My Brave Pony: Starfleet Humans

ACT TWO

"Lightning…! Lightning…!"

Lightning could hear Krysta's voice echoing in the dark, and he slowly opened his eyes and his vision became clear to find himself lying on the grass near a pond of a city-park. "Krysta, I thought you were told to-" he stopped when he noticed "Krysta…? Are you a… robin?"

Krysta gazed at herself, and flapped her wings and ruffled her feathers. "Sure looks like it, but never mind me… look at you."

Lightning gazed at his reflection on the pond and was he ever surprised. His golden horn, his wings, his tail… were gone. He had turned into a complete, and total human-creature His head and face looked different, and even his clothing was different. In place of his patrol uniform he now wore a white T-Shirt, with a black track jacket with matching pants with white sneakers, and the pendants were still round his neck and tucked behind his shirt.

"Wow!"

Both he and Krysta were astonished, but not nearly as astonished as they gazed around where they were. "What kind of place is this?" Krysta, Lightning didn't answer. As well as the park he could see tall buildings all around him and suburban areas too. "It's just like Unicornicopia only… it isn't."

At the exit gate to the park they read the sign over it; "Mystic Island Central Park." This at least told them where they were, on a continental island

It was all so incredibly breathtaking, Lightning had almost completely forgotten about his mission. He only had thirty days, but he didn't even know where to start looking for Sapphira or the Rainbow Rod. "Well, we won't find anything just standing around here. Let's take a look around."

Krysta agreed, but she wasn't used to flying in new form. She also found she had lost her super strength and any magic she had, but Lightning still had his super speed and skills, he just couldn't fly or do magic, and having always been a humanoid type creature, he was used to his new body. So Krysta perched herself on Lightning's shoulder and Lightning dashed off into town, checking out all the new sights as he sang a song in his mind. He even stopped at a few places and danced to the music.

Everything seems so familiar

but it feels so strange and new.

Everybody seems so peculiar

Look at all the things they do

They haven't got magic and don't use wings

They just walk and talk on their way

Are they even aware of the many things,

…of all the danger they're in and what's coming their way?

What a strange place- where could my Rainbow Rod be?

There is no trace- time is running very shortly

All across space- I'll continue my journey…

…in this strange new world…!

Some people even caught quick glimpses of Lightning leaping long ways across the rooftops and wondered if they were just seeing things.

I don't know where to go

I haven't a clue

I'll search high and low

But what can I do

There is evil at foot, and the people don't know

Of the horrors and trouble they're in

I can't let it happen… I won't let… No!

If I try and somehow I just know that I'll win

What a strange place- where could my Rainbow Rod be?

There is no trace- time is running very shortly

All across space- I'll continue my journey…

…in this strange world…!

I know it's here, or is it there,

I find somehow… somewhere…!

What a strange place- where could my Rainbow Rod be?

There is no trace- time is running very shortly

All across space- I'll continue my journey…

…in this strange new world!

This strange new world!

As the song ended, Lightning was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't see he ran clean out into the road as a car came down the way. The driver slammed on the breaks and car tires screeched as they skidded along. Lightning quickly rolled out of the way, but the car skidded right into the bushes.

Krysta perched herself on a tree branch. "Uh, oh…!"

"Galloping Galaxies…!" grumbled Lightning.

The driver of the car emerged; tall woman with voluminous, multicolored striped hair, and she didn't seem very happy. Lightning tried to apologize politely, but the woman snarled at him "You crazy kid! You shouldn't run wild like that in the road."

Lightning didn't like her angry tone. "I said I was sorry!" he snapped at her "Maybe you should watch where you're going!"

Krysta wanted to fly in-between the two and get them to calm down, but Lightning had previously told her to let him handle things, and that birds didn't talk in this world.

The woman clenched her fists, but realized he was right, she had been a little distracted by a few things and wasn't all paying attention. "That's still no excuse. Now my car is stuck, and you could've been killed." she barked "Anyway… what are you doing out here anyway? Shouldn't you be in school?"

Lightning felt confused "School… Me…?"

"Oh, I see… you're playing hooky."

"I most certainly am not. What are you the truant officer?"

"No! I happen to be a high school-" but before the lady could answer, Lightning had approached her trapped car. "What are you doing now?" the lady asked. "Stand back please."

