Gifts and Curses

by flamevulture17

Chapters

1. Unexpected
2. Impossible
3. Explanations
4. Signs
5. Progress
6. Calling
7. Honesty
8. Connections
9. Disclosure
10. Sentiment
11. Recollection
13. Blackout
14. Atavism
15. Fable
16. Totem
17. Blue
18. One
19. Truth
20. Timeless
21. Lifeline
22. Remedy
23. Sunday
One Year Later
12. Secrets

1. Unexpected

Gifts and Curses

by: flamevulture17
edited by: 1childish1

[Chapter 1]

Unexpected

*BANG!*

It was the loudest, most sudden sound he could hear from his second floor bedroom. He instantly jumped as soon as the noise met his unsuspecting sensitive ears, crashing to the ground as he fell off his office chair. Some of the pictures on the walls fell and random things on the desk shifted in different positions. Other sounds from a crashing lamp, to thumps of books hitting the floor, and a series of clinks filled the room, nowhere near as loud as the first. It had all only lasted few seconds before all was silent again. His cat, who was sleeping on the bed a moment ago, was nowhere to be seen.

“What the hell?” said the shocked boy on the ground with eyes wide open, remaining absolutely still.

His hands were shaking as his heart violently pounded, ready to burst out of his chest. He stared at the ground for a moment, then sat up. He began inspecting the room to discover the mess from the sudden tremor. He had just cleaned his room the day before and it annoyed him to have it all that effort go to waste, but after what just happened, he could not think of anything else other than to be helplessly scared out of his mind. It was a long sixty seconds before he bundled up the courage to stand up and step lightly towards to bedroom door.

He poked his head out of his room to see what other carnage the tremble might have caused. At first glance, it seemed as if nothing had ever touched anything outside of his room, assuming the rest of the house was the same. Everything appeared to be undisturbed and in place as they've always been. He walked slowly out of his room, set out into the hall, taking cautious steps, one at a time, listening for anything out of the ordinary.

Silence. The carpeted hallway was empty, idle, and free of even the slightest sound. Or so he thought.

It wasn't until he stepped ten paces before something else startled him again, enough to make him jump again and run out of sight. He let out a small shriek and darted as fast as he could into the bathroom, having no time to close the door, for he thought something would explode this time.

Nothing else happened. It was silent again, enough to hear the ringing of inside the ears.

What startled him again was a voice from behind. For a second time, he poked his head out of a doorway and surveyed down the hall to see who it was. There stood his little brother just as frightened, if not more so. The young boy looked around, wondering what had spooked his older brother, but thought it might have been himself.

“Um, are you alright Andrew?” the boy asked.

“Uh. Yeah. I'm- uh... I'm fine,” the teen in the bathroom sighed with exceptional relief. “It's just that you kinda snuck up behind me and scared me.”

“Oh. Well sorry about that. You kinda scared me too with your weird freakout just now.”

Andrew went from heavy breathing to a calmer state at the relief of it being his little brother. Not that he's 'little' anymore, it's just a habit of sibling terminology. Before his brother could return to his room, he figured he'd ask about the noise.

“Hey Alex?”

“Yeah?”

“Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“Oh. Um. Okay, never mind, it must have been my imagination.”

“Whatever you say man.”

With that, Alex went back in his room to continue doing what he usually does, draw fan art of a certain something he liked for which Andrew did not know the name or reason. He thought it would be best if he didn't intrude in his brother's privacy. Andrew was the type who respected everybody's personal life and interests, even if he didn't care about them himself.

He was now alone in the dim hallway to get back to whatever he was trying to do, whatever it was. He thought it would be best to investigate.

Andrew quietly went downstairs, making sure not to wake his father, whom fell asleep on the couch watching TV. He strolled around the first floor of the house, finding that everything was in order and where they're supposed to be. The picture frames were on the walls, the furniture was in place, the lamps and books were lifeless and, obviously, his father was still asleep on the couch. If the man had heard the loud bang from earlier, he would be up and about by now from the sudden vibrations that would have shook the rest of the house. It didn't make any sense.

After strolling around the rooms a couple more times, Andrew opened the front door and walked outside barefoot to check for anything that might have caused the noise.

Nothing. Nothing was out of place and nothing that was visible that might have exploded or caught fire. He did not notice anything that wasn't visible because it was pitch black and cold outside, with only the illumination of orange street lights that flooded the streets at night. Andrew's eyes had not yet adjusted to the darkness and thus could see nothing. What did you expect to find outside your house at 1 AM? Something interesting? Andrew knew he lived in a quiet and boring neighborhood in the suburbs of St. Louis anyway. Not enough people to talk to, a couple kids in the block, and not many places to go. He withdrew back into the house to get away from the freezing weather, returned upstairs to his room, and sat silently on his chair for a good ten minutes or so.

His laptop was still on his desk with a document open that said 'The Chemistry of Stars' and a picture of Saturn as the desktop background. He had been typing a paper on the specific workings of the Sun and other stars for his 11th grade chemistry class before the sound scared him half to death. It had only been a page long with two paragraphs on it. The essay had been assigned to his class Thursday, for it was Saturday, as of an hour ago. Each student had a choice of an object, fluid, or gas, and explain what chemical compounds make up the specific attributes of the substance and how it was made. For Andrew, he chose the biggest he could possibly think of. Since he has always been fascinated by space and the universe, he thought it would be a great idea to research all he could on the nature of stars. The assignment's due date was the start of the following week and Andrew did not want to slack off. He is usually the type that put his homework till the last minute, but since this was homework he actually wanted to do, it occurred to him that he wanted the essay to be perfect. As for the picture of Saturn, it was one of many in an entire folder of actual space photographs, including some of the Earth itself.

After the good ten minutes went by, he then turned to his computer again to continue typing his essay. The amount of time sitting in the chair allowed Andrew to calm down and think of all the reasons that caused the loud bang he heard just fifteen minutes before. Nothing seemed to make sense to him because he was unable to think of anything loud enough to almost put him in a coma and not even wake his lightly sleeping father.

It became harder to write with the fear of the same instance almost killing him again at any given moment, but also he couldn't keep his mind off of the impossibility of the noise. He didn't get very far until he couldn't keep his focus up enough to continue typing. So he saved his work, made a copy of it, put his computer to sleep, and hopped in bed. His hands were still shaking as he turned off the lamp light sitting next to the bed.

It did not take long for Andrew to fall into a deep sleep.

“Come on Twilight! We're gonna be late.”

“Coming Spike. I just need to double check if everything is in perfect order.”

Spike let out an annoyed sigh, “Can you please hurry. The train leaves in ten minutes.”

“I know. I'm almost done.”

Twilight had been pacing around the library for the last half hour looking for anything she had missed for the trip. She had a scheduled meeting with Princess Celestia in Canterlot for a troubling matter that only Celestia had knowledge of and for Twilight to find out. She had been worried that something bad happened or was about to happen that concerned the balance of Equestria, otherwise the Princess would not have called for her and her only to travel all the way to Canterlot.

She wondered why couldn't the Princess had just personally visited her in Ponyville, but such a thought was ridiculous. Why would a royal figure like Celestia come all the way to Ponyville just to talk to her in private? Also, if it was that important, why would she only call for her alone and not be accompanied by her friends? As serious as this all sounded to her, she felt like whatever bothered Celestia was not life threatening. She couldn't quite put her hoof on it. She was curious to know what the matter is all about, which made her excited, yet worried to find out. Twilight didn't have much to think about these questions as she was late for the next ride to Canterlot.

“Do we have everything Spike?”

“I think so. Do you think we have enough stuff?”

“Of course Spike, this is important, but the Princess told me not to draw attention to my friends that would lead to unwanted questions. As to why we have to go to Canterlot on such short notice, I don't know. I don't see why that is necessary. My friends deserve to know just as much as me. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.”

“Maybe she just wants a tea party or something,” said Spike in an inaudible mumble.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Come on, let's get going.”

Twilight and Spike left the Ponyville Library with two cases of luggage for which they both each carried one. Twilight had her saddlebag full of books from her personal collection. Spike carried a case of prepackaged snacks in his claws while Twilight levitated the case of more books on magic and science. An ironic selection. She didn't know what the occasion would be with Princess Celestia, so she also brought the book on Equestrian history on a few notorious names such as Discord and Nightmare Moon. She also had some minor books on biology and physics. Being the curator of a library and living in one, who wouldn't know what to bring what you have no idea why you're going somewhere?

Better be prepared for anything, she thought.

Twilight tried hard not run into her friends. Even if she desperately wanted to tell them where she is going and why, she did not have a definite answer. Besides, the Princess told her to come alone with Spike. If she did happen to run into one of her friends, they would be so persistent to join her no matter the occasion. She would have to lie, except if she encountered Applejack, when then she would have to try hard to make the lie convincing enough, which might prove to be unachievable.

It did not take long to get to the train station. It was only a five minute walk from the center of Ponyville. Fortunately, Twilight did not run into any of her friends. Spike was an extra set of eyes in case they'd have take a different route. Both of them had plenty of time to think of the good and bad reasons on the trip over to Canterlot.

Minutes later, the train rolled onto the station on time and ready for departure.

“Have any second thoughts about this Twi?”

“Nope.”

The smell of bacon filled the air and the mouthwatering sensation of a good breakfast coming from the kitchen. Alex was always the first one of the two siblings to physically get out of bed. With sleep still in his mind, Alex rolled out of his sheets and walked out with silent footsteps to greet his mother down in the kitchen making breakfast for the family.

“Morning mom.”

“Good morning, Alex.”

“What's for breakfast?”

“Oh just bacon and french toast. Your favorites.”

“Awww yeeeah!” Alex was satisfied with how his day was starting already. He could not wait to eat.

Alex was one for breakfast on Saturday mornings, as well as Saturday morning cartoons on Nickelodeon and other similar networks. His mother was almost done with his meal and while she was preparing it, he turned on the living room television.

Andrew still lay in bed awake looking at the turquoise colored ceiling.

He had actually woken up earlier than his younger brother that day which may have been a first in a long time, but he still lay lifeless on bed as if he were in a hospital bed. Unwilling and unable to do anything but lay there, he couldn't think of anything else other than what had spooked him the night before. He could never create a practical scenario that could help him understand the noise. All that thinking had been giving him a headache, so he sat up to relieve the pain.

Alex left the TV on when his mother was ready with breakfast. He started eating and remembered a thought before going to bed last night. He felt like sharing.

“Hey mom?”

“Yes honey?”

“Andrew was acting all weird last night.”

“Are you sure? Because he is usually like that.”

“No, I mean like something seriously sacred him or something, then he scared me as I accidentally scared him in the hallway last night, it was scary. I didn't mean to, but something must have spooked him last night.” Alex's voice showed real concern for his brother.

“I'm sure he's fine by now. How about this, you finish your food and check on him, and I will talk to him later after I go to the post office, okay? Maybe you can have your father help you when he gets back.”

“Okay.”

Alex's father went to the store to buy more groceries for the upcoming week.

“Now finish up. I need to be there early to avoid long lines.”

Alex's mom got her things and grabbed her keys. She walked out the front door to the driveway outside. Seconds later, Alex heard the car pull out of the driveway and the sound of the car tires screeching across the pavement vanished down the street. Alex took his time with his bacon. One does not simply eat bacon quickly. He always savors the flavor before swallowing each piece. French toast is never good on its own, you need maple syrup, and lots of it.

After finishing his breakfast, Alex was worried a little for Andrew. He wanted to know what was wrong with him, if anything at all, but his favorite TV show was on in a few minutes. He sat down on the couch and changed the channel. He never missed one new episode of the current season and he wasn't about to start just because of his brother. He can wait.

Andrew's eyes were fuzzy from getting up so quickly. He knew this was a normal thing that happened all the time, but something else felt strange. They were his hands.

He looked down at them. His hands were gone! Well, they weren't hands anymore. They were more like stubs with solid ends, kinda like large brass knuckles, only these we're oddly shaped. The very sight of them freaked him out to the point where he almost fainted. He let out a low pitched gasp loud enough to be heard through the wall, and then squirmed around in his bed sheets till he fell off completely with a loud thump.

“Ow.”

He complained, knocking over an empty cup sitting on his desk right next to him. Andrew was too afraid to look back at his hands as he hit the ground. He stopped moving. He was in such a shock that his muscles tensed up, rendering him too frightened to move.

“This isn't happening,” he said to himself in a horrified tone.

After failing to find words to describe his dilemma, he tried to get up, but could not manage to keep his balance and fell over from trying to stand upright. It did not seem right to forget how to stand normally overnight. After a few tries, he gave up and lay on the floor in the middle of his room.

Andrew was too frightened to open his eyes. He wanted the nightmare he thought he was having to end and wake up safe and tired again in his comfortable bed. He lay there trembling and shaking from the cold wooden floor below him and thinking whether or not this was a dream, though his clothes felt so big and baggy on him. It was a good minute after his freakout to finally look back at what freaked him out in the first place.

He slowly opened his eyes. The sight to behold was his room, still a mess. He noticed the room felt a bit larger than it should have been. Had he shrunk or lost weight overnight? Nothing made sense after seeing those things on his arms.

“Those things on my arms...” Andrew whispered for a second with every reason to be afraid of what he thought of doing next.

He slowly lifted his arms into the view of his face. He found his hands seemed to have been replaced by what looked like hooves you find on a horse. Hooves? What is going on here? Is this some trick? Is my little brother behind this? Whatever Andrew thought, he couldn't feel his fingers. Maybe this is all real and he did not have fingers anymore. Andrew was trying to keep his cool and eventually realized that this is something that was impossible. Some of the few friends he had in school knew he was not one for hallucinations and delusions, knowing him since forever. He was still shaking at the sight his hooves. He was too afraid to see the rest of his body, assuming it too has changed, that it might cause him to faint. Andrew has never fainted before in his life for as long as he can remember, so he did not want to challenge that and risk his health.

Getting the courage to check what else was wrong with him, he started to scan his clothes, which have gotten bigger since he fell out of the bed. Or was it him that got smaller? None of this made any real sense at all. The socks he had on were still on his feet, looking as if nothing had yet happened to his feet. But then again, he also could not feel his toes, or couldn't feel if he had feet anymore. His long sleeve shirt felt loosened and his pants felt like they were to fall off if he stood.

Andrew thought that if he were in the bathroom, he could use the big mirror to view what is really going on with him. He stood up, but it was useless. He fell over with another thump that was too faint be heard throughout the whole house. He tried again and failed. Having no success a third time, he gave up there and crawled on all fours to the door instead. He usually left the door open because he felt like he had nothing to hide, but now it seemed like there was good reason for that to change. He strode down the hall to the bathroom doorway and shut the door. Andrew felt safer now that he had enough privacy to solve the mystery of his predicament.

He stood upright, but once again he fell forwards on his hands, now hooves. The large mirror was on bathroom door that extended to the floor, but when Andrew closed the door behind him, he did not turn around immediately. He sat there motionless after a few struggles to stand up, then began to think of many possibilities of what he would find staring back, two feet away.

Andrew thought he had just shrunk a few feet, but that still does not explain the hooves. He thought he was in a deep dreaming state for which it felt real, but the problem was it felt too real. He thought he was imagining things, but this seemed like the sort of thing that would not cross his mind since he has a terrible imagination. Maybe that his brother Alex was playing a prank on him for scaring him last night. Then an idea came to mind that he had somehow been turned into some other creature with hooves, a small horse of some kind.

The last suggestion was the most likely but was also the most preposterous. He was tired of wondering what was going on with him and was tired of waiting, so Andrew slowly forced himself to turn around, inching more and more towards the mirror behind him. He kept his eyes closed as he finally faced the chrome plated glass. It scared him more than ever. It couldn't be that bad right?

He opened his eyes.

The train pulled into the station precisely on schedule. Ten thirty.

“Welcome to Canterlot everypony! Enjoy your stay!” said the conductor as dozens of different colored ponies exited their passenger cars. Some thanking him for the journey.

“We're here! Spike, wake up.”

Spike had fallen asleep halfway on the ride over and was napping next to where Twilight at near the door. He was in a very peculiar position. Twilight nudged him just a little, but that was enough to send him falling off the seat.

“Whoa whoa-” *thump* “I'm up! I'm up!” Spike squirmed on the ground before getting back to his feet.

“Sorry Spike. I didn't mean to wake you up like this, but we're here. Are you okay?” Twilight cared enough for her little assistant to make sure he was alright, no matter how insignificant the damage was.

“I'm fine Twi, I know you didn't mean to. Wow, we're here already, it didn't seem that long.”

“Sure was a short trip. We better get going, we don't want to keep the Princess waiting.”

They both exited the train carrying the luggage and headed straight toward Canterlot Castle. The walk was a reasonable distance from the station to the front gates, but they didn't mind strolling down the familiar streets where they used to live. It was like returning home after a long vacation. A really really long vacation.

As they strolled down the streets of Canterlot, they took in the view of home away from home away from home. Twilight had no idea how long this visit would take, so she assumed it might be a while before returning to Ponyville. They didn't have time to stop by any stores or market shops, though on their way, they occasionally said hi to a pony they knew around town, maybe even take a look at some of the new things they got in the markets. Twilight knew she had an urgent matter to attend to, so it was no time for sightseeing.

It was if no time passed when they finally reached the gates. The royal guards greeted Twilight and Spike with nice “hellos” and “welcomes” and the occasional “sup”, for which Twilight was unfamiliar with that last term. She wasn't sure if it was even a word. They continued casually through the courtyard and straight up to the main hall doors. They were still amazed at just how big the doors were.

“You can fit a house through here,” commented Spike as he yawned, wishing he were back in the library taking his midday nap.

The halls were huge, large enough to accommodate hundreds of guests like at Grand Galloping Gala, or some other large gathering. Twilight's hooves made echoing sounds with each step she took on the polished marble floor. The echo bounced around the walls, the windows, the floor, the 12-meter ceiling, and the monumental pillars that stretched the length of the room top to bottom. It was such a distinct feature of the hall that it did not take much effort to make a small sound that can be heard clearly around the room.

They reached the throne room shortly afterward, expecting to find Princess Celestia.

She was nowhere around. What they found instead was the entire room empty just like the hall prior to this one. It was dim and had a stuffy smell to it, almost like if it hasn't been used in a few days. Not a sound was made in the few seconds they stood there wondering where the Princess could be.

Moments later, the small door to the far left opened and a figure came forward out of the shadows behind the throne. It was Princess Luna. Twilight was rather confused at this point. Luna stepped forward in the direction of Twilight and Spike and spoke with a very soft voice that would have impressed Fluttershy.

“Will you please follow me.”

Twilight and Spike looked at each other with confused looks and proceeded to follow Luna with the two cases and a saddlebag they were accompanied with. She turned to them again.

“Those won't be necessary,” said Luna.

“But it's not much Princess, I'm sure it won't be too much a hassle,” said Twilight.

“Well, if you insist.” Luna agreed to let Twilight bring her things.

After an awkward silence between Spike and Twilight, they shook their head clear of any odd thoughts they might have had and headed to where Luna had emerged a minute earlier. It got darker the further they walked behind the fairly sized throne. The lighting atmosphere crept Twilight out more than Spike, kinda ironic hence the meaning of her name.

The door led to a spiral staircase, extending about two stories high, leading to a long hallway with numerous doorways on the right side spread out among them down the hall. Each door led to a room full of books organized by categories of magic and spells from all over Equestria. They passed each open door which struck Twilight as odd. They were usually closed.

At the end of the hall, they came to another door leading up with yet another spiral staircase, this one much steeper than the last. Climbing each step of the second stairs was making Twilight feel strangely curious on their destination. Luna had not said a word since the throne room and did not feel like there was anything she needed to say at that time. Spike was already tired of all this walking, but he was learning not to complain about the little things since Applejack had taught him to realize how pointless it was to do so and how it didn't help anypony succeed. So he didn't say anything either.

At the top of the staircase, there was a brightly-lit hallway from two balconies the right side, one in front of them and another one at the end of the hall. They walked onto the balcony and found another staircase leading up to one of the tall towers of the castle. This one was spiraling hugging the edge of a tower with sunlight shining down on them. It not as steep and dark as the previous two.

The view from the stairs as they rose higher and higher was a spectacular sight. They could see the whole city from their vantage point and were lost in the view. They were so high up, you can see everything and if you looked hard enough, you could see Ponyville.

“This way,” said Luna, snapping them out of their trance.

The group continued up the stairs until they came to a large balcony that circleed the structure in the center. The doors were normal sized this time and with a wave of magic from Luna's horn, the doors opened. They entered the room and were instantly surrounded by shelves of books all the way to the ceiling. In the back of the room was a large stained glass window that illuminated the room and only then Twilight found Princess Celestia. Instead of her healthy mentor eager to greet them as they arrived, she was napping on a couch. Twilight had never seen Celestia asleep before.

“Sister?” said Luna in an elevated voice than before, not quite as loud as the Royal Canterlot voice.

Celestia raised her head to look at her new arrivals. You could tell she was exhausted by the look in her eyes and the condition of her mane, which was less wavy than usual. She got up and walked slowly over to the three of them. She towered over the purple pony and dragon. Twilight wanted to know if Celestia was alright, but could do nothing that would evidently postpone an explanation for the reason she was there in the first place.

“Twilight Sparkle. Just the mare I need to see,” said Princess Celestia in a soft, tired voice.

“Princess,” Twilight nodded in curiosity.

“I see you've made it without any of your friends beside you.”

Twilight never takes anything as an insult from the Princess, that was just absurd, but this was dangerously close to sounding like one. She would need Celestia to enlighten her as to why it was imperative to keep this issue from her friends.

“Don't you think they have as much right to be here as I do?”

Celestia hesitated, “Well you see, I was concerned with creating a scene, may it be excitement or unintended gossip. I want to keep this to ourselves before I know it's safe.”

“Keep what to ourselves?” asked Spike.

“It seems that we have a rather interesting and unexpected situation on our hooves.”

2. Impossible

[Chapter 2]

Impossible

Alex heard a loud scream coming from upstairs. It surprised him that it might be more serious than he originally thought. He knew Andrew was not one for holding back an outburst enough to let it out in such a cheeky way.

“What are you doing up there Andrew!?” he raised his voice to make sure his older brother could hear him.

A long silence filled the house. Neither brother said a word for the next few minutes as Alex continued to watch his show for which was almost over. Only then would Alex decide to check on his big brother.

Andrew could not believe was he was looking at.

In the mirror there was a figure not more than four feet tall. It resembled a small horse like he had predicted earlier, a pony perhaps. A pony with what appeared to Andrew as himself projected through this mirror. Just his luck, either he was dreaming, or he was going insane. Another feature that hit him as very odd was the colors. It was no normal color for a horse. They matched his arms. It was blueish, sort of the same color as his ceiling, turquoise really. He shuffled around in his baggy clothes and the mirror image did the same. This cannot be real.

Andrew slowly walked closer to the door to get a better look at himself. The fuzz on his face became more distinct and clear. He was calmer at this point than when he let out that scream minutes ago. He learned not to freakout about things that he could do nothing to change. Andrew just wanted to know who or what caused this and wanted to know fast. He looked at his blue hooves and his socks. He uncovered the socks to reveal his feet were hooves, too. He figured that's what they would be considering his change of appearance. He looked back at his face. It was longer than before, large yellow eyes, snout, big ears. Wait, yellow eyes!?

“I must be going insane.”

His hair was a dark blue and white color and nicely combed too that stretched past the back of his neck. He did not recall combing his hair, nor did he remember taking a shower the day before, thus his hair should look like a complete mess. The clothes he wore hid most of his body, for which he assumed the fur was the same color as his face.

Andrew almost screamed again when he saw long hair far behind him of the same color. A tail, sure, what else is new? he thought to himself sarcastically. This should be fun. His tail was quite the average length in proportion to his body size. The part that was most freaky above all was his ability to move it and felt it like an extra limb. This amused him to some degree, but he was not liking it at all.

Andrew scanned his head again, looking for anything he missed. He thought he was just seeing things on his head, like there was a horn on his forehead.

Yeah right, like I'm gonna believe that's possible, he thought. He used his right hoof to feel his head. Something stopped his hoof from moving properly across his forehead. Andrew's eyes grew wider. His eyes did not lie, there really was something there.

A horn!? Are you kidding me!? he violently scream in his mind. After everything he found impossible today, this one took first prize. He still could not quite figure out the logical reasons for turning into a horse since it was not scientifically possible. Neither was that loud sound from last night.

“Yup! I'm insane.” Those were his last words before he heard faint footsteps coming up the stairs.

Andrew assumed it to be his brother Alex. He started going through mental scenarios on how to let his brother know what happened to him. Oh no no no no, I can't let him see me like this. I can't let anybody see me like this. But I need help. I need to know what is wrong with me. I need to know why this happened to me and why not somebody else. I need a friend I can trust. I need... … he continued flooding his mind with thoughts and whispered to himself on how to avoid his family. He kept thinking whether or not he should keep himself a secret from his little brother. Alex would find out eventually based on how often they saw each other, but Andrew could try and prevent that.

