Keeper of Harmonyby Keeper-of-HarmonyChaptersWhat A Day To Start OutFirst EncountersWelcome to PonyvilleTo Canterlot! A Princess' Dire of Need (A/N)Strange EventsAndrew & Raymond's Misadventures #1(Illustration)Meet The CMCAndrew & Raymond's Misadventures #2Foal-Sitting MishapBonding with The Element of KindnessMeanwhile...An Inner VoiceAndrew & Raymond's Misadventures #3CancellationWhat A Day To Start OutLife is like a river. You are a trout that is swimming through the straits of life whose currents forbid you from turning back. As life moves on you can take multiple pathways that determine your future. With each different path taken changes the outcome of your future. That is all we can pretty much do at this point: move forward without turning back from our mistakes. We'll begin the telling of a tale of a person named Lyn Gärtners. A lonely twenty-two year old man living in a big, yet quaint, white house settled within acres of verdant landscapes. There we see how poorly the man treats his property; the yards, both front and back, are dead and lifeless from his mistreatment, or rather the lack of attention due to his consuming thoughts of loneliness. Pesky invaders known as weeds: white clover, dandelions and crab grass are sprouted throughout the surroundings. If that wasn't enough, blackberry bushes grew alongside the walls of the structure which he lived, with each passing week they covered more and more of the home until it was entangled completely. Moving on with the story, we'll avert our sights from the outside proceeding onwards into the building where Lyn resides. From the front entrance we're already introduced to a long hallway. At the end of the narrow corridor is the immense master bedroom. The largeness of the room makes him often feel small and even lonelier. Within the bedroom, just beyond the threshold, the dozing creature of a man lays snoring on a luxurious king-sized mattress. For all that could hear his snores- they were atrociously unbearable. Next to the bed is an aged oak dresser, standing at the exact height of the bed. On top of the dresser are two items: A banker's lamp with a green glass shade and tarnished brass finish, and a large digital alarm clock glowing green numbers showing the current time 6:57AM. After a few minutes, the time now 7:00AM, the clock sounded it's ear-piercing alarm that echoed throughout the empty rooms and hallway. The man, still tired and weary, plunges his face inside his soft feathery pillows in attempts to ignore the alarm and what it signals. Daily he dreaded the beeping noises emitting from the green glowing monster that is the clock. Lyn anchored his eyelids tightly shut, as if he could stop hearing the sounds the tighter he closed. Then he abruptly turned the opposite direction away from the screeching noise, stuffing his face even deeper in the pluffy pillows. Finally, after being unable to ignore the annoying tone, he sat up and scooted closer to the dresser - hammering the poor system with his bare fist. Recklessly he pounded and pounded the poor machine until the noised quelled. He sat up from the sheets widely stretching his aching limbs whilst yawning extensively- then gently rubbed the bags underneath his sore eyes. "Another crummy day..." Lyn muttered negatively in spirit. He rose up to start his daily routine of brushing his teeth, taking a shower, grooming, etc., etc.. Once the routine is complete he then goes to sit comfortably on his faux-leather sofa in the living room, but only after pouring a small round bowl of Reese's Puffs cereal. While eating, he catches up on his favorite program, Adventure Time on his gigantic plasma screened TV that's mounted on the wall across from him. The television has become a sense of company for the lonely man. Suddenly, his android phone rings a "Super Mario" tune that is designated for one particular caller- Lyn acknowledges who was calling by the tune it played. Lyn becomes somewhat anxious, and leaned over for the phone that is placed on a short coffee table in front of him. Setting the bowl down on the wooden furniture, he grabs the phone, presses the green button, and held it up to his right ear. He was the first to initiate the greeting. "Hello." he answered. "Hello," replied a female voice sounding soothingly. "How have you been doing?" "Good," "Good? Is that all you've got to say?" "Pretty much." Lyn simply confirmed. The woman on the phone sighed audibly. "Lyn," she started, "I know how rough it must be. It's been about a month since that tragic night. You wish you could've done something, but I understand that you were scared. I'm sure they also understand. The man itches his head with his open hand. Dolefully staring down at the heavenly white carpet. "But I could've- no, I should've." "It's okay, dear. Everything happens, and it's not your fault. Why not we talk this at another time alright?" "Okay...." "I'll talk to you later." "Okay. I'll see you later." "Take care." "You too." "Bye." "Bye, grandma." Lyn pushed the red button and places the phone back onto the coffee table. Before he resumed watching television, he noticed the small picture frame standing at the center of the coffee table. He froze as he was placing the phone down -- glancing at the picture depicting a man and woman couple with a young boy in the middle between. The boy was wearing an orange, short-sleeve, t-shirt and blue jeans; pretty much what the man is wearing as we speak. 'At least you two are in a better place now.' said Lyn in midst of thought. And then the saddened fellow finally continues watching his program eating his soggy cereal. After watching the show, he goes to use the remote sitting next to him and turned off the television screen. Next, he abandons the empty living room heading on down through the hallway to another room of the corridor on the left hand side. It was an ordinary office not finely organized: a fixed shelf, black computer desk with an Alienware X14 laptop resting on the keyboard tray. Lyn approaches the desk and pulls out the tray to flip open the sleeping laptop, pressing the button to awaken the computer as it fully lits up to the desktop screen. "Okay," Lyn wringed his hands, "Let's see if there is anybody on Skype today." The human drags his cursor down double clicking an icon labelled Skype and sees two friends currently signed on: Raymond a.k.a. SkittleDash is a sixteen year old teenager who lives in the city ten miles off from where Lyn lives; and Andrew a.k.a. LoneWolf is a seventeen year old who so happens to be Raymond's best friend & neighbor. Lyn met these young adults on a game Team Fortress 2. This is what the man mostly does everyday ever since he managed to save for an expensive laptop. Which explains the lack of attention on his yard.... However this was an activity he enjoyed most doing, as if talking to people on the internet helps relieve the bitterness of being alone. Still, even the enthusiasm doesn't relinquish his depression at the slightest. Patiently Lyn sat waiting on his swivel chair for his friends to answer. Finally his friends have answered and both greeted the human with each different phrases. "What up, Linx?" says Raymond, referring to Lyn's online alias. "Hey, Linx." spoke Andrew in a lower-pitched voice. "Hi. So, are we ready to play some TF2?" Lyn inquired the two. "Not today. I'll be going to school really soon." said Raymond. "Same here." Andrew seconded. "What? I thought you guys had like another week of summer vacation?" "It's already been THAT week!" Andrew lightly exclaimed. The human elbows on the side of the swivel chair frustrated. "Are you serious...." Lyn disgruntled, "That sucks." "It does, but I got to go take a shower and put clean clothes on." Andrew leaves the group call to do what he says, however, Raymond had the spare time to catch up on knowing Lyn's day. "Yo, Linx, how have you been?" Raymond asked politely. "Well, for one: I'm sad that we won't be getting to play much more often because of your SCHOOL!" "I knooow. It really sucks. I can't do anything about it, though." "I understand, I understand. Oh hey, remember that video I sent to you?" Raymond, out of nowhere, goes off chuckling crazily. "Ahahaha! Yes, I remember." ""I've lost my manhood years ago, so I don't know what keeps me going.". That kills me everytime!" Lyn also laughed. "Yeah... but hey, I know you probably aren't a brony but-" As Raymond said this unknown word -- "brony" -- Lyn instantly cuts him off to ask, "What in blue blazes is a brony?!" That rather escalated quickly... Raymond elaborates briefly. "A brony is like a dude who watches this show called My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic; hence you put together brother & pony." Only did it take Lyn a split second to recall what that show was about, but assumingly back then it was more of a girl's program to watch. "So you're asking me if I've watched a show meant for small aged girls? Are you implying I'm... a fruit bowl or something?" Lyn questioned sounded incredibly offended. "No, no, no. Nothing like that at all. Here," and on the Skype chat appeared a link to a YouTube video, "It's the opening intro. It's not too bad or anything, trust me." Before Lyn could think it through, Raymond left the call at an instant because of whatever reasons. Lyn was once again introduced to the sound of loneliness. The man wasn't too sure about clicking the blue-worded link on the text box. He thought long and hard about the subject, however he became distracted thinking about YouTube - reminding him that he wanted to watch some funny videos for today. He minimized Skype and popped up Google Chrome; typing in YouTube's web address. Next he watched a series of Megaman videos from a channel called GameGrumps. A couple of hours had passed and Lyn remains seated on his swivel chair finishing up the last of Game Grumps' Megaman videos. 'Oh, lord. Those guys, I swear, they are too hilarious.' he chuckled. Now that that's settled, Lyn determines he should go click the link on Skype to watch the video. Soon as he did, Google Chrome opens another new tab of a video titled My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - Intro. This caught Lyn by surprise. He didn't realize there was a new generation of the show. Last he remembered when he used to be little, he could remember that My Little Pony was mainly aimed for little girls. Regardless, the show now still has that exact appeal... but to his discovery, it's directly viewed for all-aged audiences; a family program which included men. He was dumbstruck by this result. A show about colorful, feminine, talking ponies showing values and lessons about friendship that actually attracts the male audience. Lyn wasn't sure what to say about this, really. Ordinarily he would have flat out judged his friend of being... queer... for watching something so girlish, but Lyn wasn't the sort of type to think such harsh judgments, especially towards his friends. Giving it rational thinking, the confused man decided to give another go on watching an episode to come to a conclusion. So he chose to shut off the laptop for a little bit and returned back to his living room. He swiped the remote, goes through Comcast on Demand and searches down the name. There were several episodes, but Lyn immediately went for the "S1E1" as a fair start-off. He watched all the way through and realized there was a "second part" of the episode. Before then, he didn't think it was too bad actually. At least the comical humor they added were noticeable to his vision. Although he wasn't finished, so onward to the final part of the episode! Later, he finally finishes watching the first episode of season one. Lyn grabs the remote to shut off the television and thoroughly reviews it in mind. "Well," he spoke to himself, "It was decent. However, I'm not really into that sort of thing. I did give it a fair shot, that's what matters." he shrugged. Without any business in the living room, he returns once more to the office and resumes browsing through the internet on his laptop. Only a few minutes using the computer Lyn immediately grew bored thus shutting the laptop down once again. He thought of doing something different for a change. 'Maybe I should go snooping around in my parent's boxes in the garage; I'll probably find an artifact worth a fortune.' With the thought said in place, Lyn greedfully rushes towards the garage door which is only a couple of feet off on the right of the office entrance. The man goes to the door and already does he feel a tint of cold air breezing from the tiny gap from the bottom of the door. "Bbrrrrr!" Lyn shook. "Better get me a sweater." Quickly Lyn returned wearing an XXL blue sweatshirt. The reason: having a roomy sweatshirt makes it comfortable for him. Back on the matter at hand, Lyn twists the knob and swiftly pulls the door wide open. The suppressed freezing air also blows out, causing Lyn to shiver. 'Been like months since I've been in here?' questioned Lyn as hot air exhausts from his breath. Lyn left the door open so light is shedded around until he can find the light switch amongst the darkness. His hand slithers across the wall, hoping it can touch an unfamiliar shape. Once he found the switch, he flicks it upward thus the lights flickered and shined down the illuminations revealing the grey concrete floors. Lyn could now close the door behind him to proceed on his intentions. His whole body again shivers only for the fact his bare feet are stepping on the icy-cold temperatures of the floors. 'I knew I should've worn slippers. Oh well, at least I can't get frostbite under this temperature.' Shelves planted on the wall had stacks of various sizes of boxes labelled in different ink markers. What Lyn searches for is a box marked Rick & Tina . Shoving some items that aren't particularly important, he stumbled upon a medium-sized box that has Rick & Tina marker written on the side. "Bingo!" said Lyn tugging a smirk. Pulling the box out of the dusty shelf, the human realized it's not as heavy as it appeared to be when he held it in his arms. This brought a foreshadowing sign of disappointment on Lyn's face. He chose to neglect the feel of it's weight and decided to give a look inside. Alas it is how he believed it'd be; the box was light due to the contents stored in are nothing but a photo album & an untitled book with a leathery spine. Taking out the photo album first, Lyn opens the cover to reveal two pictures depicting two different parents. The first one Lyn recognizes; the two adults standing in front of a mansion are without a doubt his grandparents. The photo below the first showed a man and woman smiling with a baby in between them in close-up range. Lyn wasn't entirely sure who they were yet neither was he interested to know. Flipping from the first page Lyn browed a series of pictures of his father's years as a kid, a teenager with a diploma, and a full-grown adult graduating college. Again, Lyn didn't bother looking at those either and obnoxiously flips another page. The next page is what made Lyn froze: a page full of his mother and father's times together. 'I'll have to remind myself to make frames of these and hang 'em on the living room walls.' Lyn thought to himself as he turned a page. Now what really seems peculier is there are huge number of photos of his father only, however, the angle & position of his father made it act like someone, or SOMETHING, is in there too. Lyn ponders on the cryptic photos. 'Dad, you were cool 'n' all, but seriously, were you so mental about being lonely before meeting Mom that you created an imaginary friend?' asked Lyn cringing the thought of it. No longer are there more pictures after that so Lyn carelessly tosses the album into the abyss and withdraws the unnamed novel. 'Dad was keen on writing fictional stories. Heck, I remember him reading me a fan-fictional tale of a man raising a baby pegasus when I was younger. Ha! He always had a sense of imagination. Anyway, let's see the reason you couldn't name this book...' The moment of excitement tingled his nerves as he opens the cover, so far what he saw is... nothing. Literally. There was not a single print within every page. "Seriously?! I guess that's why you didn't name it because there's actually nothing on it!" Lyn discouragingly uproared, throwing the book back into the box, then stands up to kick the box. 'Sheesh. Nothing but junk. All of it. Maybe tomorrow when the garbage comes I'll throw them away, for now though, I think its almost time for work.' Lyn pulls out his android phone from the left hand pocket of his jeans and goes to discover it is 1:43PM - Pacific time. 'Work starts in seventeen minutes... I better slip on my boots and head out.' Lyn sorely sighed. Closing the door after exiting the cold garage, Lyn puts on a pair of white socks and a pair of tacky, yellow hiking boots he's had for a year now then proceeds heading out the front door with keys in hand. Prior to leaving, he made sure every light is off around the house. Once that's settled he exits the house locking the door behind him. A device hanged onto the same ring of the keys was pressed as a white SUV's car lights flashed twice making a beeping sound. Lyn enters the vehicle, turns on the ignition, the engine comes alive, and drove off to his job as a Forklift Operator. Driving through a straight roadway, passing unfathomable maple trees on the side, the human glimpses quickly at the sky. Being it fall and all, numerous grey clouds have blanket over the yonder telling a storm could brew any moment. Avoiding to look at the sky anymore Lyn paid utmost attention to the road ahead. Coming to a stop sign at a four-way intersection Lyn patiently waited for incoming cars coming to either side of the multi-pathway. There was one coming from the left side; a drunkard, driving a brown pick-up, who is twice over the fifty-mile speed limit drinking an alcoholic beverage slightly swerving. His radio's volume was up to the max while playing something called Gangnam Style. The drunken fool sings along with the song playing. "Gangnam Style! Whoop-whoop, whoop, whoop-whoop!" Vigorously gulping the remainder of his current bottle, he sits up off his seat to reach out on the back seat for another one, completely having his hands off the wheel. Lyn figured now would be a good time to drive on. Unfortunately, when Lyn was in the middle of the intersection, he noticed the speeding vehicle coming right at him. He couldn't react in time thus the speeding vehicle brutally collided against Lyn's side; sending him rolling many feet away from the collision. Lyn was wiped out to an unconscious state afterward. When he awoken from a massive headache, everything he sees is blurry, and his hands felt strands of grass as he helped himself get up. By the time he gained vision there's nothing but pure blackness in every direction he faced. He also heard eerie sounds such as ravens crowing and wolves howling. Has the crash really sent Lyn that far out into an ominous grove, and what happened to his car and that of the drunk driver? Far as Lyn is concerned- he has no idea how he got here- but he doesn't plan to stay for long. How will he escape let alone survive in a forest of the wilderness? Find out on the next chapter of Keeper of Harmony! Here it is, folks, the newly rewritten Prologue of the story. Hopefully this is more suited to your interests than the previous. Be sure to read this as I'm going to give out instructions on how I use the symbols. 1) When the ***** appears at the end of a paragraph, this usually indicates a side story is about to be narrated at the same time as the event takes place above the *****. 2) The ----- will indicate a separate event which occurs either after what happens above the ----- to another's perspective. 3) I'm not quite sure which symbol to use but I think I'll use ~~~~~ to indicate a separate event which occurs before what happens above; whether it'd be a flashback montage or what not. Anyways, enjoy the reading fellows. P.S. - Any of those who spot out errors or such, comment below the part(s) of what I need to fix on. Thank you for the patronage. First EncountersAlone in the god forsaken forest, Lyn wakes up finding himself hopelessly lost. He urged to move his muscles, but somehow his whole body was benumbed for the time being. He'd shout out "Help!" until his voice became hoarse. The grove's trees are so high and thick they completely block the sky with their leaves & branches, dropping nothing other than shadows to the poor man's vision. After some time, the human's nerves sparked a feeling, and in no time, he manages to help himself up using his arms & legs. "Where am I?" asked Lyn praying there would've been someone else who could've replied. "For that matter, why can't I remember how I got here?". Befuddled on the subject Lyn puts it aside to fully concentrate on escaping the ominous grove, but without acknowledgement where to go, he'll have to walk around and hope luck'll guide him through. Traversing a while later, he can't help feeling he's been going in circles despite walking along a straight path. As his legs grew sore he chose to lean against a tree next to him, thinking on endless possibilities how he'll meet his end from the wild animals of this forest. Suddenly, three pairs of vicious red eyes gleamed behind the human. They ferociously growled alarming the human of their presence. Lyn turned his head to them sweating most frighteningly. "Oh... snap..." Lyn gulped. Just when he believed it was the end for him, the deadly red eyes vanish slowly to beady eyed bunnies as they hopped to his field of vision. All of which are brown. The human relievingly sighs swiping off his sweat drops. "Awww, look, rabbits. How cute." Lyn snickered. Although... the rabbits opened their mouths wide revealing shark-like fangs as their eyes reverted to those red, predator gazes. "What the heck?!" The rabbits moved in on him closer with their jaws salivating at their soon-to-be dinner. Lyn girlishly screams as he high-tailed it out of there as soon as possible. Running and running wherever he goes to get away from them. Yet those rabbits were chasing the human at exact moving speed, whereas Lyn tripped over a sprouted tree root and landed face first unto the dirt. This was the end for Lyn as we all know it. The rabbits have cornered him in a triangular pattern cutting off every escapable route. Lyn closed his eyes not wanting to see what happens next. The hungry critters prowl towards him, preparing for their pouncing. Although the reluctant beasts suddenly hesitated approaching the human, then out of no reason at all, they hopped away into the abyss of darkness. Lyn was too afraid to open his eyes, though after the thought of why he hasn't been eaten yet, he cautiously opens his eyelids to see those rabbits are nowhere to be seen. He quickly rose up proudly flexing. "Yeah, that's right. Run away! You know you can't eat this!" Acting victorious he resumes walking forward to once again run into trouble, but this time it stood much taller with ghastly, large yellow eyes beaming down at him. The human immediately fainted afterward. Three hours later... Lyn's eyes were still shut, not knowing whether he is dead or alive. What happened though? Where was the yellow-eyed monster that was before him? It didn't matter, but now Lyn has other concerns troubling his mind. 'Now where am I?' he pondered. Momentarily paralyzed, Lyn could barely move; unable to shift or anything. But as time ticks by then, he can practically feel his strength returning, slightly lifting his eyelids. Clearly gaining vision, Lyn woke up atop of a small bed not meant for his size, and surveying the surroundings he realized he's inside a house of an actual... tree. "Oh, thank Celestia you're alive!" says a relieved female voice. Lyn turns over glancing where she was heard, although what assumed to have been a human girl, actually is a lavender unicorn. "Either I'm on drugs or something because I see a mutated horse." said the drowsed man. "Hey, I'm not a mutated horse! I'm a unicorn!" she resented. After that response Lyn quietly froze in shock. "D-d-did you just..." he stuttered. "And FYI I happen to-" "Ahhh!!" Lyn abruptly screamed. "Ah!" "Ho-how are you talking?!" "Vocal cords," Twilight's eyes rolled, "otherwise I'd be a mute, but I see you-" "This can't be real, you can't be real. Surely this is one bad dream and I need to wake up!" Lyn deniably shook his head. "It's all real, but let me introduce myself. My name is Twilight Sparkle. I humbly welcome you to our peaceful town here in Ponyville." "Twilight Sparkle? Ponyville? Okay, I must be dreaming, or have gone completely insane. Maybe the former." "Why don't you tell me who you are? Acquainting yourself with others would definitely calm your nerves." "Yeah, sure, like talking to an imaginery purple unicorn is going to help. But why not, I guess I can play along." The man pauses for a moment to think, gathering as much focus as he can. "I -- I don't know..." he said depressingly, "I have no idea who I am or where I came from..." Twilight softly rubbed her bottom chin, adding together puzzle pieces inside her thought. "Whatever happened during your travel must've caused a memory wipe; least to say, amnesia. That's probably why you can't remember anything. Perfect, just perfect..." "What do you mean by "just perfect"? You sound very disappointed or something." Lyn questioned. Twilight's pupils shrank a little. "Uh, nevermind that. Although I have an idea: is there anything you hold that might, at a slight chance, trigger a flashback?" Slidding his hands over his shirt & pants, Lyn felt small humps in his jean's pockets, and pulling an object from each pocket were a durable, leather wallet with some quarters and a fully-charged android phone. Twilight stared at the two items awed. She has never seen anything so alien before. "Intriguing. So you know how those things work?" Twilight asked. "Hold on a second I'm not even sure myself what these are." Lyn retorted as he examines the wallet. "Aha. I think this tiny pouch holds something... "identical"." Lyn discovers inside a sided puch an identification card. He examined more closely at his printed birthdate. "October Tenth of Two-Thousand-Thirty-Two," next he identified his age, "Twenty-Three..." and last but not least his name. "It says... ???. What is this?! I have no name?!" he outbursted. "Your vision could still be blurry. Check it again." said Twilight. "I can see fine! Look, it says '???'! Happy now?" Lyn huffed. Twilight's ears fallen back. "I'm... I'm sorry." she frowned. Lyn regrettably sighed. "No. I'm sorry. It's just... I'm a bit confused and angry. I know for a definate fact that I don't belong here. Surely you must know where I originated at?" "Well," Twilight pondered, "Oh, Princess Celestia. Maybe she can help! If you'll just pardon me for a moment... Spike, Spike! We require your help!" Twilight hollored down at the stairs. "Take it easy... I've been here this entire time." moaned another voice near where Lyn sits. Lyn turned to his right and saw down at the floor a little, scaly, baby dragon rising out of a pet-sized bed yawning. "I-i-is that a-a-a-a dragon?!?" Lyn stammers in terror. "Don't alarm yourself. He won't hurt you, and besides, he's just a wittle baby dragon, awen't you Spike?" said Twilight belittling the short wyvern. Spike humphed crossing his arms, "Is there something you need me for?" "Yes. I'll be writing an urgent news letter to Princess Celestia. We're going to need her grant entry to her castle for erm... "him", that is if you are male?" Twilight inquired Lyn. Lyn by little felt insulted. "Of course I'm a male! I may have forgotten my name but doesn't mean I forgot my gender!" "Okay, sorry, I wanted to make sure. Anywho, I'll begin the letter right away." The unicorn's horn spontaneously glows with an enchanting, lavender aura which is also manifesting around a scroll, a feathery quill & ink bottle. The items levitated onto the ground as the quill dipped it's tip into the ink bottle whilst the scroll unravels. "Alright. Dear Princess Celestia, it is of extreme importance that I must tell you that we have a human here in Equestria-" 'What? Did she say we're in an aquariam or something?' Lyn thought. Twilight continues "-and to my knowledge he has a serious case of amnesia, and a side note he doesn't pose any serious threat thus far. As your pupil I write on behalf of your excellency if we can arrange a schedule for a congregational meeting. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle." And at last the unicorn scrolls the piece of paper and pinned a ribbon on it. "Spike, if you be so kind?" The baby dragon grabs hold of the paper, deeply inhaled, and scorched the scroll with his fiery breath. "Dude!" Lyn uproared, "He just burned your letter!" "Just give it a second..." Twilight giggled. Out of nowhere the scroll Lyn believed was charred had magically returned good as new. "My, that was fast." Twilight smiled. She unwraps the ribbon and read the scroll saying: 'My faithful student, I received your recent letter and I warn you about these 'humans'. Their nature is rather unstable and aren't likely to be trusted. But if what you say is true, however, then I needn't to worry as you have situations under control. I have an important attendence with the royal council so I hereby leave you in charge of this displaced human until further notice. ~Your mentor, Princess Celestia.' Twilight's smile lifted even higher. "Excellent! Although we still have a bit of trouble pronouncing your name considering you don't remember it. Hey, how about I ask a question, and when you answer, try to think a series of names that best relate to your answer. First question: do you like cats by any chance?" "Yes..." Lyn itched his head, "But uh... not sure how that'll help in what way. However now that I think of it... I think you can refer to me as... Lynx." Twilight shortly pondered. "Hmm. Lynx... I'd say that's brilliant. How did you come up with that?" "It just came to me." Lynx shrugged. "Well, now with that settled, how about I take you a grand tour around Ponyville?" And so the human, who can't recall his own name or origin, travels with the witty unicorn. What sort of folk will the human meet? Will his new friend be able to help him find his way back home? Find out on the next chapter of Keeper of Harmony! Welcome to PonyvilleOn the last chapter of Keeper of Harmony; our human Lyn suffers a serious case of amnesia and is transported to an unknown world where he befriends a unicorn named Twilight Sparkle, a witty pony who doesn't seem at all afraid of him. Consulting a letter from her mentor, Princess Celestia, Twilight & Lynx, whom Lyn now is referred as, tour around Ponyville. The unicorn gathers up some necessities for their trip beforehand. Twilight began packing up several items into her pouch as she marks a list of them. "Let's see... apples, check. Book, check. Canteen full of crystal clean water, check. Lynx..." She held her quill and glanced at the human lying across the floor. "Hey, don't get too relaxed," warned Twilight, "we're going to be leaving real soon." Lyn remains put grumbling. "You're joking right? For one thing I still believe you're a figment of my imagination, and two I'm not moving anywhere." Twilight angrily snorted. "Still on about me "not being real" sort of thing? Well, what would happen if I do... this!" Suddenly a bucket lifts over Lynx's head and poured every drop of water down on him. "Aahh! That's flippin' cold- have you mentally lost it?!" Lynx shivered. "Now do you believe it's real? Everypony should have woken up from that." Twilight smirked. "You've made your point! But now look, I'm soaked." "Don't worry. Today is supposed to be blazing hot, which is why I brought a canteen, your clothes will dry quickly. Are you ready?" Twilight asked. Lynx stood on his two feet crossed. "Yeah, yeah." "Lynx, check," said Twilight. "If we're swift meeting with my friends, I've speculated it'll take a whole day-" The human, mouth agaped, raised his arms in the air. "A WHOLE day!? But that's going to take forever!" "Which is why I'm preparing for our journey," Twilight goes over to the human, "All set then?" "Yeah... I guess." Lyn muttered. "Aww quit your whining. I'm sure you'll see Ponyville is more than just a small town. The ponies here are really, really nice. Though before we leave I should tell Spike to watch over the house while we're gone." "I've a mean asking about Spike, is he your pet or something?" asked Lynx. Twilight chuckled in a friendly manner. "A pet? No, silly, he's my friend; also an assistant. Sometimes I take him along for the road, but many times he's stuck at the house while I'm on important businesses. Anyways, I'll go talk to him real quick. You stay here." The unicorn trots upstairs in short period and trotted back downstairs. "Alrighty! Let's get going shall we?" The two finally head out of the front door and began their exploration around Ponyville. One step out into the broad daylight, Lynx took the unicorn's word for it; the sky showed no track of a single cloud in the sky as the sun's warmth brims down upon him. Lynx shades his eyes with a hand. "So darn bright!" "It is summer, after all. You'll get used to it." said Twilight. Twilight & Lynx continued their path passing by some large, straw-roofed huts and a few fellow ponies each different color. They gawked at Lynx as some whisper whilst strangely staring at him. Lynx shuns his face behind his shoulders feeling discomforted. "They're staring at me..." Lynx whispered. "It's fine. Like I said before: the ponies here are real friendly. They just haven't seen anything like you before." "Well if that's the case, why aren't you also freaked out?" "It's not everyday you get to meet somep- I mean, somebody, from a different world. I rather would like to get to know you better." "You're a bit too confident... aren't you actually afraid I'm not as friendly as you might assume?" "Maybe, but you really do seem nice. Strange, but overall nice." "Not sure whether to take that as a compliment or not, but I'll let it slide. So, you want to know about my interests? I guess that's plausible." "Great!" Twilight gleefully cheered. "Mind I ask what your favorite food is?" Lynx places both hands behind his head pondering. "My head's slightly blurry, but I think I can remember that I enjoy waffles. Now it's my turn to ask a question: you mind explaining what in blue blazes is that "thing" on your... erm..." Twilight glances at her flank where Lynx was staring. ""This"? That's my cutie mark." "Cutie mark?" Lynx questioned. "Cutie marks are a symbol of our professionalism. It signifies what we're good at. This indicates I'm good with magic." Suddenly a reminder hits Lynx. "Huh. I just remembered something..." The human rolls up his orange shirt's sleeve to reveal a heart-shaped tattoo on his left shoulder. "That's adorable." said Twilight. "Yeah, but I doubt it's called a cutie mark anyway." "Despite that, our worlds almost share alike." "Considering here you have magical talking ponies. Yeah... I can totally see the similarity our two worlds share..." "Now you're just being obnoxious." stated Twilight. "Sorry, you're right. I'm just having a massive headache from trying to untangle the surrealism, and plus, I haven't had any food or drinks since I've first came here." Twilight forgave the human with a gentle smile. "I suppose that's a reasonable excuse. Here, take an apple and help yourself with the canteen." she offered. In a rush, the human eats the apple in seconds flat. "Wow... you must have been awfully hungry, and the canteen you drank is already half-empty." The human grins in satisfactory. With that done and over with, the two had arrived at a bakery called Sugarcube Corner. The confectionery structure seemed identical to that of a gingerbread house; Candy Canes, Frosting, Cupcakes. It was a paradise for sweet-toothed maniacs. They entered inside, and like the outer-appearance, it also gleamed of sugary sweets; cakes, muffins and all that other bunch. There was nobody at the counter, and Lynx decided to fiddle with the bell resting on top of the counter; pressing it repeatedly as if a child would. Twilight used her magic to pull Lynx away from the bell. "Quit acting so foolish." Hearing the ringing chimes, there was another pony of a lighter-bluish type of fur color with a mane settled out like that of cupcake icing. Twilight replied "Hey there, Mrs. Cake," Mrs. Cake was glad seeing the unicorn. "Ooh, Twilight. I didn't know you were coming over to visit." "So," Twilight surveys the area, "where's Pinkie Pie?" "I sent Pinkie out to do a little delivery. She should be back any moment now." Lynx joins the conversation. "Pinkie Pie? That a flavor of some pie or something? I'm starving." Mrs. Cake froze staring at Lynx awkwardly. "Twilight. May I see you in the kitchen?" asked Mrs. Cake agitatedly. Twilight raises a brow. "Suuurre?" said Twilight. Leaving Lynx behind the counter Twilight followed the anxious pony into the bakery. "What is that... thing?" asked Mrs. Cake "Thing...? Oh, you mean him," Twilight looked back and over giggling hysterically. "You don't have to worry about him. He's a friend." Lynx, bored out of his mind, tapped and tapped his foot impatiently; scratching the left side of his face, hummed while rocking back and forth. 'Jeez... do girls always talk this long?' thought Lynx. "Mrs. Cake, I'm done with the delivery! Is there any-", upon noticing Lynx she was utterly surprised that she gasped in a large amount of air "Oh... my... gosh... A human?! Here in Equestria?! Why, this is big- no dou- no, triple big! I never would've known there was a human here in Equestria! Why wasn't I told? Well, better late than never as they say! Ooh, I should throw you a huge welcoming party. We'll need cakes, cupcakes, balloons, ribbons, fruit punch, chocolate fountains, rubber chickens and more! Are you excited because I'm excited I've never been able to get a closer look at a human before and have I introduced myself? Hi I'm Pinkie Pie-." she said while hopping up and down rapidly. Fed up with the chattering pony Lynx plugged his ears. "Jiminy Christmas! Please make her stop!" "Jiminy Christmas? Who's that? A friend of yours? This would mean I'll have to throw two parties at once! Ooooh! Let me say this: THIS'LL BE LIKE THE SWEETE-" "Pinkie!" screamed Twilight galloping passed the counter and sticking her hoof in Pinkie's mouth. "You'll have to excuse her. She gets hyper-ventilated when she meets a new face." "Mmmphmphmmpmph. Mmph." Pinkie muffled. "You don't say..." said Lynx. Twilight turned to the chatty pony. "Pinkie." "Mmhmm?" "Do you think you can calm down for my good friend, Lynx, here?" Pinkie nodded her head repeatedly. Twilight removed her hoof from Pinkie's lips. "Oopsie. Tee-hee. But can I ask a itty-bitty teeny-weenie question to Lynx?" Pinkie Pie showing off those puppy dog eyes. The human shrugged and nodded silently. "Would you like to be my friend?" she asked desperately. "Uh... sure..." Lynx hesitated. "Hooray! This calls for a celebration!" "Pinkie..." said Lynx and Twilight at the same time. "Oh. Well, maybe we'll party at a different time then. Toodles!" The pink pony joyfully skips out of the candy-themed household. "Whew," Twilight heavily sighed. "At least that went better than I expected." "Are you kidding? It was torment, I thought my ears were going to explode!" Lynx argued. Twilight flickers her hoof. "Oh, you. Well, now that you've met Pinkie Pie, we have no further business idling here. Onward!" Twilight galloped out of the building with Lynx following in suit. Back to the outside, in the hot, sunny rays of the sun, Lynx grabbed the canteen and chugged it down vigorously. All left of it now are measly droplets in the container. "We've only been out for possibly an hour now and you've already emptied the canteen? It really does amaze me how much you can consume in short periods of time." "Excuse me, Princess! I'm still a tad weary from waking up from a coma." Twilight turns to the man confused. "Coma? You were in an accident?" "Argh,", Lynx moaned, "It hurts!" "What is it? What's wrong?" asked Twilight. "My head . . . why is my head hurting so bad?" Lynx grunted. "Are you still dehydrated? Twilight's eyes suddenly widened. "Oh no! Maybe all the exposure to microwave radiation from those 'cell phones' you were telling me about gave you a brain tumor!". "Just chill out! I don't have a dang tumor!" Lynx snapped. The unicorns worries was making his head throb. "I'm... fine," he added more gently. "I need a second catching my breath." The pain apparently vanished as quickly as it appeared. "There, it's all better now. Nothing to worry about, see?" said Lynx. The man rose to his feet and continued down the path. Twilight frowned uncertainly, but followed without a single word. On the way, Twilight and Lynx start a new conversation. "Lynx, can I ask something regarding to your species?" "Ask away." "Those... 