Ghosts in Equestriaby D_FlukeChaptersThe Young Ones And Their DragonsNature's ProphetReunion, Part 1The Young Ones And Their Dragons"My master, do you know? This is the power produced from your Eye of Mikhail." Teito Klein was already furious. He was also determined. And hearing the voice say that inside his head, Teito had reached a conclusion. He could feel Mikage perched upon his shoulders, and he drew upon his memories and emotions to further find his strength. He had made a promise to become stronger so that he could protect the ones he cared about, especially from Ayanami, who he was now engaged in battle with. "I know that," Teito spoke out aloud, even though the voice had only spoken to him within his head, and not to Ayanami. Teito opened his eyes, which were green and resolute, and glared at Ayanami. "And because of that, I will..." Teito willed his Zaiphon to form, and its words formed a ring and shell around him as he channeled power through his bascule. He raised his staff, confident, and cast the Zaiphon that he was holding. A brilliant light shone from the tip of his bascule, and it soon engulfed its caster. It grew further still, and the last thing that could be seen as it engulfed Ayanami was his grimace. The light did not stop there. Its reach was not to be denied, as it extended to the far corners of the church, where the fighting had not yet been ceased. Everyone who gazed upon it were stunned at the sight until they, too, were consumed by it. ~~~ Twilight Sparkle had, levitated alongside her, a scroll that contained an inventory of newly acquired books for the Ponyville library. She silently skimmed through the list, making a mental checklist of what books she simply had to add to the shelves in the library, her joy growing with each title. It was a good batch, and even though she might not be able to put them all on for display, she would definitely keep them in mind. Twilight heard a bump and the cluttering of books as they fell onto the floor, catching her attention from the scroll. She turned to source of the distraction, and she let out a small gasp. "Spike!" she called out, hurrying over to where a pile of books had fallen. "Are you all right?" Twilight was just about to use her magic to help lift the books off, when her dragon assistant and friend emerged from the pile, grumbling. She couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, and gave Spike a quick once-over to make sure he was unhurt. "But Twilight, wouldn't it have been easier to have invited everypony else to help?" Spike grumbled as she finished her check. "Oh, Spike-" Twilight shook her head, smiling "-everypony else is busy as well, with their own things." "I know, I know," Spike replied with a sigh. "Although I'm still getting a gemstone cupcake later, right?" "Yes, Spike, you will." Spike grinned at the thought of being able to sink his teeth into some gemstones, and happily he picked up some books, inspecting them for damage. "So, Twilight," he started. "What books are we going to set aside and put up today?" As he finished the statement, the books became enveloped in Twilight's magical glow, and he released his grip on them. The books remained in the air, then floated over to Twilight. "Well, these Daring Do books should remain on the shelves-" Twilight turned the books so that Spike could see the covers "-because you know how much Rainbow Dash likes them. And she's not the only pony who likes them, either!" Saying the name of one of their friends caused the two to break into a smile as they allowed themselves to think of the good times they shared with Rainbow. A hoot made Twilight turn to its direction, where she could see Owlowiscious on his perch, possibly waiting for Twilight to make a request of him. She just continued smiling, however, and began arranging the cluttered books to a more manageable layout. Twilight was almost done and ready to start re-adding books to the shelves, when a sudden flash of light appeared from nowhere. It was brilliant, yet not blinding, and it engulfed everything in the library. Twilight instinctively closed her eyes and turned away from the source of the light, and her companions did the same. The light faded away as quickly as it had appeared, and Twilight opened her eyes, noticing a very strange sight in front of her. Before her was some sort of creature. It had a pale skin or coat, and was clothed in some sort of white robing. It had green eyes, and stood on two legs. It had two additional limbs, one of which was raised high and somehow grasping a strange staff in its hands. On its shoulder was perched what must have been some small animal, which was shivering slightly. Worse of all, this creature was facing directly at her. Twilight was experiencing a whole array of emotions in that moment. She was fearful for she had not seen such a creature before, and she could not be sure of its motives. She was curious to know what the light could have been, and also to research more about the creature in front of her. She was in disbelief because of the sheer suddenness and absurdity of the current situation. All of those emotions played out in the matter of a few heartbeats. The creature's eyes widened, and briefly Twilight wondered whether it was from surprise. The creature began to lower its limb which held the staff, resting the base of it against the floor. It somehow seemed to be staring warily at her, as if it was just as baffled by the situation as she was. "At least its not attacking me yet", she thought to herself, and took it as a good sign. Perhaps the creature wasn't hostile, and maybe it was intelligent enough that she could start researching into it. She took a deep breath, hoping that the creature did not mistake it for an act of aggresion. However, just before she could even do anything, the creature doubled over, and let loose a terrifying sound. Twilight let out a mental cry of alarm, believing that the creature wished to do her harm, and instinctively she called up a spell she would defend herself with. It was a simple spell, one which she had put to good effect during the changeling invasion of Canterlot, even though it proved futile in the end. Her horn began to glow, and from it she shot out a single magic bolt at the creature. She hoped that it would be as effective as it had been when she used it against the changelings, if not better. But what transpired next definitely surprised her. The creature moved the limb that was not holding the staff across its body, and wordings began to appear in a ring around him. The bolt collided with this ring, and it somehow caused a miniature explosion in the library. There was an audible boom, and a smoke appeared at the point of impact. Twilight's next instinct told her to pour as much magic bolts as she could into the smoke cloud, but she stopped herself from doing so. After all, she did not know exactly what had happened, and she didn't want to cause any unnecessary damage to the library than she had to. She didn't have to wait long. The smoke began to clear up almost immediately, and her heart skipped a beat. The creature was already in the air, and it seemed to be... flipping over! It had somehow leapt backwards, and was flipping with a speed and grace which she did not think was possible for it. It continued its maneuver until its feet impacted solidly with the walls of the library. Amazingly, it did not drop, but was somehow rooted in place. Twilight could see that the robes it was wearing was sagging towards the ground, so it was definitely being affected by gravity. And yet, it somehow did not drop! Twilight would have been awed, and would have liked to figure out how it did that, if the creature was not hostile towards her. "Perhaps I can still do my research later," she thought to herself. But first, she knew she had to find a way to stop the creature before it hurt anypony, and it certainly didn't faze her that she might have to hurt it to do so. ~~~ Teito could feel his boots land upon something solid, and instantly he arrived to the conclusion that it must have been a wall. He stopped himself from falling