As soon as he was done thinking, Andrew opened the bathroom door as darted into the closet on the opposite side of the hall and closed the door halfway to not draw attention to his location. He heard the footsteps disappear onto the carpet in the hallway. His heart pounded more and more. He could hear his brother's voice coming from down the hall. He decided to get his attention and lie to him.

Alex slowly walked up the stairs. He had just finished watching his show. It was a good episode. He now had nothing else to do but check up on Andrew. As he reached the top, he heard a noise down the hall.

“Andrew? Is that you?”

...

“Come on man, no more games.”

Alex got a little more concerned, but stayed calm.

“Just tell me where you are so I know you're not going to scare me again.”

…

“I'm in the bathroom,” came his older brother's voice.

“Are you alright bro?” Alex asked with a sigh of relief.

Silence filled the hall once more before he spoke again.

“Yes! Wait no. Wait yes! I mean... don't come in here!”

Alex never really listened to his older brother as much as he should have. It came to him as an invitation rather than a 'go away' speech. He walked toward the bathroom.

Andrew tried to make his misery sound convincing enough to get his brother out of sight so he could make a run for it to his room on the opposite end of the hall. He knew Alex rarely listened to him when he told him not to do things.

“Don't come in here,” he repeated. He made sure he had the right tone in his voice.

Through the crack in the closet doorway he could see Alex walking toward the bathroom. He kept an eye on his position, opening the door ever so slightly as he passed by. He waited until Alex entered the bathroom. As soon as Alex was unaware of anything else, Andrew ran for his life. He ran as fast as he could on all fours hooves to his room, almost tripping into a complete fall once he got the doorway. He slammed the door shut and struggled to lock the door without his proper hands. As he heard the lock snap in place, he sunk down to the floor. His heavy breathing slowed a little from relief of being safe in the privacy of his room.

Andrew felt sorry for deceiving his brother like that and wanted to make it up to him. He didn't know how given his physical body. He didn't know what his little bro would think of him.

He found that walking on all fours was easier than when he was human simply because his original form was not meant to walk on their hands and feet. His current form of this horned pony made it easier to stay on all his limbs. Although he did not like it any more than hiding from his brother, he'd have to live like this until this was all over. Andrew wanted this nightmare to end, if it was even a nightmare to begin with. The more he thought about it, the more real it felt.

Before he could reach his desk there was knocking on his door.

“Is this another one of your jokes Andrew? Just tell me what's wrong,” Alex's voice was muffled behind the door, but still enough that Andrew could hear him.

Andrew needed to stall his brother and get away from the rest of his family as long as he could without raising suspicion. It was too late for his brother though.

“No. I can't talk about it. It's personal.”

“Then why do you have to hide from me?”

Andrew was not doing a very good job of keeping his cool.

“Because. My hair... my hair looks horrible.” Andrew wanted to lie again, but knew this was true in some way, seeing now that his hair is white and blue with a horn appearing out through the top.

“Oh come on bro, you don't look that bad.”

“No. Just no.”

“Are you sure? Because there's something going on around here and you seem to be the one causing it.”

Andrew thought about what Alex had just said. What could he be causing that compromised his 'transformation' to his little brother? Or worse. All he had done is get a good look at himself and hide from everyone. Nothing more.

“What am I causing that is so important for you to know about it?”

“I don't know. You have just been acting all weird lately.”

“Oh.”

Andrew was hoping that was the answer, or something close to it. He let a deep breath to try and calm down. Except his deep breath distinctly sounded like that of a horse's snort. He panicked and covered his mouth in a way that allowed him to make it sound fake. At least Alex doesn't know anything more than to believe he is playing tricks on him.

“I told you I'm fine.”

“Whatever you say,” but before Alex could go back downstairs, he noticed a dent in Andrew's door. He inspected in with great attention to detail. It was circular, or half a circle, like a horseshoe shape.

Since when did this get here? thought Alex, examining it with his fingers. He wondered why Andrew had a print of a horseshoe on the outside of his door. At that moment, he was more curious than ever and did not want to wait on what Andrew was keeping a secret.

Andrew was putting things in his duffel bag like his phone, his iPod and earphones, his wallet, his camera, his hat, and his sunglasses. He had a hard time getting all his stuff in the bag with no hands. So he slid the objects off the desk into the bag he was holding in his mouth. He was planning to sneak out the window and go to his best friend's house, Dale. As he was about to jump out the window to the green grass below, he heard Alex trying to force his way in the bedroom door.

“Let me in dude!” shouted Alex, rattling the doorknob.

Seconds later, Alex broke the lock off the door and let himself in with lightning speed.

“What's so interesting Princess? Is it something horrible?” asked Spike.

“No. I'm not entirely sure.” She paused. “Come. Let's talk over here at the table.”

Celestia led Luna, Twilight, and Spike to the table full of magic scrolls and other books laid a mess on top. They stood there for a few seconds as Twilight was still looking around the room, amazed at all the old piles of information she never thought existed. Celestia turned around and looked a little embarrassed at the mess she caused.

“Sorry for the presentation, but I was up all night with what you see here.”

“Why is that? Does it have to do why we are here?” asked Twilight, afraid she might have jumped to her questions too soon.

“Yes it does Twilight. I am also sorry for not telling you in the letter I sent you. I did not want to risk too much attention to the event.”

“Event? Did I miss something Princess?” Twilight felt bad for interrupting her, but the suspense was eating her brain.

“Yes. I have not told you yet. There was an energy surge somewhere in Ponyville last night. It lasted only a few seconds and scared away some of the critters in the area. Fortunately, there were no ponies around to notice it since it was so late at night that everypony was sleeping. It came to my attention when Luna here felt it from her room. She notified me right away and both of us tried to figure out what it was ever since.”

“You don't look tired, Luna,” said Spike, soon realizing it was stupid comment.

“I'm up all night regularly. It is Celestia who needed the rest, I think I could have handled it myself, but my sister insisted it was not something to go at on my own.” Luna felt she needed to add some little detail that she had not yet told Celestia herself, but did not want to impose much concern with her big sister while she was awake. “I told her to sleep on it while I do it myself, but she politely refused and asked me to help her with looking it up in the Mysterious Magic section here in this building. She felt it was not your ordinary foal magic surge learning magic, but something of foreign in nature, so I couldn't just leave her to solve it herself.”

“It's quite alright, Luna, I'll sleep now that my work for the start of the day is done. But first let me explain more specifically why you are here.”

Twilight and Celestia both sat on the couch where the Princess had fallen asleep earlier that morning. Luna and Spike began cleaning the table off of unnecessary items that did not aid in their work. After getting in a comfortable sitting position, Celestia spoke in a low and honest voice.

“My faithful student, I apologize for the trouble the trip has caused on your busy schedule. I need your help to trace the origin of the surge and hopefully find out patterns, properties, or any other useful pieces of information we can use to study the nature of this unusual magic.”

“So you don't know what it was either?”

“That is the problem. Magic is unpredictable sometimes. Even I don't have control over some of its mysteries. This is the first time in a quite a while something of this magnitude has occurred.”

“What can I do to help?” Twilight asked with a peak in interest.

“I've been looking through all the magic scrolls and books in this secure part of the castle to find what exactly I am dealing with, but I am falling short on time and information. That is where you come in. You are one of two students I trust that can efficiently interpret the meanings of certain types of magic. It is only fair that you try to look for any spells in these rusty old scripts that can explain the event. Everything in this wing is for you to search through and any books you may have brought with you.”

Twilight felt like so much weight had been lifted off her shoulders from the explanation Princess Celestia had just given her. She was always prepared for anything. It seems that she could not tell whether this event Celestia was talking about was either safe to study or highly dangerous, but had an instinctive feeling that it was not serious. All her speculation of it being a life-threatening issue was wrong, and her hunch that it was only something that concerned Celestia was right. She was now in a state of curiosity with such a strange event to increase her motivation. Whatever the problem, Twilight wanted to make sure she could do her best to help her mentor.

“I'll see what I can do,” she said, eager to get on the job. “Don't worry about my schedule Princess, this is more important than all the things I was going to do this weekend anyway.”

“Thank you, Twilight. I must rest now, for Luna will assist you until I return. I hear Spike is a great assistant as well.”

“He sure is. I don't know what I'd do without him.” Twilight was so happy to have Spike along for this mission. Never in her life had she been so grateful for someone like Spike to make a difference in her life.

She had begun unpacking her books from her case before she stopped to think. She had thoughts of needing some help for this investigation, then she remembered Celestia saying she was one of two students she trusted. She assumed that meant she was not the only pony Celestia called for this mission and wanted to know who else was going be helping out on her research, if anypony at all.

“Now, I must be off. I hope you can handle it from here.”

Twilight nodded. “I'm sure I can manage.”

Before Celestia could leave, Twilight asked her about the other potential helper.

“Princess? Can I ask you one last question?”

“Yes of course, Twilight. What is it?”

“You implied I'm not the only one who will be working on this investigation. I was wondering, who else is going to help us out?”

“I'm glad you caught on Twilight. I'm sending another unicorn that might be of great use to you. You two might have also been acquainted in the past.”

“Who?”

“Lyra Heartstrings.”

The room was empty. The only evidence that Andrew was present a second ago was his missing personal belongings, duffel bag, and an open window.

“Dammit Andrew. You have serious issues man.”

Alex inspected the rest of the room. He knew it just as good as Andrew himself, but did not find anything that lead to why Andrew would go through the trouble to avoid him. Neither did he find his personal things, assuming he took them with him out the window. Alex walked over to the window and found no one outside other than warm air and the apple tree in the backyard. I must have just missed him. That guy is unpredictable, Alex mentally said to himself. He was so tempted to search Andrew's room for anything suspicious, but decided not to.

Alex then heard the front door open and the voices of both his parents in the middle of an adult conversation. He sprinted downstairs to meet them. His mother was helping her husband with a few brown bags he brought from the store and his father had his own share of bags in his hands. As Alex got to them, he was out of breath. He was too tried with a pant in his breath to form words but could not get them out clear enough.

“Oh hey there son, you go for a run?” said his father.

“I- uhh... Anhdserw uhh... hhe uh... ugh... whew.”

“Whoa slow down there sport. Just relax and you can tell us after we put away the groceries. Can you help by bringing in the last two bags from the car, son?” He tried to calm Alex down by using his key talent of careful words in a fatherly voice.

Alex took a deep breath, “Okay dad.”

As soon as Alex heard the voice of his father, he had almost forgotten why he was in such a hurry to tell them something. His dad was good at calming his family down with his voice.

When Alex left to do what his father asked him, he thought for a moment. Maybe I should just keep this to myself. He decided he'd keep it a secret and act to his mom like it was nothing worth worrying about.

He grabbed the remaining two bags out of the front seat of the car. He just wished this day would go back to normal and not have his older brother ruin it for him.

Andrew barely made it out of the house and out of sight. He heard a car pull up the driveway and assumed it was his parents returning from their usual errands. He wondered how he was going to get to his friend's house without being noticed by no more than one person. He wondered how he was going to tell his friend Dale about his current predicament, if at all. Even though he trusted Dale with his life, Andrew started having doubts if it applied now.

Dale's house was just down the block, about six houses down and on the other side of the street. That would explain why they remained good friends after grade school. They had been living so close to each other since the seventh grade. The sun was rising higher and higher directly above his head. He figured it was close to ten or eleven o'clock. Many different thoughts of getting there was a challenge. Going over to the backyards of the adjacent homes would be the easy part. The hard part was crossing the street undetected.

Andrew jumped the various short fences separating each line of property as quickly as he could, but on the other hand was unsuccessful at stealth. Every time he jumped over the short fences his duffel bag almost fell completely off his back. He made sure the contents of his bag did not break. He felt like he was so loud that people from a mile away can hear him. He tensed up his now 'pony' ears as if it was going to help to silence his escape. Maybe that explains why he can hear everything so clearly. Horses probably have better hearing than humans, he wasn't sure. Fortunately, nobody came out of their house as he passed every different backyard and even if one did, there were so many places to hide in the bushes and tree in the area. It was not long until he reached the second-to-last house at the end of the neighborhood.

“Now for the tricky part.”

Early in the morning not many people would be out in the middle of the road playing street sports because he knew that was a regular activity for kids on the block. A miniscule amount of cars drove through the street regularly. Only residents and delivery trucks traveled through here. Andrew went around to the front of the house he was trespassing on.

Just his luck, not one person or car could be seen or heard. Andrew was confident he could make it with little effort at being spotted and waited a few seconds before sprinting towards the house in front of him. He moved so fast as possible that it surprised him that he was able to run that fast without getting too tired after a sprint. Again, he figured it was the current body he was in. A horse's greatest qualities are its speed and stamina. He ran around to the back, jumping over one last wooden fence. Andrew had already gotten used to his pony body since it was not that hard to control.

Dale's house was much smaller than his. The backyard was nicer than that of the rest of the neighborhood, as far as he knew. The front door was out of the question and the back door was an option, but he saw a car out front and thought Dale's mother might still be home. Dale's room was on the first floor at the back side of the house. He has been here almost every week since they were friends, so he thought he'd get his attention by tapping on his bedroom window.

“First step, get help from the only person in the world I trust,” he said to himself.

Andrew trotted over to his friend's window and paused for a second, then tapped lightly on the window pane with his right hoof.

Dale was just getting out of bed after laying in bed awake an hour earlier when he heard something at his window. He was half asleep and ignored it. He sat upright on the side of his bed and put his hands on his face. He was so tired from late last night from typing up half of his chemistry paper. Like his best friend Andrew, they had something in common in terms of science. Dale chose to write his essay on gunpowder and explosive substances. He's always been a guy for watching things blow up, though he had no idea what went in to making things explode and cause bullets to shoot out of a gun at the speed of sound.

*Tap tap tap*

Dale quickly snapped his head toward the window. He paused for a second.

“Hello?”

He kept on staring at the window to see if it would happen again. A few seconds later it did.

*Tap tap tap*

Dale only thought it could be none other than his friend, Andrew. He walked over to the window and opened the blinds. There was nobody there. As far as he could see, it was a beautiful day that need not go to waste. He still wondered what he was going to do for the day. He was planning to hang out with his best friend in the world and a couple of his other friends later that afternoon.

“Hey! … Andrew? Are you there?”

Not a sound, save for the chirping of birds and ruffling of leaves.

…

“Okay man, we playing hide and seek or something? You know I don't like that game.”

…

Dale waited another minute, then got annoyed and ignored it once again. He shut the window and sat down at his desk. He opened his laptop and sat there looking at the screen. He kept thinking of the taps on his window that seemed to be freaking him out a little. Andrew would never hide from anyone, especially his best friend.

Another minute went by. Then two... Then three... then...

*Tap tap*

Dale rushed to the window and opened it quickly to try and catch Andrew running to his hiding spot.

“Dammit Andrew! Stop it already and show yourself!” He was usually paranoid in the morning, especially on the weekends. He decided he would play Andrew's game and find him outside. So he put his good shoes on and climbed out the fairly small window. Wherever he was hiding, it would take forever to find him.

However, the yard was well maintained and free of major imperfections. Dale should have no trouble finding his friend back there in this small area.

Andrew watched Dale taking careful steps across the lawn, listening for any sound that could lead to his position. He needed a distraction. He knew Dale was bad at this game and was not sure if it was right to trick him like this. Andrew was right around the corner of the house in the shadows next to the Dale's bedroom window.

As soon as Andrew saw Dale go past the only tree in the yard, he made a break for it. He ran back around to the window and jumped through with hardly any faults, besides his bag hitting the side of the wall. He then ran to into his friend's closet to the far left of where he entered. It did not have much elbow room, but given his current size, it was big enough to hide in. The door slam shut, but that noise was intentional.

On the other side of the door, he could hear Dale climbing through the window shouting.

“Damn bro! That was awesome! I couldn't even see you struggle your way in the window frame.” Dale was confident it was indeed Andrew who tapped on his window and evaded him outside. “Can you just tell me where you are so I know it's you?”

Andrew's heart was pounding. He was indecisive on how he should approach this unbelievable reveal. He hesitated at first.

“I'm in here.”

Dale sighed with relief, recognizing it as his dear friend Andrew. He could barely hear his voice from behind the door.

“Whew. You do that again and I might have to put security cameras around the house.” Dale laughed.

“I'm sorry dude, but it was urgent.”

“Urgent? What's wrong man?” Dale started toward the door to hear him better.

“Um...” Andrew inhaled, then exhaled slowly. “Uh, I don't know what's wrong.”

“How can you not know your own problems?”

“That's hard to say this one time.”

“You wanna tell me what it is? Why don't you come out of there already?” Dale began turning the doorknob but suddenly recoiled from Andrew's refusal.

“NO WAIT! Don't open the door! … I mean, hold on a second.” Andrew felt guilty for shouting at his friend on the other side of the door, but couldn't help but panic. He was thinking on clearing things up first.

“What is it?”

“Just hear me out on this one.”

“Okay, but I don't know why that's necessary. It's not like you got more ugly,” Dale joked.

…

It was quiet for a moment, and he felt stupid for saying that.

“Okay I'm listening.” Dale followed up with respect for his friend hiding in the closet.

“Um … well. I don't know how to explain it, so I'm just gonna say it …”

…

“I'm a... sort of a... a... a unicorn.”

3. Explanations

[Chapter 3]

Explanations

Coming up on high noon and Twilight was getting hungry. She had already skipped breakfast back at the library and was now feeling her mistake. She had been looking through a countless number of books, reading every page carefully and keeping in mind that she had all the time in the world. She was accompanied by Princess Luna who told her to take her time, and Spike was busy napping on a pile of books.

As Twilight scanned the pages to hopefully find what they were looking for, Luna fed her as much information as she could to Twilight so she would know what magical keywords to look for while leaving out one crucial piece of info that only Luna knew. She was unsure what to make of it. She thought it be best to only tell if asked about it specifically, not like anypony would know she was keeping something a secret.

“Nothing. The information you gave me is a little vague Princess.” Twilight finished the book she was reading and placed it aside.

Luna was feeling guilty already. “That is all I know from the incident.”

“If you say so.” Twilight felt uneasy speaking to Luna like that.

Twilight's stomach growled. She was starving and all this reading was making it worse. She knew that both Princesses were busy, Celestia was probably done resting and Luna needed to stay in the Mysterious Magic wing at the tower. Twilight figured she'd just go into town and get lunch.

“I'm so hungry, do you think we can get something to eat?” Twilight had her doubts.

“Of course Twilight.”

“Thank you Princess.” Twilight smiled.

“Do you know the way back to the ballroom?” Luna asked.

“I think so.” Twilight started towards the entrance.

“Splendid. Don't forget to bring Spike with you.”

“Oh yes, I almost forgot.”

She walked over to the sleeping purple dragon.

“Wake up sleepyhead.” She nudged him on the head. This again led Spike falling off of his resting place, awakening him quickly of his slumber. He crashed down the pile of books and some books followed him, making another mess, though miniscule compared to the rest of the room.

“Ow.”

“Oops, sorry again Spike.”

Spike picked himself up and rubbed his head.

“Seriously Twi? You need to work on your wake up calls. I could use something less physical than that.”

“My bad.” Twilight giggled this time, catching on to Spike sense of humor. “Come on, we're going to get lunch back in town.”

“Finally!” Spike was relieved of the news but then realized that meant they needed to walk all the way back where they came from. Sucking it up for his whims, he followed Twilight, leaving Princess Luna alone in the room. “Does this mean we're done?”

“Not even close.”

“Where are you going?”

…

“I was not expecting you to head off so sudden, Lyra.”

The mint-green unicorn stopped dead in her tracks. She was not anticipating Bon-bon to find out this quickly.

“Oh, uh… it's nothing really,” she lied.

“Doesn't look like it, given that you didn't tell me beforehoof.”

“Well, I was told not to.”

“By who?”

“Princess Celestia.”

Bon-bon at this point became confused. The look on her face showed both surprise and disbelief. Her blank stare lasted a few seconds, followed by a sigh of disappointment.

“I know you're mad, but I have to go,” Lyra said. “I'll explain later when I get back.”

“Where are you going?” Bon-bon was curious rather than annoyed that Lyra was leaving without saying anything.

“To Canterlot. I must be there for something. She didn't tell me the reason either.”

“Okay, but this 'leave without telling my roommate where I'm going' ordeal has to end.”

“I try. I really do. But I need to get going. I'm sure you'll understand this might be important to me, or even Equestria at large.”

Lyra only prepared her saddlebag with her most personal work, enough bits just in case, and a couple books. That is all she thought she needed for the trip. Besides, the Princess did not tell her why she was called upon to take a trip all the way to Canterlot. It was hard for her to think of reason for her agreement.

“I guess I'll have to do things on my own around here for the weekend,” said Bon-bon, wanting Lyra to get the hint at extreme displeasure.

“I'm sorry, Bon-bon. I really am. I'm sure you'll do fine without me,” She was about to walk out the door when she heard Bon-bon speak once more.

“Do you know why you're going?”

“No.” She made her answer as simple as possible, exited the building, and headed off to the train station. Bon-bon just stood there with her mind in a mist, wondering if was worth worrying about. She felt Lyra needed to do it on her own, again. Her unicorn roommate looked pretty determined. Bon-bon got really good at reading eyes, especially those of the pony she lives with.

Lyra had been wondering why this particular day had started off so unexpectedly. First, she gets a letter personally from Princess Celestia sitting next to her bed when she, again, woke up late in the morning. Second, she was not told in the letter the occasion that lead the Princess to got through the trouble to ask for her presence, only that she's been requested to meet in Canterlot as soon as possible. Third, she heard Pinkie Pie next door talking to Rainbow Dash how Twilight was not in the library earlier that morning, not telling anypony where she was going and why, as well as something to do with a very strange Pinkie Sense she had never felt before. Fourth, she angered Bon-bon on her way out the door.

Lyra thought that since Twilight was the most powerful unicorn in Ponyville and the Princess's personal protégé, it made sense that she would be in the same situation. Though it might just be coincidence. Probably not. Did Celestia trust Lyra enough that she'd personally chose her to aid in some secret government service? This amused and scared Lyra at the same time. She was one of the top students in the Canterlot School for Gifted Unicorns and showed excellent interest in magic. Even though she was no scientist, the word science confuses her with the word magic. Both were on opposite ends of the logical spectrum.

Lyra casually made her way to the station. She did not encounter anypony that showed curiosity in her purpose for going to the train station. It all seemed like a normal day to everypony else.

It was almost noon and Lyra just made on her train bound for Canterlot. It left as soon as she boarded. There were not that many ponies in the train cars. Only a few who were most likely going to visit family or friends, or returning home to Canterlot. Everypony else were either having an early lunch or doing their daily business back in Ponyville. I would be a mere ten to fifteen minute ride at the speed the train traveled. Lyra rested her eyes for the journey.

Twilight was eating her fair share of hay fries and mouth-watering apple pie made by the second best apple pie maker she knew, behind Applejack and her family's famous Zap Apple Pies. Spike had himself a bowl of the finest jewels in Canterlot.

Instead of eating their lunch at the shop they purchased from, they brought their food to the castle library where Twilight used to go every single day when she was a filly. It was a much shorter walk than all the way back to the tower, so they thought it would be a good idea to make a quick visit down her childhood memories.

Twilight and Spike stood in the middle of the large, book-filled room, moving their heads right to left examining the contents of each shelf. It struck them as still an amazing sight to see, but more amazingly, nothing had changed. Every little detail was just as they left it ages ago. Everything seemed to be where they should be, as if they just left yesterday.

“It looks untouched,” Twilight said slowly with her eyes wide open and pie floating to her side. She paused a moment longer. “We could look at some of the books in here Spike. I have read almost every single one on the shelves.”

“Almuh emmhy bmuhmmk...” Spike had a mouthful of shards from the ruby he stuffed in his mouth. He swallowed the rest whole and repeated. “Almost every book?”

“Yes. I haven't gotten to all of them yet, but I have my doubts that they will give us any useful information. If it was very important, I would have known about it a long time ago.”

“Are you sure? I would have known too, but I don't recall having sacred stuff in here.” Spike put another jewel in his mouth.

“Well, there's only one way to find out.”

The train came up to the station on time as always. Lyra felt like no time had passed as the a trip to Canterlot by rail is known to do that to a pony's mind. She got off the train and with no time to waste, made her way to the royal castle. It felt like home walking through the streets of Canterlot because, after all, this was her hometown.

There was nothing like her surroundings to help her remember all the memories she spent with her parents and the very few school friends she had made, all to make her childhood worth thinking about. She also remembered the personal strives for certain information that most ponies, including her parents, avoided. They thought it was not normal.

Lyra was not in the mood for food, even though she was getting a bit hungry. She was so excited and eager to know what Princess Celestia had sent her here for. She had been thinking of possibilities on the train. Each scenario that came to her was more exciting to think about than the last. However, she could not quite pinpoint the feeling that made her feel warm inside. Maybe it was the new adventure. Maybe it would clear up her obsession. Lyra hated when ponies called it an obsession, especially Bon-bon. It was an interesting hobby.

With that last thought she snapped back to reality and found herself standing at the large golden gates of the Canterlot Castle in all its glory. All that thinking was enough to lose track of time, but not direction. Even the heavy weight of her saddle bag couldn't stop her from pressing on to find out her reason for coming to Canterlot.

