An Explosive Journey

Nova, Home

Floating - Usually when one sleeps, they are actually dreaming, not floating in a white abyss, talking to a disembodied voice. I'm just floating, going nowhere, sitting cross-legged, while some disembodied voice wants to have a conversation with me.

"We really must stop meeting like this, Nova." Yea, sure.

"Well, it would help if you stopped bringing me here."

"Who said that I was the one doing that?"

"Ah whatever, at least I have someone cool to talk to when I sleep, instead of having weird dreams."

"How do you know you're not dreaming and making this all up?" He has a point, but I'm gonna make it invalid.

"Because I can feel that our souls are connected for the time being, allowing us to communicate. The white abyss is because neither of us think of a setting that is comfortable."

"You figured all of that out just now?"

"No, I pondered it while flying on Dash towards the library yesterday."

"You my boy are far from stupid, though you're not the brightest crayon in the box sometimes. Let us not forget the archery accident."

"Oh COME ON! How was I supposed to know someone would take the joke literally and actually fire at Will? Then again, we did get to call him 'guard from Whiterun' afterwards." We both laugh at the horribly overused joke for a couple minutes.

"So, it seems that you have learned your soul is that of a dragon's."

"Yeah, that's what bugs me a little bit. You said that my origin is from Equestria, and yet I have a dragon's... No."

"No? No what?"

"No. Bucking. Way."

"Oh, finally connected the dots my dear boy?"

"This is, by far, the coolest thing ever!" It was then that the disembodied voice was such no longer. Instead, Discord finally came into view.

"You didn't have to shout you know."

"Yeah, I get it. Now come over here, I wanna celebrate something."

"What might that be?" Discord floated over to where I sat just after asking me this. I stand up and stay silent for a few seconds, getting me a weird look from him.

"This is the best day ever. Of all time. Now give me a hug, you joker." Even though I should've just waited for a reply, I gave him a hug anyway. Yes, I hugged Discord. Problem?

"I didn't think that you would -"

"Take the news well? Course I would. And besides, I can't really come to hate you, you're not really evil anyways, you just love having fun and all that stuff. Sure your pranks are a bit off the wall, but the main point is that no one actually received any harm during your ruling, and the same when you broke free." Discord looked stunned, such a Kodak Moment... Where's a camera when you need one?

"Finally! Someone else who gets what I'm about! If I wasn't your father I'd be your best friend right now." A smirk slowly grows on my face.

"Well to me, you're both. If you weren't my dad I'd still wanna hang with you." I extend a fist out towards him. "Brohoof?"

"Brohoof." /)*(\ Yeah, best day ever.

Sunlight, my worst enemy - at least, when I'm still in bed it is. The bright rays of light casting down upon my sleepy eyelids cause me to stir and turn away from the window, to face the wall. Bad decision. Now the birds are assaulting me with high-pitched melodies that rattle the insides of my head until I get up. I cover my ears with the pillow in protest... and in vein. They just keep singing, not having a care in the world. I breathe a sigh, and admit defeat.

"Alright, alright, you win, I'm up." Not a second after I said this, the birds quiet down, allowing me to collect my thoughts.

'My dad is Discord, and I'm able to use magic, as well as dragon shouts. Heh, next thing you know, Celestia's gonna try and send me to the moon.'

"Well, guess I'd better start the day, before it's gone without me. In this world time flies faster than Rainbow Dash."

I reluctantly get out of bed, and shuffle over to my suitcases. It takes a couple seconds for my mind to kick in, then I realize something. "I haven't unpacked yet. Ah ponyfeathers." I then get to work, putting clothes in the draws and closet, but not before making sure to put aside my favorite dark blue jeans and black Under Armor t-shirt, as well as socks n stuff.*

After putting my clothes away, getting dressed, and shoving the suitcase into the closet, I had decided to go make some breakfast.

'Hmm, it's quiet. Too quiet. I guess Lyra's asleep. Ah well, don't think it would hurt to make some breakfast. Now, what's in that fridge?' While this thought was going through my mind, I made my way into the kitchen. Nothing fancy really, just basic cupboards, wood floor, decent counter space, a standard run-of-the-mill electric stove with an oven, and some fridge that looks like it's from the 90's.

