Harp-Struck

Chapters

Chapter One: Jump!
Chapter Two: Welcome to Equestria
Chapter Three: Getting Suited Up
Chapter Four: The Symphonies of Canterlot
Chapter Five: The Equine Waltz
Chapter Six: The Black Unicorn
Chapter Seven: Stuck With You

Chapter One: Jump!

Harpstruck

By Winged Sheath

Chapter One: Jump!

A cold, gloomy day in England is where my story begins.

I trudged through the grey rainy streets of my hometown on my way back to my house from school, a myriad of things plaguing my beating mind as I walked along the wet pavement. Most of them I was in a hurry to forget. My bag was weighing me down with a collection of dreary papers and coursework I carried to and from the place. Every weekday was the same old routine: get up, get dressed in my suits, pack my bag, go to school, learn, talk ponies with my fellow Brony friend and fan-artist, wander home, watch My Little Pony and go to bed. Weekends were the same, just no school and more ponies.

The only item or items of interest in my bag were a collection of fan arts my aforementioned friend had drawn for me. The anticipation and curiosity to see what kind of pony artwork he had whipped up this time spurred me to walk faster, eagerness driving me forward. Finally, after what seemed like a millennia of absent-minded walking I arrived at the plain white door of my house. I fumbled in my jacket pocket for my keys, accidently putting my hand through my waistcoat in the process. Nngh, come on. After wriggling my hand out, I took my keys from my pocket and placed them in the lock, hearing the same old click of the locking mechanism lifting from the latch before I pulled the handle down and walked inside. But before I closed the door, I turned to look for a moment at the pale rainy sky. A small ray of sunlight was peeking through a gap in the clouds.

“Heh, they’ll be a rainbow in the sky today,” I remarked cheerily, before I shut the door. As soon as the cold air was shut out the pain on my collar bone from my cumbersome bag strap returned. Now it was no longer an obligation for this mundane item to be causing me any more pain, I lifted it off and let it fall to the floor, my shoulder cracking as the burden was removed from it. My legs had grown weak from the cold and I let myself collapse on the couch with a muffled thud, my mother and father were working late and wouldn’t be back for another three hours. I undid my red tie and unbuttoned my collar, the top of my silver waistcoat pressing into my chest. “Ahh, it’s time.” I switched on the television and searched through my recordings, I typed in the keywords and began watching ‘A Canterlot Wedding’ and had a look at some of the artwork my friend had drawn up for me. For the record I didn’t watch that episode for the story, or because it featured Chrysalis like my friend’s reason, but because it was the only episode that gave my favourite pony Miss Lyra Heartstrings a speaking role – albeit only two words and an ‘I’.

I had been a Brony since June 21st and unlike most people who stumble across this amazing phenomenon, I had absolutely no intention of actually becoming one. It was just because my friend, who was the only original Brony in our friendship group, a fact that I was quite surprised to learn this since he was in his words ‘The Harbinger of Darkness’, had made a bet with me that if I watched the show I’d like it. Sufficed to say I lost. I loved the show the moment I started watching the first three episodes. But it was one of the more positive losses I had suffered, it was either this loss or having my brains dashed out while playing football, rugby or some other sport I loathed.

That fateful day was when it all began, now five months on I was sat down watching the very show that had been the foundation of me finally being able to express my individuality, without fear of somebody judging me. Since I became a Brony, a bit after the first month or so I felt a growing desire to do something within this fandom rather than just watch the show. That’s when I discovered the great, powerful and sometimes strange art of writing fan-fictions. I began writing them first on paper just to test the waters and then when I actually discovered Fimfiction, I published my work on there. However, the more fics I read, the more I fell under the spell of wishing that Equestria were real, much like any other writer in this fandom.

Come on, we’ve all savoured the thought at some point.

I just wanted to get away from all the wrongs in the world, don’t get me wrong, school was fun and so was being around all my friends, but although we tried to blind ourselves to it, society had its flaws. On a personal note, my family didn’t take my new found individuality well. Since the day I called ‘The finding’ they would grow uncomfortable around me, or walk out of the room if I was watching the show or wearing my pony t-shirts around the house. I particularly enjoyed wearing them in public, smiling as I welcomed the judgemental looks of awe, surprise and even disgust from passers-by. ‘See if I give a buck!’ was my motto.

But I digress let’s continue with the TV. The episode had finished and I retrieved my bag from the floor, quietly singing the theme tune to myself in giggly bliss, hopelessly wishing I could be in that world.

Well, that day would forever go down in history to be my luckiest day of all days.

I switched off the TV and bounded up the stairs, trying to refrain from making a clip-clop noise as I trotted across the landing and into my fic writing domain. Namely, my bedroom. My fan-fiction notebook was sitting on my bed along with the rest of my work, I couldn’t use a desk or anything that required me to sit, if I did I would immediately become stricken with writers block which stemmed my flow of ideas like a crows beak tool staunching a bleeding artery. The only location that would do was my bed. Maybe it was the fact that I got a cramp in my right shoulder when my elbow pressed into the mattress as I penned my work. Like they say ‘No pain, no gain’.

I greeted my Lyra figurine – which I had bought on my recent visit to MCM Expo – as I walked past it. She stood proudly on my bookshelf, keeping a watchful eye on my work as I flopped onto the bed and stretched the aching muscles around my neck. I rested my head on my arms and sank into my bed, slipping into what I called a ‘writer’s nexus’ to think of ideas for new stories and dreaming of a world I thought fictional. Sadly I didn’t have much time to daydream however as I was awoken from my nexus by the ringing of my phone. The call came from an unknown number, which I thought was strange, adverts or call centres usually had a number. Steeling myself for an obscene phone call, I pressed the answer key and brought the phone to my ear. “H-hello, who is this?” I asked, with a slight tone of uneasiness in my voice.

“Doorstep, two minutes, you’ll know.” The voice sounded strangely familiar, David Tennant maybe?

“What, who is this? Hello, hello?” Whoever had rung me had hung up. I’ll use the redial. I clicked the redial key and listened intently, but the phone just beeped repeatedly. “What? No connection point? That can’t be, h-how?” My pulse began to elevate in light in of this new, yet puzzling information. I switched off my phone and threw it aside, trying to put it out of my mind, in order to distract myself further I pulled over my notebook, put myself in my painful writing position and continued with my stories.

DING-DONG, DING-DONG

My heart nearly crashed through my ribcage and threatened to break my skin as the sound reached my ears, to which my leg muscles responded too by springing me off my bed and onto the carpet, my face taking the blow. “AH, damn it!” I swore as I got up from the floor.

I threw my notebook aside and made my way down the stairs, power walking through the kitchen to the front door. I placed my hand on the door, gulped once, and opened it. I stood there completely bewildered, as instead of a person at the door there was only a small leather box on the doorstep, with a grey and green envelope attached to the lid. Perplexed, I picked up the box and retreated back inside, sitting down on the couch with the box on my lap, taking a moment to admire its design. I hoped that whatever was inside was worthy of being kept in such a well-made box, it felt slightly heavy, but not enough to be cumbersome in any way. Like unwrapping a present, I decided to open the envelope first. I took it to the kitchen drawer and retrieved a letter knife, an item that was rarely made use of in my house. I put the knife in the gap and sliced the top open, parting the paper. Inside was a folded letter written in strong black ink.

The letter simply read. 'You know where to go my friend, be sure to pack.' The first note ended there; signed with the initials ‘DW’. Puzzled further still, I directed my eyes to the second note, which was in slightly more emboldened writing.

'Make sure you’re not inside when you use it for the first time.You’ll be fine once you’re in Equestria. From DH.' I sat there dumbfounded and set the notes on my lap. For a moment, I contemplated whom those two initials could belong to; completely missing the ‘Equestria’ part. But then my mind registered it and responded with a sudden jolt of my heart and slightly mental euphoria splashing around my body, then using that context I immediately worked out the two initials

“I-it can’t be… Doctor Whooves?” I looked at the other note. “And Derpy too?” Unable to handle the suspense a second longer, I unclicked the latch on the box and opened it. Inside was a small wrist bracer about the length of my lower arm with leather like buckles at each end, I opened the metal cover on the top to find a QWERTY keypad and screen. “I… I know this, this is a dimension jump device that I saw on… how the buck did he know that? Ah no matter, like he said, ‘Time to pack!’”

I bounded up the stairs into my room and flung open the wardrobe, throwing my small suitcase onto the bed as took out my best suits and placed them as neatly as I could inside it. I donned my previous blue suit and tied my tie. “If I’m going to Equestria I may as well look my best.” I packed the case with a few other necessities before zipping it up. I then filed my fan-fiction notes in my school bag that I had emptied of its previous contents. I retrieved my laptop with saved fictions on it from my drawer and put it in a special shock resistant bag which I had bought at an army surplus shop, let’s just say I was a bit worried about breaking my more fragile belongings. I clasped the device on my arm and turned to leave my room, but before I could walk back out onto the landing, my eyes caught my jet-black Voltaire-tuned guitar, which was propped against my bookshelf. I picked it up and looked at it in thought. “Even though I can only play basic, I guess I could play better than any pony since I have my hands, plus Lyra’s a musical mare. Heh, this will be very useful.” I smiled and strapped my guitar on my shoulder.

Suited, booted and ready to go, I scrambled down the stairs with my ‘luggage’ of sorts in tow, before I opened the front door I took one last look around the room. “Goodbye everyone,” I said, my words fading into the empty house.

I sighed, almost remorsefully, before I walked out the door, locking it for the last time.

I must have been mad to think that this device could actually take me to Equestria, but I had to try, if there was any hope of escaping this prison called ‘Earth’. I knew full well where I was heading, I was on my way to a set of fields behind my house, I was confident the open space would give me enough room, but I couldn’t be too careful. As I reached the end of the alleyway and into the early reaches of the field, small feelings of remorse and regret began to plague my excited mind. If this worked, I would be leaving my family and my friends behind, I’d never be seen again, there would just be a missing person poster on every lamppost around my hometown. But I had had a dream since becoming a Brony, a unique dream, dreamt only by me. Now with the help of the device I could finally live that dream.

And as I sit here tapping away at my laptop; writing the account of all that has transpired. That dream, was worth all the regret I may have felt at that particular point in time.

After a few minutes of walking, I made it to an open space that I was satisfied with. I brought the device within my line of sight and turned it on, eliciting a small beep from it as the screen whirred into life to reveal a map of Equestria. I decided to start in a place that I was the most familiar with and keyed in ‘Ponyville’. It was like a little 3D map, everything was recognisable, Sugar Cube Corner, the Golden Oaks Library, Carousel Boutique. They were all there. I pressed the green confirm key and a digital timer appeared, counting down from ten.

Ten

Nine

Eight “I can’t believe it!”

Seven

Six “Finally!”

Five

Four

Three

Two “Goodbye Earth! Hello Ponies!”

One

The device bleeped and the screen went black.

My heart sank. “Oh for buck’s sa-AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!” A white flash met my eyes and then all was dark.

Chapter Two: Welcome to Equestria

“Hey what’s that?” Pinkie Pie thought aloud to herself.

Pinkie had been running an errand outside of Ponyville and noticed on her way back that there was a small crater a few yards from the bridge leading into the village. Being the curious pony that Pinkie was she decided to investigate. She trotted off the road and peered inside the hole in the ground. In the crater’s centre, was my unconscious body, I was surrounded by burnt papers, my clothes were tattered and torn. That jump had almost killed me. But then again it’s not every day you are shot through the fabric of time and space into another universe dominated by candy-coloured equines. But people always say the universe is infinite, don’t they?

What’s that smell? I thought, my half-comatose brain still trying to restore my vision, but my olfactory receptors seemed to prevail at that moment. Th-this scent… It smells like… Cupcakes, hmm. Then my subconscious kicked in and a horrible thought reached the front of my mind as I realised where and how this scent could reach me as my memory was cast back to a particular fan-fiction my friend had read to me, putting me in a catatonic state for almost a day. Cupcakes… Cupcakes… CUPCAKES! I shouted the last word aloud as my eyes shot open and I tried to scramble to my feet, but given the slight slope of the crater, I fell backwards, landing straight on my backside. I took a moment to gather my senses and slowly climbed out, my vision still a blur. I groaned and shook my head, trying to adjust my sight to the pink mass in front of me. When my line of sight cleared, it was made clear to me that the mass standing before me. Was none other than Pinkie Pie herself – who for the record was still giggling at my sudden outburst.

“Ooh I love cupcakes, especially ones with multi-coloured icing, they remind me of Dashie.”

A small pang of fear shot through my diaphragm. D-did she realise what she just said? I thought to myself; my adrenal glands were ready to send me speeding off into the sunset at that, but I shook my head. No, that was a fan-fiction; this is reality… sort of. I added, remembering where I was and then it hit me, I was in Equestria! I pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I wasn’t. I couldn’t contain it any longer and due to the fact I was now overjoyed beyond the capacity of rational thought I began leaping about the place shouting. “Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes!” Much like Twilight had done when she got her cutie mark.

“Ooh, this is fun! I love bouncing up and down!” she giggled as she bounded along with me.

Upon realising I had company; I stopped bouncing and turned to face the excitement-radiating pink earth pony. “H-hello, Pinkie Pie.” I greeted nervously, unsure of how to react at this point.

Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened and her mouth grew into a smile upon the utterance of her name. I had seen enough MLP to realise where this was going. I braced myself as she began one of her inquisitive onslaughts. “You know my name?” She became excited in a heartbeat. “Ooh, how’ja do that, how’ja do that?”

“Magic,” I chuckled a little at that – since that phrase actually held water in this world.

“Ooh wowie! Can you cast a spell, I can’t since I’m an earth pony, but can you?” I laughed at Pinkie’s live wire ponyality; it was so much cuter in real life than through a television screen.

“Heh, no, Pinkie it’s just an expression. By the way do you even know what I am?”

Pinkie Pie shook her head. “Nope, not a cluedy-wuedy.” She smiled a squeeish type smile at me and I could have sworn I heard it.

“Well, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Winged Sheath, I am a human, I think your race might think of me as some sort of mythical creature, but unlike you’re species I have these.” I showed her my hands and wiggled my fingers. I had decided to use my pony OC name rather than my real name, on the premise that it would make more sense to the inhabitants here than my Earth name. I then looked down at my torn blue suit, caked in mud and black burn marks everywhere but the device, which was surprisingly undamaged.

“Ahh, curse this device, this was my best suit. Well at least I’ve still got my… hang on, Pinkie, you haven’t seen a bag anywhere where have you?”

Pinkie looked back over at the hole in the ground. “You mean that smoky thingy in the crater?”

I rushed back over to it and peered inside, the horrific scene meeting my eyes. “AHH, NO! My clothes, my fic notes! They’re all gone…gone…GONE... Oh for goodness sake!” I reached in, picked up the shock resistant bag and opened it. I was surprised to see my little laptop was still in peak condition, even though my notes were literally dead and buried I still had some nice fics to read and some music to listen to.

Pinkie was still laughing at my rather dramatic reaction. “Gee, you sound like Rarity, Sheathy.”

My eyes lit up as an idea sprung into my head on how I could solve my clothing problems. I couldn’t stay in my tattered suit after all. “Pinkie, do you know where Carousel Boutique is?” In hindsight that was a bit of a stupid question, Pinkie knew Ponyville like the back of her hoof, in my defence even though I was a Brony, to my knowledge I was the only Brony who was actually in Equestria, I hardly had the knowledge to navigate the place.

Pinkie nodded. “Sure I do, Sheathy. Why d’ya wanna go there? Do you wanna see Rarity, hmm?” She gave me a playful wink.

I laughed nervously. “Oh no-no-no, I’ll leave that to Spike. I just need some new clothes that’s all. Due to the fact.” I looked down in loathing at the crater. “My current items of clothing are indisposed at this point in time.” I took my laptop out of the shock-resistant bag and clipped the straps of my ruined one to the sleeve my laptop was encased in to make a sort of make-shift bag until I got something sturdier.

Pinkie nodded in agreement. “Yeah you’re right, you look a mess, c’mon then, Sheathy, Ponyville is this way!” She uttered the last few words in a sing-song voice.

I followed as she began bouncing towards Ponyville, but stopped when I realised a certain item was missing from my person. “Oh, Pinkie!” I called to her.

Pinkie Pie turned her head back towards me. “Yeah, Sheathy?” She fluttered her eyes playfully.

“You haven’t seen a guitar anywhere have you?”

Pinkie looked at me in confusion for a moment before realising what I meant. “Oh you mean this?” She trotted behind a nearby tree, procured my Voltaire-tuned guitar and placed it into my hands.

My eyes widened in astonishment, as I realised not a scratch was upon it. “Um…, Pinkie, if my other stuff is a pile of smouldering ash, why is my guitar perfectly intact?"

Pinkie Pie winked at me. “Duh, it wouldn’t be much of a story if your guitar got broken. C’mon, Sheathy let’s get to Rarity’s.” Upon that word, she began her bounce march towards Ponyville.

After sighing dejectedly at my ruined suit, I began to follow her toward the famous village. It was then I began trying my utmost to suppress giggling like a schoolcolt off his head on Nightmare Night confectionary, as the colourful villagers came into view. Everywhere I looked there were different ponies of all manners of colours just going about their business, a truly peaceful and quiet society – that is until they caught site of the mythical human being with half-seared clothing and an unknown instrument on its back. At which point the normal wavy noise of casual conversation was replaced with exclamations of surprise and intrigue, as the villagers bore witness to the fabled entity walking through the town, led by a bouncy pink mare. That’s one way of putting it. In truth though, it was more like this.

“Oh my goodness, look!”

“What’s that? I’ve never seen an animal like that before.”

“Haha, he’s all burnt!”

“Hush!”

“AAH, A MONSTER!” One little filly screamed.

I waved to a few of them as I passed by and I was surprised to see that some of them waved back, but then I remembered, this is Equestria, not Earth. Nobody or nopony judges you here, most of the time anyway. It was then the villagers grew more curious and decided to follow me to find out more. That few quickly became a fair few and then a downright unfair few. In fact, to put it bluntly, I had most of the village on my tail, minus the tail.

“Uh excuse me, mister?” A mauve coloured mare called to me as she trotted beside me, but before I could answer, she was shoved aside by another mare similar in colour. She was either the other pony’s sister, or maybe those cloned ponies in the show’s long shots weren’t errors after all.

“Hey!” She shouted as she was barged aside by another inquisitive bunch.

I needed to deal with this before it got out of hand and the simple questions turned into a paparazzi brawl, as the villagers squabbled to capture and hold my attention.

“Uh, Pinkie?”

The bouncing mare stopped in her tracks, completely oblivious to the crowd massing behind me. “Yeah, Sheathy, what’s up? We’re almost here.” I looked to see Carousel Boutique just a few yards across from the town hall, but with this mass of fan-like equine, it would be all but impossible to make it.

“Give me a second; I need to deal with them first.” I elevated my position by hanging on a nearby lamppost like a town crier, as I called the attention of the crowd to me.

“May I have your attention, please?” The crowd immediately went silent, which was probably due to the bewilderment that this ‘creature’ could actually speak English/Equestrian with some degree of skill. “Thank you. Ahem, FILLIES AND GENTLECOLTS! Hello to you all this fine morn–” I stopped to check my watch for the time and saw the dial shattered and scorched, completely useless and added to the list of casualties caused by that accursed device. “–day! I must say you all in fine vigour despite my rather otherworldly form.” I bowed to the crowd to show my appreciation. “I thank you for your lack of prejudice, I feel honoured to be in such discerning company.” I tittered when I saw some of the villagers puff their chests out with pride at my compliment. “Now I believe an explanation is in order for you all. I am merely a traveller of sorts. By means of magical teleportation, I have found my way here. Now if some of you are curious, no, my species do not wear tattered clothing, this was merely due to a miscalculation that caused me to spontaneously combust upon my arriving here. Thus my clothing ending up in the state you see now. I will answer any questions you have for me, but one at a time if you please.” As soon as I finished that statement, all the ponies raised their hooves to snag my attention. As my eyes combed the crowd, I saw a ginger coloured mare, her hoof barely visible due to the other ponies barging past her to make their hooves visible in the mass of candy-coloured appendages. I decided to let her ask me a question. “You there, what would you like to ask me?”