'hands' you use, are they useful?" asked Twilight appealed to their functionality. Lynx takes his hand in front of him flexing his fingers. "Useful? They can do all sorts of stuff! I'll bet you ponies here have difficulty picking up stuff with your mouth." Lynx interpreted. "Really? Hmm, then when we get back I'll have to research on them." Lynx felt unsure about it. "Okay... speaking of species, you say you're a unicorn. Is there different types of ponies here? Why not you tell me how each type works." Twilight couldn't have been more happy to oblige. "Certainly. Beginning with unicorns: you already know we can bend magic. However we require intense concentration when performing high-ranked spells. Breaking our focus in midst of casting can cause unknown repercussions. And the pegasus, a pony born with bird-like wings, can soar through the air and have the eligibility to alter weather conditions by moving and fiddling the clouds in the sky. But due to their constant flying mobility they deplete more energy than any other pony. Last but not least: an earth pony don't possess either wings or horns, however they have a remarkable amount of physical strength that they can withstand the most force." Lynx achingly rubs the back of his head. "I partly phased out after unicorns. Seriously, you could've just said it briefly." "Ugh..." Twilight groans quite exasperated "What?" Lynx aimlessly shrugged. After having their discussion, they finally arrive at a beautifully-structured house. "Nevermind, we're here." said Twilight. Twilight softly pounds on the front door. "Rarity are you there? It's me, Twilight" the unicorn hollered. A unicorn answers the door. My how she looked bedazzling; her pearly-white coat, her dark purple mane, those gleaming sapphire eyes. Lynx was astonished by her exquisite beauty. "Ah yes, Twilight!" said Rarity happily seeing her good'ol friend. "It is good to see you. Please do come... right in...-" Her royal pitched voice fades as she steadily gawks at Lynx's being next to Twilight. "Twilight," Rarity started "may I ask who this... fine "fellow" standing beside you is?" Twilight replied nonchalantly. "His name is Lynx. A friend." "My word... just look at you! Wandering around in that ghastly outfit that you call clothes. I simply won't tolerate for this! Please come inside, quickly!" offered Rarity. Lynx circled around wondering who Rarity was talking to. "Wait a minute, are you talking about me?" he indicated himself. "Of course!" Rarity confirmed, "Now hurry before anypony else sees that horrid fashion of yours!" Rarity moves behind Lynx and forcefully pushes him inside the boutique. "Huh? It doesn't look that bad... does it?" Lynx questioned. Twilight lightly shook her head thus followed the two in. Upon entering the boutique, the inner-sanctum was more glorious; A silver chandelier hanging and dangling high above the center of the ceiling- with varieties of decorated colored gems that reflect illuminations down unto the floor. In addition, the floor has been freshly waxed you could see your own reflection. "Now you wait there while I get some preparations going. I'll be back shortly." said Rarity, trotting off to a different room. Lynx glances at Twilight confused. "Uh, this is a first." "Oh that Rarity. She's more concerned about your style of clothing that she neglected your appearance." said Twilight giggling. "Is this really necessary?" Lynx scratched his head. "Why, yes, this is all necessary, my dear. When I'm done, you'll be shining like a star! Everypony will gather around and awestruck by your glamorous new fashion!" Rarity begins wrapping a measuring tape around Lynx's body; the waist, then across his shoulders, his arms and legs. The human's face blushed rosily red. The unicorn withdrew her tape, and resumed examining his clothes. "Hmmm. Ooh! I know what this needs: Gems! I'll be right back,". She trots to her chest and ganders inside it, "Oh of all the worst things that can happen, this is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING." cried Rarity. "What?! What's happened?" worried Twilight. "I -- I've ran out of precious gems! And just when I was about to finalize the sketches." Twilight throws out a frustrating grunt. "I'm sorry to leave upon the inconvenience, but I can't finish my work without them,". Rarity retrieves a satchel using her magic. "Would you two be so kind to await for my return?" asked Rarity. "Uh..." Lynx paused. "Oh you are a dear! I'll be departing now. Ta-ta!". The unicorn bids her farewell. "How about we get out of here, I'm afraid she'll dress me up in some girlish outfit!". said Lynx anxiously. "I don't know. I think you would look wonderful in a dress,". Twilight laughed hysterically "how I would love to see that!" "Ha... ha... ha... but no, seriously, let's ditch this place." "But Rarity will-" "Please!" Lynx begged on his knees. "If you say so. Though I do hope Rarity will understand." said Twilight. In no time the two exit the building and continued down their path towards their next destination: Fluttershy's hut. During their venturing, Lynx fiddles around his mechanical device also known as a cell phone. He appeared having difficulties getting it to work. "What are you doing?" asked Twilight. "If you must know: because you poured that water over me this thing won't work. I'm pressing buttons and nothing happens!" Lynx retorted. The unicorn swipes the cell phone using her magic. "Hey!" Lynx yelled. "Hmm..." Twilight hummed. She quickly examined each side with a clueless expression. "Let's see... if I do this it may just-" Her horn's magic zaps into the device. It's screen comes alive as it displayed. Both Twilight & Lynx widened their eyes astonishingly, but mostly Lynx. "Wha- how- when- How'd you fix it?!" Lynx stuttered. "With magic, of course." said Twilight handing the human back his property. "So do you know how it works?" Lynx deeply stares at it, scrolling screen by screen, adapting to his own kind's advanced technology. "I feel like I'm getting the hang of it. See, I found something interesting," Lynx presses on an icon labelled 'Disturbed' and revealed list of names Twilight isn't assure of. "Disturbed? That's... unusual. It can feel emotions too?" "I don't think it has to do with emotions," Lynx disagreed, "this was under a thing called "music"." Twilight's ears lifted. "Ooh! Music? How wonderful. You know we too have music, care to give me an example of yours?" Twilight ecstaticly inquired of Lynx. The human pressed 'Disturbed - Sons of Plunder'. The phone initiates buffering, then in a sudden burst at full volume it screeches out startling lyrics "Tell me you like it!" Twilight covers her ears from it's tormenting sound. "Ahh! Turn it off Lynx!" Lynx immediately taps the screen again and the music ceased. "That was awful!" Twilight angrily cried. "I'm sorry!" Lynx apologized, "I didn't know that would happen!" "Sure you didn't. Anyways, we're here!" At the destination, Lynx observed how beautiful the atmosphere settled as. Two ponds on each opposite ends connected to a creek which runs narrowly underneath a wooden bridge. And a few bird houses hanging on to several branches of a sturdy tree standing among the side of the bridge. The cottage itself was also stunning. The two confront the door as Twilight pounded it with her hoof in hopes Fluttershy is around. Luckily she is but refused to open the door until acknowledging of who the visitors are. Twilight gently smiled and replied "It's me, Twilight. Can you come outside?" she asked briefly, praying in mind that the shy pegasi won't over-react when she sees Lynx. "Twilight!" said Fluttershy swinging the door open to happily greet her friend, however before she spoke another word the timid pony noticed Lynx. She began sweating; frozen with agitation, afraid enough to remain speechless as she could stare straight at the man's sapphire eyes. "Hi." Lynx waved. Fluttershy yelped in fear and slammed the door tightly shut. "Always scared of anything aren't you? Don't worry, for I'm sure my good buddy Lynx here won't "bite"." Twilight winked. "Ha, ha, ha..." the man laughed sarcastically Although after hearing what Twilight called him caused the shy pegasus to change her nature of behavior instantly; from being scared and then excited to the next. She opens the door getting hyper-active. "Ooh a Lynx? I've heard of them before but never have I managed to meet one personally. Though I would've imagined you'd look similar to a cat. Maybe you're a different breed! You must tell me everything about yourself." "Fluttershy, I'm sure you'll understand that Lynx here doesn't have a considerable amount of time to discuss anything he does in life." The pegasi pulls herself together. "Oh, okay," she clears her throat. "Hello Mr. Lynx, my name is Fluttershy. And it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. Twilight, do you suppose I can at least invite Mr. Lynx in so I can show him some of my bunnies?" she stared at the unicorn with glistening eyes. "Okay... if it really means that much to you." Twilight approved. Lynx was pulled into the living room. "Now you wait here while I go tell my animal friends we have a visitor." said Fluttershy. "...Is this for real?" questioned Lynx. "First Pinkie Pie, then Rarity, and now Fluttershy - which she is comparing me to a cat. Now I've seen everything." Twilight too was baffled from her friend's reactions. "It is rather uncanny. I would've thought they'd go into panicking from the sight of you. Surprises me too." said Twilight. "Oh, hey, Twilight, I've been meaning to ask: How is it that your teacher acknowledges our species but not everyone else?" "The Princess has lived for over a thousand years. She's practically all-knowing. And by the way you meant to say everypony." Lynx swayed his hand. "Yeah, yeah...- wait... what?! A THOUSAND years!? Good lord... that's so unreal!" Twilight nudged the human's arm. "We're full of surprises, aren't we?" Twilight smirked. After her small departure, Fluttershy returns with some animal friends. "I'm back, and I've brought company." Fluttershy hollered very softly. An assorting group of rabbits lined themselves in front of the human. "Let me introduce you to Michael. He's very shy when meeting new faces,". Fluttershy points at another bunny "And this here is Raphael. Be careful though, he's easily intimidated. Ooh, I don't think I've introduced you to Angel yet." "Excuse me, Fluttershy, but it's somewhat passed the time and we really must be going." interfered Twilight. "Oh... okay, well, it was kind of you two to come and visit." says Fluttershy discouragingly. "Let's go, Lynx." ordered Twilight. The human humphs while crossing his arms. "What are you, my mom?" "No, but remember I'm responsible for you. So in some sort of weird way, I am." When the human and the unicorn step out of the hut, the pegasi snags the human's t-shirt. "Um. Whenever you have spare time tomorrow, do you think you can come back here soon? I've got more interesting critters that I'm sure you'll love seeing." Fluttershy kindly asked. "Sure thing. I always adore little animals." the human replied. This brought a very warm smile across Fluttershy's expression. Once that is done the two go venturing yet again to another one of Twilight's best friends: Applejack. But before they've gotten to halfway towards the farm some pegasus soaring through the sky suddenly swooped down intervening their path. Her coat is of light-bluish fur and her mane pigmented with colors correspondence to that of a rainbow. The pegasus wasn't too hesitant with the pleasantries. "Hey Twilight, how's it hangin'?" she asked briefly. "Oh I'm doing spectacular. Me and my friend here were just on our way to Applejack's until you showed up at a very convenient of timing. I'd like for you to-" "Who's this freak?" Rainbow Dash interrupted. "Freak?!" Lynx snapped angrily. "Now, now. I'm sure Rainbow Dash didn't mean that," she patted the human. "Why not introduce yourself?" Upset, Lynx crosses his arms and turns his back on the ponies. "What's he so mad about?" Rainbow Dash asks naively Twilight glared at the pegasus "Really?" then sighs exasperatingly. "You'll have to pardon her, Lynx." Rainbow Dash tilted her head. "Lynx. That's his name?" Rainbow Dash's behavior changed suddenly "That - that actually sounds pretty cool," She glides in front of the human "Hey, sorry for what I said back there. How's about we shake on it and let by gones be by gones." she apologized. "Y'know... I have a much better idea," The human clenches his hand into a fist and exerts his arm out at the pegasus. "Pound it." Lynx said. "Okay?" said Rainbow Dash confusingly. The pegasus lightly pounded her hoof against the man's knuckles. "Well done." nodded Lynx. Rainbow Dash flips backward in mid-air. "Aw yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about!" This escalation of bonding brought joy to Twilight. "I'm happy to see that you two are getting along nicely. But we're in a rush here since I can tell that it'll get dark very soon. We'll see you again tomorrow, okay Rainbow Dash?" said Twilight. "I understand. Though Lynx, we should hang around more often." suggested Rainbow Dash. "You bet." Lynx gave the pegasus a thumbs up. And woosh! Rainbow Dash dashes off to the sky in seconds flat. The human saw her incredible speed and stares up awestruck. "Coming, Lynx?" asked Twilight. Lynx blinked out of trance. "Oh, yeah. Right behind you." Later they meet their destination: A fertile farmland with cropped acres of countless apple trees far across the yondering field. Twilight surveys the area for Applejack, yet she was nowhere to be spotted. "Do you think she's-" "Yeeee-haw!" A lasso had been swung over Lynx's head and caught on to his legs. The human lost his maintaining balance and slumped into the mud face first. The one responsible was a blonde haired, orange colored fur pony wearing a brown stetson hat. "Not so fast there!" claimed the cowgirl pony. The southern pony hogtied poor Lynx while his face still plounders in muck. "Whoo-wee! That was a close one, Sugarcube! Yer were just about to be attacked by this 'ere critter! Aren't ya glad Applejack's 'ere to watch yer tail?" Twilight bonks her friends' head. "What'd you do that for?" "Applejack! This "critter" is a friend of mine! Now help me untie him!" Twilight said angrily. "Aw shucks, Twilight. Ah really didn't know, and I just got this dirt fertilized too." As the man was free to rise, he scrapped the mud off with his hands. "Of all that is- Are you out of your mind!?" Lynx spoke outrageously. "Lynx, evidently she thought you were a monster. Please don't be mad at her." pleaded Twilight. "Yeah, what she said. 'Ah do sincerely apologize for my rash actions. We got some refreshments 'ere you can have if you find it in your heart to forgive me." The human's stomach abruptly growled. "I think that's a sign for: "Apology accepted. He-he." giggled Twilight. Lynx was indeed hungry, so Applejack generously gave what she had to offer: Apple pies, apple muffins, apple fritters. Lynx enjoyed every last one of them until he couldn't eat anymore. The three go through a discussion about Lynx's residence. "Ah'll be darned. So he came from a different universe?" said Applejack flabbergasted. "Indeed he did, although he has no idea where he's from or who he is. I'm giving him a tour around Ponyville while we wait for Princess Celestia to give us further notice." explained Twilight. "Ah see. Well, sorry again about earlier there, partner." "Ha! No worries, anyone who hands me free food is a friend of mine." "Beg ya pardon but ah believe ya meant to say anypony?" Applejack corrected him. 'I swear I'm never gonna get used to that...' "Twilight! Twilight!" shouted a familiar voice. "Spike? What are you doing all the way out here?" said Twilight who knew. "Hah... hah..." Spike heavily panted "Twilight, the Princess- the Princess has requested your audience down at the Halls of Harmony. She said it's urgent!" "If the Princess says it's urgent, then it must be an emergency." said Twilight anxiously. Spike continued "And she also said bring him too!" he pointed at Lynx. "Me?" the human pointed himself. "Let's go Lynx!" ordered Twilight. Spike saddled onto the unicorn's back and three of them move onwards to Canterlot City where Halls of Harmony is designated at. What could the Princess want the human for? Well find out on the next chapter of Keeper of Harmony! To Canterlot! A Princess' Dire of Need (A/N)To Canterlot! A Princess' Dire of Need (A/N) On the last chapter of Keeper of Harmony, Twilight and Lynx post haste at their mark towards Canterlot where the Halls of Harmony reside. "Do you think your teacher figured out a spell to bring me home?" panted Lynx while keeping up with Twilight. "Maybe, or something else could be going down. We'll never know until we get there!" exclaimed Twilight. "Keep going." The two run restless until they reached their destination, however a couple of golden-armored pegasus guards that stand rooted outside blocking their entry. Upon approach their wings sprout to halt both Lynx & Twilight. "Announce yourselves." a guard requested demandatory. Twilight replied "Twilight Sparkle & Lynx." "The Princess has requested for your audience into the halls. You are free to pass." said the other guard. The guards strafed aside as the doors loudly creek open. Twilight and Lynx ran in as the doors closed behind. Inside the Halls of Harmony the two paced themselves onto a long, red carpet from an end to the other while passing by gigantic stone pillars aligning from both sides. Ahead they finally meet the celestial mare of whom trots back and forth in a state of worry. "Princess! We're here at last and-" Twilight cuts herself noticing the teacher's frowning expression "Are you alright?" asked Twilight in major concern. "I'm glad you arrived sooner than expected, there is trouble brewing in Equestria. And I see you brought him here as I asked, very well done." "What sort of trouble?" said Twilight. "After consulting with the council, it appears some sort of humanoid-like creature is wreaking havoc across the land. It leads several lesser minions as it advances. I needed you to bring the human you spoke of in order to ensure it wasn't him." interpreted the upsetted alicorn. This gravely worried Twilight. "Can it possibly be human?" asked Twilight fearfully. Princess Celestia barely ponders. "I'm not fully positive it's human, but nopony has came across and told about it yet." "Well, no worries, Princess, nothing me and my friends can't handle!" The Princess tugs a gentle smile to her student's words of couragement. "Uh, hello?" intruded Lynx. The Princess wipes off her smile and observes the human's appearance. From what she can tell it doesn't surprise nor intrigued her. "May I ask who you are, human?" asked Celestia. "I'm-" "His name is Lynx." Twilight cuts in. "Lynx? Rather strange considering he's not a cat." said Celestia confusingly. 'Enough with the cat puns!' Lynx angrily thought. "Well, no, he's not. He chose it on his own since he can't remember his name. In the meantime, while we're on the subject, have you-" In the middle of Twilight's question, the sacred chamber doors where the all-powerful relics known as the Elements of Harmony reside within abruptly opened without warning. Both the celestial teacher and her trusted pupil reacted mighty surprised. They looked themselves in utter confusion and turn their heads at the human. "...what?" the innocent human shrugged. As the two gave one last stare to each other, they exchanged questions regarding on what caused this unexpected turn of events. Twilight then noticed the relics are behaving strangely. "The elements, they're pulsing." observed Twilight. It was sure astounding to the two except for Lynx who has not a thought knowing what is happening. Celestia shared the same expression, she doesn't acknowledge it, however she built up several theories of this mystery; she knew it wasn't the god of chaos: Discord, for he is still imprisoned as a statue. It also couldn't have been Chrysalis, or King Sombra. Which only led down to one possible assumption: Lynx. "Lynx.." Celestia suspiciously wondered, "would you mind if you step closer to the Elements of Harmony?" she asked nondemandatory. "So you want me to walk over there and if by a slight, possible, chance that I could be risking my life? I don't think so." Lynx replied unassured. "Just go in!" Twilight aggressively shoves Lynx towards the chamber. The relics pulsated more rapidly as he approached them. Then as Lynx made contact, the elements hovered above their stalls with incredible, sparkling power brimming from each core. In a flash the elements conjured together a transparental beam of energy shooting at Lynx's being, enveloping him with their magic. Afterwards the colors from the relics are shaded in grey, and Celestia & Twilight could now sense the powers of harmony within Lynx. Twilight screamed "The elements!" Celestia too was shocked, but her anger appeared more expressive than her surprisement. "What did you do?!" Celestia angrily inquired Lynx. "Hey, I did as you asked me to do. I didn't know what I did!" Lynx retorted. He thoroughly examines every inch of himself, from top to bottom. During examination, he took realization that he has another tattoo planted on the back of his right hand, "I'm sure this wasn't here before..." Further inspection, the tattoo is enveloped with intenseful, electric energy surging around it. 'Whoa,' gawked Lynx. Applaud by his own hand, his awestruck-gazing had been interrupted by a loud stomp of the Princess' hoof. "Mister, I can't comprehend how you did it, but I must order you to hand over the elements at once." "Wait, Princess!" shouted Twilight, "What if this was supposed to happen?" "Twilight, my star pupil, surely you jest. You merely proclaim it as some sort of prophecy." Celestia doubtfully stated. "But what IF? You and I just saw what Lynx did, since he wields the Elements of Harmony maybe he can use their magic!" With that question in place, Lynx wanted to demonstrate by holding out his palm, in attempts to conjure up something. Although nothing happened. Lynx sighed in disappointment, "So these "Elements of Harmony" pretty much gave me a tattoo..." "I don't have time for this, I have important matters to attend to, Twilight," Celestia calls upon her student. Twilight's ears perk up as a response. "I'll formerly again place you in charge of him. In the meantime I must attend my errands, make sure HE doesn't cause trouble. Understand?" "Yes, Princess." Twilight bowed. "W-wait a minute! You can't leave right now!" Lynx exclaimed. However the celestial mare already vanished in a flash of magic light, abandoning both the human and unicorn alone once more. "Well, I think we should head back to Ponyville. I'm quite tuckered out," yawned Twilight. "But she just ran off. And wasn't the partial point us coming here that she would help send me back home?" "I'm sure we'll sort it out tomorrow. Let's go back to my house and get plenty of sleep." With many questions unanswered, our heroes wearily return to the unicorn's treehouse for a good night's sleep. Why did the elements fuse themselves in Lynx? Who could the other outcast be and why is that person disturbing the peace? Tune in next time on the next chapter of Keeper of Harmony! (This was executed rather poorly. But if it's appropriate to speak on behalf of my sloppiness; I've been dealing with life problems recently, however due to it being personal problems I'll refrain explaining what they are. Anyways, I think I'll go on ahead and post the next chapter after this one without editing. Sorry.) Strange EventsAt night, all the folk of Ponyville were sound asleep, and so was Twilight, Spike, & Lynx. Speaking of Lynx, he woke up in the middle of the night from his back cramping on the solid wooden floor. He sits up and roughly rubs his back to ease the tension, but when out of nowhere eerie whispers could be heard echoing around him. Another sudden pain spiked his brain and he refrained from making a grunting sound. They whisper "Go... outside...". Lynx straightened his nerves, knowing that he couldn't be manipulated by the unknown voices. With that said, he heads outside holding his skull with his palms. The pain peculiarly disappears right after he exited the house. 'Why does it keep doing that...' He then noticed a dark, hooded humanoid-like figure standing before him. "Who are you?" startled Lynx. The stranger breathed deeply and creepily. "Are you going to say something or stand there like an idiot?" "Lynx..." the stranger replied in a dark, deep tone of voice. "How did... - how did you know my name?". "Do not be alarmed. I mean of no harm, for I come here to bear a warning of an attack; an attack from monsters that far exceed your expectations...". "Why are you telling me this?" Then the dark figure reverts moving back into the shadows of the night. "W-Wait!" Lynx stuttered in chase. Yet before he could catch up to it, the mysterious being vanished to thin air. "Just who was that...? A figment of my imagination?". he stretched to yawn "Well, I'll worry about it tomorrow. For now I need my beauty sleep.". And he did just that. He went back to sleep. Morning arrives as the starry sky fades away from the sun's brightening aura. And the roosters crow "Cock-a-Doodle-Doo!" to alarm the sunrise. Upon hearing the fowls, Lynx murmurs himself in a way that nobody can hear. Possibly having a dream. The glaring beams light down on the man's face, gleaming ever so brightly, disturbing the man's peaceful rest. "Grrr..." Lynx growled furiously. Rolling over to avert the sunlight. "Good morning!" says the purple unicorn rubbing her eyes. "Yea- mmm. Mmm." Lynx mumbled. "The sun is rising. It's time to get up." "No. I don't want to." Lynx protested. "Okay... you asked for it." The unicorn pulls his sheets away with her mouth, and then used her magic to pour a glass of water on the man's head. "AHH!" he screamed. "Have you lost your mind?!". "Well, I warned you but you didn't listen. Now that you're up, go take a bath or something. You reek." Twilight muzzled her nose with her hoof. "Do you have some sort of shower I can use then?". "Fortunately I do, although I'm certain you might not fit. Ponyville's restrooms and appliances weren't made specifically for your kind." "Does it matter?" Lynx said regardless. "It's just down the corridor passed the storage closet." Twilight coordinated. Lynx carefully followed her instructions and successfully located the bathroom door and entered in. "How do you use this thing?!" Lynx yelled. Skipping to when the unicorn and the human are touring around Ponyville. Twilight's expression teemed with a large, snickering, grin. "What a story would it be to tell the girls." the unicorn giggled. "You promised me you'll never speak of it again!" he said embarrassingly. Twilight still snickered as they roam around Ponyville's markets and other things. During their time in Ponyville they conveniently stumbled to come across Applejack who also had a market stand for her delicious apples "Howdy there!" Applejack waved to the two. Twilight was somewhat surprised "Applejack, fancy meeting you here.". "Yeah, but unfortunately I haven't made much of any sales today recently. Plus Big Macintosh pulled out his back again from bucking the trees." said Applejack in little depression, whereas Twilight pitied "Oh I'm sorry to hear that...". After some moments in thinking Twilight brought up an excellent idea "I got it! Perhaps Lynx can provide you with a lending hoo-, I mean... hands." she corrected herself. Applejack's spirit elevated. "That would be mighty proud!" she smiled. "Perfect!" cheered Twilight. Lynx stepped in to object. "Hey, hey, hey. I didn't say that I would.". "Would you? You'd be doing a huge favor for Applejack and I, and for Big Macintosh,". She pushes herself against the man's legs and peered her glistening eyes up at his, "Pretty please?" she begged. "Hmmm. Oh, alright... only because you said please." Lynx gave in. With that settled out, the pony and human begin their merry way to her farm to do some labor. Meanwhile Twilight was proud for Lynx's generosity, and thus she gallops on over back to her house to write a letter to her mentor. Before she could write, somepony was knocking on the door. The unicorn lays her pen and scroll down and trots over wondering who it is. Alas at the door is the benevolent mentor; Princess Celestia. "Oh my, Princess! What a coincidence! I was about to write you a letter." said Twilight in total surprise. The Princess thoroughly examines the room. "Twilight... I'm hoping that the human is not outside where he's all by himself.". Twilight sweated in nervousness. "Well - well he's, um... he's helping Applejack gathering some apples." "I ordered you to keep an eye on the human because, well, for one thing; I still have little trust in him, even though he's behaved most of recently. Nonetheless, I want to make sure he doesn't pull up any schemes. And second; I need you and Lynx to meet me at my castle. I have news you two probably should know about." "In that case I'll go get him right away!" nodded Twilight. Then the celestial mare trotted out and flew away gracefully. Twilight knew a congregation with the Princess meant extreme importance, or trouble. So in a rush the unicorn makes her way to Applejack's farm. Back at the farm, Lynx was sweating from carrying and emptying baskets of apples into the small cart which was now full. "Ah do say it was very nice of ya to help around. My brother & Ah are most grateful." Applejack mightily shakes Lynx's hand. "Okay, okay, that's enough shakin' there. You'll rip my arm off." "Heh heh. Sorry." she apologized, letting go of the man's hand. Lynx takes a breather and relaxes, however, his tattoo acted up. It hums weakly, as a dim light oscillates pulsatingly. "What the...?" All of a sudden, strange manifestations of shadowy-like monsters rose beneath the soil's surface. They're nothing that anyone or anypony has seen before; Yellow Eyes glowing menacingly, teeth as sharp as a blade with deadly swiping claws. These beings are like from a nightmare. "What in tarnation?!" she gasped. One spawned after another until they surrounded the two. Blocking their escape and approaching all at once very slowly. Applejack grabs an apple off the ground and tossed it at them. Unfortunately it passed through their transparent bodies. Closer and closer, they growled more aggressively; preparing to commence an all-out attack. "Don't worry. No matter what happens 'Ah'll stay by your side." she said bravely. And thus the monsters made their move and piled over the two. Covering them in a dome of everlasting darkness. Before they met their fate, a shining ray of light shot out from within the darkness, releasing an explosion of light that eradicated the darkness completely. Applejack blinked. "Wha? Where'd they go?" she asked. Lynx shrugged, letting out a long breath. "As long as they aren't here, I'm happy," he replied. "Applejack! Lynx!" They looked up and saw Twilight galloping toward them. "I saw everything!" she wailed, pulling the pair into a bone crushing hug. "Are you two ok?" "Whoa! Easy there, sugar cube!" Applejack grunted, gently unhooking Twilight's foreleg from around her neck. "Don't cut off mah circulation. We're fine. Lynx saved both our hides." "I did? But how? I didn't try to do anything!" "Maybe Celestia would know," offered Twilight. "She sent me to look for you, Lynx. She wants us to meet her in her private quarters. Let's go see what she knows!" Lynx agreed and followed Twilight to Canterlot, where Princess Celestia resides in. Upon arriving at a castle's doors are two Pegasuses wearing shiny gold armor, standing guard at the entrance. "Announce yourselves." a guard requested demandatory. Twilight replied "Twilight Sparkle & Lynx." "The Princess has requested for your audience into her quarters. You are free to pass." said the other guard. The guards strafed aside as the doors loudly creek open. Twilight and Lynx ran in as the doors closed behind. Inside they finally meet the celestial mare of whom trots back and forth in a state of worry. "Princess! We're here at last and-,". She paused and noticed the teacher's frowning expression "Are you alright?" said Twilight in major concern. "I'm glad you two managed to get here. There have been "monsters of darkness" spotted in several locations of Equestria. Attacking the civilians. Luckily we found out that they can be-." "Harmed by magic." Twilight finished. "You've heard of this too?" the mare questioned. "Yes, at Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack and Lynx got attacked, but Lynx somehow fended them off." Celestia widened her eyes in befuddlement. "Really? How?" "With the mark." Twilight pointed to Lynx's hand. Celestia trots over and examines the tattoo carefully. Upon observing the glowing energies emanating from within the mare begins to understand. "Just as I suspected. He certainly has a way to use the elements, therefore whenever he was in danger- they reacted." the mare explained. "Yeah, except I didn't REALLY use the elements. It went off on it's own." Interpreted Lynx. "That is true. Which is why I must do this." The mare rests her horn on his forehead. "Wait- what are you-". Lynx paused. The man could feel his body vibrate and tingle from the sensation from that of Celestia's magic. Suddenly, his tattoo lit up and became brighter and brighter; electrifying energies enveloped the palm of his hand. Lynx widens his eyes amazed. "Whoa," he perks up at the Princess. "What'd you do?". "I have awakened the power of the elements. You're able to use partial of it willingly." "Really?" Twilight butted in. "Of course," nodded Celestia. The magnificent alicorn trots backward a few feet from the human. "Now... I want you to aim your palm at me and concentrate real hard." instructed the Princess confidently. Lynx wasn't sure why but he did it anyway. Gathering enough focus, the center of his palm conjured a very small orb of light, and instantly the orb enlarged exponentially and blasted itself towards the mare. Considering it was hurdling at her the mare didn't make a budge or tried to avoid it. Upon struck the blast dissipates without causing any harm or injury. "Excellent. As you can see, the elements are incapable of harming the minds and hearts of the innocent. Normally this kind of spell would take years of studying to perfect. However you've done it in a matter of seconds." says the impressed mare. "Why the change of behavior? Earlier you wanted me gone, but now you're helping me?" Lynx argued. "Lynx!" snapped Twilight. "Calm now, Twilight. And yes, human, I am aware that you don't fare me very well. However given the circumstances, my options are limited. I'm truly sorry for being prejudicial towards you.". Celestia deeply apologized. Lynx brought out a friendly gesture. "Thank you. I'm grateful to hear you say that.". "So does that mean you'll help?" asked Twilight. "If in the end I can go home, I'll do it." Lynx nodded. Both Twilight and Celestia gave Lynx a heart-warming & faithful smiles. "Bless you," spoke Celestia calmly. "And now with that said and done, I'll go attend to some other matters at hand. I'll kindly teleport you two back to my star pupil's house." And so the human and the little unicorn are transported back to Ponyville, whereas they wander around once more. Although moving the screen back to the mare, her smile where it last used to be, converted to a petrifying frown. Andrew & Raymond's Misadventures #1(Illustration)Meanwhile... at the real world. A Black Hummer H3 shows up and parks on Lyn's driveway. Exiting the intimidating vehicle are two young adults; one averagely slender, his dark brown eyes reflect that of hazel nuts, and short, natural spiky brown hair while the other being slightly opposite; his bulky body twice the size than the first and eyes heavenly blue with a similar hairstyle only less spiky. The two make their stance outside of Lyn's tall white house knocking on the door, "Yo, Linx! You there buddy, it's me Raymond." hollered the skinnier gent. "Maybe he's not home." assumed the other. "We left a message on Skype saying we'd be coming over for gamer's night. And besides, we don't have school for several days because somebody threatened to blow up the school." "Actually, that'd be me. I called the principal while taking a dump in the bathroom stall." "Andrew!" "What?! I didn't study for the exams!" Raymond exasperatingly sighs as he palmed his forehead. "Doesn't matter. Let's check if he's home." The slender young man inadvertently knocks the door once more, then it creaked open slowly. Raymond peeks his head past the threshold scanning the inner sanctum of Lyn's domain. "Linx?" he hollered, stepping inside for further investigation. "Raymond, what are you doing?!" Raymond dwells deeper in the house and is introduced to a bountiful living room with a plasma television screen mounted on the wall and a fine leathery couch for relaxation. "Dude! Linx is loaded." Raymond exclaimed with envy. "We're breaking and entering! Let's get out before we get busted." said Andrew nervously. The skinny gent neglects his friend's worries and helped himself to the couch. Sitting down he sinks into a comfortable state. Grabbing a remote off the table in front of him he turns on the television surfing channels, searching for a particular program. "Aannd there it is!" says Raymond who stopped at a network called 'The Hub'. Andrew, on the other