"What are you-?"

"Please, stand back!" growled Lightning. The lady, scowled but did as she was asked and saw, to her astonishment… Lightning pulled that half-ton automobile and actually dragged it out from the bushes and back onto the road. Lightning clap rubbed his hands, but the lady just stood where she was with her eyes and mouth open wide.

"Well…!" Lightning said. The lady snapped out of her gawking. "You… You…" she stuttered "That's impossible. You can't have done that."

Lightning felt a little insulted. "I can and I just did right in front of you." He was really starting to lose his patience.

"But… a boy you're age and size, it simple isn't possible to just lift a half-ton vehicle like that."

"Oh, and expert on fitness, and on welfare it seems." Lightning said sternly. He tried to be polite, but this woman was just impossible.

The lady tried to protest "I was just pointing out my opinion, not to mention informing you of your dangerous acts."

"My dangerous acts…? Well, maybe I like running wild in the street. Did that ever occur to you?" The lady tried to protest but Lightning spoke right to her face "…and in any case, how I behave, and wherever I go is frankly none of your concern! Now, I've pulled your car out, so be so kind as to take it and leave before I really get angry and throw it back!"

The woman scoffed and angrily marched into the car, and it wouldn't move. "Well, I hope you're happy. When you dragged my care you seemed to have…"

"…Try switching it on!"

The woman held up her keys, having totally forgotten what with all the commotion, and soon she was on her way and out of Lightning's sight. Krysta flew out of the tree and onto Lightning's shoulder "Wow! That went well." she said, and Lightning did feel a little regretful for barking off like that, but he didn't like that woman's attitude, or frankly anyone who tried to boss him around and tell him what to do without honest reason. He wasn't about to let anyone push him around or get in the way of his mission. "Don't worry, Krysta. We won't have to deal with her anymore. Let's go."

As they continued to walk around town they came no closer to finding any clues to even get clues of where the Rainbow Rod or Sapphira was. Lightning sat on a bench to rest his feet for a bit, but soon the sun was starting to set. "Where are we going to stay?" asked Krysta.

"Well, they have hotels here. I guess that will do." Lightning said. His stomach growled too "I hope it has a restaurant. I'm famished."

There was a hotel just down the street, and they did allow pets to be brought in, but when Lightning tried to check in at the front desk, he was asked to pay the fee and handed the desk-clerk a few small yellow coins from his pocket, which the clerk did not acknowledge as real money. "What? Is this some sort of joke, young man?" the stern man asked.

"Joke?" asked Lightning "You asked me to pay, and I paid."

The man rudely passed Lightning his coins back and told him to leave the premises. "No!" snapped Lightning "I paid for a room, fair and square. This is the only kind of money I have!"

The man called for security to come and escort Lightning away, but before the big men could get near Lightning…! "Hold it!" shouted a voice from the front-door, and all went dead quiet in the room as everyone who it was, but Lightning and Krysta could hardly believe their eyes…! "Could it be?" Lightning murmured.

A tall man stood at the door, wearing a white suit a red cape and holding a walking stick. His hair was dyed a very darkish blue. He approached the desk clerk, who gazed at the man very nervously. "M… Mist… Mr. Grandruler, sir."

Lightning and Krysta exchanged gawking expressions.

"What's all the trouble, here?" Grandruler asked. The desk clerk explained how the young man was trying to trick him with phony money. Grandruler picked up one of the coins and examined it closely. "Well, bless my stars. A man like you would turn down real gold?"

Many gasps came from the people.

"Real gold…?"

"Where did this kid get gold?"

Lightning felt every eye in the lobby staring at him. Grandruler gazed at Lightning "What is your name?"

"Lightning Dawn… sir." Lightning said and bowed to him as if he were addressing his actual master.

Grandruler could tell just by looking at Lightning that he had no home, no families, and was pretty much lost. "Come with me. I will help you find what you are looking for."

Lightning assumed he was talking about the Rainbow Rod, and even still… this man who uncannily looked like his real teacher, Lightning decided to follow him; if it was a trap he could always fight his way out. Grandruler didn't even mind him bringing his pet bird.