immediately with just a touch of Zaiphon, and retracted further, preparing himself to lunge at the purple colored creature that had attacked him. He had no idea whatsoever where he was, or what he was facing, and all of it had caught him off-guard. After all, it had started the fight when he sneezed, launching what was not unlike his own Zaiphon bolt towards him. He felt lucky to have reacted quickly enough to use his Zaiphon to defend himself, but he also cursed himself for his complacency. Mikage could have been hurt by whatever the bolt was, and he could not let that happen. As he brought himself into position for his lateral leap, he began to channel Zaiphon into his bascule. A ring of his Zaiphon formed around the tip, and he readied himself to end it in his next attack. Teito leaped forward, lunging towards the horselike creature. As he flew towards it, his mind somehow clicked an answer: that he was in a library. It also wondered whether Frau might have one of his 'special books' stashed somewhere in here as well. Forcefully, he shoved those thoughts out. He could not afford to be distracted, not now. Just before he reached the creature, Teito swiped with the bascule. Had the blow landed, it would have taken out a normal human who had no access to Zaiphon. In fact, he was sure that he did even not have to reinforce his attack with Zaiphon to achieve that effect, but he wanted to be certain. As he made his attack, however, the most inexplicable thing happened. In a bright flash of purple light, the creature was suddenly gone. Teito had no way to alter his trajectory or to stop his attack. His bascule connected with the ground, causing it to shatter where it hit. Some of the fragments flew out from the radius, and he grimaced. He should have expected his enemy to dodge, but how could he have predicted this? Teito landed on his shoulders, hard. He continued it into a slight roll, and emerged into a crouch. He realized that he was no longer facing the horse creature, but a smaller one of a similar color. Its facial expression, if it actually was that, was contorted in shock and horror. It was not attacking him yet, but it could very well do so at any moment. And Teito had no idea where the horse had gone. Should he attack the smaller creature? Assess the situation and get to a better position? His answer came in the form of an abruptly hard blow to his side. The bascule flew free of his hand, and he landed with a grunt, rolling as he did so. Dimly, he realized that Mikage was no longer on his shoulder. As his roll came to a stop, he forced himself to look for Mikage. He spotted his friend just out of his reach, and the two creatures were advancing upon them. Teito felt horror wash through him, worried for his friend who had already once sacrificed his life for him, and the creatures who now seemed intent to make him endure such a sacrifice again. Teito would not have that. He would protect his friends with his own hands now. Calling upon his reserves of strength, Teito scrambled to his feet. He was vaguely aware that the horse creature's horn was glowing, and he knew had to come next. He didn't have the strength to call upon his Zaiphon, but he could still protect his friend. He dived for Mikage, scooping him up and pressing him close to his chest in a protective hug. Again, there came a blow to his side, and he found himself hurtling through the air. An instant later, his body forcefully impacted against the wall. Teito had endured great beatings before, and he could have carried on in his prime. But he was exhausted. The bishop's exam had been harrowing, and his fight with Ayanami was, too. His vision turned black, and regardless of how things were going to turn out, he was comforted by the feel of Mikage in his hands. At least, they were together. Nature's ProphetHe could see the future. Everything he saw would come to pass, as it did for the other members of his family who would peer into the future as well. But even knowing that something like this might have occured, Labrador felt worry for everyone he held dear in the Church, which was now undergoing an invasion from the Barsburg Army. Most of all, he was worried for Teito Klein, who had been in the center of his visions. The one who had attracted so many Kors, Wars and now even Warsfeil to the church since his arrival, and who had also brought unease and disquiet to the flowers Labrador found joy in attending to. His instinct urged him to hurry to the boy's aid, but he could not. For he and his fellow Ghost, Castor, were being impeded by two skilled Warsfeil, who were standing across from them on the bridge. The two reminded him slightly of Frau, another one of his Ghost comrades, and Teito, who Frau treated as his protege. Similar hair colors, and possibly even a similar relationship as well; the elder one was referred to as Lieutenant by the younger one, who was called Konatsu by the former. But Labrador could not afford to dwell on that now. He had to wrap things up quickly, and Castor might act at anytime. He had to be ready for action. Aside from the scythe that he could wield as Profe, his Ghost form, Labrador was somewhat limited in offense, owing in part on the type of Zaiphon that he employed, which was the healing type. He would not have wished for any other type of Zaiphon, for helping others was his calling in life, or as he was now a Ghost, in death. Additionally, the plants that he so cared for would aid him, bringing into play their different effects, and while he could grow and use them conventionally, Labrador could also manifest them with his Zaiphon. The silver rose he had given Teito after a particular vision had proved useful in protecting the young apprentice bishop from a Kor. Labrador had also used a darkness eating plant to deal with a Warsfeil who had been standing guard while his partner went after Frau. There was movement next to him as Castor acted. The bespectacled bishop stretched out his arms, and his Ghost strings, which manifested when he ascended to take over as Fest, shot out towards the two Warsfeil across them. Labrador saw his chance, and reacted at once. He too, stretched out his arms, and his Zaiphon, manifesting as plant roots, shot from his hands and intertwined themselves around Castor's Ghost strings, increasing the potency of the attack. As an added touch, the darkness eating flowers bloomed from the roots, and had the attack landed, it might have ended it there. Unfortunately, the black haired Warsfeil reacted almost instantaneously. He gripped the hilt of his second sword, and with a quick slash, interrupted the attack and cut the Zaiphon down. He was skilled, that much Labrador would credit to him. After all, these two did serve Ayanami. That counted for something. Before the fight could take a turn for either side, however, a most peculiar thing occurred. A light appeared from within the Church. It was brilliant, yet not blinding to the eye. Labrador, Castor and even the two Warsfeil, stared at it, dumbstruck, and in the brief moment it took from when it appeared to engulfing the fighters, Labrador had one last though in mind. "Teito?" ~~~ "Don't ya mention it, Fluttershy! There's nothin to thank me fer helping out a friend!" Applejack smiled sheepishly at her friend, pulling her hat down to hide her slight blush. All she did was to deliver some relatively fresh apples to the yellow pegasus, who might have been able to put them to use for her many animal friends. It was just a small gesture on Applejack's part, but Fluttershy was getting just a bit too insistent in thanking her, especially when Applejack had refused payment for the batch of fruits. Fluttershy was beaming, and leaned closer to the basket of apples. She looked at them in glee for a moment, before turning back to the cow-pony. "Angel and the others will be so happy with these apples! Thank y-" Fluttershy squeaked mid-sentence as a bright light appeared and engulfed her home. She immediately brought up her hooves to cover her eyes, while Applejack turned to the side, while at the same time pulling her hat down to cover the side of her