Keeper of Harmony

Once 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!