hand, obnoxiously snatches the remote from his friend, wanting to watch a different channel. "Screw that! I'm not going to watch your My Little Pony crap." Raymond stands up frustrated at his friend for being an anti-brony. How the two are even friends astounds everybody, but they've been friends ever since they were in middle school and they grew up together as neighbors for several years. He accepts Andrew's negativity towards the show he loves, and as much Andrew didn't like it he wouldn't let it ruin his sacred bond with his friend. Since the bulky man has invaded the living room, Raymond decides to head down further through the hallway towards the garage. He wondered what could be inside of there, considering Lyn always complained it's full of useless stuff that he'd be happy to give away. As the scrawny human made his way into the garage he found the light switch and flipped it on. Shrouding darkness which formerly took residence vanishes from the bulb's light of power. Raymond finally begins his excavation by rummaging through a few assortments of boxes stacked across the shelves. A box differed from many alike labelled 'Rick & Tina' intrigued him, so he pulled it out and opened to discover two objects; an old, dusty diary that seemed to have aged throughout many years untouched and a photo album containing several pictures of a grown man he presumed to be Lyn's father. Raymond thought he shouldn't snoop around in his friend's belongings, but temptation thrilled him, considerably stimulating his curiosity that he can't resist it. He picked up the diary and sees words inscribed on the cover 'My Dear Shy'. He pondered what it meant, yet he went on reading the first page of the journal and saw a paragraph written as followed: "My name is Rick Gärtners, and I write this diary to whomever comes across it. I am a thirty-eight year-old male with no spouse, but that's irrelevant right now. If you do happen to come across this, note for what you're about to read is a record of my life's history; day by day, month by month, and year by year. But never will you expect what's written in this forgotten journal, so sit a while, my readers, as you'll see how being shown to "kindness" can change my malevolent life... forever." Suddenly a thought occurs to Raymond 'This awfully sounds similar to 'My Little Dashie''. He calls out to his friend, "Yo, Andrew! You gotta check this out!" His friend shouts out "Where's the booze!?" What will Raymond uncover from the mysterious book of personal secrets? Find out later on the next episode of Andrew & Raymond's Misadventures! (A/N: An illustration pretty much means it'll stay up if the views are positive. I wanted to add a side story so there's more suspense and whatnot. Comment what you think about it - whether they're good or bad, it doesn't matter. A comment about your thoughts is appreciative. Plus this chapter is supposed to be short, but the others I'll consider making them longer.) Meet The CMC We return to the MLP universe where Lynx and Twilight have finished consulting with their benevolent ruler, Princess Celestia, who awakened partial of the elements within the human, granting him to use a magic attack. Entrusting Lynx, she commended that he must aid Twilight, and the rest of her friends, in seeking an unknown threat that's causing disturbances throughout Equestria. With our two protagonists back at the unicorn's tree house, Twilight spares time by reading several books from her endless, organized shelves. She lowers down onto the floor, quietly studying a book entitled 'Spells for an Apprentice' while softly humming a harmonious tune. Afterwards, she rises back up on all four hooves trotting towards Lynx who is nonchalantly supine across the floor twiddling his thumbs. Lynx excessively sighed. "This is rather boring... is there anything else here to do besides slacking around?" he says uninspired. "I happen to have a book we can study together on," said Twilight cheerily, setting herself beside Lynx whilst carrying the book with her telekinesis. "Here, why not take a glance?" Lynx retrieves the weighted object, holding it over his head as he examined it's cover. He rose up gesturing a quizzical expression. "Spells for an Apprentice?" he questioned, "What do you plan doing with this?" "I'm glad you asked," she smirked, "considering you yield the elements and can utilize them, this book has varieties of spells you might learn; teleportation, levitation, all kinds!" Lynx thoroughly ponders whilst gazing sternly into the book's written pages. However, he shrugs and carelessly tosses it aside. "Hey!" blurted Twilight as her eyebrows narrowed. She goes retrieving the book and returned it to him, "You should at least learn something useful. After all, we're up against an enemy we barely know about, so can you please do this for me and the girls?" Twilight begged. Rejectful, Lynx stands on his feet crossing his arms, turning his back on her. "Twilight, I'll be fine. Honestly. When me and Applejack got surrounded and piled on, I wiped those... "things" clear away without lifting a finger. I'm sure what I have now can make it easier." said Lynx confidently. Twilight still sustains that worried look on her face. She always considers her friend's safety before all else, and she couldn't simply allow the human to face the enemy solely on his own, especially ill-informed what they are. Even when Lynx speaks boldly with pride, he was vaguely aware of Twilight's deep concern, so he sets his stubbornness aside as he spoke, "Okay, fine. Just one trick, ONE." he repeated ensuring she understood. The unicorn's ears ecstatically perk up as response. "Thank you," she smiles appreciatively. "It means a lot to us." Lynx ignorantly nods, "Sure." Twilight eagerly had prayed she could teach somebody a spell or two, despite if they're from a different universe. She was thrilled for testing her teaching skills as maybe one day, she'll grow up being a mentor of another apprentice, and what better example is than using Lynx as a suitable test subject. Briskly flipping page to page, Twilight rambles on which spells the human can attain. "So we have levitation; you can practically lift many objects without breaking a sweat. Or how about... oh, no, this one requires days of training," murmured Twilight, earnestly pondering what spell Lynx can easily perform. "Why not we do that teleportation-thingy you mentioned earlier, I'd get to places way faster!" said Lynx pointing at a particular page. Twilight replies uncertainly, "I don't know. I mean it is an apprentice spell, but it requires intense studying and might take several days to get the hang of it. But if you're determined then we can try." Giving it consideration, Twilight begun instructing Lynx on how to perform the warm-up steps; piece by piece. Once he abides and accomplishes the basic setups, he takes a meditating stance in order to congregate plenty of focus. "Easy now, you'll need to close your eyes and mentally project a specific destination where you're likely teleporting at. One slip-up can cause severe repercussions," said Twilight, carefully observing his excellent progress thus far. Lynx retains his statue-like pose. The amount of intense he's gathering is putting heavy pressure on his body, and the mark on his hand transfuses with remarkable magic energy. Twilight lightly perked an impressing smile. "You're doing great. Just a little longer..." The human does so and painfully grunts as the pressure builds heavier and heavier in each minute. He never thought something such as this could be quite excruciating. After awhile, Lynx is finally at the moment of truth, whereas he could initiate the casting of the spell, but first he closes his eyes; inside his consciousness, depictions of several locations he's been to before appear, and given time he chooses one: 'Sugarcube Corner'. However, prolonging this state of concentration is stacking too much energy for his body to handle. Twilight realizes it and starts becoming drastically worried and pessimistic about the situation. "Okay, Lynx..." says Twilight bleakly. "Cast it now while you have the time." He tried, but the heavy force locks him into place. "I feared this would happen," Twilight sweated. "Because as an amateur you've yet to master energy balance. It'll most likely cause an overflow. You're unable to control it. Abort the lesson!" she exclaimed desperately. Lynx was far from listening, his grunts deafen and his veins pulsating, the transfusion of energy levels skyrocket as pure magical energy surrounds him - enveloping a spherical dome around his being. Twilight thought fast, she casts a barrier breaking spell at the sphere, but the spell is absorbed and there wasn't much time before this situation gets worse by each second. The ground lightly quakes beneath Lynx's feet- rattling the entire tree house causing some books to fall off from their shelves. Few seconds later, the ground rumbles more violently, it wouldn't be long before everybody in Ponyville feels this vibration. Finally Lynx has quickly chosen his destination and in a flash he vanishes, leaving a shock-wave of energy throughout the library- causing books to drop everywhere across the floor. Twilight rises out of the pile, shaking off a book resting on her head, "Well," she patted off some dust, "that was interesting..." Shortly after, Lynx finds himself in an oblivious, unknown area. His consciousness can barely make results due to the overwhelming energies his body couldn't contain, whereas he can't budge. Wherever he is, only to his vision it's nothing but pure blackness. With his nerves still intact, he can feel shivering winds blow against his skin, giving him goosebumps. He tried bringing himself together but his body refuses to obey, bringing fear into his thoughts that if he'll ever move again, or worse; wherever his destination is at it could be the forest with those man-eating bunnies that he can frightfully remember. To a discovery he heard chirping sounds. Birds wondrously chiming their special melodies. These sounds relieve Lynx of his worries in some matter, there was no possible way how the sound of these birds are part of that ghastly, horrid, terrifying, grove. On another discovery he practically hears female voices. "Gee. He doesn't seem well all right if ya ask me," says someone who's voice seems that of a child with a southern accent There was another different female voice responding to the other's statement, "What makes you think it's a 'He'? Furthermore, doesn't he almost resemble an ape? I mean look- he's got hair all over his arms and stuff." "Do ya think we should... leave it and be on our merry way?" "I'd say let's poke it with a stick and see if it's still alive." Lynx has no idea who he's listening to, but he could feel slight pokes jabbing his left side. Whoever they are, Lynx couldn't deal with the annoying poking, and soon he was able to feel his muscles flexing and his eyelids slowly opening. Finally, his eyes open wide and he slowly sits up itching the back of his head, moaning more from not just a headache, but from the jabbing of two fillies; one whose fur seems identical that of Fluttershy's but with a large pink bow tied on her licorice-red mane. And accompanying this yellow delinquent is a burnt-orange fur colored filly that has a purple, raggy-like mane. The purple-maned filly drops the stick and greatly shouts in shock, "It's not dead!" "Of course I'm not dead. And I happen to be a "he" thank you very much!" Lynx retorted. "See, Ah told you he was a male!" exclaimed the southern-accent filly, shaking her friend's shoulder. "Say... you're not from around here, are you? You don't appear animal-like, or pony even." The human rises to his feet, slightly tumbling left and right keeping his balance from his first-time use of a teleportation spell. His surroundings isn't what he thought it'd be; he was standing on a grassy field with daisies and butterflies all around, looking above there is not a single cloud in the sky. The sun, shining and basking everything in it's shining glory, brims down it's glow unto Lynx. "That's weird," Lynx scratches his head, regarding as to the spell he used, "This isn't Sugarcube Corner,". He kneels down at the yellow filly's level, "By chance, could you two tell me where I currently am, and how long have you two been standing here while I was unconscious?" he asks. The yellow filly with the pink bow slowly trots forward, answering his first question, "You're at a mid-point towards Rarity's place. We were heading over there until you showed up out of the blue!" "Yeah," says the orange filly butting her pink-bowed friend aside, "You were out cold for like hours!" "What?!" Lynx outbursts in huge shock. "A few hours!" Both the fillies then chuckle humorously, "Nah, just kidding," said the orange one, "We just got here. For all we know you might have been. Who knows, but let us introduce ourselves; I'm Scootaloo." The yellow filly joins her friend and announces in a cheerful tone, "And I'm Applebloom!" "Applebloom..." whispered Lynx who enters a periodic state of familiarization. "By the sound of your name, you wouldn't happen to be... Applejack's younger sister would you?" It then occurs to Applebloom, "Oh, ya must be that "Lynx" fellow my sister has been rambling on about yesterday," "Rambling on about how I saved her can from those shadow-like thingies?" asked Lynx boldly, illustrating a heroic pose. "No," Applebloom shook her head, referring to the "other" day, "Pretty much when she hogtied ya and she didn't realize ya were Twilight's friend. I laughed like no other when I heard yer face landed in the fertilized mud." Applebloom's lips rose up and quivered, from the amusing imagery of how Lynx's little "mishap" brought laughter to both the fillies. The human lost his confidential stature, with his tone sounding low and discouraged, "Oh..., well, I guess that is funny." Scootaloo wipes a tear off from her cheeks, pulling herself together as she speaks, "Cheer up, we didn't mean it like that," said Scootaloo trying to comfort Lynx, "We believed you saving Applejack was really cool. Anyways, we've got a tight schedule ahead of us. We'll see you later." The two waved their hooves and begun marching their way back onto the path towards Rarity's boutique. Lynx entered a train of thought on the subject; 'They mentioned they're going over to Rarity's. Considering I've only taken one tour around Ponyville, and the fact I convinced Twilight ditching Rarity, I guess I should follow them and apologize to Rarity.' With pity filling his subconsciousness, Lynx quickly stood up to his feet and reached Applebloom and Scootaloo, "Hey!", he hollered, "You two mind if I join? I just remembered I have unfinished business with Rarity, sadly." he whispers the last part. The two fillies slow their movement for Lynx to side along, "Ah don't see why not." Applebloom happily concurs. With the human joining the party, the three mark their paths toward Rarity's. Meanwhile, during the middle of their travelling, the human and fillies converse on several different topics. "So, Sweetie Belle is Rarity's younger sister, hm?" questioned Lynx, "Strange that I've never gotten a chance to see her yesterday," "I think we three may have been on our cutie mark crusading by the time you were over there." said Scootaloo. "Cutie mark crusading? Enlighten me what that specifically stands for." "We're the 'Cutie Mark Crusaders'!" cheered both Applebloom and Scootaloo. Lynx deeply thinks the moment, "I'll assume from the meaning of it that you and Scootaloo." "And Sweetie Belle," Applebloom added. "Right; you, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, are crusading for your cutie marks? Like, you're trying every possible thing and hope you'll find that "special" talent you're good at?" "Ya guessed it," Applebloom nodded, "ya a bit smarter than you look." she teasingly complimented. "Well I-... hey!" said Lynx narrowing his brows, catching on to Applebloom's comment. After a while, the three finally have reached their destination; Rarity's boutique, whereas the two fillies open the door and trotted right in like it's nobody's business. "Wha- hey, you can't just walts in willy nilly!" advised Lynx. They ignored the human's advice. Lynx couldn't help but feel neglected. It occurs to him that he doesn't like being ignored even, but he understands they're only children, so he blatantly shrug off his grudge and pursued from behind. Applebloom and Scootaloo merrily trot towards the charming unicorn as she seems pretty busy fantasing her mannequin with gowns she's sewn herself. The mannequins, reflective sizes that of actual mares, are dressed in assortment of beautiful gowns. Each their own stand out more unique than others. These were exclusive to the orders of Rarity's customers. Once the unicorn notices both the fillies' presence, she begins in a casual tone, "Why, Applebloom and Scootaloo, pleasure seeing you here. I suppose you both will be taking Sweetie Belle off to your Cutie Mark Crusading, no doubt?" foretold Rarity levitating a pair of scissors and quilts, cutting through the fabric thoroughly. "You bet!" confirmed Scootaloo, "We happened to bring Lynx as he was on his way here too." The name catches her astute attention, as she finishes her little cutting, she gazes over at Lynx who waves naively. "Ah, Lynx!" Rarity gleamed, "I wondered where you scurried off to," "Listen Rarity," Lynx started, "I apologize for ditching off like that and-" But suddenly he got caught off when his orange t-shirt was enveloped by a mystical aura, forcefully tugging him forward by Rarity's magic, "No hard feelings, it's all under the bridge now. Besides- better late than never, right? Especially before tomorrow." she smiled brightly. Lynx quizzically ponders, "What's at tomorrow? I'm curious to- ah!" He was again tugged by the unicorn's magic, "No more chitter-chatter, let us make haste with your outfit." said Rarity, dragging Lynx over to the same spot from yesterday. While Rarity is measuring the human's size and shape, another filly like Applebloom & Scootaloo marches in on the scene. This filly has fur vaguely similar to that of Rarity, but her mane's rather poofy and has a mixture of purple and pink colors. She heads on over to the other fillies, "Hi, Applebloom. Hi, Scootaloo." she greeted them happily. "Hey, Sweetie Belle!" said the two simultaneously, "So, what are we going to do for today?" asked Scootaloo, fluttering her wings hyper-actively. Applebloom gently taps her chin with a hoof, pondering on an idea. "Maybe we can try dentistry?" asked Applebloom. "That might work." nodded Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle also lets out a hum of approval. While the three fillies are having their time, Rarity continues measuring around the human's body. "How much longer are you going to do this?" asked Lynx. Rarity tosses the measuring tape aside and moves over to a chest slowly opening it, "Won't take long, darling. I just have to..." Rarity then paused discovering the chest is completely empty, "oh bother, it seems I've already used up my baby blue sapphires from yesterday. I guess I'll just have to buy a few more." The white unicorn's horn brims with a bluish aura and a small saddle bag floats from one bedroom and is saddled atop of her back. "Would you be a marvelous dear and watch over the children for me? They can be a handful at times." Lynx looks at the three fillies and back at the unicorn, "What, those three?" he then puffs out a chuckle, "no sweat!" "Splendid! Now I'm off. Ta-ta." waved Rarity as she trotted out of the boutique. "Heh heh," Lynx sweated, "Simply those three can't be that much troubling... can they?" Andrew & Raymond's Misadventures #2Raymond squandered around in the garage reading a dusty journal entitled 'My Dear Shy'. To his understanding what's written in the diary is something which relates to a fanfictional story of his favorite: My Little Dashie. But a young man such as him isn't quick to judge a book by it's name, instead he chose to skim through some pages and thus started reading this segment of the journal... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Nightmare Before Christmas Soon another year was about to loop, and Fluttershy is about to have yet another Christmas here on Earth. Her second, actually. It's strange how I've let a small pegasus such as her into my life; from the night I've found her then the next thing you know I'm raising her like a daughter I never believe I would have. It's ever since that night when she whispered those words, "I love you, Daddy", something inside me sparked. This cold, shallow shell has finally cracked and allowed love to spread, enveloping me with senses of love & compassion. Last Christmas before this upcoming one, I never had told Fluttershy about Santa Claus. Of course I didn't believe in all that nonsense and as of now I still don't believe it, after all, it is a marketing scheme to convince people into buying their merchandise. Still, I shouldn't let that be the reason I shouldn't tell Fluttershy. She's very young and also naive, but those are the other reasons I love her so; she reminds me of myself when I was her age. Though there isn't enough time to go back on reminiscing, I should focus on getting prepared for the Christmas Holiday. It became December 23rd and the Christmas Tree was set up with simple ornaments: streams of white lights from the top spiral around until it reaches the bottom, and red and green bulbs decorated onto any branch sticking out. This tree was quite beautiful, even Fluttershy is astounded how bright and colorful it was. We both stand before the tree, admiring it's shining beauty, "What do you think, Fluttershy?" I ask staring down at her. "It's amazing," she smiled. Although her sweet smile diminished into a slight frown. I noticed and knelt down gently rubbing her back asking, "What's the matter? Don't you like it?" She quickly looks to me and says, "Oh absolutely! I just..." she then lowers her head and stares down at the floor. "Just what? Come on, you can tell me." "I just wish I could've helped you with the decorating." she depressingly said. I brought out a soft smile and lifted her chin up using a thumb. "My dear Shy, you don't have to be sad that you couldn't help. But it's not too late, as you can see," I pointed another hand at the tip of the tree," I haven't placed the star up yet. So, why not you put it there for me? It's the most important job of all." Her pupils enlarged, gleaming ecstatically, "You mean it?!" "Of course," I nodded, "now let me bring it on over and I'll hoist you up there." I scurried to my living room closet and rummaged through and found a very antique-like star covered in glitter. It's nothing out of the ordinary. Just a plain star whose purpose is to stand at the tip of a tree. I'll at least give my foster parents courtesy for giving me some stuff they might've thrown away, such as this star for one example, even though I despise them with a passion. I return with the said object and handed it to Fluttershy. "Hold it very tight," I heeded before I lifted her up. "Just carefully place it there..." She held on to it like it was her life. To her this kind of thing was very special. Well, I did say it was the most important part of decorating. Once she has gotten the star on the tip I pull her closer to me, letting her admire the scenery while I held her. At last, everything was complete. The tree, the ornaments, the star, all there's left to do is wrap a few presents and put them underneath the tree. Rather a good thing I bought a couple on my way to work before tomorrow of December, I'd hate to go through the trouble of traffic or wait at long lines in a store. Fluttershy looked up glancing at me with a very bright smile, "It's beautiful." she awed. "Indeed, but not as beautiful as you are," I said, then I hugged her closer whilst smothering my face against her mane. "Alright, then, how about we go bake some Christmas cookies?" "Can I help stir the batter?" asked Fluttershy. "Hm, hm," I half-chuckled, "Sure, why not." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "D'aawwww," Raymond moans in a softy, type of way. "I've got to show this to Andrew." He quickly stood up from the garage's concrete and sprinted out closing the door from behind, then he entered the living room where Andrew remains seated on the couch who's constantly changing channels on Lyn's television. Raymond hopped over from the back of the couch and landed right beside his friend, holding the book out to his friend. "Andrew, you've got to read this!" exclaimed Raymond. However, Andrew was far busy focusing on the television and didn't pay any attention to his excited comrade. "Andrew!" Raymond exclaims once more. "There's not even any Girls Gone Wild!" he finally responded, "And what do you want, Raymond?" "You have to check this out," said Raymond holding out the diary. "Go on, take it." Andrew reached and swiped it from him, then he began scanning the pages thoroughly. "There's..." he began. "Yeesssss, go on," "There's nothing written here." Raymond's eyes widened with absolute shock, but gave out a tiny smirk knowing about his friends' habit of pranks. "Yeah right, Andrew. You must be trolling me. I read it myself and I say that you are high as a kite." "I'm not kidding," Andrew sincerely replied, "I can't see anything on these pages. It's all BLANK." He much sounded like he wasn't joking at all. Raymond could tell his friend's serious tone and stern expression meant he's speaking the truth. Raymond deeply enters his mind, boggled, thinking as to how this is possible; a strange mystery he could not solve. "Are you sure you haven't gone full retard on me?" "No, have you?" Andrew returns the remark. Raymond quietly grumbles to himself and took the book into the kitchen so that he can read peacefully without the TV interfering his focus. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And so December 24th has arrived. Fluttershy has been pretty eager for Christmas, especially when she knows about the presents under the tree. Yet, should I have told her the story of Santa Claus? Perhaps it'd be best she wouldn't know at all. Besides, she'll later discover he's just a fictional character like many others. This, however, excludes Fluttershy. Sure she may be from a cartoon show of fictional ponies, but she exists; here in reality, I can actually touch her, feel her, even love her. Despite what other people can call me, I believe there are many worlds alike out there. It's a shame we haven't created dimension-travelling technologies. Anyway, it's a mere few hours before 9:00PM and it'll be a matter of time when "it" happens. Those who'll wonder what I'm planning, you'll soon see. Just you wait and see. After those 'few hours' had gone by it was the moment where Fluttershy and I slept under our warm sheets of my bed. She still keeps her blanket close to her for protective reasons, probably. And after a couple more hours, Fluttershy awoke drowsily and shifted to the right trying to cuddle with me, but... she begun noticing I wasn't there- in fact, I wasn't anywhere to be seen. "Daddy?" Fluttershy inaudibly yelped, "Daddy!" Only the eerie hoots of owls and chirping crickets were her answer. Nothing else. She started breathing erratically, anxiously, and stayed under the sheets hoping I would return sooner or later. But moments afterward, I never showed up. Fluttershy sniffled, crying in fear that she was abandoned all to herself with nobody there to comfort her. The scared, little pegasus then heard tiny thumping noises coming clear out from the living room. In desperation, she got out of bed and haste towards where the sounds emanated from, readying herself to spring into my arms if she could. Although, when she approached the parlor, I'am yet to have been found. Sounds still kept being heard, and Fluttershy glanced to where they came from. To her absolute shock, there was a shadowy figure standing at the tree. The Christmas lights shine so brightly revealing a man with a long, white puffy beard while wearing a solid red suit and a black, thick, and leathery belt strapped around his waist to keep his breeches from falling. Fluttershy froze in place, quivering by this stranger she knows not of; a stranger who dares to invade her father's peaceful home. Is his clothes some sort of disguise to ensure his identity is hidden? Is he a burglar planning to steal Fluttershy's presents? Fluttershy wasn't sure what his intentions were, but the bearded man has sensed her presence after she gave off a fearful squeak. He gave off a jolly laugh, "Ho ho ho! What do we have here? It seems one of my toys must've accidentally fell out of my sack." he then reached down with his big hand and grabbed hold of Fluttershy who desperately squirmed to break free. "No. Let me go! Please, Daddy, help me. Help-" Fluttershy's cries were muffled once she was thrown into a large sack filled with various toys. She did her best climbing out while her escape was still opened, but soon it slowly closes and no matter how hard Fluttershy tried it seemed she was getting nowhere. Her only way out finally shuts and all there is to see is pure darkness. "Noooooo!" Fluttershy loudly cried until her eyelids open up. I abruptly woke up by her screech asking her, "What happened?!" Soon as she heard my voice, Fluttershy dug her face into my chest weeping, "Daddy! I had an awful nightmare. You were gone, and there was this man in red, he took me away, and I tried calling you but you wouldn't come. I was so scared, Daddy!" "Whoa, whoa. Just calm down. It was only a dream." I assured her. She still held on to me tightly, not letting go at the slightest. "But it felt so real." "Sshhh, it's okay, I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise that I'll always be right here protecting you, no matter what. That, I can assure you" She stared up to my eyes, wiping her tears away as she choked between sobs, "Y-you sure?" Without a second, I answered instantly, "I won't just say I'm sure- I PROMISE I will be there for you, always!" A content smile then appeared on her face as she said "Thank you, Daddy.", and afterwards she fell back asleep. Meanwhile, I was thinking about the dream she had. To be honest, I was going to dress up as Santa Claus and give her presents, but I guess after that dream she'll forever be scared of men dressed in red. Well, there goes that idea. Second, I have such an unwelcoming feeling about my promise to her... I know in my heart I can't fulfill that promise. It'll be only a matter of time when that'll occur. For as long as she's here, I can at least somewhat keep the promise. Later I too went back to sleep. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "That was a bit touching." Raymond judged, "But, I'm very curious as to why Andrew couldn't read it..." Suddenly, he saw Andrew coming into the kitchen, "Yo, Raymond, I got to go take a bath because my balls smell." With that said, we will halt here and stay tune for the next episode of Andrew & Raymond's Misadventures! Foal-Sitting MishapOnce Rarity took off to do her small errand, Lynx was left to babysit the three fillies, The Cutie Mark Crusaders, who had congregated into a circle - pondering together as to what activity will yield their destiny. The human approaches them and crosses his arms whilst tapping his foot repeatedly. 'How am I going to do this. Either way, babysitting shouldn't be that difficult, or at least I hope it isn't.' Applebloom becomes aware of his presence, tilting upward with confusion, "What might ya be doin' Mr. Lynx?" she inquired. "Oh!" said Lynx, snapping out of deep thought. "Uh, well... I'm just thinking because, honestly, I have no idea how this babysitting works really. Besides, how can the three of you be any trouble? You're all too adorable." "Beats me," said Scootaloo innocently shrugging. "But in the meanwhile, what are we going to do to earn our cutie marks?" she asks her two other friends who are also thinking. "We still can try dentistry!" Sweetie Belle reminded. "Then it's settled." Applebloom clapped her hooves cheerfully. "But who'll be the patient?" The pink bowed filly turned towards her friends. Sweetie Belle of whom shrugged, and Scootaloo lightly shook her head. Simultaneously their pupils expanded, then they began staring at Lynx with devious grins. "I think we may have found the perfect subject." said Sweetie Belle. "Have you?" Lynx obliviously scratches his head. "And why are you all staring at me like..." A moment pausing, the human gulps out of nervousness. "Oohhh no." he shook his head nervously. Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo stood up to their hooves and slowly trotted towards Lynx. "Now girls." Lynx took one step back. "We can be rational about this." They didn't listen, rather they continued their approach with each step to Lynx's, readying themselves for a cat and mouse chase. "Ah jeez..." Lynx murmured. With one final backward step, the human accidentally tripped from a roll of blue fabric; landing hard on his tush. This was the perfect moment for the fillies to pounce on him while he's tumbled. Applebloom was the first to rush and grab hold of his legs. Scootaloo came in second for the other leg. "Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo hollered. "Find some rope or something so we can tie him." The white-furred filly acknowledges her friend's order and heads off finding what her friend needed. Lynx knew exactly what they planned to do and he tried putting all his might in getting the two fillies off of him. But no matter how hard he tried, they still had him pinned down. Who would've thought these delicate, innocent, ponies had absurd strength that even Lynx, a human, couldn't overpower. Squirming much as he could, the two were maintaining their grip. After a few seconds, Sweetie Belle shortly returns with a small, thick coil of rope in her mouth. Lynx panicked more. He could imagine the horror that'll await him if the fillies succeed. In the middle of his frantic squirming, the smart phone slid out from his pocket and landed onto the floor, face up. Upon impact, it lit up and emitted a sound. "Droid!" The strange noise caught three of the fillies' ears, thus ceasing their actions as to curiously wonder what it was. "Did ya girls hear that?" asked Applebloom. A moment of being silent, they paid acute attention for another sound. The phone once again made a loud 'Beep!' sound - loud enough for Applebloom to become slightly startled. "Where is that coming from?!" Scootaloo anxiously wondered. Sweetie Belle heard it too. As a matter of fact, she plainly could hear like it was next to her. She swiftly glances around until finally, she peered down at the device the sounds were emitting from. The adolescent unicorn gently lowered the rope onto the floor and approached it cautiously. She was in front of the smart phone. As she observed, Sweetie Belle lowered her head closer and closer, pondering; thinking uncertain thoughts. "Girls." Sweetie Belle softly hollers to the two. "I think that noise came from this... thing?" she reluctantly said. Applebloom and Scootaloo's curiousness elevate, wondering too what their white unicorn friend is babbling on about. They released their hooves from the human and joined Sweetie Belle back into a triangular meeting. They survey it for a small period of time, quietly asking questions at one another regarding the device they're curious about. "Can... can we touch it?" asks Applebloom, hesitant from reaching out. "Why don't you go for it, Sweetie Belle." "Me?" Sweetie Belle points a hoof on her own chest in question. "No way! Why not Scootaloo? She's a risk-taker." Both Scootaloo's pupils recoil and her brows greatly rose up with shock, "Wha- me?!" she baffled. "Just because I take risks doesn't necessarily involve something such as this. What if it, like, sucks me in?" "It won't." grunted the human standing up to his feet, brushing off dust all over his clothes. "Because I used the thing before and I didn't get pulled in or anything." Lynx kneels down and retrieved his device, illustrating his world's technology to the curious delinquents. "See." he assured. "Nothing at all. But boy, I never thought you all could be a handful. Guess Rarity wasn't pulling my leg." Sweetie Belle looks to Lynx, cocking a brow with confusion. "Pulling your leg? Why would my older sister do that?" "It's a metaphor..." Lynx grumbled. "What's a metaphor?" Sweetie Belle again asks. The human planted one entire palm over his face, letting out a frustrating groan as he slowly lowered his hand. "Just... nevermind. Look." Lynx demonstrates by poking the phone's screen with a pinky. "As you can see, it won't do any harm." Three of the fillies stood beside, admiring the cell phone's features. "Wow!" awed Scootaloo, "Can it do anything else?" Lynx was sure enough it could do more. As he can recall, earlier when he was experimenting the device, he pressed something that made the phone play loud music; music of which Twilight found pretty disturbing. He figured if he can make the phone play 'Disturbed' again then perhaps it'll frighten the little ponies. "Say... do you girls like music by any chance?" he deviously grinned. "Are you kidding? Everypony in Ponyville adores music!" said Applebloom. 'Then let's see here... 'Ten Thousand Fists', no that won't do. 'Prayer'? Forget that. Ah, here's something... 'Darkness'. This may just do the job.' Lynx snickers in thought. 'Okay, you troublemakers, how's about some hardcore music!' With a peck of his pinky finger, the phone's screen displays buttons like that of an MP3 player and initiates. Lynx quickly laid the phone down on the floor- plugged both ears and closed his eyes, readying for a wave of ear-wrenching sound. However, there were violins calmly stringing as background. Piano keys stroked in a peaceful, yet sad, tempo. A single, acoustic guitar strumming loudly. It was so calm, so sad, the fillies have never heard this type of music before. Happy and joy were their instinct when singing, but whatever the phone played is quite the opposite. Parts being dark and somber. "Huh?" Lynx unplugged his ears and lifted his eyelids, wondering why the fillies aren't screaming or panicking. "This is the same 'Disturbed' from before, right?" he quietly murmurs to himself. "Mr. Lynx, I don't know about you, but I don't very much like it." Sweetie Belle chided. "Same here," Applebloom concurs, "No offense. We prefer something more... happy, and cheerful!" "Hmph. You know, let's experiment it a little bit more then. I haven't fully gone into what this thing can really do. And how 'bout that? There's something you girls can be familiar with: 'Robot Unicorn Attack'." "Robot Unicorn what now?" Scootaloo tilted. "Exactly." said Lynx. "So why don't I press this aaaand..." Another click of a button, the screen abruptly blacked out, and suddenly came back alive displaying a metallic unicorn staring back at Lynx from the screen; the mechanical unicorn mightily neighs as it's colorful mane identical to Rainbow Dash's majestically flows even beyond the screen. Three buttons appear -- Exit, Play, Options -- appear simultaneously in front of the robotic unicorn, allowing the human to proceed on forward. "Huh, strange. This some game?" Lynx pondered. Out of pure excitement, the fillies huddled together next to Lynx, squeezing him in the process. "A game?!" Applebloom squealed. "I love games!" Sweetie Belle joined. The human's entire face blushed thick red, "You girls are... crushing me!" he gasped. The three ponies separated and Lynx could freely breathe. "Oopsie." pardoned Sweetie Belle. "Sorry 'bout that. But do you think, perhaps, we can try it?" Applebloom squee'd, tugging on the back of Lynx's shirt with a hoof. The human turned his head and peered down at the eager filly. Her roundish eyes meet his, her pupils large and glistening brightly, showing desperation. 