face that was towards the light. As quickly and suddenly as it had appeared, the light faded. Something shuffling against the floor could be heard by the two ponies as they opened their eyes, their gaze locked towards what had been the center from which the light had emanated. And they were shocked by what they saw. Standing there was a creature draped in white, its clothing swaying slightly with a gentle breeze entering from one of the cottage's open windows. It stood on two limbs, with two more limbs hanging across its body, as if in some defensive gesture. Its 'coat' was pale, its 'mane' was lavender, and its eyes were periwinkle. Its face, oddly, was frozen in an expression of shock. The two ponies gaped at the creature, which in turn, gaped back at them. Neither party spoke, nor even moved, bound from the effect of the shock they were feeling. The creature was the first to move, lowering the limbs across his body. The sudden movement took Fluttershy by surprise, and with a squeal of fright, she jumped behind the couch, cowering from the creature and hoping that she was hidden from its sight. Applejack jumped as her friend did so, but after a brief moment, she sprung into action. She wouldn't let whatever this creature was harm her friend. "Ah don't know what yer are, but yer aren't hurting Fluttershy, yer hear?!" Applejack positioned herself between the creature and the couch where Fluttershy was hiding behind, her stance low and ready to dash in and buck the creature if it came to that. And Applejack was pretty good at bucking creatures that threatened her friends The creature stared at her as it raised one of its limb to its shortened muzzle, and for some odd reason, Applejack felt that the creature was contemplating what she had said. Was this creature intelligent, then? After a few tense moments, the creature lowered its hands, the gestures almost causing Applejack to take it as a sign of aggression and react. Thankfully, Applejack managed to keep herself from doing so. The creature must have somehow sensed this, because it cocked its head to the side... and smiled warmly, causing Applejack's jaw to drop in confusion. ~~~ Labrador had no idea what was going on. One moment, he had been next to Castor as the light washed over them, and suddenly, he was standing in the middle of what looked like a house, under the gazing eyes of what looked like miniature, colored horses. He was shocked by the situation of course, and he could feel the tenseness in the air, but somehow, he didn't feel that they had wanted to cause him harm. And there was something else, too. He could hear the voices of plants around him, though they were outside the home. They were definitely different from the ones he had tended to in the Church, and there was a healthy amount of suspicion of him. But if they were willing to talk to him, a stranger in whatever world this was, it was a good sign. The plants were telling things, foremost of which was not to harm the 'yellow pegasus', who had tended to them so lovingly. The plants were also praising the 'orange earth pony', for though she grew plants and used their fruits for money, she certainly knew how to tend to them, if not as gently as the pegasus did. Hearing all of that, and seeing the orange one resisting the urge to attack him, Labrador decided that they were only acting out of shock, and did not wish him harm. He, too, did not wish harm upon anyone if he could help it, even if they had committed a wrong. He had wanted to let the spy for the Barsburg army go after getting the information he needed from him, until the two Warsfeil, who he had been fighting together with Castor, killed him. Labrador continued smiling, until he felt a stir of activity behind him. He could sense it as an act of aggression, and he deftly pivoted to his side, dodging an attack from what seemed like a white ball of fur. It flew high in mid-kick, staring at him with what seemed like an expression of shock, perhaps from the speed at which Labrador had evaded its attack. Labrador caught the creature as gently as he could with both hands, and for a moment it stared at him, dumbfounded. Even with the gloves of his bishop attire impeding his sense of touch, Labrador could tell that the creature he held was warm, and definitely fluffy with fur. He chuckled, and shifted to holding the creature with a single hand, and using the other to pet it gently. The creature resisted, until it realized that the bishop meant it no harm, and hesitantly allowed itself to enjoy the attention. In the midst of all that, the orange pony had unconsciously moved towards him, taking in and processing the situation as best as she could. The yellow one had also come out from her hiding spot behind the couch, and was closing in on him, fast. Not to mention that she had wings, and she was flying, now. Labrador shied away from the yellow one, instinctively trying to cover the white animal he was holding. However, the yellow one plucked the animal out from his hands very quickly, and brought him close to her eyes, inspecting him closely. When she spoke, Labrador could feel the compassion and concern flowing from her mouth, as if it was inborn within her. "Oh, Angel dear, are you all right?" Angel nodded his head, then turned back to Labrador in curiosity, and act which the yellow flying pony mirrored. Labrador took a moment to compose himself, and smiled. These creatures weren't so bad, after all. And perhaps, they could help him. No, he knew they could. For the future had already come to Labrador. He knew Teito Klein was here, as well as Frau, and Castor. He had seen more, as well, but he would now focus on the more pressing matters; to find Teito and his Ghost friends. Labrador already knew some of the circumstances behind Teito's current situation. He knew that he would get to see the boy soon. And he was smiling, because of the fact that these two very ponies that stood (and hovered!) before him would be the ones to bring him to Teito. He had to gain the trust of these ponies, so he had to communicate with them. Once it was done, they would know they need not fear him, and they might even be willing to help him as his vision had foretold. Feeling the touch of his healing Zaiphon, and coupled with the vision he had seen, Labrador was confident in what he was striving to accomplish. Labrador bent over to bring himself as close as he could to both the ponies level as was possible(since his bishop cassock tearing would have been embarrassing!). And, in a voice that was as gentle as the yellow pony's, he spoke with a smile. "My name is Labrador! What's yours?" Author's Note This chapter is just a filler, and there may be a bit more in future. Reunion is where the story will continue. Reunion, Part 1Teito's eyes opened reluctantly, his body yelling at him internally for more rest. His eyelids fluttered for a moment, as he slowly drifted between sleep and semi-consciousness again. Thoughts slowly crept into his mind, gnawing at him, and prompting him back to wakefulness. "How long had I been out? What's going on?" Teito groaned as his senses came back, and the first thing he felt was pain surrounding his body. The pain wasn't particularly fresh, but his body was sore and aching, as if he had been training without rest for a few days. He tried to bring a hand up to rub fatigue out of his eyes, and was surprised to see that all of his limbs had been tied to a bed with rope. He pulled against the rope, causing it to sink painfully into his wrist, jolting his memory. "Mikage! Those creatures!" He had been fighting Ayanami before he had fallen unconscious, and afterwards, following the Zaiphon he had cast, he had engaged in a quick brawl with some creatures he had never seen before. He had lost to them, resulting in him being knocked out. But what had happened to Mikage? Did the creatures hurt him?! Teito struggled frantically against his restraints. He even managed to call out some Zaiphon onto his hands, and felt a surge of strength. The ropes didn't block Zaiphon, and though he was impeded in casting it because of being bound, it would not