The ginger coloured mare jumped slightly in surprise. “Who me?” she asked in disbelief.

“Yes you I believe you had you han-er, hoof raised.”

“Oh, okay…uh…what species are you? You’re a little too smartly dressed to be from the Everfree forest.”

“I am a human, Miss Carrot Top, my name is Winged Sheath.”

The mare’s mouth made an ‘O’ shape at the utterance of her name – ah the magic of the Pony Wiki.

I looked back to the sea of raised hooves. “Anypony else? Yes you there!”

“Where are you from, Winged Sheath?”

“I am from a planet called Earth, my species like yours, is the dominant one in the world. But Earth I think is a whole dimension away from here.” I looked over to the boutique and back at the crowd. “Now I’m afraid I must bid you farewell I have an important engagement to get to. I thank you all for your kindness and not running away from me–” I bowed to them “–you have been pleasant company all, farewell.” And with that, the crowd dispersed as they returned to their daily errands and the audible yet incoherent hum of general conversation filled the village again. Jaysus, I must have sounded like Shakespeare talking to them the way I did, I think I might have overdone it a bit. Now where’s Pinkie? She’d better not have wandered off. I made my way across the street towards Sugar Cube Corner to see if she had popped in there. No such luck. I turned behind me to see if she was waiting to jump out on me with her party cannon or something. Again, surprisingly I found nothing and I began walking back to the lamppost to see if she was still there and I had simply missed her. However, I didn’t get more than ten yards when I nearly jumped out of my skin as a certain grey pegasus floated in front of me. Actually, when I say floated, it was more along the lines of she crashed headfirst into me, unable to slow down from the excitement of seeing me from the sky.

“LOOK OUT BELOW!” I think she screamed as she crash-landed into my chest, sending me a few yards backwards and landing on the non-existent pavement with a thud.

“OH MY GOSH I’M SO SORRY!” Derpy screamed in horror as she fumbled to help me up – only preventing me from getting up as I politely tried to fend off all four of her hooves.

“No need to apologise, Der- uh, Miss, it’s quite all right. You are a pegasus after all. That was a rather forceful greeting eh?” My words faded into yonder as the flustered mare continued to apologise without hearing me.

“Oh I’m so, so sorry I-I.”

Don’t say ‘I just don’t know what went wrong’ please, please, I’ll cry!

“I just don’t know what went wrong!” My heart nearly stopped as Derpy’s eyes welled up.

Oh, damn it! I instinctively threw my arms around the pegasus in a hug to stop her from crying. When my instincts released their grip on my rational mind, I felt a little awkward and ashamed at the fact I just hugged her out of the blue. But she made no effort to pull away. In fact, my chest pained a little in surprise as I felt her wrap her fore hooves around my shoulders and those famous yellow eyes looking into mine, a little blush and a thankful smile adorning her face. I figured I should say something or explain my behaviour, lest something else happened. “It’s okay, Derpy, I’m all right. I should really be asking if you’re okay given the speed at which you flew into me at!”

I smiled as Derpy giggled at my concern. “Aw, thank you, Mr Human.” She nuzzled my nose thankfully and released her hooves from me as I unfolded my arms. It was then I noticed a saddlebag on the ground a yard or two away from us, I walked over and picked it up before walking back to the blonde pegasus.

“I believe this is yours, Miss Hooves.” I held the bag to her, it was then I noticed that she didn’t recognise me, she had sent me a letter after all with the device, but that concern was the furthest thing from my mind at that moment.

“Oh, thanks.” She smiled as she took her bag from me. She opened her mouth to speak further, but paused for a second and put her hoof to her chin in thought before speaking again. “How do you know my name? I only put my initials on that letter.”

And in came my well-rehearsed answer. “Why everyone knows the famous Mailmare Derpy Hooves, you’re a rather well-known pony back where I come from, In fact, scratch well-known, you’re famous.”

Her eyes widened in amazement. “I’m famous, ohmygosh, ohmygosh! I didn’t know humans knew about me.” She swooned at the thought – luckily for me she didn’t inquire further into the matter.

“Well it was lovely to see you, Derpy, but I’d better be going now I’ll see you around.”

“See ya.” Derpy shouted as she flew off, but came back after only a few seconds. “Oh and sorry about your clothes, we forgot to tell you the journey might be a bit rough.” She laughed nervously before pointing to the device on my wrist. “Now take good care of that, it’s the only one in the world.” She turned to go.

“Wait; hold a moment, Derpy, why did I get this device?” I nearly slapped myself on the head for that question not being one of the first things to leave my mouth upon seeing her.

The blonde mare pondered for a moment, before taking a deep breath. “Well, the Doctor said he wanted to see if he could channel the TARDIS’s dimension jump capabilities into a more compact device in order to be able to travel between different dimensions more conveniently. But he wanted to test it first, so he travelled to your world to find a test subject and before long he found you. He told me he was sad to see you so fed up with your world, so he thought you’d be the most deserving of the device.” I nearly keeled over from shock. I could do naught but manage a few words.

“Th-thank you, Derpy” my eyes welled up, “you have bestowed upon me a life changing gift. You have no idea how much this means to me.” I hugged her once more in gratitude and she gladly returned it, her soft grey coat warm against my cheek. “And thank the Doctor for me too; tell him it was a success.”

“Don’t worry I will, have fun!” she said before taking to the skies, her blonde mane and tail shining in the now afternoon sun, or at least what I assumed from the sun slowly moving to the top of the sky.

BANG

“SURPRISE, SHEATHY!” Pinkie Pie screamed as her party cannon blasted me – causing me to leap about twelve feet in the air in fright.

“AAAAHHH! OH BY CELESTIA, PINKIE!” I shouted over the sounds from the cannon until it subsided. “Where in Equestria have you been?”

“Well while you were talking to the other ponies I went back to get my party cannon, but then I walked past Sugar Cube Corner and got hungry, so I stopped there to grab a cupcake and then I got tired so I had a nap on the bench outside and then I’m here talking to you about me and where I’ve been and then about what I di–”

I waved my hands in desperation to stop her talking. “Okay, okay I get the picture.”

“Picture; where?” She looked around in vain for a camera or photograph.

Oh by Celestia.

“No n-never mind Carousel Boutique is over there, thanks for escorting me here, Pinkie.”

“No problem, Sheathy, see ya!” She pulled me into a suffocating embrace to show her thanks, nearly shattering my sternum in the process.

My olfactory receptors were overcame with her sweet, strawberry candy floss scent as she continued to squeeze me. After a few moments her hooves where still around me. “Uh, Pinkie Pie, I kind of need to get going,” I said, trying to pull away as politely as I could before realising the crushing error I had just made. No! Why did I say that? Now she’s going to– I was cut off as even the mental air was squeezed out of me as she tightened her hug and I could feel my ribs beginning to buckle.

“Okay, I’m done,” Pinkie chirped as she released me and bounced off, leaving me bewildered at how care free she was with literally everything.

I climbed to my feet and continued to the boutique. I walked gingerly up the boutique’s stairs to the rather gallantly decorated front door. The sign was marked ‘Open’ and in English surprisingly – maybe the device had an Equestrian to English translator. I adjusted my guitar strap nervously as I placed my hand on the door handle. I pulled it down until it clicked. I took a moment to breathe in and calm myself as I prepared to meet my second favourite of the Main Six and stepped inside.

Chapter Three: Getting Suited Up

The sound of the boutique bell rang as the top of the door hit it, the noise frightening the life out of me in the process.

Jaysus, that’s much louder in real life! I stiffened when I heard the clip-clop noise of approaching hooves on the marble-looking floor. Then she emerged from behind the red curtain of the back room, her eyes closed as she projected dramatically.

“Welcome to Carousel Boutique! Where every garment is chic, unique and magnifique!” She then opened her eyes to see not a pony, but a human stood before her, in all its tattered glory – which was to say none at that point. Rarity gasped and recoiled in an equally dramatic way. “Oh, oh my.”

I bowed to her politely. “Good afternoon, madam R-” I stopped myself. Probably best to let her introduce herself, I don’t want to start explaining and have her faint.

“G-good afternoon. Pardon my asking but... who or, what are you?” She blushed and her eyes sank as soon as the last part left her lips, I could tell she was probably ashamed of herself for being so direct.

“Oh, my apologies, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Winged Sheath and you’ve probably gathered I am not of your species, I am what is known as a human in my world, but you may call me whatever you wish.”

My introduction gave Rarity time to regain enough composure to put together a response. “‘Winged Sheath’, that’s a rather noble name. I am truly sorry about the blunt nature of my question. I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting a human before.”

“That’s quite all right, Miss. I would be surprised if you hadn’t asked me.”

Rarity seemed comforted slightly by my assurance that she hadn’t caused any offence. “Well allow me introduce myself. I’m Rarity or Miss Rarity if you prefer.” She held out her hoof to shake, but I knew exactly what she was doing.

I kneeled down to her level, took her hoof in my hand and politely kissed the top. Her cheeks flushed at my gesture and I could tell she was supressing the urge to swoon. “Pleasure to meet you, Rarity.”

“My, my. What a gentlestallion you are,” Rarity tittered.

“It’s gentleman for my species,” I chuckled nervously, correcting without thinking.

“'Gentleman'? What a lovely variation.”

After the pleasantries had been exchanged, I unbuckled my guitar from my shoulder, giving my collar bone a rest and hung it up on the low hanging coat hanger. As soon as I was done Rarity noticed the remains of my tie and realised those were no tribal robes. They were the remains of a suit.

She let out a scream as her eyes finally took note of my scorched clothing.

“W-what is it?”

“Oh, do forgive me, Mr Sheath for asking but, what happened to your poor suit? At least it looks like a suit. How in Equestria did such a fine garb end up in such a bedraggled state?”

I looked down ashamedly at my tattered apparel, cursing the device for the umpteenth time, in my head of course, there was a lady present after all.

“Ah, well here’s the confusing bit. Let’s just say I had a bit of trouble during my journey here–” I showed her the device on my tattered sleeve “–the trip burned my clothes and damaged the ones I am wearing now. I suppose I got quite the warm reception upon my arrival.” Rarity giggled and put her hoof to her mouth in a ladylike fashion to stop herself from laughing too hard. “So upon finding that I was in need of new attire I thought there’d be no better place to go than the famous ‘Carousel Boutique’!”

Rarity’s cheeks reddened again. “Oh thank you for the compliment, darling, so I take it you’ll be wanting a new suit then? But first I must ask where you plan on going while you are here? I don’t want make you to stick out like a sore hoof.”

I paused a moment to contemplate where to go and to where to find ‘her’. Hmm I’d best start at the top of the ladder before moving down the rungs in this situation. I thought, plus I wanted to see what fine things that city had to offer. “Well I thought I’d try Canterlot first.”

“Then like me you are a Canterlot pony at heart, well human for you,” Rarity giggled, as she went over to a shelf and retrieved a tape measure from the top. “Now, arms up.” She floated the tape to my chest and I jolted slightly as the aura floated around the circumference of my ribcage, the sensation almost static-like. “Mm-hm,” She murmured as she noted the measurement on a notepad she had procured. The tape then lowered to my waist and then back up to my neck. “Would you mind removing your shoes for a minute, Mr Sheath?”

I untied and removed them without question and she measured my feet. Surely she wasn’t going to make me new shoes was she?

Rarity scribbled the measurements onto her notes and levitated the tape measure back onto the shelf as I put my shoes back on. “That’s that, now onto the garment itself.” Rarity floated a sheet of sketching paper to her in her horn field and set her red working glasses over her eyes. She then enveloped the sapphire blue aura around a stick of graphite and turned her attention back to me. “Now I’m going to ask you a few questions and you pick what you want out of the options all right?” I nodded and she scribbled something on the parchment before looking at me again – I could only assume she was drawing the outline of my form.

“Now to start off, what is your favourite colour?”

“Royal blue,” I answered, my old suit was that colour before the device decided to add a few shades of black with tatters to match.

“Mm-hm, okay onto the jacket, you are going to Canterlot so a normal jacket will be out of the question, would you like a tailcoat or frock coat? I sometimes make the tails too long but that shouldn’t be a problem for somepony of, oh. Someone of your stature.”

“Um, the second one, please.”

Rarity nodded her head. “Consider it done, Mr Sheath. Now, regarding the neckwear I’m afraid a cravat is the only option here, but I can give you a choice of brooches for it,” She floated a red box over to the table a foot or so away from me and opened it. “Have a look to see which one you like the look of.” I walked over to the table to see a variety of pin brooches of all gemstone types. I picked up a blue sapphire one and studied it closely, it had a rather strange gleam to it. I was surprised I could even keep my composure holding a gemstone without going ‘crystal crazy’, a few years playing a certain video game does that to you.

“I’d like this sapphire, please.”

“Ah, an excellent choice, the colour will go with the outfit. And last but not least, would you like a hat?”

I shook my head. “No thank you, Rarity. I am not really in favour of hats, my apologies.”

“Oh it doesn’t matter, darling; there is no need to apologise. Everypony and human has their own unique tastes, we can’t all like the same thing.” Rarity scribbled for a moment before floating the sketch over to me. I must say she drew my human form quite well given it was the first time she had ever drawn a human sketch before. The outline of the suit looked amazing, sure it was only a rough sketch, but it gave a sort of ‘tip of the iceberg feeling’ to it, since the real thing would be infinitely more fabulous. “Well, does it look all right?”

I nodded. “If this is what the rough sketch looks like I can’t wait to see the finished article.”

“Thank you darling.” Rarity smiled before bringing a chair over for me with her magic. “Now sit yourself down, Mr Sheath. I will return in just a moment.” The fashionista unicorn floated the sketch back over to her hooves and trotted off behind the red curtains to the back room. I sat in silence for a few minutes waiting for her to return. Well it was silence if your ears didn’t take note of the clattering noises coming from behind the crimson draped doorway. After a further four minutes, Rarity emerged with a battalion of fabrics, buttons and a small wooden crucifix shaped stand in her horn field.

Closest thing to a human mannequin I suppose.

Rarity set down the myriad of floating objects behind a dress curtain, pushed her sewing machine out beside it and took a seat at the workstation. I could see her, but the makeshift mannequin was hidden from my view, she obviously wanted to make it a surprise. She beckoned me to sit beside her before she began threading a blue thread through the machine’s needle. After a moment of thread fumbling, she levitated the first of a pile of fabrics and began cutting. Rarity looked back at me as the tools began to take on a life-force of their own in her magic, all of them setting about cutting and sewing the fabrics together.

“Now how about you tell me a little bit about yourself? I do enjoy a friendly chat while I’m working.”

We spent the next half hour or so sharing each other’s stories as her magic continued on her project, the finished parts of the garment floating into the curtained alcove, adding suspense as my mind tried to picture it fitting all together. She was quite surprised to hear I still attended school, until I told her that education continued until the coming of age in my world and how certain qualifications were required to take on different careers. Which then led me to compliment her on the fact that such shilly-shallying was not needed in Equestria and how better their society was for it since one-upmanship, or one-ponyship in this case existed only in the more high society areas. But even then, they rarely cared for social standing in the grand scheme of things according to Rarity, although it didn’t stop their snooty airs in the slightest.

“Well, Rarity I must say it’s nice to see another being who shares my accent, I would wager you don’t get many ponies sounding like this outside of Canterlot do you?” Rarity shook her head and smiled.

“It’s even better to hear a human who does, but then again that’s my opinion. The way one speaks rarely matters, it’s what’s inside somepony that counts.”

I nodded in agreement. “Truer words were never spoken.” Rarity floated the last of the fashioned garments behind the curtain before standing up and trotting over rather excitedly over to the curtain’s cord.

“All finished, prepare yourself, Mr Sheath, to witness the seamstress Rarity’s first human project!” The excited designer lit up her horn and flung back the curtain. “Ta-da!”

It was at that point my jaw changed its mind about staying attached to may face so to speak, as it dropped down below my waist in sheer awe. Sitting before me, was one of the finest suits I had ever laid my eyes upon, a suit that made garments from Bond Street to Savile Row look like Middle Ages peasant rags.

“Well what do you think?” Rarity asked, wanting to hear my verdict. The buttons were golden, the cravat looked worthy of being around a Von Karma’s neck – it even had a silver double breasted waistcoat with what looked like either silver or white-gold buttons. The trousers were surprisingly the right length and the shoes were so shiny I feared that if they caught the sun, they would induce blindness in a matter of seconds – even if the leather was clearly of mock design to my old ones, since animal skins being used for fashion purposes would be out of the question in this world.

“Rarity this, this, this is truly amazing. By Celestia, I have seen a lot of suits in my time, but this doesn’t just take the biscuit, this gets the whole Hearth’s Warming tin. I cannot thank you enough Rarity.” I steeled myself as I asked the killer question. “How much?” But as soon as I said that, the feature that made only her worthy of the element of generosity emerged.

Rarity smiled and shook her head. “Oh no darling, you don’t need to pay. Consider it a gift from me; you are my first human customer after all.”

“Oh no, Rarity! I couldn’t possibly don such a work of art without recompensing you in some way.”

Again, Rarity shook her head. “Taking on such an interesting project is payment enough for me, but thank you, Mr Sheath, it is nice that some other species appreciates fine things rather than just us ponies being the appreciative bunch.” She lit up her horn, enveloped her telekinetic aura around the suit and lopped them carefully into my arms. “Now off to the dressing room with you.” She said excitedly as she showed me over to the double-door alcove. I felt slightly awkward, as my shoulders were clearly visible over the doors due to my heightened stature. “Don’t worry I won’t peek.” Rarity assured as she turned away politely as I began slipping into each step of the apparel, I have to say putting on a suit is a time consuming procedure, so many buttons and tying, but the end result is worth the wait. After a few minutes, I stepped out from the dressing alcove, suited and booted from the neck down. I wasn’t really fond of hats, or any kind of head wear.

My ruff cravat tickled my chin slightly as I spoke. “Well, what do you think?” I asked, Rarity’s mouth had been stuck in an ‘O’ position since I walked out of the alcove.

“Why… why, you look absolutely fabulous, Mr Sheath! My first human project has been a success!” I looked down proudly at my new suit.

“Heh, you think so?” I smiled.

“Now, we need to do something about your frazzled hair. Would you mind sitting here for a moment, dear?” She beckoned me to a chair with a large dress mirror in front of it, probably since I was too tall for the pony sized ones. She procured a comb and a pot of what looked like wax as she brushed my hair back into a similar style to my original cut. Then she poured the wax onto her hooves and mashed it through my hair before floating the comb over it to structure my hair properly while she washed her sticky hooves. “There we are, good as new.”

“How on earth did you know my hair was styled like that?” I admired my now fixed hair, smiling through the mirror at the pony behind me.