'Hmm...' Lynx hummed, thinking it over. 'Determining whether I should or shouldn't; either risk a chance becoming a victim of dental surgery, or use this to keep them occupied. But I'd also be risking it.'. He reverts his sight back and forth between Applebloom and the smart phone. 'Grrr... I'm going to regret this one day...' Fixing his eyes on Applebloom, Lynx urged his very best not to frown, and instead, smiled. Smiling widely, with teeth exposed, his eye twitched as he hesitates handing over one of his only connections to his world which he knows not much of. *THIRTY MINUTES LATER* The boutique's front door knob glowed a bluish aura and swiftly swung open. Rarity walked past the threshold - carrying both bags full of baby blue sapphires. Rarity gently lowered the leather bags on the ground, closing the door from behind. "Oh girls, I'm back!" she said. "You would not believe how rough it was. The line was rather exhausting - I thought it'd never end." Trotting forward, Rarity noticed how strangely quiet her boutique was. "Oh dear. I hope there wasn't any trouble while I... was-" suddenly she paused, dumbstruck seeing the fillies sitting all nice and quiet; behaved, to say the least. "Hey there." said Lynx sitting on a chair. "See, not a big deal." Rarity again was at a loss for words. She gawked. "How did you, when did you-" Lynx rose from his chair, walking and standing next to Rarity explaining. "I'll take your word for it, they were very "troublesome". But find it lucky that I had "something" to occupy their time with. And throughout the time they've been like this." "My oh my -- you've done an excellent job. I'm quite impressed!" Rarity acclaimed. "I feel you deserve a reward for your brave services." In a quick trot and back the mare gives Lynx three, polished, gold coins. "Appreciated." The human nods to her. "Don't be afraid to holler for me to do this again. I wouldn't mind it as a job." he jokingly said. "Hm, hm." she softly giggled. "Aren't you such a dear. Unfortunately we'll have to postpone our little session. While I was waiting in line at the gem store, I so happened to have bumped into Photo Finish! What were the chances of it!? Anyway, she told me that she needed some new dresses for her models for 'Equestria's New Top Model'!" Rarity circled around Lynx, squealing in absolute joy and excitement. "That's great..." said Lynx, unsure of what Rarity explained. The hyped up unicorn calms herself. "Pardon me." she said, lightly blushing. "Anywho, you're free to leave as you please." "My pleasure. Just let me grab my thing over there and I'll be gone." Lynx heads on over to the fillies that remain sitting where they were. They were too focused on the phone when the human tried catching their attention. "Girls!" he shouted calmly. "Aww, I missed the star." Scootaloo sighed. She turned her head and noticed the approaching human. "Oh, hey Mr. Lynx!" "Hey." he greeted back. "Anyway, it's time I make my leave, so I'll have to ask you girls to return that." "Awww..." the three fillies whined. "Can we hold onto it just a little longer?" Sweetie Belle pleaded. "We promise we'll give it back as soon as we're done." Scootaloo also begs. "Sorry." Lynx apologized. "But I can't leave without it." Applebloom carefully took the phone by her mouth and rightfully returned his item. "Thanks." he smiled. Upon inspecting his mobile device however, there was a tiny crack at a corner of the screen. 'Sigh... I did say I'd regret it. But supposedly better than getting my teeth banged up.' Before departure, a thought clouded his mind; one concerning another pony that is eager for his arrival. 'Hmm, while I'm at it, I guess I better pay another visit to Fluttershy. She did seem excited for our next meeting.' "Excuse me, Rarity." Lynx called. "If by chance Twilight comes over here asking where I am, have her know I'll be at Fluttershy's cottage." Answering his favor, the fabulous unicorn trots up to him, "Most certainly. But in case you can't find your way around here, have this map - as courtesy for a splendid job!" Again, thankful for her generosity, Lynx bid his farewell to the mare and the three fillies and began heading off towards his next destination. What sort of adventure will await for our misplaced human at Fluttershy's cottage? Find out on the next chapter of Keeper of Harmony! Bonding with The Element of KindnessLynx sets off to Fluttershy's cottage after helping Rarity with the fillies. In compensation for his foal-sitting deed he was paid three gold coins, even though he was unaware what they're mainly used for. He throws the thoughts aside when he pays astute attention to the map of Ponyville. During his travelling, he speaks to himself. "Hmm, there's Sugarcube corner. There's Rarity's -- where I was just at -- and there's Fluttershy's cottage." Taking a brief moment, Lynx scans the map and sees Everfree Forest just above Fluttershy's cottage. The words, Everfree Forest, made Lynx shudder. His mind projects a momentary flashback where he ran from the killer rabbits and where he ran into a strange mist of darkness with chilling, yellow eyes. He wishes he could forget everything that had happened in that forest. But those memories were forever scarred within his mind. He also recalls the hooded stranger. Speaking of which, Lynx, thought with concern. How was it that the unknown being knew his name? The thought was perplexing. It was also puzzling how he knew about the sudden attack at Sweet Apple Acres. While the thoughts were concerning, the human blatantly shrugged and continued his journey to Fluttershy's cottage. It turns out, however, that he must pass through Ponyville in order to do so. He never considered having to go through there again. His last tour in Ponyville, he frankly remembers receiving contorting looks of fear and confusion from the ponies as he passed by on that previous venture. After a while, Lynx was standing at the center of Ponyville. Taking his sights off the map, he stops nearby at what appears to be a restaurant and surveys the surroundings. Sitting at a table outside the restaurant are two charming mares: Cloudchaser, a pegasus with grayish lilac fur and spiky mane; and Flitter, another pegasus, that wears a pink bow and has fur that slightly matches that of Cloudchaser's, albeit brighter. Lynx couldn't help but overhear Flitter telling Cloudchaser about her reminiscing years as a filly. "Ahh..." he additionally hears the Flitter sigh heavenly. "And that is how I earned my cutie mark." Flitter boasts proudly. "For the third freakin' time, I know!" Lynx hears Cloudchaser bellow back to Flitter. Lynx decided to ignore the ponies and continue onward. But just before he left town, a unicorn was suddenly standing in his path. She had a shiny aquamarine coat, a mane of mint-color with a white streak and sunglow eyes. Unlike other ponies, this one was fascinated in Lynx's appearance: his lofty hiking boots, his clean orange t-shirt and sky-blue jeans. He says to the pony. "Uh... excuse me, you happen to be in the way." There was no reply. She was deeply entranced by the human's anatomy. Lynx snaps his finger, as if to say excuse me. The sound of his finger snapping broke her out of her trance. Then she spoke up. "Oh. Sorry, I couldn't help but notice that you're new here. Actually, you're not even from this planet are you?" she shyly and curiously wondered. "No." he bluntly replied. "I figured as much. Say, what do you call those "things"? she directly points a hoof at his hands. "These?" he held one out in question. "They're hands." "Hands? What are 'hands'?" 'Sheesh. Out of all ponies, I bump into a strange one.' he speaks in mind. "Our hands are what we humans use to do what you ponies kind of do: pushing, pulling, grabbing, lifting. The works." Lynx interpreted. "Neat! Do you suppose..." she kicks the dirt beneath her forehooves. "I could... take a closer look?" she politely asked. 'Okay.' Lynx uneasily thought. 'This has now gone from weird to creepy. I don't know if I should...' Reluctant, Lynx nodded to her request and stretched his arm out a little more. The unicorn stepped closer, analyzing every aspect of his hand - from his wrist to his palm and to each finger. "Fascinating..." she whispered in awe. "Ahem" Lynx cleared his throat. "Can I have my hand back?" "Oh, sorry." she sheepishly blushed. "If I may, can I ask for your name, mister..." "Lynx." he boldly announced. "And might I ask who you are?" "Lyra Heartstrings." she cheerily replied. "That's a rather pretty name." "Hehe, thanks!" her cheeks blushed more. "I like your name too. Though you look nothing like a cat. Is the name 'Lynx' some sort of nickname?" "Well, I can't say you're the first to think that, about everybody here mistakes me for an animal just by how my name sounds. Except Rainbow Dash. She rather finds my name 'cool'." "Your nickname does sound very unique." Lyra giggled. Lynx perked a friendly smile. He was simply enjoying the entire conversation he's having with this friendly, still strange, unicorn. "You're all right, I thought you'd be like those folks back there." "Like who?" Lyra curiously wondered. "The folk who live here. Yesterday I saw many of them whispering to each other when they noticed me. I have the instinctual feeling that they don't like me." "I think it's because you're different. I'm sure if you at least try communicating with them they'd get to know you better." "I didn't think of it that way." Lynx scratched his chin as he thought. "Anyway, much as I want to spend more time talking with you I have other plans to do for today." Lyra hangs her head, sighing discouragingly. "Oh, okay...." "How about this? I'll meet you here tomorrow at this exact time and we can get to know each other better then. Think of it as a thank you for the talk." Lyra's lips lifted and responds with a delightful smile. "I'd like that! I'll see you tomorrow then." She trotted off as Lynx waves a friendly goodbye. 'These ponies aren't as bad as I thought they were. Anyway, I guess I better get a move on while the early sun is still out.' Lynx says to himself. After a long time walking, Lynx finally reached his destination. The crystal clear sky - void of clouds; the subtle ponds that glitter from the sun's shimmering light; the blooming lilies and daisies. It was absolute paradise. Even when he had first glance of Fluttershy's beauteous sanctuary, he always finds that view breathtaking. Lynx approached Fluttershy's door and knocked against the wooden gate with his bare knuckles. From inside Fluttershy asked in a singing tone of voice. "Who is it?" "Lynx." he answered. Upon the mention of his name, Fluttershy swiftly opens the door and first greets her expected visitor with a welcoming, bone-crushing hug. "I'm so glad you came!" she cooed. "Ack!" he grunted. "I think that'll do Fluttershy. Any more and my eyes are going to pop out!" The pegasus let Lynx go, allowing him to gasp for air. "Sorry, but I'm just so happy that you made it. Did you have any trouble finding your way here?" she concernedly asked. "Not really. But my feet are sore from the long walk." "Then please, do come right in." offered Fluttershy moving aside. "You must be very exhausted." Lynx was more than happy to oblige. "Gee, thanks!" Of course, being a human, the door was a tad short for his size, but he lowers his neck down and easily walks in. Upon entering, if he thought the outside was gorgeous, the inside was more fabulous. Underneath his boots is a round, bright red carpet which has the exact matching colors of a plushy-looking couch up ahead. There were various photo frames of authentic plants hanging on the walls of the house too. Lynx says to Fluttershy in complimentary. "Nice place you have here." "I wouldn't call it too nice, but it is wonderful. Why don't you sit on the couch while I go make us some hot tea." The human nodded and sat down on the sofa while Fluttershy heads into the kitchen. "She sure knows her stuff," he said. "This couch is unbelievably soft." Before getting remotely comfortable, Lynx notices a white rabbit standing before him. The rabbit was pure white, small and vigorous. The furry bunny daggers at him with his beady black eyes. He greets the rabbit. "Hey there, fella. If I'm not mistaken you're that one rabbit Fluttershy calls Angel, right?" All of a sudden the rabbit delivers a swift kick to Lynx's shin out of spite. "Ouch!" Lynx cried while rubbing his sore shin. "Why you dirty little-" "Is everything okay out there?" Fluttershy hollered from the kitchen. Lynx hollers back assuring Fluttershy. "Everything's fine!" He fixes his sight back at Angel as the rabbit gives him a raspberry (raspberry - a mocking gesture commonly used for teasing or provoking). Lynx growls at Angel. "Listen here you little devil, I'd have a mind to-" He then immediately paused as soon as he sees Fluttershy coming out of the kitchen. Fluttershy sits down next to Lynx and says. "The kettle is currently on the stove, so I thought we can talk for a little bit while we wait. And I see you've met Angel. Are you two getting along very nicely?" "Ho sure!" he lied. "We're practically friends already, right Angel?" Another raspberry was Angel's response. 'You'll get yours one day you creep. Not today, not tomorrow, but some day!' Lynx swears in thought. Fluttershy was greatly pleased. "That's wonderful!" she cheered. "As you can see, Angel doesn't have a lot of friends. So I'm sure the two of you are going to be best friends." Lynx rolled his eyes. "Which reminds me. Don't you have a lot of friends? Besides Twilight and the other four?" Fluttershy answered with a nod. "Oh yes, most definitely. There's Spike and there's all of my animal friends. Especially you, Lynx. But... um, if it's okay to ask..." she rubs both her forehooves together. "...how is it that you don't have a tail? Were you not born with it?" "Fluttershy, you do know that I'm--" but then suddenly Lynx was cut off by an abrupt, whistling sound coming from the kitchen. "The tea is ready! I'll be right back." said Fluttershy leaving Lynx and Angel alone with each other. Lynx leans down closer to Angel, whispering audibly. "Okay you rodent. You and I both know we don't like each other. But might I suggest we settle this like responsible gents? At least for Fluttershy's sake?" said Lynx, offering a hand of truce. The rabbit repeatedly taps his foot and thinks upon the decision. He, however, spat a chunk of spit into the human's palm and hopped away. The human wipes off the disgusting saliva with his t-shirt. "Gross!" he cried. "Fine. Don't say I didn't give you a chance, you jerk." Fluttershy shortly then returns with a set of fine chinaware; a kettle and two tea cups, on a silver platter and places them down on the coffee table a couple feet before them. "Be careful - the tea is dangerously hot. We'll have to let it cool down before we can pour any." warned Fluttershy as she sits back down on the couch. "Now what were you saying?" Lynx takes a moment of pondering, but before he could even reply, Fluttershy suddenly gasps. "Oh my goodness, I almost forgot!" In a sprint, she quickly trots upstairs and back downstairs with a one-and-a-half foot long, rectangular-shaped, package that's neatly wrapped in brown paper. "Yesterday I started making you a present after you and Twilight left that evening." Fluttershy squeed. Lynx kindly takes the present and rips the paper apart to reveal a box. He removes the lid and sees an item inside. Its color was designed red and it was thin and flat, made purely out of strong fiber. It has some sort of mini belt-buckle only at one end with a round coin-like tag, made out of pure gold, stitched in it's center. He observed more closely to find his name engraved on the golden piece. "It's... it's some sort of wristband?" Lynx asks. Fluttershy giggles at Lynx, "No, silly. It's a collar." Lynx wasn't sure if he misunderstood her, so he cleaned his right ear with a small finger and leans closer. "Come again?" "A collar." Fluttershy repeated. "Do you like it?" This was cruelly an ironic twist. Lynx couldn't believe that this present, gifted from Fluttershy herself, is simply nothing more than just a plain red collar for him to wear. Angel, who sees it all, dropped to the floor and bursts out laughing so hard that he's crying tears of laughter. Fluttershy's eyes sparkle, waiting for the human's answer as he turned to her impassively. "Sorry, but I don't like it." he says. Fluttershy, crestfallen, mutters inaudibly. "You- you... don't like it?" At that point, Lynx realizes what he had said. It didn't take a second for him to notice that Fluttershy was emotionally hurt. He was so angry at Angel laughing at him that he couldn't think straight when he said it. Lynx desperately yelps. "Hold on! You didn't let me finish. What I meant to entirely say was: Sorry, but I don't like it -- I LOVE IT!" "R-really?" Fluttershy sniffled. "You really love it?" "Yes, positive!" he re-assures her. "I love it so much that I'll put it on right now." Fluttershy wipes away her small tears and lifted a cheerful smile. Lynx lets out a relieving sigh as he prevented of what could have been a disaster. Bound to his word he puts the collar on, but seems to be having trouble trying to get it around his neck. "I'll help you with that." said Fluttershy as she takes the collar. While Fluttershy was busy helping him, Angel, sitting on the couch's arm behind her, glares at Lynx out of pure jealousy. Lynx grins out of satisfactory. 'Now we're even.' "There we go!" says Fluttershy as she snaps the collar on. The human slides his fingers through the collar and says. "A perfect fit! I think I'll wear it everyday just to show you how much I mean it." Touched by his devotion and integrity, Fluttershy embraces him into an affectionate hug, cooing softly. "That would mean a lot to me." Lynx then looks at the ticking clock above him and sees the two hands are at 1:12 in the afternoon. "I wish I could stay here longer but I think my time here is almost up." "Oh, okay. Though can I at least tempt you to a cup or two of tea?" said Fluttershy holding up the kettle. Lynx was rather thirsty. He can say he hasn't had a drink since his departure from Rarity's and he wouldn't want to be rude to let some effort Fluttershy poured into go to waste. He kindly accepts her proposal and sits back down. The pegasus carefully fills a tea cup and hands him the herbal beverage. Lynx takes a strong sip. "This is rather potent, but even so, it's great." he says. "Oh it's nothing really." Fluttershy smiled. "All I did was add an extra herb. Thank you, though. Would you care for some more?" Lynx replied in a heartbeat. "Of course!" Fluttershy again pours another full cup of her praised beverage, and the fervid human empties it in one vigorous gulp. "My goodness. You really were thirsty, weren't you?" she says astonished. "I guess I was," he admittedly chuckles. "Thank you so much by the way." "No problem at all. I'm glad you like it." "I'm not just talking about the tea; you invited me into your beloved home, you offered me your delicious tea, and you gave me this collar." he interpreted. "There has to be some way for me to repay you." "No need. Hearing you say that is all the thanks I need, and feel free to come back anytime. You'll always be welcomed here." "I couldn't be more grateful for your kindness. Anyway, I think I'll be heading out now. See you later, Fluttershy." Lynx waved as he rose up and began walking out past the threshold. However, the moment Lynx took one step, he suddenly trips over and plummets face first onto the dusty soil. Seeing what tripped him, he confirms that it wasn't what tripped him but instead who tripped him. The culprit was none other than the devious rabbit, Angel. "Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy bellowed softly. "Are you okay?!" "Don't worry, I'm fine. I tripped on a stone is all." he lied. He slowly rises up and pats the dirt off his t-shirt then turns his head to see Angel sticking his tongue out at him before slamming the door shut. "Oh it is on, little buddy...." Now that Lynx has bonded with Fluttershy and has formed a rivalry with her favorite bunny, what sort of exciting adventures will await him afterwards? Find out on the next chapter of Keeper of Harmony! Meanwhile...Meanwhile, after Lynx set out returning to Ponyville, somewhere deep in the vast depths of the oblivious grove, Everfree Forest, lies an evil discussion of two unknown voices. Everything was all black and blurry, and there is no telling what the figures appear or look like. But sure enough that whatever it is they're planning cannot be pleasant. One begins with a hiss and speaks very serpent-like. "It appearsss the attack didn't go asss well asss you had hoped, my lord." "Always observable, my minion." replied a different, monstrous voice whose demonic tone could cause those-who-hear's hair stand on end. "But that was only nothing. It was a trial; a testament to determine their strength and willpower." "You are alwaysss one step ahead, my liege. Ssso, what will your next plan be?" "Simple. We will ambush the human again. However, this time it is YOU who'll be leading the attack." "Very well. Ssshall I rally the othersss, then?" "Not too hasty, minion. Since the princess is anticipating for our next attack, we'll just have to settle and wait until their suspicions wear down." "Brilliant asss usual, my lord. But what of the purple unicorn?" "Ha! Her? If she interferes do whatever it is that you see fit. However under any circumstance, once you succeed be sure to bring him back here alive." "What are your intentionsss with him?" "I won't disclose those plans just yet. For now, we will continue observing his movements until the opportunity comes." The demon-voiced lord first started off with a chuckle but soon raises a diabolical, deafening laughter that echoes throughout the entire forest. While the human was heading toward Ponyville, he momentarily stopped half-way and barely hears the winds of the wicked laughter. He looked around seeing if there was anybody near him. 'Huh, could have sworn I heard someone.' he thought. 'Must be me imagining things.' he then aimlessly shrugged and continues his long, laborious walk. An Inner VoiceIt was such a blissful and sunny afternoon in Ponyville; the young fillies were in school learning mathematics and alphabets, the stallion farmers were out harvesting their ripe vegetables on massive, plowed fields, the pegasi were flying and soaring through the oceanic skies keeping it clear of clouds. This was the habitual way of life of the residents in Ponyville, and the only possible thing that could disrupt this peaceful habit is Lynx. Speaking of Lynx, we return to the human and his long and laborious walk to Ponyvile after his quality bond time with Fluttershy. As time passed, he finally arrived at Ponyville; but he stopped at the edge of town and was suddenly overwhelmed with nervousness and embarrassment for he knew he would have to go through the streets with Fluttershy's present girdled around his neck. It was the moment he had begun wearing it, that he felt his once proud dignity and pride had been stomped to the ground by humility's boot. However, the reminiscing of Fluttershy's gratefulness made him feel less insecure about the gift ringed around his neck and rather made him feel more content of wearing it. As Lynx merrily walked through the village's paths and crossroads with both hands behind his head, he took upon notice some of the ponies along his merry way were doing their best avoiding or making any sort of contact with him. Some even retreated to their homes when they gave him a first glance. The outcast treatmeant they were giving to Lynx bothered him most entirely. All he wanted to do was fit in with the townsfolk, but his alien appearance and their fear of that case made it all the more difficult for him to do so. Lynx covered his mouth with an entire left palm, pondering what Lyra had told him. I'm sure if you try communicating with them they'd get to know you better. 'I'll keep trying, Lyra.' said Lynx in thought. He took a deep breather, gathering confidential determination, and prepared his quest to mingle with the next pony he'll come across. And what do you know, he bumped in to a grey pegasus who had a blonde mane and tail with a cutie mark of bubbles located on her flank. Lynx found this pegasus to be rather... special (as in interesting) because her eyes were crossed and goofy looking. Like Lyra, this pegasus showed no sign of fear or anxiety when she saw Lynx and instead greeted him with an approachable smile. "Hi there!" said the pegasus, waving a hoof at Lynx. Lynx hadn't expected this pegasus to be rare of the few to greet him so friendly-like at first flance, so he returned her gesture with a wave of his hand. "Why, hello there." Lynx replied. He came up to her, stroking his bottom chin while he took a brief moment observing the pegasus. She also observed his entire being with only her right eye since her left eye was apparently staring up in to space. She was the first to start a conversation. "So, what are you?" she curiously asked. "An alien or something?" "I guess you could say I'm an alien." Lynx scoffed, and he then extended an arm out at her. "The name's Lynx, miss..." "Derpy Hooves!" said Derpy as she took his hand and shook it zealously. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lynx." "You can just pronounce me as Lynx." said Lynx. "Mister is my father's name. Although I have no idea who my father is or whether or not I have one even...." "What was that last part?" asked Derpy. "Oh, uh, it's nothing." assured Lynx. "I got kinda lost in my own train of thought, is all." "No worries." said Derpy. "It sometimes happens to me too." Derpy blinked and her eyes had re-coordinated; her left eye was now focused on Lynx while her right was plainly staring down at the soil beneath her. Lynx upon noticed this strange change of her eyes and scratched his head. "Pardon me for asking this for I can't help but wonder." said Lynx. "Why are your eyes like that?" And suddenly Derpy's smile drooped down to a slight, depressing frown. "I was born with them...." Derpy murmured. "I'm... sorry to hear that." said Lynx, strickened with regret. "I didn't mean to ask such a personal question." "It's fine, it's fine." said Derpy as she lifted an assuring smile. "But why not we talk about you to change the subject. How are you enjoying Ponyville, have you made lots of friends since the day you came here?" she presumed. "Well," Lynx started. "I can't matter-of-factly say I've made a lot of friends. The ponies around here are easily agitated from my presence." "I can understand." Derpy nodded. "It takes time for the folks here to adapt to changes. Like when I first came here I was treated-" "Like an outcast...." said Lynx, cutting her off. "No, not really." said Derpy, shaking her head. "Where did that come from all of a sudden?" "It's just..." Lynx trailed off. "It's just what?" Derpy asked. Lynx stood still and remained silent like a boulder, his ears then picked up audible voices that were neither his or Derpy's from a distance. He turned his vision away from Derpy to the direction where two ponies, one a white stallion with a yellow mane and one a yellow mare with a green mane, were chattering to each other. What prompted Lynx to look at them was that he swore he heard either of them say 'human' along with 'abomination' between their loud blabbering. The stallion shifted his eyes away from the mare and came to discover that Lynx was staring at him. The uneasy gaze he was receiving from the human had petrified him in to a statue-like state. His female companion, the mare, was confused and attempted to snap her stallion friend out of his stance but had no success. The mare harrumphed and took her leave. Derpy wasn't sure what was happening. She wondered why Lynx stayed quiet all of a sudden. She unfolded her wings and hovered over to Lynx. "Lynx?" said Derpy as she waved a distracting hoof in front of his vision. Lynx broke from his gazing duel as he turned back facing Derpy. "Ah, sorry." he apologized. "I got lost in my head again." "I don't think you were at all." doubted Derpy. "What makes you think that?" Lynx questioned. "Because I was just standing right here seeing you staring at those two ponies." said Derpy observingly. "You looked pretty deadpanned when you were. Is there something that's bothering you?" It's because you're different. Lynx depressingly sighed. "It's just.... Do you know what it feels like?" Derpy slightly tilted her head. "Know what what feels like?" she asked, raising a brow. "Why not tell me what's going on?" Lynx would've been more willing to tell Derpy, but his distraught confliction confronted him and broke through his mind's window; compelling him to put the shards of his confidence back together, piece by piece. "Derpy." said Lynx, addressing her name in a depressed tone. "Do you know what it feels... to be different; to be afraid by someone whose appearance is abnormal?" "No, but I do know the feeling of being treated differently because of my condition." said Derpy. "Your eyes?" "..." "Again, I apologize for asking rhetorical questions." Lynx apologized. It was then an eerie sound Lynx was unfamiliar with echoed inside his head, whispering. You're not sorry... Lynx could barely hear the fainting echo, and after he heard it he flinched and held the side of his head with his right hand, trying to sustain the unexpected headache. "Jeez..." Lynx grunted. "This headache's killing me." He felt a benumbing chill swift through from the center of his body up to his head; the nerves of his legs shot as they weakly wobbled; his heart beating slower and slower; a stream of vein pulsating on his forehead. Lynx was profoundly dazed and had no idea why he was having these strange conditions so abruptly. Derpy witnessed his eccentric behavior as she raised a concerning brow. "Are you okay?" she asked. Lynx maintained his balance, rubbing his temples as he tried to speak. "I-I'm fine." he said with a small groan. "I think I just need to lie down, is all." His energy was being sapped scantily, Lynx had felt his legs become more fragile and wobbly than before and he took a couple of steps before he begun to lose swerve, losing his balance. Derpy could tell something was awfully wrong with Lynx, she hovered next to him catching him before he had a chance to tumble. "Are you sure you can walk all on your own?" asked Derpy. Lynx didn't reply to her just yet, he took a moment closing his eyes, breathing deeply, trying to recollect the energy that had been depleted from an unknown cause as his eyelids slowly rose up until halfway-lidded. 'Why.' Lynx thought. 'Why would I not be sorry?' Because I'am your conscience. 'My... conscience?' Listen to your conscience, Lynx, these prejudicial insignificance aren't worth your time. They'll never accept you for who you are, no matter how hard you try. 'But Twilight and the others-' All playing you for a fool. They only pretend to like you because they are afraid of you; why do you think Princess Celestia is trying her best to find a way to send you back home? Lynx was in denial. He wasn't sure why it'd be his conscience telling him the benefit of the doubt. 'You're- you're wrong...' he shook his head. "Lynx?" Derpy asked. If you refuse to accept the truth then so be it. You'll soon see the error of your ways once you realize it in front of your very own eyes. And just like that the echoing in Lynx's head disappeared. Lynx could feel his energy coming to as his headache went away as well. He regained his balance, and the meanwhile Derpy took her hooves off, looking at Lynx with a concerning look. "Are you all right now, Lynx?" Derpy asked again. "Yeah." said Lynx waving a hand gesturing 'I'm fine'. "Sorry I worried you." Derpy was still uncertain. "You sure you're okay?" "I'm fine. I just need to walk it off, is all." Lynx made his farewell with a dismissive wave to the worrying pegasus and headed out toward Twilight's Treehouse. Derpy, much as she wanted to lend Lynx a helping hoof, pursued only to say her goodbyes. "See you later, Lynx." Derpy hollered softly. Lynx didn't holler back but waved another hand in the air as he kept on walking. Still, he couldn't get over the troubling thoughts that concern his conscience. Something about it seemed... menacing, but all Lynx could think was going back to Twilight's place for a yearning rest. What sort of other cryptic montages will our human experience next? Tune in on the next exciting chapter of Keeper of Harmony! Andrew & Raymond's Misadventures #3Raymond sat quietly on a firm wooden chair in the cold kitchenette of Lyn's home, reading the aged and leather spine diary that he had found from the garage. He placed his right elbow on the kitchen's round, glass table while resting his head on a right-hand palm. His tired eyes had been glazing through every worded page -- sentence after sentence, paragraph after paragraph -- for what felt like an eternity. Sadly, it had only been an hour passed since he started. A ceramic mug full of delicious cocoa next to his arm that he had made at halfway through the journal remained untouched and was by now bitterly chill. He heard his best friend, Andrew, sitting in the house's office, singing aloud of lyrics that were quite queer and strangely random. "Cut my steak into pieces. This is my plastic fork. Masturbation. Hard Breathing. Don't give a fuck if I jizz while I'm eating!". He hunched Andrew was parodying off of 'Papa Roach - Last Resort'. Raymond tried his best neglecting the annoyance as he further deepened his focus into reading the diary. Scooting the chair closer, he nudged his flat stomach against the end of the table, and gave a slight grunt moving his sore elbow. Yet. Not once had his eyes looked away from the journal's dusty pages during the sudden shift of uneasiness. "Jeez..." Raymond groaned mildly while stretching his arms out. "How many pages are in this thing?" he yawned. It was awful enough that Raymond had to hear the TV on at almost full volume from the living room in addition to Andrew's annoying sense of parodied songs, and this tested him as his irritation steadily grew and grew, to an extent where he no longer could maintain his focus on the diary. He carefully closed the book and pulled his chair away while staring up at the bland, featureless white color stretched across every inch of the ceiling. The bright, harsh kitchen lights were then hurting his sensitive vision, and he came back to glancing down at the book before him. Exasperated, Raymond inhaled deeply and sighed. "I can't do this under these conditions," he mumbled. He decided he should relax; unwind as a curative method to ease his irritated conscience. The idea of it was appealing, so Raymond did just that. Sliding out of his chair, he first made his journey to the bathroom as he hadn't remembered since the last time he went. He blamed it was the journal's fault that he lost track of time, but he found Rick's past much too fascinating, especially when 'My Little Pony: Friendship is magic' became involved later in the read. Whenever there was something MLP related it would pique Raymond's interest, and he would hover all over it like flies on crap. Still, it left Raymond wondering whether or not Lyn's father was a brony. Nah, he thought, chuckling to himself. He knew very well if a person would go far to write something such as MLP fanfiction (as he believed it was) they'd be considered a brony automatically. No matter how much that person denied the fact. After Raymond had emptied his bladder in the bathroom, he finally made way into the living room and slumped on the sofa, surfing channel to channel with the Comcast remote on the plasma television screen. Seeing there was nothing that caught his interest, he pressed a button which killed the TV to a quiet slumber. Without much to do, Raymond shifted restlessly until he lied on his back, staring at the ceiling once again while his mind wandered through the deep valley of limitless thoughts. Something about Andrew bothered him, beside the singing and all of that nonsense. No. He wondered about the peculiar about why his friend wasn't able to read the diary. Raymond was sure that Andrew knew how to read, so that wasn't one of the plausible reasons. The probability of it being all a prank did came to mind. Andrew was always the kind of a prankster type, that Raymond was fully aware when they became friends, and Andrew still was the class clown of yesterdays and today; cherry bombs in the toilet, vanishing ink in the teacher's pen, the one time teachers found a pornographic magazine in Raymond's locker. All of that mischievousness was Andrew's doing and got away with, and honest to God Raymond found it more annoying than watching 'Fred the Movie'. Raymond was more inclined to believe this was a prank merely. However, despite Andrew's wicked habit for pranks, Raymond recalled the seriousness in Andrew's tone when he asked if he couldn't read the diary. He was very surprised seeing his friend acting serious or stern. If that was the case, then... what if... possibly. "Now I'm pretty much making things up." Raymond said to himself as he shook his head in doubt. He implemented a ludicrous thought that what if whatever Lyn's father wrote was actually real, what if Rick had raised a genuine Fluttershy, and what if Princess Celestia had rewound time? The idea spun around his head unnervingly. So Raymond leapt from the couch and hastened towards the home's office where Andrew resided in. He swung the door open carelessly and hollered to his friend, "Andrew, I-..." he paused and glanced at his bulky friend sitting on the chair in front of Lyn's laptop. "What are you doing?" Raymond asked, cocking a curious brow. "Just watching Dota 2 videos," Andrew replied nonchalantly. "Anyways, Andrew," Raymond continued. "I think I may have solved the diary problem." "And what's that?" Andrew asked. "Bear with me on this," Raymond heeded. "But if if we're to test if this theory is true... you have to become a brony." A moment of silence filled the air. Andrew yet never spoke another word after what Raymond said. However, Andrew rose from the black swivel chair and walked up to Raymond impassively. Suddenly, with a fast hand, he slapped Raymond across the face. CancellationSad news; I'm cancelling this fanfic due to a couple of reasons of which I won't disclose. I apologise for this, really I do. Maybe later in 2014 I might try to get back into this. If not, then this fanfic is officially dead. Caput. Nada. Kicking the- you get the picture.