stop him from rushing to Mikage's aid. After all, Mikage would have done the same! On the verge of tears with images of Mikage being tortured all over again, Teito mustered as much energy as he could summoning his Zaiphon. He had a sizable amount, and he was just about to cast it to free himself when a familiar scent filled his nose. With his concentration lost, the Zaiphon he had been channeling dissipated. He turned to his side, following the scent, and he was shocked by what he saw. Sitting on a stool, next to the bed, was a man Teito was overjoyed to see again. Frau was seated, eyes closed and looking towards the floor, with a lit cigarette in hand, letting out an occasional puff of smoke. Teito didn't even bother to contain his tears. With Frau here, things didn't seem so bad anymore. He leaned as close to that edge of the bed as he could, tears streaming down his face. "Frau?" he called out, forgetting for a moment the situation he was in. Frau raised his head and opened his eyes. As he locked gazes with Teito, he smirked. "I leave my eyes off you for a minute, and you get yourself into more trouble, you damned brat," he mocked. There was no doubt in Teito's mind; this was the real Frau that was seated before him, and not some figment of imagination from his pain-addled mind. From the scent of the cigarette he was smoking, down to his reaction, it was all too real not to be Frau. "Frau!" Teito cried out, pulling against the ropes that bound him in an attempt to lean as close to Frau as he could. "What's going on? What have you been doing? Where's Ayanami? Where's Mikage?! Is it really you?!" Frau stood up and sneered. "Who else could it be, you damned brat?" Teito pouted, although he was, in actuality overjoyed to see Frau. Had he not been tied down in bed, Teito might actually have leaped out to hug him. "Do you like getting yourself bound up, you damned brat?" Frau asked mockingly as he walked over to Teito, examining the rope that bound his limbs. He bent over slightly and reached out for Teito. "Let's see if we can't-" Frau froze, and he paled. "Frau?" Teito asked him inquisitively. The man didn't respond. Teito followed his gaze towards the window, and his eyes widened in surprise at what he saw. Hanging outside with his hands on the windowsill, and peering in rather intimadtingly, was Castor. His gaze was fastened squarely on Frau. "Frau..." Castor started, as he eased himself into the room. "What do you think you're doing to Teito?" Frau began mumbling unintelligently as Castor closed upon him, but was unable to vocalize proper words, and Castor stopped in front of him. Right before a loud grunt and thud rang out in the area. ~~~ Frau was seated on the bed, next to Teito, clutching his stinging abdomen as the conversation took place. He glanced sidelong towards Castor, the one how had elbowed him earlier, only to be ignored by him. Frau allowed his irritation to boil for moment, before letting it all out with a sigh. At the very least, it was good that he was here with Teito, Castor and even Labrador. But there were pressing issues to settle, the first of which was : What had happened to bring them here? Wherever 'here', was. The purple horned pony, who had identified herself as Twilight Sparkle, was going on some sort of intelligent monologue about the possible reasons that had brought Frau and his friends into their world, which was aptly named Equestria. Frau was disinterested in hearing her out, but he could see Teito and Castor paying close attention to her. Labrador, on the other hand, was only half listening, while giving out herbal tea to the attendees with a smile. Frau took a cup of tea and sipped gratefully, because Labrador really knew his way around tea. Almost as soon as he drank it, Frau felt the pain in his abdomen subside somewhat, partly from the effects of the herbal tea, and partly from the effect of the distraction drinking it had helped. He also couldn't help wondering if Labrador could have infused his tea with some healing Zaiphon, either. Castor suddenly interjected Twilight in mid-speech. "You've been speaking quite a bit about magic, Miss Twilight," he spoke, adjusting his glasses as he did so. "Unfortunately, Teito here-" he gestured towards Teito "-used Zaiphon, and more specifically, the power he had over the Eye of Mikhail to transport us here. While Zaiphon and your magic does share is similarities, I'm afraid it's still two very different things we're talking about here. I wouldn't be too sure that your magic would be able to help us in our predicament." A few of the other ponies present nodded in understanding. Twilight considered this for moment. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to try!" she replied optimistically. "The elements of Harmony might also be useful at this juncture, and I'll have Spike send a letter to the Princesses about this situation as soon as possible. They may have an answer for us! Spike! Take a letter to the Princess!" The dragon whelp, Spike, produced a piece of parchment, and inkwell and a quill, holding them at the ready. Before he could receive further instructions, however, the white unicorn, Rarity, spoke out. "Twilight, darling," she started. "It would be best if we informed Mayor Mare as well. After all, she IS the mayor of Ponyville. She does have a right to know about these things." This was received with nods from the ponies in attendance. The men there, however, had no clue what was going on, and simply let the ponies convene among themselves. Twilight herself nodded. "Absolutely," she replied. "Mayor Mare should know about this. Rarity, would you do the honors?" Rarity smiled as she stood up. "Of course I would be happy to, Twilight!" she replied. "I'll be back before you know it!" With that, Rarity strode out of the room with poise. As she passed Teito, Mikage let out a tiny 'burupya!' in farewell, eliciting a squeal of delight from the yellow pegasus pony seated next to the door (which was coincidentally the furthest away from the humans), who name was Fluttershy. Labrador had shared with his friends that Fluttershy had a way with animals, and she was the one who had tenderly carried Mikage back to Teito. After the door closed behind Rarity, Twilight turned back to her assistant, who raised the parchment and quill again. Twilight nodded, and started on what sounded like another monologue to Frau, much to his chagrin. "Dear Princess Celestia..." ~~~ Lyra hadn't seen humans before, but they had intrigued her. They stood upon two legs and had two upper limbs as well, similar to what a pony might have looked like if they stood upon their hindlegs. But what passed for forelegs for these creatures begged curiosity. Their forelimbs ended with five appendages per side, and it was definitely prehensile, judging by how that red 'maned' human who used them to hang outside of Twilight Sparkle's window. As much as she was frightened by these unknown creatures, Lyra's curiosity had been piqued. She had to know more about these humans. She continued spying on the library, hoping to catch a glimpse of the human, or humans if there were more in there. And Lyra could feel it that it was so. Maybe she'd even have a firsthoof account to share with Bon Bon! How exciting! Lyra hoped she was as hidden as she felt, continuing with keeping her eyes on the library's windows and doors. Her attention was disrupted, however, when a sudden chill blew across her, and she heard the gentle flapping of wings. She looked around, and yet she could not locate the source of the mysterious wing flapping. As she returned her attention to the library, a voice sounded in Lyra's mind. If it could have been felt physically, it would have been cold and threatening. "I see that you have taken an interest in the humans hands," the voice resonated in her mind. "Would you be interested in trying them?" Lyra's decision came almost instantly, with a resounding mental "Yes!". The voice chuckled in her mind, and Lyra could feel something pressing against her cutie mark. She exhaled sharply, and the last thing she saw before blacking out was the silhouette of multiple humans and ponies moving within the library.