"Alright, what's in here?" I ask myself quietly while opening the fridge;

'Eggs, butter, milk, lettuce, peppers, onions, apples, oranges, huh not bad. Guess I could make some scrambled eggs. Now, where did those pans go?'

Little did I know that during my search for a frying pan in the kitchen, Lyra had woken up, and was sleepily wandering into the same room.

"Ahhh!"

"Lyra, wai-" WHAM! She used her magic and slammed a frying pan into my face before she realized that it was me in her kitchen.

Lyra, Home

Sleep, something that I used to rarely get, or enjoy whenever it came; but now things are different. I'm able to actually get a good night's sleep for a change, and oh Celestia does it show. My coat has a vibrant color once again, and my mane is no longer dull and flat. I'm just happily enjoying my dreams, when some noises in the house wake me up.

"What the heck could that be?" I groggily get up, and sander off towards the commotion that has taken me away from my peaceful dreams.

'Oh, it's coming from the kitchen.' Heading towards where the noise is coming from, I walk into the kitchen and spot someone going through the cupboards. I yell in surprise and use magic to fling the nearest object towards whoever it is that's in my house.

"Ahhh!"

"Lyra, wai-" WHAM! Too late, you're knocked out... wait a second.

It takes a minute for my mind to fully wake up, but just as soon as it does, I remember that I let Nova stay in my home, because he has nowhere else to turn to. First my face starts to heat up from the embarrassment, then the guilt sets in as I come to the realization that I just smacked Nova in the face with a frying pan. Ohhhh, I hope he isn't injured. Wasting no time, I levitate him, and run off towards the hospital.

Nova, Dream

Alright, I'm floating in the same white expanse, after a frying pan flies into my face. It's official, I've been knocked out, by Lyra no less. Well, at least my day can't get any worse at the moment.

"Heh, looks like someone needs to work on their ninja skills." I turn towards Discord,

"Well, I can't really complain, I got someone to talk to while I'm waiting for Lyra to drag my sorry ass to the hospital and wake me up."

"What makes you so sure that's going to happen?"

"I may have only known her for a short time as of right now, but I know her well enough to know that she wouldn't just leave me on the floor, I'm on my way to the hospital." All of a sudden, I start to get feeling back, which could mean only one thing.

"Haha, I'm about to wake up."

Discord deadpans, "Yeah, and you're about to experience a headache the size of Texas. I wouldn't wake up if I were you."

"Ah who cares, so long as she gets to find out I'm alright."

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

I wake up seconds later...

Nova, Just outside the hospital

I begin to twitch my fingers, then a few other limbs, before I'm finally able to completely wake up. When I do, I start to regret my decision already. 'Discord was right. I shouldn't have woken up yet.'

"Ugh, I feel like I just fell twenty stories. My head is pounding with the power of a thousand suns." Lyra quickly sets me down, although gently, and starts to explain what happened.

"I'm sorry Nova, I was just so tired when I entered the kitchen that I thought you were some weird creature robbing my house, I panicked and picked up a frying pan from the sink and flung it before e-" I stop her rambilng by gently placing my had on her mouth. 'Hm, soft lips... DON'T BE THINKING OF THAT RIGHT NOW, CALM HER DOWN YOU TWIT!'

"It's ok Lyra, I understand, although it wouldn't hurt to be just a little more careful." I stroke her mane and give her a hug to calm her down; it works, and then I proceed again.

"Look, I know you feel bad about what just happened, but don't, it's not your fault, everypony makes mistakes, even Celestia. Heck, there are times that I've messed up even worse than this. Anyways, I think it's still a good idea to go get myself checked out at the hospital, I just want to make sure that I don't have a concussion or anything."

What happens next is a little weird, then again I haven't fully adjusted to living here yet. Lyra concentrates her magic, and touches her horn to my forehead. Her face is so close that I can clearly see some of the tear stains on her coat. 'She was that worried about me?' After a few seconds of her face being inches away from mine, she moves back, and breathes a sigh of relief.