“Mmmhmm, Rarity knows these things, darling and I could see how your hair was formed even if it was blown out of shape, so I merely reformed it–” she floated the pot of wax over to me “–keep this, you’ll be needing it, but be careful it’s strong stuff and quite sticky,” she commented looking at her hooves. “Oh I almost forgot,” she lit her horn once more as the sapphire aura glided over three objects over to me. The first was a varnished cane a little bit smaller than the length of my leg, with a white-gold handle. The second and third were two small cards written in a formal Elizabethan looking scripture. Upon closer inspection, they were VIP passes for a very high-class ballroom in Canterlot. I looked at her in surprise as finished reading them. “Just in case you want to take somepony you meet on your trip with you. I am always so busy I just haven’t had the time to go, so I thought you would make better use of them,” she winked.

“Thank you, Rarity,” I suddenly remembered something I wanted to ask her. “By the way, do you know of a Miss Lyra Heartstrings?” Rarity put her hoof to her mouth in thought for a moment before answering.

“That’s that musical pony isn’t it? Yes, the one with a lyre cutie mark, she’ll probably be in Canterlot somewhere performing. The whole of Ponyville was privy to that fact since she was practically ecstatic when she heard the news that she was going to Canterlot to perform with Octavia, she was like a town crier,” she chuckled to herself.

“Any idea where she might be?”

“Well Octavia told me something about a concert in the Royal Albolt Hall she was performing in with one of her friends, maybe she will be there. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, no reason. Thank you, Rarity, for everything, you certainly are worthy of your element, now I’d best be going.”

Rarity nodded happily. “You are most welcome darling and if you find yourself in dire need of another suit, do not hesitate to stop by again.”

“Thank you, don’t worry I will come by again sometime,” I bowed to her, grabbed my guitar from the hanger, clasped the device back on my wrist and opened the door.

“Ta-ta,” Rarity said as I walked back out into the street ready for the high-class metropolis that was Canterlot. The home of class, wealth, snootiness and of course the anthropologist unicorn.

My course was set. Now it was time to unfurl the sails and cast off.

Chapter Four: The Symphonies of Canterlot

I adjusted my cravat as I walked down the steps, the points of the winged collar of my shirt all but stabbing my neck as I fiddled with them. As I made my way back onto the street I noticed that if I didn’t look out of place enough already by my species, my attire now crowned that ensemble.

I’d better get to Canterlot before anypony else takes an interest in me, I looked warily around me before looking at the device on my sleeve. Due to the irreparable damage suffered to most of my clothes and my fan-fiction files, save my guitar and my laptop. I might have been a little apprehensive in using it again. But it was either use it and risk losing my brand new clothes in a fiery blast, or take the train. The amount of attention I’d get if I decided to use the train would have be nice but I would have been up to my eyeballs in curious ponies, I’d be stuck there for days. Ah well, might as well risk it. What have I got to lose? I gulped as I looked down at my suit. Don’t answer that, I clicked the device back on and brought up the map. I keyed in Canterlot and pressed the confirmation key. The familiar countdown clock appeared and began to count down from five this time; I guess you get a five second reduction in the same dimension. Then there was a white flash that robbed me of my vision for a few seconds. My eyes cleared to the hubbub of Canterlot nobles all pointing and mumbling in little groups as they stared at me like a freak show circus act.

“Oh my stars, what in Equestria is that?” A noble pointed.

“What a sight, oh!” One mare collapsed in shock into her chaperone’s hooves.

“Oh, what a filthy animal, it should have been killed at birth!”

I turned to the stallion who made the vicious remark, my brow lined into more furrows than cracks in the Sahara Desert’s soil. “And what gives you the evidence for that assertion? Are you an expert in human anatomy?” I thumped my cane on the ground, which silenced the mumbles from the crowd. “Having wealth is no guarantee of intelligence, I have probably seen more species of animal in the short while I have lived than you have in your sheltered existence,” the stallion’s expression turned to one of fright as I continued. “I would wager your noble self has not even left the walls of this city. So I ask you again, what gives you the basis for declaring that I should have been killed at birth?”

The noble recoiled as some of the less judgemental citizens voiced their agreement with me, practically shaming the stallion for his comment. “I… forgive me, please I meant nothing by it… p-please forgive me I did not realise.”

I rolled my eyes as the now spineless stallion scrambled to make amends and recover his dignity from the scene he had made, worried that his invitations to high society events would be reduced substantially once word got out.

These denizens, it’s always about reputations and how you present yourself, could I really live here surrounded by these ponies? Oscar Wilde would have a field day with this lot! The more welcoming citizens bowed to me and bid me a good evening.

One of them even shook my hand and offered a more graceful apology on behalf of the crass stallion, who was walking away in shame. “Welcome to Canterlot, I do hope you enjoy your time here,” he greeted before trotting off.

It was then I noticed the beeping sound coming from the device. I brought the screen to my face to see that I had exhausted its energy and had to revitalise before I could use it again. I clicked a key to see if it would tell me how long. The screen read ‘Time to revitalise 23:59:36’.

“Great, now I’m stuck here for a day!” I exclaimed. I counted my blessings though, for all I knew the device could have malfunctioned sent me to the Everfree forest, or even the moon for that matter. I’ve got under twenty four hours here; I might as well get to the Albolt Hall, ha-ha 'Albolt Hall', brilliant! With my mental laughter aside, I picked my cane and began strolling through the streets of Canterlot. Celestia’s sun had begun to descend steadily below the horizon and Luna’s night landscape was on the way. After a few minutes of aimless walking, I stopped to think for a moment before coming to a rather confusing conclusion. Hold on a minute… where is The Albolt hall anyway? I looked around dumbfounded for a moment. I could hardly ask for directions considering the overzealous manners of the nobles here, I would be a skeleton before the opening remarks had finished. Plus I didn’t have the time or the patience to argue against another pony’s all-knowing comments.

As I was thinking, the wind picked up for a moment, which caused my frock coat to flail, the lengthened sides waving like a ship’s sails. I chuckled as the rogue breeze faded; I had always wanted to wear a suit that did that. My blood nearly froze as I spied a familiar pony among the nobles walking to the other side of the street. A beige coloured coat and a dark blue and pink mane. Miss Bon-Bon, wherever Lyra goes, she is bound to be nearby, I sighed dejectedly as I recalled what the fans had done to her and Lyra. The mare of a thousand voices? Heh, I hope not, I shook it off and walked over to her, quickening my pace a little. Time to see if she does listen to Lyra. “Um, excuse me, Miss!”

Bon-Bon turned around and immediately froze; to my surprise, she seemed quite calm though. Satisfied that she wouldn’t faint if I spoke I decided to continue. I put on my Canterlot airs, so not to seem any more out of place than I looked.

“Pardon my calling, Miss, but do you happen to know where The Albolt Hall is?” Bon-Bon stood silent for a moment, but eventually found her voice again.

“Of course I do,” she responded quite happily given present company. “That’s where Ly-Ly and Octavia are playing tonight!”

“You know Lyra?” I asked, feigning naiveté.

Bon-Bon nodded happily. “Yeah she’s my…” She stopped for a moment, still smiling as her beige cheeks reddened slightly. “My friend! You’re heading there too; great, you want me to escort you there?”

“Sure, if that’s ok?”

Bon-Bon nodded. “Sure it is, now come on let’s get there, it’s just a few blocks away.”

I followed beside her, chatting as we walked and ignoring the looks the nobles shot us from time to time. Ly-Ly? Really? Wow. I thought face-palming to myself inside my head. I couldn’t actually do it since that would seem a little bit odd given the current situation. A few minutes later we arrived at the entrance to the Hall, the rather posh but outlandish sign being a dead giveaway. But it didn’t stop us chatting, she had been looking up at me in order to speak and keep eye contact. Meaning she hadn’t noticed my hands yet.

“Lyra’s performing a new piece tonight with Octavia; I can’t wait to hear it!” Bon-Bon said excitedly as she quickened her pace, eager to get to the hall. “She’s so talented don’t you think?”

“Yes she is rather good with that lyre of hers.”

She nodded in agreement with me. “Yeah, I don’t know how she does it. She’s usually so clumsy with her hooves around the house,” she started to giggle. “She always says ‘It would be so much easier if we had limbs with fingers instead of hooves, like humans!’”

I chuckled as I slipped my free hand into my pocket so she wouldn’t see it.

Bon-Bon misread my chuckle as if I was laughing with her instead of laughing nervously as I concealed one of my mythical hands. “Yeah she’s kinda crazy like that, but still, she can believe what she wants. Gotta keep the magic alive for the little ones huh?”

Oh if only you knew Bon-Bon, if only you knew…. Oh, wait! You can! I brought out my hand from my pocket as the other was concealed by my cane. I looked at my left hand rather obviously. “Yes, what kind of creature has limbs like that,” I said nonchalantly as I waited for her to notice.

“Ha-ha, yeah what kin–” she let out a gasp as she saw it “– oh no, oh no-no-no-no!” she put her hoof to her mouth as she stood there astounded. “Are… are you a human?”

“I thought these would be a dead giveaway,” I let her take a closer look at my hand and moved my fingers. “I’m not a little filly’s bedtime story; I’m the real deal, human through and through,” – I bowed to her – “pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Bon-Bon stared at me completely thunderstruck for a few heartbeats. I could only assume she was recalling all the anthropology arguments she had had with Lyra, saying that it was all just a fantasy story and she should grow up. And now the truth was in front of her.

After a long pause, she finally spoke again. “I’m sorry, I… I need to go… I’m so sorry.” She trotted off into the hall without any further ceremony, leaving me, the living proof of Lyra’s so called ‘fantasy’ on the stairs to the hall’s entrance.

I sighed regrettably. It must hurt to know that your so-called ‘crazy’ marefriend… friend! I don’t know that for certain yet! Was telling the truth all along… poor Bon-Bon, she must feel terrible.

Not content with standing idly anymore I walked up the stairs and ducked into the regal looking lobby, crimson curtains with gold trim and paintings hung everywhere high and low. I felt like Edward Kenway at the Royal Opera House; I was certainly dressed for it. I sat down on a nearby bench, unbuckled my black guitar from my shoulder and twiddled at the strings, waiting for the doors to open. “Maybe a few chords wouldn’t hurt,” The regal ponies were too busy absorbed in their talks and congratulating each other on being masters of the universe to notice anything going on in the background. I struck up the tune to a familiar Voltaire song, a song which I believed fitted Lyra’s current situation and how she was the ‘Innocent’ party in her anthropology arguments, when in fact it was Bon-Bon herself that was wrong. As the guitars notes began to fill the air, the nobles turned around to tell off whoever was playing until they realised it wasn’t a pony at the strings. I only glanced up for a second, but I could make out that a small crowd had formed around me as I played, then I began singing along, barely keeping time. E minor, A minor, G, D, I thought as I continued to play, much to the delight of the now captivated noble ponies. As I finished the closing lyric, I was greeted with a more than polite applause and even the occasional.

“Bravo!” Or cheer whistle.

“Mares and Gentlestallions! You are requested to kindly find your seats!” I assumed they used the alternatives to keep them from being patronising. The nobles tipped their hats and I exchanged hoofshakes with a few of them before joining the crowd of ponies filing up the stairs into the rows of seats leading to the stage. Luckily for me, the door was a tall oak one so I didn’t have to worry about hitting my head. I tightened the buckle on my guitar, now afraid of losing it as I made my way to the front row.

Probably best to sit a few rows back from the front, I thought as I weaved into the tall seats. I don’t want Lyra to see me just yet. Although the seats were tall, they would still not obscure me from the crowd. Fortunately, there was a wide space in between that row and the row in front. I set my guitar down on the seat as I sat on the floor below the chair, the seat itself perched on the edge so I wouldn’t be carried off in the rush. I still had a rather good view despite the discomfort. At least my guitar gets a comfortable viewing. The stage was almost pure white and looked like it was made of a marble substance. The ceiling was high and shaped in such a way that the harmonics would reach everyone in the auditorium. It was almost identical to the Albert Hall, I had only been once as a child, but I remembered little of it. I shook my thoughts of Earth and home out of head. This is no time for reminiscing and petty nostalgia. I scolded myself as I sat up rigidly. I’ve got a whole concert ahead of me, I migh–

I was cut off as the auditorium’s lights began to dim to darkness and for a moment, there was nothing but silence. And then, a single light illuminated a part of the stage, revealing two chairs, bathing in the white glow of the spotlight. Two instruments sat beside them. A cello with a bow neatly leaning against it. And leaning on the other stool. Was a lyre. Just then, two more spotlights lit up each side of the stage. The audience was once again hushed into expectation.

Silence hung in the air like an interminable fog. There was a faint, almost, pathetic desire, to bear witness to this recital. Then the silence was broken as the two doors opened, and from them, two mares emerged and walked slowly to the chairs, the audience visibly hanging on every step as their hooves made faint clicks on the floor. As the lights moved forward, their silhouettes were cast aside, revealing them to the crowd. Lyra Heartstrings and Octavia Melody… sweet Celestia. Lyra lit up her horn, enveloped her amber aura onto her instrument and floated it to her hooves as Octavia readied her bow. After an eternity lasting heartbeat, the silence was finally shattered. The lyre’s strings began to resonate softly as Lyra plucked them with the faintest of motions. The notes floating into the crowd like dandelion seeds, gliding aimlessly throughout the hall, every noble’s ear the soil to which the seeds landed and the sweet note blossomed in everypony’s mind. Then the sweet, sharp notes were joined by a deep, almost sombre sounding note as the cello joined Lyra’s solo without a hint of harshness. Despite the difference in appearance of the instruments, they connected. And both cast the notes into the audience’s direction, creating a soft, slow, but bitter-sweet melody, which was greedily lapped up by the nobles and one human.

After three millennia like minutes, the recital came to an end and the two mares were greeted with thunderous applause – to which I played a part in. The two music ponies smiled and bowed to the crowd as the rest of the orchestra came from the darkness as the lights revealed the remaining areas of the stage, which was quickly filled by the orchestra’s members. Even now, I cannot recall how long that concert lasted. Classical music, especially when heard live has a way of stealing time itself from every listener, as if you are lost in a sea of sound, the notes from every instrument your guiding light as you follow them willingly, like a straggler from a lost flock, afraid to deviate from the path and lose the music’s charm.

Then came the piece that haunts me to this day.

After the applause had died down, a soft whistle began to play; I recognised the song immediately. My inner voice cursed, as I knew then my eyes weren’t going to stay dry for very long. It was the instrumental version of a very famous earth song, a song that travelled down to the deepest depths of the Atlantic Ocean, hiding a forgotten love story aboard the doomed maiden voyage of a certain ship, once thought unsinkable. By the end of it the auditorium wouldn’t need the Atlantic as more than three quarters of the audience would be drowned in their own eye offending brine, as mine were destined to be in a short minute or so. Hearing it on a CD or the television was bad enough, but in person the force of the notes hit you with the ferocity of the highest wave, sending your emotions cascading through an endless ocean of instruments, each as warm as a fire on a cold winter’s night, but as bone chilling as the deepest fathoms of the Atlantic. The notes dragging you down with the ship into an endless abyss, your soul barely clinging on to you mere mortal life as you swim back to the surface of reality, your journey concluded – as well as the piece itself.

The orchestra’s encore performance was greeted with a wave of applause from the sobbing ponies, not a dry eye present. I tried to give a standing ovation, but my cramped space prevented me and I didn’t want my cover blown just yet. I could have sworn I saw a tear in Lyra’s eye, but it was hard to tell through my flooded ones. With a bow to the crowd, the orchestra retreated backstage leaving the audience starved of eye moisturising water and sweet music, their ears now going through painful withdrawal. I wasn’t heart-struck, I was practically harp-struck, robbed of my sweet music and my ears charmed and jilted by every member of the orchestra family, but then again everypony else felt that way. I was about to get up from my seat, when I felt something slip into my frock coat pocket, I turned to see a beige figure walking away from me at a quickened speed. I wiped my eyes with the silk of my cravat to see the pony was Bon-Bon, but she was too far away to hear my attempts at calling her. Dejected, I placed my hand into my pocket, pulling out a small card. I squinted my eyes in order to get a better look, the formal scripture difficult to read in the dimmed light of the hall and through my bloodshot eyes. It was a pass, I could make out that much, but to what? My eyes focused on the symbol and the scripture became clear enough for me to read. The scripture read ‘The Treble Clef Bar’. Why would Bon-Bon slip me this? Why not just give it to me? I pondered staring at the card. Well, I might as well have a look; I need a drink after that. I think I lost most of seventy percent water through my eyes, I laughed at the thought, before rising to my feet and made my way back to the door, frightening a few nobles who hadn’t seen my prior pre-show performance. I was about to leave through the doors I had entered through, when I noticed a small stairwell through a doorway a few metres from the main door to the lobby. The stairs were closed off by a roped cord, guarded by a grey stallion who looked as if he was about to keel over from boredom. Above the stairwell was a sign that read ‘The Treble Clef Bar’. I made for the corded rope, about to take the pass out of my pocket when the pony guarding the door stepped in front of me, awakened from his dull trance by my approach.

“Sorry VIP’s only. What kind of an animal are you?” The stallion laughed, his tone taking on a mocking one. “Did you break your leash? Go on scram!” The stallions raised voice made me recoil for a moment. That was it; I had had enough. I rapped my cane on the marble floor in frustration, as I found myself having to deal with yet another individual like-minded to that other rude stallion. The metal tip made a resounding CLACK as it struck the marble floor. If I had forced it down any harder, it would have probably snapped in two.

“H-how dare you!” Such impudence! These ponies are really testing my patience! “For your information, I am a VIP.” I procured the pass from my pocket and held it to him. “Do you greet all your guests in such a manner?”

“F-forgive me Sir I-I did not mean.” He flustered as he tried to unbuckle the cord by himself before I lent him some assistance.

“No, it’s me who should be asking for your pardon. My apologies for my prior outburst, I haven’t really had much of a warm welcome since I arrived.” I held out my hand in an apologetic manner. “How about we settle this with a hoofshake and let bygones be bygones?” The stallion’s prior expression turned into a grateful smile as we exchanged hoof/handshakes. “I am truly sorry if I offended you.”

The stallion shook his head. “No it’s fine. My apologies too for my comment. It just comes with the job, gotta be tough you know? Thank you for understanding.”

I bowed to him. “You are most welcome; be seeing you,” I said as I began ascending the spiral staircase to the bar. After a minute or so of climbing, I pushed through the doors and into the almost empty bar, these nobles were too high-class to even bother exclaiming at my presence. I sighed at the almost stifling atmosphere; the nobles were like a bunch of schoolchildren shunning the new student. I procured a glass of red wine from a nearby servant pony and sat at the window, deciding to relax a little for a while.

I retrieved my laptop and headphones from my makeshift bag and powered it up. After a few minutes of loading, I plugged in my headphones and began listening to my own music, staring out at the beautiful night canvas that Luna had brought about, the myriad of stars scattered around the sky. Until a rather obvious question popped into my head. Hang on a minute. How on Earth was Lyra even playing that lyre anyway? She wouldn’t even be able fit her hooves in the spaces it let alone play the thing! I put my hand to my chin as I contemplated this peculiar phenomenon, since I had seen her playing the instrument without even the faintest idea of how!

* * *

“You were great, Lyra!” Bon-Bon congratulated as the two mares trotted up the stairs.

“Oh, Bonnie, stop it!” Lyra said waving off her compliments, her modesty prevailing. The two mares continued chatting until they reached the bar doors, to which Bon-Bon chivalrously opened the door for her.

“After you, Ly-Ly.”

Lyra rolled her eyes at the pet name, she knew it wasn’t the best of nicknames, but she didn’t want to spoil Bon-Bon’s fun. She simply laughed and trotted on through, but stopped dead after entering through the doors. Bon-Bon shifted awkwardly as Lyra’s mouth began to drop slowly to the floor until it could go no further, her eyes as wide as saucers.