Outside, a white limousine was waiting, and soon they were off. On the way, Grandruler told lightning more about himself- Captain Celesto Grandruler; millionaire, ex-astronaut. He flew on many space missions, was one of the last men to walk on the moon, and served aboard the international space station.

"Space station…?" Lightning said in confusion.

Grandruler raised an eyebrow feeling confuse "Yes, you know, a space station?"

Lightning shook his head. "Are they anything like Starfleet outposts?"

"Star… fleet… outposts?" asked Grandruler.

"Uh… never mind." Lightning said.

Grandruler continued to explain that, after the tragic and unexpected death of his parents, he retired from his career, and dedicated his life to helping the less fortunate. He owned many of the buildings around Mystic City, including the hotel they were just at, but his best hobby was seeking out poor street wanderers and helping give them hope, and punish those who were ill-mannered and caused trouble.

Lightning and Krysta felt this man, though not really the Grand Ruler they knew, was just like him in many, many ways.

Soon, they arrived at his grand-manor on the far side of the island, away from all the bustling noises and crowdedness of the city.

Krysta was placed in a bird house in the garden greenhouse where other birds flocked around and lived, and she ate what all the other birds were feed, seeds, nuts, berries, which she didn't actually mind. "Think any of you could get me so salt?" she asked the other birds, but they didn't even look at her as they couldn't understand her. "…Never mind."

Lightning ate with Grandruler in his dining hall where he was treated to a warm supper prepared by his chef, whom Lightning compared to as Cookie Dough, but he did his best not to make a big deal. "This world is getting stranger and more mysterious all the time." he thought to himself, and he also wondered if maybe… just maybe everyone he knew from his world had doubles of themselves in this world?

"Tell me, Lightning… what brings you hear to Mystic Island?" Grandruler asked.

"Uh… well you see…" Lightning wasn't quite sure how to explain, but ultimately decided to come clean. "Actually, I'm a genetically altered pony creature from the planet Unicornicopia, and an officer of an intergalactic defense force called Starfleet. I was sent here by my king and mentor, The Grand Ruler. My mission is to retrieve a powerful weapon that was stolen from me by an evil sorceress, who intends to use the stolen weapon to conquer this world, and I have less than thirty days to do so, or I'll be trapped here in this world forever."

Grandruler just gazed at him awkwardly. "I… see…" he simply said, but obviously he didn't believe a single word of it, for he was a serious man who didn't really believe in such paraphernalia, having actually been in space many times there had so been no proof or even remote sightings of such things.

"I'm telling you the truth." Lightning said "Your world, as you know could very well be on the verge of grave danger."

"Yes, I'm sure it is." Grandruler said, still not believing Lightning, and thinking that he just had an overactive imagination; a typical reaction to orphans who had been on their own a long time, they would just make stories up. "Tell me, have you ever been to school before?"

Lightning felt insulted "I was homeschooled by my teacher, the Grand Ruler."

Grandruler decided he had heard enough, and it was late anyway. Grandruler thought it best Lightning get some rest, for he was planning to enroll him in high-school, to help set him back on the right track. Lightning would have protested, but decided there was no point in arguing anymore. He didn't believe him, and it wouldn't make sense to annoy the kind man who was putting him up and giving him food and shelter.

He was given a nice room and was told to get plenty of sleep, as he assured him he would be off to school in the morning. "It's for your own good. Now, if you need anything, just ring for my servants. Good night, Lightning."

"Good night, your majesty."

"What was that?"

"Sorry… force of habit."

Grandruler shut the door and left him. Lightning fell onto his bed. "Great! Some first day on the job this turned out to be." He groaned to himself.

Just then, he heard a tapping on the window. It was Krysta. He opened the window. "Well, how did it go?"

"I told him everything, he doesn't believe me, and now he's sending me to some high-school in the morning."

"What?!" snapped Krysta "That ridiculous. You don't need to go to school; you already know a ton of things."

"Now, hold on a minute." Lightning said "Maybe this can help after all. Maybe I can learn a little more about this world or even this island, it'll help me search for clues, and maybe I can get some people to help me."

Krysta agreed it was worth the shot, and she promised to help Lightning. She would fly all around the island and report back to him of anything she would find that would help them gain leads. "Good idea." Lightning said. With their plans settled they bid each other good night, and Krysta flew back to the bird sanctuary in the greenhouse.