What A Day To Start OutLife is like a river. You are a trout that is swimming through the straits of life whose currents forbid you from turning back. As life moves on you can take multiple pathways that determine your future. With each different path taken changes the outcome of your future. That is all we can pretty much do at this point: move forward without turning back from our mistakes. We'll begin the telling of a tale of a person named Lyn Gärtners. A lonely twenty-two year old man living in a big, yet quaint, white house settled within acres of verdant landscapes. There we see how poorly the man treats his property; the yards, both front and back, are dead and lifeless from his mistreatment, or rather the lack of attention due to his consuming thoughts of loneliness. Pesky invaders known as weeds: white clover, dandelions and crab grass are sprouted throughout the surroundings. If that wasn't enough, blackberry bushes grew alongside the walls of the structure which he lived, with each passing week they covered more and more of the home until it was entangled completely. Moving on with the story, we'll avert our sights from the outside proceeding onwards into the building where Lyn resides. From the front entrance we're already introduced to a long hallway. At the end of the narrow corridor is the immense master bedroom. The largeness of the room makes him often feel small and even lonelier. Within the bedroom, just beyond the threshold, the dozing creature of a man lays snoring on a luxurious king-sized mattress. For all that could hear his snores- they were atrociously unbearable. Next to the bed is an aged oak dresser, standing at the exact height of the bed. On top of the dresser are two items: A banker's lamp with a green glass shade and tarnished brass finish, and a large digital alarm clock glowing green numbers showing the current time 6:57AM. After a few minutes, the time now 7:00AM, the clock sounded it's ear-piercing alarm that echoed throughout the empty rooms and hallway. The man, still tired and weary, plunges his face inside his soft feathery pillows in attempts to ignore the alarm and what it signals. Daily he dreaded the beeping noises emitting from the green glowing monster that is the clock. Lyn anchored his eyelids tightly shut, as if he could stop hearing the sounds the tighter he closed. Then he abruptly turned the opposite direction away from the screeching noise, stuffing his face even deeper in the pluffy pillows. Finally, after being unable to ignore the annoying tone, he sat up and scooted closer to the dresser - hammering the poor system with his bare fist. Recklessly he pounded and pounded the poor machine until the noised quelled. He sat up from the sheets widely stretching his aching limbs whilst yawning extensively- then gently rubbed the bags underneath his sore eyes. "Another crummy day..." Lyn muttered negatively in spirit. He rose up to start his daily routine of brushing his teeth, taking a shower, grooming, etc., etc.. Once the routine is complete he then goes to sit comfortably on his faux-leather sofa in the living room, but only after pouring a small round bowl of Reese's Puffs cereal. While eating, he catches up on his favorite program, Adventure Time on his gigantic plasma screened TV that's mounted on the wall across from him. The television has become a sense of company for the lonely man. Suddenly, his android phone rings a "Super Mario" tune that is designated for one particular caller- Lyn acknowledges who was calling by the tune it played. Lyn becomes somewhat anxious, and leaned over for the phone that is placed on a short coffee table in front of him. Setting the bowl down on the wooden furniture, he grabs the phone, presses the green button, and held it up to his right ear. He was the first to initiate the greeting. "Hello." he answered. "Hello," replied a female voice sounding soothingly. "How have you been doing?" "Good," "Good? Is that all you've got to say?" "Pretty much." Lyn simply confirmed. The woman on the phone sighed audibly. "Lyn," she started, "I know how rough it must be. It's been about a month since that tragic night. You wish you could've done something, but I understand that you were scared. I'm sure they also understand. The man itches his head with his open hand. Dolefully staring down at the heavenly white carpet. "But I could've- no, I should've." "It's okay, dear. Everything happens, and it's not your fault. Why not we talk this at another time alright?" "Okay...." "I'll talk to you later." "Okay. I'll see you later." "Take care." "You too." "Bye." "Bye, grandma." Lyn pushed the red button and places the phone back onto the coffee table. Before he resumed watching television, he noticed the small picture frame standing at the center of the coffee table. He froze as he was placing the phone down -- glancing at the picture depicting a man and woman couple with a young boy in the middle between. The boy was wearing an orange, short-sleeve, t-shirt and blue jeans; pretty much what the man is wearing as we speak. 'At least you two are in a better place now.' said Lyn in midst of thought. And then the saddened fellow finally continues watching his program eating his soggy cereal. After watching the show, he goes to use the remote sitting next to him and turned off the television screen. Next, he abandons the empty living room heading on down through the hallway to another room of the corridor on the left hand side. It was an ordinary office not finely organized: a fixed shelf, black computer desk with an Alienware X14 laptop resting on the keyboard tray. Lyn approaches the desk and pulls out the tray to flip open the sleeping laptop, pressing the button to awaken the computer as it fully lits up to the desktop screen. "Okay," Lyn wringed his hands, "Let's see if there is anybody on Skype today." The human drags his cursor down double clicking an icon labelled Skype and sees two friends currently signed on: Raymond a.k.a. SkittleDash is a sixteen year old teenager who lives in the city ten miles off from where Lyn lives; and Andrew a.k.a. LoneWolf is a seventeen year old who so happens to be Raymond's best friend & neighbor. Lyn met these young adults on a game Team Fortress 2. This is what the man mostly does everyday ever since he managed to save for an expensive laptop. Which explains the lack of attention on his yard.... However this was an activity he enjoyed most doing, as if talking to people on the internet helps relieve the bitterness of being alone. Still, even the enthusiasm doesn't relinquish his depression at the slightest. Patiently Lyn sat waiting on his swivel chair for his friends to answer. Finally his friends have answered and both greeted the human with each different phrases. "What up, Linx?" says Raymond, referring to Lyn's online alias. "Hey, Linx." spoke Andrew in a lower-pitched voice. "Hi. So, are we ready to play some TF2?" Lyn inquired the two. "Not today. I'll be going to school really soon." said Raymond. "Same here." Andrew seconded. "What? I thought you guys had like another week of summer vacation?" "It's already been THAT week!" Andrew lightly exclaimed. The human elbows on the side of the swivel chair frustrated. "Are you serious...." Lyn disgruntled, "That sucks." "It does, but I got to go take a shower and put clean clothes on." Andrew leaves the group call to do what he says, however, Raymond had the spare time to catch up on knowing Lyn's day. "Yo, Linx, how have you been?" Raymond asked politely. "Well, for one: I'm sad that we won't be getting to play much more often because of your SCHOOL!" "I knooow. It really sucks. I can't do anything about it, though." "I understand, I understand. Oh hey, remember that video I sent to you?" Raymond, out of nowhere, goes off chuckling crazily. "Ahahaha! Yes, I remember." ""I've lost my manhood years ago, so I don't know what keeps me going.". That kills me everytime!" Lyn also laughed. "Yeah... but hey, I know you probably aren't a brony but-" As Raymond said this unknown word -- "brony" -- Lyn instantly cuts him off to ask, "What in blue blazes is a brony?!" That rather escalated quickly... Raymond elaborates briefly. "A brony is like a dude who watches this show called My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic; hence you put together brother & pony." Only did it take Lyn a split second to recall what that show was about, but assumingly back then it was more of a girl's program to watch. "So you're asking me if I've watched a show meant for small aged girls? Are you implying I'm... a fruit bowl or something?" Lyn questioned sounded incredibly offended. "No, no, no. Nothing like that at all. Here," and on the Skype chat appeared a link to a YouTube video, "It's the opening intro. It's not too bad or anything, trust me." Before Lyn could think it through, Raymond left the call at an instant because of whatever reasons. Lyn was once again introduced to the sound of loneliness. The man wasn't too sure about clicking the blue-worded link on the text box. He thought long and hard about the subject, however he became distracted thinking about YouTube - reminding him that he wanted to watch some funny videos for today. He minimized Skype and popped up Google Chrome; typing in YouTube's web address. Next he watched a series of Megaman videos from a channel called GameGrumps. A couple of hours had passed and Lyn remains seated on his swivel chair finishing up the last of Game Grumps' Megaman videos. 'Oh, lord. Those guys, I swear, they are too hilarious.' he chuckled. Now that that's settled, Lyn determines he should go click the link on Skype to watch the video. Soon as he did, Google Chrome opens another new tab of a video titled My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - Intro. This caught Lyn by surprise. He didn't realize there was a new generation of the show. Last he remembered when he used to be little, he could remember that My Little Pony was mainly aimed for little girls. Regardless, the show now still has that exact appeal... but to his discovery, it's directly viewed for all-aged audiences; a family program which included men. He was dumbstruck by this result. A show about colorful, feminine, talking ponies showing values and lessons about friendship that actually attracts the male audience. Lyn wasn't sure what to say about this, really. Ordinarily he would have flat out judged his friend of being... queer... for watching something so girlish, but Lyn wasn't the sort of type to think such harsh judgments, especially towards his friends. Giving it rational thinking, the confused man decided to give another go on watching an episode to come to a conclusion. So he chose to shut off the laptop for a little bit and returned back to his living room. He swiped the remote, goes through Comcast on Demand and searches down the name. There were several episodes, but Lyn immediately went for the "S1E1" as a fair start-off. He watched all the way through and realized there was a "second part" of the episode. Before then, he didn't think it was too bad actually. At least the comical humor they added were noticeable to his vision. Although he wasn't finished, so onward to the final part of the episode! Later, he finally finishes watching the first episode of season one. Lyn grabs the remote to shut off the television and thoroughly reviews it in mind. "Well," he spoke to himself, "It was decent. However, I'm not really into that sort of thing. I did give it a fair shot, that's what matters." he shrugged. Without any business in the living room, he returns once more to the office and resumes browsing through the internet on his laptop. Only a few minutes using the computer Lyn immediately grew bored thus shutting the laptop down once again. He thought of doing something different for a change. 'Maybe I should go snooping around in my parent's boxes in the garage; I'll probably find an artifact worth a fortune.' With the thought said in place, Lyn greedfully rushes towards the garage door which is only a couple of feet off on the right of the office entrance. The man goes to the door and already does he feel a tint of cold air breezing from the tiny gap from the bottom of the door. "Bbrrrrr!" Lyn shook. "Better get me a sweater." Quickly Lyn returned wearing an XXL blue sweatshirt. The reason: having a roomy sweatshirt makes it comfortable for him. Back on the matter at hand, Lyn twists the knob and swiftly pulls the door wide open. The suppressed freezing air also blows out, causing Lyn to shiver. 'Been like months since I've been in here?' questioned Lyn as hot air exhausts from his breath. Lyn left the door open so light is shedded around until he can find the light switch amongst the darkness. His hand slithers across the wall, hoping it can touch an unfamiliar shape. Once he found the switch, he flicks it upward thus the lights flickered and shined down the illuminations revealing the grey concrete floors. Lyn could now close the door behind him to proceed on his intentions. His whole body again shivers only for the fact his bare feet are stepping on the icy-cold temperatures of the floors. 'I knew I should've worn slippers. Oh well, at least I can't get frostbite under this temperature.' Shelves planted on the wall had stacks of various sizes of boxes labelled in different ink markers. What Lyn searches for is a box marked Rick & Tina . Shoving some items that aren't particularly important, he stumbled upon a medium-sized box that has Rick & Tina marker written on the side. "Bingo!" said Lyn tugging a smirk. Pulling the box out of the dusty shelf, the human realized it's not as heavy as it appeared to be when he held it in his arms. This brought a foreshadowing sign of disappointment on Lyn's face. He chose to neglect the feel of it's weight and decided to give a look inside. Alas it is how he believed it'd be; the box was light due to the contents stored in are nothing but a photo album & an untitled book with a leathery spine. Taking out the photo album first, Lyn opens the cover to reveal two pictures depicting two different parents. The first one Lyn recognizes; the two adults standing in front of a mansion are without a doubt his grandparents. The photo below the first showed a man and woman smiling with a baby in between them in close-up range. Lyn wasn't entirely sure who they were yet neither was he interested to know. Flipping from the first page Lyn browed a series of pictures of his father's years as a kid, a teenager with a diploma, and a full-grown adult graduating college. Again, Lyn didn't bother looking at those either and obnoxiously flips another page. The next page is what made Lyn froze: a page full of his mother and father's times together. 'I'll have to remind myself to make frames of these and hang 'em on the living room walls.' Lyn thought to himself as he turned a page. Now what really seems peculier is there are huge number of photos of his father only, however, the angle & position of his father made it act like someone, or SOMETHING, is in there too. Lyn ponders on the cryptic photos. 'Dad, you were cool 'n' all, but seriously, were you so mental about being lonely before meeting Mom that you created an imaginary friend?' asked Lyn cringing the thought of it. No longer are there more pictures after that so Lyn carelessly tosses the album into the abyss and withdraws the unnamed novel. 'Dad was keen on writing fictional stories. Heck, I remember him reading me a fan-fictional tale of a man raising a baby pegasus when I was younger. Ha! He always had a sense of imagination. Anyway, let's see the reason you couldn't name this book...' The moment of excitement tingled his nerves as he opens the cover, so far what he saw is... nothing. Literally. There was not a single print within every page. "Seriously?! I guess that's why you didn't name it because there's actually nothing on it!" Lyn discouragingly uproared, throwing the book back into the box, then stands up to kick the box. 'Sheesh. Nothing but junk. All of it. Maybe tomorrow when the garbage comes I'll throw them away, for now though, I think its almost time for work.' Lyn pulls out his android phone from the left hand pocket of his jeans and goes to discover it is 1:43PM - Pacific time. 'Work starts in seventeen minutes... I better slip on my boots and head out.' Lyn sorely sighed. Closing the door after exiting the cold garage, Lyn puts on a pair of white socks and a pair of tacky, yellow hiking boots he's had for a year now then proceeds heading out the front door with keys in hand. Prior to leaving, he made sure every light is off around the house. Once that's settled he exits the house locking the door behind him. A device hanged onto the same ring of the keys was pressed as a white SUV's car lights flashed twice making a beeping sound. Lyn enters the vehicle, turns on the ignition, the engine comes alive, and drove off to his job as a Forklift Operator. Driving through a straight roadway, passing unfathomable maple trees on the side, the human glimpses quickly at the sky. Being it fall and all, numerous grey clouds have blanket over the yonder telling a storm could brew any moment. Avoiding to look at the sky anymore Lyn paid utmost attention to the road ahead. Coming to a stop sign at a four-way intersection Lyn patiently waited for incoming cars coming to either side of the multi-pathway. There was one coming from the left side; a drunkard, driving a brown pick-up, who is twice over the fifty-mile speed limit drinking an alcoholic beverage slightly swerving. His radio's volume was up to the max while playing something called Gangnam Style. The drunken fool sings along with the song playing. "Gangnam Style! Whoop-whoop, whoop, whoop-whoop!" Vigorously gulping the remainder of his current bottle, he sits up off his seat to reach out on the back seat for another one, completely having his hands off the wheel. Lyn figured now would be a good time to drive on. Unfortunately, when Lyn was in the middle of the intersection, he noticed the speeding vehicle coming right at him. He couldn't react in time thus the speeding vehicle brutally collided against Lyn's side; sending him rolling many feet away from the collision. Lyn was wiped out to an unconscious state afterward. When he awoken from a massive headache, everything he sees is blurry, and his hands felt strands of grass as he helped himself get up. By the time he gained vision there's nothing but pure blackness in every direction he faced. He also heard eerie sounds such as ravens crowing and wolves howling. Has the crash really sent Lyn that far out into an ominous grove, and what happened to his car and that of the drunk driver? Far as Lyn is concerned- he has no idea how he got here- but he doesn't plan to stay for long. How will he escape let alone survive in a forest of the wilderness? Find out on the next chapter of Keeper of Harmony! Here it is, folks, the newly rewritten Prologue of the story. Hopefully this is more suited to your interests than the previous. Be sure to read this as I'm going to give out instructions on how I use the symbols. 1) When the ***** appears at the end of a paragraph, this usually indicates a side story is about to be narrated at the same time as the event takes place above the *****. 2) The ----- will indicate a separate event which occurs either after what happens above the ----- to another's perspective. 3) I'm not quite sure which symbol to use but I think I'll use ~~~~~ to indicate a separate event which occurs before what happens above; whether it'd be a flashback montage or what not. Anyways, enjoy the reading fellows. P.S. - Any of those who spot out errors or such, comment below the part(s) of what I need to fix on. Thank you for the patronage.
First EncountersAlone in the god forsaken forest, Lyn wakes up finding himself hopelessly lost. He urged to move his muscles, but somehow his whole body was benumbed for the time being. He'd shout out "Help!" until his voice became hoarse. The grove's trees are so high and thick they completely block the sky with their leaves & branches, dropping nothing other than shadows to the poor man's vision. After some time, the human's nerves sparked a feeling, and in no time, he manages to help himself up using his arms & legs. "Where am I?" asked Lyn praying there would've been someone else who could've replied. "For that matter, why can't I remember how I got here?". Befuddled on the subject Lyn puts it aside to fully concentrate on escaping the ominous grove, but without acknowledgement where to go, he'll have to walk around and hope luck'll guide him through. Traversing a while later, he can't help feeling he's been going in circles despite walking along a straight path. As his legs grew sore he chose to lean against a tree next to him, thinking on endless possibilities how he'll meet his end from the wild animals of this forest. Suddenly, three pairs of vicious red eyes gleamed behind the human. They ferociously growled alarming the human of their presence. Lyn turned his head to them sweating most frighteningly. "Oh... snap..." Lyn gulped. Just when he believed it was the end for him, the deadly red eyes vanish slowly to beady eyed bunnies as they hopped to his field of vision. All of which are brown. The human relievingly sighs swiping off his sweat drops. "Awww, look, rabbits. How cute." Lyn snickered. Although... the rabbits opened their mouths wide revealing shark-like fangs as their eyes reverted to those red, predator gazes. "What the heck?!" The rabbits moved in on him closer with their jaws salivating at their soon-to-be dinner. Lyn girlishly screams as he high-tailed it out of there as soon as possible. Running and running wherever he goes to get away from them. Yet those rabbits were chasing the human at exact moving speed, whereas Lyn tripped over a sprouted tree root and landed face first unto the dirt. This was the end for Lyn as we all know it. The rabbits have cornered him in a triangular pattern cutting off every escapable route. Lyn closed his eyes not wanting to see what happens next. The hungry critters prowl towards him, preparing for their pouncing. Although the reluctant beasts suddenly hesitated approaching the human, then out of no reason at all, they hopped away into the abyss of darkness. Lyn was too afraid to open his eyes, though after the thought of why he hasn't been eaten yet, he cautiously opens his eyelids to see those rabbits are nowhere to be seen. He quickly rose up proudly flexing. "Yeah, that's right. Run away! You know you can't eat this!" Acting victorious he resumes walking forward to once again run into trouble, but this time it stood much taller with ghastly, large yellow eyes beaming down at him. The human immediately fainted afterward. Three hours later... Lyn's eyes were still shut, not knowing whether he is dead or alive. What happened though? Where was the yellow-eyed monster that was before him? It didn't matter, but now Lyn has other concerns troubling his mind. 'Now where am I?' he pondered. Momentarily paralyzed, Lyn could barely move; unable to shift or anything. But as time ticks by then, he can practically feel his strength returning, slightly lifting his eyelids. Clearly gaining vision, Lyn woke up atop of a small bed not meant for his size, and surveying the surroundings he realized he's inside a house of an actual... tree. "Oh, thank Celestia you're alive!" says a relieved female voice. Lyn turns over glancing where she was heard, although what assumed to have been a human girl, actually is a lavender unicorn. "Either I'm on drugs or something because I see a mutated horse." said the drowsed man. "Hey, I'm not a mutated horse! I'm a unicorn!" she resented. After that response Lyn quietly froze in shock. "D-d-did you just..." he stuttered. "And FYI I happen to-" "Ahhh!!" Lyn abruptly screamed. "Ah!" "Ho-how are you talking?!" "Vocal cords," Twilight's eyes rolled, "otherwise I'd be a mute, but I see you-" "This can't be real, you can't be real. Surely this is one bad dream and I need to wake up!" Lyn deniably shook his head. "It's all real, but let me introduce myself. My name is Twilight Sparkle. I humbly welcome you to our peaceful town here in Ponyville." "Twilight Sparkle? Ponyville? Okay, I must be dreaming, or have gone completely insane. Maybe the former." "Why don't you tell me who you are? Acquainting yourself with others would definitely calm your nerves." "Yeah, sure, like talking to an imaginery purple unicorn is going to help. But why not, I guess I can play along." The man pauses for a moment to think, gathering as much focus as he can. "I -- I don't know..." he said depressingly, "I have no idea who I am or where I came from..." Twilight softly rubbed her bottom chin, adding together puzzle pieces inside her thought. "Whatever happened during your travel must've caused a memory wipe; least to say, amnesia. That's probably why you can't remember anything. Perfect, just perfect..." "What do you mean by "just perfect"? You sound very disappointed or something." Lyn questioned. Twilight's pupils shrank a little. "Uh, nevermind that. Although I have an idea: is there anything you hold that might, at a slight chance, trigger a flashback?" Slidding his hands over his shirt & pants, Lyn felt small humps in his jean's pockets, and pulling an object from each pocket were a durable, leather wallet with some quarters and a fully-charged android phone. Twilight stared at the two items awed. She has never seen anything so alien before. "Intriguing. So you know how those things work?" Twilight asked. "Hold on a second I'm not even sure myself what these are." Lyn retorted as he examines the wallet. "Aha. I think this tiny pouch holds something... "identical"." Lyn discovers inside a sided puch an identification card. He examined more closely at his printed birthdate. "October Tenth of Two-Thousand-Thirty-Two," next he identified his age, "Twenty-Three..." and last but not least his name. "It says... ???. What is this?! I have no name?!" he outbursted. "Your vision could still be blurry. Check it again." said Twilight. "I can see fine! Look, it says '???'! Happy now?" Lyn huffed. Twilight's ears fallen back. "I'm... I'm sorry." she frowned. Lyn regrettably sighed. "No. I'm sorry. It's just... I'm a bit confused and angry. I know for a definate fact that I don't belong here. Surely you must know where I originated at?" "Well," Twilight pondered, "Oh, Princess Celestia. Maybe she can help! If you'll just pardon me for a moment... Spike, Spike! We require your help!" Twilight hollored down at the stairs. "Take it easy... I've been here this entire time." moaned another voice near where Lyn sits. Lyn turned to his right and saw down at the floor a little, scaly, baby dragon rising out of a pet-sized bed yawning. "I-i-is that a-a-a-a dragon?!?" Lyn stammers in terror. "Don't alarm yourself. He won't hurt you, and besides, he's just a wittle baby dragon, awen't you Spike?" said Twilight belittling the short wyvern. Spike humphed crossing his arms, "Is there something you need me for?" "Yes. I'll be writing an urgent news letter to Princess Celestia. We're going to need her grant entry to her castle for erm... "him", that is if you are male?" Twilight inquired Lyn. Lyn by little felt insulted. "Of course I'm a male! I may have forgotten my name but doesn't mean I forgot my gender!" "Okay, sorry, I wanted to make sure. Anywho, I'll begin the letter right away." The unicorn's horn spontaneously glows with an enchanting, lavender aura which is also manifesting around a scroll, a feathery quill & ink bottle. The items levitated onto the ground as the quill dipped it's tip into the ink bottle whilst the scroll unravels. "Alright. Dear Princess Celestia, it is of extreme importance that I must tell you that we have a human here in Equestria-" 'What? Did she say we're in an aquariam or something?' Lyn thought. Twilight continues "-and to my knowledge he has a serious case of amnesia, and a side note he doesn't pose any serious threat thus far. As your pupil I write on behalf of your excellency if we can arrange a schedule for a congregational meeting. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle." And at last the unicorn scrolls the piece of paper and pinned a ribbon on it. "Spike, if you be so kind?" The baby dragon grabs hold of the paper, deeply inhaled, and scorched the scroll with his fiery breath. "Dude!" Lyn uproared, "He just burned your letter!" "Just give it a second..." Twilight giggled. Out of nowhere the scroll Lyn believed was charred had magically returned good as new. "My, that was fast." Twilight smiled. She unwraps the ribbon and read the scroll saying: 'My faithful student, I received your recent letter and I warn you about these 'humans'. Their nature is rather unstable and aren't likely to be trusted. But if what you say is true, however, then I needn't to worry as you have situations under control. I have an important attendence with the royal council so I hereby leave you in charge of this displaced human until further notice. ~Your mentor, Princess Celestia.' Twilight's smile lifted even higher. "Excellent! Although we still have a bit of trouble pronouncing your name considering you don't remember it. Hey, how about I ask a question, and when you answer, try to think a series of names that best relate to your answer. First question: do you like cats by any chance?" "Yes..." Lyn itched his head, "But uh... not sure how that'll help in what way. However now that I think of it... I think you can refer to me as... Lynx." Twilight shortly pondered. "Hmm. Lynx... I'd say that's brilliant. How did you come up with that?" "It just came to me." Lynx shrugged. "Well, now with that settled, how about I take you a grand tour around Ponyville?" And so the human, who can't recall his own name or origin, travels with the witty unicorn. What sort of folk will the human meet? Will his new friend be able to help him find his way back home? Find out on the next chapter of Keeper of Harmony!