“Lyra? Ly-ra? What’s up?” she waved a hoof in front of the frozen unicorn’s face trying to get her attention, but to no avail.

In Lyra’s mind, Bon-Bon was further away from her than the moon. All that her eyes and mind were focused on, was a mythical entity, sitting by the bar window, dressed in a royal blue suit and tapping away at a strange device, with a stranger still one on his wrist, well he looked like a ‘he’ to her. Her eyes wandered down the length of its arms and at where they ended, just on the end of the limbs were, no they couldn’t be, could they? They were.

“H-h-ha-han-han,” she stuttered, her tongue fumbling like a foal trying to say her first word.

“Uh, what?” Bon-Bon asked clueless – but she wasn’t really clueless at all. This encounter was the greatest gift she could ever give her, Lyra’s dream finally coming true right before her.

“H-HAAAANNNDDDDSSSS!” Lyra screeched giggling almost manically as she tried to stay on her hooves. The human’s head craned for a second, before returning to the strange thingamajig in front of him.

“Uh… I’m just gonna go okay, Lyra, I’ll see you later or something.” With that Bon-Bon left the bar, leaving the teal unicorn to her own devices, staring at the human before her.

* * *

I tapped away at my keyboard, documenting the past events like a diary, the scenes I had witnessed were pouring ideas into my head like a malfunctioning beer pump – nothing to staunch the flow. I paused and took a sip of my drink, the fiery liquid warming my body as I toasted my first day in Equestria. For a moment, I could have sworn I heard a screech through my headphones, but ignored it and continued. Then from the corner of my eye, I saw something. I looked up to see a familiar looking turquoise unicorn, her yellow eyes wide and glistening – with a smile so large that it threatened to do a circuit across the whole of her face. I smiled happily as the one pony I had dreamt of meeting, was finally stood in front of me, looking at me with those wonderful amber pools of hers. I removed my headphones. “Well hello there,” I greeted, smiling a welcoming smile at the mare.

Her lip trembled as she tried to formulate a response.

Knowing the response I would get I reached over for my glass, grasping it dramatically and taking a sip, putting my famous hands on show.

“Hands-hands-hands-HANDS!” the unicorn squealed in delight as she bounced up and down excitedly.

I laughed and brought my right hand into my view. “Oh these old things?” I said airily as the Lyra’s excitement grew thrice fold. “I take it you know what I am? Nopony else possesses even a scrap of knowledge about me. But I know you do. Am I correct?” Lyra’s jaw dropped so far if the floor hadn't been there it would have continued down to Equestria’s core.

“H-how did you?” She stammered in shock.

“Well you knew what hands were so that was a bit of a giveaway.”

“Y-you’re really a human... you’re real?” She answered her own question as she prodded at my chest with her hooves, making sure I was of physical form and not an ethereal entity.

“Whoa, whoa, we’ve only just met!” I laughed as her cheeks reddened in embarrassment and her prodding ceased. “That’s the most intimate greeting I’ve ever received, Miss?”

“Oh um, Lyra Heartstrings, and what’s your name?” Her cheeks were still as red as a rose.

“Winged Sheath.”

“‘Winged Sheath’? That’s a lovely name…” she trailed off as her eyes darted about the room. In a flurry of telekinesis, she floated a chair over to her and sat down beside me – rather closely I might add.

“I saw you before at the concert with... Octavia, I believe; you were brilliant! Lyra Heartstrings, eh? Well you certainly tugged at mine with your solo.”

Lyra giggled at my joke, it was corny but she didn’t seem to mind. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. She sat silent for a moment, trying to word her next question to make it not sound too weird.

“Um…c-can I see your hands, please?”

I complied and brought my hands in front of me as she studied them with her eyes for a moment, before grasping my right hand with her hooves and looking at it in astonishment. I flipped my hand around and kissed the top of her hoof. “It’s an honour to meet Equestria’s anthropologist.”

Lyra’s eyes widened and that jawbone-threatening smile of hers reappeared as she giggled almost fillyishly at my gesture. “Ohymygosh, ohmyGOSH! A human just kissed my hoof!” Lyra bounced on the spot, giggling euphorically – bordering on slightly manic. “I will never, wash this hoof!” She clapped her hooves together in delight until I waved my hand in front of her face to snag her attention back to me.

Her eyes wandered back onto my hand almost hypnotically as she grasped it again with one hoof while the other prodded at my fingers. “Your hands are so… beautiful,” she thought aloud, not even realising her lips were producing the sounds.

“Why thank you, that’s the first time someone, or in this case somepony has complimented my hands before.”

It was then I decided to have a little joke with her. I waited for the top of her hoof to pass over my fingers; when she did, I wiggled my fingers up and tickled the bottom of her hoof. It was then I found out that Lyra was very, very ticklish.

“Ahahahaha st-sthaha-stop it!” she laughed dizzily and her breathing began to falter as she continued to laugh. Taking it as an opportunity for revenge, the moment I ceased to tickle her hoof she rubbed the tip of her hoof across my palm, trying to tickle me back. But sadly, it had no effect; her devious smile turned into a look of disappointment. “Aww,” she looked down at the floor. I moved my hand to her shoulder to console her, but she moved her head back up before it could make contact, my palm being stopped by her cheek. My heart nearly burst in surprise as I realised where my hand actually was.

“Oh my goodness, I am so sorry I-I, wha?” I said, as I found my efforts to pull my hand way were ineffective. It was then I realised that Lyra’s horn field was glowing around my hand, keeping it to her cheek. Her eyes were closed, not in pain or fear. But in, comfort? My hand began to tingle with a pins and needles sensation as the aura made my hand twitch. I could tell she was blushing as my palm felt the heat from her cheek.

“Oh…so…soft.” Lyra mumbled, nuzzling into my hand and liquefying my heart in the process. She was completely entranced by my touch, so much in fact, her magic aura dissipated without her knowing. That was my cue to pull my hand away. Before I could open my mouth to apologise, again I was silenced by Lyra’s expression. She looked as if she had been robbed, the absence of my hand startling her, she looked about, worried that I had run off while she was absorbed in the feeling. Lyra looked at me again, still blushing hot. “Um, Winged Sheath, could you um… stroke my mane, please?” I looked at her in surprise; she wasn’t freaked out in the slightest.

“R-really…are you sure?”

Lyra nodded. “Your hand was so soft and warm, I-I just couldn't let go…you’re not weirded out are you? It’s just I’ve always dreamt of meeting a human someday. I knew I was right.”

I shook my head. “No it’s fine, I thought you would be the one weirded out. I was aiming for your shoulder, but I got your cheek instead. Are you sure you want me to stroke your mane? It just…feels a bit improper.”

Lyra shook her head. “N-no, I’d like you to.”

Given the fact I got such a positive reaction from an accidental touch and she was all right with me doing it for a second time, I decided it was okay to give her a little more and I softly curled my hand through her white-turquoise mane, before stroking her cheek again. Her eyes were closed as she focused on my soft touch. Her mane and coat was incredibly soft, as smooth as velvet. It was like was weaving my hand through hair thin strands of silk as I smoothed her mane back to its proper style before taking my hand away out of politeness. “W-was that all right?” I asked, worried I’d kept my hand there for too long.

Lyra smiled at me as she opened her eyes again. “Yes, it was like, no, it was a dream come true…thank you.” We sat in silence for a moment, not an awkward one, but a thoughtful one surprisingly, since we had only been talking for a few minutes. Lyra finally broke the silence when she noticed my guitar leaning against the windowsill.

“Is that a guitar...a real human guitar?” she asked, excitement returning to her.

“Yep, the real deal.” I picked it up and played a D chord for her, to which Lyra clapped her hooves together, applauding the sound it made.

“Wow, can I try?”

“Sure, be my guest,” I replied, holding out the night coloured instrument to her. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Lyra as she struggled to get even a bum note out of the alien instrument. Bon-Bon was right about her having imprecise hooves. Even with her magic, the action of holding down the strings and plucking them eluded her, since fingers were absent from her hooves.

“Aww, well I bet you can’t play my lyre.” She lit her horn and opened her saddlebag, floating her lyre over to me. I studied it analytically for a second, the simplicity of the instrument looked alien to me since I’d never seen one in the flesh. I tried to mimic the way she held it and curled my finger into a plectrum position, imagining I was actually grasping one, before running my nail softly across the strings, a sweet sound emanating from the lyre. Lyra huffed as she floated it back when I held it back out to her.

“Hmm, not bad but your technique needs a little work.”

“Well I thought that was rather good considering I’ve never played it before.”

“Yeah well it’s easier for you since you have fingers. It would be easier if we all had them really. They’re so much more practical don’t you think?”

I nodded in agreement. Now back on the subject of music a truly amazing brainwave hit me, almost knocking me off my chair in shock that this hadn’t been among one of the first things to show her.

“Um Lyra would you put these on for a second?” I asked, holding out my headphones to her. The unicorn’s eyes moved up and down them as she tried to suss out what they were.

“What are those? Another piece of human technology? They look familiar”

I nodded. “Yep these are called headphones. You put them on and they play music into your ears.”

“Wow, that’s sounds strange but, well, amazing. They look kinda different from the pair Vinyl has though,” Lyra said, allowing me to place them over her ears. As soon as they were properly adjusted to her head, I searched my music folder for the song I wanted.

“See if you recognise this,” I said before tapping the play button. Once again her body language answered my question as she began humming the tune and mouthing the lyrics.

Lyra laughed and took off the headphones, looking at me in surprise. “How did you get this? I wrote that song ages ago.”

“Well it must have found its way to my world,” I chuckled. “Hey um, Lyra, can you play that song on your lyre?”

Lyra nodded. “Of course I can, I wrote it after all.”

“Do you want to play a duet together? Like right now?”

Lyra’s muscle straining smile returned as she bounced up and down in excitement.

Confirmation received. “I take that as a yes then.”

“I’m gonna play my song with, a, HUMAN!” Lyra giggled dizzily again as she scrambled for her lyre, nearly dropping it in the process. “You know how to play it right?”

“Uh yeah, I guess so, ahh!” I was blinded temporarily by an amber light before I saw Lyra’s horn glowing the same colour before fading away.

“How about now?”

I put my hand to my forehead, hearing a familiar rhythm in it. “Di-did you just beam the notes into my head?”

Lyra nodded beaming proudly. “Yep, now you know how I know how to play it. If that makes sense.”

“Yeah it does... thank you,” suddenly my question hit me. “Lyra, pardon my asking, but how in Equestria do you play your lyre with your hooves?”

Lyra giggled and took a bracelet from her saddlebag with her magic and clipped it on her right hoof. The band was the colour of her coat so it blended perfectly; if it were viewed from afar, no-one would see it – which explains why I didn’t. “Look.” She put out her hoof to me and beckoned me closer. On the bracelet was a small pointed object, sticking out from over the top of her hoof tip. It resembled what looked like a small plectrum, but was as thin as the nib of a fountain pen. She plucked her lyre with it and the same sweet sound I had made earlier with it was heard. “I can’t even fit my hooves in this thing otherwise; it’s not really the same with my magic. Now are you ready?”

“Yep, one second,” I picked up my guitar, readying the opening chord almost hypnotically as my subconscious drove my fingers onto the correct strings. “Okay, ready.” Lyra readied her lyre and nodded to me. “One, two, three and.” I nearly jumped as my hands began plucking the opening beat almost instinctively as Lyra waited for her opening lyric. Despite being oblivious to everything else, it was now the wallflower nobles decided to look in our direction. It wasn’t the fillyish and sometimes outright crazy amount of giggling resonating through the walls of the bar that got them, nope, it’s was music that breaks them out of their trance, they must be deaf to everything else but their own voices and those involved in their talks.

My hand nearly fell off as I played the build up to the last part.

We sang the closing lyric together and we were greeted with quite a cheery applause given how quite that lot were originally. We bowed to the crowd and I was surprised to see a rather flashy looking stallion approaching us, still cheering.

“Oh, bravo, bravo! Absolutely fabulous, you were wonderful!” The stallion’s accent sounded like a slightly more informal version of Fancy Pants and had an even more socially tolerable appearance, just a simple suit with an unbuttoned collar, nothing too special. “Pray, what are your names?”

“Winged Sheath.”

“Lyra Heartstrings.”

"Winged Sheath and Lyra heartstrings? What wonderful names, I can see them on posters everywhere, wonderful! Pardon my zeal, my name is Full-Bright Star, I’m a talent scout, and I think my scouting is over,” We stood in shock as the flashy blonde maned earth pony retrieved a paper from his pocket. “I have a small proposition for the both of you, if you would care to take a gander at this.”

And that was when my music career began, with none other than the musical anthropologist, Lyra Heartstrings.

This was where it all started.

Chapter Five: The Equine Waltz

“Really, a vampony? Oh my, what an interesting concept,” Octavia commented as she read one of the fan-fictions I had saved on my laptop. She had been quite adamant about not reading it, simply dismissing it as another piece of boring literature. But the moment I told Octavia the protagonist was her she grabbed my laptop with a “Let me see!” leaning her head right in to read it. “Well don’t get me wrong, I do have a taste for the finer things in life. But I never expected stallions to be on the menu. It certainly has a very chilling plot. Not to mention I’m in it, which is a bit of a bonus,” Octavia chuckled and sipped her tea.

“So is there any truth to this, Octavia? Apart from the vampony bit.”

Octavia put her hoof to her chin to recall the story. “Well yes, apart from the fictional vampony side of things there is some truth to this, but not very much. I do have a small mansion-like house here in Canterlot, but I use it more for parties rather than actually living there. I prefer to stay in Ponyville; the ponies that reside there are a lot more… tolerable, to say the least. But Mummy and Daddy do always ask me over for dinner, it’s just us usually. They like to know how I’ve been getting on in Ponyville and how I can possibly put up with Vinyl and her ‘unrefined tastes’ as they put it. Vinyl is a really good musician, in her own techno way. Though I do prefer classical don’t you?” She adjusted her little bowtie as she said that.

“Yes I do enjoy a good symphony,” I agreed. “But aren’t you worried she’ll remix one of your cello pieces, or one of your composers’ symphonies?”

Octavia gasped. “Oh my stars, I hadn’t thought of that.” Her eyes widened as the thought of having her beautiful cello recitals smashed to pieces by bass drops and wubs entered her mind. “If she were to do that…”

I shifted nervously as she began to seethe, her teeth grinding with rage growing inside her as she imagined Vinyl remixing her favourite composers’ pieces. In order to avoid provoking a symphonic rage in the musician, I changed the subject before she exploded. “Vinyl can’t be that hard to live with surely. Does she do the dishes?” I asked, wanting to clear up another rumour.

Octavia looked at me oddly. “Y-yes she does, she isn’t a lazy mare by any means. She always insists on helping out while I focus on my cello recitals. But there is one small problem, she cleans them with–”

“Wubs?”

“Yes, wubs! How did you know that?”

I shrugged. “Well she is a DJ after all, I’d expect her to have some music modified item around the house, like her bass cannon.”

Octavia nearly choked and spilt her tea at the mere utterance of the object. “Oh, I hate that blasted thing, oh, pardon my language. It cost me two thousand bits to replace and clear up all the acres of broken glass in my Canterlot house when she thought one of my high-class parties could do with a little more… bass.” She face-hoofed at the recollection. “So much glass and wubs and bwahs, I’m amazed that I didn’t go deaf.” She set her tea down on the table. “Oh, I’m sorry Mr Sheath, where were we before we got onto Vinyl? Oh of course, the story. I really don’t know how I could live with such pointy teeth, what if I bit my tongue?”

“So I take it you won’t be taking to the vampony lifestyle anytime soon then?” I joked, finishing off my tea and setting the cup and saucer down on the table by her cup.

Octavia nodded and smiled “No, I think I’ll take a rain check on that one… although...” She shuffled over on the couch closer to me, leaning into my face, merely inches from it. “I wouldn’t mind giving you a little nibble sometime, Winged Sheath.” Octavia smiled deviously, her eyes taking on an almost predatory look as she opened her mouth and ran her tongue across where her fangs would have been. My cheeks went a little bit red as I felt her breath on my face. Suddenly she made a lunge at me, hissing and baring her teeth like a bat. The sudden move made me jump back and fall off the arm of the couch, hitting the carpet with a loud thud. I scrambled to get to my feet and leap for the door, until I heard Octavia laughing. I looked up to see her giggling rather freely on the couch, throwing her manners out the window as she found herself unable to control her laughter. “Oh you should have seen your face! Weren’t expecting that were you?”

I put my hand to my jugular, making sure it wasn’t punctured. “I’m happier that I still have my sanguine life force running through me rather than how I look! Sweet Celestia, you had me there, Octavia.”

Octavia looked at her watch and rolled her eyes at the time before standing up to help me on my feet. “Well I’m afraid I must be going now. I’m late a little late for reviewing one of my acquaintance’s new compositions,” she looked down at the story on my laptop and grinned. “Maybe I’ll show him that story if his piece isn’t up to scratch; he’ll go whiter than the moon.” I laughed with her as I opened the door. “Thank you so much for the tea, Mr Sheath I hope we can schedule another one soon, it’s such a relief to take a break once in a while.”

I nodded. “Yeah I know what you mean; my whole time here so far has felt like one big holiday. Yes I would like that very much, take care Octavia and keep an eye out for him, hmm?”

Octavia grinned and tapped her nose twice with her hoof. “Don’t worry I’ll be able to spot him a mile off, ta-ta.” And with that, she walked out and I closed the door behind her.

I collapsed on the sofa and sighed contentedly as I sank into the cushions.

At this point, it had been three months since that day I met Lyra. And what a whirlwind of fun I had had been since then. That duet we did had attracted quite an influential talent scout – the blonde Earth pony with the absurd name. In a matter of days we were guest performers playing alongside Octavia at a private garden party in an area of Canterlot which I had coined the name ‘Gatsby Row’ due to the fact you have less chance of seeing the host at these events than you had of meeting Gatsby himself at his own parties. They had probably died of crush syndrome trying to swim in their own wealth.

Lyra had also been kind enough to introduce me to her friends. Bon-Bon I had already met, Octavia who frequently came over for tea with me and Lyra, or just me, she didn’t mind either way, Colgate who has been keeping my toothpaste in ample supply – I’m surprised I haven’t died of fluoride poisoning yet. I haven’t met Vinyl yet though and Derpy has been busy with Doctor Whooves. Lyra and I started our tour of Canterlot with small concerts at first since Full-Bright had pulled in a favour for the ‘Gatsby Row’ one. He managed to get us slots in bars and restaurants to start. Simply serving as the background music that fell among the idle chatter of the nobles with a few occasional listeners. Then as our fame and popularity grew, so did the quality of the venues. Higher-class establishments, proper concerts at prestigious music halls. Full-Bright had even organised a private concert slot at one of Fancy Pants’s social soirées. So yes, at this point in my life and I was happier than I had ever been during my years on earth. I had a promising music career, my own home and best of all, peace. A luxury that Earth could only dream of achieving.

Over the last three months, Lyra and I had become very good friends. We had shared each other’s stories and grown quite comfortable living together, as Full-Bright had decided it would be easier for us to live under one roof so he could contact us more easily. Not to mention I had nowhere else to go. Though sometimes I still gave her giggle fits, like the time I did the break thumb illusion.

“You have your magic Lyra, but can you do this?” I took my thumb curled my other one and created the illusion with a feigned ‘AHH!’ Lyra gasped in horror as she scrambled for a cloth until I laughed and revealed my ‘broken’ thumb. “Ta-da!”

In hindsight, I shouldn’t really have done that since it took about eleven minutes for her to stop giggling like a madmare, and I nearly broke my thumb for real from the amount of times she made me do it again and again.