"Ok, you don't have any concussions, and I've stopped your splitting headache. On another note, yes I was that worried about you, I didn't want anything to happen to you, and I was also worried you'd be mad at me for what happened. I'm sorry." She looks down, and starts scraping one of her hooves at the dirt. 'D'aaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwww - NO, THIS IS NO TIME TO D'AAAWW AT THAT, CHEER HER UP DUMBASS!' Curse you subconscious.

I go down onto my knees, place a hand on her cheek, and gently bring her face up to eye level with mine. "Lyra, I may not look it, but I'm quite tough, something like that wouldn't do much, and I am not mad about what happened, not one bit. I should've either been more quiet, woke you up, or waited til you got up yourself. Mistakes will be made, that's just a part of life. What's important is that we get up and move on from them, taking each one as a learning experience in an effort to not let it happen again." I wrap my arms around her in a hug, "Plus, how can someone be mad at a cute pony such as yourself?" Wait, what did I just say?

I go to move away from the hug, but surprisingly, something is stopping me - Lyra is holding me like there's no tomorrow. 'Well, that's unexpected.' She just continues to hold me, sobbing like a child. 'She must really care about me if she's like this.'

"Lyra, I'm ok, and you don't have to worry about what happened. Tell you what, let's hang out somewhere, just the two of us. Maybe you could teach me some magic later, and we could go on a picnic this evening." This should help calm her down. I just don't want to see her so sad. It worked.

"Well, ok. Sorry for staining your shirt." She finally breaks the hug. Damn, it may look adorable, but I don't want to see any of the ponies sad.

"It's fine, I don't mind. So, you want to head back home, or do you want to go somewhere?"

"Sure, let's go somewhere, seeing we're already out. Coffee?" 'Wait, ponies actually have coffee here? YEEEAAAAHHHHH! ONE MORE REASON TO LOVE THIS PLACE!'

I get up, and then we walk over towards the nearest place that sells coffee, which would be a quaint little cafe, by the name of 'SkyBucks'. Don't question it, it never works. Ever.

Lyra, Ponyville

'After what happened with Nova, I didn't think he would want to speak to me again. Sure, we met just a couple days ago, but he's still probably one of my closest friends. No one else has stuck with me as a friend after they knew that I was a filly fooler. On top of that, I just kept getting made fun of whenever I made a mistake, just like Ditzy, or Derpy, depending on who you talk to. Having him with me, and still stick with me as a friend not only after he finds out that I used to be in a relationship with another filly, but after slamming a frying pan into his face when half asleep completely blows my mind.'

As we walk to the coffee shop, I notice that every once in a while, I seem to be moving closer to him. I move away, only to have it happen again. 'What is wrong with me? Why am I doing this?' What happens next is a shocker to me.

"If you want me to put my arm around you, all you have to do is ask, silly." He smiles down at me, and looks at me as if to ask if I want him to. I nervously shake my head yes. His arm around me is somewhat soft, and warm. Makes me feel safe somehow. A couple minutes later and we're standing in front of SkyBucks. 'Well, guess I can't complain. Even though it is a little expensive, it's the least I could do to repay him, for trying to cheer me up.'

We sit down at a table outside of the cafe, and an employee comes over to ask us what we would like to order. (Description not important really, just think of a ponyfied barista from Starbucks)

"I guess I'll have an espresso." The waiter then turns to Nova. Surprisingly, he isn't startled by the appearance. 'Ohh, he's good.'

"Hmm, how bout a medium caramel latte with cream and a double shot of espresso." The waiter starts to look uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have what you speak of, though if you give us a recipe we'd be happy to make it for you."

"Alright, I'll get on that right now then." Nova then asks for a piece of paper and something to write with. The waiter comes back with the manager, and eagerly awaits for him to write down how to make whatever it is that he ordered. Five minutes later and Nova hands the paper back to the waiter and manager. Eying the paper, I take notice of Nova's handwriting; It's comparable to the princess's!

While waiting for the staff to make the drink that Nova ordered, I start to feel a little nervous. There's hardly anypony out here and yet it's not really that early in the morning anymore. I start thinking back on what has happened over the last couple of days.

'He appears out of nowhere, and in the middle of my house no less. I hear him out, and he sees through me like a looking glass. He comforts me, and makes me feel better about my abilities as a member of society.' I blush a little bit, thinking back.