The Young Ones And Their Dragons"My master, do you know? This is the power produced from your Eye of Mikhail." Teito Klein was already furious. He was also determined. And hearing the voice say that inside his head, Teito had reached a conclusion. He could feel Mikage perched upon his shoulders, and he drew upon his memories and emotions to further find his strength. He had made a promise to become stronger so that he could protect the ones he cared about, especially from Ayanami, who he was now engaged in battle with. "I know that," Teito spoke out aloud, even though the voice had only spoken to him within his head, and not to Ayanami. Teito opened his eyes, which were green and resolute, and glared at Ayanami. "And because of that, I will..." Teito willed his Zaiphon to form, and its words formed a ring and shell around him as he channeled power through his bascule. He raised his staff, confident, and cast the Zaiphon that he was holding. A brilliant light shone from the tip of his bascule, and it soon engulfed its caster. It grew further still, and the last thing that could be seen as it engulfed Ayanami was his grimace. The light did not stop there. Its reach was not to be denied, as it extended to the far corners of the church, where the fighting had not yet been ceased. Everyone who gazed upon it were stunned at the sight until they, too, were consumed by it. ~~~ Twilight Sparkle had, levitated alongside her, a scroll that contained an inventory of newly acquired books for the Ponyville library. She silently skimmed through the list, making a mental checklist of what books she simply had to add to the shelves in the library, her joy growing with each title. It was a good batch, and even though she might not be able to put them all on for display, she would definitely keep them in mind. Twilight heard a bump and the cluttering of books as they fell onto the floor, catching her attention from the scroll. She turned to source of the distraction, and she let out a small gasp. "Spike!" she called out, hurrying over to where a pile of books had fallen. "Are you all right?" Twilight was just about to use her magic to help lift the books off, when her dragon assistant and friend emerged from the pile, grumbling. She couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, and gave Spike a quick once-over to make sure he was unhurt. "But Twilight, wouldn't it have been easier to have invited everypony else to help?" Spike grumbled as she finished her check. "Oh, Spike-" Twilight shook her head, smiling "-everypony else is busy as well, with their own things." "I know, I know," Spike replied with a sigh. "Although I'm still getting a gemstone cupcake later, right?" "Yes, Spike, you will." Spike grinned at the thought of being able to sink his teeth into some gemstones, and happily he picked up some books, inspecting them for damage. "So, Twilight," he started. "What books are we going to set aside and put up today?" As he finished the statement, the books became enveloped in Twilight's magical glow, and he released his grip on them. The books remained in the air, then floated over to Twilight. "Well, these Daring Do books should remain on the shelves-" Twilight turned the books so that Spike could see the covers "-because you know how much Rainbow Dash likes them. And she's not the only pony who likes them, either!" Saying the name of one of their friends caused the two to break into a smile as they allowed themselves to think of the good times they shared with Rainbow. A hoot made Twilight turn to its direction, where she could see Owlowiscious on his perch, possibly waiting for Twilight to make a request of him. She just continued smiling, however, and began arranging the cluttered books to a more manageable layout. Twilight was almost done and ready to start re-adding books to the shelves, when a sudden flash of light appeared from nowhere. It was brilliant, yet not blinding, and it engulfed everything in the library. Twilight instinctively closed her eyes and turned away from the source of the light, and her companions did the same. The light faded away as quickly as it had appeared, and Twilight opened her eyes, noticing a very strange sight in front of her. Before her was some sort of creature. It had a pale skin or coat, and was clothed in some sort of white robing. It had green eyes, and stood on two legs. It had two additional limbs, one of which was raised high and somehow grasping a strange staff in its hands. On its shoulder was perched what must have been some small animal, which was shivering slightly. Worse of all, this creature was facing directly at her. Twilight was experiencing a whole array of emotions in that moment. She was fearful for she had not seen such a creature before, and she could not be sure of its motives. She was curious to know what the light could have been, and also to research more about the creature in front of her. She was in disbelief because of the sheer suddenness and absurdity of the current situation. All of those emotions played out in the matter of a few heartbeats. The creature's eyes widened, and briefly Twilight wondered whether it was from surprise. The creature began to lower its limb which held the staff, resting the base of it against the floor. It somehow seemed to be staring warily at her, as if it was just as baffled by the situation as she was. "At least its not attacking me yet", she thought to herself, and took it as a good sign. Perhaps the creature wasn't hostile, and maybe it was intelligent enough that she could start researching into it. She took a deep breath, hoping that the creature did not mistake it for an act of aggresion. However, just before she could even do anything, the creature doubled over, and let loose a terrifying sound. Twilight let out a mental cry of alarm, believing that the creature wished to do her harm, and instinctively she called up a spell she would defend herself with. It was a simple spell, one which she had put to good effect during the changeling invasion of Canterlot, even though it proved futile in the end. Her horn began to glow, and from it she shot out a single magic bolt at the creature. She hoped that it would be as effective as it had been when she used it against the changelings, if not better. But what transpired next definitely surprised her. The creature moved the limb that was not holding the staff across its body, and wordings began to appear in a ring around him. The bolt collided with this ring, and it somehow caused a miniature explosion in the library. There was an audible boom, and a smoke appeared at the point of impact. Twilight's next instinct told her to pour as much magic bolts as she could into the smoke cloud, but she stopped herself from doing so. After all, she did not know exactly what had happened, and she didn't want to cause any unnecessary damage to the library than she had to. She didn't have to wait long. The smoke began to clear up almost immediately, and her heart skipped a beat. The creature was already in the air, and it seemed to be... flipping over! It had somehow leapt backwards, and was flipping with a speed and grace which she did not think was possible for it. It continued its maneuver until its feet impacted solidly with the walls of the library. Amazingly, it did not drop, but was somehow rooted in place. Twilight could see that the robes it was wearing was sagging towards the ground, so it was definitely being affected by gravity. And yet, it somehow did not drop! Twilight would have been awed, and would have liked to figure out how it did that, if the creature was not hostile towards her. "Perhaps I can still do my research later," she thought to herself. But first, she knew she had to find a way to stop the creature before it hurt anypony, and it certainly didn't faze her that she might have to hurt it to do so. ~~~ Teito could feel his boots land upon something solid, and instantly he arrived to the conclusion that it must have been a wall. He stopped himself from falling immediately with just a touch of Zaiphon, and