I had become more adept in playing my guitar as well – well I thought so anyway, me being the only human it was impossible to tell. I poured myself another cup of tea and opened the balcony doors of the middle class apartment Full-Bright had rented for us. I picked up my guitar from the table, sat down on a rather regal looking chair and began practicing again. My guitar’s notes floating away from the balcony and into the streets. Celestia’s sun was now at its highest point and was beginning to slowly fall. After a few songs or so, I set my guitar back down again, unable to distract myself anymore. I put my hands to my face before sweeping them up through my hair, sighing in exasperation. I took my tea and drank the lukewarm liquid in one gulp, hoping that it would make me think more clearly. Lyra had gone out shopping with Bon-Bon a few hours ago. She had offered for me to come, but I said I should stay home and practise my guitar playing. Plus if their talks turned to anthropology, Bon-Bon would have been outnumbered.

After they had departed – apart from the impromptu ‘tea break’ with Octavia – I had spent the last hour and a half pondering an idea. Lyra and I had been out on the town before with her friends or had a drink with Full-Bright after a concert, but we had never gone out together when it was just her and me. The subject had never come up. “Ahh, it’s no use, I can’t think of anything,” I picked up my guitar and headed back inside, grabbing my dry cleaned frock coat as I headed into my bedroom. I flung my frock coat onto the back of a chair as I reached under my bed and pulled out my trunk. I unclasped the catches and placed my guitar inside the cupboard behind me amongst my new clothes I had collected over the months. I took a moment to look through the trunk’s contents, picking up the dimension device and smiling. The ‘dream come true’ feeling returning once more. I put it back inside amongst my belongings and collapsed on my rather large bed, mulling over ideas on what I could do to surprise Lyra. I could take her somewhere. I thought deeper and then it hit me. The passes Rarity gave me… yes that’s it! I can take her there! I pumped my fist in the air in triumph.

I fumbled around in my trunk and found them in a small box. I grabbed my bit coin purse from my bedside table and placed it in my jacket pocket. “Now let’s see, dress code… high-class/regal. Right then, it is decided!” I put the passes in my shirt’s breast pocket, took out the Doctor’s dimension jump device and strapped it to my wrist. I keyed in Ponyville and the all familiar countdown appeared. I had a few things to pick up for the evening. “I shouldn’t be too long,” I said before the white flash appeared and I was gone.

An hour or two later I returned to the apartment, nearly crushed by the boxes of items I had which tumbled on top of me as I got to my feet. I opened two to check their contents. “Unharmed, brilliant!” I took them into my room and set them in my trunk until Lyra returned. I didn’t have long to wait, in fact as soon as the catches on my trunk were back in place my heart leapt at the sound of the door unlocking. I rushed and grabbed my guitar from my cupboard and flung myself at the couch – surprisingly I didn’t knock it over. I struck at the chords nonchalantly as the door opened and Lyra walked in carrying shopping bags in her magic. “Hey Lyra, you want a hand with those?” I asked sitting up.

“Hey, Wingy; yes thank you.”

Not long after we met, Lyra had taken to nicknaming me ‘Wingy’. She was certainly better at coming up with nicknames than Bon-Bon. I took the bags from her and helped her unpack. “So how’d it go with Bon-Bon?” I asked, masking my question as small talk.

Lyra rolled her eyes as she recalled the events. “She’s okay I guess, she’s been pretty weird lately. We were having lunch and when I was talking about the private concert you and I did, she got all snappy, saying that you and our music are all I ever talk about.” She scoffed and looked at me. “I mean it’s not like I mention you every time Bon-Bon and I hang out, I’m just so happy I have a human friend.”

“Yeah, of course, you don’t mention me that much,” I said jokingly.

“Hey!” She punched me playfully on the arm. A few minutes later, we were sitting on the sofa together, with Lyra sitting back on her plot. She had been doing that a lot more recently since I came into her life. I guess she wanted to seem as human as possible around me. Playing true to her song I had even offered to teach her to stand on two legs and she has become very good at it.

“Okay Lyra, it’s all about balance.” Lyra had her hooves on my shoulders as she tried to keep herself from falling backwards.

“Woah, woah!” She stumbled but my right arm moved to support her back, catching her before she toppled over.

“Nearly, take it slow at first, ponies aren’t meant to stand this way so be careful,” I placed my hands on her grasping hooves and I slowly edged myself away, keeping hold of them until I finally released them, leaving her perfectly balanced on two legs.

“Okay, Lyra, try walking over to me.”

Lyra wobbled as she placed her right leg in front of her – forehooves stretched out for balance. Her first step landed wobbly and she nearly fell over.

“Slowly Lyra, slowly, that’s it.”

Lyra looked at me in feigned glare. She was like a foal taking her first steps – except Lyra was a full-grown pony defying gravity. Her next step was less faltered, the next was even better, the one after was perfect.

“You’re doing brilliantly Lyra! Almost there.” I spoke too soon.

“Woah, no-no-no, WAAH!” She tripped and fell forward, crashing into me and knocking me to the floor – the both of us laughing in a pile.

Since then she has gotten a lot better, though I suggested that she refrained from doing it in public just yet.

“So, Lyra, uh… do you fancy going out tonight, just the two of us?”

Lyra looked at me blankly for a second, she blinked once and a second later, her previous smile returned. “Sure, where shall we go?”

I smiled and rose from the sofa. “Ah, now for this you’ll have to close your eyes.”

Lyra looked at me, puzzled by the strange request. “Why?”

“It’s a surprise; we’re going to need a few things for where we’re going.”

The turquoise unicorn’s confused look immediately turned to one of excitement and she shut her eyes tight in anticipation.

“Hang on, I’ll be back in a sec.” I rushed over to my trunk and took out a long flat white box, tied together with a bow. The name ‘Carousel Boutique’ written in fancy scripture on the top. I walked back into the living room and placed the box on Lyra’s lap. “Okay, I want you to open this first.”

Lyra’s eyes opened to see the posh looking box in her hooves, her smile grew tenfold and she looked at me, her amber eyes wide with excitement. “Oh, what is it, what is it!” She quickly undid the bow and it fell to the floor. With the bow out of the way and lifted the lid. Her smile turned into an expression of sheer awe as she lifted the item from the box. This item was a silken turquoise dress with white accents on the shoulders flowing down the sides and ending at the skirt. The shoulders were adorned with two emeralds and a topaz gem brooch in the shape of a lyre was clasped on the chest. The colours matched her coat and mane to a tee. Luckily for me, the cost was spared – since the project itself for any other pony would have cost about three thousand bits. Lyra sat speechless, just staring at the garment before her. Her smile threatening to meet at the back of her head. I took one of her limp forehooves and put one of the VIP passes in it and her eyes turned to look.

“Well, Lyra, do you like it?”

She didn’t answer.

I grew concerned and sat down beside her. “Lyra, are you all right; don’t you like it?”

“W-Wingy,” she said quietly, still transfixed by the dress. “Did you make this just for me?” Her eyes began to glisten.

“Yes I did, the dress is of my own design and was sewn together piece by piece by the most gifted seamstress in all of Equestria.”

Lyra turned towards me as I spoke, those jewel-like amber eyes locked on mine.

“For somepony as special as you, only the very best will do.”

Still silent Lyra put both her forehooves on my shoulders and gave me a light kiss on the cheek, before pulling me into a hug. I could feel her hoof rubbing my back affectionately. My hands were paralyzed, completely absorbed in the velvety texture of her coat as my arms wrapped around her to return the cuddle.

“I love it, thank you, Wingy. You’re such a sweet person.” Lyra took the dress in her magic and cantered off eagerly to her bedroom next to mine. She turned to me, her hoof on the doorway. “No peeking, Wingy.” She giggled and closed the door.

In the moment of solitude, I put my hand to where she had kissed me. My cheek felt hot to the touch – I didn’t need a mirror to know I was probably blushing. I felt a warm feeling in my chest wash over me and for a moment a feeling of anxiety hit me – I can’t really describe it but it’s like a feeling of, anticipation, like looking forward to something. A few minutes later the door to Lyra’s room opened and I found quite the beauteous sight. Standing in the doorway, was Lyra, clad in the beautiful dress. The fabric glided over the contours of her lithe form, the sparkles of the emeralds on the shoulders brought out the beauty of her entrancing amber irises – the real gems. “Well? How do I look?” Lyra twirled in the dress, showing how well it complimented her physique.

My voice was momentarily stolen from me, as my eyes struggled not to be blinded by her radiant beauty. Everything about her was perfect. “Lyra, you… you look absolutely amazing. Simply, unquestionably beautiful.” The compliment easily rolled of my tongue, since no tactfulness was needed. It was the truth.

Almost immediately, Lyra’s cheeks turned a deep shade of scarlet and I could have sworn I saw her eyes glistening. “R-really, I’m beautiful… you mean that?”

I nodded with the warm feeling in my chest returning. “I am merely stating what lies before my eyes, Lyra, the truth doesn't lie. You are the embodiment of beauty itself, even the princesses would be drawn back in awe of it.” I nearly recoiled as my compliment almost literally swept Lyra of her feet.

“Oh, Wingy,” she said, hurrying towards me and embracing me. “You’re such a gentlestal-uh, gentleman, your kind and sweet… thank you, Wingy.” She hugged me again, the sweet scent of perfume filling my nostrils.

After a few seconds, I pulled out of the hug and smiled. “There’s just one more thing, Lyra, darling,” I hurried back over to my trunk and took out a small box. This cost me nearly every last one of the bits I had saved. “Close your eyes Lyra,” she shut them tights as I opened the box and lifted out the object, carefully setting it on her head. I held a mirror to Lyra’s face and bade her open her eyes. She looked into the mirror and her eyes went wide at the sight. On her head was a gold tiara, the crown jewel was her lyre cutie mark, the wood of the lyre was jewelled with topaz gems and the strings made of cut emerald, literally crowning the ensemble. “What do you think, Princess?”

“P-Princess?” Lyra stammered, any more surprise and she would surely faint. “I’m a Princess?” She smiled at me, almost on the verge of tears. “Wingy…will you be my Prince tonight... Please?”

The ‘please’ at the end of that sentence struck right at my heart – I could do naught but accept. I bowed to her. “It would be an honour, My lady,” I said, before rushing off to change into my clothing I had designed for tonight. A few minutes later, I was dressed up in an outfit that would even be praised by today’s English officers for its beauty. It was my take on an 18th century British redcoat uniform – minus the tri-corn hat and those god-awful breeches. I adored the regal look, but the hat I felt was a bit too much and I had replaced the breeches with proper white trousers. My crimson coat was designed in a proper officer’s overcoat style rather than the typical cutting off below the waist and arcing round the back design – one that films had a habit of showcasing. I had the lapel’s patterns emblazoned with beautiful red and white stripes with gold buttons running all the way down them and I had replaced the black embroidery around the buttonholes with gold. The trim from the sleeve cuffs to the hemline was pure white. This brilliant jacket hung proudly over a double breasted shirt with red embroidery I had had made especially for it – along with sanguine coloured robe like tails sporting the same white trim at the front over my trousers. A pure white leather belt was clasped around my waist over a red sash and two small scabbard type straps on either side of my hips were clipped to the belt. My shoes were replaced with boots, which reached a few inches below my knees – polished to such a standard that if I looked into them I would probably be blinded by the shine. The pass did say the dress code was high-class/regal so I was hardy overdoing it. The design was inspired from a similar looking outfit from a certain game. “Well, Lyra, how do I look?”

Lyra walked up to me, her eyes critiquing my outfit. “Oh wow, Wingy, you look like a soldier–” she ran her hoof along one of the lapels. “–a handsome soldier out of one of those human history books I read.”

I gestured to the city outside the window. “Well, Princess, shall we head out?”

Lyra nodded eagerly. “Let’s go.”

And with that, dressed in our regal garbs we graced the streets of Canterlot. I had found out recently that my dimension device also had a map function. Which prevented us from getting lost as I had already keyed where we were going. Luna’s lustrous night was painted across the sky as we walked through the few nobles, possibly heading to their own events. I took notice of some of the younger stallions stealing second glances at Lyra as they walked past us. It couldn’t be helped really; any stallions in their right mind would be queuing up to woo a mare as gorgeous as she was. Our mouths nearly dropped to the pavement as our destination met our astounded eyes. ‘The Ballroom of the Two Sisters’ was one of the highest, if not the highest-class venue in all of Canterlot, second only to the illustrious Grand Galloping Gala. Classy, exclusive and extraordinarily expensive to acquire passes to this sky-high society event. My coin purse was full in readiness for the night, as I feared that by the end of this night the remainder of my saved funds would be substantially reduced. However, cost was the furthest thing from my mind, all that mattered to me at that moment, was Lyra. I gulped nervously as we approached the door, for instead of their being usual security at the doors two of Celestia’s royal guards were posted at the entrance.

“HALT!” They barked in unison, their wings unfurling over the door. Even though I was a good two feet taller than these guards were they still looked intimidating. Their deadpan expressions rivalling that of the grenadier guards that were posted at the gates of Buckingham Palace. “VIP’S ONLY!” I procured my pass from my pocket and Lyra showed hers. “Very well, ENTER!” Their wings furled, revealing the entrance.

I offered Lyra my arm. “Well Princess Heartstrings, shall we?” I smiled. Lyra nodded and raised her hoof, taking my arm as we headed inside. As we headed through the foyer, I felt my arm weigh down suddenly. I looked to see Lyra had raised herself up onto her hind legs, her dress covering her underbelly. I had prepared for this situation and designed the dress accordingly. Even with her new-found height, I was still a few inches taller than she was. As we entered the main hall, Lyra lowered herself back onto her hooves so as not to put too much strain on her legs.

We took a moment to admire the sight of the ballroom in all its glory. We humans may be more advanced in the technological area. But I can say this with absolute certainty, when it comes to architecture; we are still deep in the dark ages. The room was a mixture of night blue and Celestial white, each side dedicated to the two goddesses that ruled over Equestria. The walls were draped in highly detailed arrases of the Princesses. Some had stain-glass type impressions of the two Alicorns embroidered onto them. Others of the threats they had overcome. The defeat of Discord, the imprisonment of Nightmare Moon and her return. And the largest was a legendary illustration of the two sisters side by side, the sun and moon above them, the two Princesses together again. The sight of such unity nearly brought a tear to my eye at the fact that their bond had risen above so much hardship and was stronger for it. Now that is true royalty. “So Lyra, what shall we do first?” I asked dumbfounded, the sheer size of the place left both of us unsure of what to do and when.

“I-I’m not sure,” she replied, still admiring the wall hangings.

“Do you want to get something to eat?” I asked as I noticed a restaurant area on the Luna side of the hall.

Lyra nodded. “Sure, let’s go.”

We trotted over to the restaurant area and after a bit of explaining to the hyperventilating maître d ́hôtel, we were seated by the window with an excellent view of the city before us.

I will say this, for a society where meat is absent from every table from here to the Griffin kingdom, they still have great food. Converting to vegetarianism wasn’t really as much of a problem as I had first thought – though I still missed a good roast. Well we all have to make sacrifices don’t we? After a delicious three-course meal, we went over to the bar and tried wine tasting. Although I knew it was to prevent intoxication, I still thought it was a waste to spit out such fine liquor after tasting it. It doesn’t really seem much of a credit to the vineyard it came from, to first compliment the taste of such a sought after wine, only to then spit it out again into a sink and yet such a display was still looked upon as couth. Lyra and I couldn’t supress our laughter as the snooty noble ponies politely sipped at their wine, before simultaneously spitting out said wine like a herd of llamas. After laughing at the flock of spitting nobles, we sat down by the large dance floor to rest our legs for a moment. After a minute or so, I asked the question I had been wanting to ask for ages. I rose up from my chair and offered her my hand. “May I have this dance, Miss Heartstrings?”

Lyra giggled into her hoof. “Of course,” she answered politely as she took my hand and strode onto the dance floor with me. “How do humans dance, Wingy?”

My ears pricked up as the bars of a familiar waltz drifted from the stage. “Like this.” In one swift motion, I raised Lyra onto her hind legs, my left hand in her right hoof with my right arm firmly around her back.

Lyra looked at me in astonishment for a moment, her hooves holding onto me for balance as I listened to the song.

I then found an opening in the music and in two steps; I led her into a waltz.

“I’m not sure what to do, Wingy. I’ve never danced like this before.”

“Just…follow…my…lead,” I said, as I stepped in time with the music. I wasn’t a dancer by any means, but luckily I had learned to waltz from a few books I’d read – namely ‘Black Butler’ – and since this was a pony I was dancing with, the chances of stepping on any feet were literally zero. “One, two, three. One, two, three,” I muttered as we glided across the floor.

“You’re really good, Wingy I-woah-ha-ha!” Lyra exclaimed, as I sped up the movement as the music’s tempo quickened before I pulled her back into my arms for a moment. “That was amazing, whoa-aa!” I twirled her away from me, this time keeping hold on her right hoof before winding her back in again. Any ponies on the dance floor had stopped what they were doing and had crowded round the two beings dancing in a very strange way.

“That’s it, Lyra, you’re a natural!” I said to her as we spun around again, surprised she wasn’t dizzy from it all. As the song began to reach its conclusion, I decided to do a daring finishing move that I had seen in a film. I twirled Lyra around again for the final time, but instead of pulling her to my chest, I stepped sideways, her body naturally tipping backwards. At the last moment, my right arm slipped round her back and caught her, creating a perfect end, to a perfect song.

As we gazed into each other’s eyes, breathing heavily from our spectacle. Lyra did something I thought she would never do. As the applause from the surrounding nobles began Lyra shut her eyes and brought her lips to mine in a kiss – it was a very light one, a mere graze of the flesh barely registering on the senses. My heart pained in anxiety when I saw Lyra’s cheeks turn red almost instantaneously and she pulled away, a look of regret on her face. “Lyra, are you all right?”

She didn’t answer, she was even avoiding eye contact and this worried me greatly.

“I’m sorry,” Lyra muttered, before hastily trotting away from me into the crowd. Seeing that the performance was over the nobles returned to their idle chatter, the echolalia of voices and music filling the ballroom again. While others were bundled in a drunken stupor from actually having the presence of mind to swallow their liquor rather than spitting it out. I stood there paralyzed in regret, before the man in me kick-started my legs and I hurriedly headed in the direction of the balcony. To my surprise, I found her there, looking out at the stars. My breath began to falter as I saw her eyes her flowing with the beginnings of tears. I approached her slowly, each step pushing me back slightly as I forced my feet forward.

“L-Lyra...are you okay?”

Lyra shook her head.

“Did I do something wrong?”

Again, Lyra moved her head from side to side. “No…it was me…I-I… I shouldn’t have kissed you like that so suddenly...” She still refrained from eye contact; she simply stared down at the city below.

My heart began to sink as I decided it was time to ask her a question I had been wanting to know the answer to since I had met her, but had never found an appropriate time to. One doesn’t simply talk about this in normal conversation, but in light of what had happened a few minutes prior, it was now or never. I took a deep breath and spoke. “L-Lyra.”

The turquoise unicorn finally looked over at me, her eyes still teary.

I gulped, took a breath and asked it. “Are you and Bon-Bon…together?” I steeled myself for the inevitable.

“Yes...” Lyra’s tears spilled over her eyes as she closed them.