The guards had expected her arrival and, one by one, let her pass by with ease. Lyra directed herself to the main ballroom. It was huge. Absolutely immense. She remembered it once before at the Grand Galloping Gala a while ago, and it still amazed her like seeing it for the first time.

She was supposed to meet the Princess in the castle, but didn't know exactly where. She did not know if she was late, early, or on time. If she was on time, the Princess would be here somewhere. She took a moment to think where she had to met Princess Celestia.

Lyra sighed and asked herself, “Where would you go if you were to scheduled to meet someone that is supposed to fill you in on important information?” She paused to think about it for a couple seconds, put her hoof on her cheek.

“The main library of course,” she said, thrusting her foreleg upward.

Knowing where most of the castle rooms are located, she started walking in the direction of the library.

“Maybe this has something to do with...” she thought for a moment, then shook her head.

“...no way.”

Twilight was having a hard time looking for something that she might not find. She did not know what she was looking for, her only thought was to start looking. It had been a full ten minutes scanning the spines of each book on each shelf when she had gone through the whole library. She did not want to keep Princess Luna waiting and had to get back to the tower, hence not wasting her time with detailed searches of every book. There was simply not enough time for everything.

“That's every book in here, Spike.”

“I told you there is nothing of value to us.”

Twilight paced around the room some more, hoping to remember any place she might have missed. It has been a while since she was in this library.

“Well then, come on. Let's get going.”

Twilight and Spike were on their way to the door when they heard hoofsteps coming up the stairs.

“Oh no!”

Twilight froze. She panicked in her mind from fear of being in deep trouble. She posed motionless and quickly shut her eyes, bracing for something bad to happen.

Moments later the hoofsteps stopped. As they suddenly disappeared, they sounded awfully close. Spike was not worried one bit. He thought Twilight would take the fall for whatever trouble she'd get into. He stood there rolling his eyes and looking off to the left.

Silence filled the room for a few seconds. Then Spike spoke.

“What are you afraid of Twilight? Open your eyes.”

She did what he said and opened them slowly, only to find a normal unicorn standing in front of her. It was none other than Lyra Heartstrings herself, the other pony Celestia said would be helping with the investigation. Twilight went from highly nervous to extremely comfortable. Lyra had been a friend back in Ponyville and even earlier still.

“Twilight?”

“Uh... yes?”

“What are you doing here?” Lyra asked.

“Well, the same reason you are.”

This confused Lyra to some extent, but it made sense to her hearing how Twilight did a good job of avoiding her friends this morning. Unlike her and Bon-bon.

“I don't know why I'm here. Is this where I'm supposed to be?” Lyra asked.

“No.”

“If you're here for the same reason I am, why are you in here?”

“Nothing,” Twilight lied, “I was just wanted to remember the memories in this library. Ah good times.” She was horrible at dishonesty as she was taught well to suppress the urge by her friend Applejack.

“Okay then.”

“I was just leaving.”

“Should I follow you? I think you and I are on the same team, right?”

“Yes. Princess Celestia already told me why I was called here, it only makes sense to tell you. She called you here, too, right.”

“How did you...”

“She told me you'd help us out,” Twilight interrupted.

“She just knows everything huh?” said Lyra in a low voice as if she was talking to herself.

“Now I'll fill you in with the details on our way back to the the tower.”

“The tower?”

Dale started laughing.

“Ah ha ha ha, yeah right bro! You're so bad at jokes. Ha ha ha!”

“No, I'm serious!”

“What ever you say Dane Cook. Ah ha ha ha!”

“I knew this was a bad idea,” Andrew mumbled.

“What was that? I can't hear you over the sound of horrible talent. Ha ha.”

Andrew sat there in the dark closet listening to Dale laugh out loud. It was no joke, and even if it was, it wasn't hilarious enough to laugh at. He still didn't understand his friend's sense of humor.

“Can you please stop laughing? I'm not making this up.”

Dale wiped the one tear he shed for laughing so hard.

“Oh man, should I really take you seriously? You know that's not possible. You of all people should know that. Now can you come out of there so I can see the miserable look on your face.” Dale was not an evil person, he just took amusement in the embarrassment of bad talent.

Andrew took one long, deep breath.

“Fine, if you say so.”

He struggled with the doorknob and finally unlatched it. He opened the door was slowly walked out with audible thuds hitting the hardwood closet floor.

…

Dale went completely silent.

A moment earlier he had been recovering from laughter from a terrible joke from Andrew and now he sat there staring at a... unicorn, realizing said joke was actually true. The both of them remained absolutely silent, waiting for the other to say something. Andrew could not tell if his human friend was either too scared to move, or faking it. Whatever the circumstance, he assumed Dale was taking it well.

Andrew took a step closer to him who was only two meters away on the bed. Dale retreated at the same time. He took another step. Again, Dale retreated a little more, this time reaching the wall pressing up against it. Andrew stopped, he did not want to frighten him anymore than he already was. The room went quiet again.

It seemed like forever went by until Andrew broke the silence.

“I don't think it's funny.”

“Wh- who are you?” asked Dale in a barely audible whisper, continuing to stare at the thing in front of him.

“It's me Andrew. Your best friend.”

“No your not! This is some kind of prank, isn't it!?” Dale rose his voice. He had been thinking that this was a setup by Andrew to scare him. It can't be real because he heard Andrew's voice clearly behind the door and this cannot be him, so he suspected he was still hiding in the closet. But after thinking it was a joke, Dale settled down on his bed.

“Uh, no. This is no joke. I told you I'm... a... well just look at me.”

Dale thought for a moment. Then a some more. Andrew's voice seemed to be coming out of this... this pony. This turquoise colored pony in front of him, which had what looked like none other than a horn on its forehead. Oh great this (if he can guess correctly) 'unicorn' looked so real and wondered how much time Andrew spent making a mechanical horse so lifelike. The controls must be hard for someone to maneuver as fast as it did through the window and leave him convinced to go outside. He must have also put his own clothes on this thing to make it more convincing when he revealed it. Dale was thinking this as more of a well played prank than an actual mythical creature who claimed to be his friend. He settled down now that he was confident he wasn't dreaming or insane.

“Alright man, come out of the closet,” Dale finally said. “You got me good this time.”

Andrew looked at him funny. Dale evidently thought it as not just a joke, but a prank.

“Who are you talking to?”

“Ha ha, not to a real unicorn that for sure. Good one man, you had me fooled for a minute there.”

“But this is me. Andrew. I'm not screwing with you. I'm not a robot. I'm me. You have to believe me.” Andrew was feeling quite desperate to get his friend to realize that he is a pony.

“I'm not too sure about that man.” He leaned to one side. “Are you going to get out of my closet now? Or am I going to have to pull you out of there?” Dale was hesitant to check for himself if Andrew were to pull another fast one on him.

“I'm right here in front of you, you just gotta believe me. I thought I was going crazy too, but I can't deny it any longer.”

“I know I'm not crazy, but if you want me to believe this is true, it's not working. Besides, unicorns don't exist, let alone talking ones.”

“Okay then, check the closet for yourself.”

Dale nodded. “Don't mind if I do.”

Andrew stepped out of his way. Dale got up off the bed and walked to the semi-large closet. It was large enough to live inside if needed, but to small to hide oneself from sight, so he would have no problem seeking his friend. He turned on the light and looked around, removing boxes of clothes and stuffed animals.

He stopped. Dale turned back to the pony looking at him and tilted his head. He began to believe the unicorn a little bit more.

“Okay man, where are you really hiding?”

“In plain sight.” Andrew thought Dale would interpret that a different way that he intended.

“You under my bed? In the bathroom? In the kitchen? In that mechanical unicorn in my room?”

“Mechanical unicorn?”

“Nope you can't possibly fit in that small thing. You're too tall.”

Dale was not ready to give up his sanity just yet. He only wanted to make sure Andrew was who he says he is and then try to get back to reality somehow. He took a deep breath.

“Sooo...”

“I keep telling you this is no joke! It's really me, Drew.” He thought that if he said his nickname, Dale would know for sure it's him, and maybe believe him more. “And besides, does my voice sound like a robot?”

He was right. Dale perked his head up a little more from kneeling down in the closet. He took one heavy sigh to show his concern. Then, with little effort, he stood up, turned the light off, and closed the closet door in on himself. As blunt as it looked, this confused Andrew a little. Then he thought it was funny how Dale usually did things that make people grin. This one of those random acts.

All was silent again, this time for several awkward seconds. Andrew sat down to get himself comfortable and looked around the room, waiting for his best friend to come out of the dark closet. He noticed they had switched places, Dale in the closet and Andrew next to the bed.

The door opened and Dale was sitting down comfortably on a bunch of clothes with his head laying on some stuffed animals looking at the ceiling. His slumped position was as if he ran a marathon and was about to pass out. He stretched his arms and legs. After a long, obnoxious deep breath, he spoke.

“Why are you here?”

Andrew was surprised that Dale supposedly believed him already. Maybe the pointing out that his voice did not sound fake, but rather overwhelmed.

“Um. I thought I could use your help.”

“I'm still skeptical that you are real, but I have a habit of jumping to conclusions.” Dale sounded so sure of himself. He just wanted to know whether his best friend is really a unicorn standing in his bedroom. “Besides, you're not smart enough to build a working mechanical unicorn that good.”

“Hey!”

Dale laughed a little more.

“Well it's true.” He gestured his hand to him to continue speaking, “You were saying?”

“Okay then... I forgot what I wanted to say, thanks a lot.”

Dale laughed again.

“So...” Andrew followed up on his thought. “I didn't know what to do about this, so I came to you. The only person in the world I trust this much.”

Dale felt warm inside when Andrew said that.

“I'm not sure if I have anything useful to help, um... change you back. Or something like that. What do you want me to do?”

“Anything. I just want to know what happened to me and why.”

“That's it?”

“Pretty much.”

“Well, we have to start somewhere then.”

“I could learn how to use this body more. I got the hang of walking so far.”

“Are you kidding me dude? Don't you desperately want to be human again?”

“Well yeah, but it seems we don't know how to change back anyway, so I think we'd have more use figuring out more about me that might lead to how this happened.”

“How do you suppose we do that? It's not like you magically turned into a unicorn.”

…

The both of them automatically knew magic did not exist.

“Magic? … no way.”

“Well then how else are we going to explain it?” Dale asked.

They just sat there thinking. Dale in the closet and Andrew next to the bed. At first, Dale's only explanation was magic. Like 'Ta da!' sort of thing, ya know, but none of that illusion stuff, but actual magic. Almost nothing came to mind that made any sense. He could try to explain it with science, but nothing known to physics could make this happen overnight, or at all for that matter. Andrew on the other hand... err- hoof, was thinking of just about the same reason. Like Dale, he knew magic was a scientific impossibility. It was simply impossible to suddenly turn into a weird disfigured pony because Andrew did not feel a thing while he slept. If it had disturbed him in his sleep, it definitely would have woken him up. He was now stuck and plain out of ideas. This is one thing that nobody would have the answer to.

“You think of something yet?”

“Nope,” Dale replied.

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot, there was this sudden weird sound in my room last night. It was so loud and unexpected that it scared the crap out of me. Almost literally.”

“A noise? Okay? So what?”

“What I mean is, I went to check it out around the house and asked my brother about it. He didn't recall hearing anything. My dad was sleeping on the couch. If anything, the both of them would have heard it too. But I'm serious, it was like an gunshot in my ears.”

“That IS weird.”

“I then checked the outside the house to see if anything exploded. Nothing. Not another sound came after that. I'm telling you, it was SO loud, you could have heard it from here.”

“When did it happen?”

“This morning at like one. I was writing my chemistry paper when it happened.”

“You too?”

“You heard it?”

“No, I mean, you were writing your chemistry paper too? So was I.”

“But you didn't hearing anything?”

“Nope. Quite as Minnesota.”

“You are such a nerd,” said Andrew, laughing as he spoke.

“And proud of it. I do what I do. The only thing I can't do is explain why you heard that loud noise while no one else heard anything. It is simply impossible from the way you described it. Are you sure you didn't imagine that sound?”

“Are you kidding? I almost died,” Andrew exaggerated. “It seems impossible. Just as this does,” Andrew said observing his hooves.

Dale got up out of the closet and walked over to him. He sat down on the bed right next to him.

Andrew was no taller than four, maybe four and a half feet. His clothes were still covering the majority of his turquoise colored body. A funny color for a horse. His duffel bag was hanging to his left, away from Dale. His hair was a bit messy after the fence jumping journey and that evade move from earlier. He felt much better now that his best friend understood his plight and sat beside him. He wondered what Dale was going to do next.

Dale poked the unicorn in the neck.

“Hey!” Andrew recoiled with enhanced defense reflexes. He was not human anymore after all.

“Sorry. Just making sure.”

“About what?” Andrew questioned, rubbing his neck with his right hoof.

“I believe you now.”

“Truthfully?”

Dale nodded his head, “Yeah. You're squishy.”

Andrew smiled. Dale smiled back. Then they both laughed.

“Okay... now lets try and... um... figure this out.”

4. Signs

[Chapter 4]

Signs

Hoofsteps was the only sound that was audible. The mouthwatering sensation of the thought of a good meal came to mind every now and again. Hunger was good at breaking concentration of a stressed mare.

Luna was pacing around the room trying to think. She tried to make herself believe that she was not imagining things. Just to make sure she was not going crazy, she periodically closed her eyes and took long deep breaths.

That event was not unknown. It had happened before. Luna remembered reading about it in a sealed scroll she found in her own room. She could tell it was very old and possibly out of date, compared to modern Equestria. The author was that of Starswirl the Bearded.

The event, the energy surge, the sudden random magical disturbance first occurred over one hundred and fifty years ago. Luna didn't quite remember exactly number compared to the current year. Only a few unicorns felt its sudden presence, including Starswirl, but it was enough to cause a stir. The surge was too weak to be felt all across Equestria. The reason Princess Luna had not known about it when it happened was because of her imprisonment on the moon for the last thousand years, for which Luna was unavailable to leave a message at the sound of the beep. (She still greatly regrets her actions, but she has learned to let go since becoming good friends with Twilight and other ponies these days. She also learned how to speak in modern tongue after catching up on the slang the kids used, especially Rainbow Dash.)

This reminder amused Luna like a scientist striving to discover something that would change the world.

She still had that scroll in a secret place in her room. Luna wanted to retrieve it an read it over again, but had an obligation to stay and look out for the tower. She continued to pace around the room thinking about the details in that scroll. She occasionally picked up a book and sifted through the pages on useless, yet secret, information. She also gave some thought on what she felt within the energy surge the night before.

It was the strangest feeling she had ever felt. It almost felt like something went terribly wrong. Luna knew that was not true since Equestria is doing just fine and no pony was hurt. So she put her thinking cap on. She felt a presence of another entity that had apparently interfered with the surge as it happened. Nothing that she could think of could explain what it is, or who it is, that was part of the external influence of the magic. At least she was convinced this no normal mystery, but somewhere between unsolvable and unthinkable.

This gave Luna dizzy spells. Her head ached from thinking too much about it after being so eager to find out what made this event different from all the others.

It was almost twelve thirty. Twilight, Lyra, and Spike made it all the way back to the tower where Princess Luna was left behind in the Mysterious Magic wing. They were walking up the final flight of stairs on the outside of the castle.

“Do we have to keep it all a secret?” Lyra asked.

Lyra had been listening attentively to every word Twilight said. Occasionally she asked a question on something that was unclear, even when there wasn't much information for Twilight to give other than what Celestia told her.

“Yes. The Princess doesn't want anypony to know about it until she feels it's safe and we know more about it,” Twilight answered with ease. She was improving on her social skills, even if she was just talking to a friend. “I have a feeling it's already safe.”

“You too? I had a feeling it had something to do with... uh...” Lyra paused. She caught herself about to spill her obsession to the both of them. She really wanted to tell somepony about her personal studies that would understand, but maybe Twilight was not the best friend to tell yet. “...uh, something to do with my parents.”

“Why is that?”

“Oh... I don't know, maybe because I haven't seen them in a while,” Lyra decided to lie some more. She was getting good at it, but it didn't get her very far on some occasions.

“I guess you're right. I haven't seen mine in a while either. But I don't think that's why I thought I called here for.”

“Are we there yet?” Spike asked, ending the conversation. He was getting tired of walking so much.

“Just a few more steps Spike,” replied Twilight.

Just a few more steps was more like twenty when they finally made it to the door of the building. They waited patiently as Twilight stepped backward after knocking on the door.

Luna was exhausted. So tired in fact that she almost fell asleep while walking. She had not been up this late in the day in months.

“Celestia should have been back by now,” she said to herself.

Seconds later, there was a knock on the door.

“Hmm, what a coincidence.”

She walked over to the entrance still half asleep, almost ready to give up her state of being awake. As she tired as she was, she still had enough energy to open the door.

“Hello sister, I've been-”

…

There was no one here. Luna looked around for anypony, but none to be seen. She then thought I might have been her imagination from her apparent sleepiness. She yawned. Her eyes were looking off into the distance half open. A couple seconds went by when she shook her head.

“I'm too old for this,” she said. Of course she was referring to being pranked by kids these days, but also having to babysit the tower. Luna was about to turn back in the room as rest her eyes, when she noticed an envelope laying on the ground from the corner of her eye.

Luna scanned the area again. Still no evidence of anypony around but the piece of paper in front of her. Looking down at the envelope, it had no postage, no address, no name. Just the symbol of Luna's cutie mark, the crescent moon. She figured it was for her, given that she is the only one in the building at that particular moment. Using her magic, she levitated it up to her face. She opened the seal, took out the letter, and read it.

Princess Luna,

If you want to know the answers you seek, come prepared to listen to the information I am willing to give. It might just be a matter of interest to you. Meet at the Apple residence when you are ready. Come alone.

It was short and vague, but it was enough to get Luna thinking. The only hint of the sender is the image of three apples in a triangular pattern. Luna's mind is riddled with clouded memories of the names of ponies she has met since her return. She has been to Ponyville more often than Celestia for personal reasons, one including her dear friend Twilight. She was happy to see Twilight again when she arrived in the castle earlier today, but showed little emotion from recent events.

Luna was more of the individual type with her own interests and desires that challenge the proper rationale of being a royal sister. There are many things Luna knew that her sister did not, and this letter might as well add to that list of things. She thought about it and decided to leave as soon as she could.

Princess Celestia was returning from her daily duty to the tall tower of the castle, when she saw a peculiar looking mare come from the direction of the tower. A familiar gray pegasus with a blonde mane swooped down to the city blow and disappeared behind some buildings. It did not bother Celestia for she had to figure out a pressing matter to attend to. Another apology to Twilight is too much, she had been sorry on a lot of things lately that it has become increasingly difficult to properly maintain a stable lifestyle. So, she just ignored the pony and continued to fly up the side of the building.

It only took a minute or so to reach the entrance of the Mysterious Magic wing of the castle. The doors were closed and locked, giving the impression that the room was empty. Princess Celestia used her horn to unlock the door and opening it. The large room was quiet and dark.

“Luna?”

Her voice echoed. A second later she heard a book fall off the couch. There she found Princess Luna asleep on sheets of paper and books piled everywhere.

“There you are.”

She walked over to the sleeping alicorn and noticed that Luna was unaware she had returned. She poked her side and said,

“Wake up, sleepy.”

Luna woke and looked at her with half closed eyes.

“Whoa, you look like you could use a break.”

Luna slowly rose from the couch and stood to stretch her limbs. She yawned and then she replied with slurred speech.

“Huh? Oh you're here sis. I was beginning to wonder why you took so long.”

“Where are the others?” asked Celestia.

“Twilight took Spike to get something to eat back in town.”

“That was nice of her. Why didn't you go with them?”

“Was I supposed to?”

“Only if you wanted to.”

“But I needed to stay here and look after the tower.”

“Good point. I guess I would have done the same. So, has our other guest arrived yet?”

“Not yet. It shouldn't be too long before Twilight returns. Maybe she found Lyra on her way over.”

“Speaking of which, do you have any idea on how or why Lyra knows about some things that you and I both know don't exist?”

“I've been wondering that myself. You didn't tell anypony did you?”

“Even if I did, they wouldn't believe me anyway,” Celestia calmly answered.

“Well I hope that isn't what this investigation is about.”

“I guess we'll have to find out.”

Suddenly, Luna and Celestia heard a knock on the front door.

“Ah, Right on time.”

Princess Celestia walked to the door used her magic to slide the door open. It was as Luna predicted to find. Twilight, Spike, and Lyra stood outside.

“Hello Twilight.”

“Hi Princess.”

“And welcome Lyra.”

“Nice to see you, Princess Celestia.” Lyra bowed.

“Please, come on in.”

All three of them entered the old room. Twilight trotted straight over to her previous work space and Spike returned to his napping spot. Lyra joined Twilight at the table. She noticed the great Princess Luna standing to the side of a couch looking very exhausted. Maybe it would be best if she didn't bother her favorite Princess just yet. Lyra was a good friend of Luna's and possibly the most understanding of the group. Over the course of each visit to Ponyville, Lyra would spend most of her time with Luna, giving her a lot of useful methods and tips on maintaining friendship between her subjects. However, she thought this might not be the perfect time to talk to her alone about the magical surge.

Celestia wondered if Lyra already knew why she was in Canterlot on such short notice, but wanted to make sure.

“So Lyra, maybe you're curious why you came to Canterlot?

“I still am, but Twilight brought me up to speed with the details on our way over.” At that moment, when Twilight heard Lyra speaking about their discussion, she worried that she wasn't supposed to and cringed.

“She did? That was nice of her. Thank you, Twilight. You saved me the trouble of telling her myself. Are you sure you understand Ms. Heartstrings we we are trying to do?”

“Yes, though, Twilight said she is having difficulties with finding the right information.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, Princess, I don't know what I'm looking for,” said Twilight.

“I'm sure we'll have to continue searching. I have just as much, if not a little more knowledge on what we are dealing with. I assure you, I will do everything in my power to help.”

“Thank you Princess.”

Twilight returned to the book she was reading. Lyra settled next to her and took out the notes of her own saddlebag. Spike was uninterested in the the conversation the ponies had and rested his head on the case of snacks. Celestia turned to Luna.

“Why don't you get some rest? I'll take it from here.”

“Thank you, sister.”

Luna nodded, then left the room. Celestia looked back at the working unicorns and smiled.

“Are you thinking what I'm thinking?”

“I don't know what you're thinking. How could I?”

“I don't know, coincidence maybe?”

“Then probably not. What do you have in mind?”

“Wait... okay never mind.” Dale knew that what he was thinking was the most impossible idea he could think of, but could not explain it any other way.

“Let's hear it. I might have thought of it too.”

“You and I both know...”

“Maybe,” Andrew interrupted. “Juuust maaaybe.”

“But how can magic be the answer?”

*THUMP*

Dale flinched and Andrew jumped.

“What the fu-”

*THUMP*

Dale jumped this time because that sound was right behind him at the bottom of the bookshelf. He looked behind him.

“Damn, that sacred the bejeezus out of me.”

Both Andrew and Dale inspected each of the fallen books, one from the desk at the other end of the room and one from the bookshelf. They were just figuring out how impossible Andrew's situation was when something else weird happens. Andrew had gotten used to it, but was still just as dumbfounded as his friend. He stared at the book for a while, nothing peculiar about the reason it fell. It looked as if it just fell itself. Andrew did not believe in ghosts or the paranormal, and neither did Dale, but after today, anything was possible it seemed.

“Dude, it's just a book.” The both of them said at the same time, then stopped and chuckled at each other.

“Jinx!” they said again at the same time.

“You know what, this is a pointless game.”

“I know, but it's all in good fun,” replied Dale. He looked at Andrew's horn. He squinted his eyes, then shook his head free of a stare. “I must be seeing things again.”

“What haven't we seen today?” Andrew joked.

“No, I mean this time it was... well... your horn.”

Andrew still disliked the sound of his friends speaking of his new form as if he's been a unicorn forever. He would have to live with the truth until it was fixed. He sighed under his breath.

“My horn is what?”

“I'm not sure. It looked like your horn was changing shape.”

“Okay, you are seeing things then.”

“Wait no, let me take a closer look.” Dale crawled on his hands and feet toward Andrew rested next to his desk.

Andrew did not want Dale to get too close, as his 'condition' might be harmful to anybody. The only harm he has done is lie to his little brother, Alex. Besides, Dale poked him earlier and nothing bad happened. That might be too much already, and didn't want to make things worse. He awkwardly watched his best friend inspect his horn. Suddenly, Dale retreated a few feet away.

“What? What's wrong?” From the moment his friend fell backwards, he felt a strange sensation coming from his head. It wasn't painful, more like when you get goosebumps all of a sudden for no apparent reason. He merely shrugged it off.

“Th- ye- your... um... your horn. It- it's... um... it's glowing!” Dale looked surprised, amazed, and freaked out all at the same time.

“Glowing?”

“Yeah.”

“Really? No way.” Andrew said sarcastically.

“I think it's best for you to believe me this time.”

