"Are you still pissed that he left us behind?" Skyler says to me as we make our way out of the airport.

"Look, I get why he left without us, but c'mon, we're his best friends! He took Rainbow, so why not us?" I say as I kick a rock on the ground. We start to head for my car. Matt left us in Washington about a day ago, and now we're back in Jacksonville.

"He probably took Rainbow just because she didn't need a passport, at least, I don't think she does... Either way, I'm sure he is more than capable of handling this Alex. You just gotta have some faith in him."

"Yeah I know... It's just that we've always done everything together since we were kids. Ah, forget it, it doesn't really matter anyways..."

"Yeah, let's just forget about the whole thing and try to enjoy ourselves. Wanna go see a movie?"

"Sure thing. I see my car up ahead." We walk over to the large parking area, and hop into my car. Luckily we're close to the exit already, so it shouldn't take too long to find my way out of here.

Once we make it onto the highway, I'm blasting music through the radio. Skyler seems to enjoy it so a degree, but I really love this song.

"Alex..." Skyler says quietly. I almost didn't hear her.

"Yeah?" Skyler doesn't respond verbally, but instead reaches over and turns down the radio until the music can no longer be heard.

"So you... head like a ripping sound?" Skyler says with a confused look on her face. I listen carefully, but before I can hear anything, every car in front of us comes skidding to a stop, some spinning around and almost crashing into me. Now, mind you that this is the highway, so we're talking hundreds of cars all stopping and spinning out.

Once I come to a stop, I hop out of the car and start yelling in confusion. I'm about to chew the guy out that almost crashed into me, but I'm interrupted by what sounds like a huge explosion. The entire sky lights up, and it becomes so bright that I have to fall to my knees and cover my eyes with my hands. Everyone around me is screaming, and it has to be one of the most terrifying things I've ever gone through.

The light finally dissipates about forty seconds later, and is replaced by what sounds like a muffled vacuum. It isn't loud by any means, but it is audible even with everyone screaming. I open my eyes to see people yelling and pointing at the sky. I look over to see Skyler on her back, propping her chest up with her arms putting her at a slightly elevated angle. She is staring with her mouth hanging open at the sky. I slowly turn my head to see something that I will never forget.

It looks like reality itself has torn apart. Inside the giant rip is what appears to be some giant forest, yet I'm not too sure what it is that I'm looking at yet. I only know one person who might have a clue what is going on. I yank my phone out of my pocket as fast as humanly possible, and call the one man on this green earth who might have the slightest idea of what just happened.

*Riiiiing*... *Riiiiiing*

I continue to stare at the hologram even as I reach for my phone in my pocket. Who is calling me? Is this my family or something? My family... are they in any danger because of the new rift?

"Hello?" I say quickly as I drop my wrist down and the hologram fades away into nothing. I put the call on speaker so Rainbow can hear as well.

"Matt! Something just... I don't know, blew up in the sky! You gotta know what this is, this ain't natural man!"

"Calm down Alex! It's a rift that leads into Equestria. It shouldn't pose a threat by itself as far as I know, but if it starts pulling stuff towards it like a vacuum, you call me the second you notice, got it!? If that starts to happen, you get my family, Skyler, and anyone else you can fit in your car, and you get as far as you can from the fucking city!"

"A vacuum!? Are you serious man? This is some supernatural shit! And why would it start sucking stuff into it!?"

"Because it is trying to connect our world with Rainbow's world! If stuff starts to fly up to it like it's getting sucked in, that means that the rift is starting to mend the gab between both worlds. If you evacuate and leave the city, don't you dare leave Star behind. You get her, and Emily out of the area that is being affected, or I will fucking kill you personally!" I hang up abruptly as I continue my full on sprint towards the train station. If I can close the rift in Shanghai, then the ones in Jacksonville and Tokyo shouldn't start acting like vacuums.

"That was kinda rude Matt." Rainbow says as we sit down on the bullet train. I tap my foot against the ground at an extremely fast pace, just wishing the damn thing would move forward already.

"What was rude?"

"You told Alex you were gonna kill him!"

"Only if anything happens to Star! I'm not letting my daughter get hurt because of his ignorance!"

"Matt, you really need to calm down. This is really starting to get to you. Just relax, there's nothing you can do until we reach Shanghai."

"I want to relax Rainbow! I really do! My body just won't let me."

"Then maybe mine can." Rainbow jumps off her seat and lands on my lap. She quickly wraps her forelegs around my neck and pulls me into a passionate kiss. She tastes spicy, like a pepper, but not enough to where it burns, but the good kind of spicy. It dawns on me at this moment that we are literally the only two on the entire train minus the conductor. Could it be that nobody wants to travel to Shanghai because of the rift? It relieves me to some extent that nobody is around to see us. While I don't mind the quick kiss or hug in public, this was far beyond anything like that. This is something you only do in private.

Rainbow starts to moan as she tries to push against my lips even harder. I don't object until we get to the point where the back of my head is being smashed into the window behind me. I start to laugh into her lips as I try to push myself back up into a sitting position. We must have been going at it for a good twenty minutes before we both ran out of breath. I pull away from her slightly, and I stare into her big magenta eyes as she sits there on my lap, her forelegs still around my shoulders. Her hair is completely messed up, more than usual. She lets out a little chuckle as I brush the hair out of her face.