'Then, on our way to see Princess Celestia, he gets attacked by the guards. During the fight, he stays on the defensive side the entire time, and finds a non-lethal way to stop the fight. Celestia grants him citizenship, and we both end up crashing without doing anything else.' Nova starts to look in my direction. 'I'm confused - it's like I know what I'm feeling, yet I don't at the same time. I feel safe around him, like nothing can hurt me, but it also feels like he could shatter my soul at any given time, and it's frightening.' Nova then opens his mouth to speak. His voice is so comforting, soothing, like a lullaby almost.

"Lyra, you ok? Something on your mind?" He gives me some odd look, which means I'm probably blushing again. Confound you, complicated emotions and subconscious, you drive me to question myself and get lost in my thoughts!

"I'm sorry Nova, I'm just very confused right now. I can't make sense of my own thoughts and feelings right now."

Nova just sits there for a moment, thinking, probably about what I said, as well as his reply. 'Heh, he looks kinda cute when he stares off into space thinking like that.'

"Well, when you put it like that, I can't help but agree to give you some time to sort out your mind. Just remember though, I'm here for you, so if you need to talk to somepony about anything that's bugging you, you can come see me. I'm always glad to help a friend out." 'He smiles as he's saying this; I melt away by looking at it, it makes me feel like I'm the most important thing to him... what is going on with my mind?'

Thankfully though, our conversation was interrupted by the waiter coming back with both of our drinks. When the waiter gives Nova his drink, he eyes it for a few seconds, before hesitantly taking the straw into his mouth and taking a sip. Just as soon as he tastes the drink, he seems to brighten up, eyes wide and legs becoming restless. 'Maybe he isn't used to coffee...?'

"Nova, are you alright?"

"Am I alright? Of course I'm alright, why wouldn't I be? Damn, this coffee is way stronger than stuff back home. Not even energy drinks come close to the amount of caffeine in this thing. If there was the same amount of caffeine in drinks back home as the drinks here, people would be having heart attacks left right and center!" The sight of him being this hyper over a few sips of his drink is both funny and weird at the same time.

"You seem new to caffeine, at least that's what I think, judging by your reaction to it."

"Actually, I have had caffeine before. As I've already stated, caffeine here must be at least five times as strong here than the stuff back home. Remind me to get something with a little less next time. I feel like Pinkie Pie on a sugar rush."

"Well, it doesn't help when you asked for a double shot of espresso in your drink, as well as caramel. The caramel has loads of sugar, because it's just melted sugar basically, and espresso is around three times as strong as coffee. I'm surprised you haven't started convulsing, seeing as how your tolerance for caffeine is lower than the norm."

"Trust me, I'm just as surprised as you are. On a side note, I think I shall keep this, I could use some in the mornings." He takes a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself a little bit, as he's been a little shaky from the whole ordeal. "Well, now that that's over with, I think we can now carry an intelligible conversation again. How would you like to teach me to use magic?"

"Wait a second, didn't you come home with a few books on that last night?"

"Yeah, I did, but then I realized something."

"Oh, what's that?"

"It seems that the books are for those that cannot find their ability to use magic. So really, they aren't needed, unless I try to do some really complicated spell."

"You do drive a good point. So, got a place in mind where we can get started?"

"I think I saw a nice open field near Sweet Apple Acres. Might be worth a shot to go check it out."

"Sounds like a plan then."

Nova, Ponyville

We are on our way to the cafe, and the atmosphere around us is just crushing, the silence is deadly. After a couple minutes of walking, I notice that Lyra is starting to sway closer to me, but then she notices what she's doing and repeatedly moves away, only for her to subconsciously move closer again. It's just so funny, seeing her do that. A minute or so later, I start to feel a little sorry for her, so I decide to take some of the weight off of the both of us.

"If you want me to put my arm around you, all you have to do is ask, silly." I smile and look down at Lyra, who is now starting to blush. Nonetheless, she moves closer, by her own will this time, and I put my arm around her back. I can feel her relax a little bit as I do so. 'She's kind of adorable when she's not worrying about every little thing.' It was another few minutes until we reached our destination, a quaint little cafe, by the name of 'SkyBucks.' 'Seriously, I'm not even going to try and question it. There's one unwritten rule among those that believe inter-dimensional travel is possible: Never, ever, EVER, question universal constants. It never works out. Your mind will shatter into a thousand little pieces trying to figure it out.'