Welcome to PonyvilleOn the last chapter of Keeper of Harmony; our human Lyn suffers a serious case of amnesia and is transported to an unknown world where he befriends a unicorn named Twilight Sparkle, a witty pony who doesn't seem at all afraid of him. Consulting a letter from her mentor, Princess Celestia, Twilight & Lynx, whom Lyn now is referred as, tour around Ponyville. The unicorn gathers up some necessities for their trip beforehand. Twilight began packing up several items into her pouch as she marks a list of them. "Let's see... apples, check. Book, check. Canteen full of crystal clean water, check. Lynx..." She held her quill and glanced at the human lying across the floor. "Hey, don't get too relaxed," warned Twilight, "we're going to be leaving real soon." Lyn remains put grumbling. "You're joking right? For one thing I still believe you're a figment of my imagination, and two I'm not moving anywhere." Twilight angrily snorted. "Still on about me "not being real" sort of thing? Well, what would happen if I do... this!" Suddenly a bucket lifts over Lynx's head and poured every drop of water down on him. "Aahh! That's flippin' cold- have you mentally lost it?!" Lynx shivered. "Now do you believe it's real? Everypony should have woken up from that." Twilight smirked. "You've made your point! But now look, I'm soaked." "Don't worry. Today is supposed to be blazing hot, which is why I brought a canteen, your clothes will dry quickly. Are you ready?" Twilight asked. Lynx stood on his two feet crossed. "Yeah, yeah." "Lynx, check," said Twilight. "If we're swift meeting with my friends, I've speculated it'll take a whole day-" The human, mouth agaped, raised his arms in the air. "A WHOLE day!? But that's going to take forever!" "Which is why I'm preparing for our journey," Twilight goes over to the human, "All set then?" "Yeah... I guess." Lyn muttered. "Aww quit your whining. I'm sure you'll see Ponyville is more than just a small town. The ponies here are really, really nice. Though before we leave I should tell Spike to watch over the house while we're gone." "I've a mean asking about Spike, is he your pet or something?" asked Lynx. Twilight chuckled in a friendly manner. "A pet? No, silly, he's my friend; also an assistant. Sometimes I take him along for the road, but many times he's stuck at the house while I'm on important businesses. Anyways, I'll go talk to him real quick. You stay here." The unicorn trots upstairs in short period and trotted back downstairs. "Alrighty! Let's get going shall we?" The two finally head out of the front door and began their exploration around Ponyville. One step out into the broad daylight, Lynx took the unicorn's word for it; the sky showed no track of a single cloud in the sky as the sun's warmth brims down upon him. Lynx shades his eyes with a hand. "So darn bright!" "It is summer, after all. You'll get used to it." said Twilight. Twilight & Lynx continued their path passing by some large, straw-roofed huts and a few fellow ponies each different color. They gawked at Lynx as some whisper whilst strangely staring at him. Lynx shuns his face behind his shoulders feeling discomforted. "They're staring at me..." Lynx whispered. "It's fine. Like I said before: the ponies here are real friendly. They just haven't seen anything like you before." "Well if that's the case, why aren't you also freaked out?" "It's not everyday you get to meet somep- I mean, somebody, from a different world. I rather would like to get to know you better." "You're a bit too confident... aren't you actually afraid I'm not as friendly as you might assume?" "Maybe, but you really do seem nice. Strange, but overall nice." "Not sure whether to take that as a compliment or not, but I'll let it slide. So, you want to know about my interests? I guess that's plausible." "Great!" Twilight gleefully cheered. "Mind I ask what your favorite food is?" Lynx places both hands behind his head pondering. "My head's slightly blurry, but I think I can remember that I enjoy waffles. Now it's my turn to ask a question: you mind explaining what in blue blazes is that "thing" on your... erm..." Twilight glances at her flank where Lynx was staring. ""This"? That's my cutie mark." "Cutie mark?" Lynx questioned. "Cutie marks are a symbol of our professionalism. It signifies what we're good at. This indicates I'm good with magic." Suddenly a reminder hits Lynx. "Huh. I just remembered something..." The human rolls up his orange shirt's sleeve to reveal a heart-shaped tattoo on his left shoulder. "That's adorable." said Twilight. "Yeah, but I doubt it's called a cutie mark anyway." "Despite that, our worlds almost share alike." "Considering here you have magical talking ponies. Yeah... I can totally see the similarity our two worlds share..." "Now you're just being obnoxious." stated Twilight. "Sorry, you're right. I'm just having a massive headache from trying to untangle the surrealism, and plus, I haven't had any food or drinks since I've first came here." Twilight forgave the human with a gentle smile. "I suppose that's a reasonable excuse. Here, take an apple and help yourself with the canteen." she offered. In a rush, the human eats the apple in seconds flat. "Wow... you must have been awfully hungry, and the canteen you drank is already half-empty." The human grins in satisfactory. With that done and over with, the two had arrived at a bakery called Sugarcube Corner. The confectionery structure seemed identical to that of a gingerbread house; Candy Canes, Frosting, Cupcakes. It was a paradise for sweet-toothed maniacs. They entered inside, and like the outer-appearance, it also gleamed of sugary sweets; cakes, muffins and all that other bunch. There was nobody at the counter, and Lynx decided to fiddle with the bell resting on top of the counter; pressing it repeatedly as if a child would. Twilight used her magic to pull Lynx away from the bell. "Quit acting so foolish." Hearing the ringing chimes, there was another pony of a lighter-bluish type of fur color with a mane settled out like that of cupcake icing. Twilight replied "Hey there, Mrs. Cake," Mrs. Cake was glad seeing the unicorn. "Ooh, Twilight. I didn't know you were coming over to visit." "So," Twilight surveys the area, "where's Pinkie Pie?" "I sent Pinkie out to do a little delivery. She should be back any moment now." Lynx joins the conversation. "Pinkie Pie? That a flavor of some pie or something? I'm starving." Mrs. Cake froze staring at Lynx awkwardly. "Twilight. May I see you in the kitchen?" asked Mrs. Cake agitatedly. Twilight raises a brow. "Suuurre?" said Twilight. Leaving Lynx behind the counter Twilight followed the anxious pony into the bakery. "What is that... thing?" asked Mrs. Cake "Thing...? Oh, you mean him," Twilight looked back and over giggling hysterically. "You don't have to worry about him. He's a friend." Lynx, bored out of his mind, tapped and tapped his foot impatiently; scratching the left side of his face, hummed while rocking back and forth. 'Jeez... do girls always talk this long?' thought Lynx. "Mrs. Cake, I'm done with the delivery! Is there any-", upon noticing Lynx she was utterly surprised that she gasped in a large amount of air "Oh... my... gosh... A human?! Here in Equestria?! Why, this is big- no dou- no, triple big! I never would've known there was a human here in Equestria! Why wasn't I told? Well, better late than never as they say! Ooh, I should throw you a huge welcoming party. We'll need cakes, cupcakes, balloons, ribbons, fruit punch, chocolate fountains, rubber chickens and more! Are you excited because I'm excited I've never been able to get a closer look at a human before and have I introduced myself? Hi I'm Pinkie Pie-." she said while hopping up and down rapidly. Fed up with the chattering pony Lynx plugged his ears. "Jiminy Christmas! Please make her stop!" "Jiminy Christmas? Who's that? A friend of yours? This would mean I'll have to throw two parties at once! Ooooh! Let me say this: THIS'LL BE LIKE THE SWEETE-" "Pinkie!" screamed Twilight galloping passed the counter and sticking her hoof in Pinkie's mouth. "You'll have to excuse her. She gets hyper-ventilated when she meets a new face." "Mmmphmphmmpmph. Mmph." Pinkie muffled. "You don't say..." said Lynx. Twilight turned to the chatty pony. "Pinkie." "Mmhmm?" "Do you think you can calm down for my good friend, Lynx, here?" Pinkie nodded her head repeatedly. Twilight removed her hoof from Pinkie's lips. "Oopsie. Tee-hee. But can I ask a itty-bitty teeny-weenie question to Lynx?" Pinkie Pie showing off those puppy dog eyes. The human shrugged and nodded silently. "Would you like to be my friend?" she asked desperately. "Uh... sure..." Lynx hesitated. "Hooray! This calls for a celebration!" "Pinkie..." said Lynx and Twilight at the same time. "Oh. Well, maybe we'll party at a different time then. Toodles!" The pink pony joyfully skips out of the candy-themed household. "Whew," Twilight heavily sighed. "At least that went better than I expected." "Are you kidding? It was torment, I thought my ears were going to explode!" Lynx argued. Twilight flickers her hoof. "Oh, you. Well, now that you've met Pinkie Pie, we have no further business idling here. Onward!" Twilight galloped out of the building with Lynx following in suit. Back to the outside, in the hot, sunny rays of the sun, Lynx grabbed the canteen and chugged it down vigorously. All left of it now are measly droplets in the container. "We've only been out for possibly an hour now and you've already emptied the canteen? It really does amaze me how much you can consume in short periods of time." "Excuse me, Princess! I'm still a tad weary from waking up from a coma." Twilight turns to the man confused. "Coma? You were in an accident?" "Argh,", Lynx moaned, "It hurts!" "What is it? What's wrong?" asked Twilight. "My head . . . why is my head hurting so bad?" Lynx grunted. "Are you still dehydrated? Twilight's eyes suddenly widened. "Oh no! Maybe all the exposure to microwave radiation from those 'cell phones' you were telling me about gave you a brain tumor!". "Just chill out! I don't have a dang tumor!" Lynx snapped. The unicorns worries was making his head throb. "I'm... fine," he added more gently. "I need a second catching my breath." The pain apparently vanished as quickly as it appeared. "There, it's all better now. Nothing to worry about, see?" said Lynx. The man rose to his feet and continued down the path. Twilight frowned uncertainly, but followed without a single word. On the way, Twilight and Lynx start a new conversation. "Lynx, can I ask something regarding to your species?" "Ask away." "Those... 'hands' you use, are they useful?" asked Twilight appealed to their functionality. Lynx takes his hand in front of him flexing his fingers. "Useful? They can do all sorts of stuff! I'll bet you ponies here have difficulty picking up stuff with your mouth." Lynx interpreted. "Really? Hmm, then when we get back I'll have to research on them." Lynx felt unsure about it. "Okay... speaking of species, you say you're a unicorn. Is there different types of ponies here? Why not you tell me how each type works." Twilight couldn't have been more happy to oblige. "Certainly. Beginning with unicorns: you already know we can bend magic. However we require intense concentration when performing high-ranked spells. Breaking our focus in midst of casting can cause unknown repercussions. And the pegasus, a pony born with bird-like wings, can soar through the air and have the eligibility to alter weather conditions by moving and fiddling the clouds in the sky. But due to their constant flying mobility they deplete more energy than any other pony. Last but not least: an earth pony don't possess either wings or horns, however they have a remarkable amount of physical strength that they can withstand the most force." Lynx achingly rubs the back of his head. "I partly phased out after unicorns. Seriously, you could've just said it briefly." "Ugh..." Twilight groans quite exasperated "What?" Lynx aimlessly shrugged. After having their discussion, they finally arrive at a beautifully-structured house. "Nevermind, we're here." said Twilight. Twilight softly pounds on the front door. "Rarity are you there? It's me, Twilight" the unicorn hollered. A unicorn answers the door. My how she looked bedazzling; her pearly-white coat, her dark purple mane, those gleaming sapphire eyes. Lynx was astonished by her exquisite beauty. "Ah yes, Twilight!" said Rarity happily seeing her good'ol friend. "It is good to see you. Please do come... right in...-" Her royal pitched voice fades as she steadily gawks at Lynx's being next to Twilight. "Twilight," Rarity started "may I ask who this... fine "fellow" standing beside you is?" Twilight replied nonchalantly. "His name is Lynx. A friend." "My word... just look at you! Wandering around in that ghastly outfit that you call clothes. I simply won't tolerate for this! Please come inside, quickly!" offered Rarity. Lynx circled around wondering who Rarity was talking to. "Wait a minute, are you talking about me?" he indicated himself. "Of course!" Rarity confirmed, "Now hurry before anypony else sees that horrid fashion of yours!" Rarity moves behind Lynx and forcefully pushes him inside the boutique. "Huh? It doesn't look that bad... does it?" Lynx questioned. Twilight lightly shook her head thus followed the two in. Upon entering the boutique, the inner-sanctum was more glorious; A silver chandelier hanging and dangling high above the center of the ceiling- with varieties of decorated colored gems that reflect illuminations down unto the floor. In addition, the floor has been freshly waxed you could see your own reflection. "Now you wait there while I get some preparations going. I'll be back shortly." said Rarity, trotting off to a different room. Lynx glances at Twilight confused. "Uh, this is a first." "Oh that Rarity. She's more concerned about your style of clothing that she neglected your appearance." said Twilight giggling. "Is this really necessary?" Lynx scratched his head. "Why, yes, this is all necessary, my dear. When I'm done, you'll be shining like a star! Everypony will gather around and awestruck by your glamorous new fashion!" Rarity begins wrapping a measuring tape around Lynx's body; the waist, then across his shoulders, his arms and legs. The human's face blushed rosily red. The unicorn withdrew her tape, and resumed examining his clothes. "Hmmm. Ooh! I know what this needs: Gems! I'll be right back,". She trots to her chest and ganders inside it, "Oh of all the worst things that can happen, this is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING." cried Rarity. "What?! What's happened?" worried Twilight. "I -- I've ran out of precious gems! And just when I was about to finalize the sketches." Twilight throws out a frustrating grunt. "I'm sorry to leave upon the inconvenience, but I can't finish my work without them,". Rarity retrieves a satchel using her magic. "Would you two be so kind to await for my return?" asked Rarity. "Uh..." Lynx paused. "Oh you are a dear! I'll be departing now. Ta-ta!". The unicorn bids her farewell. "How about we get out of here, I'm afraid she'll dress me up in some girlish outfit!". said Lynx anxiously. "I don't know. I think you would look wonderful in a dress,". Twilight laughed hysterically "how I would love to see that!" "Ha... ha... ha... but no, seriously, let's ditch this place." "But Rarity will-" "Please!" Lynx begged on his knees. "If you say so. Though I do hope Rarity will understand." said Twilight. In no time the two exit the building and continued down their path towards their next destination: Fluttershy's hut. During their venturing, Lynx fiddles around his mechanical device also known as a cell phone. He appeared having difficulties getting it to work. "What are you doing?" asked Twilight. "If you must know: because you poured that water over me this thing won't work. I'm pressing buttons and nothing happens!" Lynx retorted. The unicorn swipes the cell phone using her magic. "Hey!" Lynx yelled. "Hmm..." Twilight hummed. She quickly examined each side with a clueless expression. "Let's see... if I do this it may just-" Her horn's magic zaps into the device. It's screen comes alive as it displayed. Both Twilight & Lynx widened their eyes astonishingly, but mostly Lynx. "Wha- how- when- How'd you fix it?!" Lynx stuttered. "With magic, of course." said Twilight handing the human back his property. "So do you know how it works?" Lynx deeply stares at it, scrolling screen by screen, adapting to his own kind's advanced technology. "I feel like I'm getting the hang of it. See, I found something interesting," Lynx presses on an icon labelled 'Disturbed' and revealed list of names Twilight isn't assure of. "Disturbed? That's... unusual. It can feel emotions too?" "I don't think it has to do with emotions," Lynx disagreed, "this was under a thing called "music"." Twilight's ears lifted. "Ooh! Music? How wonderful. You know we too have music, care to give me an example of yours?" Twilight ecstaticly inquired of Lynx. The human pressed 'Disturbed - Sons of Plunder'. The phone initiates buffering, then in a sudden burst at full volume it screeches out startling lyrics "Tell me you like it!" Twilight covers her ears from it's tormenting sound. "Ahh! Turn it off Lynx!" Lynx immediately taps the screen again and the music ceased. "That was awful!" Twilight angrily cried. "I'm sorry!" Lynx apologized, "I didn't know that would happen!" "Sure you didn't. Anyways, we're here!" At the destination, Lynx observed how beautiful the atmosphere settled as. Two ponds on each opposite ends connected to a creek which runs narrowly underneath a wooden bridge. And a few bird houses hanging on to several branches of a sturdy tree standing among the side of the bridge. The cottage itself was also stunning. The two confront the door as Twilight pounded it with her hoof in hopes Fluttershy is around. Luckily she is but refused to open the door until acknowledging of who the visitors are. Twilight gently smiled and replied "It's me, Twilight. Can you come outside?" she asked briefly, praying in mind that the shy pegasi won't over-react when she sees Lynx. "Twilight!" said Fluttershy swinging the door open to happily greet her friend, however before she spoke another word the timid pony noticed Lynx. She began sweating; frozen with agitation, afraid enough to remain speechless as she could stare straight at the man's sapphire eyes. "Hi." Lynx waved. Fluttershy yelped in fear and slammed the door tightly shut. "Always scared of anything aren't you? Don't worry, for I'm sure my good buddy Lynx here won't "bite"." Twilight winked. "Ha, ha, ha..." the man laughed sarcastically Although after hearing what Twilight called him caused the shy pegasus to change her nature of behavior instantly; from being scared and then excited to the next. She opens the door getting hyper-active. "Ooh a Lynx? I've heard of them before but never have I managed to meet one personally. Though I would've imagined you'd look similar to a cat. Maybe you're a different breed! You must tell me everything about yourself." "Fluttershy, I'm sure you'll understand that Lynx here doesn't have a considerable amount of time to discuss anything he does in life." The pegasi pulls herself together. "Oh, okay," she clears her throat. "Hello Mr. Lynx, my name is Fluttershy. And it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. Twilight, do you suppose I can at least invite Mr. Lynx in so I can show him some of my bunnies?" she stared at the unicorn with glistening eyes. "Okay... if it really means that much to you." Twilight approved. Lynx was pulled into the living room. "Now you wait here while I go tell my animal friends we have a visitor." said Fluttershy. "...Is this for real?" questioned Lynx. "First Pinkie Pie, then Rarity, and now Fluttershy - which she is comparing me to a cat. Now I've seen everything." Twilight too was baffled from her friend's reactions. "It is rather uncanny. I would've thought they'd go into panicking from the sight of you. Surprises me too." said Twilight. "Oh, hey, Twilight, I've been meaning to ask: How is it that your teacher acknowledges our species but not everyone else?" "The Princess has lived for over a thousand years. She's practically all-knowing. And by the way you meant to say everypony." Lynx swayed his hand. "Yeah, yeah...- wait... what?! A THOUSAND years!? Good lord... that's so unreal!" Twilight nudged the human's arm. "We're full of surprises, aren't we?" Twilight smirked. After her small departure, Fluttershy returns with some animal friends. "I'm back, and I've brought company." Fluttershy hollered very softly. An assorting group of rabbits lined themselves in front of the human. "Let me introduce you to Michael. He's very shy when meeting new faces,". Fluttershy points at another bunny "And this here is Raphael. Be careful though, he's easily intimidated. Ooh, I don't think I've introduced you to Angel yet." "Excuse me, Fluttershy, but it's somewhat passed the time and we really must be going." interfered Twilight. "Oh... okay, well, it was kind of you two to come and visit." says Fluttershy discouragingly. "Let's go, Lynx." ordered Twilight. The human humphs while crossing his arms. "What are you, my mom?" "No, but remember I'm responsible for you. So in some sort of weird way, I am." When the human and the unicorn step out of the hut, the pegasi snags the human's t-shirt. "Um. Whenever you have spare time tomorrow, do you think you can come back here soon? I've got more interesting critters that I'm sure you'll love seeing." Fluttershy kindly asked. "Sure thing. I always adore little animals." the human replied. This brought a very warm smile across Fluttershy's expression. Once that is done the two go venturing yet again to another one of Twilight's best friends: Applejack. But before they've gotten to halfway towards the farm some pegasus soaring through the sky suddenly swooped down intervening their path. Her coat is of light-bluish fur and her mane pigmented with colors correspondence to that of a rainbow. The pegasus wasn't too hesitant with the pleasantries. "Hey Twilight, how's it hangin'?" she asked briefly. "Oh I'm doing spectacular. Me and my friend here were just on our way to Applejack's until you showed up at a very convenient of timing. I'd like for you to-" "Who's this freak?" Rainbow Dash interrupted. "Freak?!" Lynx snapped angrily. "Now, now. I'm sure Rainbow Dash didn't mean that," she patted the human. "Why not introduce yourself?" Upset, Lynx crosses his arms and turns his back on the ponies. "What's he so mad about?" Rainbow Dash asks naively Twilight glared at the pegasus "Really?" then sighs exasperatingly. "You'll have to pardon her, Lynx." Rainbow Dash tilted her head. "Lynx. That's his name?" Rainbow Dash's behavior changed suddenly "That - that actually sounds pretty cool," She glides in front of the human "Hey, sorry for what I said back there. How's about we shake on it and let by gones be by gones." she apologized. "Y'know... I have a much better idea," The human clenches his hand into a fist and exerts his arm out at the pegasus. "Pound it." Lynx said. "Okay?" said Rainbow Dash confusingly. The pegasus lightly pounded her hoof against the man's knuckles. "Well done." nodded Lynx. Rainbow Dash flips backward in mid-air. "Aw yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about!" This escalation of bonding brought joy to Twilight. "I'm happy to see that you two are getting along nicely. But we're in a rush here since I can tell that it'll get dark very soon. We'll see you again tomorrow, okay Rainbow Dash?" said Twilight. "I understand. Though Lynx, we should hang around more often." suggested Rainbow Dash. "You bet." Lynx gave the pegasus a thumbs up. And woosh! Rainbow Dash dashes off to the sky in seconds flat. The human saw her incredible speed and stares up awestruck. "Coming, Lynx?" asked Twilight. Lynx blinked out of trance. "Oh, yeah. Right behind you." Later they meet their destination: A fertile farmland with cropped acres of countless apple trees far across the yondering field. Twilight surveys the area for Applejack, yet she was nowhere to be spotted. "Do you think she's-" "Yeeee-haw!" A lasso had been swung over Lynx's head and caught on to his legs. The human lost his maintaining balance and slumped into the mud face first. The one responsible was a blonde haired, orange colored fur pony wearing a brown stetson hat. "Not so fast there!" claimed the cowgirl pony. The southern pony hogtied poor Lynx while his face still plounders in muck. "Whoo-wee! That was a close one, Sugarcube! Yer were just about to be attacked by this 'ere critter! Aren't ya glad Applejack's 'ere to watch yer tail?" Twilight bonks her friends' head. "What'd you do that for?" "Applejack! This "critter" is a friend of mine! Now help me untie him!" Twilight said angrily. "Aw shucks, Twilight. Ah really didn't know, and I just got this dirt fertilized too." As the man was free to rise, he scrapped the mud off with his hands. "Of all that is- Are you out of your mind!?" Lynx spoke outrageously. "Lynx, evidently she thought you were a monster. Please don't be mad at her." pleaded Twilight. "Yeah, what she said. 'Ah do sincerely apologize for my rash actions. We got some refreshments 'ere you can have if you find it in your heart to forgive me." The human's stomach abruptly growled. "I think that's a sign for: "Apology accepted. He-he." giggled Twilight. Lynx was indeed hungry, so Applejack generously gave what she had to offer: Apple pies, apple muffins, apple fritters. Lynx enjoyed every last one of them until he couldn't eat anymore. The three go through a discussion about Lynx's residence. "Ah'll be darned. So he came from a different universe?" said Applejack flabbergasted. "Indeed he did, although he has no idea where he's from or who he is. I'm giving him a tour around Ponyville while we wait for Princess Celestia to give us further notice." explained Twilight. "Ah see. Well, sorry again about earlier there, partner." "Ha! No worries, anyone who hands me free food is a friend of mine." "Beg ya pardon but ah believe ya meant to say anypony?" Applejack corrected him. 'I swear I'm never gonna get used to that...' "Twilight! Twilight!" shouted a familiar voice. "Spike? What are you doing all the way out here?" said Twilight who knew. "Hah... hah..." Spike heavily panted "Twilight, the Princess- the Princess has requested your audience down at the Halls of Harmony. She said it's urgent!" "If the Princess says it's urgent, then it must be an emergency." said Twilight anxiously. Spike continued "And she also said bring him too!" he pointed at Lynx. "Me?" the human pointed himself. "Let's go Lynx!" ordered Twilight. Spike saddled onto the unicorn's back and three of them move onwards to Canterlot City where Halls of Harmony is designated at. What could the Princess want the human for? Well find out on the next chapter of Keeper of Harmony!
To Canterlot! A Princess' Dire of Need (A/N)To Canterlot! A Princess' Dire of Need (A/N) On the last chapter of Keeper of Harmony, Twilight and Lynx post haste at their mark towards Canterlot where the Halls of Harmony reside. "Do you think your teacher figured out a spell to bring me home?" panted Lynx while keeping up with Twilight. "Maybe, or something else could be going down. We'll never know until we get there!" exclaimed Twilight. "Keep going." The two run restless until they reached their destination, however a couple of golden-armored pegasus guards that stand rooted outside blocking their entry. Upon approach their wings sprout to halt both Lynx & Twilight. "Announce yourselves." a guard requested demandatory. Twilight replied "Twilight Sparkle & Lynx." "The Princess has requested for your audience into the halls. You are free to pass." said the other guard. The guards strafed aside as the doors loudly creek open. Twilight and Lynx ran in as the doors closed behind. Inside the Halls of Harmony the two paced themselves onto a long, red carpet from an end to the other while passing by gigantic stone pillars aligning from both sides. Ahead they finally meet the celestial mare of whom trots back and forth in a state of worry. "Princess! We're here at last and-" Twilight cuts herself noticing the teacher's frowning expression "Are you alright?" asked Twilight in major concern. "I'm glad you arrived sooner than expected, there is trouble brewing in Equestria. And I see you brought him here as I asked, very well done." "What sort of trouble?" said Twilight. "After consulting with the council, it appears some sort of humanoid-like creature is wreaking havoc across the land. It leads several lesser minions as it advances. I needed you to bring the human you spoke of in order to ensure it wasn't him." interpreted the upsetted alicorn. This gravely worried Twilight. "Can it possibly be human?" asked Twilight fearfully. Princess Celestia barely ponders. "I'm not fully positive it's human, but nopony has came across and told about it yet." "Well, no worries, Princess, nothing me and my friends can't handle!" The Princess tugs a gentle smile to her student's words of couragement. "Uh, hello?" intruded Lynx. The Princess wipes off her smile and observes the human's appearance. From what she can tell it doesn't surprise nor intrigued her. "May I ask who you are, human?" asked Celestia. "I'm-" "His name is Lynx." Twilight cuts in. "Lynx? Rather strange considering he's not a cat." said Celestia confusingly. 'Enough with the cat puns!' Lynx angrily thought. "Well, no, he's not. He chose it on his own since he can't remember his name. In the meantime, while we're on the subject, have you-" In the middle of Twilight's question, the sacred chamber doors where the all-powerful relics known as the Elements of Harmony reside within abruptly opened without warning. Both the celestial teacher and her trusted pupil reacted mighty surprised. They looked themselves in utter confusion and turn their heads at the human. "...what?" the innocent human shrugged. As the two gave one last stare to each other, they exchanged questions regarding on what caused this unexpected turn of events. Twilight then noticed the relics are behaving strangely. "The elements, they're pulsing." observed Twilight. It was sure astounding to the two except for Lynx who has not a thought knowing what is happening. Celestia shared the same expression, she doesn't acknowledge it, however she built up several theories of this mystery; she knew it wasn't the god of chaos: Discord, for he is still imprisoned as a statue. It also couldn't have been Chrysalis, or King Sombra. Which only led down to one possible assumption: Lynx. "Lynx.." Celestia suspiciously wondered, "would you mind if you step closer to the Elements of Harmony?" she asked nondemandatory. "So you want me to walk over there and if by a slight, possible, chance that I could be risking my life? I don't think so." Lynx replied unassured. "Just go in!" Twilight aggressively shoves Lynx towards the chamber. The relics pulsated more rapidly as he approached them. Then as Lynx made contact, the elements hovered above their stalls with incredible, sparkling power brimming from each core. In a flash the elements conjured together a transparental beam of energy shooting at Lynx's being, enveloping him with their magic. Afterwards the colors from the relics are shaded in grey, and Celestia & Twilight could now sense the powers of harmony within Lynx. Twilight screamed "The elements!" Celestia too was shocked, but her anger appeared more expressive than her surprisement. "What did you do?!" Celestia angrily inquired Lynx. "Hey, I did as you asked me to do. I didn't know what I did!" Lynx retorted. He thoroughly examines every inch of himself, from top to bottom. During examination, he took realization that he has another tattoo planted on the back of his right hand, "I'm sure this wasn't here before..." Further inspection, the tattoo is enveloped with intenseful, electric energy surging around it. 'Whoa,' gawked Lynx. Applaud by his own hand, his awestruck-gazing had been interrupted by a loud stomp of the Princess' hoof. "Mister, I can't comprehend how you did it, but I must order you to hand over the elements at once." "Wait, Princess!" shouted Twilight, "What if this was supposed to happen?" "Twilight, my star pupil, surely you jest. You merely proclaim it as some sort of prophecy." Celestia doubtfully stated. "But what IF? You and I just saw what Lynx did, since he wields the Elements of Harmony maybe he can use their magic!" With that question in place, Lynx wanted to demonstrate by holding out his palm, in attempts to conjure up something. Although nothing happened. Lynx sighed in disappointment, "So these "Elements of Harmony" pretty much gave me a tattoo..." "I don't have time for this, I have important matters to attend to, Twilight," Celestia calls upon her student. Twilight's ears perk up as a response. "I'll formerly again place you in charge of him. In the meantime I must attend my errands, make sure HE doesn't cause trouble. Understand?" "Yes, Princess." Twilight bowed. "W-wait a minute! You can't leave right now!" Lynx exclaimed. However the celestial mare already vanished in a flash of magic light, abandoning both the human and unicorn alone once more. "Well, I think we should head back to Ponyville. I'm quite tuckered out," yawned Twilight. "But she just ran off. And wasn't the partial point us coming here that she would help send me back home?" "I'm sure we'll sort it out tomorrow. Let's go back to my house and get plenty of sleep." With many questions unanswered, our heroes wearily return to the unicorn's treehouse for a good night's sleep. Why did the elements fuse themselves in Lynx? Who could the other outcast be and why is that person disturbing the peace? Tune in next time on the next chapter of Keeper of Harmony! (This was executed rather poorly. But if it's appropriate to speak on behalf of my sloppiness; I've been dealing with life problems recently, however due to it being personal problems I'll refrain explaining what they are. Anyways, I think I'll go on ahead and post the next chapter after this one without editing. Sorry.)
Strange EventsAt night, all the folk of Ponyville were sound asleep, and so was Twilight, Spike, & Lynx. Speaking of Lynx, he woke up in the middle of the night from his back cramping on the solid wooden floor. He sits up and roughly rubs his back to ease the tension, but when out of nowhere eerie whispers could be heard echoing around him. Another sudden pain spiked his brain and he refrained from making a grunting sound. They whisper "Go... outside...". Lynx straightened his nerves, knowing that he couldn't be manipulated by the unknown voices. With that said, he heads outside holding his skull with his palms. The pain peculiarly disappears right after he exited the house. 'Why does it keep doing that...' He then noticed a dark, hooded humanoid-like figure standing before him. "Who are you?" startled Lynx. The stranger breathed deeply and creepily. "Are you going to say something or stand there like an idiot?" "Lynx..." the stranger replied in a dark, deep tone of voice. "How did... - how did you know my name?". "Do not be alarmed. I mean of no harm, for I come here to bear a warning of an attack; an attack from monsters that far exceed your expectations...". "Why are you telling me this?" Then the dark figure reverts moving back into the shadows of the night. "W-Wait!" Lynx stuttered in chase. Yet before he could catch up to it, the mysterious being vanished to thin air. "Just who was that...? A figment of my imagination?". he stretched to yawn "Well, I'll worry about it tomorrow. For now I need my beauty sleep.". And he did just that. He went back to sleep. Morning arrives as the starry sky fades away from the sun's brightening aura. And the roosters crow "Cock-a-Doodle-Doo!" to alarm the sunrise. Upon hearing the fowls, Lynx murmurs himself in a way that nobody can hear. Possibly having a dream. The glaring beams light down on the man's face, gleaming ever so brightly, disturbing the man's peaceful rest. "Grrr..." Lynx growled furiously. Rolling over to avert the sunlight. "Good morning!" says the purple unicorn rubbing her eyes. "Yea- mmm. Mmm." Lynx mumbled. "The sun is rising. It's time to get up." "No. I don't want to." Lynx protested. "Okay... you asked for it." The unicorn pulls his sheets away with her mouth, and then used her magic to pour a glass of water on the man's head. "AHH!" he screamed. "Have you lost your mind?!". "Well, I warned you but you didn't listen. Now that you're up, go take a bath or something. You reek." Twilight muzzled her nose with her hoof. "Do you have some sort of shower I can use then?". "Fortunately I do, although I'm certain you might not fit. Ponyville's restrooms and appliances weren't made specifically for your kind." "Does it matter?" Lynx said regardless. "It's just down the corridor passed the storage closet." Twilight coordinated. Lynx carefully followed her instructions and successfully located the bathroom door and entered in. "How do you use this thing?!" Lynx yelled. Skipping to when the unicorn and the human are touring around Ponyville. Twilight's expression teemed with a large, snickering, grin. "What a story would it be to tell the girls." the unicorn giggled. "You promised me you'll never speak of it again!" he said embarrassingly. Twilight still snickered as they roam around Ponyville's markets and other things. During their time in Ponyville they conveniently stumbled to come across Applejack who also had a market stand for her delicious apples "Howdy there!" Applejack waved to the two. Twilight was somewhat surprised "Applejack, fancy meeting you here.". "Yeah, but unfortunately I haven't made much of any sales today recently. Plus Big Macintosh pulled out his back again from bucking the trees." said Applejack in little depression, whereas Twilight pitied "Oh I'm sorry to hear that...". After some moments in thinking Twilight brought up an excellent idea "I got it! Perhaps Lynx can provide you with a lending hoo-, I mean... hands." she corrected herself. Applejack's spirit elevated. "That would be mighty proud!" she smiled. "Perfect!" cheered Twilight. Lynx stepped in to object. "Hey, hey, hey. I didn't say that I would.". "Would you? You'd be doing a huge favor for Applejack and I, and for Big Macintosh,". She pushes herself against the man's legs and peered her glistening eyes up at his, "Pretty please?" she begged. "Hmmm. Oh, alright... only because you said please." Lynx gave in. With that settled out, the pony and human begin their merry way to her farm to do some labor. Meanwhile Twilight was proud for Lynx's generosity, and thus she gallops on over back to her house to write a letter to her mentor. Before she could write, somepony was knocking on the door. The unicorn lays her pen and scroll down and trots over wondering who it is. Alas at the door is the benevolent mentor; Princess Celestia. "Oh my, Princess! What a coincidence! I was about to write you a letter." said Twilight in total surprise. The Princess thoroughly examines the room. "Twilight... I'm hoping that the human is not outside where he's all by himself.". Twilight sweated in nervousness. "Well - well he's, um... he's helping Applejack gathering some apples." "I ordered you to keep an eye on the human because, well, for one thing; I still have little trust in him, even though he's behaved most of recently. Nonetheless, I want to make sure he doesn't pull up any schemes. And second; I need you and Lynx to meet me at my castle. I have news you two probably should know about." "In that case I'll go get him right away!" nodded Twilight. Then the celestial mare trotted out and flew away gracefully. Twilight knew a congregation with the Princess meant extreme importance, or trouble. So in a rush the unicorn makes her way to Applejack's farm. Back at the farm, Lynx was sweating from carrying and emptying baskets of apples into the small cart which was now full. "Ah do say it was very nice of ya to help around. My brother & Ah are most grateful." Applejack mightily shakes Lynx's hand. "Okay, okay, that's enough shakin' there. You'll rip my arm off." "Heh heh. Sorry." she apologized, letting go of the man's hand. Lynx takes a breather and relaxes, however, his tattoo acted up. It hums weakly, as a dim light oscillates pulsatingly. "What the...?" All of a sudden, strange manifestations of shadowy-like monsters rose beneath the soil's surface. They're nothing that anyone or anypony has seen before; Yellow Eyes glowing menacingly, teeth as sharp as a blade with deadly swiping claws. These beings are like from a nightmare. "What in tarnation?!" she gasped. One spawned after another until they surrounded the two. Blocking their escape and approaching all at once very slowly. Applejack grabs an apple off the ground and tossed it at them. Unfortunately it passed through their transparent bodies. Closer and closer, they growled more aggressively; preparing to commence an all-out attack. "Don't worry. No matter what happens 'Ah'll stay by your side." she said bravely. And thus the monsters made their move and piled over the two. Covering them in a dome of everlasting darkness. Before they met their fate, a shining ray of light shot out from within the darkness, releasing an explosion of light that eradicated the darkness completely. Applejack blinked. "Wha? Where'd they go?" she asked. Lynx shrugged, letting out a long breath. "As long as they aren't here, I'm happy," he replied. "Applejack! Lynx!" They looked up and saw Twilight galloping toward them. "I saw everything!" she wailed, pulling the pair into a bone crushing hug. "Are you two ok?" "Whoa! Easy there, sugar cube!" Applejack grunted, gently unhooking Twilight's foreleg from around her neck. "Don't cut off mah circulation. We're fine. Lynx saved both our hides." "I did? But how? I didn't try to do anything!" "Maybe Celestia would know," offered Twilight. "She sent me to look for you, Lynx. She wants us to meet her in her private quarters. Let's go see what she knows!" Lynx agreed and followed Twilight to Canterlot, where Princess Celestia resides in. Upon arriving at a castle's doors are two Pegasuses wearing shiny gold armor, standing guard at the entrance. "Announce yourselves." a guard requested demandatory. Twilight replied "Twilight Sparkle & Lynx." "The Princess has requested for your audience into her quarters. You are free to pass." said the other guard. The guards strafed aside as the doors loudly creek open. Twilight and Lynx ran in as the doors closed behind. Inside they finally meet the celestial mare of whom trots back and forth in a state of worry. "Princess! We're here at last and-,". She paused and noticed the teacher's frowning expression "Are you alright?" said Twilight in major concern. "I'm glad you two managed to get here. There have been "monsters of darkness" spotted in several locations of Equestria. Attacking the civilians. Luckily we found out that they can be-." "Harmed by magic." Twilight finished. "You've heard of this too?" the mare questioned. "Yes, at Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack and Lynx got attacked, but Lynx somehow fended them off." Celestia widened her eyes in befuddlement. "Really? How?" "With the mark." Twilight pointed to Lynx's hand. Celestia trots over and examines the tattoo carefully. Upon observing the glowing energies emanating from within the mare begins to understand. "Just as I suspected. He certainly has a way to use the elements, therefore whenever he was in danger- they reacted." the mare explained. "Yeah, except I didn't REALLY use the elements. It went off on it's own." Interpreted Lynx. "That is true. Which is why I must do this." The mare rests her horn on his forehead. "Wait- what are you-". Lynx paused. The man could feel his body vibrate and tingle from the sensation from that of Celestia's magic. Suddenly, his tattoo lit up and became brighter and brighter; electrifying energies enveloped the palm of his hand. Lynx widens his eyes amazed. "Whoa," he perks up at the Princess. "What'd you do?". "I have awakened the power of the elements. You're able to use partial of it willingly." "Really?" Twilight butted in. "Of course," nodded Celestia. The magnificent alicorn trots backward a few feet from the human. "Now... I want you to aim your palm at me and concentrate real hard." instructed the Princess confidently. Lynx wasn't sure why but he did it anyway. Gathering enough focus, the center of his palm conjured a very small orb of light, and instantly the orb enlarged exponentially and blasted itself towards the mare. Considering it was hurdling at her the mare didn't make a budge or tried to avoid it. Upon struck the blast dissipates without causing any harm or injury. "Excellent. As you can see, the elements are incapable of harming the minds and hearts of the innocent. Normally this kind of spell would take years of studying to perfect. However you've done it in a matter of seconds." says the impressed mare. "Why the change of behavior? Earlier you wanted me gone, but now you're helping me?" Lynx argued. "Lynx!" snapped Twilight. "Calm now, Twilight. And yes, human, I am aware that you don't fare me very well. However given the circumstances, my options are limited. I'm truly sorry for being prejudicial towards you.". Celestia deeply apologized. Lynx brought out a friendly gesture. "Thank you. I'm grateful to hear you say that.". "So does that mean you'll help?" asked Twilight. "If in the end I can go home, I'll do it." Lynx nodded. Both Twilight and Celestia gave Lynx a heart-warming & faithful smiles. "Bless you," spoke Celestia calmly. "And now with that said and done, I'll go attend to some other matters at hand. I'll kindly teleport you two back to my star pupil's house." And so the human and the little unicorn are transported back to Ponyville, whereas they wander around once more. Although moving the screen back to the mare, her smile where it last used to be, converted to a petrifying frown.