“I'll-”

Dale quickly pulled out his blue cellphone out of his pocket and pointed it at Andrew. It took less than a second for him to see the reflection and he too retreated just as Dale did a minute ago. Instead of remaining cool like his friend, Andrew fell on his side. He rolled around, trying to scramble to his feet. Every attempt to properly get a hold of himself was useless. It hurt substantially when he hit his horn on a leg of the desk, knocking over a bunch of Dale's things in the process. It also hurt mentally, reminding him more of the existence of his horn.

“Dude, snap out of it!” There was nothing he could do other than to talk to him.

Andrew stopped squirming.

“You gotta control yourself. It's just another impossible thing today. We'll figure out a way to get through this.”

Dale had a way with words in sticky situations. Andrew listened carefully and slowly took a deep breath.

“Okay.”

“Now, do you feel anything? Anything at all?”

“Yes.”

“Like what?”

“Like I'm going mad.”

“No, I mean-”

“Strange! I feel strange.”

“Can you be more specific.”

Andrew picked himself up and lay his head on the side of the bed, but then feeling goes away just like that. Andrew was were unaware that his horn was no longer glowing.

“I don't feel anything anymore.”

“You're making this hard for us both.”

“Sorry, but I don't know how my senses have anything to do with the books..”

“I was talking about your horn.”

“I know that. You think it has a connection with the books falling on their own?”

Both the human and unicorn made a series of facial expressions. The kind that you make when you pretend to think really hard, but only to exaggerate your inability to do so. Dale looked around the room to help his train of thought. Andrew did the same.

“Are you psychic?”

“I don't think anybody is.” Andrew was pretty sure that was true.

“Telepathic?”

“Okay, now you're just being ridiculous.”

“Are you kidding bro!? After all that effort to make me believe you turned into a unicorn, you are afraid of the truth. It seems like I am the one that doesn't care if it is impossible or not, we just need something to help us help you. I offer my help, and I want your trust in return. We've been friends for as long as I can remember. I know you like I know myself.” Dale paused to slow down. “Look, I'm sorry I didn't believe you when you ran in my closet, I thought is was a joke. I usually take a lot of serious things as jokes. This time I was wrong and I'm sorry. I can't ask anymore than for you to forgive me, but I get the hint you already do. So, let's just sit here and think of all the possibilities, no matter what.”

…

Andrew went completely silent. He was listening to every word Dale had said. He was right. They weren't getting anywhere with skepticism. Even though sitting down and thinking is rather boring, it was only thing they could do. He could feel his eyes trying to produce a tear, but it was too weak to exit his eye. Andrew sighed.

“I'm sorry.”

Dale could see that Andrew got a little emotional. Maybe because he had a way with words, or the fact that his best friend was stuck as a unicorn. Dale did not want to hurt Andrew's feeling anymore. After his little speech, they had apparently forgotten about the books.

“It's okay dude.”

Andrew's stomach growled.

“I'm hungry.”

“Me too.”

Luna woke with a headache after an extremely short nap. Her midnight blue eyes were fuzzy and a little tingle ran around in her head. It wore off is a few seconds after she got up out of bed and paced slowly around the her quarters. Once her surroundings were in clear focus, Luna began to think about how she was gonna get to Sweet Apple Acres without her sister knowing. The letter didn't explicitly say not to let anypony know, but is sure implied that it did.

The princess looked outside through the largest window that led to her balcony. She had been asleep for almost two hours, based on the position of the sun still high in the sky. Being a light sleeper, Luna basically wakes up whenever she wants. The letter also did not specify a time to be at the Apple family's farm, though she was already ready before she slept. Apparently, her body disagreed with flying while drowsy.

Luna felt guilty if she left without telling her sister, so she began to write a short message on a small scroll.

Dearest sister,

A source has come up that could lead us to solving the phenomenon of the unknown energy surge. I have been contacted by this source and it has agreed to give the necessary information if I go alone. I am off to Sweet Apple Acres to meet the anonymous pony and hopefully shed some light on our worries. I hope you understand this is nothing personal, just a matter of interest.

-Luna

At the last stroke of the quill, she sighed and whispered to herself

“Please don't be mad at me again sister.”

Princess Luna set the unsealed scroll on her table, turned around, walked toward the window, stepped onto the balcony, spread her wings, and took off.

“Hmm... no.”

Twilight was starting to feel like her luck was running out. Half the books have been read and the other half was the least interesting batch. She knew this because she recognized most of the labels for the type of magic. With each book down, there is less of a chance of finding something vaguely useful.

Lyra was sitting across the table from her. Every time Twilight was finished with a book, Lyra would double check it for any information overlooked. Though, she was not keeping up, falling behind one book for every two read by Twilight. The reason being was Lyra's concentration on another subject. Her own journal and notebook.

“Doesn't make any sense,” she mumbled to herself.

“What was that?” Twilight noticed Lyra talking to herself for a while now.

“Oh nothing.”

“Did you find something?”

“No, not really.”

Twilight looked at her funny for second, then returned to the old scroll she had hovering in front of her, still thinking whether all this reading is getting to her. The piece she was reading only accounted for an unidentified spell used a long time ago, but found that it was discovered not too long ago. An outdated scroll is not what she is looking for. One down, a lot more to go.

Celestia was pacing around the room, making herself useful by selecting certain books that might help her fellow investigators. It had been an hour and fifty minutes since her sister departed to rest. She wondered in Luna was alright after staying up during the day for the first time. She had thought of checking up on her the last half hour.

“Hey girls?”

“Yes, Princess?” said Twilight and Lyra simultaneously.

“Are you sure you can take it from here?”

This was the thing Lyra had been waiting for.

“Yes, yes, Princess, we'll be fine,” Lyra said almost interrupting.

“Splendid. I am going to check up on my sister. Let's hope you find something in the meantime.”

Princess Celestia left the room before Twilight could say anything. Although she wanted to ask her friends to help out, she was unprepared to. It couldn't hurt if she looked through the whole storage of spells and magic with the help of Lyra for the next couple hours. When the door closed behind Celestia, the room filled with a cold silence.

The room remained quiet for another few minutes. Twilight felt a shiver run down her spine and down to her hooves. Either it was cold, or she was just her. She looked back over to Lyra, who was staring intimately at her. She quickly looked back at the scroll to block the sight of Lyra. This made Twilight feel more uneasy than a second ago. An awkward moment when you look up from reading and find a friend staring straight into your eyes. Other than keeping her focus on the words on the paper, she was waiting for Lyra to make a sound or say something.

“Psst.”

...

“Psst... hey Twilight?” Lyra whispered.

“Um, yes Lyra?”

“Sooooo... this investigation thingy. Do you think it involves-”

“Why are you whispering?”

Lyra paused. She eyed the purple pony and sat up from leaning over the table.

“Oh, uh, it's just that I don't want anypony to hear?”

“You know there is no pony around right? And Spike's asleep.”

“Sure, I knew that.” said Lyra, trying to hide her ill composure.

“So, you were saying? Involves what?” Twilight had an idea of what she was going to say, but didn't want her to say it.

“Um... you know... humans?”

Twilight looked at Lyra unamused and sighed in discontent.

“Uh, I'm not sure we will find anything in this wing about that. Even if we did, I doubt that's what this whole thing is all about.”

“I'm just curious, what else could it be? I heard this same event happened a long time ago.”

Lyra caught her slip of the tongue and sealed her mouth. Twilight snapped her head forward, looking at her with wide eyes.

“WHAT! Why didn't you tell me this before?”

“Well, I needed to make sure it really happened. I read deep in one of the antique magic books that verifies it did.”

Now Twilight felt like Lyra was ahead of her every step of the way the entire time. She knew where to look, what to look for, and found it rather quickly. This challenged the purple mare's title of the most powerful unicorn in all of Ponyville, or maybe this just was the first time she felt unintelligent.

“What do you know about this from that book? Wait, from what book did you get this information?” she asked.

“Oh, uh,” Lyra reached into her saddle bag and took out an aging black book and set it on the table. “This one, Project Black Book.”

“Not much, it's very obscure. It contains many previously mysterious cases of UMPs and most are easily identifiable as either hoaxes, accidental discharges, or inter-”

“UMPs?”

“Oh, it's an acronym for Unidentified Magical Phenomenon.”

“And you know this how?”

“This book.”

Twilight facehoofed.

“Of course. How did I not know that?” she said sarcastically.

Lyra cocked her head at the purple unicorn.

“Are you alright, Twilight?”

“No no I'm fine. I've just been at this for hours and you've known all along.”

“Not exactly.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I need help making some sense of some of this stuff here.”

“Okay. So what does it say about the last time this happened?”

“Oh yes. It just mentions that some blast of unknown energy shook ponies off their feet one afternoon south of Canterlot a hundred and fifty four years ago. Apparently it came out of nowhere and no pony saw it coming. Princess Celestia at the time was concerned for a period of time, not knowing what it was or why it occurred, but she did not have enough information to work with, which she later set it aside. Over time, the event was forgotten in the minds of ponies and buried deep within the Carterlot Archives ever since. There is little to no evidence of it ever happening because Celestia did not want the majority of the public to worry. However, one pony continued to toil on the event the months that followed. Starswirl the Bearded.”

Twilight's ears perked up at the sound of her favorite ancient unicorn's name.

“Starswirl?”

“Yup. However, it doesn't say any other details about his involvement, how long it took, or if an answer was ever found. And that's about it. Nothing else strange happened in Canterlot that was recorded the weeks of months after, as far as we know.”

“So why do you think it is connected to, um... humans?”

“Oh, uh... I just have a feeling.”

“I think we need more than your seventh sense to figure out the reason for it... randomly appearing.”

“You still don't believe me that humans are not made up.”

“It's hard to say without tangible evidence. I'm sorry Lyra, I try to believe you, but I would feel more serious about it if I saw one for myself. Have you seen one yet?”

“No, but I-”

“How can you know for certain they exist if you haven't seen one before?”

Lyra lowered her head after Twilight's logic. She usually has that effect on talking to ponies. She had forgotten how that one question can make her feel defeated. However, she did not let that stop her continuing to search for the truth. No matter how many times she's been told to consider studying something more practical, there was something else so mysterious about things in Equestria that motivated her in seeking for their origins.

“Well... there is just something about them that makes me believe they are real.”

Twilight also lowered her head for making Lyra feel bad.

“There isn't much I can do to maybe help you out because it's out of my area of knowledge. Beside we don't have the necessary amount of time to do everything.”

“It's fine, Twilight, I can do it on my own time. Sorry for bringing it up.”

“No worries. I'm sorry for asking those questions. I often to do that as a skeptic.”

Both unicorns smiled at each other, accepting the each others apology.

“I can only hope.”

“Why don't we find out?”

5. Progress

[Chapter 5]

Progress

“Aw yuck! Did you put too much salt on this?”

“I didn't put any salt in it.”

Andrew looked at his ham sandwich with cheese, lettuce, and tomato. His first bite was bitter, but his second was unbearable. He didn't understand why it tasted so different than ever before. It wasn't until he was reminded of his pony form by having to eat straight off the plate that was sitting on Dale's bed.

Minutes earlier, Dale quietly prepared a quick lunch in the kitchen for the both of them. His mother was occasionally in the kitchen, more often on the weekends while taking care of chores. Fortunately, she was busy with worrying about her complexion in the bathroom. He continued using caution, taking the necessary steps to act like everything was normal. He did not want risk exposing his unicorn friend to anyone else as it might get out of control with the spread of rumors. Dale made his favorite, microwavable chicken strips with ranch dressing, and put together a ham sandwich for Andrew as always. He brought it back to his room where Andrew was sitting on the bed, having trouble using his MP3 player and his small camera. He was going to give up when relief of food took him away from it. The only problem was the taste.

“Is it just me?”

“Here, let me try.”

Dale took a piece off an untouched corner and put it in his mouth.

“Tastes fine to me.”

Andrew was confused whether it was his taste buds or the sandwich, or that Dale was just lying. He went with taste buds. Thinking about it for a moment, Andrew didn't know much about a horse's diet. It was impossible to say if it also applied to unicorns which, as of an hour ago, now exist.

“Now that I am no longer me, physically speaking, my mouth is probably different too. What do horses eat?”

“I think anything that is not meat. You know, vegetarians.”

“Okay, so if I take the meat out of the equation, it should be fine right?”

“Try it.”

“Do you mind?” Andrew pointed at his plate with his hoof, directing him to do it. Dale grunted, looked at him with an annoyed expression, then sighed.

“Only because you're impaired.”

“I'm not impaired. I'm just... imprisoned. In this...” Andrew said looking at himself, still cringing with displeasure at the very sight.

Dale removed the ham from the sandwich, trying not to touch any other part. He slid it out with perfection and ate the whole piece is one bite. Andrew looked at his friend, partially disgusted at how he fast he chewed.

“Are you teasing me?”

“Maybe,” replied Dale, rolling his eyes to the left. “That's some good meat. Told ya nothing's wrong with it.”

“I think it was just me. It's like you said, horses don't eat meat. Even if I wanted to eat it, it still doesn't taste good.”

“What did it taste like?”

“Plain cold butter.”

“Eww! Now that is gross.”

“Uh huh, what I tell ya.”

Andrew proceeded with eating this sandwich. A sandwich without meat, now that is just unheard of. He was starting to think what other meats his pony body could not consume. Chicken, pork, steak, bacon... BACON! No more bacon! Now that sucks. Nobody can live without bacon. At least nobody with good taste. Once that came to mind, he slumped over a little, feeling like this is the unluckiest thing to ever happen. Although the sandwich had no meat, it tasted better than when it did, compelling Andrew to hate the diet he must live with for now.

*Zzzt... zzzt... zzzt*

…

*Zzzt... zzzt... zzzt*

Dale looked at Andrew.

“Are you gonna answer it?”

Andrew hesitated to answer it right away. He glanced at the bright screen which displayed his mother's name in large text. He eyed his friend for a second and slid the phone over to him as it vibrated one more time.

“Maybe you should, I have no fingers.”

“Fine.”

*beep*

…

“Hello?”

“Hel- Dale?”

“Yes, that's me.”

“How come you have Andrew's number?”

“I'm just using his phone for now.”

“Oh, okay. Is Andrew there with you perhaps? Is he alright? Can I talk to him?”

“He's busy with something, but he's fine. Has he done something wrong?”

“Not that I know of, I'm just making sure. Alex was worried that his older brother was acting strange this morning.”

“Well, Mrs. Fera, thanks for checking up on him, we're just chillin'.”

“Oh you kids and you're hanging out. Well, nice talking to you Dale.”

“You too, bye.”

Dale hung up and looked at Andrew, who was trying his best to stay calm.

“You're mom is so nice, she's scary.”

“I know. You and me both.”

Merely three seconds later, they heard thuds coming from the front door.

Princess Celestia was curious to fathom her own sister's motivation for staying up so long. On her way to Luna's private chamber, a bunch of thoughts ran through her mind on the causes of Luna's different personality. It puzzled her to no end, thinking whether or not Luna is hiding anything.

She reached the double doors of her sister's room on the east side of the castle. She was about to place her hoof on the door for a formal knock, but she found that the latch had been left open. No candle light or other artificial lighting came from the other side of the room, only very dim streaks of ambient light slid through the cracks of the open door. Celestia pushed the door inward with a hoof, creaking the entire way before stopping halfway, just enough to let herself in.

It was dark with both a creepy atmosphere and wondrous hue to it. Luna's room was ironically well organized, as spotless as you can get. The only light around emanated into the room was the tall balcony window. The black curtains hanging from the top helped suppress most of the daylight's glare. Make sense if you're the Princess of the Night.

“Luna?”

Celestia illuminated her surroundings sufficiently with her horn and looked around for any sign of her sister. The room was lifeless. Her bed slightly used, giving the impression she was here not too long ago. She walked further in. There were several scrolls spread across the edges of Luna's desk. One in particular was placed alone in the center rolled up informally. It simply read 'Tia' on the side facing up. She unfolded the tan-colored parchment and began to read.

“Sweet Apple Acres?” Celestia whispered to herself, not like anypony was listening.

Now she was confused. The Apple family wouldn't have anything to do with her responsibilities, unless it was for a monthly visit to Ponyville, but that job was already fulfilled earlier this month. Celestia was close to understanding the reasons for Luna to visit Ponyville more often than needed, yet far from acting too bossy around her sister. After all, she is her other half.

But how would any other pony know about this event?

Princess Celestia felt guilty for snooping around in Luna's room without her prior knowledge, but was also annoyed that this so-called 'source' only contacted her sister. Whatever the details offered to Luna, she wished it would lead them to the answer on this ongoing case. She turned around and headed toward the door.

A moment later, a faint memory came to her mind. It was a very long time ago since something slightly similar occurred in Equestria, but has been too long and forgotten in the deep history of the land. She remembered it having a confound impact on the society back then for some odd reason. That event, if she could remember, bore the name of... well she didn't recall anypony giving it a name, it was probably too insignificant to most ponies that it really didn't matter. She only wondered if-

*BAM!*

Princess Celestia was almost knocked off her hooves when a sudden jolt of noise hit her ears.

“Whoa!”

Her heart pounded. This sound, however, did not sound like a physical object coming in contact with some other object. It sounded like a thunder, a roar, sort of what you hear in a bad storm. She scanned the surrounding environment, the stone walls, the tall decorative ceiling, the polished marble floor, and the smell of the air, just to make sure whatever the sudden shock was did not originate from an explosion of some kind. Everything seemed to be normal. So normal, in fact, it appears nothing had happened to the ordinary traveler, but Celestia could help but be helplessly confused and concerned.

Back at the tower

“Here it says that no record of an investigation of the event was ever officially conducted. Proving that, to this very day, it is unknown to magic, and possibly science, that can explain the nature of such random anomaly of intense energy. Many believed it to be completely harmless and not worth worrying about,” Lyra explained.

“Does it say anything about Starswirl the Bearded?”

“It only mentions his name and that she was involved with it for a while.”

“Nothing else?”

“Nope.”

Twilight's amusement grew. She had known everything about Starswirl's career until now. It seemed like she missed this part about his life and she was eager to not let that slide. Maybe, for some odd reason, the answer lies in the wing named after him. However, she'd been in there over a dozen times and read every single scroll on the shelves, top to bottom. What else is there?

“Do you think we should check the Starswirl the Breaded wing?”

“Are you sure? Don't you know everything there is to know about him?”

“Well yes, but I have a feeling I might have missed something.”

“But we should really wait for the Princess to get back.”

“Okay. I'm gonna tell her about you theory it could be hum-”

“No no no no no no, please don't!” Lyra pleaded. “She mustn’t know.”

“Why? It's not like she'll believe you like I did.”

“Can we just keep it between us?” Lyra looked more doubtful than ever, having reminded Twilight about her unusual studies.

Twilight sighed, “Sure.”

“Thanks Twi.” Once again Lyra was unsure if her friend can keep in confidential, then pointed her hoof toward Twilight. “Shake on it?”

“Shake on what?”

“Oh yeah, I forgot. Never mind.”

“No really, what was that supposed to mean?” Twilight asked with curiosity rather than mockery.

“No no, just forget I said anything.” Lyra was now starting to feel betrayed.

“I'm curious, does it have something to do with your human theory?”

“Yes,” answered Lyra raising and eyebrow at her. “Why are you suddenly so interested now?”

“I am a scientist, relatively speaking, and I would like to know more about them.”

“Do you believe me?”

“Not entirely. It just seems unlikely for them to to be real, but if you give me all you know, I might not be as skeptical.”

Lyra lightened up and ears unfolded after lowering them moments ago. Twilight showed eagerness in her promise.

“Okay, what do you want to know?”

5 minutes earlier

“Did you invite anyone over?”

“No,” Dale replied.

The unicorn and the teen looked at each other. Dale then left the room and headed toward the front door. As he turned the corner of the hall, he saw that his mother had already beat him to it. He retreated back behind the wall and peeked ever so slightly around the corner to let his mom let deal with the visitor. She opened the large wooden door.

“Hello there Alex.”

“Alex?” Dale whispered with his eyes shooting all over the place. His heart raced a little bit more at the thought of it being Andrew's younger brother.

“Is Dale home?”

He could barely hear Alex's voice, but enough to make out the words.

“He sure is.”

“Can I talk to him?”

“Of course. He should be in his room.”

“Thank you.”

“When you find him, tell him I'm off to the mall.”

“Sure, Mrs. Larsen.”

“Okay great, see you later.”

“Bye.”

Dale saw his mother step outside. He watched with careful, ninja-like spy tactics. Then Alex stepped inside the house closing the door behind him. The sneaking teen snapped back from peering around the wall, waited for a second to panic, and ran back it his room, slamming the door behind him. He sat with his back against the white door, panting out of fear instead of exhaustion. Andrew stared at him.

“What is it?” he asked.

Dale was breathing heavily, trying to think.

“It- it's your brother.”

Andrew, although frightened of being discovered by another person, was less worried for it was only Alex. However, this was probably the right place, but definitely not the right time to tell Alex.

“How does he know I'm here?”

“He doesn't. He wants to talk to me.”

Andrew sighed in relief. “Then chill out, alright, I'll just hide. When he comes, lie to him. He's very naïve and gullible.”

Dale was feeling like an idiot after not thinking of how simple that sounded. He also wished he had a brother for which he can fool just as easily for fun.

“Oh- oh yeah, why don't you do that,” he nodded. “I'll say you're not here, that you're in the basement, you are-”

“Why can't you just say that I'm not here at all?”

“Well I-”

“Never mind, just stall him.”

Andrew jumped back in the closet with his baggy clothes still on him and his duffel bag in his mouth and closed the door halfway, that way the room wouldn't look as conspicuous. Dale remained at the foot of the door, waiting anxiously for Alex to knock on the door and thinking of what to say to him.

…

*Knock knock*

Dale flinched. He did not anticipate the timing because he could not hear footsteps on the other side due to the carpeted floor suppressing any noise.

The highly nervous teen stood up, sighed, and creaked his bedroom door inward, just enough to poke his head through.

“Sup.”

“Hi Dale. Can I talk to you?”

“Right now? Ugh...” Dale said, faking his annoyance.

“It's about my brother.”

“Okaaay?”

“I think something is wrong with him.”

“He seems pretty fine to me.”

“You've seen him today?!” said Alex surprised.

Dale paused at where this was going. He had been thinking seconds ago on lying that Andrew was not here, but now that was out the window. He inadvertently implied that he'd made contact with his best friend to Alex. Now he had to try and improvise.

“Well... yeah. He's... uh... uh.... he's down in the basement.”

“Now why would he be in the-”

“Do you want to know where he is or not?”

“Okay fine. Geez.” Alex turned around towards the basement entrance.

Dale kept watching the boy as he was ostensibly convinced that his brother was under the house. One second at a time, the ambient sound from various household appliances became more audible as the air became more still and the tension rose between both humans. As soon as he heard the basement door open, it slammed shut and he heard Alex rushing back down the hall to his room.

“Ahh!” Dale immediately shut his door, preventing Alex from reaching his goal of fishing out information.

There was banging from behind and Dale stared at Andrew peeking his large head from inside the closet. He didn't understand how such a small kid can be really scary.

“Come on guys, what's really going on?! I know Andrew's in there with you!”

“Nobody's home,” said the panicking teen, holding the door closed.

“I not too sure, I think there is seriously wrong with Andrew.”

Apparently all three of them knew that was true, but the two inside the room knew the real story. With a surprised look on his face, Dale was showing confusion in his voice when he shouted to Andrew. The banging and ruffling of the doorknob continued.

“Why did you tell me your bro knew about your problem!?”

“He hasn't seen me at all. He thinks I've been acting super strange around him,” replied Andrew, also panicking.

“What do we do now then?”

“I don't know. We could bail outta here.”

Alex was making some progress trying to force his way through the door while Dale kept resisting with his back pressed up against it.

“How we gonna do that?”

“Through the window.” Andrew was still keeping to the shadows of the closet.

“Alright then, open it!”

“I can't. You locked it. I don't have hands!”

The door stopped shaking. Everything went silent. They both thought Alex got tired using all his effort trying to move what was essentially a wall with Dale blocking the way. Instead, they heard a loud voice from right on the other side of the door.

“What!?”

The turquoise unicorn realized his mistake.

“What do you mean you don't hav-”

“Nothing!” Andrew shouted.

“Then why did you say-”

“It's none of your business!” he shouted one more time.

Andrew then signaled his friend sitting in front of the door to switch places one at a time. The window was directly across the room from the door, but the closet was on opposite corners. They continued to do sloppy hand/hoof gestures that confused them both. Then Dale placed his palm in the air to stop and shook his head. He then raised three fingers and started counting with them. Two fingers, one finger, then...

“Go!”

Andrew ran toward Dale. Halfway to the door, he tripped on lack of balance.

“WHOA...”

He stumbled forward with great speed and was about to run into his friend when Andrew's horn glowed gradually brighter, engulfing the room with a blinding mint green light.

*ZAP*

Present

So many thought were going through Princess Celestia's mind as she headed to her own room instead of the tower to take a short intervention. That encounter with one of the strangest feelings in a long time was uncalled for and was getting more anxious to find why these things are happening. She was now taking more caution with her surroundings, anticipating anything that might jump at her at any second.