I take my arm off of Lyra, to signal a waiter over to where we were sitting. Lyra orders her drink first.

"I'll have an espresso." Heh, I guess she still needs to wake up a little. The waiter then turns to me.

"Hmm, how bout a medium caramel latte with cream and a double shot of espresso." The waiter starts to look uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have what you speak of, though if you give us a recipe we'd be happy to make it for you."

"Alright, I'll get on that right now then." I ask for a piece of paper and something to write with. The waiter comes back with the manager, and eagerly awaits for me to write down how to make my favorite drink in the world. Next to Mountain Dew, that is. When I finish writing everything down and give it to the waiter, I notice that Lyra has a shocked expression on her face as she looked at the paper I gave them. 'Heh, she must have seen my writing. True, I used my soul to write it down so they could understand it, but it's not really cheating if one doesn't even know where to begin when using their alphabet.'

While waiting for the staff to make the drink that I ordered, I notice that Lyra is starting to look a little nervous. She starts to stare off into space while looking down at her hooves, which are currently resting on the seat she is sitting on. I can't help but ask if she's alright.

"Lyra, you ok? Something on your mind?" There is silence for a couple seconds, and when she looks up at me, her face starts to turn red. 'D'aaawww, she's blushing again. So, freaking, adorable.'

"I'm sorry Nova, I'm just very confused right now. I can't make sense of my own thoughts and feelings right now." My mind just stops right there as I hear this. 'Wait a second, I know that line. No, there's got to be another explanation other than what is coming to mind right now. Though, judging by her blushing and seeming to gaze in that way at me, it couldn't be more obvious. Thing is, I don't even know if I like her in that way. Ugh, I'm gonna have to take some time away from all of this, to just sit down and think. Good thing I have my iPod still.'

"Well, when you put it like that, I can't help but agree to give you some time to sort out your mind. Just remember though, I'm here for you, so if you need to talk to somepony about anything that's bugging you, you can come see me. I'm always glad to help a friend out." 'Wait for it, aaaaaaand, there she goes again, having that "I'm on cloud 9" look, and then quickly going over to "why am I thinking this?" Lyra, you simply do not know how easy you are to read. You're like a book, with huge bold lettering in all canterlocks.'

The conversation is interrupted by the waiter coming back with our drinks. 'Oh yay, my latte. Hope it tastes as good as it looks.' Still, I can't help but eye it for a few seconds, before taking a sip. As soon as I do though, I am hit with more energy than Pinkie Pie on a sugar rush. Lyra nervously turns towards me.

"Nova, are you alright?" The look on her face as she asks this is just priceless, though that isn't really the priority right about now...

"Am I alright? Of course I'm alright, why wouldn't I be? Damn, this coffee is way stronger than stuff back home. Not even energy drinks come close to the amount of caffeine in this thing. If there was the same amount of caffeine in drinks back home as the drinks here, people would be having heart attacks left right and center!"

"You seem new to caffeine, at least that's what I think, judging by your reaction to it."

"Actually, I have had caffeine before. As I've already stated, caffeine here must be at least five times as strong here than the stuff back home. Remind me to get something with a little less next time. I feel like Pinkie Pie on a sugar rush."

"Well, it doesn't help when you asked for a double shot of espresso in your drink, as well as caramel. The caramel has loads of sugar, because it's just melted sugar basically, and espresso is around three times as strong as coffee. I'm surprised you haven't started convulsing, seeing as how your tolerance for caffeine is lower than the norm." 'Yeah, thanks for the lecture, mom.'

"Trust me, I'm just as surprised as you are. On a side note, I think I shall keep this, I could use some in the mornings." I take a few deep breaths in an attempt to calm myself a little bit. 'Man, that was like drinking five double size Rock Star drinks in one hour. There's no way in hell that I can finish that in a week, let alone in one sitting.' "Well, now that that's over with, I think we can now carry an intelligible conversation again. How would you like to teach me to use magic?"

"Wait a second, didn't you come home with a few books on that last night?"