My breath caught in my throat, it was if my lungs had been paralyzed by her answer. So it’s true… no! my legs buckled and I fell to my knees, limp and useless from the shock. I buried my head in my hands, my eyes filling with tears. The white trim of my uniform curling over my boots as my emotion boiled over and my tears poured over my lids and rolled down my cheeks. I-I’ve failed. I nearly jumped as I felt a hoof on my shoulder. I looked up to see the beautiful turquoise unicorn, looking at me with those entrancing topaz gems I had fallen in love with. There was a smile on her face, shining through her tearful eyes. “L-Lyra, what are you–” I was cut off as she pulled me towards her and hugged me. My eyes were as wide as a pair of dinner plates at this sudden intimacy. “Lyra, why are you, I-I thought you were a–”

Lyra put her hooves on either side of my cheeks. “I love Bon-Bon very much but, well… she’s not you, Wingy… she’s not a human.”

I stared at her completely astounded, my lip quivering as I tried to master the English language again. “But I’m a male… doesn’t that bother you, at all?” I asked twenty percent more confused as my brain tried to understand this outright baffling situation playing out in front of me.

Lyra shook her head. “You’re not a stallion, Wingy… and I’ve always dreamed of having a human… Well you know a…a…”

“Boyfriend?”

“Boyfriend… and I’ve had so much fun since I’ve met you. We’ve got a nice home; a successful music career, you’ve made all my dreams come true. And tonight... well you had this dress made for me, you bought me this tiara and you took me here, you’ve just been nothing but kind to me. And I think I… I…” She trailed off, a blush now on her cheeks as she smiled embarrassedly at the floor. “Have a crush on you.”

The moment those words left her lips, the stopcock on my heart broke and spilled its contents. “Lyra… I-I’ve got to say it now. I’ve had feelings for you, since even before the first time we met. I’d heard about your interest in us, especially how you were always put down for studying something different to those around. But you stuck to your guns no matter what and I found that really amazing. Your determination is inspiring, you pushed boundaries and challenged the norm and that is one of the myriad of things I love about you Lyra. And since then, I have wanted nothing more than to be with you, hang out together, play music with you, spoil you and… well, love you.” I could feel my cheeks blushing hot as I stood up and took Lyra in my arms, my left hand holding her hoof. I put my other hand to her cheek and she did the same to me with her free hoof, the other wrapped around my back.

“Bon-Bon will always be my special somepony. But I want you to be my special somehuman… do you want to be my special somehuman, Wingy?”

I choked back my tears as I gave my answer. “More than anything in the world, Lyra.”

We gazed into each other’s eyes for what seemed like an eternity. I moved my hand across her to brush a curl of her mint mane from her face.

“Lyra, m-may I kiss you?” A single tear of happiness ran down my cheek in a small rivulet and dripped off my jawline.

“Yes, Wingy.” Lyra’s eyes were glistening as the moonlight reflected off of them. “You may...” She closed her eyes and parted her lips slightly, beckoning me to meet them. I paused for a heartbeat and leaned into her, the both of our lips meeting in a passionate kiss. My hand curled through her silky mane as we both savoured each other’s tastes, the feelings I had kept locked down tight in my heart finally flowing free. After a few mores seconds we both broke the kiss in need of air. I barely had time to inhale as she kissed me again, her lips hungrily snogging me now. Her silk covered chest was pressed into me so much so I could even feel her heart beating in her chest.

She tilted her head to coddle my lips more lovingly while her mane tickled my face. It heartened me that after all this time, she had, had feelings for me all this time and mine weren’t misplaced after all. I repaid in kind by cuddling her close as we continued to kiss.

My heart began to beat even faster as I felt her tongue poking at my teeth, my own tongue rose to my mouth’s defence at the intrusion and playfully fought with Lyra’s, before I lowered my defence and let her through. Her lips had a sweet, almost lime like flavour with a hint of tart. A taste in which I took time to indulge in thoroughly, until another lack of oxygen cruelly separated us. Getting our breath back, we gazed into each other’s eyes. “Lyra, tha-that was wonderful, you were wonderful I–” I was cut off as she pulled me into her wet lips one more time. A warm electric feeling shot through my chest as the wet smacking of our lips reached my ears. After a minute I slowly pulled away to look at her, my hand cradling her blushing face while the other rested on the back of her silken dress. “You want to head in for one last dance, Lyra?”

Lyra leaned in and kissed my cheek before lowering back onto her hooves. “C’mon, Wingy. Let’s show these poshie ponies how to really dance.” And with that we headed back inside, ready to dance the night away – well most of it anyway.

A few hours passed and we reluctantly dragged ourselves off the dance floor, realising that we were the only ones on it. We went over to the stage to thank the orchestra for their amazing performance and headed back to the main hall. I put my hand into my coat pocket and took out my pocket watch. I nearly recoiled at the time; it was two minutes past three in the morning. “By Celestia, where has the time gone?” I said, staring at the watch in disbelief. I looked over and saw Lyra supressing a yawn. “You want to head back home, darling?” I asked, stifling a yawn of my own.

Lyra nodded. “Yeah, I’m really tired, and my legs are hurting from all that dancing.” She came closer to me and pushed her chest up against mine, putting her head close to my ear in order to whisper. “And I’m feeling… really hot in this dress,” she added sultrily, getting me hot under my collar.

I giggled as Lyra's blush grew tenfold. “Come on then let’s get home,” I said, as we walked through the main doors of the ballroom and headed back into the chilly streets of Canterlot. The streets were almost completely barren of life at this hour as we hurried back to our apartment. There was a distinct nip in the air as we continued to walk down the pavement, my boots clicking on the ground with each step. I looked over to Lyra to see if she was okay. She was walking rather slowly, so I slowed my pace down so to not go ahead of her. Her hind legs were worn out from the strain of standing on them for almost all night. My heart jumped as I saw Lyra shiver from a rogue breeze that caught both of us. Immediately my hand reached for the coat of my uniform and pulled it off and placing it over Lyra’s shoulders, caring little for my own warmth. Granted it was a little big for her, but the size ensured that it would keep her warm until we got home.

“T-thank you, Wingy.” Lyra moved over to nuzzle her head into my side, pleased by my act of chivalry.

“You’re welcome, Lyra, I can’t have you catching a cold can I?” A couple more minutes later, we reached our apartment. I opened the doors with a sigh of relief before I stopped. Oh no, I forgot about the stairs, I thought as I stared at the daunting spiral staircase that seemed to ascend all the way to the cosmos. I looked at Lyra worriedly. My legs were clapped out too from twirling her around all night, but I knew that whatever pain I was feeling didn’t even come close to the gargantuan amount of strain Lyra’s hind legs had been put through tonight, since she wasn’t really meant to be standing on just those legs. Even though she had tried to ignore it, I could see her back legs trembling, unable to hold her up properly anymore. She clearly didn’t have the strength to climb the stairs in this state. I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing her in pain; it was my duty as a man to help her. “Come on, Lyra,” I said as I slipped my arm under her forelegs and lifted her up. “Uuuup we go.” I stood back up, cradling Lyra in my arms as I began to ascend the staircase. Her beautiful silken dress was draping over my arm as I held her, my uniform’s coat acting as an extra blanket for her.

“W-Wingy, it’s okay you don’t have to carry me. I can walk.”

I stopped and put my hand to her cheek. “Lyra, your legs must be killing you. I can’t have you hurting yourself.”

“B-but your legs must hurt too, I don’t want you to hurt yourself for the sake of me.”

It heartened me to see how caring she was of my well-being. “To hay with my legs, you are all that matters to me and I will not have you ripping a muscle in your legs for my sake. I love you too much for that.” I bit my tongue to catch the words before they escaped my lips but it was too late. I could do naught but blush as she put her hoof around the back of my head and pulled herself up to kiss me. As she did so however, her tiara began slipping off her head, I saw it in the corner of my eye and I shot out a hand to catch it before it fell onto the floor. Lyra laid back into my arms as I placed the tiara back on her head. “Almost lost your crown, princess.” I smiled.

“I love you, Wingy.” She nuzzled her face into my neck lovingly before snuggling back down into arms as I continued up the stairs, letting nothing stand in my way. Lyra wasn’t too heavy, but my limbs were in a weakened state from burning up the boards all night, my calf muscles were pulsating as they threatened to give out. After thinking that this mountainous staircase would never end, I sighed in relief as the sight of our door gave me that last spur of energy to push forward.

“L-Lyra,” I breathed, panting heavily as the burst of energy I had left me. “We’re home, I… Lyra?” I nearly had to cover my mouth as I desperately fought the urge to ‘Aww’ at the sight in my arms. Lyra was snuggled in my coat, sound asleep, a little smile on her face as I heard her breathing softly. I felt tears running down my cheek as I looked at her. Lyra looked absolutely adorable, so relaxed and tranquil as she slept in my arms. I felt my smile grow and my flow of tears increase when I heard her stir and turn over, nuzzling the side of her head into my upper arm as she sighed in contentment, before drifting back off to sleep. I silently, but swiftly retrieved my key from my coat pocket, my left arm straining to hold her up as I unlocked the door, kicking it open and walking through. I clicked the light on with my nose and used my teeth to adjust the light strength to the lowest so it didn’t wake her, quite skilfully I might add given both my arms were occupied.

I shut the door as quietly as I could with my leg. I looked to see if Lyra had awoken, but she was still sleeping soundly in the warm confines of my coat turned blanket. Smiling, I quietly carried her to her bedroom and pulled back the blanket of her bed. I carefully lowered her down onto the mattress, she stirred for a moment, but as the comfort of the bed reached her body, she settled back down. I removed my coat carefully from under her and tucked her in. “Goodnight, Lyra,” I said, before walking out of the room, leaving the door ajar slightly. I began heading to my room, my vision blurred as I felt my legs and my eyes grow heavy. Sleep was beginning to grip me; I stumbled forward, landing on the couch with a soft thump. As the comfortable cushions pressed into my muscles, I could feel my power to resist the impending slumber dwindling, until I gave in to the fatigue. Slowly, but surely sinking into the beginnings of a well-earned rest. I sighed in exhaustion as the last remnant of my lucidity left me and I drifted off to sleep.

This night, marked the beginning of my more, romantic relationship with Lyra.

Chapter Six: The Black Unicorn

It was early morning and Celestia’s sun had slowly begun to peak over the horizon and shine across the Equestrian landscape, ushering a new dawn and a new day for all its inhabitants. Each and every one of the rising from their beds, well rested and ready to go about their day, wherever they be and whomever they were. Except for myself, who at this point while everypony else was beginning to wake up and prepare for the trials and tribulations of the impending morrow, was still snoring like a foal. Sadly, this peaceful slumber didn’t last for much longer as the aforementioned dawn light shone through the glass in the balcony doors and lit up my poor eyelids. The scorching light caused me to stir, groaning profusely I fought back the light, trying to stop my lucid mind from pulling me out of my dream. But sadly, my efforts were all for naught as my dream faded and my vision was filled with grey, before my eyelids creaked open, reality greeting them once more, but not a welcome greeting. “Ahh, my eyes.” I breathed throatily as my solid vocal chords were awoken from their hours of inactivity – aside from the occasional moans and groans associated with sleeping. I exclaimed again as the sun hit my still sensitive eyes, filling them with a white blur. Frustrated with the unrelenting rays I grabbed a cushion and used it to block out the sun. I exclaimed for the final time as I grunted in frustration at not being able to return to my dream, my lucidity now intent on staying put. I had been having the most amazing dream. In it, I had taken Lyra to The Ballroom of the Two Sisters. She was wearing a dress I had had made for her and I was dressed in my redcoat uniform as we twirled around the dance floor to the amazement of the ballroom’s attendees. But the best part of it all, the one piece of the dream I remember most vividly, Lyra and I fell in love with each other.

Such a perfect memory, yet sadly fictional, as if I did all that. Wait. I looked down, eyes still adjusting, to see blurry shades of red and dots of gold on my person. Could it be? I made to get up off the sofa, but a weight on my chest prevented me from doing so. “Wha-wha-what?” My tone was a mixture of perplexity and grogginess as I rubbed my eyes vigorously to clear my vision. As my eyes finally came back into focus. The other haze in front of me became recognisable.

The weight on my chest was none other than Lyra herself, sound asleep, a small needle of saliva flowing from her open mouth onto my neck. She was still wearing the dress I got for her. “Didn’t I tuck her in last night when she fell asleep?” I asked myself before shaking it off, scolding myself for questioning such a cute scenario. It wasn’t dream; it was real! Regaining control of my stiff arms, I wrapped them around the sleeping unicorn and nuzzled into her mane affectionately before drifting back off to sleep. I didn’t have much time to nap though as I was awoken by a stirring in top of me. I opened my eyes to see Lyra opening hers at the same time, meeting in an almost puzzled stare. The awkward atmosphere was dispelled as Lyra’s eyes relaxed with a smile.

“Hey, Wingy,” she said, shuffling up to bring herself to eye level with me.

“Hello, Lyra.” I gave her a loving squeeze. “Sleep well?” I felt her nod, her head rising off my neck to look at me. “I had the most amazing dream last night.” I said half-jokingly.

“Yeah, me too.” Lyra bore the same knowing smile I had as we recalled last night’s events at the same time, which led us to hug each other tightly, the both of us refusing to let go for fear of losing the moment forever. “Thank you Wingy, for last night,” she said, giving me another kiss on the cheek. “It was wonderful… just wonderful.”

“No need to thank me Lyra, for somepony as special and as dear to my heart as you there is no end to the lengths I would go to make you happy.” I punctuated that statement with a kiss of my own on her cheek. Lyra nuzzled my nose in return, the both of us moving in for another hug. My chest jolted as I felt a vibration on my stomach. “You want some breakfast, darling?”

Lyra nodded. “Yeah, I’m starving; dancing really takes it out of you.”

“I’ll say, are your legs alright, Lyra?”

“Yeah, there a little stiff but I’m fine,” she replied rising off the couch. “I’m gonna go change, don’t wanna crease the dress,” she looked in the mirror above the fireplace, admiring herself as the sun glinted off the gems on her tiara. “To think I used to hate all this snooty dressing up…” she stopped for a moment, a thought taking hold of her. “Oh, Wingy?” Her voice was sing-song as she trotted back over to me and pulled me off the couch. “A little dance in the morning sun, Wingy?”

I exclaimed in both surprise and pain as Lyra twirled me around the front room, my stiff joints screaming in pain. “Whoa-whoa, Lyra, are you trying to break my back?”

“Oh come on, Wingy it’s easy. One, two, three.” We both laughed as we spun around clumsily, my uniform threatening every ornament’s stability as we danced past them.

“See, Wingy, you’re a natural!”

I smirked “Who was teaching who, Miss Heartstrings?”

Lyra chuckled as she threw me back into her hooves. “Oh come on, Wingy, it’s my turn to lead, one, two, three and one, two, three.” It was then she decided replicate the move I did last night. But instead of having the desired effect, by the time I spun back into her I ended up pulling her onto the floor, the both of us laughing in a pile, again. When our laughter subsided we found ourselves locked in a gaze neither of us wanted to break, our heads edged closer, lips merely inches away, we were thinking the same thing at that moment. Our lips barely grazed when we heard a click from the door. A deathly silence froze time as still as Discord’s prison as we both stared at the door. Then we heard a voice, it was muffled but still audible. Instantly my mind set to work at trying to match the voice to a face. There was only one pony with a voice as jolly as that.

“FULL-BRIGHT!” We both screamed as we scrambled to get up from our recumbent position. Unfortunately for me, Lyra managed to use my chest to spring off me and back onto the couch. The force sent me tumbling backwards into the fireplace, causing a fresh cloud of soot to cascade from the chimney onto my uniform and all around the hearth. And as if on cue Full-Bright burst in dressed in one of his flashy but simple suits, his blonde mane shining in the sunlight.

“Good morning, everypony!” he said, in his usual jovial voice.

Lyra rose from the couch to greet him. “Hello, Full-Bright, we weren’t expecting you today. Is something wrong?”

The white coated stallion shook his head. “Oh no, no, far from it, no I just thought I’d drop in you know? See how you two are–” He stopped for a moment, his eyes now locked on Lyra’s apparel “– my, my Lyra, what a fabulous dress you have on there.”

Lyra smiled as her cheeks went rosy. “Thank you, Full-Bright.”

“The design is amazing, pardon me for asking but where did you buy this exquisite work of art? It suits you perfectly, and don’t get me started on that equally fabulous tiara of yours.”

Lyra’s redness grew as she recalled the night’s events. “Oh I didn’t buy them, Wingy had them made for me; we were out dancing last night. He took me to The Ballroom of the Two Sisters.”

Full-Bright nearly choked on his own tongue as he tried to speak, the mere utterance of the place depriving him of speech. “Th-‘The Ballroom of the Two Sisters’? How in Equestria did he manage to take you there? I’ve been trying to get in there for months!”

“A–” I was cut off as I coughed out the soot I had just breathed in “–a friend of mine knows a few ponies here in Canterlot.” I climbed to my feet and desperately brushed the soot off my overcoat.

Full-Bright jumped as his eyes found my voice. “Oh hello, Winged, I didn’t see you there. You certainly know how to spoil a mare, eh?” He said pointing at Lyra with a tilt of his head.

“Anything that puts a smile on Lyra’s face I am happy with.” I smiled.

Full-Bright chuckled. “Oh you little romantic you,” he joked, his eyes then widened as he saw the state of my clothes. “By Celestia, what happened to your outfit?”

I threw my overcoat over a nearby chair; the rest of my uniform luckily was spared from the black cloud of soot. “Oh nothing I had a bit of… trouble with the fireplace.”

“Ah well, can’t be helped I suppose, accidents happen.”

“We were just about to have breakfast, would you like to join us?” Lyra offered, carefully placing her tiara back into its box.

“Oh no, I don’t want to impose on your hospitality,” Full-Bright replied, polite as ever.

Lyra laughed. “Oh come on Full-Bright, you know you’re not imposing; now sit down and make yourself comfortable. I’m gonna go and get changed.”

“I’ll make a start on breakfast, Lyra,” I said walking over towards the kitchen.

“Thanks, Wingy,” Lyra replied as she went into her bedroom.

About twenty minutes later, we were all sat down in the living room, finishing off a rather large fruit salad we had prepared. The three of us had been talking about the concerts we had done over the last season, laughing as we recalled the time when we were performing at another extravagant event. Not long after we had finished our performance that night, the stage collapsed, sending the unlucky ponies on it tumbling backwards. Now in any other situation this would have been nothing more than a small structural issue. But in this case however, this stage was on the roof of a sky-high hotel – with very low railings.

“Oh by Celestia, I could have perished from laughter that day, oh those poor souls,” Full-Bright laughed, with tears in his eyes.

“Oh come on, Full-Bright, cut the poor ponies some slack, do you remember how high up we were?”

Lyra nodded in agreement. “Yeah, we were on the top floor, those musicians must have been terrified.”

Full-Bright sighed, his breath calming down as his laughter subsided. “Yes, I suppose so. B-but it was jolly funny!” He exploded into laughter again. After a moment or so Full-Bright must have remembered something as the thought practically catapulted him off the couch. “Oh puffer-duff, my apologies, my friends, I was so caught up in our little chinwag I’d forgotten what I came here to tell you,” Full-Bright fumbled through his jacket for a moment before retrieving a letter from the inside pocket. “It’s another request letter; I thought this one might be of some interest to you Winged, you having a flair for the more shadowy arts of music.” Full-Bright held the letter out to me.

“Oh, how so?” I said, taking the letter and unfolding it. The usual ‘Your presence is requested’ was at the top, but something about the letter was different. Firstly, the venue was called ‘The Black Unicorn’, which I thought was odd, no venue in Canterlot had such a name. Secondly, the letter was signed with the letter ‘C’, but something was off, the top and bottom of the C were laced, like a corset and the ‘C’ was jagged in a familiar pattern. My mind nearly exploded when I realised whom this letter was from, and that the fact there was a pony version of him in this world. “I-it can’t be, it’s, it’s.”