She met some of the royal guards of the way and took more care of surprises from them as if being paranoid wasn't enough. Almost every thought made no sense in simply explaining the sudden roar or the burst of energy last night. Maybe Luna was up to something, maybe she was making it up, maybe she was just scared, maybe she knew something that Celestia didn't. The white alicorn tried answering those possibilities. Luna would never play a prank on her sister of this magnitude. She is not very good at lying, she is never afraid of the dark, and she would think twice before keeping something a secret from Celestia that would involve a case as mysterious as this. It might be nothing, or it might be a significant step to understanding the nature of mysterious magic.

Celestia was both excited and agitated that something interesting finally happens in Equestria and she is prepared to look into it more, unlike the previous instance over a century ago. Once she got to her door, the time it took to get there was enough to finish thinking. That convinced her to stop, turn around, and stride back all the way to the tower on the other side of the castle. She did not want to wait any longer.

“No magic!? You can't be serious?”

“I'm very serious. They don't need the convenience of magic, they have their hands and intelligence at their disposal, and they are more effective,” said Lyra.

“No wonder Spike has the best writing around, his claws make it easier and less of a hassle. I still can't believe that with such intelligence, magic is not needed.”

“They aren't that different from us though, I think most of the basics are there, but the culture is far from the same as ours.”

“It's unbelievable, but-”

“It's true!” Lyra interrupted.

“-but, I don't think you alone could make this up and no pony else would care to jump in on this theory of yours. I don't know what to think anymore. I respect your studies, but I'm not sure it should be taken as a practical science,” continued Twilight. “I just curious though, what is it about them that motivates you to research them?”

“Um... everything I guess.”

“I'm gonna need a more specific reason than just everything.”

Lyra rubbed her head with her hoof, stroking her light blue and white mane. The purple unicorn next to her had finally stumped her with logic. She had never been asked that question before, except from Bon-bon, but she didn't really want an answer. She thought of the most interesting things about humans, but she had already told Twilight about them in the previous conversation and she didn't really seem too sweet on each, except for the no magic part, that got Twilight thinking. She didn't know what else to say other than all of it at once by the word 'everything'.

“I don't know, just everything really. It's really hard to narrow it down to one thing,” Lyra said.

“Hm.” Twilight hummed. She was disappointed in her companion's indecision.

“Can you I ask you something Twilight?”

“Of course.”

“What do you like to study the most?”

“Well, I'm trying to learn all there is to know about magic and friendship, but mostly magic.”

“And what motivates you to do it.”

This time, Lyra flipped the question around on her friend, but felt deeply sorry in the process. Now she thought Twilight was at the end of the rope.

“The overall joy and experience with my friends, and the love and fascination of magic.”

“That's kinda how I feel about human civilization, you know fascination and stuff.”

“Was it that hard to say it yourself?”

“Yes.” Lyra laughed.

The two unicorns giggled. They soon realized that disliking each others hobbies and professions was getting them nowhere. The books and scrolls in front of them were the only things keeping the conversation going until there was nothing left to talk about.

“At least were getting along, wouldn't you agree? Wait, did you say civilization?” asked Twilight.

“Uh, yes. Well I mean, did you think if they weren't civil, they wouldn't be interesting?”

“I suppose your right, you never mentioned that part before.”

Then on the corner her eye, Twilight noticed a notepad inside the same book that contained the information they were looking for.

“Hey, what's this?” she said lifting the notepad.

“What's wa- … No don't-” Lyra hindered.

Twilight began looking through the notes before Lyra could swipe it from her. Judging by her sudden resistance, Twilight became more eager to help her friend out to the best of her abilities. It's wasn't like there wasn't anything more important than to wait an tell the Princess the details they've found.

The first page did not seem like anything out of the ordinary, more like your typical research material. As she flipped through the later pages, she found strange drawings and words Twilight had never seen or heard of before. There was some similar sketches of things around Equestria, but far more intricate, like something you might find in a science fiction novel. After scanning the pages for several seconds, there was no indication of citations, but references to common knowledge.

“Is- is this yours?”

Lyra had her head face down on the desk, belittled by Twilight's intrusion of privacy. She raised her head and nodded at the confused purple pony.

“I mean... wow! This is great stuff,” said Twilight.

Lyra turned away embarrassed because she knew she was going to react in some way that would lead to another unpleasant stroke of disbelief. Up till now, it has been only a matter of keeping the hard working mare from knowing too much about something she did not understand. It only took a keen eye and horrible hiding skills to let her confidential work fall into in the hooves of a solid skeptic.

“You're a really good artist by the way, I'll tell ya that.”

There was a sense of honesty in the tone of Twilight's voice that Lyra noticed.

“Um, thanks. I've been practicing my chords, tuning the lyre in many diff-”

“No no no, I mean you're drawings. They're very nice.”

Lyra looked back at Twilight, hoping this was the conversation she had been waiting for. When she first mentioned her interests, it didn't go as well as she planned. It was not the first time telling somepony about it. The first time had been definitely her least favorite, but that didn't convince her it was a foolish thing to do. She learned from previous reactions to try and make it seem less of an obsession, and more of a hobby. A socially awkward hobby.

“Oh! Um... well... they aren't that good. I mean, they are just rough sketches.”

“Wow these are cool! … I mean, for what it's worth. How did you get this good?”

“I've been practicing,” she said smiling.

Twilight was absorbed by Lyra's notebook, making all kinds of facial expressions while reading page after page of words. It was as if she got a really good book for her birthday and couldn't wait to read it. Lyra there sat next to her wondering what was going through that egghead's brain throughout this whole process. It appeared as if she was too far gone, confined into the amount of material on each sheet that it would be unwise to break that concentration.

“Um... uh... Twilight?”

“Hmm?” said as she continued to sift through the pages.

“Do you- … um, you don't think I'm weird, do you?”

“Weird? Why would I think that?”

“I don't know. I guess I- … I guess I thought you were the kind of mare that doesn't take something like this seriously.”

Twilight stopped what she was doing. She put the pad down and faced her companion. Then sighed as if prepared to deliver bad news. She began to speak in a calm tone,

“Look, I'm truly sorry for acting the way I did. I just have a habit of giving out my opinion based on level of possibility when I don't realize it may hurt another pony's feelings. Your subject still seems, for the most part, quite bizarre, but it's different now.”

“Why is that?”

“You have this,” Twilight said as she lifted the notepad with her magic, moved it in front of Lyra, and placed it back on the table. Lyra looked at it.

“But it's just some stuff.”

“But that stuff is enough evidence for me. The reason I didn't believe you is because you didn't show me anything to support your claims. Even the slightest of evidence would have been good.”

At the realization of such words of rationality, Lyra hated herself, but in return felt so much better. It also surprised her on how far the both of them had gotten for the investigation, and possibly into a more stable friendship than previous expected. Lyra was embarrassed to let Twilight read her entire notepad, but was glad she did because no pony has ever looked through it but herself. There comes a time when occupational secrets are left in the open for a friend to unknowingly find. This, however, by the way the informational savvy pony reacted, was an exception.

“Oh.”

Lyra did not feel that getting all emotional would improve anything but make a mess out of her golden eyes. She went silent for a few moments, looking down at her hooves, before Twilight spoke up one last time.

“Hey Lyra?”

“Yes?”

“Where is Egypt?”

6. Calling

[Chapter 6]

Calling

The duration of her flight, Luna felt like she was in so many emotional states that contradicted one another, all at once. She could not explain anything at this point, other than being a witness of the unseen. All the secrecy, or rather keeping potentially valuable information from everypony, is not going over as she had anticipated. She abandoned her sister for a while, she was tired as psychologically possible, and she has no idea if this anonymous source is worth the trip.

It was about that time when ponies in Ponyville were still out and about for the beautiful day Celestia has given them. The sun seemed to moved slower than usual, though it may be a result of staying up for so long and only getting a half hour of sleep. Luna approached the small town and made sure not to draw attention to herself. There were still many ponies roaming the streets. The scale of Ponyville was miniscule compared to that of Canterlot, or even any other Equestrian city: Fillydelphia, Las Pegasus, Baltimare, and especially Manehattan. One could argue that Manehattan was larger than all cities combined.

Since her last visit to Ponyville, Luna recognized almost every area of the town. As she got closer to the within a few hundred feet of the first visible structure, she ceased flying and proceeded to lay low. She passed one house after the next, being as sneaky as possible. Once it came she kept to the edge of town limits, she ninja snaked her way around each corner and wall, every shadow and bush, a tree or two, and finally the short wooden fence that enclosed Sweet Apple Acres.

All that sneaking around was fun while it lasted. Good thing no pony saw her. It did take a lot out of her physically though.

“Whew,” said Luna wiping her forehead with her sparkling hoof.

The endless fields of apple trees provided cover for her as she walked down the dirt road leading to the entrance of the farm. Then there was another dirt path to the Apple family residence. At least is was less conspicuous than flying directly over the land. Beside, Luna really dislikes long usage of her wings since it made her tired rather quickly. A chariot or rain cloud were preferred modes of transportation and luxury for a princess like herself.

Luna was unsure who was expecting her or when this supposedly confidential meeting were to take place. Coming up on the house in the middle of the large clearing and the barn to its left, the nervous tension was feeding her impatience. It was assumed that knocking on the front door would be a good start. She strolled up to the wooden maroon door and gently knocked three times.

Two seconds later, Luna heard a faint voice behind the door.

“Ah'll get it”

The door swung inward and a small yellow pony with a a red bow tie was ready to greet the visitor.

“Howdy th-”

The tiny filly paused and gasped at soon as she eyed Luna. Then she zipped away so quickly, like she vanished out of existence. This gave the Princess a strange look and a comedic giggle for a sweet little pony to be so shy. Feeling sort of confused, Luna waited a minute since the door was still wide open. She did not want to intrude until invited in. It did not take long before the little filly returned, but this time she was accompanied by a familiar mare. It was that of the Element of Honesty, Applejack herself. Luna felt so humble in her presence because of her help to break the cruse with Nightmare Moon. She was still very thankful for it.

“Oh uh, howdy there Princess Luna. What a fine surprise,” said Applejack.

The little filly stayed behind her sister as the greetings began.

“Greetings, Applejack, nice to see you again,” Luna said back.

“Aw shucks Princess, always a pleasure.”

“So, um, I was sent here by a member of your family, correct?”

“Oh it's you?! Granny Smith told us somepony be visitin' us. Ah didn't think it'd be you, yer Highness. Neither did mah baby sis Applebloom here.”

Applebloom appeared to be afraid of Luna from behind Applejack, but it only occurred to her that she was only shy at first impressions. Luna turned to the yellow pony.

“I apologize if I frightened you little filly.”

“Oh err, ah'm sorry Miss Luna for runnin' off like that,” said Applebloom.

“Well then, I guess we got that covered.”

“Sure have,” said Applejack. “Shall ah direct y'al to Granny Smith?”

Princess Luna and Applebloom nodded and followed Applejack in the house. They slowly made their way through the country stylized house, which amazed Luna at every decorated sight. It had never occurred to her how much things have changed since her banishment. This was her first time in the Apple residence and she had never seen anything quite like this. As they weaved through only two wide hallways, they entered the living room that occupied the same space as the main staircase. There on the rocking chair was none other than the old Granny Smith. Only she was how you always find her, elderly and asleep.

Applejack waited a moment, then spoke in a low voice so she would not be startled.

“Hey Granny Smith?”

…

“Granny Smiiiiith?”

“Hmm.. huh... eh. Somepony ah say somethin'?”

The long-lived pale green pony perked up for a few seconds, then fell asleep again. The three lively ones in the room giggled.

“Hey Granny?”

This time Applebloom stepped in and nudged her a little with her small hoof.

“Huh waa?”

“Hey uh Granny Smith, there is somepony here to see ya.”

With a slow response, she moved her face closer the Applebloom and gave her the stink-eye.

“Who might that young missy?”

“It- uh, it's Princess Luna, grandma.”

The little filly pointed at Luna, who was standing behind Applejack, who was standing to the right of the senior mare. Granny Smith began to turn toward the position of Applejack, then over to Luna. From the very sight of the midnight blue alicorn, her facial expression went from very tired, to very uptight and serious. Applejack and was first to notice their grandmother's change of mind.

“Ooooo, Princess deary, ya made it.”

“You can call me Luna,” she said for the first time to the old pony.

“Err ok.”

“So you sent the letter?”

“Ya, that was me.”

Granny Smith did not seem the slightest like her usual self. Applebloom and Applejack were giving each other weird looks as she talked to Princess Luna. It was like she was sixty years younger or something. No pony really knows how old Granny Smith was, only as far as the age of Ponyville itself. Granny then got out of her rocking chair onto the floor and turned to her granddaughters.

“Why don't you fillies give us a moment?”

The two Apple sisters looked at each other one final time. They continued to be curious about their grandmother as soon as Luna arrived.

“Uh, alright Granny, are ya sure y’all don't need us?” said Applebloom.

“Of course, deary, ay must speak to the Princess alone on this one.”

“Okay then. We'll be outside helpin' Big Mac if y'all need us. Come on lil sis,” directed Applejack.

Then the two earth ponies walked back the way they came and exited the house through the front door. Luna and Granny Smith went silent until the sound of the door closing was heard. Luna then scanned the living room around them, appreciating the selection of interior design, not that she really considered decorating a room like this in the castle back in Canterlot. It did seem like they could use a room for each culture they find in Equestria, including Zebran culture. Luna broke the silence by clearing her throat, waking Granny Smith as she dosed off again when the girls left the house.

“So, Miss Smith, I believe the reason I am here is for information you have about our current- … hold on a second, how do you know what's going on?”

“Well, er, ah think ah have seen this before,” said Granny Smith. “Ah felt it.”

“The magical surge? But how? You are not a unicorn. Only unicorns were able to feel it.”

“Ah had a friend back in the day who was a unicorn. She taught me some of mumbo jumbo magic. Ah haven't seen her in a long time, but she told me about somethin' that she encountered.”

“Wait, you were told about it when it happened? That was over a hundred and fifty years ago.”

“Ah guess it's been a while, ah lost count. Ah do remember when ah visited Canterlot all them years ago to see mah friend. One day we were walking through town when she was startled by a somethin', a weird feelin' in front of us.”

Luna did not have much to say because she was too eager to hear what Granny had to say. She listened and waited for her to go on. Never before had she heard of a living, breathing pony who was alive during the previous event. This whole experience had been strange from the beginning, but this was unbelievable to hear it from an actual source. She continued to wonder how Granny's story ties into the most recent event. Rather than asking so many questions about her past, Luna respectfully asked the questions that only related to the story she was telling, hoping to know what went wrong.

“What did she see?”

“She seen nothin'. Ah suspected she was just tired of walkin' a lot that day, so we went back ta her house. Nothin' much else happened the rest of the day, so the next day we went for a walk to the edge of town clear our heads, but that's where we meet this somepony.”

“This somepony? What was important about her?”

“Him. It was a unicorn stallion that was not afraid, but confused when it seen us. He was talkin' to us like we was some foal learnin' to speak. We wasn't afraid of him, we was just worried he hit his head or somethin'. To figure out what was wrong with him, we invited him back to our place. He seemed like a normal pony until he started ramblin' about a place called... er, London, somethin' like that. Ah never heard of that place before. Have ya?”

“Not that I know of,” replied Luna.

The Princess was sitting on the couch, listening to every word Granny Smith that came out of the old Earth pony's lips. She was amazed that an old mare like Granny remembered a time like the one she vaguely described, so long ago. She was pretty sure London didn't exist.

“Well, er, we reckon the young feller was spoutin' rotten apples, but he was serious he kept talkin'. He asked me what he was and I tells him he was a unicorn. He laughed when ah said that and kept saying it was impossible, that unicorns don't exist. Ah tried to tell him it was true, mah friend tells him, too, ah even show him in a mirror. Then he tells us he's in a dream or somethin'. He rambled sum more 'bout stuff we ain't heard of before. I remember him askin' where da train station was, where he was relative to some place. Ah think it was called England. Back then ah never heard of a train before, but now we use them to bring them young ponies to places.”

“Do you think he predicted the inventions of some things that actually became reality?” asked Luna.

“Ah don't know if he predicted them. He said he knew how they work and that they are common place where he come from. He also asked where um... uh... where all the humans were. Ah ain't heard of them critters before.”

“Did he still think he was in a dream?”

“For a lil bit ya, but went believin' it was not a dream a lil after livin' with us. We learn he had no home, no family, no friends in Equestria. So we let him stay with us till he got his life up again. That ain't the end of it though, he still don't act like a regular pony. He act all weird like. He sat weird, he talk weird, he ate weird. There was somethin' 'bout him that we did not understand.”

“So you think he had something to so with the magical surge that happened?”

“Ah cannot know for sure, he said he was huntin' in the woods with somethin' called a rifle, and then he was here and finds me and mah friend at the edge of Canterlot. That's about it.”

“So he was displaced from somewhere. You think it's this place called London? Surely I never heard of such town, or of theses... humans.”

“Ya,” replied Granny Smith.

“That definitely explains a lot, but how does it relate to yesterday's event?”

“Ah don't know exactly, but he was convinced he was called here by a mysterious force. Said it was fate or somethin' like that. Ah don't know. Ah reckon he was right 'cause the time he was in Equestria, ah believe things got a lot better. You big sister been havin' a bit of issues with some issues, ah a lot of which was forgotten. Over them days and weeks that went by, Equestria had some confidence to enter a social boom if ya know what I mean.”

Luna didn't really know what she meant, but it sounded like a good thing. All this time, only pony who knew reason for the radical changes in Equestria that mysteriously happened a long time ago, was Granny Smith herself. She must have had an interesting experience with this other worldly pony. If it was a pony at all. Her story made a little sense to Princess Luna, but wondered what happened to the poor fellow they encountered.

“Do you know what happened to this unicorn?”

“Sure do. After several years in Equestria, he was one of the founders of Ponyville after mah family and ah moved out here to start a new life and where we found the zap apples. He wasn't much for growin' apples, but he helped with buildin' the town startin' with the train station we have today. He spent the rest of his days in Ponyville. Ah think he settled down with a special somepony, but that's all I know of him. Ah heard there is still a descendant of his livin' in Ponyville.”

“Do you know who?”

“There are a lot of young ponies in town, ah can't even name one pony. All mah friends have gone and mah family is all ah have. Y'all can try and find this livin' pony. That unicorn long ago was a minty green color with a light blue and white mane. Maybe the descendant is the same color.”

“I hope you're right. I have somepony in mind.”

After Granny Smith was finished with her story of the past event in her own life that was apparently the reason that caused a sprawl of improvement in Equestria. Luna read about it in her room in one of the history books, but never really paid much attention on the main reason for Equestria's temporary turmoil to be flipped upside down. She had wondered why her sister had trouble with Equestrian society back then. Maybe if she was there to help out her sister, it would have turned out so much better.

“That was really wonderful story, Miss Smith. Just what I needed to hear. I'm wondering if this is all going to happen again.”

“I guess we wait and see my Princess.”

“Why is that?”

“Cuz the reason mah friend and ah went to the edge of Canterlot was 'cause we heard a loud bang and a bright light in the distance, right at the place where we found the stallion unicorn, lying on the ground.”

Elsewhere...

*ZAP!*

"Whoa..." "Whoa..."

*THUD*

“Oof!” “Oof!”

The teen and the unicorn were thrown backward as the impact knocked them off their feet. Fortunately, they landed on something soft and they did not make that loud of a sound. Dale was fazed by the bright light and the trauma of hitting the ground. Andrew, too, could not see a thing. All they could see was white blurs from the inside of their eyes due to sudden exposure of blinding light.

Dale rolled around on his back, rubbing his eyes. He groaned and laughed at the same time, wishing whatever happened is as bad as he imagined. He feared his bedroom door was smashed and Andrew's brother Alex was either crushed behind the door or completely shocked to have watched the carnage. Either way, he did not like what he was going to find. He was so tired and in pain, he gave no effort into helping himself up and just lay on the ground until he can see again.

Andrew landed within arm's length from his friend. He suffered the same pain and lack of sight for a while. Unlike Dale, he tried getting up on his hooves and inspecting the damage, but found it very difficult to do both. Instead he sat upright to stretch his bones and his neck. For a second there, Andrew clearly forgot of his own form that he attempted to rub his forehead, but ended up punching himself in the face with his right hoof.

“Ow!”

He apparently made himself dizzy again as he was half a minute ago. He grunted in displeasure.

“Thanks a lot bro,” Dale said with obvious concern and natural sarcasm.

“What? Blame it on me will ya,” said Andrew returning the favor.

It has been over a minute and Dale was wondering what the consequences were for breaking a door. He also wondered if Alex either way saw it coming he would have helped them up by now.

“Dude, my mom is gonna kill me! What the hell was that?”

“I don't know. I didn't hear anything that sounded like a cracking door.”

Dale's vision was no quite up to full health, still visually impaired. All he could see was blue patches of sky and white clouds.

“Wait!” he squinted his eyes. “Am I blind, or am I looking at the sky?”

“You're kidding right? I mean we can't be outs-”

“We are outside!” shouted Dale.

Andrew's vision was also returning to normal but details were still out of focus. He looked around to confirm his friend's suspicion. Then his eyes widened.

“Whoa... … … that's new.”

He could hardly see a thing, but it was enough to notice that they were not inside Dale's house anymore. He shuffled around, still in his large clothes, and stood up, shaking his head in the process. Dale did the same, but was less successful than Andrew.

“Whaaat? Where are we then?” Dale whined.

“Um. I don't know yet.”

Andrew felt a soft, cold, and prickly surface beneath his hooves. With improving vision, he could make out the shades of the vibrant color green. It was grass alright. Though not the fancy, well maintained, prefect grass you find in front of expensive houses or on golf courses. This was more of the typical park field grass or an ordinary neighborhood lawn. A few seconds later, he had the full use of his large eyes. Andrew scanned the area for anything he might recognize. He didn't have to look for very long as he sighted a familiar tree and a Stargate poster on a second floor window. He sighed.

“Oh hey, we're in my backyard.”

“But how-” Dale stopped himself from arguing. “Okay.”

Dale did not want to believe it, but after all the unexplainable things that have happened today, he was still able to maintain what was left of his sanity. Even though everything around his friend Andrew was basically impossible. He just wanted all of it to end and go back to bed.

“Why would we be brought here?” Andrew asked himself out loud.

“I don't know dude, we can just... … well I don't know. I just don't know what to think anymore. You try to prank me this morning, turns out you are a UNICORN which is STILL unreal, you can't eat meat, weird things fall in my room, your HORN glows, your mother calls, your brother shows up, and now this? What other things are going to happen today you think?”

Dale attempted to make it sound as simple as possible with emphasis of a few key words. It usually works when the situation is normal. It gets more difficult the stranger the situation gets. This takes first place on the list of strange things Dale has tried to simplify. Nothing will ever beat today's experience, probably. He hoped his displaced friend understood where he was going with his little speech.

Andrew, a bit unamused, thought his friend was either too lazy to help, or afraid that something terrible will happen to him.

“You point is?”

“Well, you know, none of us knows what to do and we aren't making any progress into solving your mystery. Let's just go and call it a day.”

“Okay mister lazy, what do you have that is more important then right now?”

“I uh... I uh, um... … I uh-”

“Yeah I thought so.”

“Okay fine, but like I said, we don't even know what were are supposed to be doing.”

“What ARE we supposed to be doing?”

“I don't know, getting to the bottom of this maybe.”

“And how do you suppose we do that?”

“Let me think.”

Dale did not have much time to think, if any at all, since his friend showed up in his backyard. He knew there was nothing he could do for him but be a trusting person. For one thing, unicorns weren't even supposed to exist, and even if they did, they did not look quite like Andrew did. With Andrew's clothes still on, he could not deny that he was not human anymore. He did not look like any kind of pony, or horse, he has ever seen before. What gave it away was those large, yellow eyes of his. At first impression, he believed Andrew was just playing a trick on him with a homemade, mechanical unicorn, but after a close realization of a non-robotic voice, an organic fur coat to the touch, and that horn on his forehead, it was just as real as the any regular living being. Out of all the most bizarre things that were untrue, he had his best friend as proof.

Not sure what to think about the situation they were suddenly thrown into (quite literally), the best option was find out more about Andrew's form.

“Why don't we just sneak in your house and go on from there?”

“Fine,” replied his equine friend.

“So come on, lets chill in your room for a bit.”

By then the both of them can see perfectly fine and they were in Andrew's backyard for sure. This was definitely no illusion. The warm spring air was perfect and the sky was cloudless. It illuminated their surroundings very brightly that Andrew felt foolish for not wearing the sunglasses he had in his bag. At least he was back home, for now.

Andrew had more trouble with his duffel bag that took a beating when it hit the floor. He hoped nothing broke inside, especially his music player, aka iPod Touch. He opened the bag's top with his teeth and stuck his hoof inside the bag. He could not tell what was what. Everything felt the same to him, possibly because of his toe on his hoof had not sense of touch. He sighed.

“Um, I think I let you do the things I can't. You mind?” said Andrew pointing at the duffel bag.

