Jason, treat yourself better, and calm down." He patted my back and broke off. "You've rush your life so many times, slow down, enjoy it, you'll be better for it."

I took a deep breath and flopped back to the ground. "You say that like it's easy."

George smiled at me and packed up the mares we'd pulled from the portal. "It's easier than you give yourself credit for. Just think a little more, make plans, don't react, think, then act." He sorted out his mare, smiling at me as they went across his shoulder. "Take care of them Jason, they'll take care of you right back."

I watched him duck through the portal, fading past the milky metallic surface. The portal glimmered for only a moment before going dark. The picture frame that formed its boundary fell flat against the ground. I sat alone on the floor. "Cosmic!?"

A loud cough broke the roaring of the distant falls. "What?"

I felt my body cool down, my skin rushing with icy cold. "...Thank you."

Author's Notes:

Might call it here, might now....

George is gone, Cosmic and Dust are saved, only thing I have left is Storm Side.

You want more Storm Side? More of this?