retracted further, preparing himself to lunge at the purple colored creature that had attacked him. He had no idea whatsoever where he was, or what he was facing, and all of it had caught him off-guard. After all, it had started the fight when he sneezed, launching what was not unlike his own Zaiphon bolt towards him. He felt lucky to have reacted quickly enough to use his Zaiphon to defend himself, but he also cursed himself for his complacency. Mikage could have been hurt by whatever the bolt was, and he could not let that happen. As he brought himself into position for his lateral leap, he began to channel Zaiphon into his bascule. A ring of his Zaiphon formed around the tip, and he readied himself to end it in his next attack. Teito leaped forward, lunging towards the horselike creature. As he flew towards it, his mind somehow clicked an answer: that he was in a library. It also wondered whether Frau might have one of his 'special books' stashed somewhere in here as well. Forcefully, he shoved those thoughts out. He could not afford to be distracted, not now. Just before he reached the creature, Teito swiped with the bascule. Had the blow landed, it would have taken out a normal human who had no access to Zaiphon. In fact, he was sure that he did even not have to reinforce his attack with Zaiphon to achieve that effect, but he wanted to be certain. As he made his attack, however, the most inexplicable thing happened. In a bright flash of purple light, the creature was suddenly gone. Teito had no way to alter his trajectory or to stop his attack. His bascule connected with the ground, causing it to shatter where it hit. Some of the fragments flew out from the radius, and he grimaced. He should have expected his enemy to dodge, but how could he have predicted this? Teito landed on his shoulders, hard. He continued it into a slight roll, and emerged into a crouch. He realized that he was no longer facing the horse creature, but a smaller one of a similar color. Its facial expression, if it actually was that, was contorted in shock and horror. It was not attacking him yet, but it could very well do so at any moment. And Teito had no idea where the horse had gone. Should he attack the smaller creature? Assess the situation and get to a better position? His answer came in the form of an abruptly hard blow to his side. The bascule flew free of his hand, and he landed with a grunt, rolling as he did so. Dimly, he realized that Mikage was no longer on his shoulder. As his roll came to a stop, he forced himself to look for Mikage. He spotted his friend just out of his reach, and the two creatures were advancing upon them. Teito felt horror wash through him, worried for his friend who had already once sacrificed his life for him, and the creatures who now seemed intent to make him endure such a sacrifice again. Teito would not have that. He would protect his friends with his own hands now. Calling upon his reserves of strength, Teito scrambled to his feet. He was vaguely aware that the horse creature's horn was glowing, and he knew had to come next. He didn't have the strength to call upon his Zaiphon, but he could still protect his friend. He dived for Mikage, scooping him up and pressing him close to his chest in a protective hug. Again, there came a blow to his side, and he found himself hurtling through the air. An instant later, his body forcefully impacted against the wall. Teito had endured great beatings before, and he could have carried on in his prime. But he was exhausted. The bishop's exam had been harrowing, and his fight with Ayanami was, too. His vision turned black, and regardless of how things were going to turn out, he was comforted by the feel of Mikage in his hands. At least, they were together.
Nature's ProphetHe could see the future. Everything he saw would come to pass, as it did for the other members of his family who would peer into the future as well. But even knowing that something like this might have occured, Labrador felt worry for everyone he held dear in the Church, which was now undergoing an invasion from the Barsburg Army. Most of all, he was worried for Teito Klein, who had been in the center of his visions. The one who had attracted so many Kors, Wars and now even Warsfeil to the church since his arrival, and who had also brought unease and disquiet to the flowers Labrador found joy in attending to. His instinct urged him to hurry to the boy's aid, but he could not. For he and his fellow Ghost, Castor, were being impeded by two skilled Warsfeil, who were standing across from them on the bridge. The two reminded him slightly of Frau, another one of his Ghost comrades, and Teito, who Frau treated as his protege. Similar hair colors, and possibly even a similar relationship as well; the elder one was referred to as Lieutenant by the younger one, who was called Konatsu by the former. But Labrador could not afford to dwell on that now. He had to wrap things up quickly, and Castor might act at anytime. He had to be ready for action. Aside from the scythe that he could wield as Profe, his Ghost form, Labrador was somewhat limited in offense, owing in part on the type of Zaiphon that he employed, which was the healing type. He would not have wished for any other type of Zaiphon, for helping others was his calling in life, or as he was now a Ghost, in death. Additionally, the plants that he so cared for would aid him, bringing into play their different effects, and while he could grow and use them conventionally, Labrador could also manifest them with his Zaiphon. The silver rose he had given Teito after a particular vision had proved useful in protecting the young apprentice bishop from a Kor. Labrador had also used a darkness eating plant to deal with a Warsfeil who had been standing guard while his partner went after Frau. There was movement next to him as Castor acted. The bespectacled bishop stretched out his arms, and his Ghost strings, which manifested when he ascended to take over as Fest, shot out towards the two Warsfeil across them. Labrador saw his chance, and reacted at once. He too, stretched out his arms, and his Zaiphon, manifesting as plant roots, shot from his hands and intertwined themselves around Castor's Ghost strings, increasing the potency of the attack. As an added touch, the darkness eating flowers bloomed from the roots, and had the attack landed, it might have ended it there. Unfortunately, the black haired Warsfeil reacted almost instantaneously. He gripped the hilt of his second sword, and with a quick slash, interrupted the attack and cut the Zaiphon down. He was skilled, that much Labrador would credit to him. After all, these two did serve Ayanami. That counted for something. Before the fight could take a turn for either side, however, a most peculiar thing occurred. A light appeared from within the Church. It was brilliant, yet not blinding to the eye. Labrador, Castor and even the two Warsfeil, stared at it, dumbstruck, and in the brief moment it took from when it appeared to engulfing the fighters, Labrador had one last though in mind. "Teito?" ~~~ "Don't ya mention it, Fluttershy! There's nothin to thank me fer helping out a friend!" Applejack smiled sheepishly at her friend, pulling her hat down to hide her slight blush. All she did was to deliver some relatively fresh apples to the yellow pegasus, who might have been able to put them to use for her many animal friends. It was just a small gesture on Applejack's part, but Fluttershy was getting just a bit too insistent in thanking her, especially when Applejack had refused payment for the batch of fruits. Fluttershy was beaming, and leaned closer to the basket of apples. She looked at them in glee for a moment, before turning back to the cow-pony. "Angel and the others will be so happy with these apples! Thank y-" Fluttershy squeaked mid-sentence as a bright light appeared and engulfed her home. She immediately brought up her hooves to cover her eyes, while Applejack turned to the side, while at the same time pulling her hat down to cover the side of her face that was towards the light. As quickly and