“Like I said, only because you're impaired.”

“I'm not-”

“I get it dude, you don't like to be called a cripple. Don't worry about it, I'll help.”

Dale helped by sifting through his friend's bag to find the keys. He felt a whole bunch of objects in the bag that all didn't seem necessary.

“Why did you bring all this stuff anyways?”

“I always bring stuff everywhere I go, in case I need it.”

Dale pulled out a silver cylinder.

“A flashlight?”

“Yeah, that's um, for when it gets dark or something.”

He pulled out another object.

“A deck of cards? Okay maybe that makes sense, but still.”

“Can we just get on with it.”

“I'm just kidding bro. Here they are.”

Dale pulled out a clip with six different keys hanging from it. They were all slightly the same color with different shapes for the heads.

“Which one?”

“The circular one.”

Once he fiddled around with the tangled mess of metal, he slid the correct key in the slot and opened the sliding glass door. They carefully made their way through the narrow hallway that led to the front of the house. It appeared that nobody was home. Andrew gave a loud call to anyone who might be home, which was a huge mistake to begin with. Several seconds went by and no answer. Assuming the coast was clear, they rushed up the stairs and into Andrew's bedroom.

With better understanding between the two investigating unicorns, they had wondered how much time they've wasted while settling their differences.

“Oh my, what time is it?” asked Twilight.

“Uh, about one thirty,” Lyra replied.

“Princess Celestia should have been back by now.”

“Do you think we should tell her everything when she gets back?”

“Of course.”

“But I think we shou-”

“We should what? Keeping all this from the Princess, defying the whole purpose of why we are here. She asked us to investigate for her, and we did that. She needs information, we have it.”

“I mean don't tell her about my notepad. Let's keep that between us, okay?”

“If you really want. Okay.”

“Shake on it?”

“Why do you keep saying that?”

“Because never mind.”

Seconds afterward, the door swung open and Princess Celestia entered the building. To Lyra and Twilight, she looked like she's been through a lot lately. It took her long enough to check up on her sister, but wondered why she didn't just teleport over there. Maybe she just felt like walking.

Celestia tried her best to hide her shakiness from encountering the weird tremor. It did not make sense for somepony like her to bottle up fear of anything, other than Discord. She casually made her way back to the busy unicorns on the other side of the room. As she got to them, they looked at her like something was wrong.

“Everything alright Princess?”

“Yes, everything is fine, Twilight. I just had some other errands to take care of. Have you found anything regarding this case?”

Princess Celestia sounded really desperate as she spoke. Both the concerned mares knew something bothered her more than the last she was here. They wanted to ask, but it seemed like it was personal. Beside, they really did make some progress over the last hour.

“Oh yes. Um, Lyra found... I mean, we found this book full of recorded mysteries. I think you'll find that there is more than I expected.”

Twilight levitated the hard covered black book up to her mentor. Celestia's expression grew with interest, and was anxious to know what information they've uncovered so far. She took the book with her own aura of magic and opened it to the bookmarked page. Twilight began explaining everything that Lyra told her before. She mentioned the occurrence of a similar event a long time ago, the lack of other records that event, UMPs, and the involvement of Starswirl the Bearded. She did not mention the word 'human' to keep her promise to Lyra.

As Celestia scanned the words of the correct pages, her protégé's voice mumbled on and began to get muffled. Her mind was so buried in the book that all things seemed to blur out. Then she heard nothing. Almost like she lost her hearing or got temporarily deaf from a sudden impulse.

For a few seconds, she stood motionless staring at the words of an apparently secret document and wondering where it came from. Her mind went blank and her vision went fuzzy.

“Pmrimmnmcesmsmm?”

…

“Prinmmcemmsss?”

…

The muffled voice cleared up.

“Princess?”

Celestia snapped out of her trance by shaking her head rapidly, then looked down at the purple pony.

“Yes?”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I'm fine. I just... dozed off for a second there.”

“You just look a little tired,” said Lyra.

“Maybe so Ms. Heartstrings, but I believe we may have almost solved this case. This is some great work girls.”

“Thank you Princess,” said both unicorns.

The sun goddess, the bookworm pony, and the informed mint green mare all smiled. Spike, on the other hoof, was asleep the entire time. At least he is well rested and refreshed enough to make himself more useful later on, what ever that may be. With so many uncertainties of the mysterious magic over Canterlot and the same situation in Ponyville, it was difficult to tell if they were truly related.

7. Honesty

[Chapter 7]

Honesty

The clock was ticking, and every second that went by, the more Andrew felt like he was never going to return to his normal form. Thoughts of feeling misplaced and helpless fueled his mind with displeasure. He could not help but to wonder what was to come of this if it were permanent, assuming the process was reversible. He was not entirely afraid of himself because he knew there was still one person on the planet that was true enough to help him through anything. That person was slumped over on his bed.

“Hey, this is not time to snooze.”

“Huh?” Dale groaned.

“You know, you fall asleep really quickly?”

“So?”

“So, we've only been here two minutes and you look like you just woke up from a coma.”

“Your point is?”

“Oh, I don't know, maybe this is where is all started!” said Andrew, rather annoyed.

Dale yawned and looked at his friend with his eyes half open and ready to close them again. He wasn't sure what to tell Andrew because he was already feeling guilty by not taking this situation seriously. He decided that lies would only make things worse and sincerity would make things awkward. From a productive view point, it occurred to him that honesty was the better option, even though it was not his favorite choice.

“I'm tired, that's all.”

“Are you gonna help me or what?”

“Sure, what do we do first?”

As crazy as is sounded, both of them agreed on taking a closer look at the horn on Andrew's forehead. It was undeniably real and in a perfect spiral shape, as depicted in fantasy culture. Forgetting that the existence of telepathy (or in this case, magic) was complete fiction, they thought of a few ideas that might have triggered the horn to glow. They assumed that the books and the desk stuff to fall on their own were somehow caused some force. That force was inferred to have emanated from the horn. Andrew tried to replicate the horn's effects by thinking really hard. Easier said that done. Dale was confident that concentration on an object would work, and if not, the only one thing he knew that would be a strong motivator in brain activity, an emotional response. Somehow motivating Andrew to think of his past was going to suck.

This stumped the both of them as Andrew decided not to get all sappy around Dale. Even though he was his best friend, there were things best left private.

“Dude, you don't have to if you don't want to, but you have to try something.”

“What do you suppose I think about?”

“It doesn't have to be sad. It can be fear, pleasure, or even hope. You know, a happy thought.”

“Okay Peter Pan, I'll try to come up with something. Just give me some time.”

“What ever you say, Doctor Who.”

After a bit of laughter, Andrew closed his eyes and sat still on the soft blue carpet of the room. All went quiet. Except for when Dale reclined back into planking position on the bed, making obnoxious noises while proceeding to sleep again. Andrew thought of some memories. The good, the bad, and the ugly ones. There weren't that many that came to mind due to his long term memory loss. He couldn't remember much that happened more than three months in the past. A weakness in terms of academics, yes, but an advantage in letting go most undesired emotional ties. The last thing that he remembered was Christmas time, a little over two months ago, but this past holiday, it was not that memorable to begin with. Instead of looking for something happy, he was thinking about the countless times in school that he wish he could forget.

Rather than finding a good memory to use for an emotional response, he began to think of all the things he has done in the recent past. Like 'the past couple weeks' recent. Because Dale asked him for anything useful, Andrew went with everything he could still remember. His past always influenced him into making important decisions, even thought they weren't always his best, or his smartest. Now that he got the chance the think about something, he used this time to do so for a very odd reason.

Then came a swift thump. Andrew snapped his eyes open and tried to find where it came from. He found that his friend was just as surprised as well.

“Where did it come from?” said Dale.

“I don't know, I thought you're supposed to monitor what happens.”

“I was getting some shut eye.”

“Right now is not the best time, dude.”

“Okay fine, I'm awake. See.”

Dale took his right hand and slapped himself in the face as proof. He then took a deep breath.

“Ouch. So what did you think of?”

“I'm not sure, I was thinking of a lot of things at the same time.”

Dale let out an annoyed sigh.

“So, what DID you think of? You couldn't have managed too many thoughts. Do you know what they still are?”

“I think so.”

Andrew closed his eyes again. Dale rested his head on Andrew's pillow, waiting for an answer from the small, blue-green unicorn. Several seconds went by and he began to get impatient.

“Yes?”

“Quiet, I'm thinking.”

“Oh... … mkay.”

Dale left his friend to do his thing. In the meantime, he had time to do some thinking of his own of how all this mess started in the first place. Well, less like a mess, and more like confusion. Dale had planned his Saturday out to the last hour, but as soon as Andrew stepped in, that plan faded from existence. It was supposed to be a day to relax and hang out with some friends. Everything had been so normal up to the point when he found his best friend Andrew to be a unicorn, but even then he believed it was a good prank.

Not anymore. After spending some time with it, he concludes it to be Andrew himself, apparently now a creature of pure myth. As scary as it sounds, he did not look like any unicorn he has seen depicted anywhere in fiction. Then after having the most unnatural lunch, things seemed to move on their own, shortly revealing that Andrew's, ahem, horn, glows like lightsaber. Then the brother shows up with no warning at all, concerned that something might be wrong with Andrew. Not like he really knows the truth, only that he knows that something is fishy. Then out of nowhere, they teleport to Andrew's backyard. What a day so far, eh?

“I got it!”

Dale snapped out of reminiscing trance to respond.

“Okay, what is it?” he replied.

“Oh wait, maybe not.”

“No come on, tell me.”

“But you'll think I'm weird. It's too embarrassing.”

Dale realized what this meant. He didn't want to believe it but, he wished it to be a good experience for a rather bizarre situation. He had known Andrew for a long time now and really needed something that could open his eyes on their friendship. Up to this point, they have just been really good friends who knew each others family, where they lived, and spent most of their time at school. Nothing like this they've done before. Other than hanging out for five minutes before doing something, this was new. He was never the sassy and emotional type, but when it involved someone he really cared about, none of that mattered anymore. After all, he would never let his BEST friend down. EVER.

“How do you know what I'll think?” said Dale. “Besides, were together on this. I'll help you as long as you need it. Just take your time to say it, if you want, but I promise it will be between us.”

Andrew took a little time to recollect his previous thoughts.

“I was thinking about us,” he said.

“Us, as in?”

“As in US, friends. You know, being friends and all that.”

“Really? That's not embarrassing at all.”

“What I mean is, my happy thought was every time you and I spent together. Nothing else I've done made me feel more happy in my life. I just couldn't think of anything else other than you because everything else that wasn't with you, hasn't been quite so memorable. When I think of us, I think that every moment felt like the best moment,” Andrew paused to take a deep breath. “So, there ya have it. Just don't take it the wrong way.”

Dale looked lost in Andrew's perspective. It looked like his brain stopped working and a blank face concealed any emotion me may have had. Seconds later, he spoke with a sentimental tone.

“Whoa dude, that's deep.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah.”

Dale did not exactly expecting to hear that from anyone, especially his own friend, besides him being a talking unicorn. Andrew just gave up everything that makes him happy in less than a hundred words. Judging by how long it took to say that, he knew Andrew meant every word with no hesitation. It took a lot of guts to open up like that. There was still one thing he needed to take care of.

“I haven't been completely honest with you either. I sorta have the same deal with you too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“How so?”

“I kinda keep track of the good stuff we've done.”

“What kind of stuff?”

“Um, stuff, like... how much fun I have with my friends, especially you. If I don't write it down, I will most likely forget soon after.”

By now, Andrew was also not expecting to hear that from Dale either.

“So, where do you put this... stuff?”

Dale looked away to regain his composure, then looked back.

“On my computer.”

“Online?”

“No, never. I don't trust the Internet. I just have bunch of entries on my hard drive… buuuuut I think we're getting ahead of ourselves a bit.”

Andrew went silent. He thought that everything he had told Dale would be mimicked, but as of ten seconds ago, that was not the case. In fact, it was totally the opposite. He was totally not expecting any of this, and neither did Dale.

“Okay, we'll save this for later.”

“So, uh, do you think you could try to think about that stuff again? See if it works this time?” asked Dale.

“Yeah sure.”

By now, the both of them felt better about themselves than when the day started. Andrew remembered some things that made a good time in the past to get a response from his horn.

As the day rolled on, Luna felt like it was the longest day ever. She had only spent twenty minutes or so talking to Granny Smith, but it felt like an hour to her. The time if took to get to Ponyville didn't take long either. It felt like half the day went by as she made her way to Sweet Apple Acres.

Luna headed back to the direction of Ponyville. She had been thinking of everything Granny said to her earlier. One thing that she could not understand was the last part. Granny said she heard and saw something where a strange pony seemed to appear out of nowhere. She did not want to waste time assuming of what could have happened, and spend more time finding this mint green unicorn. There weren't that many unicorns that resembled the same color. In fact, there is only one unicorn she knew that almost exactly fit that criteria, and she was the one working on the investigation. It couldn't be a coincidence.

A good idea to do was to visit her current residence and maybe get a little more information from anypony who knows her. Ponyville was approaching just over the last hill, so she picked up the pace and made it in good time, only there were a lot of ponies still out in the streets.

Luna figured what this meant. Now that she was finished with what she came for, it wouldn't hurt to let the citizens of the town know she is here. So, as she approached the first line of houses, she felt nervous that it might raise suspicion, but confident because ponies fully respected the Princesses. No matter how foolish those thoughts sounded, it didn't stop her from acting like she's got nothing to hide. She entered the point of no return and finally made her presence known.

She walked through Ponyville and acted like an innocent bystander, tying to draw as little attention to herself as possible and paying little attention to anypony else. Not that anything she was doing was wrong, but staying within her limits of power. All Luna wanted to do was visit Lyra's home and make it look like she was here to say 'hello'. Kinda unnecessary for coming all this way to do so.

A subtle stroll through the heart of a town where the townsfolk used to fear Princess Luna. Her subtlety wasn't working as well as she hoped. Unable to conceal her glorious charms and the sun beating down from above, she had no choice but to be exposed to everypony wandering the streets. Many of the ponies that were out took their time to say 'hi' to Luna as she walked by each pony within audible range. Others either looked at her and smiled, or stopped to give her a wave. All were happy to see her. In order to be polite, Luna replied to every greeting with the same words and gestures, which took more time than she desired.

After strolling through Ponyville for a several more minutes, she finally reached her destination, the home of Miss Lyra Heartstrings and Miss Bon-bon. She paused for a second before she gently knocked on the front door.

A few seconds later, the door opened.

“Princess Luna? What a pleasant surprise,” said the tan colored earth pony.

“Hello Miss Bon-bon. Is this a bad time?”

“No no of course not. Please, come on in.”

“Thank you.”

Bon-bon made way for Luna to enter the house and closed the door behind her. Luna only needed to know some information from Lyra's closest friend, but she insisted that she'd get comfortable. Anything for the Princess of the Night. Every time a pony came close to Luna or her sister, they reacted so nicely that it almost seems unnatural. It was as if everypony forgot who they are to act so elegantly around ponies of higher authority. Luna only wished for them to consider her as a good friend, rather than pony of tremendous power. She sometimes wished she was just a regular pony with a regular life. Being the co-ruler of a country was hard work.

“Can I get you anything, Princess?” asked Bon-bon.

“Oh, um, no thank you. I won't be long, and, uh, you can call me Luna.”

“Sure thing Princess Luna.”

“Just Luna is fine.”

“Of course. So what brings you here you Highness?”

Luna gave Bon-bon a funny look.

“Sorry.”

“Well, I'm here to ask you something.”

“Yes?”

“I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about your friend, Lyra.”

Bon-bon wondered what has gone into her roommate over the past few days, especially earlier that morning. Lyra told her it had something to do with Princess Celestia, but did not fully believe it. Now that Celestia's sister Luna was here, it made a little more sense.

“Oh her, um... what do you want to know?”

“Maybe something about her family, particularly her parents. Did you know them?”

“Not really. I've only met them once on a visit to Canterlot, but they weren't as strange as their daughter. Lyra can be a little odd at times.”

Luna thought she'd ask more about Lyra and find out if her ancestor was really that peculiar unicorn of the past. She never really did get his name from Granny Smith, only that he apparently helped found Ponyville. Over the course of regular visits to Ponyville, Lyra would always ask some weird questions, one which Luna did not have the answers for.

“She can? What makes you think so?”

“Well, she has this... obsession, with some kind of beings of fiction, as far as I know. She insists that they exist and keeps talking about them around the house, but when she's in public, she tries to hide her obsession. Most ponies around here don't believe,” said Bon-bon.

“What beings we talking about?”

“Uh... humans.”

Bon-bon secretly braced for Luna to laugh at it, but no such thing came. Luna had her her shiny hoof on her chin, in thinking mode.

“Hmm, interesting.” Luna put a hoof to her chin.

“Wait, it doesn't strike you as absurd?”

“No. It is what I hoped to hear.”

“Huh?”

“Well you see, it has come to my attention that Lyra is an descendant of a founding member of Ponyville. She is the great granddaughter of a particular unicorn way back in the day, who has passed on his looks to Lyra. There is no pony else who fits that description that I know of.”

Bon-bon's curiosity rose drastically.

“But how can you know for sure?”

“Her great grandfather also knew about these creatures he called humans. Apparently he was the first to mention such nonsense back then. No pony took him seriously or believed any of his stories when he tried to reason with them. None would listen. He was convinced he was one of them, a human, but such a thought was impossible and everypony knew it. Sound familiar?”

Bon-bon took in the information as surprise. She did not know that anypony else was similar to Lyra, though it turns our it was somepony of her own family.

“Lyra used to do the same, but lately she has loosened up on her studies and spent more time on normal things. Except maybe when she tried to leave this morning without telling me first.”

“She has?”

“Yes. In fact, she hasn't mentioned a word of it in a while. I think she might be coming to her senses finally.”

“I think she might be giving up too easily.”

“Really?”

“Yes, Celestia was helping her out with a few things when she arrived at the castle. I didn't get a chance to properly talk to her yet.”

“Luna, if I may ask, why was she called to Canterlot?”

“Something came up recently that I'm not supposed the tell you, but since you are her closest friend, I'll be honest. An event of mysterious magic occurred last night and my sister and I called for Twilight and Lyra to investigate. We thought they would be the only ones who could help us out. I only hope they find what we need but went on a pursuit of my own. Since my subtle visit here to Ponyville, I have gained more information so I can try to put the pieces together, if possible. I also need you to keep this a secret, can you do that?”

“Sure thing Luna,” replied Bon-bon. She had been listening attentively and even though was confused a little, she understood what the Princess wanted.

“Great. My sister and I just don't want ponies to worry.”

“Would you believe her too?”

“I don't know if it's a matter of belief, but a matter of discovery.”

“Do you think they are real?”

“Yes, but I'll ask her later.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Quite alright. So where can I find Lyra's parents? I'd very much like to talk to them as well.”

“They live in Canterlot. I don't know where exactly, but I'm sure you'll find them.”

“Thank you, Bon-bon. It was nice talking to you. I must be my way, I've got a lot of things to take care of.”

“You're quite welcome, and thank you too Luna, for shedding some light on what's going on with Lyra, I was worried. I still am, but less so now that I know. I promise I won't tell anypony.”

“Pinkie Promise?”

Luna had been waiting for an opportunity to try it with somepony. She was taught how it goes by none other that Pinkie Pie herself. Besides, after all the serious talk, she thought it would let some uneasiness go.

“Oh, uh, how does it go again?” said Bon-bon.

Luna began to do the gestures that constituted the promise.

“Easy. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

Bon-bon watched Luna do it and then remembered how to do again.

“Oh yeah.”

Almost immediately, Bon-bon slowly did her Pinkie Promise, making sure she did it right.

“...stick a cupcake in my eye. Done. Are you sure we are supposed to promise like that without telling her.”

“Tell me what?”

…

Luna and Bon-bon instantly froze. That voice was so close and so familiar. They were not expecting it at all. They frantically looked around the room, trying to find where it came from.

“I'm up here, sillies.”

They looked up to find Pinkie Pie hanging from the ceiling.

“I heard somepony made a Pinkie Promise.”

Luna let out a sigh of relief. She was always startled when Pinkie Pie would pop up in random places, but when it was in good fun, she went with it.

“Oh, uh, hi Pinkie Pie. We weren't expecting you here,” said Luna.

“I know,” said Pinkie, “I just know when a promise of mine is made, I'll be there to know about it.”

Both Luna and Bon-bon were unsure how she got in the house and on the ceiling without the slightest sound. Luna guesses she was just being Pinkie Pie, but Bon-bon could not think of anything because it has been a weird day for her, and the pink pony wasn't helping.

“So what did you guys promise on?”

“We can't tell you that, that would defeat the whole purpose of our promise,” giggled Luna.

“Oh yeah, silly me,” said Pinkie, giggling as well.

Luna glanced at the front door, then back at Bon-bon. She got up from her sitting position and started walking toward the door.

“Well, I better be off. I have some business back in Canterlot.”

Bon-bon remained the couch she was sitting in, letting all the strangeness sink in. She stayed silent ever since Pinkie appeared in the room and thought I'd be a good idea to keep calm.

As Luna was walked out the door of the house, Pinkie Pie bounced out with her. Luna was not in a rush to get to where she wanted to go, but as long as Pinkie was around, she felt that the prancing pink pony would slow her down significantly. She did not want to be mean and tell her to get lost, but Luna had no room for distractions, otherwise she'd lose too much valuable time. She decided to she would part ways with Pinkie once she reached the edge of town so she can fly back to the city.

Luna casually made her way in the direction of Canterlot and took her time strolling through Ponyville with a prancing Earth pony beside her. They arrived near the train station, but before Luna can tell Pinkie to stay, the pink pony bounced in front of her.

“Hey Luna! Do you know where Twilight is?”

“I do.”

“Oh goodie! I thought she disappeared on me. Where is she?”

“In Canterlot.”

Pinkie's smile was replaced by a perplexed look. Whatever Pinkie was thinking of, it was in her the best interest to know what's up with her best best friend. Luna was not supposed to reveal the exact whereabouts of Twilight to keep in under wraps, denying the truth from her friends, or anypony for that matter. She was also told not to speak of the reason why she is in Canterlot to avoid suspicion. Although, she was given orders by the only pony of a slightly higher power that her. This bothered Luna to some extent. However, she thought it wouldn't hurt if she just told Pinkie the general location.

“Why didn't she tell me?” Pinkie asked herself, but directed it toward Luna.

Luna began to sense the the pink pony was on to their little scheme of secrecy. She decided to stall, but was never really good at it.

“Well Pinkie Pie, I must go. It was nice meeting you again.”

“Right now?”

“Yes right now.”

Pinkie stared at the blue alicorn with doubt.

“Okie dokie loki!”

Right then, Princess Luna took off rather quickly and soared back to Canterlot.

After all the excitement that circled around the three ponies in the Mysterious Magic wing, they couldn't find anything else to do. They had most of the information they were looking for, but they were so bored waiting around for Luna to return. Princess Celestia decided not to after her sister because she knew that Luna could handle it on her own, hoping she'd return to aid in the investigation. The two unicorns were only told that Luna had to run an errand somewhere, but were not given specific reasons where or why. Twilight continued to read through the black book that Lyra had, searching through all the cases of unknown magical phenomenon. Lyra asked Spike to write down some stuff of a scroll just so she could see how it was done with an actual appendage rather than magic. She was watching Spike's claw movements the way a foal watched something it's curious about.

“Is it hard to write stuff down?”

“No, not really. It's so simple, I don't think about it. Only thing I focus on are the words I write.”

“Cool.”

“Can I ask why I must keep going?”

“Oh sorry, you can stop whenever you want.”

“Thanks.”

Spike immediately ceased his writing spree and fell backwards on a pile of books, resting his claws and his eyes. Lyra made some notes in her notepad using her magic. She wished she could write things down like Spike could, then she wouldn't have to keep wasting energy on such a simple task.

Lyra could not stop thinking of the event that happened and the event that occurred a long time ago. She remembered that her father's grandfather alive in Canterlot around the same time. He told her the her great granddad was often considered as a stranger to Equestria. There isn't much of anything from his past that might help her explain patterns, or pinpoint the origins of the magic that could put this case in the 'solved' pile. Her knowledge of her family's past is a bit of a mystery to her. Even her parents were unsure if they had any ancestors that lived in Equestria long before the foundation of Ponyville. The only piece of their history is traced back three generations, which by Equestrian standards, isn't a lot.

The more she wondered, the more she wanted to know, but at the moment, she had no means of doing that. She had Twilight and Princess Celestia by her side, what more could she ask for and who else was more qualified to help her out? Lyra thought I'd be better if she waited for some miracle to give her a little more insight on her family heritage.

Twilight had her eyes wide open while she scanned the words on each page of the black book. She didn't understand how she could have overlooked such hidden information. When Celestia read it, she seemed surprised that it ever existed, but Lyra had it the whole time and just treated like any other book.

Some of the entries in the book included sightings of strange creatures in the heart of the Everfree Forest, streaks of light across the skies in the middle of the night, and various other records of the paranormal. The paranormal activities could be easily explained with magic, the streaks of light could be explained by falling space rocks, and most of the strange creatures have now been identified. Only a few percent of the cases in the book was still deemed truly mysterious, one of them being the magical disturbance similar to the recent one they are currently working on. This got Twilight more eager to solve it sooner than ever.