"Feel better?" She says with a tone of voice that I've only heard once or twice before. It was the same tone she used whiled in heat, as well as on Valentines day last year. Both times she used it, we ended up a little closer than we normally are if you catch my drift. Now that is something that you don't do on a train, regardless of the lack of people. I quickly lift her up and place her down on the seat next to me, though I almost don't fit in my own seat with her wings fully extended and jabbing into my side. I grab both wings in my hands, causing Rainbow to gasp and blush. I forcibly push them back down to her sides, which seems to work.

"Sorry, just kinda... got into the moment." Rainbow says with a nervous chuckle as her blush grows even deeper.

"Maybe if we weren't on a train I would have gone along with it." I say with my first genuine laugh since arriving here. "Anyway, you really did help with my stress. I feel like a new man!"

"G-Good to know! Can I um..." Rainbow looks down at my lap, then back up at my eyes, then my lap again. Eh, why not. I pat my lap and Rainbow jumps onto it like a cat. She curls up on my lap, the front half of her on my legs, and the rest of her hanging off onto the seat to my left. She lets out a little yawn that almost gives me a heart attack from how adorable it is. She falls asleep in a matter of minutes.

I sigh and lean my head back against the seat. I stare up at the roof of the train, and smile my first real smile in what feels like weeks. It isn't long before I drift off to sleep.

"Mom! What was that!" I yell as I hurry down the stairs with Star in my arms. I almost trip on the way down, but luckily I don't. I find the front door of the house open, and run outside. The entire neighborhood seems to have heard the explosion that shook the house violently.I remember the really bright light that I had seen come through my window. I had covered myself and Star with a blanket so it wouldn't hurt our eyes. I see mom and dad out in the street, looking up at the sky. My mom is screaming, and I can see why once I look up as well.

It looks like somebody unzipped the sky, and I can see what looks like a giant forest inside of the tear. What is that thing? Star makes a sad moaning sound and buries her head into my shoulder. I guess all the screaming is scaring her. The poor thing is only six months old, this is probably a lot for a baby to handle. I clutch her to my chest tightly as I run over to my parents.

"Emily! Get back inside!" My dad says as he sees me running up to them. I come to a stop, and look back up at the sky one more time. That thing is pretty scary... I nod and run back inside. I think of Matt and Rainbow, and hope that they'll be okay wherever they are. I run back into my bedroom and hide under the quilts of my bed. Star starts to cry a little, and I spend the next hour trying to calm her down.

Matt... please come back soon.

I open my eyes slowly, only for them to be filled with a bright light. I remember that we're still on the train, and it is the middle of the day. I stretch my wings out as I yawn and try not to wake Matt up. I look up to see him still sound asleep. I smile as I slowly climb off his lap and make my way over to the window on the other side of the train. My hooves are really loud inside of the metal train, and since nobody is here, it just makes the echoing sound that much louder.

I look out the window, but all I can see is a blur of colors flying past us. It reminds me of when I fly really fast, and it gives me the urge to start flying. Too bad I'm still inside this train. I sigh as I trot back over to where Matt is still sleeping. I sit down next to him and nudge my head into his arm. It comforts me whenever I'm pressed up against him like this, but I would never tell him that. Don't want him to think I'm going soft on him.

"Hm? Oh, you're up." Matt says before he yawns and stretches. He rubs his eyes and looks down at me. I try to make myself look good for him by sitting up straight and making my eyes look directly into his. I know he likes to look at them, and I don't mind as long as it makes him happy. He leans down and taps the tip of my muzzle which makes my face scrunch up in reaction to it. I let out a small sneeze to which he starts laughing at.

"That was adorable." He says as he brushes his hand through my mane. I look at him with an annoyed look. He knows that I hate it when anyone calls me adorable or cute. I just don't think it's true. I try to look good for Matt, and he tells me that I'm beautiful the way I am, but when I look in the mirror, I just don't feel the same way. He really deserves someone better than me. I don't know how I got so lucky as to snag him.

"Was not..." I say as I rub my nose with a hoof. I brush some of the hair out of my face before looking back up at him. What now? Instincts take over as I jump back up on his lap and press my face into his. Thankfully he doesn't object, and starts pressing back into my muzzle. I don't know why I did it, but I'm glad I did. Maybe he had a little stress left that I could help relieve.

I pull away from Rainbow as I look down at her. That was the second time today that she has done that. Maybe she has a lot of piled up stress as well. I could see why, what with her daughter trapped under some rift in the sky that could kill her and my entire family at any second. Great, now I'm thinking of the worst case scenarios. Way to go brain! Way to fuck things up!

We spend the next couple of hours in silence as I simply hold Rainbow in my arms. We haven't been alone together in months, so it is good to finally be able to enjoy her company without anyone interrupting us.

The train comes a screeching stop as we arrive at the station. We stand at the doors until they open, and walk out in the big room on the other side. The train station here is a huge indoor complex with rails that lead into the actual building. So essentially the trains ride through the complex whenever they pass through.

Something seems very out of place though. Or should I say, the lack of something. There are zero people in the entire complex save for the very few people running the place, and even they look like they would much rather be somewhere else. It is almost eerie as Rainbow and I walk to the other side of the building. Once we exit, we make our way out onto the streets.

The city looks beautiful, and I can already see the rift a little bit in the distance over the central part of the city where all the skyscrapers are. The same thing is happening out here. No cars, no people, no nothing. The city hasn't been evacuated, and I can tell that by the fact that people were still at the train station. No, everybody was probably hiding in their homes, or ditched the city by themselves. As we silently walk down the streets, I get that feeling that somebody is watching you.

I spin around only to see a gun pointed right at my face.