Andrew & Raymond's Misadventures #1(Illustration)Meanwhile... at the real world. A Black Hummer H3 shows up and parks on Lyn's driveway. Exiting the intimidating vehicle are two young adults; one averagely slender, his dark brown eyes reflect that of hazel nuts, and short, natural spiky brown hair while the other being slightly opposite; his bulky body twice the size than the first and eyes heavenly blue with a similar hairstyle only less spiky. The two make their stance outside of Lyn's tall white house knocking on the door, "Yo, Linx! You there buddy, it's me Raymond." hollered the skinnier gent. "Maybe he's not home." assumed the other. "We left a message on Skype saying we'd be coming over for gamer's night. And besides, we don't have school for several days because somebody threatened to blow up the school." "Actually, that'd be me. I called the principal while taking a dump in the bathroom stall." "Andrew!" "What?! I didn't study for the exams!" Raymond exasperatingly sighs as he palmed his forehead. "Doesn't matter. Let's check if he's home." The slender young man inadvertently knocks the door once more, then it creaked open slowly. Raymond peeks his head past the threshold scanning the inner sanctum of Lyn's domain. "Linx?" he hollered, stepping inside for further investigation. "Raymond, what are you doing?!" Raymond dwells deeper in the house and is introduced to a bountiful living room with a plasma television screen mounted on the wall and a fine leathery couch for relaxation. "Dude! Linx is loaded." Raymond exclaimed with envy. "We're breaking and entering! Let's get out before we get busted." said Andrew nervously. The skinny gent neglects his friend's worries and helped himself to the couch. Sitting down he sinks into a comfortable state. Grabbing a remote off the table in front of him he turns on the television surfing channels, searching for a particular program. "Aannd there it is!" says Raymond who stopped at a network called 'The Hub'. Andrew, on the other hand, obnoxiously snatches the remote from his friend, wanting to watch a different channel. "Screw that! I'm not going to watch your My Little Pony crap." Raymond stands up frustrated at his friend for being an anti-brony. How the two are even friends astounds everybody, but they've been friends ever since they were in middle school and they grew up together as neighbors for several years. He accepts Andrew's negativity towards the show he loves, and as much Andrew didn't like it he wouldn't let it ruin his sacred bond with his friend. Since the bulky man has invaded the living room, Raymond decides to head down further through the hallway towards the garage. He wondered what could be inside of there, considering Lyn always complained it's full of useless stuff that he'd be happy to give away. As the scrawny human made his way into the garage he found the light switch and flipped it on. Shrouding darkness which formerly took residence vanishes from the bulb's light of power. Raymond finally begins his excavation by rummaging through a few assortments of boxes stacked across the shelves. A box differed from many alike labelled 'Rick & Tina' intrigued him, so he pulled it out and opened to discover two objects; an old, dusty diary that seemed to have aged throughout many years untouched and a photo album containing several pictures of a grown man he presumed to be Lyn's father. Raymond thought he shouldn't snoop around in his friend's belongings, but temptation thrilled him, considerably stimulating his curiosity that he can't resist it. He picked up the diary and sees words inscribed on the cover 'My Dear Shy'. He pondered what it meant, yet he went on reading the first page of the journal and saw a paragraph written as followed: "My name is Rick Gärtners, and I write this diary to whomever comes across it. I am a thirty-eight year-old male with no spouse, but that's irrelevant right now. If you do happen to come across this, note for what you're about to read is a record of my life's history; day by day, month by month, and year by year. But never will you expect what's written in this forgotten journal, so sit a while, my readers, as you'll see how being shown to "kindness" can change my malevolent life... forever." Suddenly a thought occurs to Raymond 'This awfully sounds similar to 'My Little Dashie''. He calls out to his friend, "Yo, Andrew! You gotta check this out!" His friend shouts out "Where's the booze!?" What will Raymond uncover from the mysterious book of personal secrets? Find out later on the next episode of Andrew & Raymond's Misadventures! (A/N: An illustration pretty much means it'll stay up if the views are positive. I wanted to add a side story so there's more suspense and whatnot. Comment what you think about it - whether they're good or bad, it doesn't matter. A comment about your thoughts is appreciative. Plus this chapter is supposed to be short, but the others I'll consider making them longer.)
Meet The CMC We return to the MLP universe where Lynx and Twilight have finished consulting with their benevolent ruler, Princess Celestia, who awakened partial of the elements within the human, granting him to use a magic attack. Entrusting Lynx, she commended that he must aid Twilight, and the rest of her friends, in seeking an unknown threat that's causing disturbances throughout Equestria. With our two protagonists back at the unicorn's tree house, Twilight spares time by reading several books from her endless, organized shelves. She lowers down onto the floor, quietly studying a book entitled 'Spells for an Apprentice' while softly humming a harmonious tune. Afterwards, she rises back up on all four hooves trotting towards Lynx who is nonchalantly supine across the floor twiddling his thumbs. Lynx excessively sighed. "This is rather boring... is there anything else here to do besides slacking around?" he says uninspired. "I happen to have a book we can study together on," said Twilight cheerily, setting herself beside Lynx whilst carrying the book with her telekinesis. "Here, why not take a glance?" Lynx retrieves the weighted object, holding it over his head as he examined it's cover. He rose up gesturing a quizzical expression. "Spells for an Apprentice?" he questioned, "What do you plan doing with this?" "I'm glad you asked," she smirked, "considering you yield the elements and can utilize them, this book has varieties of spells you might learn; teleportation, levitation, all kinds!" Lynx thoroughly ponders whilst gazing sternly into the book's written pages. However, he shrugs and carelessly tosses it aside. "Hey!" blurted Twilight as her eyebrows narrowed. She goes retrieving the book and returned it to him, "You should at least learn something useful. After all, we're up against an enemy we barely know about, so can you please do this for me and the girls?" Twilight begged. Rejectful, Lynx stands on his feet crossing his arms, turning his back on her. "Twilight, I'll be fine. Honestly. When me and Applejack got surrounded and piled on, I wiped those... "things" clear away without lifting a finger. I'm sure what I have now can make it easier." said Lynx confidently. Twilight still sustains that worried look on her face. She always considers her friend's safety before all else, and she couldn't simply allow the human to face the enemy solely on his own, especially ill-informed what they are. Even when Lynx speaks boldly with pride, he was vaguely aware of Twilight's deep concern, so he sets his stubbornness aside as he spoke, "Okay, fine. Just one trick, ONE." he repeated ensuring she understood. The unicorn's ears ecstatically perk up as response. "Thank you," she smiles appreciatively. "It means a lot to us." Lynx ignorantly nods, "Sure." Twilight eagerly had prayed she could teach somebody a spell or two, despite if they're from a different universe. She was thrilled for testing her teaching skills as maybe one day, she'll grow up being a mentor of another apprentice, and what better example is than using Lynx as a suitable test subject. Briskly flipping page to page, Twilight rambles on which spells the human can attain. "So we have levitation; you can practically lift many objects without breaking a sweat. Or how about... oh, no, this one requires days of training," murmured Twilight, earnestly pondering what spell Lynx can easily perform. "Why not we do that teleportation-thingy you mentioned earlier, I'd get to places way faster!" said Lynx pointing at a particular page. Twilight replies uncertainly, "I don't know. I mean it is an apprentice spell, but it requires intense studying and might take several days to get the hang of it. But if you're determined then we can try." Giving it consideration, Twilight begun instructing Lynx on how to perform the warm-up steps; piece by piece. Once he abides and accomplishes the basic setups, he takes a meditating stance in order to congregate plenty of focus. "Easy now, you'll need to close your eyes and mentally project a specific destination where you're likely teleporting at. One slip-up can cause severe repercussions," said Twilight, carefully observing his excellent progress thus far. Lynx retains his statue-like pose. The amount of intense he's gathering is putting heavy pressure on his body, and the mark on his hand transfuses with remarkable magic energy. Twilight lightly perked an impressing smile. "You're doing great. Just a little longer..." The human does so and painfully grunts as the pressure builds heavier and heavier in each minute. He never thought something such as this could be quite excruciating. After awhile, Lynx is finally at the moment of truth, whereas he could initiate the casting of the spell, but first he closes his eyes; inside his consciousness, depictions of several locations he's been to before appear, and given time he chooses one: 'Sugarcube Corner'. However, prolonging this state of concentration is stacking too much energy for his body to handle. Twilight realizes it and starts becoming drastically worried and pessimistic about the situation. "Okay, Lynx..." says Twilight bleakly. "Cast it now while you have the time." He tried, but the heavy force locks him into place. "I feared this would happen," Twilight sweated. "Because as an amateur you've yet to master energy balance. It'll most likely cause an overflow. You're unable to control it. Abort the lesson!" she exclaimed desperately. Lynx was far from listening, his grunts deafen and his veins pulsating, the transfusion of energy levels skyrocket as pure magical energy surrounds him - enveloping a spherical dome around his being. Twilight thought fast, she casts a barrier breaking spell at the sphere, but the spell is absorbed and there wasn't much time before this situation gets worse by each second. The ground lightly quakes beneath Lynx's feet- rattling the entire tree house causing some books to fall off from their shelves. Few seconds later, the ground rumbles more violently, it wouldn't be long before everybody in Ponyville feels this vibration. Finally Lynx has quickly chosen his destination and in a flash he vanishes, leaving a shock-wave of energy throughout the library- causing books to drop everywhere across the floor. Twilight rises out of the pile, shaking off a book resting on her head, "Well," she patted off some dust, "that was interesting..." Shortly after, Lynx finds himself in an oblivious, unknown area. His consciousness can barely make results due to the overwhelming energies his body couldn't contain, whereas he can't budge. Wherever he is, only to his vision it's nothing but pure blackness. With his nerves still intact, he can feel shivering winds blow against his skin, giving him goosebumps. He tried bringing himself together but his body refuses to obey, bringing fear into his thoughts that if he'll ever move again, or worse; wherever his destination is at it could be the forest with those man-eating bunnies that he can frightfully remember. To a discovery he heard chirping sounds. Birds wondrously chiming their special melodies. These sounds relieve Lynx of his worries in some matter, there was no possible way how the sound of these birds are part of that ghastly, horrid, terrifying, grove. On another discovery he practically hears female voices. "Gee. He doesn't seem well all right if ya ask me," says someone who's voice seems that of a child with a southern accent There was another different female voice responding to the other's statement, "What makes you think it's a 'He'? Furthermore, doesn't he almost resemble an ape? I mean look- he's got hair all over his arms and stuff." "Do ya think we should... leave it and be on our merry way?" "I'd say let's poke it with a stick and see if it's still alive." Lynx has no idea who he's listening to, but he could feel slight pokes jabbing his left side. Whoever they are, Lynx couldn't deal with the annoying poking, and soon he was able to feel his muscles flexing and his eyelids slowly opening. Finally, his eyes open wide and he slowly sits up itching the back of his head, moaning more from not just a headache, but from the jabbing of two fillies; one whose fur seems identical that of Fluttershy's but with a large pink bow tied on her licorice-red mane. And accompanying this yellow delinquent is a burnt-orange fur colored filly that has a purple, raggy-like mane. The purple-maned filly drops the stick and greatly shouts in shock, "It's not dead!" "Of course I'm not dead. And I happen to be a "he" thank you very much!" Lynx retorted. "See, Ah told you he was a male!" exclaimed the southern-accent filly, shaking her friend's shoulder. "Say... you're not from around here, are you? You don't appear animal-like, or pony even." The human rises to his feet, slightly tumbling left and right keeping his balance from his first-time use of a teleportation spell. His surroundings isn't what he thought it'd be; he was standing on a grassy field with daisies and butterflies all around, looking above there is not a single cloud in the sky. The sun, shining and basking everything in it's shining glory, brims down it's glow unto Lynx. "That's weird," Lynx scratches his head, regarding as to the spell he used, "This isn't Sugarcube Corner,". He kneels down at the yellow filly's level, "By chance, could you two tell me where I currently am, and how long have you two been standing here while I was unconscious?" he asks. The yellow filly with the pink bow slowly trots forward, answering his first question, "You're at a mid-point towards Rarity's place. We were heading over there until you showed up out of the blue!" "Yeah," says the orange filly butting her pink-bowed friend aside, "You were out cold for like hours!" "What?!" Lynx outbursts in huge shock. "A few hours!" Both the fillies then chuckle humorously, "Nah, just kidding," said the orange one, "We just got here. For all we know you might have been. Who knows, but let us introduce ourselves; I'm Scootaloo." The yellow filly joins her friend and announces in a cheerful tone, "And I'm Applebloom!" "Applebloom..." whispered Lynx who enters a periodic state of familiarization. "By the sound of your name, you wouldn't happen to be... Applejack's younger sister would you?" It then occurs to Applebloom, "Oh, ya must be that "Lynx" fellow my sister has been rambling on about yesterday," "Rambling on about how I saved her can from those shadow-like thingies?" asked Lynx boldly, illustrating a heroic pose. "No," Applebloom shook her head, referring to the "other" day, "Pretty much when she hogtied ya and she didn't realize ya were Twilight's friend. I laughed like no other when I heard yer face landed in the fertilized mud." Applebloom's lips rose up and quivered, from the amusing imagery of how Lynx's little "mishap" brought laughter to both the fillies. The human lost his confidential stature, with his tone sounding low and discouraged, "Oh..., well, I guess that is funny." Scootaloo wipes a tear off from her cheeks, pulling herself together as she speaks, "Cheer up, we didn't mean it like that," said Scootaloo trying to comfort Lynx, "We believed you saving Applejack was really cool. Anyways, we've got a tight schedule ahead of us. We'll see you later." The two waved their hooves and begun marching their way back onto the path towards Rarity's boutique. Lynx entered a train of thought on the subject; 'They mentioned they're going over to Rarity's. Considering I've only taken one tour around Ponyville, and the fact I convinced Twilight ditching Rarity, I guess I should follow them and apologize to Rarity.' With pity filling his subconsciousness, Lynx quickly stood up to his feet and reached Applebloom and Scootaloo, "Hey!", he hollered, "You two mind if I join? I just remembered I have unfinished business with Rarity, sadly." he whispers the last part. The two fillies slow their movement for Lynx to side along, "Ah don't see why not." Applebloom happily concurs. With the human joining the party, the three mark their paths toward Rarity's. Meanwhile, during the middle of their travelling, the human and fillies converse on several different topics. "So, Sweetie Belle is Rarity's younger sister, hm?" questioned Lynx, "Strange that I've never gotten a chance to see her yesterday," "I think we three may have been on our cutie mark crusading by the time you were over there." said Scootaloo. "Cutie mark crusading? Enlighten me what that specifically stands for." "We're the 'Cutie Mark Crusaders'!" cheered both Applebloom and Scootaloo. Lynx deeply thinks the moment, "I'll assume from the meaning of it that you and Scootaloo." "And Sweetie Belle," Applebloom added. "Right; you, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, are crusading for your cutie marks? Like, you're trying every possible thing and hope you'll find that "special" talent you're good at?" "Ya guessed it," Applebloom nodded, "ya a bit smarter than you look." she teasingly complimented. "Well I-... hey!" said Lynx narrowing his brows, catching on to Applebloom's comment. After a while, the three finally have reached their destination; Rarity's boutique, whereas the two fillies open the door and trotted right in like it's nobody's business. "Wha- hey, you can't just walts in willy nilly!" advised Lynx. They ignored the human's advice. Lynx couldn't help but feel neglected. It occurs to him that he doesn't like being ignored even, but he understands they're only children, so he blatantly shrug off his grudge and pursued from behind. Applebloom and Scootaloo merrily trot towards the charming unicorn as she seems pretty busy fantasing her mannequin with gowns she's sewn herself. The mannequins, reflective sizes that of actual mares, are dressed in assortment of beautiful gowns. Each their own stand out more unique than others. These were exclusive to the orders of Rarity's customers. Once the unicorn notices both the fillies' presence, she begins in a casual tone, "Why, Applebloom and Scootaloo, pleasure seeing you here. I suppose you both will be taking Sweetie Belle off to your Cutie Mark Crusading, no doubt?" foretold Rarity levitating a pair of scissors and quilts, cutting through the fabric thoroughly. "You bet!" confirmed Scootaloo, "We happened to bring Lynx as he was on his way here too." The name catches her astute attention, as she finishes her little cutting, she gazes over at Lynx who waves naively. "Ah, Lynx!" Rarity gleamed, "I wondered where you scurried off to," "Listen Rarity," Lynx started, "I apologize for ditching off like that and-" But suddenly he got caught off when his orange t-shirt was enveloped by a mystical aura, forcefully tugging him forward by Rarity's magic, "No hard feelings, it's all under the bridge now. Besides- better late than never, right? Especially before tomorrow." she smiled brightly. Lynx quizzically ponders, "What's at tomorrow? I'm curious to- ah!" He was again tugged by the unicorn's magic, "No more chitter-chatter, let us make haste with your outfit." said Rarity, dragging Lynx over to the same spot from yesterday. While Rarity is measuring the human's size and shape, another filly like Applebloom & Scootaloo marches in on the scene. This filly has fur vaguely similar to that of Rarity, but her mane's rather poofy and has a mixture of purple and pink colors. She heads on over to the other fillies, "Hi, Applebloom. Hi, Scootaloo." she greeted them happily. "Hey, Sweetie Belle!" said the two simultaneously, "So, what are we going to do for today?" asked Scootaloo, fluttering her wings hyper-actively. Applebloom gently taps her chin with a hoof, pondering on an idea. "Maybe we can try dentistry?" asked Applebloom. "That might work." nodded Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle also lets out a hum of approval. While the three fillies are having their time, Rarity continues measuring around the human's body. "How much longer are you going to do this?" asked Lynx. Rarity tosses the measuring tape aside and moves over to a chest slowly opening it, "Won't take long, darling. I just have to..." Rarity then paused discovering the chest is completely empty, "oh bother, it seems I've already used up my baby blue sapphires from yesterday. I guess I'll just have to buy a few more." The white unicorn's horn brims with a bluish aura and a small saddle bag floats from one bedroom and is saddled atop of her back. "Would you be a marvelous dear and watch over the children for me? They can be a handful at times." Lynx looks at the three fillies and back at the unicorn, "What, those three?" he then puffs out a chuckle, "no sweat!" "Splendid! Now I'm off. Ta-ta." waved Rarity as she trotted out of the boutique. "Heh heh," Lynx sweated, "Simply those three can't be that much troubling... can they?"
Andrew & Raymond's Misadventures #2Raymond squandered around in the garage reading a dusty journal entitled 'My Dear Shy'. To his understanding what's written in the diary is something which relates to a fanfictional story of his favorite: My Little Dashie. But a young man such as him isn't quick to judge a book by it's name, instead he chose to skim through some pages and thus started reading this segment of the journal... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Nightmare Before Christmas Soon another year was about to loop, and Fluttershy is about to have yet another Christmas here on Earth. Her second, actually. It's strange how I've let a small pegasus such as her into my life; from the night I've found her then the next thing you know I'm raising her like a daughter I never believe I would have. It's ever since that night when she whispered those words, "I love you, Daddy", something inside me sparked. This cold, shallow shell has finally cracked and allowed love to spread, enveloping me with senses of love & compassion. Last Christmas before this upcoming one, I never had told Fluttershy about Santa Claus. Of course I didn't believe in all that nonsense and as of now I still don't believe it, after all, it is a marketing scheme to convince people into buying their merchandise. Still, I shouldn't let that be the reason I shouldn't tell Fluttershy. She's very young and also naive, but those are the other reasons I love her so; she reminds me of myself when I was her age. Though there isn't enough time to go back on reminiscing, I should focus on getting prepared for the Christmas Holiday. It became December 23rd and the Christmas Tree was set up with simple ornaments: streams of white lights from the top spiral around until it reaches the bottom, and red and green bulbs decorated onto any branch sticking out. This tree was quite beautiful, even Fluttershy is astounded how bright and colorful it was. We both stand before the tree, admiring it's shining beauty, "What do you think, Fluttershy?" I ask staring down at her. "It's amazing," she smiled. Although her sweet smile diminished into a slight frown. I noticed and knelt down gently rubbing her back asking, "What's the matter? Don't you like it?" She quickly looks to me and says, "Oh absolutely! I just..." she then lowers her head and stares down at the floor. "Just what? Come on, you can tell me." "I just wish I could've helped you with the decorating." she depressingly said. I brought out a soft smile and lifted her chin up using a thumb. "My dear Shy, you don't have to be sad that you couldn't help. But it's not too late, as you can see," I pointed another hand at the tip of the tree," I haven't placed the star up yet. So, why not you put it there for me? It's the most important job of all." Her pupils enlarged, gleaming ecstatically, "You mean it?!" "Of course," I nodded, "now let me bring it on over and I'll hoist you up there." I scurried to my living room closet and rummaged through and found a very antique-like star covered in glitter. It's nothing out of the ordinary. Just a plain star whose purpose is to stand at the tip of a tree. I'll at least give my foster parents courtesy for giving me some stuff they might've thrown away, such as this star for one example, even though I despise them with a passion. I return with the said object and handed it to Fluttershy. "Hold it very tight," I heeded before I lifted her up. "Just carefully place it there..." She held on to it like it was her life. To her this kind of thing was very special. Well, I did say it was the most important part of decorating. Once she has gotten the star on the tip I pull her closer to me, letting her admire the scenery while I held her. At last, everything was complete. The tree, the ornaments, the star, all there's left to do is wrap a few presents and put them underneath the tree. Rather a good thing I bought a couple on my way to work before tomorrow of December, I'd hate to go through the trouble of traffic or wait at long lines in a store. Fluttershy looked up glancing at me with a very bright smile, "It's beautiful." she awed. "Indeed, but not as beautiful as you are," I said, then I hugged her closer whilst smothering my face against her mane. "Alright, then, how about we go bake some Christmas cookies?" "Can I help stir the batter?" asked Fluttershy. "Hm, hm," I half-chuckled, "Sure, why not." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "D'aawwww," Raymond moans in a softy, type of way. "I've got to show this to Andrew." He quickly stood up from the garage's concrete and sprinted out closing the door from behind, then he entered the living room where Andrew remains seated on the couch who's constantly changing channels on Lyn's television. Raymond hopped over from the back of the couch and landed right beside his friend, holding the book out to his friend. "Andrew, you've got to read this!" exclaimed Raymond. However, Andrew was far busy focusing on the television and didn't pay any attention to his excited comrade. "Andrew!" Raymond exclaims once more. "There's not even any Girls Gone Wild!" he finally responded, "And what do you want, Raymond?" "You have to check this out," said Raymond holding out the diary. "Go on, take it." Andrew reached and swiped it from him, then he began scanning the pages thoroughly. "There's..." he began. "Yeesssss, go on," "There's nothing written here." Raymond's eyes widened with absolute shock, but gave out a tiny smirk knowing about his friends' habit of pranks. "Yeah right, Andrew. You must be trolling me. I read it myself and I say that you are high as a kite." "I'm not kidding," Andrew sincerely replied, "I can't see anything on these pages. It's all BLANK." He much sounded like he wasn't joking at all. Raymond could tell his friend's serious tone and stern expression meant he's speaking the truth. Raymond deeply enters his mind, boggled, thinking as to how this is possible; a strange mystery he could not solve. "Are you sure you haven't gone full retard on me?" "No, have you?" Andrew returns the remark. Raymond quietly grumbles to himself and took the book into the kitchen so that he can read peacefully without the TV interfering his focus. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And so December 24th has arrived. Fluttershy has been pretty eager for Christmas, especially when she knows about the presents under the tree. Yet, should I have told her the story of Santa Claus? Perhaps it'd be best she wouldn't know at all. Besides, she'll later discover he's just a fictional character like many others. This, however, excludes Fluttershy. Sure she may be from a cartoon show of fictional ponies, but she exists; here in reality, I can actually touch her, feel her, even love her. Despite what other people can call me, I believe there are many worlds alike out there. It's a shame we haven't created dimension-travelling technologies. Anyway, it's a mere few hours before 9:00PM and it'll be a matter of time when "it" happens. Those who'll wonder what I'm planning, you'll soon see. Just you wait and see. After those 'few hours' had gone by it was the moment where Fluttershy and I slept under our warm sheets of my bed. She still keeps her blanket close to her for protective reasons, probably. And after a couple more hours, Fluttershy awoke drowsily and shifted to the right trying to cuddle with me, but... she begun noticing I wasn't there- in fact, I wasn't anywhere to be seen. "Daddy?" Fluttershy inaudibly yelped, "Daddy!" Only the eerie hoots of owls and chirping crickets were her answer. Nothing else. She started breathing erratically, anxiously, and stayed under the sheets hoping I would return sooner or later. But moments afterward, I never showed up. Fluttershy sniffled, crying in fear that she was abandoned all to herself with nobody there to comfort her. The scared, little pegasus then heard tiny thumping noises coming clear out from the living room. In desperation, she got out of bed and haste towards where the sounds emanated from, readying herself to spring into my arms if she could. Although, when she approached the parlor, I'am yet to have been found. Sounds still kept being heard, and Fluttershy glanced to where they came from. To her absolute shock, there was a shadowy figure standing at the tree. The Christmas lights shine so brightly revealing a man with a long, white puffy beard while wearing a solid red suit and a black, thick, and leathery belt strapped around his waist to keep his breeches from falling. Fluttershy froze in place, quivering by this stranger she knows not of; a stranger who dares to invade her father's peaceful home. Is his clothes some sort of disguise to ensure his identity is hidden? Is he a burglar planning to steal Fluttershy's presents? Fluttershy wasn't sure what his intentions were, but the bearded man has sensed her presence after she gave off a fearful squeak. He gave off a jolly laugh, "Ho ho ho! What do we have here? It seems one of my toys must've accidentally fell out of my sack." he then reached down with his big hand and grabbed hold of Fluttershy who desperately squirmed to break free. "No. Let me go! Please, Daddy, help me. Help-" Fluttershy's cries were muffled once she was thrown into a large sack filled with various toys. She did her best climbing out while her escape was still opened, but soon it slowly closes and no matter how hard Fluttershy tried it seemed she was getting nowhere. Her only way out finally shuts and all there is to see is pure darkness. "Noooooo!" Fluttershy loudly cried until her eyelids open up. I abruptly woke up by her screech asking her, "What happened?!" Soon as she heard my voice, Fluttershy dug her face into my chest weeping, "Daddy! I had an awful nightmare. You were gone, and there was this man in red, he took me away, and I tried calling you but you wouldn't come. I was so scared, Daddy!" "Whoa, whoa. Just calm down. It was only a dream." I assured her. She still held on to me tightly, not letting go at the slightest. "But it felt so real." "Sshhh, it's okay, I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise that I'll always be right here protecting you, no matter what. That, I can assure you" She stared up to my eyes, wiping her tears away as she choked between sobs, "Y-you sure?" Without a second, I answered instantly, "I won't just say I'm sure- I PROMISE I will be there for you, always!" A content smile then appeared on her face as she said "Thank you, Daddy.", and afterwards she fell back asleep. Meanwhile, I was thinking about the dream she had. To be honest, I was going to dress up as Santa Claus and give her presents, but I guess after that dream she'll forever be scared of men dressed in red. Well, there goes that idea. Second, I have such an unwelcoming feeling about my promise to her... I know in my heart I can't fulfill that promise. It'll be only a matter of time when that'll occur. For as long as she's here, I can at least somewhat keep the promise. Later I too went back to sleep. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "That was a bit touching." Raymond judged, "But, I'm very curious as to why Andrew couldn't read it..." Suddenly, he saw Andrew coming into the kitchen, "Yo, Raymond, I got to go take a bath because my balls smell." With that said, we will halt here and stay tune for the next episode of Andrew & Raymond's Misadventures!
Foal-Sitting MishapOnce Rarity took off to do her small errand, Lynx was left to babysit the three fillies, The Cutie Mark Crusaders, who had congregated into a circle - pondering together as to what activity will yield their destiny. The human approaches them and crosses his arms whilst tapping his foot repeatedly. 'How am I going to do this. Either way, babysitting shouldn't be that difficult, or at least I hope it isn't.' Applebloom becomes aware of his presence, tilting upward with confusion, "What might ya be doin' Mr. Lynx?" she inquired. "Oh!" said Lynx, snapping out of deep thought. "Uh, well... I'm just thinking because, honestly, I have no idea how this babysitting works really. Besides, how can the three of you be any trouble? You're all too adorable." "Beats me," said Scootaloo innocently shrugging. "But in the meanwhile, what are we going to do to earn our cutie marks?" she asks her two other friends who are also thinking. "We still can try dentistry!" Sweetie Belle reminded. "Then it's settled." Applebloom clapped her hooves cheerfully. "But who'll be the patient?" The pink bowed filly turned towards her friends. Sweetie Belle of whom shrugged, and Scootaloo lightly shook her head. Simultaneously their pupils expanded, then they began staring at Lynx with devious grins. "I think we may have found the perfect subject." said Sweetie Belle. "Have you?" Lynx obliviously scratches his head. "And why are you all staring at me like..." A moment pausing, the human gulps out of nervousness. "Oohhh no." he shook his head nervously. Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo stood up to their hooves and slowly trotted towards Lynx. "Now girls." Lynx took one step back. "We can be rational about this." They didn't listen, rather they continued their approach with each step to Lynx's, readying themselves for a cat and mouse chase. "Ah jeez..." Lynx murmured. With one final backward step, the human accidentally tripped from a roll of blue fabric; landing hard on his tush. This was the perfect moment for the fillies to pounce on him while he's tumbled. Applebloom was the first to rush and grab hold of his legs. Scootaloo came in second for the other leg. "Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo hollered. "Find some rope or something so we can tie him." The white-furred filly acknowledges her friend's order and heads off finding what her friend needed. Lynx knew exactly what they planned to do and he tried putting all his might in getting the two fillies off of him. But no matter how hard he tried, they still had him pinned down. Who would've thought these delicate, innocent, ponies had absurd strength that even Lynx, a human, couldn't overpower. Squirming much as he could, the two were maintaining their grip. After a few seconds, Sweetie Belle shortly returns with a small, thick coil of rope in her mouth. Lynx panicked more. He could imagine the horror that'll await him if the fillies succeed. In the middle of his frantic squirming, the smart phone slid out from his pocket and landed onto the floor, face up. Upon impact, it lit up and emitted a sound. "Droid!" The strange noise caught three of the fillies' ears, thus ceasing their actions as to curiously wonder what it was. "Did ya girls hear that?" asked Applebloom. A moment of being silent, they paid acute attention for another sound. The phone once again made a loud 'Beep!' sound - loud enough for Applebloom to become slightly startled. "Where is that coming from?!" Scootaloo anxiously wondered. Sweetie Belle heard it too. As a matter of fact, she plainly could hear like it was next to her. She swiftly glances around until finally, she peered down at the device the sounds were emitting from. The adolescent unicorn gently lowered the rope onto the floor and approached it cautiously. She was in front of the smart phone. As she observed, Sweetie Belle lowered her head closer and closer, pondering; thinking uncertain thoughts. "Girls." Sweetie Belle softly hollers to the two. "I think that noise came from this... thing?" she reluctantly said. Applebloom and Scootaloo's curiousness elevate, wondering too what their white unicorn friend is babbling on about. They released their hooves from the human and joined Sweetie Belle back into a triangular meeting. They survey it for a small period of time, quietly asking questions at one another regarding the device they're curious about. "Can... can we touch it?" asks Applebloom, hesitant from reaching out. "Why don't you go for it, Sweetie Belle." "Me?" Sweetie Belle points a hoof on her own chest in question. "No way! Why not Scootaloo? She's a risk-taker." Both Scootaloo's pupils recoil and her brows greatly rose up with shock, "Wha- me?!" she baffled. "Just because I take risks doesn't necessarily involve something such as this. What if it, like, sucks me in?" "It won't." grunted the human standing up to his feet, brushing off dust all over his clothes. "Because I used the thing before and I didn't get pulled in or anything." Lynx kneels down and retrieved his device, illustrating his world's technology to the curious delinquents. "See." he assured. "Nothing at all. But boy, I never thought you all could be a handful. Guess Rarity wasn't pulling my leg." Sweetie Belle looks to Lynx, cocking a brow with confusion. "Pulling your leg? Why would my older sister do that?" "It's a metaphor..." Lynx grumbled. "What's a metaphor?" Sweetie Belle again asks. The human planted one entire palm over his face, letting out a frustrating groan as he slowly lowered his hand. "Just... nevermind. Look." Lynx demonstrates by poking the phone's screen with a pinky. "As you can see, it won't do any harm." Three of the fillies stood beside, admiring the cell phone's features. "Wow!" awed Scootaloo, "Can it do anything else?" Lynx was sure enough it could do more. As he can recall, earlier when he was experimenting the device, he pressed something that made the phone play loud music; music of which Twilight found pretty disturbing. He figured if he can make the phone play 'Disturbed' again then perhaps it'll frighten the little ponies. "Say... do you girls like music by any chance?" he deviously grinned. "Are you kidding? Everypony in Ponyville adores music!" said Applebloom. 'Then let's see here... 'Ten Thousand Fists', no that won't do. 'Prayer'? Forget that. Ah, here's something... 'Darkness'. This may just do the job.' Lynx snickers in thought. 'Okay, you troublemakers, how's about some hardcore music!' With a peck of his pinky finger, the phone's screen displays buttons like that of an MP3 player and initiates. Lynx quickly laid the phone down on the floor- plugged both ears and closed his eyes, readying for a wave of ear-wrenching sound. However, there were violins calmly stringing as background. Piano keys stroked in a peaceful, yet sad, tempo. A single, acoustic guitar strumming loudly. It was so calm, so sad, the fillies have never heard this type of music before. Happy and joy were their instinct when singing, but whatever the phone played is quite the opposite. Parts being dark and somber. "Huh?" Lynx unplugged his ears and lifted his eyelids, wondering why the fillies aren't screaming or panicking. "This is the same 'Disturbed' from before, right?" he quietly murmurs to himself. "Mr. Lynx, I don't know about you, but I don't very much like it." Sweetie Belle chided. "Same here," Applebloom concurs, "No offense. We prefer something more... happy, and cheerful!" "Hmph. You know, let's experiment it a little bit more then. I haven't fully gone into what this thing can really do. And how 'bout that? There's something you girls can be familiar with: 'Robot Unicorn Attack'." "Robot Unicorn what now?" Scootaloo tilted. "Exactly." said Lynx. "So why don't I press this aaaand..." Another click of a button, the screen abruptly blacked out, and suddenly came back alive displaying a metallic unicorn staring back at Lynx from the screen; the mechanical unicorn mightily neighs as it's colorful mane identical to Rainbow Dash's majestically flows even beyond the screen. Three buttons appear -- Exit, Play, Options -- appear simultaneously in front of the robotic unicorn, allowing the human to proceed on forward. "Huh, strange. This some game?" Lynx pondered. Out of pure excitement, the fillies huddled together next to Lynx, squeezing him in the process. "A game?!" Applebloom squealed. "I love games!" Sweetie Belle joined. The human's entire face blushed thick red, "You girls are... crushing me!" he gasped. The three ponies separated and Lynx could freely breathe. "Oopsie." pardoned Sweetie Belle. "Sorry 'bout that. But do you think, perhaps, we can try it?" Applebloom squee'd, tugging on the back of Lynx's shirt with a hoof. The human turned his head and peered down at the eager filly. Her roundish eyes meet his, her pupils large and glistening brightly, showing desperation. 'Hmm...' Lynx hummed, thinking it over. 'Determining whether I should or shouldn't; either risk a chance becoming a victim of dental surgery, or use this to keep them occupied. But I'd also be risking it.'. He reverts his sight back and forth between Applebloom and the smart phone. 'Grrr... I'm going to regret this one day...' Fixing his eyes on Applebloom, Lynx urged his very best not to frown, and instead, smiled. Smiling widely, with teeth exposed, his eye twitched as he hesitates handing over one of his only connections to his world which he knows not much of. *THIRTY MINUTES LATER* The boutique's front door knob glowed a bluish aura and swiftly swung open. Rarity walked past the threshold - carrying both bags full of baby blue sapphires. Rarity gently lowered the leather bags on the ground, closing the door from behind. "Oh girls, I'm back!" she said. "You would not believe how rough it was. The line was rather exhausting - I thought it'd never end." Trotting forward, Rarity noticed how strangely quiet her boutique was. "Oh dear. I hope there wasn't any trouble while I... was-" suddenly she paused, dumbstruck seeing the fillies sitting all nice and quiet; behaved, to say the least. "Hey there." said Lynx sitting on a chair. "See, not a big deal." Rarity again was at a loss for words. She gawked. "How did you, when did you-" Lynx rose from his chair, walking and standing next to Rarity explaining. "I'll take your word for it, they were very "troublesome". But find it lucky that I had "something" to occupy their time with. And throughout the time they've been like this." "My oh my -- you've done an excellent job. I'm quite impressed!" Rarity acclaimed. "I feel you deserve a reward for your brave services." In a quick trot and back the mare gives Lynx three, polished, gold coins. "Appreciated." The human nods to her. "Don't be afraid to holler for me to do this again. I wouldn't mind it as a job." he jokingly said. "Hm, hm." she softly giggled. "Aren't you such a dear. Unfortunately we'll have to postpone our little session. While I was waiting in line at the gem store, I so happened to have bumped into Photo Finish! What were the chances of it!? Anyway, she told me that she needed some new dresses for her models for 'Equestria's New Top Model'!" Rarity circled around Lynx, squealing in absolute joy and excitement. "That's great..." said Lynx, unsure of what Rarity explained. The hyped up unicorn calms herself. "Pardon me." she said, lightly blushing. "Anywho, you're free to leave as you please." "My pleasure. Just let me grab my thing over there and I'll be gone." Lynx heads on over to the fillies that remain sitting where they were. They were too focused on the phone when the human tried catching their attention. "Girls!" he shouted calmly. "Aww, I missed the star." Scootaloo sighed. She turned her head and noticed the approaching human. "Oh, hey Mr. Lynx!" "Hey." he greeted back. "Anyway, it's time I make my leave, so I'll have to ask you girls to return that." "Awww..." the three fillies whined. "Can we hold onto it just a little longer?" Sweetie Belle pleaded. "We promise we'll give it back as soon as we're done." Scootaloo also begs. "Sorry." Lynx apologized. "But I can't leave without it." Applebloom carefully took the phone by her mouth and rightfully returned his item. "Thanks." he smiled. Upon inspecting his mobile device however, there was a tiny crack at a corner of the screen. 'Sigh... I did say I'd regret it. But supposedly better than getting my teeth banged up.' Before departure, a thought clouded his mind; one concerning another pony that is eager for his arrival. 'Hmm, while I'm at it, I guess I better pay another visit to Fluttershy. She did seem excited for our next meeting.' "Excuse me, Rarity." Lynx called. "If by chance Twilight comes over here asking where I am, have her know I'll be at Fluttershy's cottage." Answering his favor, the fabulous unicorn trots up to him, "Most certainly. But in case you can't find your way around here, have this map - as courtesy for a splendid job!" Again, thankful for her generosity, Lynx bid his farewell to the mare and the three fillies and began heading off towards his next destination. What sort of adventure will await for our misplaced human at Fluttershy's cottage? Find out on the next chapter of Keeper of Harmony!