Lyra leaned over my shoulder. “Who is it, Wingy?”

I put my hand to my mouth, completely thunderstruck. “C-Coltaire? N-no way!”

“Who?” Lyra asked, puzzled by the name. “I’ve never heard of him, is he any good?”

I looked at her as if someone had just told me they didn’t know what MLP was. “You’ve never heard of Coltaire, Lyra? He’s one of the greatest Dark Cabaret musicians on Ear- I mean in Equestria!”

And to think Equestria and Earth was poles apart from each other, I guess I was wrong on the gothic level.

Full-Bright nodded excitedly. “Yep, and you’re performing alongside him tonight!”

I could hardly keep my excitement in check as I leapt off the sofa and into my bedroom, running into my wardrobe. “So where’s the venue then!” I shouted from inside the cupboard, searching for an appropriate outfit.

“In Hoofington according to the letter, they’re having a Goth convention over there or something,” Full-Bright shouted back.

“W-nngh, what time?” I pulled on my black swallowtail jacket over my waistcoat and adjusted my tie. I then retrieved my comb; in two swift brushes, I uncurled my hair from its previous state and into a style suitable for the evening. I picked up my silver pocket watch and placed it in the tailcoat’s pocket, threading its chain through my top left button. Upon seeing that my appearance was in order, I walked back into the living room. My appearance at that moment would have been much like that of Sebastian Michaelis, but with green eyes in place of those harsh, demonic red ones.

“I think about eight O’clock.”

“And what’s the time now?” I asked while trying to lace my shoes hurriedly, groaning in frustration as they continued to slip through my fingers.

The stallion pulled his pocket watch out. “The time is... TEN MINUTES PAST TEN!” He screamed and fell off the couch in panic. “It takes hours to get to Hoofington, and it’ll be made worse by the ponies going to the convention–” Full-Bright face-hoofed “–we’ll never get there.”

“Not to fear, Full-Bright, we won’t need the train,” I said retrieving the device from the uniform pile on my bed and placing my toothbrush back on the sink. I emerged from my bedroom to see Lyra putting on some black lipstick from a box of make-up Full-Bright had given her.

Noticing I was looking at her, Lyra came over to me and pursed her lips, allowing me to admire them. “Well, Wingy, are they gothic enough?” She fluttered her eyes at me in a flirtatious manner.

I placed my hand on my chin with an analytical expression on my face. “Hmm, something’s missing,” I murmured, before realising what. “Wait, I know, hang on a moment.” I ran off to my bedroom and came back carrying a black winged collar and one of my cravats. “Here we go, hold still a moment.” Lyra smiled as I placed the collar around her neck, trying to keep my eyes on it and not her eyes. I secured the collar with its gold pin before tying the cravat around it. “Perfect, a true lady of the night.”

Lyra hugged me, she would have kissed me but her lipstick would have been smudged.

“Haha, ‘Lady of the Night’ I get it! Hahaha!” We both shot him an ‘are you serious?’ glare. “Oh, sorry,” Full-Bright smiled embarrassedly as his eyes darted from left to right.

“Do you want me to do your eyes, Lyra?” I asked, holding an eyelash curler and a stick of eye-liner.

“Oh, okay.” Lyra shut her eyes as I began curling her lashes while carefully lining her lids to make them stand out.

“Don’t worry I’ll be careful,” I said as I added the finishing touches. “All done!” I took a small mirror from the make-up box and put it in front of her as her eyes opened. “Like them?”

Lyra turned her head a little to the side and fluttered her eyes. “I love them.” She pursed her lips again and made a kissing gesture at the mirror. She took the mirror out of my hand with her magic and moved forward, Lyra’s lips making contact with my cheek. “Thank you, Wingy.”

“You are most welcome, Lyra, darling.”

We leaned in for a deep kiss, caring not for whom was watching – that is until Full-Bright decided to pipe up.

“Um, hate to interrupt your moment of romance.” Full-Bright took in a deep breath. “But would you please get your stuff together, PLEASE!” The blonde stallion slumped to the ground. “We’ll never get there,” he sighed in resignation, banging his head purposely on the carpet.

I clapped my hands and rubbed them. “Right let’s get our instruments together, quick!” I ordered, and we both sped off to grab our equipment, the both of us ignoring the dramatic stallion sobbing on the floor.

“Got it!” Lyra shouted and rushed back into the living room; with emerging a few seconds later with my Voltaire-tuned guitar strapped to my back. “Beat you.” She giggled.

“H-hang on a second, answer me this because I’m a little lost here, how in the hay are we supposed to get to Hoofington?” Full-Bright inquired, completely left in the dust on the information front.

“We use this,” I said showing him the dimension device as I clasped it on my arm.

“What’s this thingamajig?” He prodded at the keypad.

“Lyra tell him,” I said, winking at her.

Lyra took in a deep breath. “It’s a dimension jump device that allows the user to teleport through the fabric of time and space to anywhere of their choice without having to interact with the world’s magic field.” Lyra smiled proudly as Full-Bright stared at her like a clueless infant.

“I have absolutely no idea what you just said, but I’m going to go with it anyway, how does it work?”

I didn’t have time to answer as I had already keyed in the location and the countdown clock appeared. “No time, take my arms, QUICK!” Lyra grabbed onto me tightly as Full-Bright still stood.

“W-what are you doing?”

“Just do it Full-Bright, QUICK, FIVE SECONDS!” I shouted frantically, my voice nearly cracking.

The stallion grabbed onto my free arm. “Well I still don-AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” The flash cut him off as we were catapulted into the void.

* * *

I’m starting to think that this device functions more like Captain Jack’s vortex manipulator, it gets you where you want to go; in the most painful way possible. Or it could just be that the easy ride is not applicable to three individuals using a device intended for one person.

As the blinding white light cleared from my eyes, I got up to my feet and looked around to check our whereabouts. We were definitely alive, and we were inside somewhere. I looked over to see a sign written in a gothic scripture above what looked like a bar, the sign read ‘The Black Unicorn’. I smiled at the device “Good job mate.” I felt my side and realised Lyra was still clinging onto me for dear life, her eyes shut tight. “Lyra,” I said, patting her softly. “We’re here.” Upon hearing my voice, she loosened her grip on my arm, but still kept hold of it, looking about the room cautiously. “You okay, darling?” I asked, worried that the trip had shaken her up.

“N-no I’m, fine,” Lyra replied, releasing my arm and standing on all four hooves. “Just a little dizzy.”

Relieved that she was okay, I looked about the room. The club was quite spacious; the walls were black and white with various pictures of gothic art, including a portrait of a pure white mare with black eye liner dripping from her eyes. The stage was through two double doors that were currently cordoned off with two security ponies at the door; their faces were practically dead still despite our teleport intrusion, which worried me a bit, until a snore escaped one of them. As for other signs of life, there was barely anypony in sight apart from the pony who was cowering behind the bar. Considering the lack of crowds I came to the conclusion that the establishment would refrain from opening until the concert started, allowing us some breathing room. It was then I realised that somepony was missing. “Hang on, where’s Full-Bright?”

I heard a small whimper to my left. “R-right here.” I looked over to see Full-Bright mangled among a stack of chairs once stacked neatly on the tables, now acting as a makeshift prison. “D-don’t worry, I’ll be alright in a minute.” The stallion tried to wriggle free from the wooden chair legs to no avail.

“Uh, can somepony help him please?” I called out as one of the staff helped him out of the pile before taking him away to be patched up.

My ears pricked up as I heard a clapping off hooves behind me. “Well, well, well. Now that’s how you make an entrance!” I stiffened as the voice nearly made my blood freeze, that unique Cuban/New Jersey accent was unmistakeable. I turned to see a virgin white unicorn standing in front of us. He had a small black pointed beard, an equally dark spiky mane and tail that was as black as the darkest hour of night. His cutie mark: a laced ‘C’ with a skull beside it. And the crowning glory: his signature top hat, tilted slightly to the left on his mane.

“C-Coltaire?” I stammered, which was a step up from picking my jaw up from the floor.

Coltaire nodded his head. “That I am. I’ve heard a lot about you and your lady friend and I gotta say I’m a little shocked. When I heard about you in the papers, I couldn’t believe what I was reading. A human in Equestria? The first thing I thought was ‘This is a load of hogwash’ but, turns out the rumour’s true! Anyway, what are your names? You already know me it seems.”

“Winged Sheath.”

“Lyra Heartstrings. It’s an honour to meet you, Mr Coltaire.”

“Lyra huh?” Coltaire removed his hat and bowed to her. “Pleasure to meet you. You’re one lucky guy, Sheath; she is a perfect lady of the night.”

I chuckled. “I know. She is one of a kind.”

Lyra’s teal cheeks flushed. “Oh, Wingy, stop it.”

Coltaire chuckled heartily. “Ah love, heh-heh. I see your trademark instrument isn’t a myth either,” he said, pointing to my guitar. “And here’s me thinking I’m the only guy in Equestria who owns one. May I see it?”

“Of course.” I unbuckled my guitar strap and held out the instrument to him. Coltaire took it in his horn field and studied it, running his hooves across the strings.

“Hmm, it’s kinda different from mine, the strings are closer together for one,” he looked over to me “Mind if I give it a try?”

“Oh no, by all means do.”

Coltaire placed his hooves on the guitar, trying to hold down the correct strings, only for a deadpan chord to emanate from it. “Nnngh, c’mon,” his tongue poked out of his mouth as he concentrated, another single chord left the instrument, which sounded faintly like E-Minor. “I think I’ll stick to mine, thanks.” He floated it back into my hands and cancelled his horn field. “C’mon, we’ve not a moment to lose.” Coltaire bade us to follow him, motioning the security guards to unlock the door to the stage. As soon as the bulky doors were pushed aside, the gothic brilliance of the stage greeted our eyes. The stage was about five feet above the ground with a small fence separating the stage from the crowd area. The floor of the stage itself was a shiny black with a large laced ‘C’ in the middle of it. A microphone was clipped on a four feet tall stand. Leaning against it, was Coltaire’s famous guitar. It looked considerably different from my version; the strings were spread out more with a finger-like hoof contraption that had pins for holding down the chords. Coltaire ran ahead of us and leapt up onto the stage. “Come on guys, what are you waiting for!” He waved his hoof as we picked up the pace and climbed up – well I stepped up, Lyra climbed. Coltaire picked up his guitar and played the legendary B7 chord, sighing in bliss. “Ah, the weeping chord.” He laughed as I imitated the chord on my guitar, feeling a dark aura wash over me as I did so. “There’s such a longing to that chord don’t you think?”

“Well if the chord itself doesn’t make you cry, the places you need to put your fingers in order to play it, will.” I shook my wrist at the horrible recollection of practically ruining my fingertips while trying to hold down the chord. Coltaire laughed along with me, and then a question popped into my head. “Hey uh, Coltaire? What kind of guitar is that?” I had been wanting to know this since I first started following the Earth version of the dark singer.

“Ah, well this–” He held his instrument out and pointed to the marking on the neck “–is a Pinkamena acoustic/electric G series. One of a kind, and very reliable.” He stroked the neck affectionately and struck up a tune. “Now in order to perform alongside me tonight, in my musical: ‘Coltaire plays at the Black Unicorn’. I will be playing the part of Coltaire.” He said in a self-admiring tone and his mane with his hoof. “BUT, I have to cast the part of the Beelzebub Philharmonic Orchestra; somehow with one human and one pony.” He laughed, letting us know he was joking. “Now in order to be cast in this, you must fulfil one of three requirements.”

Oho, here it comes.

“One, you must know all the lyrics to the choruses of my songs. If you do raise your hoof” I raised my hand, Lyra half-raised her hoof. “Two, you must know some of the lyrics to the choruses of my songs.” My hand stayed raised while Lyra’s still remained half-raised. “And three, you must be able to fake the lyrics to the choruses of my songs.” He laughed at my enthusiasm as I felt my hand was about to dislocate from the strain. “It’s okay, Lyra, my songs are easy once you pick them up,” Coltaire lit up his horn and cast the same spell Lyra had cast on me once. “Better?”

“Y-yes, thanks, Coltaire.” She shook her head to stop her eyes spinning.

“You’re welcome, Lyra, now let’s start, actually, Winged, would you like to choose the song?”

I froze. “Oh, uh, really?”

Coltaire nodded. “Sure, don’t be shy, hit me.”

“Uh–” My mind was more still than Discord’s prison, so I picked the first one that popped into my head. “–When You’re Evil.”

Coltaire chuckled again. “How did I know you were going to pick that one? Good thing it’s on the song list.” He pointed over to the two microphones, one on the left and one on the right of him. “Ready your instruments and prepare to weep.”

“Ready!” I stuck the cable into my guitar, and the chords rocked through the speakers.

“Ready!” Lyra shouted, fixing the mini-microphone onto her lyre, the notes sounding out perfectly.

“One, two, THREE!” Coltaire shouted as he began playing, my guitar playing in sync with his, giving am eerie echoic effect to the notes; the plucks from Lyra’s lyre surprisingly made up for the violin, as we began singing, preparing for the night, where darkness would descend on The Black Unicorn, in the form of Goth ponies.

Sooner than we all expected, darkness was upon us. Our playing/chatting had driven us into the early hours of Luna’s night. Coltaire wiped the sweat from his brow, the nerves getting us all psyched for the gothic onslaught that awaited us. It was time, for the performance of Lyra’s life, and my life, and boy, were we ready for it. The clearly audible screams could be heard outside the building, a sign of things to come. “Sounds like quite a turnout; I hope you guys are ready.” Coltaire grinned, turning to Lyra and me.

I saluted him. “As ready as we’ll ever be sir!”

“Yes sir!” Lyra barked, saluting also. “Let’s do this!”

“All righty then, security open the main doors!” The security guard nodded and Coltaire leapt off the stage. “To the dressing room; quick!” Following his orders, we hurried behind, the screams growing louder. However, they were muffled slightly as we shut the door on the noise.

“There’s so many!” I shouted, commenting on the din that was now above us as Coltaire slipped into his black waistcoat and clipped on his cuffs with his magic, clipping his key necklace on as he adjusted his hat. Lyra and I quickly dabbed on our performance make-up and picked up our instruments.

“COL-TAIRE, COL-TAIRE-COL-TAIRE!” The crowd screamed above us.

“Okay guys, let’s get in position!” He shouted over them as we took our places on the podiums, which looked like they were going to take us up to the stage. Coltaire pulled a leaver by on his podium and the parts of the stage above our pedestals opened, the full volume of the crowd hitting our eardrums.

“YOU GUYS READY?” Coltaire screamed over them.

“READY!” We shouted, our instruments linked up to the speakers on the pedestals and ready to go.

“PREPARE TO BE PLUNGED INTO THE DARKEST DEPTHS OF LADY NIGHT’S EMBRACE! LET’S GO!” Coltaire pressed the red button; our podiums began to ascend slowly up to the stage. As we reached the top, we were greeted by a flash of white smoke, signalling our entrance to the sea of Goth ponies, who cheered loudly in response. Their screams upped a decibel or million as the spotlight revealed Coltaire, guitar in hoof. “GOOOOD EVENING, FELLOW CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT!”

“COL-TAIRE, COL-TAIRE, COL-TAIRE!” The audience chanted.

“WELCOME, to The Black Unicorn guys! Now I have a special treat for you all. Tonight, I have two special guests with me tonight.” He turned to us. “For one night only at The Black Unicorn please welcome, for the first ever, pony/human chapter of The Beelzebub Philharmonic Orchestra, WINGED SHEATH AND LYRA HEARTSTRINGS!” We were almost blinded as the spotlight lit us up to the crowd, and we were welcomed warmly by a wave of ear splitting applause. “NOW, enough dilly-dallying, let’s get to it! Ready guys?” We assumed our ready poses and nodded at him, and at each other.

“Aye-aye, Captain!”

And then it began, the best concert of our lives, with a ponified version of my all-time favourite musical hero, with hilarious and surprisingly similar versions of his songs: Almost Human, Feathery Wings, The Mare Upstairs, Mechanical Mare, The Night (In which the lyrics were exactly the same), Vampony Club and of course the famous When You’re Evil. Which featured the reprise of the ‘Beelzebub Philharmonic Choir’ and spilled rum. Plus the stage nearly collapsed from the amount of ponies we had on it.

“I’m lying through my teeth; your tears are all the company I need!” We all sang the closing lyric and sadly, that was the end. The spotlight returned to Coltaire as he addressed the crowd. “Thank you, thank you! Unfortunately that’s my time guys, give it up one more time for my Beelzebub duo WINGED SHEATH AND LYRA HEARTSTRINGS!” We were all met with thunderous applause and even a few wolf whistles, or timberwolf whistles as we bowed to the crowd. Coltaire pressed the button again and the podiums began descending, we held our positions as the doors above us shut out the noise, leaving us nothing but the memories of the concert, and the sweat, not to mention my cut and plastered fingertips which had been sliced open by my guitar strings. “Heh, looks like your fingers took a beating eh?” Coltaire joked at my bandaged appendages. “By Sombra that was great, you okay, Lyra?”

Lyra wiped the sweat from her forehead and nodded. “Yeah, that was amazing!” She laughed at the state of my hands. “Maybe having hooves isn’t so bad, just look at your hands.”

“I may never be able to play again!” I said sarcastically, looking at my bleeding fingers under the plasters.

Coltaire held out his hoof to us. “Celebration high-hoof!”

“YEAH!” We all shouted; the night had been a success.

“Hey, you guys wanna head up to the bar for a drink?" Coltaire asked, smiling. "The night is still in her youth."

“Yeah, sure!” I felt like Rainbow Dash in the company of the Wonderbolts. “What d’ya reckon, Lyra, fancy having a drink with a star?”

Lyra nodded eagerly.

“Right that’s settled then.” The white unicorn beckoned us to follow through another door that led up to a private area, a curtain separating us from the other ponies, who were still reeling from the concert. The room had a small bar and two black leather sofas and a display case with numerous skulls and Wiccan looking chalices inside, one of which I recognised from a certain album cover. Coltaire trotted over to the bar and reached for an unmarked bottle of copper coloured liquid. This being Coltaire, the only spirit that could have been was rum. He uncorked the bottle with his magic and poured the liquid into three shot glasses he had procured from the shelf behind the bar. When the shots were measured, Coltaire raised his glass. “To the night!” He toasted.

“To the night!” Lyra and I toasted back, clinking our glasses before kicking back the rum. It must have been quite aged, because as soon as the fiery liquor the back of my throat it immediately set to work on burning my insides. Lyra seemed to be suffering also from the rum, choking slightly as she set the glass back down.

“Good stuff, eh?” Coltaire said, clearing his throat, his voice sounding mildly throaty as he chuckled at our choked expressions.

“Um, Wingy?” Lyra prodded my arm.

“Yes, Lyra?”

“I’m just gonna go wash this make-up off, I won’t be a minute.”

“Okay, but be careful out there, you don’t want to be smothered by ponies asking for your autograph.” I joked.

Lyra giggled. “Don’t worry I will be.” She trotted through the curtain and into the rest of the club.

Coltaire grinned at me. “Quite the mare she is, eh?” He winked jokingly.

“Yep, I wouldn’t even be where I am if it hadn’t been for her, I would have just been an oddity on a street corner.” Coltaire raised his eyebrow, leaning in as his interest grew.

“Really, so where’d you guys meet?”

I began telling him first of how I ended up in Equestria, how Lyra’s partnership with me had changed my life and how it all began In the Treble Clef Bar. Meanwhile.