Twilight wanted to ask Celestia if she knew where the book came from, but felt like Celestia might be annoyed with her for having it in the first place. She decided to avoid being put in an uncomfortable conversation with her mentor, whom was resting motionless on the couch near the rear window. Instead, her best bet was Lyra's knowledge of where the book came from.

“Hey Lyra?” Twilight whispered.

“Yes?” she responded lightly.

“Where did you get this book?”

“It- uh, I... um. I forgot.”

“You mean you don't know?”

“I mean, uh, I don't remember.”

Twilight was gonna give up so easily until she noticed the hesitation in Lyra's voice. It was as if she didn't want to reveal its place of origin, hoping to keep it to herself. This was a lousy time for secrets. So, she began using her keen sense of persuasion.

“Are you sure? You seem so sure of all that has been going on around here.”

“When you put it that way, yeah maybe.”

“I think it's imperative to know where this book came from. That way we can maybe find somepony who knows somepony who knows somepony who knows somepony who put this information together.”

As much as Twilight wanted to use her logic, Lyra was a tough cookie to crack. Not only is she smart, but she is aware of Twilight's attempt to get her to spill the beans. What she didn't know was that Twilight had another option.

“So I guess if you don't know, I might need to tell Princess Celestia about your human theory.”

Lyra looked at Twilight with discontent and distrust. She did not like where this was going. It was unnatural for the purple pony to use a light threat on a friend. Twilight had much guilt from the start of her devious plan, but hoped it would get Lyra to tell the truth.

“No, please don't,” she demanded.

“Why not? You don't have something to hide right?”

“No. I mean, yes. I mean, just hold on a second,” She paused for a moment to regain her confidence. “I do know where I got it.”

“If you tell me, I won't tell Celestia. I give you my word.”

“Okay okay. I'm not exactly sure where the original document was written. I found the it in my own house.”

“The original?”

“Yeah. This one right here is just a reprint,” said Lyra pointed at the black book with her hoof. “I reprinted it a while ago since I last saw of the original book back in Ponyville.”

“Is that where it came from?”

“No. I found the original in my great grandfather's first home here in Canterlot. My parents still live in the same house, but I moved to Ponyville when I could support myself. It was buried in the attic when I went up there to explore before I moved to Ponyville. I wasn't looking for anything in specific, just the thrill of finding new things. This book happened to be was the most interesting thing I found, even though at the time I thought is was just some vintage novel. Turns out I found all this information keeps me awake every night.”

“Did you know your great grandfather?”

“No. My parents don't know much about him either, but I was told that he was a strange pony back then. I'd like to know more about him because, if I've done my research correctly, he is the first generation in our family.”

This took Twilight by surprise. Not the part on the book, but that Lyra's family tree may not have originated in Equestria from that short of a timescale. The country had been around for over two thousand years and from what Lyra implied, her family was only around less than two hundred years. As overwhelming as all the information that Lyra gave, there was something was not right about that.

Twilight sighed with curiosity and turned her head over to the Princess. It appeared as if she was sleeping soundly on the comfortable couch, but her eyes clearly open. The conversation between Lyra and Twilight was loud enough for the whole room to hear. Even Spike was wide awake the entire time, he was just on his back trying to get some rest with annoyance that the mares kept him awake. If Celestia was listening, she would have overheard their conversation and most likely would have stepped in, but she didn't. Twilight showed much concern for her mentor since she arrived back from her excursion.

Twilight looked back at Lyra, whom also noticed the strange vibe surrounding the Princess. She then carefully stepped toward her till she was standing right next to the couch.

“Princess?” she asked.

Celestia did not respond.

“Are you alright?” Twilight repeated.

…

A few more attempts to get her attention failed until Twilight gave her a light tap. Celestia shook her head rapidly as if broken from hypnosis. She slowly turned to her pupil standing right next to her, then looked away at the same speed. She waited a couple seconds, closed her eyes, then sighed.

“I'm sorry girls, but I'm afraid we are not the only ones in distress.”

8. Connections

[Chapter 8]

Connections

To his surprise, Andrew felt a little something that made him open his eyes and break full concentration. He took a deep breath, shut his eyes, and tried again. It took a little longer than before, but he replicated that same eerie feeling that in turn broke his focus once more. He started to wonder what it was that he felt or what kind of emotion intervened, something he could never do before. The confused and tired look on his face had never been more difficult to detect from the human sitting in front of him.

Dale had been watching Andrew try over, and over, and over, till they were almost ready to give up. He thought that since there is absolutely nothing genuine on the subject of magic (if you can call it a subject), there was no manual on how it was done to get it right. Neither of them considered unicorns to have special powers (even though they are deemed as magical creatures of pure myth) nor did they think the horn to be the primary source of said powers. Dale understood why emotion was the strongest among special abilities, so he wondered if that applied to unicorns as well. Most of the fictional books they've read that included magic either got it all wrong, or this was something else entirely. Dale wasn't really a fantasy kind of guy, he was more of the action and adventure type. Andrew was more of a science fiction enthusiast in TV shows and movies. Though none of that were able to help them in their fruitless struggle to figure it out themselves.

Andrew was getting exhausted of all his thinking, more than a usual day at school. It hurt his brain, especially now that his brain may have gotten significantly smaller. It certainly didn't feel like his head was any different, so he assumed his brain was the same as yesterday. He needed a break.

“Come on, Dale, this might not work at all,” he said.

“How can you be sure? What about that time we weren't paying attention?” said Dale.

“What if it wasn't me?”

“Who else would it be?”

“I don't know, maybe it was a ghost?” Andrew shrugged.

“Yeah right. You know ghosts aren't real.”

“Okay then, who are you talking to right now?”

“Talking to you.”

“And what am I?” said Andrew, getting his point across.

“You're a- … oh yeah; but you can't just assume that every other myth and legend are real. Next thing you'll know, you'll be saying that a pegasus is real, or a phoenix, or gryphons, or dragons.”

“Hey, I can dream can I?”

“What are you trying to say?” Dale lifted his head back while keeping his eyes fixed on his friend.

“I'm just tired, dude. All I wanted was to-”

“Give up?”

“No, no, try again later. You're not the one thinking of everything.”

“Alright alright. I just think we should never give up on this. It's much too important.”

Moments after Dale was finished talking, Andrew put his head down on his hooves and tried to relax. The position that he tangled himself in was rather uncomfortable, almost like laying on bubble wrap. To ease the slight pain, he shifted in different positions in attempt to relieve the discomfort. Nothing really made it any better. For a minute of so, Andrew shuffled around in his baggy clothes, moving every limb and muscle into place. He even moved his tail which continued to be a weird sensation. He couldn't quite find the proper sleeping stature that an equine uses, so he sat up to lay back like a normal person would. Unaware that there was no bed frame at the end of the bed, Andrew lost his balance and fell backward off the bed.

*thud*

Dale stated laughing when his friend hit the floor in comedic fashion.

“Be careful dude, you might send yourself to the moon,” he joked, as if it was a real possibility. He wished it wasn't. It would be very stressful for them if anything major happened that would leave Dale alone in his friend's room while a turquoise colored unicorn suddenly disappears into thin air. There be no telling where Andrew would end up next. Hopefully not in a crowded place, as that is the worst place to be, except for maybe the moon. Again, a real possibility.

“Ouch,” Andrew voiced, unamused.

While upside down, the hairs on his tail fell in front of his face. As odd as it may sound, his tail smelled vastly similar to mint candy. A particular scent that you find in minty ice cream. He hadn't washed his hair the night before, nor did he own mint-scented shampoo, if there was such a thing. One more thing to put in the small list of things he's discovered about his new body, not like he wanted to stay a unicorn forever.

Once he cleared his face of his tail, he noticed he was stuck in that position. He could not move. He was looking straight at the floor, eyes barely an inch away from the blue carpet fibers. The blood began rushing to his head just slow enough to let him think, then it hit him.

“Hey Dale?”

“Yeah?”

“I think I jammed my horn in the floor.”

Dale broke into small laughter.

“You serious dude? Man, you never stop being funny.”

Dale was not too fond of Andrew's jokes anymore. After a few awkward seconds of silence with his unicorn in the same position, he knew it to be true and got up off the bed to help him out. Andrew looked funny with his head on the floor and the rest of his body laying against the end of the bed. All of Andrew's limbs were squirming, which made Dale chuckle as he pulled the fairly light unicorn from the floor.

“Dude, how much do you weigh?” Dale asked.

“Like one fifty.”

“Not anymore. You lost like half that.”

“Should I be concerned?”

“Are you?”

“Not really. So I guess it's not importa-”

*Knock knock*

Before Andrew could finish, the both of them froze. No footsteps were heard from outside the door, nor did they bother to lock the door. They couldn't anyways since it was broken from the door frame, but it could still close properly. They stared at each other for a second and quickly reacted by acting fast. Dale slowly made his way toward the door to block the way and Andrew quickly jumped in the closet. Somehow this scenario sounded familiar. Then a voice came from the other side of the door.

“Hello Andrew? Are you in there? I heard voices,” said a voice of a woman.

To their relief, it was only Andrew's mother, but to their concern, they were in another sticky situation. Andrew popped his body halfway out the closet door to utter a response. Dale sat in front of the bedroom door to keep it closed.

“Yeah mom, I was just talking to Dale,” Andrew replied.

“I thought you were at his house?” she asked.

“We came over to, uh... do... stuff.” He stumbled over the right words, but just made it vague.

“Okay then, are you sure you're fine? Nothing I should be worried about?”

“Nope. All fine here.”

“If you need me, I'll be in the basement sorting out some things.”

“Hey mom?”

“Yes dear?”

“Do you know where Alex is?” Andrew was eager to know if it was a problem.

“He's on his way back here now. He said on the phone that you disappeared, but he probably made it up. Your father went downtown on jury duty.”

“Thanks mom!”

No other response came from Mrs. Fera. Both Dale and Andrew did not hear her leave, but they did hear the front door open. As faint as that sound was, it could have been none other than Alex when they heard his voice cry out to the whole house.

Andrew put his hoof to his mouth to think for a little. Dale, on the other hand, was trying to come up with a plan that wouldn't involve another forced entry or tripping hazards. He ignored Andrew's lack of panic and looked around the room for something to brace the door with. Andrew's dresser was near the door, so it was worth a shot. As he began to push it aside, Andrew spoke.

“No wait!”

“Wait? Your brother is coming.” Dale continued his efforts to brace the door.

“Just hold on a sec.”

Dale ceased with his plan and panic, but remained concerned. His impatience fed into his inability to keep calm. He stood in place with a clueless expression.

“Open the door,” said Andrew.

“What!? Are you crazy? Why?”

“Because, my brother has a right to know.”

“Know what? That you're like this. No way dude.”

“I showed YOU, didn't I? I trust you. I'm not going to keep running from him anymore. Besides, I trust HIM too. He knows something is up. I can't hide forever and you know it.”

“What about your parents?”

“They don't know anything, only Alex. He's gonna find out eventually whether we like it or not. I'd rather have it be now. You can use force if he tries something on us again.”

Dale stopped to think of that plan for himself. He tried to think of many scenarios on how this could go down. Most of them weren't that bad, like trying to control the kid's temper. With little time to think, he agreed to Andrew's plan and nodded his head.

“Okay, open the door after I shut myself in the closet. When Alex comes, just act natural. Then I'll give you the signal,” Andrew continued with little hesitation.

“What's the signal?”

“I'll tap three times from in here.” Andrew gestured his plan.

“Fine. You owe me one then.”

“For what?”

“Acting innocent is not easy for something like this.”

“Fine.” He was not too accepting of his attitude, but had not time to argue.

Andrew backtracked into to the small, dark closet. Dale pushed the door closed and took a deep breath to clear his head. Inhaling to bottle up all the he was feeling, then letting it all go to get this plan over with. Once he regained his composure, he opened the bedroom door. Cool air rushed in and as Dale suddenly turned his head to where that air came from, Alex was standing right where the door used to be.

“Whoa.”

Dale snapped back a step. His heart began racing. He was not expecting to find Alex already standing there all creepy like. It startled him enough to scare Dale out of his natural act and into a disorganized state of mind. He didn't know how to start. Alex just stood there looking into his eyes, staring directly into his soul. Whatever the case, it freaked him out.

“Oh hey there, you... guy..., wassup?” Dale said with a fake wave, shaking all over.

No response. Alex stood with a stink eye directed at the teen who moved side to side, trying to break free of his evil gaze. Then, out of nowhere, Alex darted toward Dale. He retreated as fast as he could. The little boy pointed his right index finger at Dale and yelled.

“I know something is up, Dale! Where is he!” he shouted.

“Whoa dude, calm down.”

Alex had him pinned against the desk. Even though Dale was almost twice his size, he cowered away from the angry kid. He didn't want to cause any trouble by hurting him or fleeing the room. This is one scenario that had not crossed his mind. Escape was not the answer. Keeping his cool and getting Alex to chill out was his best option.

“How did you get here!? I know he's in here! I heard you two talking!” Alex hissed once more.

“I ain't gonna tell you nothin' until you stop yelling at me,” Dale said in the most relaxed tone he could muster.

“Just tell me already!”

“Just chill out already.”

After a devious staring contest between both of them, Alex let loose. He backed up to give Dale some space to breathe and sat on Andrew's bed with his head buried in his hands. There was a bit of confusion that surrounded Alex and it was shown through his apparent breakdown. Dale didn't move. He was afraid that he might have hurt the boy's feelings. All he wanted was to know was the truth, but this is not something you can just easily tell someone straight up.

To make him feel better and to go ahead with Andrew's plan, he started toward the bedroom door. He closed it carefully and put his back up against the closet door right next to him on the adjacent wall. Dale slid his back down the side of the door till he reached the floor and sat uncomfortably. Alex noticed that Dale was pointing behind with his thumb.

“He's in here,” he whispered.

Alex wanted to charge in the closet after his brother, but as long as Dale was in the way, he didn't stand a chance. The guy weighed twice as much and couldn't handle himself in a struggle. His only other option was to wait.

“You wanna know why?” Dale continued.

Alex nodded. He had some reasons in mind, but none could explain recent events. Andrew and Dale's disappearing act ten minutes earlier was getting to his head. So, he felt compelled to explain his day so far.

“I've had the weirdest morning ever. Andrew avoids me all day. He leaves out his window for some reason. I find him later at your house. You guys hide something from me. Then you disappear and I find you here. Why are you guys doing this to me?”

“I'm sorry, dude. This isn't your usual day,” said Dale. “I promise, this has been much for me, too.”

“How?” Alex looked at him.

Dale took one long deep breath. He still thought this plan was stupid. He stopped talking, waiting for Andrew's signal to come up. The room drifted to an awkward silence. For several seconds, they just stared at each other, hoping for something to happen. Alex was growing impatient with every second that went by, but was still waiting for an answer.

As a full ten or fifteen seconds went by, Dale grew suspicious himself. Not at the boy sitting on the bed in front of him, but at Andrew's apparent inability to tap on wood. He made a face at Alex that resembled true innocence. For a few more long seconds, he lifted his hand and knocked on the door.

Nothing. Nada. Zip. Silence.

He tried again and still nothing. Now Dale started to feel like this plan wasn't going so good, or Andrew was deliberately messing with him. He knocked one more time, this time banging hard enough to break a window. Still nothing.

“Come on out Andrew,” Dale said. “Your brother is waiting.”

He looked back at Alex, who was eying him like this was some sort of game. Tired of growing weary, Dale got up off the floor and opened the closet door. He turned on the light that was hanging on the ceiling and revealed that it was empty.

“That explains it,” Dale said to himself, trying hard to conceal his panic.

“Explains what?” said Alex.

“Oh, um... … it's not what it looks like.”

“Is this some kind of joke?” Alex squinted his eyes at him.

“No no I swear! Andrew was just in here,” he said, worried and confused, pointing furiously in the closet. “Here, right here.”

“Well, he can't be anywhere else. I heard him talking to you.”

Dale began shuffling through the stuff in the closet, trying to find his friend. Knowing that the size of Andrew's pony body couldn't possibly hide behind the clothes and stuffed animals, it was a useless effort from the start. His heart rate escalated from the possibility that he teleported someplace else.

Alex crossed his arms and impatiently tapped his finger on his arm.

“Where is he then?”

“I don't know. The moon maybe.”

It was nearing the third hour after noon and Luna finally arrived back in Canterlot. Instead of heading directly for the castle, she made her way somewhere near the center of the city. Careful not to be in anypony's way as she approached her general destination and descended vertically at a slow and steady pace in the middle of a street. It made her look more formal, rather than unroyal, as Celestia had come to call it. For this visit, she would not have to sneak around like she did in Ponyville. Most every pony out on the streets gave her a friendly wave and went about their day. Very rarely, a pony would bow to pay more than just their respects to Princess Luna. After all, everypony saw both Princesses almost every day now. Luna waved back.

Luna stood at her landing site for a few moments, studying her surrounding. Even though she was knew the city like the back of her hoof, she didn't quite know where each pony lived. It was a big city and she did not want to spend all day searching for Lyra's parents. So, she decided to ask.

A cold feeling rushed down Twilight's spine as she thought of the somepony in danger Celestia told them about. She couldn't help but keep her mind on that somepony, whomever it may be. Lyra had similar feelings on the helpless pony that might be in need of their help. She thought for a while on how these two things can be connected. A distressed pony and a magical surge didn't really add up to anything more than a coincidence, especially when there was significant distance between the two. Plus, what did her family have to do with this situation? So many things that still need an explanation. Time seemed to grind slower from that moment on.

Princess Celestia asked the two unicorns to be left alone for a minute, while she attempted to gain more insight on the mysterious pony in need and the whereabouts of her sister. Whichever came first, all four of them (including Spike) would act accordingly.

A few instances, she almost fell asleep because she was so exhausted. She kept her thoughts and feelings focused on the two entities. She was getting no luck on the troubled pony. The only thing she felt in the last ten minutes was a stronger connection with her sister. That came to the assumption that Luna returned from her little excursion. Luna's presence in Canterlot was clear and Celestia really wanted to talk to her. What struck her as odd was that Luna did not directly return to the castle, but stopped somewhere in the city.

Twilight was first to stop what she was doing as Princess Celestia got up from her temporary isolation and slowly walk towards the door. She was hoping for something to do other than read a whole bunch of books with unhelpful information. Lyra followed suit as Celestia spoke.

“Come on girls, lets give my sister a visit,” said the Princess.

“She's not coming back here?” asked Twilight.

Before Celestia answered her question, she opened the door, directed Twilight and Lyra outside (with Spike snoozing on Twilight's back), locked the door behind them, and continued walking down the spiral staircase. Celestia explained.

“I believe she is mildly avoiding us. She has been oddly quiet about this whole excitement since she first notified me about it the previous night. I have been up all night helping her on this investigation, but she hasn't given much enthusiasm in it as I have. It is as if something has been bothering her ever since the event. The next thing I know, she takes off and doesn't run it by me first. Then she returns to take her time to visit the city instead of returning here. I get the feeling that she doesn't want us to know something.”

“That doesn't seem like Luna,” said Lyra, now interested what was to come of this. “I mean, it does seem rather unusual and unfortunate that she whatever she knows may be controlling her judgment.”

“Do you know her intentions Princess?” Twilight added.

“No. It is the reason why we must confront her and find out. I am just a little worried, that is all.”

For the rest of the journey down the castle, through the main halls, and through the courtyard, they group was silent and pondering.

Most of the buildings looked the same throughout the city. There were a few exceptions that stood out, but all of those were not residential. It seemed like it was gonna take forever to find the right place, but Luna was finally on the right path. Only a few more houses and she'd reach the one house she'd been looking for. For the longest time, Luna felt uneasy about this. Rather than guilt, she was unsure if how this visit was gonna go in her head as she thought about what she was going to say. She also wondered if Lyra's parents were aware of their short family heritage that only traced back four generations.

For next few moments, that was all she could think about. With her mind in a mist, Luna temporarily lost track of time and didn't notice she had arrived at her destination.

“There you are!” said a distant voice.

Luna turned her gaze to find Celestia, Twilight, and Lyra walking in her direction. It took her mildly by surprised, but enough to freeze her from her next move. Although she was embarrassed to be found wandering around Canterlot, Luna quickly snapped her head to face her avid sister.

“Oh, uh, hello sister. What- uh... what are you doing here?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Celestia said looking at her surroundings, then back to Luna.

The amount of secrecy that Luna had bottled up inside her became more tense now that she isn't the only one wanting the same thing. Almost everything she knew was not ready to be told and almost everything she was going to try to do cannot be done. This put Luna in an unfortunate mindset of confusion and indecision. She looked at the worried bunch before her, then held her head down in dishonor.

“I'm sorry for being like this. I was going to tell you, honestly. It's just that I thought I could do it on my own and I'm not quite done yet. This was going to be my last stop before I can put all of the information together.”

“At my parents house?” Lyra asked.

Lyra recognized her childhood home instantly, but wasn't expecting it to be on Princess Luna's to-do-list. At first, she just thought it was a coincidence. Now she knew why, oddly enough.

“You mean you found something?” Twilight asked.

“Well, yes,” she replied, as all three perked their ears up. “That's what I've been doing since I left. I don't really want to give the full story yet until I take care of one last thing.”

Luna attempted to imply that she wanted to be left alone to finish her solo run on this case till the proper time came to explain it all in one take. It didn't work. The mares in front of her were determined not to let her do anything else alone, for her own sake.

“Can we help you on that?” said Celestia. “After all that we've accumulated in the past several hours, I think it's fair that we work together and collaborate, instead of racing to see who figures it out first. Though it seems that you know more that we do, so I only ask you to accept our aid. You don't have to do all of it on your own. I know I've been a little bossy lately, but since you have been more successful at this that I am, you lead the way.”

“Please let us help you Luna,” begged Twilight. “We won't let you down.”

Twilight's enthusiasm and eagerness made Celestia smile and nod in agreement. Lyra, on the other hoof, was still puzzled, but regardless, was eager to help. They stood alongside Luna, waiting for a response as she closed her eyes to make a decision. She hadn't thought this scenario through to the last detail because she didn't have a lot of time to think what to do if it came to this. The event has been the bane of her day and just wished for it be over with as soon as pony possible. Besides, she could leave her friends hanging, as Rainbow Dash would say. Luna took a deep breath through her nose and exhaled out her mouth.

“Okay, you may come along.”

The mood surrounding the group went from contested to compassionate. After all, they we all in this together now, even if each one of them was on a different path.

“Thank you, Luna,” said Celestia. “Now, where to next?”

“Right here.”

“Um, Luna?” began Lyra. “If I may ask, why are we at my parent's house?”

“Oh, yes, I am here to talk to them.”

“About what?”

Trying to stall her answer, Luna turned around to face the house in front of them and looked up to the second floor, then back down again.

“Come, that's what we're here to discuss.”

The warm air and mild winds were ironically soothing for Luna, but it was messing up the waviness of her mane. She paused for a second, then took two steps forward. Unlike most homes in Canterlot (and even Equestria), the front door had a working doorbell. Knocking was usually the only way to get the attention of the ponies inside, but apparently that is a thing of the past. Doorbell's were only around for a few years, but she had enough time to brush up on the modernization of the country since her return. Luna placed her hoof on the button and delicately pressed it. Immediately, two tones of sound rang throughout the structure, with the first at a higher pitch than the second.

The four mares remained silent and waited patiently for the owners to answer the door. Lyra became even more persistent to know everything Princess Luna knew. Ever since the start of this intellectual quest, they had to work on an old period of history with ambiguity surrounding it. She started to wonder if Luna didn't tell Celestia everything from the event because she was faking her innocence when she last her in the tower. It was not obvious enough for Twilight and Princess Celestia to notice Luna's lack of her own personality, but Lyra caught on almost immediately. There wasn't enough time to chat as she was quick to leave the tower before they could start a conversation. For the last few hours, it has bothered Lyra like an itch on the back of the neck.

A faint sound came from the handle of the door as it rattled. The door swung slowly inward and a shadowed pink face peered around as if hiding from strangers. Then, out of nowhere, the pony bounced out from behind the shadow of the door.

“Hi everypony!”

It caught each pony by surprise that made them recoil backward a little bit, except for Luna. Lyra's eyes grew wider, Twilight and Celestia had confused looks on their face, but Luna just cocked her head slightly.

“Pinkie Pie?” said Luna. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard you were coming here. So I came, too.”

Luna was not expecting to find Pinkie Pie at her destination, but apparently the pink earth pony overheard that part of the conversation with Bon-bon when revealing her next move.

“Pinkie!?” exclaimed Twilight from behind Luna.

“Oh hi Twilight, there you are,” Pinkie said as she bounced outside to give her a hug. Twilight wanted to resist, but couldn't say 'no' to a hug from Pinkie Pie.

“How did you know I was here?”

Pinkie glanced over to Princess Luna, who looked away as soon as they made eye contact. Princess Celestia noticed her sister shy away from her glance, as if trying to hide her guilt.