Bonding with The Element of KindnessLynx sets off to Fluttershy's cottage after helping Rarity with the fillies. In compensation for his foal-sitting deed he was paid three gold coins, even though he was unaware what they're mainly used for. He throws the thoughts aside when he pays astute attention to the map of Ponyville. During his travelling, he speaks to himself. "Hmm, there's Sugarcube corner. There's Rarity's -- where I was just at -- and there's Fluttershy's cottage." Taking a brief moment, Lynx scans the map and sees Everfree Forest just above Fluttershy's cottage. The words, Everfree Forest, made Lynx shudder. His mind projects a momentary flashback where he ran from the killer rabbits and where he ran into a strange mist of darkness with chilling, yellow eyes. He wishes he could forget everything that had happened in that forest. But those memories were forever scarred within his mind. He also recalls the hooded stranger. Speaking of which, Lynx, thought with concern. How was it that the unknown being knew his name? The thought was perplexing. It was also puzzling how he knew about the sudden attack at Sweet Apple Acres. While the thoughts were concerning, the human blatantly shrugged and continued his journey to Fluttershy's cottage. It turns out, however, that he must pass through Ponyville in order to do so. He never considered having to go through there again. His last tour in Ponyville, he frankly remembers receiving contorting looks of fear and confusion from the ponies as he passed by on that previous venture. After a while, Lynx was standing at the center of Ponyville. Taking his sights off the map, he stops nearby at what appears to be a restaurant and surveys the surroundings. Sitting at a table outside the restaurant are two charming mares: Cloudchaser, a pegasus with grayish lilac fur and spiky mane; and Flitter, another pegasus, that wears a pink bow and has fur that slightly matches that of Cloudchaser's, albeit brighter. Lynx couldn't help but overhear Flitter telling Cloudchaser about her reminiscing years as a filly. "Ahh..." he additionally hears the Flitter sigh heavenly. "And that is how I earned my cutie mark." Flitter boasts proudly. "For the third freakin' time, I know!" Lynx hears Cloudchaser bellow back to Flitter. Lynx decided to ignore the ponies and continue onward. But just before he left town, a unicorn was suddenly standing in his path. She had a shiny aquamarine coat, a mane of mint-color with a white streak and sunglow eyes. Unlike other ponies, this one was fascinated in Lynx's appearance: his lofty hiking boots, his clean orange t-shirt and sky-blue jeans. He says to the pony. "Uh... excuse me, you happen to be in the way." There was no reply. She was deeply entranced by the human's anatomy. Lynx snaps his finger, as if to say excuse me. The sound of his finger snapping broke her out of her trance. Then she spoke up. "Oh. Sorry, I couldn't help but notice that you're new here. Actually, you're not even from this planet are you?" she shyly and curiously wondered. "No." he bluntly replied. "I figured as much. Say, what do you call those "things"? she directly points a hoof at his hands. "These?" he held one out in question. "They're hands." "Hands? What are 'hands'?" 'Sheesh. Out of all ponies, I bump into a strange one.' he speaks in mind. "Our hands are what we humans use to do what you ponies kind of do: pushing, pulling, grabbing, lifting. The works." Lynx interpreted. "Neat! Do you suppose..." she kicks the dirt beneath her forehooves. "I could... take a closer look?" she politely asked. 'Okay.' Lynx uneasily thought. 'This has now gone from weird to creepy. I don't know if I should...' Reluctant, Lynx nodded to her request and stretched his arm out a little more. The unicorn stepped closer, analyzing every aspect of his hand - from his wrist to his palm and to each finger. "Fascinating..." she whispered in awe. "Ahem" Lynx cleared his throat. "Can I have my hand back?" "Oh, sorry." she sheepishly blushed. "If I may, can I ask for your name, mister..." "Lynx." he boldly announced. "And might I ask who you are?" "Lyra Heartstrings." she cheerily replied. "That's a rather pretty name." "Hehe, thanks!" her cheeks blushed more. "I like your name too. Though you look nothing like a cat. Is the name 'Lynx' some sort of nickname?" "Well, I can't say you're the first to think that, about everybody here mistakes me for an animal just by how my name sounds. Except Rainbow Dash. She rather finds my name 'cool'." "Your nickname does sound very unique." Lyra giggled. Lynx perked a friendly smile. He was simply enjoying the entire conversation he's having with this friendly, still strange, unicorn. "You're all right, I thought you'd be like those folks back there." "Like who?" Lyra curiously wondered. "The folk who live here. Yesterday I saw many of them whispering to each other when they noticed me. I have the instinctual feeling that they don't like me." "I think it's because you're different. I'm sure if you at least try communicating with them they'd get to know you better." "I didn't think of it that way." Lynx scratched his chin as he thought. "Anyway, much as I want to spend more time talking with you I have other plans to do for today." Lyra hangs her head, sighing discouragingly. "Oh, okay...." "How about this? I'll meet you here tomorrow at this exact time and we can get to know each other better then. Think of it as a thank you for the talk." Lyra's lips lifted and responds with a delightful smile. "I'd like that! I'll see you tomorrow then." She trotted off as Lynx waves a friendly goodbye. 'These ponies aren't as bad as I thought they were. Anyway, I guess I better get a move on while the early sun is still out.' Lynx says to himself. After a long time walking, Lynx finally reached his destination. The crystal clear sky - void of clouds; the subtle ponds that glitter from the sun's shimmering light; the blooming lilies and daisies. It was absolute paradise. Even when he had first glance of Fluttershy's beauteous sanctuary, he always finds that view breathtaking. Lynx approached Fluttershy's door and knocked against the wooden gate with his bare knuckles. From inside Fluttershy asked in a singing tone of voice. "Who is it?" "Lynx." he answered. Upon the mention of his name, Fluttershy swiftly opens the door and first greets her expected visitor with a welcoming, bone-crushing hug. "I'm so glad you came!" she cooed. "Ack!" he grunted. "I think that'll do Fluttershy. Any more and my eyes are going to pop out!" The pegasus let Lynx go, allowing him to gasp for air. "Sorry, but I'm just so happy that you made it. Did you have any trouble finding your way here?" she concernedly asked. "Not really. But my feet are sore from the long walk." "Then please, do come right in." offered Fluttershy moving aside. "You must be very exhausted." Lynx was more than happy to oblige. "Gee, thanks!" Of course, being a human, the door was a tad short for his size, but he lowers his neck down and easily walks in. Upon entering, if he thought the outside was gorgeous, the inside was more fabulous. Underneath his boots is a round, bright red carpet which has the exact matching colors of a plushy-looking couch up ahead. There were various photo frames of authentic plants hanging on the walls of the house too. Lynx says to Fluttershy in complimentary. "Nice place you have here." "I wouldn't call it too nice, but it is wonderful. Why don't you sit on the couch while I go make us some hot tea." The human nodded and sat down on the sofa while Fluttershy heads into the kitchen. "She sure knows her stuff," he said. "This couch is unbelievably soft." Before getting remotely comfortable, Lynx notices a white rabbit standing before him. The rabbit was pure white, small and vigorous. The furry bunny daggers at him with his beady black eyes. He greets the rabbit. "Hey there, fella. If I'm not mistaken you're that one rabbit Fluttershy calls Angel, right?" All of a sudden the rabbit delivers a swift kick to Lynx's shin out of spite. "Ouch!" Lynx cried while rubbing his sore shin. "Why you dirty little-" "Is everything okay out there?" Fluttershy hollered from the kitchen. Lynx hollers back assuring Fluttershy. "Everything's fine!" He fixes his sight back at Angel as the rabbit gives him a raspberry (raspberry - a mocking gesture commonly used for teasing or provoking). Lynx growls at Angel. "Listen here you little devil, I'd have a mind to-" He then immediately paused as soon as he sees Fluttershy coming out of the kitchen. Fluttershy sits down next to Lynx and says. "The kettle is currently on the stove, so I thought we can talk for a little bit while we wait. And I see you've met Angel. Are you two getting along very nicely?" "Ho sure!" he lied. "We're practically friends already, right Angel?" Another raspberry was Angel's response. 'You'll get yours one day you creep. Not today, not tomorrow, but some day!' Lynx swears in thought. Fluttershy was greatly pleased. "That's wonderful!" she cheered. "As you can see, Angel doesn't have a lot of friends. So I'm sure the two of you are going to be best friends." Lynx rolled his eyes. "Which reminds me. Don't you have a lot of friends? Besides Twilight and the other four?" Fluttershy answered with a nod. "Oh yes, most definitely. There's Spike and there's all of my animal friends. Especially you, Lynx. But... um, if it's okay to ask..." she rubs both her forehooves together. "...how is it that you don't have a tail? Were you not born with it?" "Fluttershy, you do know that I'm--" but then suddenly Lynx was cut off by an abrupt, whistling sound coming from the kitchen. "The tea is ready! I'll be right back." said Fluttershy leaving Lynx and Angel alone with each other. Lynx leans down closer to Angel, whispering audibly. "Okay you rodent. You and I both know we don't like each other. But might I suggest we settle this like responsible gents? At least for Fluttershy's sake?" said Lynx, offering a hand of truce. The rabbit repeatedly taps his foot and thinks upon the decision. He, however, spat a chunk of spit into the human's palm and hopped away. The human wipes off the disgusting saliva with his t-shirt. "Gross!" he cried. "Fine. Don't say I didn't give you a chance, you jerk." Fluttershy shortly then returns with a set of fine chinaware; a kettle and two tea cups, on a silver platter and places them down on the coffee table a couple feet before them. "Be careful - the tea is dangerously hot. We'll have to let it cool down before we can pour any." warned Fluttershy as she sits back down on the couch. "Now what were you saying?" Lynx takes a moment of pondering, but before he could even reply, Fluttershy suddenly gasps. "Oh my goodness, I almost forgot!" In a sprint, she quickly trots upstairs and back downstairs with a one-and-a-half foot long, rectangular-shaped, package that's neatly wrapped in brown paper. "Yesterday I started making you a present after you and Twilight left that evening." Fluttershy squeed. Lynx kindly takes the present and rips the paper apart to reveal a box. He removes the lid and sees an item inside. Its color was designed red and it was thin and flat, made purely out of strong fiber. It has some sort of mini belt-buckle only at one end with a round coin-like tag, made out of pure gold, stitched in it's center. He observed more closely to find his name engraved on the golden piece. "It's... it's some sort of wristband?" Lynx asks. Fluttershy giggles at Lynx, "No, silly. It's a collar." Lynx wasn't sure if he misunderstood her, so he cleaned his right ear with a small finger and leans closer. "Come again?" "A collar." Fluttershy repeated. "Do you like it?" This was cruelly an ironic twist. Lynx couldn't believe that this present, gifted from Fluttershy herself, is simply nothing more than just a plain red collar for him to wear. Angel, who sees it all, dropped to the floor and bursts out laughing so hard that he's crying tears of laughter. Fluttershy's eyes sparkle, waiting for the human's answer as he turned to her impassively. "Sorry, but I don't like it." he says. Fluttershy, crestfallen, mutters inaudibly. "You- you... don't like it?" At that point, Lynx realizes what he had said. It didn't take a second for him to notice that Fluttershy was emotionally hurt. He was so angry at Angel laughing at him that he couldn't think straight when he said it. Lynx desperately yelps. "Hold on! You didn't let me finish. What I meant to entirely say was: Sorry, but I don't like it -- I LOVE IT!" "R-really?" Fluttershy sniffled. "You really love it?" "Yes, positive!" he re-assures her. "I love it so much that I'll put it on right now." Fluttershy wipes away her small tears and lifted a cheerful smile. Lynx lets out a relieving sigh as he prevented of what could have been a disaster. Bound to his word he puts the collar on, but seems to be having trouble trying to get it around his neck. "I'll help you with that." said Fluttershy as she takes the collar. While Fluttershy was busy helping him, Angel, sitting on the couch's arm behind her, glares at Lynx out of pure jealousy. Lynx grins out of satisfactory. 'Now we're even.' "There we go!" says Fluttershy as she snaps the collar on. The human slides his fingers through the collar and says. "A perfect fit! I think I'll wear it everyday just to show you how much I mean it." Touched by his devotion and integrity, Fluttershy embraces him into an affectionate hug, cooing softly. "That would mean a lot to me." Lynx then looks at the ticking clock above him and sees the two hands are at 1:12 in the afternoon. "I wish I could stay here longer but I think my time here is almost up." "Oh, okay. Though can I at least tempt you to a cup or two of tea?" said Fluttershy holding up the kettle. Lynx was rather thirsty. He can say he hasn't had a drink since his departure from Rarity's and he wouldn't want to be rude to let some effort Fluttershy poured into go to waste. He kindly accepts her proposal and sits back down. The pegasus carefully fills a tea cup and hands him the herbal beverage. Lynx takes a strong sip. "This is rather potent, but even so, it's great." he says. "Oh it's nothing really." Fluttershy smiled. "All I did was add an extra herb. Thank you, though. Would you care for some more?" Lynx replied in a heartbeat. "Of course!" Fluttershy again pours another full cup of her praised beverage, and the fervid human empties it in one vigorous gulp. "My goodness. You really were thirsty, weren't you?" she says astonished. "I guess I was," he admittedly chuckles. "Thank you so much by the way." "No problem at all. I'm glad you like it." "I'm not just talking about the tea; you invited me into your beloved home, you offered me your delicious tea, and you gave me this collar." he interpreted. "There has to be some way for me to repay you." "No need. Hearing you say that is all the thanks I need, and feel free to come back anytime. You'll always be welcomed here." "I couldn't be more grateful for your kindness. Anyway, I think I'll be heading out now. See you later, Fluttershy." Lynx waved as he rose up and began walking out past the threshold. However, the moment Lynx took one step, he suddenly trips over and plummets face first onto the dusty soil. Seeing what tripped him, he confirms that it wasn't what tripped him but instead who tripped him. The culprit was none other than the devious rabbit, Angel. "Oh my goodness!" Fluttershy bellowed softly. "Are you okay?!" "Don't worry, I'm fine. I tripped on a stone is all." he lied. He slowly rises up and pats the dirt off his t-shirt then turns his head to see Angel sticking his tongue out at him before slamming the door shut. "Oh it is on, little buddy...." Now that Lynx has bonded with Fluttershy and has formed a rivalry with her favorite bunny, what sort of exciting adventures will await him afterwards? Find out on the next chapter of Keeper of Harmony!
Meanwhile...Meanwhile, after Lynx set out returning to Ponyville, somewhere deep in the vast depths of the oblivious grove, Everfree Forest, lies an evil discussion of two unknown voices. Everything was all black and blurry, and there is no telling what the figures appear or look like. But sure enough that whatever it is they're planning cannot be pleasant. One begins with a hiss and speaks very serpent-like. "It appearsss the attack didn't go asss well asss you had hoped, my lord." "Always observable, my minion." replied a different, monstrous voice whose demonic tone could cause those-who-hear's hair stand on end. "But that was only nothing. It was a trial; a testament to determine their strength and willpower." "You are alwaysss one step ahead, my liege. Ssso, what will your next plan be?" "Simple. We will ambush the human again. However, this time it is YOU who'll be leading the attack." "Very well. Ssshall I rally the othersss, then?" "Not too hasty, minion. Since the princess is anticipating for our next attack, we'll just have to settle and wait until their suspicions wear down." "Brilliant asss usual, my lord. But what of the purple unicorn?" "Ha! Her? If she interferes do whatever it is that you see fit. However under any circumstance, once you succeed be sure to bring him back here alive." "What are your intentionsss with him?" "I won't disclose those plans just yet. For now, we will continue observing his movements until the opportunity comes." The demon-voiced lord first started off with a chuckle but soon raises a diabolical, deafening laughter that echoes throughout the entire forest. While the human was heading toward Ponyville, he momentarily stopped half-way and barely hears the winds of the wicked laughter. He looked around seeing if there was anybody near him. 'Huh, could have sworn I heard someone.' he thought. 'Must be me imagining things.' he then aimlessly shrugged and continues his long, laborious walk.
An Inner VoiceIt was such a blissful and sunny afternoon in Ponyville; the young fillies were in school learning mathematics and alphabets, the stallion farmers were out harvesting their ripe vegetables on massive, plowed fields, the pegasi were flying and soaring through the oceanic skies keeping it clear of clouds. This was the habitual way of life of the residents in Ponyville, and the only possible thing that could disrupt this peaceful habit is Lynx. Speaking of Lynx, we return to the human and his long and laborious walk to Ponyvile after his quality bond time with Fluttershy. As time passed, he finally arrived at Ponyville; but he stopped at the edge of town and was suddenly overwhelmed with nervousness and embarrassment for he knew he would have to go through the streets with Fluttershy's present girdled around his neck. It was the moment he had begun wearing it, that he felt his once proud dignity and pride had been stomped to the ground by humility's boot. However, the reminiscing of Fluttershy's gratefulness made him feel less insecure about the gift ringed around his neck and rather made him feel more content of wearing it. As Lynx merrily walked through the village's paths and crossroads with both hands behind his head, he took upon notice some of the ponies along his merry way were doing their best avoiding or making any sort of contact with him. Some even retreated to their homes when they gave him a first glance. The outcast treatmeant they were giving to Lynx bothered him most entirely. All he wanted to do was fit in with the townsfolk, but his alien appearance and their fear of that case made it all the more difficult for him to do so. Lynx covered his mouth with an entire left palm, pondering what Lyra had told him. I'm sure if you try communicating with them they'd get to know you better. 'I'll keep trying, Lyra.' said Lynx in thought. He took a deep breather, gathering confidential determination, and prepared his quest to mingle with the next pony he'll come across. And what do you know, he bumped in to a grey pegasus who had a blonde mane and tail with a cutie mark of bubbles located on her flank. Lynx found this pegasus to be rather... special (as in interesting) because her eyes were crossed and goofy looking. Like Lyra, this pegasus showed no sign of fear or anxiety when she saw Lynx and instead greeted him with an approachable smile. "Hi there!" said the pegasus, waving a hoof at Lynx. Lynx hadn't expected this pegasus to be rare of the few to greet him so friendly-like at first flance, so he returned her gesture with a wave of his hand. "Why, hello there." Lynx replied. He came up to her, stroking his bottom chin while he took a brief moment observing the pegasus. She also observed his entire being with only her right eye since her left eye was apparently staring up in to space. She was the first to start a conversation. "So, what are you?" she curiously asked. "An alien or something?" "I guess you could say I'm an alien." Lynx scoffed, and he then extended an arm out at her. "The name's Lynx, miss..." "Derpy Hooves!" said Derpy as she took his hand and shook it zealously. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lynx." "You can just pronounce me as Lynx." said Lynx. "Mister is my father's name. Although I have no idea who my father is or whether or not I have one even...." "What was that last part?" asked Derpy. "Oh, uh, it's nothing." assured Lynx. "I got kinda lost in my own train of thought, is all." "No worries." said Derpy. "It sometimes happens to me too." Derpy blinked and her eyes had re-coordinated; her left eye was now focused on Lynx while her right was plainly staring down at the soil beneath her. Lynx upon noticed this strange change of her eyes and scratched his head. "Pardon me for asking this for I can't help but wonder." said Lynx. "Why are your eyes like that?" And suddenly Derpy's smile drooped down to a slight, depressing frown. "I was born with them...." Derpy murmured. "I'm... sorry to hear that." said Lynx, strickened with regret. "I didn't mean to ask such a personal question." "It's fine, it's fine." said Derpy as she lifted an assuring smile. "But why not we talk about you to change the subject. How are you enjoying Ponyville, have you made lots of friends since the day you came here?" she presumed. "Well," Lynx started. "I can't matter-of-factly say I've made a lot of friends. The ponies around here are easily agitated from my presence." "I can understand." Derpy nodded. "It takes time for the folks here to adapt to changes. Like when I first came here I was treated-" "Like an outcast...." said Lynx, cutting her off. "No, not really." said Derpy, shaking her head. "Where did that come from all of a sudden?" "It's just..." Lynx trailed off. "It's just what?" Derpy asked. Lynx stood still and remained silent like a boulder, his ears then picked up audible voices that were neither his or Derpy's from a distance. He turned his vision away from Derpy to the direction where two ponies, one a white stallion with a yellow mane and one a yellow mare with a green mane, were chattering to each other. What prompted Lynx to look at them was that he swore he heard either of them say 'human' along with 'abomination' between their loud blabbering. The stallion shifted his eyes away from the mare and came to discover that Lynx was staring at him. The uneasy gaze he was receiving from the human had petrified him in to a statue-like state. His female companion, the mare, was confused and attempted to snap her stallion friend out of his stance but had no success. The mare harrumphed and took her leave. Derpy wasn't sure what was happening. She wondered why Lynx stayed quiet all of a sudden. She unfolded her wings and hovered over to Lynx. "Lynx?" said Derpy as she waved a distracting hoof in front of his vision. Lynx broke from his gazing duel as he turned back facing Derpy. "Ah, sorry." he apologized. "I got lost in my head again." "I don't think you were at all." doubted Derpy. "What makes you think that?" Lynx questioned. "Because I was just standing right here seeing you staring at those two ponies." said Derpy observingly. "You looked pretty deadpanned when you were. Is there something that's bothering you?" It's because you're different. Lynx depressingly sighed. "It's just.... Do you know what it feels like?" Derpy slightly tilted her head. "Know what what feels like?" she asked, raising a brow. "Why not tell me what's going on?" Lynx would've been more willing to tell Derpy, but his distraught confliction confronted him and broke through his mind's window; compelling him to put the shards of his confidence back together, piece by piece. "Derpy." said Lynx, addressing her name in a depressed tone. "Do you know what it feels... to be different; to be afraid by someone whose appearance is abnormal?" "No, but I do know the feeling of being treated differently because of my condition." said Derpy. "Your eyes?" "..." "Again, I apologize for asking rhetorical questions." Lynx apologized. It was then an eerie sound Lynx was unfamiliar with echoed inside his head, whispering. You're not sorry... Lynx could barely hear the fainting echo, and after he heard it he flinched and held the side of his head with his right hand, trying to sustain the unexpected headache. "Jeez..." Lynx grunted. "This headache's killing me." He felt a benumbing chill swift through from the center of his body up to his head; the nerves of his legs shot as they weakly wobbled; his heart beating slower and slower; a stream of vein pulsating on his forehead. Lynx was profoundly dazed and had no idea why he was having these strange conditions so abruptly. Derpy witnessed his eccentric behavior as she raised a concerning brow. "Are you okay?" she asked. Lynx maintained his balance, rubbing his temples as he tried to speak. "I-I'm fine." he said with a small groan. "I think I just need to lie down, is all." His energy was being sapped scantily, Lynx had felt his legs become more fragile and wobbly than before and he took a couple of steps before he begun to lose swerve, losing his balance. Derpy could tell something was awfully wrong with Lynx, she hovered next to him catching him before he had a chance to tumble. "Are you sure you can walk all on your own?" asked Derpy. Lynx didn't reply to her just yet, he took a moment closing his eyes, breathing deeply, trying to recollect the energy that had been depleted from an unknown cause as his eyelids slowly rose up until halfway-lidded. 'Why.' Lynx thought. 'Why would I not be sorry?' Because I'am your conscience. 'My... conscience?' Listen to your conscience, Lynx, these prejudicial insignificance aren't worth your time. They'll never accept you for who you are, no matter how hard you try. 'But Twilight and the others-' All playing you for a fool. They only pretend to like you because they are afraid of you; why do you think Princess Celestia is trying her best to find a way to send you back home? Lynx was in denial. He wasn't sure why it'd be his conscience telling him the benefit of the doubt. 'You're- you're wrong...' he shook his head. "Lynx?" Derpy asked. If you refuse to accept the truth then so be it. You'll soon see the error of your ways once you realize it in front of your very own eyes. And just like that the echoing in Lynx's head disappeared. Lynx could feel his energy coming to as his headache went away as well. He regained his balance, and the meanwhile Derpy took her hooves off, looking at Lynx with a concerning look. "Are you all right now, Lynx?" Derpy asked again. "Yeah." said Lynx waving a hand gesturing 'I'm fine'. "Sorry I worried you." Derpy was still uncertain. "You sure you're okay?" "I'm fine. I just need to walk it off, is all." Lynx made his farewell with a dismissive wave to the worrying pegasus and headed out toward Twilight's Treehouse. Derpy, much as she wanted to lend Lynx a helping hoof, pursued only to say her goodbyes. "See you later, Lynx." Derpy hollered softly. Lynx didn't holler back but waved another hand in the air as he kept on walking. Still, he couldn't get over the troubling thoughts that concern his conscience. Something about it seemed... menacing, but all Lynx could think was going back to Twilight's place for a yearning rest. What sort of other cryptic montages will our human experience next? Tune in on the next exciting chapter of Keeper of Harmony!
Andrew & Raymond's Misadventures #3Raymond sat quietly on a firm wooden chair in the cold kitchenette of Lyn's home, reading the aged and leather spine diary that he had found from the garage. He placed his right elbow on the kitchen's round, glass table while resting his head on a right-hand palm. His tired eyes had been glazing through every worded page -- sentence after sentence, paragraph after paragraph -- for what felt like an eternity. Sadly, it had only been an hour passed since he started. A ceramic mug full of delicious cocoa next to his arm that he had made at halfway through the journal remained untouched and was by now bitterly chill. He heard his best friend, Andrew, sitting in the house's office, singing aloud of lyrics that were quite queer and strangely random. "Cut my steak into pieces. This is my plastic fork. Masturbation. Hard Breathing. Don't give a fuck if I jizz while I'm eating!". He hunched Andrew was parodying off of 'Papa Roach - Last Resort'. Raymond tried his best neglecting the annoyance as he further deepened his focus into reading the diary. Scooting the chair closer, he nudged his flat stomach against the end of the table, and gave a slight grunt moving his sore elbow. Yet. Not once had his eyes looked away from the journal's dusty pages during the sudden shift of uneasiness. "Jeez..." Raymond groaned mildly while stretching his arms out. "How many pages are in this thing?" he yawned. It was awful enough that Raymond had to hear the TV on at almost full volume from the living room in addition to Andrew's annoying sense of parodied songs, and this tested him as his irritation steadily grew and grew, to an extent where he no longer could maintain his focus on the diary. He carefully closed the book and pulled his chair away while staring up at the bland, featureless white color stretched across every inch of the ceiling. The bright, harsh kitchen lights were then hurting his sensitive vision, and he came back to glancing down at the book before him. Exasperated, Raymond inhaled deeply and sighed. "I can't do this under these conditions," he mumbled. He decided he should relax; unwind as a curative method to ease his irritated conscience. The idea of it was appealing, so Raymond did just that. Sliding out of his chair, he first made his journey to the bathroom as he hadn't remembered since the last time he went. He blamed it was the journal's fault that he lost track of time, but he found Rick's past much too fascinating, especially when 'My Little Pony: Friendship is magic' became involved later in the read. Whenever there was something MLP related it would pique Raymond's interest, and he would hover all over it like flies on crap. Still, it left Raymond wondering whether or not Lyn's father was a brony. Nah, he thought, chuckling to himself. He knew very well if a person would go far to write something such as MLP fanfiction (as he believed it was) they'd be considered a brony automatically. No matter how much that person denied the fact. After Raymond had emptied his bladder in the bathroom, he finally made way into the living room and slumped on the sofa, surfing channel to channel with the Comcast remote on the plasma television screen. Seeing there was nothing that caught his interest, he pressed a button which killed the TV to a quiet slumber. Without much to do, Raymond shifted restlessly until he lied on his back, staring at the ceiling once again while his mind wandered through the deep valley of limitless thoughts. Something about Andrew bothered him, beside the singing and all of that nonsense. No. He wondered about the peculiar about why his friend wasn't able to read the diary. Raymond was sure that Andrew knew how to read, so that wasn't one of the plausible reasons. The probability of it being all a prank did came to mind. Andrew was always the kind of a prankster type, that Raymond was fully aware when they became friends, and Andrew still was the class clown of yesterdays and today; cherry bombs in the toilet, vanishing ink in the teacher's pen, the one time teachers found a pornographic magazine in Raymond's locker. All of that mischievousness was Andrew's doing and got away with, and honest to God Raymond found it more annoying than watching 'Fred the Movie'. Raymond was more inclined to believe this was a prank merely. However, despite Andrew's wicked habit for pranks, Raymond recalled the seriousness in Andrew's tone when he asked if he couldn't read the diary. He was very surprised seeing his friend acting serious or stern. If that was the case, then... what if... possibly. "Now I'm pretty much making things up." Raymond said to himself as he shook his head in doubt. He implemented a ludicrous thought that what if whatever Lyn's father wrote was actually real, what if Rick had raised a genuine Fluttershy, and what if Princess Celestia had rewound time? The idea spun around his head unnervingly. So Raymond leapt from the couch and hastened towards the home's office where Andrew resided in. He swung the door open carelessly and hollered to his friend, "Andrew, I-..." he paused and glanced at his bulky friend sitting on the chair in front of Lyn's laptop. "What are you doing?" Raymond asked, cocking a curious brow. "Just watching Dota 2 videos," Andrew replied nonchalantly. "Anyways, Andrew," Raymond continued. "I think I may have solved the diary problem." "And what's that?" Andrew asked. "Bear with me on this," Raymond heeded. "But if if we're to test if this theory is true... you have to become a brony." A moment of silence filled the air. Andrew yet never spoke another word after what Raymond said. However, Andrew rose from the black swivel chair and walked up to Raymond impassively. Suddenly, with a fast hand, he slapped Raymond across the face.
CancellationSad news; I'm cancelling this fanfic due to a couple of reasons of which I won't disclose. I apologise for this, really I do. Maybe later in 2014 I might try to get back into this. If not, then this fanfic is officially dead. Caput. Nada. Kicking the- you get the picture.