"Yeah, I did, but then I realized something."

"Oh, what's that?"

"It seems that the books are for those that cannot find their ability to use magic. So really, they aren't needed, unless I try to do some really complicated spell."

"You do drive a good point. So, got a place in mind where we can get started?"

"I think I saw a nice open field near Sweet Apple Acres. Might be worth a shot to go check it out."

"Sounds like a plan then."

We then got up to leave, Lyra paid the bill, and I just look at her with a face that says 'Sorry, I would have contributed if I had any money to my name.' She seems to pick up on this, and throws a reply at me.

"Don't worry about it. Consider this as a thank you for all that you've helped me through so far." She then promptly nuzzles her head into my side. 'So, freaking, cute.'

The streets of Ponyville are now busy with everypony going about their day, as well as all of the vendors in the market square trying to sell their various items. The fact that we walk straight through the square without anypony making a scene out of it, truly surprises me. The walk over to the field near Applejack's place is a peaceful, yet hauntingly silent one, as we're both trapped within our own thoughts, unable to come up with anything to talk about while on the way there.

Nova, Random Open Field

Lyra and I both look around the grassy plains of the wide open space. Not a single pony in sight. 'This is perfect for learning to use magic.' I turn to Lyra, and decide to break the silence that had decided to park itself over top of us as soon as we left the cafe.

"So, where do we begin?" Lyra looks at me for a second, with an odd face that can only be read as 'Are you kidding me?' only to remember that I haven't used magic before, at least not willingly anyway.

"Well Nova, as lame is this might sound, it is best you sit down, and concentrate. Close your eyes, and clear your mind." I do as instructed; clearing away any and all thoughts, making my mind a blank expanse for me to delve further into.

"Now, you said something about feeling a surge of power when you got here to Princess Celestia; Concentrate on that feeling, try and find it within yourself. You will know when you find it."

At first I didn't know if it would work, but I just squashed the pessimistic thought and kept searching within myself. A few moments later, I started to feel something within my chest. This feeling is too familiar to ignore - it is the same thing that I had felt as I arrived here not too long ago, and it is the same thing that flared up when I accidentally triggered a spell to sift through Lyra's memories and dig out exactly what happened at the club that one night with Rainbow Dash, as well as the last fight with Bon Bon. As soon as I had found it, I held onto that feeling, and then opened my eyes.

"Good. Now, we are going to start with the -"

"Sorry to interrupt, but I have an idea of what you are going to say next." This causes Lyra to look a little confused, but sighed and signaled for me to keep going with my thought.

"What is it that's so important you had to interrupt me?" 'Oh noes! Lyra's gone out of character! Quick, everypony, run for the hills! It's the end of the world!'

"What you're going to say next, is that magic is controlled by one's will. If you were to concentrate, and picture an apple floating, your magic would make it so." Lyra's jaw dropped, and stayed on the floor for a couple of minutes before she picked it up again.

"Actually, you're not too far off. Yes, magic is based off of will, but it isn't as simple as that. You have to feel the energy within you, doing as you wish it to. Think of your magic as extra appendages, if you will. An extension of your being." 'Actually, that makes a lot of sense.' After a second or two, she speaks again.

"Now that you've grasped the very basic principles of magic and using it, I think it's time we put your abilities to the test. Wait here, while I go grab a couple of apples off of a tree." With that being said, Lyra speeds off towards Sweet Apple Acres, to do exactly as she said she would - grab a couple of apples. 'Heh, I doubt she's even going to pay for them. Meh, they have enough apples to not notice two or three going missing. Plus, it seems that they grow every day, instead of every year. Damn, I feel sorry for you Applejack.'

Not ten minutes later, Lyra came back with not two, but five apples. 'She really expects me to be able to levitate all of these at once on the first day?'

"Alright Nova, remember what I said; your magic is an extension of your own being, an appendage that originates from your soul. Clear your mind, and feel your magic pick up one of the apples." I nod as she is saying this. Lyra then puts an apple right in front of me, moves back a little, sits down, and patiently waits for me to do something.