suddenly as it had appeared, the light faded. Something shuffling against the floor could be heard by the two ponies as they opened their eyes, their gaze locked towards what had been the center from which the light had emanated. And they were shocked by what they saw. Standing there was a creature draped in white, its clothing swaying slightly with a gentle breeze entering from one of the cottage's open windows. It stood on two limbs, with two more limbs hanging across its body, as if in some defensive gesture. Its 'coat' was pale, its 'mane' was lavender, and its eyes were periwinkle. Its face, oddly, was frozen in an expression of shock. The two ponies gaped at the creature, which in turn, gaped back at them. Neither party spoke, nor even moved, bound from the effect of the shock they were feeling. The creature was the first to move, lowering the limbs across his body. The sudden movement took Fluttershy by surprise, and with a squeal of fright, she jumped behind the couch, cowering from the creature and hoping that she was hidden from its sight. Applejack jumped as her friend did so, but after a brief moment, she sprung into action. She wouldn't let whatever this creature was harm her friend. "Ah don't know what yer are, but yer aren't hurting Fluttershy, yer hear?!" Applejack positioned herself between the creature and the couch where Fluttershy was hiding behind, her stance low and ready to dash in and buck the creature if it came to that. And Applejack was pretty good at bucking creatures that threatened her friends The creature stared at her as it raised one of its limb to its shortened muzzle, and for some odd reason, Applejack felt that the creature was contemplating what she had said. Was this creature intelligent, then? After a few tense moments, the creature lowered its hands, the gestures almost causing Applejack to take it as a sign of aggression and react. Thankfully, Applejack managed to keep herself from doing so. The creature must have somehow sensed this, because it cocked its head to the side... and smiled warmly, causing Applejack's jaw to drop in confusion. ~~~ Labrador had no idea what was going on. One moment, he had been next to Castor as the light washed over them, and suddenly, he was standing in the middle of what looked like a house, under the gazing eyes of what looked like miniature, colored horses. He was shocked by the situation of course, and he could feel the tenseness in the air, but somehow, he didn't feel that they had wanted to cause him harm. And there was something else, too. He could hear the voices of plants around him, though they were outside the home. They were definitely different from the ones he had tended to in the Church, and there was a healthy amount of suspicion of him. But if they were willing to talk to him, a stranger in whatever world this was, it was a good sign. The plants were telling things, foremost of which was not to harm the 'yellow pegasus', who had tended to them so lovingly. The plants were also praising the 'orange earth pony', for though she grew plants and used their fruits for money, she certainly knew how to tend to them, if not as gently as the pegasus did. Hearing all of that, and seeing the orange one resisting the urge to attack him, Labrador decided that they were only acting out of shock, and did not wish him harm. He, too, did not wish harm upon anyone if he could help it, even if they had committed a wrong. He had wanted to let the spy for the Barsburg army go after getting the information he needed from him, until the two Warsfeil, who he had been fighting together with Castor, killed him. Labrador continued smiling, until he felt a stir of activity behind him. He could sense it as an act of aggression, and he deftly pivoted to his side, dodging an attack from what seemed like a white ball of fur. It flew high in mid-kick, staring at him with what seemed like an expression of shock, perhaps from the speed at which Labrador had evaded its attack. Labrador caught the creature as gently as he could with both hands, and for a moment it stared at him, dumbfounded. Even with the gloves of his bishop attire impeding his sense of touch, Labrador could tell that the creature he held was warm, and definitely fluffy with fur. He chuckled, and shifted to holding the creature with a single hand, and using the other to pet it gently. The creature resisted, until it realized that the bishop meant it no harm, and hesitantly allowed itself to enjoy the attention. In the midst of all that, the orange pony had unconsciously moved towards him, taking in and processing the situation as best as she could. The yellow one had also come out from her hiding spot behind the couch, and was closing in on him, fast. Not to mention that she had wings, and she was flying, now. Labrador shied away from the yellow one, instinctively trying to cover the white animal he was holding. However, the yellow one plucked the animal out from his hands very quickly, and brought him close to her eyes, inspecting him closely. When she spoke, Labrador could feel the compassion and concern flowing from her mouth, as if it was inborn within her. "Oh, Angel dear, are you all right?" Angel nodded his head, then turned back to Labrador in curiosity, and act which the yellow flying pony mirrored. Labrador took a moment to compose himself, and smiled. These creatures weren't so bad, after all. And perhaps, they could help him. No, he knew they could. For the future had already come to Labrador. He knew Teito Klein was here, as well as Frau, and Castor. He had seen more, as well, but he would now focus on the more pressing matters; to find Teito and his Ghost friends. Labrador already knew some of the circumstances behind Teito's current situation. He knew that he would get to see the boy soon. And he was smiling, because of the fact that these two very ponies that stood (and hovered!) before him would be the ones to bring him to Teito. He had to gain the trust of these ponies, so he had to communicate with them. Once it was done, they would know they need not fear him, and they might even be willing to help him as his vision had foretold. Feeling the touch of his healing Zaiphon, and coupled with the vision he had seen, Labrador was confident in what he was striving to accomplish. Labrador bent over to bring himself as close as he could to both the ponies level as was possible(since his bishop cassock tearing would have been embarrassing!). And, in a voice that was as gentle as the yellow pony's, he spoke with a smile. "My name is Labrador! What's yours?" Author's Note This chapter is just a filler, and there may be a bit more in future. Reunion is where the story will continue.
Reunion, Part 1Teito's eyes opened reluctantly, his body yelling at him internally for more rest. His eyelids fluttered for a moment, as he slowly drifted between sleep and semi-consciousness again. Thoughts slowly crept into his mind, gnawing at him, and prompting him back to wakefulness. "How long had I been out? What's going on?" Teito groaned as his senses came back, and the first thing he felt was pain surrounding his body. The pain wasn't particularly fresh, but his body was sore and aching, as if he had been training without rest for a few days. He tried to bring a hand up to rub fatigue out of his eyes, and was surprised to see that all of his limbs had been tied to a bed with rope. He pulled against the rope, causing it to sink painfully into his wrist, jolting his memory. "Mikage! Those creatures!" He had been fighting Ayanami before he had fallen unconscious, and afterwards, following the Zaiphon he had cast, he had engaged in a quick brawl with some creatures he had never seen before. He had lost to them, resulting in him being knocked out. But what had happened to Mikage? Did the creatures hurt him?! Teito struggled frantically against his restraints. He even managed to call out some Zaiphon onto his hands, and felt a surge of strength. The ropes didn't block Zaiphon, and though he was impeded in casting it because of being bound, it would not stop him from rushing to Mikage's aid. After all, Mikage