* * *

Lyra pushed through the bathroom door and back into the main bar of the club, which was now packed to the rafters, piercings, tattoos, eye-liner and black clothing as far as the eye could see. Wiping the wet fur on her cheeks where she had washed off her stage make-up, Lyra began hurriedly weaving her way through the gauntlet of Goth ponies to reach the guarded curtain.

“Well hellooo there, sexy!”

Lyra froze as two thuggish black clad stallions stepped into her path.

“What’s a hot mare like you doing wandering by her lonesome, huh? You could get hurt.” The white coated of the two stallions tone was sickly sweet as he edged closer to her. Lyra was still fixed to the spot, fear now creeping into her mind; she shivered as she spoke. “I-I have to go,” she pushed through them and quickened her pace towards the bar. The mint-maned unicorn stiffened as she felt a hoof on her shoulder, pulling her back.

“Ohoo, you’re not going anywhere, Missy, not until we have a little fun,” He ran his tongue slowly across his lips as he rubbed Lyra’s shoulder. “I ma–”

The rest of what the stallion was about to say was lost to the air as a swift right hook from Lyra’s hoof struck his jaw and sent him to the floor with a thud, a fresh stream of blood beginning to flow from his snout. “I said, go away!” She brushed her hoof and shoved the other stallion aside. “Nopony messes with an anthropologist.” Lyra smirked and began trotting towards the curtain. She didn’t even get two yards before she yelped in fright as two sets of hooves grabbed her back and threw her against the wall, the entire fiasco invisible to the security among the sea of Goths.

The stallion Lyra had punched wiped the blood from his nose with a hoof. “Now that wasn’t very nice, was it?” He brought his face closer to Lyra’s while the other pony held her tight against the wall “I’m actually quite a nice guy when you get to know me.” He inched even closer, his face now merely centimetres from hers. Lyra whimpered; tears of panic were beginning to form on the rims of her eyelids.

“Aww, did we hurt your wittle feewings?” The white stallion cooed. “HUH?” The shout made Lyra jump; the sudden leap in her heart caused her tears to spill over, her breath faltering as she made to stifle her shaking.

Lyra tried to strike the stallion with her hoof but the other pony had a tight grip on her free hoof while her primary assailant held the other. In panic Lyra lit up her horn to try and forcibly remove their hooves but was unable to focus a strong enough field, the adrenaline flowing through her veins hindering her concentration. “P-please don’t!” Wingy! Her inner voice called out to me.

* * *

“I remember one time when I was playing at Whipby Gothic Weekend in Boltain. It was the near the end of the show and when I was casting the choir somepony stole my bucking bottle of rum!” Coltaire had been regaling me with the comic tales of touring Equestria – which I was more than eager to hear. Looking back, I’m actually surprised I managed to keep my composure. “There was like a hundred of us on stage too!”

“Coltaire?”

“Yeah?”

“How come you know so much about human religion? I thought nopony knew my species existed, that we were just fear and folklore.”

Coltaire smiled and tapped his nose with his hoof. “Let’s just say Lyra’s not the only one who is well read on this particular subject.” He kicked back another shot of the rum and turned to look at the clock. “Where’s Lyra? She’s been gone a good twenty minutes now.”

I squinted as I made to look at the far away timepiece. “Seventeen actually, yeah you’re right.” I rose up from the sofa, walked towards the curtains and opened them slightly so I could see through without anypony knowing I was there. My eyes scanned about the bar, trying to find her amongst the still sturdy wall of now drunken ponies. My eyes stopped when I noticed two bulky stallions huddled around something by the wall. I was about to dismiss it as another shady transaction for ponies seeking a little something to keep the party going, when my eyes caught a shade of turquoise through a gap in the huddle. My heart hit my sternum as I realised that they were grabbing at a mare; then I nearly suffered a cardiac arrest right there on the spot when I saw that it wasn’t just a mare they were assaulting. They were assaulting Lyra. “Oh, CHRIST!” I exclaimed.

Coltaire nearly spilt his drink when he heard me. “What is it!?” He frantically looked from side to side.

“I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Where are you going?”

His words didn’t even register in my ears as I grabbed a silver dress cane from the box beside the hat stand and stormed out of the bar towards the two stallions. “OI!” I shouted, the both of them turning at the noise. “What, the buck, do you think you are doing!?” Rage mixed with adrenaline was flowing through my veins, it’s a wonder I didn’t batter them right there and then.

The shorter of the two stallions – Lyra’s primary assailant – approached me. As he advanced the wall became visible, revealing Lyra to my horrified eyes, she was curled up and sobbing uncontrollably. “None of your business, ape–” He gave me a light shove with his hoof, a snide grin on his face. “– now be a gentlecolt and kindly buck off.”

My anger grew thrice fold as my fingers clenched around the cane I was holding. I brushed my tailcoat where the stallion had shoved me and came back with a sick smile of my own. “I am going to give you, one chance, for you and your friend to leave this lady alone and run away.” My smile fell as I let my anger take the helm. “If you don’t, well.” I rolled the cane around in my hands.

The stallion snorted, the threat obviously falling on deaf ears. “And what are you gonna do?” He obviously couldn’t take a hint either. He advanced on me again and spat on his hoof, as if he was shining it. “Well, can’t say I didn’t warn you.”

I jumped back as he made a feral swing at me with the same hoof. I swiftly countered and swung the cane, the metal handle making contact with the stallions head with a loud THWACK, knocking him out instantaneously and sending him to the floor. The other buck stood in shock for a moment, his expression blank in surprise which turning to anger as he leapt at me, his right hoof landing a hard blow to my lower jaw, the force almost knocking me off my feet. There was no time to think as he made a run at me again, more like a charging bull than a pony. This time I swung my cane at his legs, tripping him right up and landing flat on his belly. I stood over him and dragged him over to Lyra. “Say sorry,” I said calmly in his ear.

The stallion spat up at me. “Buck you, you hairless ape.”

I raised my cane.

“Okay, okay I’m sorry, just buck off.”

“You do that, and take your friend with you.” I swatted at his flank with the cane and he sped off, taking his dazed friend with him.

The crowd hadn’t even reacted at all. Had anypony even batted an ear at this? But then again, about three quarters of them had drunk themselves into oblivion by this hour.

My grip grew limp and the cane fell from my grasp as I rushed over to Lyra and pulled her into my arms. I feared she was in danger of hyperventilating.

“W-Wingy!” Her voice was a stammering mess as she cried.

All I could to do was rub her back and offer words of comfort until she could talk. “Shh, Lyra, it’s okay, Wingy’s here.” My breath caught as I saw tears blurring my vision. Lyra buried her head in my neck and I almost broke down myself as I felt her tears soaking my bare skin. “Lyra, did they?” I asked, fearing I would have to pay those stallions another visit and feed them their teeth.

“N-no,” she stammered through her sniffle spasms that interrupted her breathing. I could feel her jaw quivering as I stroked her mane and neck to comfort her. A few minutes of physically consoling her passed before she spoke again, still stammering. “T-thank you, Wingy,” she wrapped her hooves fully around my chest and squeezed me tight. I felt a kiss on my neck as she did so. “Thank you for saving me.”

I looked about the room, the remains of my adrenaline rush keeping me on edge. “Lyra, can you walk?” I asked, concerned whether they had hurt her more than I had first thought.

“I-I think I can.” She made to get up onto her hooves, but her legs were trembling too much to walk by herself. I slid my arm under her fore hoof and walked her back through the curtain. Coltaire spat his drink over the table when he saw the state we were both in.

“By Celestia, what in Equestria happened to you two?”

I sat Lyra down on the sofa and held her close as she calmed down, her eyes staring at the floor. “Lyra was…attacked, by two stallions.”

Coltaire smashed the glass on the table. “Where are they? I’ll send them to Beelzebub’s cauldron for attacking a lady!”

I shook my head. “No, need I dealt with them.” I looked down at Lyra, worry still plaguing my mind as she leaned into my side. “Do you think you could get Lyra some water?”

“Sure.” Coltaire got up and in a few moments returned with a glass of water from the bar. I thanked him and took it into my hand, sitting Lyra up slightly as she took the glass and drank slowly. The colour returning to her still darkened cheeks from where she had been crying, small rivulet patterns were present in her fur from where the tears had dried.

A minute passed and she set the glass down, managing a small smile. “Thank you, Wingy and you too, Coltaire.”

The musician bowed his head. “You’re most welcome, glad to see you’re okay.”

“Are you sure you’re okay, Lyra? We can go home if you don’t want to stay here.”

Lyra shuffled round so she was face to face with me, before kissing me lightly on the lips, telling me he was okay. “I’m okay, Wingy, thank you.” I smiled and hugged her tightly, relief washing over me as her smile restored the happiness in the atmosphere. “It takes more than a few pervs to bring me down, I’m okay now.”

“You’re a strong mare, Lyra.” I hugged her.

“You should have seen that stallion’s face when I punched him,” she laughed.

“Quite the lovebirds you two are, eh?” Coltaire chuckled when Lyra nuzzled my nose after he had finished.

“Yep, Wingy’s my ‘Knight in Shining Armour’.” She turned back over to the bottle that was on the table. “Drink?” She giggled and she took a sip from it, immediately regretting it as the dry liquid hit her throat. We all laughed after that and continued with the night, caring little for the time.

After another few hours or so of talking, drinking and laughing the bottles had been emptied and we were all a bit drunk.

Tiredness began to take hold on us as Lyra leaned into my shoulder. “Come on, Wingy, let’s go home.”

“I second that,” Coltaire joined, staring at the empty rum bottle. “This is good stuff but it doesn’t exactly do my vocal chords any favours,” he laughed, setting it back down. Lyra and I stood up and bowed to him.

“Thank you, Coltaire. It’s been an honour playing alongside you tonight.”

“Yeah, it was an honour. Thank you, Mr Coltaire.”

He waved aside our thanks. “No, I should be the one thanking you.” He lit up his horn, the aura enveloping his key necklace and unclipping it. Once it was off, he floated it over to Lyra and secured it round her neck. “Treasure that, Lyra, I only have three.” Coltaire took another from his waistcoat pocket and clipped it round my neck over my tie. “And that’s the second,” he removed his hat and bowed. “Thank you, you guys really made tonight, I hope we can do this again sometime, I’ll be sure to talk to your manager about it,” he smiled.

Lyra and I picked up our instruments and I keyed in the coordinates for home, the countdown appearing as Lyra held onto me.

“Bye, thanks again Coltaire!” we said together.

“Farewell my little Gothlings,” he said as a white flash enveloped us and we were catapulted into the void. “Farewell.”

Chapter Seven: Stuck With You

As the all familiar bright lights cleared, Lyra and I found ourselves back in our apartment, safe and sound.

I pumped my fist in the air. “Aah, that was brilliant!” I shouted, letting the fan like excitement I kept had locked down tight flood me as we both celebrated the night’s success.

“We did it, Wingy!” Lyra grabbed me and threw me about the room, dancing in joy and caring little for what time it was. “Thank you, Wingy, I had an amazing time.”

“You’re welcome, Lyra. Like I said there is no end to the lengths I’d go just to see you smile.”

Lyra blushed as I said that. “Oh, Wingy–” she made to cover her cheeks “– you’re making me blush again.” Lyra reached up to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

“I’m just going to get changed, I won’t be a minute,” I said, walking back into my room and shutting the door. It was then I noticed the beeping sound coming from the device on my wrist. “Oh, what now?” I at the screen, a feeling of horror washing over me as I saw what it displayed. Basically, the device had been drawing power from Equestria’s magic field in order to travel. But that had subsequently reduced its ability to travel between different dimensions, including Earth. The device only had enough energy to make one trip more between dimensions, before it would be tied to Equestria forever. It would be rendered useless if I went back to Earth as well, since it has no magic field, the device would have no energy. “No… don’t do this… NO!” I hit the device in frustration, my fist didn’t even make a dent in the metal. “Why… why must I do this now?” I looked at the device and then back at the door, the sight of both blurring as tears clouded my vision. “She needs to know.” I went over and reopened my bedroom door.

Lyra looked over to me as I trudged back into the living room. “That was quick, Wi–” she stopped, noticing my tearful expression. “W-Wingy, what’s wrong?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “L-Lyra, I have to tell you something,” I said gravely as I sat down on the couch.

Lyra came over and sat beside me, wiping away the tears that had spilled over my eyes with the cravat that had been around her neck. “What is it?” She asked, worriment in her voice.

I showed her the device, the light flashing red, signifying its low energy.

“What’s wrong with it?”

“The energy’s running low, if I use it again here… I won’t be able to go home.” Tears began pouring out again in small rivulets, which I quickly tried to wipe away. “Sorry, Lyra… this, along with the concert… reminds me of home.” I buried my head in my hands. “But I don’t want to be reminded of that place.”

Lyra pulled me into her hooves. “It’s okay, Wingy… Do you want to go home?” Her voice caught as she said that. As if to say ‘don’t go’.

“I don’t know, Lyra…I-I left everything to come here. My family, my friends… Never once did I ever think of going back in the time I’ve been here…with you.”

“Wingy, I-I don’t want to be the one who keeps you here… I love you very much but… If you stay here just for me I’ll never forgive myself...” Her eyes lit up as an idea flashed in her mind. “If you go I could come with you!”

“No, Lyra.” I pulled out of the hug to look her in the eye. “You wouldn’t want to…believe me. One human may be good example of my species, or even two but… Lyra, my kind is nothing like yours.”

Lyra looked at me in confusion. “But all that fighting I read about was long ago, surely you learned from your mistakes and were able to live peacefully. Holding grudges only hurt you, not the human you’re holding it against. Fighting won’t change that. Every argument can be solved when both parties just apologise, and move on. Bloodshed won’t change somepony’s opinion, it’ll just give them more reason to hate you.”

I smiled at the purity of her thinking, not a hint of bias. Just standard ‘right and wrong’ morals. I smiled and kissed her. “If only my race could possess that same pure outlook on life. But we don’t, Lyra. Our species is unlike yours. You ponies live in harmony, never letting petty conflict get in the way of your unity… And you possess something that in our world died out long ago. Peace.”

Lyra looked astonished. “H-how can that be? Your kind is more advanced than ours, your imagination, your inventions… How in Equestria can you say that we’re better? You have hands, we have hooves, and you humans have evolved into better thinkers. We’ve stayed the same as when Equestria was first founded.”

“That’s exactly why you have peace, you’ve kept your morals. At some point in our history, we humans broke the natural order of the world. We grew beyond our simple animal instincts for food, shelter and to protect our young. Our minds didn’t evolve, we morphed into beings of desire, consumed with a lust for wealth and power. You ponies have two rulers: Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, simple. We have prime ministers, presidents, kings and queens and emperors. All locked in a savage battle for power, status and control and it’s us that suffer for it, constantly having sides picked for us regardless of how we may feel about the conflict we are being pulled into… we came to know greed like no other species…” I buried my head in my hands again. “I don’t know what to do…”

Lyra hugged me again. “Wingy, I won’t stop you. Whatever your decision, you do what is right for you… I will always love you, no matter what you choose.”

“L-Lyra…” I shut my eyes. It was now or never.

Do I go back to a world filled with crime; greed; conflict and where everyone is consumed with the drive to pursue substance, honour and power, regardless of how many lives it costs?

Or do I stay here, where the world is simple; unspoiled; pure and untouched by that word ‘conflict’?

And the love of my life, Lyra Heartstrings who has shown me so much of this world and proved to me that not everyone is poisoned by these ‘human’ qualities, and that there is an intelligent species that is untouched by it. Could I really leave her behind?

Lyra’s eyes welled up as I silently began pressing the buttons on the device. With the destination keyed in, I pressed the confirmation key, the clock appeared and began counting down.

“G-goodbye, Wingy,” she said, choking back her tears as they flowed down her cheeks. “I-I love you…”

And in a flash of white light, I was gone.

Lyra sat motionless, the gravity of the situation sinking in. “W-Wingy…” The teal unicorn began to cry softly. The reality of now having to readjust to life without her only human friend leaving her crestfallen.

BANG

A blinding flash of light blinded Lyra’s vision and an almighty crash echoed throughout the room. As her vision cleared she could see something atop the now destroyed coffee table. As the smoke cleared, she could see it. Rising from the remains of the table. Was her beloved Wingy.

Me.

“Wingy!” Lyra threw her forehooves around me, squeezing the life out of me. “Don’t you ever do that again, I thought you were gone for good!”

I winced as she punched my side with her hoof, scolding me for worrying her. I pulled her into the longest and most tear filled kiss I had ever given her, the both of us crying as we expressed our happiness in the best way two lovers could. I could feel Lyra’s moans of relief as we kissed deeply with unbridled passion, as if we had been separated for millennia. I pulled myself from the kiss for a moment. “I would never do that, Lyra…” At this point my happiness robbed me of the need to explain. “I-I just… oh come here.” I locked lips with her again, letting my actions do the talking. “I, love you so… m-much,” I said in the seconds I was able to draw breath. “I will never… leave you.” I hugged into the soft texture of her warm cyan coat, my free hand combing through her teal and white mane. After a minute of passionate turned sloppy kissing I stepped back and showed her the device. “It’s now tied to this world, permanently.” I unclipped it and cast it onto the couch. “As am I,” I went back into her waiting hooves and hugged her tight.

In the end, there was really no decision, the amount of time I had spent here was proof enough of where my loyalties laid. I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’m gonna go and get changed, for real this time, I promise.” Lyra giggled and I hurried into my room and shut the door. I sighed loudly, as if a huge burden had been lifted from my shoulders. Somehow, everything had a brighter look, the air fresher, the light brighter. These feelings gave me the assurance that I had made the right decision.

I nodded to myself and began slipping off my tailcoat, bowtie and waistcoat, until I was in just my shirt and trousers, grateful for once to be out of a suit. I hung my Goth attire in the wardrobe and went to my bedroom door. But before I could open it, I was stopped by a rustling sound, followed by grunts of what sounded like frustration, all coming from behind the door. Puzzled at this I opened the door to see what was up, Lyra was still in the living room, but jumped as if I’d caught her doing something.

Turns out, I had.

In Lyra’s mouth, was a pair of my blue trousers I had thought I had misplaced. But what captured my attention more than those was what else she had. I stifled a giggle as I saw on her rear a pair of my boxer shorts with the legs tucked in and a hole cut out for her tail.

“Uh, Lyra, why are you wearing my boxers?” I inquired, my lip quivering as I held back my giggles. The blush that adorned Lyra’s face was at a high enough temperature to melt the glaciers of Antarctica as she stared me, her eyes as wide as dinner plates. The memes are true.

“I-um,” she giggled nervously as she tried to explain. “I … really wanted to know what it felt like to wear… pants.”

“Uh, do you mean my trousers or my boxers? Because you seem to like the latter more.” I chuckled as her expression agreed with me.

“Y-your boxers, they feel… mmm… really soft.” Lyra then stood rigid as she felt her hips wiggling by themselves, feeling the soft cotton brush her fur. Her tail was still swaying even though her hips had stopped moving.

“Well, I can see why you like wearing them.” I sat back down on the couch.

Lyra’s reddened cheeks heated up as she spoke again. “I’m feeling… really hot again.” Lyra sat down beside me and snuggled up close to my chest, her horn nearly stabbing my neck. She sat up a little and our lips met in a warm kiss, our love for each other as clear as day.

“So, Wingy,” Lyra said in a sultry tone. “What are we going to do now?”

I wiped a bead of sweat from my brow as she ran her hoof in a circle along my chest. “Well, let me put it this way: not until death may we part–” I picked up the device beside me and threw it in the direction of my bedroom. "–so until then I'm stuck with you."

“I love you, Wingy,” Lyra sighed, her nose touching mine.

“I love you too, Lyra, my darling,” I said, leaning in to kiss her again.

The End