I try to do as instructed. At first, nothing happens... then I realize why: I'm trying too hard, as if I'm trying to make it float. 'Damn it Nova, you're doing it wrong. Try again, this time with a different approach.' I inwardly sigh, and try again. I look for the magic within myself; it doesn't take long for me to find it. Then, I try to get a feel for it, exploring the different things that could be possible while using it. After a moment, I return to the matter at hand - the apple that sits right in front of me. This time, I do things differently; I feel my magic, and extend it towards the apple, as if it is an invisible arm, reaching out towards the object. Once I feel that it is within its grasp, I can feel my magic lifting the apple into the air. I open my eyes to see said object floating at around eye level, mere inches away from my face. The look on Lyra's face isn't one of surprise, but of satisfaction. She gets up and walks over to me, with a small smile on her face.

"Well, I see that you are a fast learner. You've done well for your first try; it took most foals at magic school almost two days to simply grasp the concept that I have told you, let alone levitating an object. Heck, they start us off with feathers, and even then some ponies couldn't get it on their first try." 'Seems that she's one of those ponies that managed to pick up the teachings rather quickly.'

"Alright, now that you have demonstrated your ability to levitate one apple, how about we move on to making it fly around."

"In all honesty, i thought you were going to suggest that I try levitating more apples simultaneously, to get a feel for my concentration levels."

"Well, I was actually, but I figured that we should move on from basic levitating for now. Plus, if we get through some of the other spells, that would allow you to control your abilities a little better, so you could practice whenever you want later on without needing another magic user present, in case something were to go wrong." 'Well, as insulting as it is, I can't really argue with that logic.'

"Eh, can't really argue there. Ok, let's try it then."

Thinking back to what Lyra has just taught me, I close my eyes, and think to myself, 'now that I can levitate the apple, let's try to figure out how to move it around in the air. Alright, my magic is an extension of my own being, and as such, I am able to levitate things. Seeing my magic as an extra arm, or multiple arms, let's try moving the apple around in circles.' I will my magic to move the apple around in circles, and I can feel it doing so. Opening my eyes once again, I see that I am in fact, moving the apple around. "Alright, now to try some different maneuvers. 'How bout some loops?' Two seconds later, the apple was doing McTwists so fast that even Rainbow Dash might get jealous. 'Barrel roll?' Star Fox would have to pick up his jaw, 'nuff said. Lyra looked on with amazement, which clearly shows that I pass any and all expectations.

"It's pretty damn easy once you get the hang of it." Lyra reaches down to the ground and promptly picks up her unhinged jaw.

"I knew you would be good, but I didn't think that you would pick it up so fast. I don't think we even need to see if you can levitate more than one object at a time, it's pretty obvious you could if you wanted to." Damn right, though now I feel like a... what's the term? Gary Stu? Anyway, I feel slightly overpowered... then again, Celestia herself said that my magic 'is pretty powerful' or whatever.

"Hey Lyra, how about we head back home? I got something I want to show you."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Well, you know all of those cases that are in the room I currently inhabit?"

"Yeah. Those things were heavy, I could barely lift them even with my magic. What's in them?"

"Before I came here, I was on my way to another city for a summer job."

"But it's spring, how could you be on your way for a summer job if it's spring?"

"Because time flows differently in every universe."

"Makes sense, but I still don't understand how. Oh well."

"Anyway, I was on my way to another city for a summer job. I was going to be filling in as a temporary DJ at a night club that's really up there on the list of hard places to get into. You have to either know someone that works there, have lots of money to throw around, or someone famous. Average people had no place there, and I was offered a job to do their music for three months." The look on Lyra's face as I told her this: priceless. Jaw, meet ground. Now the two of you play nice.

"You're into mixing music and all that? No wonder your cases were so big and heavy."

"So, would you like to hear some music from my world?" If one could take a smile and contrast it to electrical energy, Lyra's face would have lit up Osaka in its entirety. For five years straight. 'Nuff said.

"Oh Celestia, I would LOVE TO!" Lyra jumps up and down with the excitement of a kid in a candy store that just got handed $1,000.

"Alright, calm down, let's head back, and then I can show you some awesomeness." We both chuckle at this.

With that said, we both make our way back to her loft near the edge of Ponyville, with her showing almost as much excitement as Pinkie Pie when she has a party to throw for a newcomer to the town.