would have done the same! On the verge of tears with images of Mikage being tortured all over again, Teito mustered as much energy as he could summoning his Zaiphon. He had a sizable amount, and he was just about to cast it to free himself when a familiar scent filled his nose. With his concentration lost, the Zaiphon he had been channeling dissipated. He turned to his side, following the scent, and he was shocked by what he saw. Sitting on a stool, next to the bed, was a man Teito was overjoyed to see again. Frau was seated, eyes closed and looking towards the floor, with a lit cigarette in hand, letting out an occasional puff of smoke. Teito didn't even bother to contain his tears. With Frau here, things didn't seem so bad anymore. He leaned as close to that edge of the bed as he could, tears streaming down his face. "Frau?" he called out, forgetting for a moment the situation he was in. Frau raised his head and opened his eyes. As he locked gazes with Teito, he smirked. "I leave my eyes off you for a minute, and you get yourself into more trouble, you damned brat," he mocked. There was no doubt in Teito's mind; this was the real Frau that was seated before him, and not some figment of imagination from his pain-addled mind. From the scent of the cigarette he was smoking, down to his reaction, it was all too real not to be Frau. "Frau!" Teito cried out, pulling against the ropes that bound him in an attempt to lean as close to Frau as he could. "What's going on? What have you been doing? Where's Ayanami? Where's Mikage?! Is it really you?!" Frau stood up and sneered. "Who else could it be, you damned brat?" Teito pouted, although he was, in actuality overjoyed to see Frau. Had he not been tied down in bed, Teito might actually have leaped out to hug him. "Do you like getting yourself bound up, you damned brat?" Frau asked mockingly as he walked over to Teito, examining the rope that bound his limbs. He bent over slightly and reached out for Teito. "Let's see if we can't-" Frau froze, and he paled. "Frau?" Teito asked him inquisitively. The man didn't respond. Teito followed his gaze towards the window, and his eyes widened in surprise at what he saw. Hanging outside with his hands on the windowsill, and peering in rather intimadtingly, was Castor. His gaze was fastened squarely on Frau. "Frau..." Castor started, as he eased himself into the room. "What do you think you're doing to Teito?" Frau began mumbling unintelligently as Castor closed upon him, but was unable to vocalize proper words, and Castor stopped in front of him. Right before a loud grunt and thud rang out in the area. ~~~ Frau was seated on the bed, next to Teito, clutching his stinging abdomen as the conversation took place. He glanced sidelong towards Castor, the one how had elbowed him earlier, only to be ignored by him. Frau allowed his irritation to boil for moment, before letting it all out with a sigh. At the very least, it was good that he was here with Teito, Castor and even Labrador. But there were pressing issues to settle, the first of which was : What had happened to bring them here? Wherever 'here', was. The purple horned pony, who had identified herself as Twilight Sparkle, was going on some sort of intelligent monologue about the possible reasons that had brought Frau and his friends into their world, which was aptly named Equestria. Frau was disinterested in hearing her out, but he could see Teito and Castor paying close attention to her. Labrador, on the other hand, was only half listening, while giving out herbal tea to the attendees with a smile. Frau took a cup of tea and sipped gratefully, because Labrador really knew his way around tea. Almost as soon as he drank it, Frau felt the pain in his abdomen subside somewhat, partly from the effects of the herbal tea, and partly from the effect of the distraction drinking it had helped. He also couldn't help wondering if Labrador could have infused his tea with some healing Zaiphon, either. Castor suddenly interjected Twilight in mid-speech. "You've been speaking quite a bit about magic, Miss Twilight," he spoke, adjusting his glasses as he did so. "Unfortunately, Teito here-" he gestured towards Teito "-used Zaiphon, and more specifically, the power he had over the Eye of Mikhail to transport us here. While Zaiphon and your magic does share is similarities, I'm afraid it's still two very different things we're talking about here. I wouldn't be too sure that your magic would be able to help us in our predicament." A few of the other ponies present nodded in understanding. Twilight considered this for moment. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to try!" she replied optimistically. "The elements of Harmony might also be useful at this juncture, and I'll have Spike send a letter to the Princesses about this situation as soon as possible. They may have an answer for us! Spike! Take a letter to the Princess!" The dragon whelp, Spike, produced a piece of parchment, and inkwell and a quill, holding them at the ready. Before he could receive further instructions, however, the white unicorn, Rarity, spoke out. "Twilight, darling," she started. "It would be best if we informed Mayor Mare as well. After all, she IS the mayor of Ponyville. She does have a right to know about these things." This was received with nods from the ponies in attendance. The men there, however, had no clue what was going on, and simply let the ponies convene among themselves. Twilight herself nodded. "Absolutely," she replied. "Mayor Mare should know about this. Rarity, would you do the honors?" Rarity smiled as she stood up. "Of course I would be happy to, Twilight!" she replied. "I'll be back before you know it!" With that, Rarity strode out of the room with poise. As she passed Teito, Mikage let out a tiny 'burupya!' in farewell, eliciting a squeal of delight from the yellow pegasus pony seated next to the door (which was coincidentally the furthest away from the humans), who name was Fluttershy. Labrador had shared with his friends that Fluttershy had a way with animals, and she was the one who had tenderly carried Mikage back to Teito. After the door closed behind Rarity, Twilight turned back to her assistant, who raised the parchment and quill again. Twilight nodded, and started on what sounded like another monologue to Frau, much to his chagrin. "Dear Princess Celestia..." ~~~ Lyra hadn't seen humans before, but they had intrigued her. They stood upon two legs and had two upper limbs as well, similar to what a pony might have looked like if they stood upon their hindlegs. But what passed for forelegs for these creatures begged curiosity. Their forelimbs ended with five appendages per side, and it was definitely prehensile, judging by how that red 'maned' human who used them to hang outside of Twilight Sparkle's window. As much as she was frightened by these unknown creatures, Lyra's curiosity had been piqued. She had to know more about these humans. She continued spying on the library, hoping to catch a glimpse of the human, or humans if there were more in there. And Lyra could feel it that it was so. Maybe she'd even have a firsthoof account to share with Bon Bon! How exciting! Lyra hoped she was as hidden as she felt, continuing with keeping her eyes on the library's windows and doors. Her attention was disrupted, however, when a sudden chill blew across her, and she heard the gentle flapping of wings. She looked around, and yet she could not locate the source of the mysterious wing flapping. As she returned her attention to the library, a voice sounded in Lyra's mind. If it could have been felt physically, it would have been cold and threatening. "I see that you have taken an interest in the humans hands," the voice resonated in her mind. "Would you be interested in trying them?" Lyra's decision came almost instantly, with a resounding mental "Yes!". The voice chuckled in her mind, and Lyra could feel something pressing against her cutie mark. She exhaled sharply, and the last thing she saw before blacking out was the silhouette of multiple humans and ponies moving within the library.