“You told one of her friends her location?” Celestia asked.

“Well I, uh... thought is was, um, in her best interest to know.”

Celestia looked at Luna with disbelief, but was confused rather than upset. She began to think to herself, how many other ponies did she come across that wanted to know where Twilight had gone to? It could only raise a lot of questions that could lead to undesirable interrogations.

“Pinkie Pie? Are Lyra's parents home?” asked Luna, trying to move things along.

“Huh, oh yeah, I was talking to them before you guys got here.”

That got Luna's heart racing. She was not sure how long into the conversation Pinkie overheard with Bon-bon, nor did she want to ask out loud in front of everypony. She was still trying to keep most of her daily activity under wraps. So instead, she played along with her mistakes.

“Why don't Celestia and I talk to them in private, and you three wait for us to finish?” suggested Luna.

“Hang on, you mean the four of us,” said Spike for the first time in all this mix up. He had been awake and silent since they finally found Princess Luna.

“Of course. I only ask the four of you to give us a moment.”

The blue alicorn looked back at her twin, waiting for her approval. As much as she was not fond of the idea, Celestia decided to go with her sister's plan, even if it meant a temporarily exclusion of Lyra and Twilight from further investigation. She also didn't understand why they weren't needed for the conversation with Dewey and Cirrus. It seems the bit fair to have Lyra join in at least. Because Luna was now the boss of this entire inquiry, it is best to let her make the decisions.

Celestia nodded her head.

“We'll follow Luna's plan.”

“Great.” She turned back to the small group of ponies standing in silence. “Where will you be Miss Heartstrings? Miss Sparkle? Miss Pie?”

“We can wait in my old room,” complied Lyra. “If that's okay with you, Princess?”

“Sure. Just remain there for the time being. If you need anything, I'm sure you're familiar with your old home, correct?”

“Yes.”

“We won't be too long.”

Luna turned around and entered through the open door that Pinkie Pie opened for them. Celestia followed after her, then Lyra, then Pinkie, then Spike, and finally Twilight. The two Princesses branched off to the main room and the others headed up the stairs. Lyra didn't have enough time to greet her mother and father, but was in no hurry to. She could just see them later now that she is home again, temporarily speaking. Her excitement for this investigation rose as it apparently led her to her own house, according to Luna. Lyra remembered the chat she had with Twilight about her work and humans back in the tower. Most of her resources were back in Ponyville, but she still had a few things of value in her old bedroom. Maybe this was the perfect time to enlighten Twilight on her personal interest in human beings.

“Hey Twilight! I wanna show you something.”

9. Disclosure

[Chapter 9]

Disclosure

Warm air was replaced by a cool breeze. Darkness turned to a shower of light that illuminated everything in view. What was once silent, is now buzzing with ambient noise and a particular mosquito ring. The green grass riddled with objects that used to be in a small dark room just moments ago. Same thing with the blueish toned unicorn laying on the same ground as the scattered mess of several old toys and stuffed animals.

Andrew squirmed around, trying to find his balance in the mess that was his baggy clothes. Still so unsure of himself, he did not want to remove his attire for the habit of feeling naked if he did. It would feel unnatural. He was quick to feet, but slow on his sense of reality. Everything was a white blur for a while, like when you turn in a bright light on in your face when only moments prior being shrouded in complete darkness. Either it was a significant blow to the back of the head, or the eyes just needed to adjust. The sudden change of environment and lack of a headache made it clear that he need not to worry about his condition, but where he ended up. The freaking out would have to wait until he could see again.

There was nothing Andrew could do for his eyes as they needed to heal themselves. However, his vision came back much quicker than before when he noticed his surroundings in mere seconds after blackout. The green grass, a brown wooden fence, and... an apple tree. Great! He's in the back yard again. Either something was messing with his him, or he was delusional. Or both. Instant teleportation is known to do that, at least in some science fiction universes. It's unclear whether that applies to this reality.

“Brilliant! Just brilliant,” he said to himself sarcastically.

Andrew found it easier to stand up than before and his eye sight returned to normal shortly after discovering what happened. He didn't recall ever hitting the floor from a small height like before or from an angle. Nor did he do anything that might have caused harm to himself or someone else. All he did was wait for his friend Dale to resolve any conflict that his brother Alex evidently had his emotions bottled up inside from the last incursion at Dale's house, because the last thing he remembered was what he expected. Alex burst in the room, screaming at Dale. It lasted only a moment when suddenly everything became white in less than half a second. Next thing he knows, Bam, he's in the backyard again. None of this is going as planned, starting with waking up this morning.

Wondering what to do next, Andrew thought of how he was going to reveal himself to his little brother now, if at all. It seemed like teleporting had postponed that for several more minutes. He started to have doubts if her wanted to reveal himself to Alex anymore because the more he thought about it, the more he was unsure if his brother could handle it. Seeing a living unicorn pony the first time was a lot to take in, especially if you are well educated enough the know that they didn't exist. Neither did magic, but he'd save that for later.

It has only been a minute or two since he was in the closet and Dale and Alex were most likely still in the room together. Andrew wondered if Dale opened the closet door yet. Since he was not there to give the signal, it was not a good sign of progress. Dale must be confused and worried at this very moment. There was no way of getting inside the house with hooves and his hooves lacked fingers to chuck a pebble at the window to get their attention. There was another option, but there was no way he was going to attempt to climb up to the roof of the first floor extension that reached his bedroom window. Too dangerous. Besides, he couldn't pull it off without a latter or the right stature to do so.

Out of all his preferred options of getting back inside, one last idea was most considerably his least favorite.

“The moon? Really?” Alex made sure his sarcasm reflected his feelings.

“Um... …” Dale trailed off, trying to find the right words that didn't give to wrong impression.

“Did he like, magically teleport there?” Alex suggested as a joke.

“You could say that,” said Dale as he looked back at the empty closet, thinking of where his friend could have gone to. He had a feeling it wasn't anything to worry about too much.

“Daaale.”

A voice filled his head that seemed to call his name. I grew distinctly louder with every call. Then to a point where it was too loud the be from his imagination. He looked at the annoyed boy across from him, who was also staring back at him. Just then, the voice seemed to stop after five cries for his name and had a striking resemblance to someone he knew. The both of them waited a few more anxious seconds.

“Hey Dale!”

Both guys bolted from their seats and ran to the window, attempting to find the source. Alex pushed Dale aside and opened the window pane as fast as he could. Dale got back up and in return shoved the eager kid aside to get an equal view of the backyard. They found the field of grass to be void of anyone who might have been yelling for Dale. They scanned the surrounding neighborhood yards, but still found no source. Alex retreaded inside, hoping that they weren't crazy. Before Dale was about to the same, he noticed a yellow stuffed bunny being hurled across the lawn. This made Dale pause. Thankfully, Alex was not around see it. Another stuffed animal came flying out from underneath him, this one a white a dog with black spots and black ears. He leaned further out the window, but could not get any further unless he stepped on to the roof below.

Several more various objects followed the first two plushies as they landed on the grass, just shy of the apple tree. Dale turned around to find the room to be empty. Alex must have gone to the bathroom or something. It's not like him to just give up so easily.

Now that the coast was clear, he careful mounted the window frame, slipped through the square hole, and gently put his feet on the dark brown roof panels. He was scared that the weak frame would be too unstable and cause him to tumble off the roof to the ground below. Fortunately, he kept his balance on the side of the house and used the wall for support. He neared one corner of the house and climbed down the wooden trellis that spanned twelve feet to the patio.

Andrew ran out of toys and animals to kick onto the grass. He knew that if he was standing in the middle of the yard in broad daylight while Dale and Alex looked out the window, it would leave all of them with more problems then they can handle. They had enough deal with as it is.

Moments after running out of ordinance, he heard a noise above him on the roof and slide to the right. The garden trellis started to shake and a saw his best friend climbing down from the roof. A bit unnecessary, but whatever.

“Oh good, you're not dead,” Dale smirked.

“What?”

“Never mind. What happened?”

“Isn't it obvious?”

“No.”

“Oh. Well what does it look like?”

“You teleported again.”

“Ya huh.”

“You scared the crap outta me,” Dale said. clutching his chest.

“My bad. So where's Alex?” Andrew asked.

“I don't know. I think-”

…

All of a sudden, Dale's eyes grew so wide that is was painful. His eyes were locked onto something through the sliding glass door behind his unicorn friend. With Andrew's back against the door and completely exposed, he was unaware of how careless they were.

Dale was still frozen and Andrew feared the worst. He slowly turned his head and his body around, hooves making light taps on the concrete patio. The next thing he found was his younger brother standing halfway down the hall from inside the house that had a clear view of the backyard. The little boy also froze, with a mug in his hand and his jaw open wide.

The next couple seconds became to most frightening of all between the three of them, but was only shown through stares in the horrified faces. No amount of valiance could prepare them for what happened next.

Suddenly, the black mug that Alex had slipped through his fingers and fell to the floor. A loud clank followed as the fragile ceramic cup shattered into hundreds of pieces. Without a word, Alex instantly jolted the other direction and ran up the stairs.

“GET HIM!” shouted Andrew, and with athletic like abilities, Dale instantly sprinted after the boy.

The sliding glass door was already unlocked, but it took time away from stopping Alex from whatever he was going to do. However, in seconds, Dale ran as fast as he could down the hall and up the stairs, with Andrew close behind. Dale leaped up every third step in order to catch the fleeing kid. Halfway up the stairs, he heard a door slam shut in front of him. When he cleared the staircase, he looked around the hall, but had an idea where the little rascal could have gone to so fast. He paused to catch his breath, then heard the clink of a hollow metallic object coming from behind Alex's bedroom door.

Dale was about to kick the door down or use some other kind of forced entry, when just then, the door quickly opened to reveal an enraged looking 12-year-old holding a baseball bat.

“Where is he!?” exclaimed Alex, breathing heavily in apparent hostility.

Right then, Andrew finally made it to the top and popped his big head around the corner to his right to check to see what was going on.

“You!!” roared Alex once he eyes the blue-green unicorn. He began to run toward Andrew with all his might.

“NO!” shouted Dale as he stopped the little boy in his tracks with his own body. “Get back!”

Dale proceeded to shove Alex backwards, inching more and more towards Alex's bedroom. He was much heavier than the little guy, so it was easy enough to hold him back. Alex's hands were frantically flailing around in his struggle to break free from the teen's grip. As they reached the door frame, Alex's right hand hit the wall as they entered and released the bat that hand was holding. Now in the most daring move not to serious injure the poor kid, Dale used his remaining strength to pin him down to the floor without actually tackling him into the ground. It ended with a heavy thud that resonated throughout the room.

Alex continued to struggle, but this time he had his eyes closed and clutching both hands onto Dale's left arm. He was no match for a guy 20% larger and five years older than him. Even though is was a useless effort, the little boy just kept squirming with his eyes closed, while murmuring incoherently to himself.

The room got substantially quieter when Andrew trotted into the room and gently closed the door with his hind hooves. When the sound of the door closing met the ears of the crazy youngster, his eyes popped wide open and he lifted his head to take another look at Andrew. Alex lay his head back down on the carpet and sat still for a moment before grabbing a pillow that was conveniently right next to him, and throwing it at Andrew just to make sure he wasn't completely insane.

The pillow hit the unicorn in face with marksman precision, but Andrew just shrugged it off after it landed on the floor. He squinted at his little brother.

Alex started to laugh as if he was crazy. The kind of laugh one does when hoping they haven't lost their minds. However, the person holding him down tried a diplomatic approach.

“Listen here bud, we don't need you making thing worse than they already are.” Alex looked away in annoyance as Dale spoke. “This is not his fault. I was just afraid of him like you are when I first saw him like this. We were just figuring out what to do next and we could use your help if you just promise you won't go all homicidal on us again. Got it?”

Alex turned his head to Andrew, then back to Dale. He did have a lot of time to think about it, but it was better than being held against his will on the floor. He took one long deep breath.

“Yeah sure.”

“Say it like you mean it.” Dale raised a fist to be a little more intimidating, but was clearly bluffing.

“Okay okay, geez, don't hurt me.” Alex cried.

Dale was hesitant to let him go, but he knew the kid had understood well enough to maintain control of himself. He released his grip on the boys shoulders and helped him off the floor by offering a hand. He then backed up to Andrew, who was sitting on the floor next to the bedroom door, wondered how it could have gone differently. There was not much he could do about the events that occurred up to that point, so he just played along and made the best of it, even if that meant making decisions that changed future events.

Alex became so tired of the struggle that he fell back on his bed in a reclined in a relaxing position, like what you would do when reading a book in bed. He put his hand on his forehead, pushing his hair upward to take one long look at his brother, who was undoubtedly a small pony. Marvelous.

“So...” began Alex as he trailed off, expecting one of them to give an explanation. “Why?”

“We don't know,” said Dale.

“Can you, um, talk?” Alex asked his brother.

“Yeah,” Andrew chuckled. “Why? You think I couldn't?”

“Of course, I am to assume that all horses speak when I meet them. It's just all so-”

“Confusing?” suggested Dale as he took a seat on a stool near the foot of the bed.

“Yeah that. You know you didn't have be all secretive about it. You could have just... you know... told me.”

“That's why I kept it to myself,” stated Andrew. “I was pretty damn scared when I looked at myself in the mirror this morning. I had good intentions to hide. It still seems completely impossible. Plus, I was just as doubtful as the both of you were the first time you saw me. The way you guys acted was what I was afraid of.”

“Well I would have understood if you didn't run away from me.”

“Understood!? You think I asked for this!?” Andrew raised his voice, while an unnoticeable tear started forming in his eye. “You think I wanted to be like this? All day I've been trying to return to normal and I don't know how to do that. I just want this to end.”

As Andrew spoke, Dale noticed a few things on the shelves vibrate as if shaken by an earthquake. They abruptly went still when his stressful friend finished talking. He suspected his theory of it being an emotional response from Andrew to be correct. He remained silent to observe the conversation the two brothers continued to have.

“Okay sorry bro, I didn't mean it that way, honest. It's just that I wouldn't have been as aggressive as I was earlier.”

“I don't blame you man. I guess there was never a right way to react to something like this. Even I thought I was dreaming or just really lost my mind. But hey, it's not all that bad when I think about it. Only you and Dale here know and it is still a well kept secret between us, unless I teleport again.”

“You WHAT?” Alex uttered in surprise.

“Oh, uh, I forgot to mention about the magic part of all this.

“Magic!?”

Andrew raise his right forearm and placed his hoof on his head, above his eyes. Alex's was visibly confused until leaned forward and squinted his eyes at the pony's hoof. He was on the other side of the room, so it was hard to make out any detail of Andrew's enlarged head. Shortly enough, he realized why.

Alex's eyes grew wide. He shook his head a few times just to make sure he eyes didn't lie to him.

“You're a-”

“Unicorn? Yes, I know they're not real, ...or at least they were before today.”

“Magic!?” Alex repeated. “But that's not-”

“Possible? Apparently that's not all. Remember when I asked you if you heard a loud noise last night?”

“Yeah, you seemed pretty sca-” Alex paused, then gasped in realization. “Is that what turned you into... this?”

“Probably. Dale and I were just thinking about that at his house when you showed up and gave us quite a scare.”

“Is that why you just disappeared on me?” said Alex with extreme curiosity. “Magic!?”

“Will you stop saying that?” Andrew grew annoyed. “Besides, there is no other explanation. Right Dale?” Andrew turned to find his friend just stating off into space. “Dale!”

“Huh what,” he responded, snapping out of his train of thought. “Oh, yeah.”

“What are you doing?”

“Oh nothing, I was just... thinking.”

“Of what?”

“Of... … … it's not important. Carry on.”

Andrew stared at him funny for a moment more before continuing.

“Like I said, no other-”

“CATCH!”

“Wha-” *whoosh*

Andrew was caught off guard and as soon as he turned to Dale, a large hardcover book came flying at his face. Fortunately for him, fast reflexes kicked in and he ducked just in time. The book just missed his head with a small gust of air rushing right past his left ear. The book hit the wall behind him with a moderately loud thud. The angry unicorn looked up at Dale.

“What the hell man! Are you nuts!? You trying to kill me?”

“Sorry, I thought it would provoke you to-,” he said with a small chuckle before being interrupted.

“To do what? Disappear again? Do you want that to happen?” Andrew was facing his friend now.

“When you put it that way, no. But it seemed to work, your horn is glowing,” Dale pointed out, crossing his arms with a smirk on his face.

“Huh?”

Lyra spent the last several minutes sifting through all of her old stuff. She was having trouble finding what she was looking for. She looked through all the drawers and boxes left behind when she moved out. It's been quite a while since her last occupation of the room, so she tried her best to remember all her secret hiding spots.

As Lyra searched, Twilight made herself comfortable near the bookshelf. She found that it was filled with books much older in physical appearance than those in her own library. Spike found a comfortable spot on Lyra's old bed, which she happily allowed. Pinkie was curiously following the blue-green unicorn around, wondering what thing she wanted to show to Twilight. Not a word about the investigation had been mentioned around Pinkie Pie, who may spread the word faster than Rainbow Dash can fly. Twilight did not want that to happen even the slightest.

“Ah ha! Here it is,” said Lyra form inside the small closet of the room.

Pinkie Pie started jumping up and down.

“Yay! You found it! You found it!” She stopped bouncing. “What did you find?”

“This!” remarked Lyra as she turned to reveal a peculiar looking flat circular object that nopony in the room recognized.

“What is that?” asked Twilight. She stopped reading the book in front of her and trotted over to her excited friend.

“This is...” She paused. “This... is... … well I don't exactly know what it's called, but I think I know what it does. I've never seen anything quite like-”

“It's a flying saucer!” Pinkie interrupted. Both unicorns gave the party pony a comedic look as if it was a silly thing to say, but they knew it was nothing short of a mystery. “Or a hat.”

“How can this possibly be a hat for anypony?” Twilight said using her keen common sense.

“It's not a hat,” said Lyra. “I think it may be a record of some kind.”

“Ooh, like the ones Vinyl has? But those are bigger and a different color. Or maybe this one is a toy for little fillies to play with,” suggested Pinkie.

“I don't think it's a toy, Pinkie, but I have to agree with her that they are not the same as a regular record. That doesn't even look like it can hold any recorded audio on it,” Twilight pointed out.

“Whatever this thing is, don't you think it's cool?” Lyra asked.

“Where did you find it though?”

“In the closet, silly Twilight.” Pinkie said, giggling.

“No, Pinkie.” She turned back to Lyra. “I mean, where did it come from originally?”

“In the closet,” repeated Lyra.

“Wait, really?” Twilight said confused.

“Yeah, it was tucked away in a really old box I found here in the closet when I was a little filly. The box was filled with a bunch regular things, mostly books and old paper, but this was the only thing in there that stood out. I don't have the whole box with me, I took that to Ponyville. I left this here just for real safe keeping, just in case I needed to dig it up sometime in the future.”

“So you waited all this time just to show me?” Twilight felt flattered.

“Well, I didn't know if it was ever going to useful, so I didn't bring it with me when I moved out. I still don't think it's useful, I just wanted to show you more evidence of-” Lyra stopped herself from finishing her sentence with the realization that Pinkie Pie was listening very closely. “You know what I mean?”

It took a little while for Twilight to catch on to why Lyra avoided to mention humans until she turned around to see Pinkie in her 'curiosity' mode. She'd been leaning her head in to hear every word they spoke, as if it was the most interesting conversation ever. Something was different about Pinkie that threw them off.

“Oh, right,” responded Twilight.

“So, you think it has cool stuff on it?” Lyra asked.

“Have you tried it before?”

“There isn't anything WE have that can properly extract anything off this little disc, assuming there is any kind of hidden information on it. A record player might work, but I don't have one. It just seems so advanced, I can hardly believe this is even possible.”

“Whatever it is, it probably won't help us.”

“Help us with what Twilight?” Pinkie interrupted.

“Oh- uh... um, you know...” Twilight stuttered. “What I meant to say was that it's not really relevant to why we are here.”

“And why are we here Twilight?” Pinkie continued. Her simple questions made Twilight hate herself for accidentally saying the wrong words. Pinkie was smarter than she thought, waiting for the right moment when Twilight would talk about her reasons for going to Canterlot without telling anypony.

Twilight looked at Lyra, who was looking back at her with alarming eyes. They hoped Pinkie would not be around long so they would have more privacy, but Pinkie displayed a keen interest in their mission and was eager to stay as long as forever lasted until she extracted every bit of information she could from the two unicorns. Twilight did not want to tell the truth just yet, but also didn't want to lie. Fortunately, Pinkie was not Applejack, so there was some way to stall for more time. So, Twilight made up her mind.

“Well...” She paused. “You see, I'm here because-”

“They're investigating a magical surge that occurred last night and The Princess wants to keep it a secret by having Twilight and Lyra help her out,” said a male voice, cutting her off.

Twilight froze the moment that information echoed throughout the room and bounced into the ear of everypony present.

“Spike!” she yelled at the purple dragon who appeared unamused as she elevated her voice at him.

“What? I'm just telling the truth. Besides, I think Pinkie already knows,” Spike finished as he drifted off to a light sleep, again.

Pinkie Pie just stood in place with a blank face as if she was letting it all sink in. Both Lyra and Twilight knew that when she came across something she didn't expect, it took several seconds for her to deeply ponder before reacting. She didn't look all too surprised, except when a smile

“Is that why Princess Luna went to see Bon-bon?” Pinkie asked.

Lyra perked her ears up as she heard her roommate's name. This got her even more curious about Luna's motivation for stopping by her parent's house. After all that had happened that led them to some dead ends, this one was least expected.

“Why would she go to my house?” she said. “I mean, I have nothing of value but the books and notes I brought with me.”

“I don't know. I didn't even know Luna was in Ponyville. I found out when I felt somepony making a Pinkie Promise. I got there as just before I heard what the secret was.”

“You did?” Twilight questioned.

“Yeah! Bon-bon even forgot how to do it, can you believe it? When I showed up, she went all quiet like. Then when Luna was done, I asked her where you were, Twilight. I'm not supposed to know their secret, so when we got the edge of town, she took off. I overheard them talking about Lyra, so I come to Canterlot to say hi to her mom and dad. When I get here to greet them, they tell me a cool story about their grandpapi, a founding pony of Ponyville. Then you show up here. What a weird day, huh?”

Both unicorns stood in silence after Pinkie's speech on Luna's visit to Lyra's house, for which they were clearly unaware of, especially Lyra. The part about the member of her family being a founder of the town she currently lived in was definitely new. There wasn't anything back home that the Princess might have gotten suspicious for this investigation, assuming she was after something to help her understand more on the magical surge, or just making a highly unlikely casual visit. Twilight was the first to regain her composure after being exposed to so much info at once.

“Lyra's great grandfather?”

“My grandfather?” Lyra repeated.

“Yeah! Dewey said he was the first in your family. That's weird. I guess he was like some super special pony from very far away. They don't know either. At least not everything. Do you know, Lyra?”

“I know very little about him. I also don't know why he was important enough to bring up. What else did they say?” she replied.

“Not much. Once we stated talking about it, they asked me about you,” Pinkie replied.

“Me?” Instead of curiosity, Lyra became confused.

“Yeah. They wanted to know what you're like, asking some questions about your personality. Very pinkuliar.” Pinkie finished with a hoof on her chin, pondering some more.

Lyra did not say another word, for that she was just was confused as Twilight, whom contemplated their situation the entire time. They felt that this investigation was going all over the place, branching off into different directions where it was difficult to tie it all back together. Certainly Pinkie's news wasn't helping, but it did give them more things to think about, which may result in too many distractions. Even with the amount of confusion that filled the room when three ponies conversed, they could still hear faint, muffled voices coming from downstairs. The conversation between the Princesses and Lyra's parents was not quite over yet.

“Oh. Well thank you for that interesting story Pinkie,” said Lyra. “I'm sure it's nothing too important.”

“Pinkie, do you know anything else, anything at all, that strikes you as odd about all this?” asked Twilight.

“Um... lemmie think.” She squeezed her eyes shut with exaggeration. “Nope. Unless you count that round thing.” Pinkie pointed at the disc that Lyra found, which was lying on the desk ever since the got off topic.

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot.” Lyra levitated the small, shiny disc near to her face to take a closer look.

“So you don't know who that box belonged to? The one that held that disc?”

“Not a clue.”

“But you lived here your whole life, it must have had a previous owner. Maybe somepony from your family. Your grandfather perhaps?”

“I don't think so. From what I know, he lived in the room across the hall, and only for a small period of time before he moved to out to find a new home. Apparently, now I know where he went. He might have taken everything with him.”

“A descendant of his maybe?”

“Maybe. I'm sorry, but I don't know anything more than you do at this point.”

Lyra grew tired the longer she had to wait for everything to come together. The Princesses were all she had to find out more about her family, if she was somehow connected to all this excitement. She slumped back a little at her apparent uncanny behavior, hoping her lavender friend would understand her stress.

“It's okay. I get a little carried away with all these questions. I understand if you don't have the answers. So we'll just have to wait and see what Luna and Celestia have acquired from their important conversation.” Twilight moved to Lyra's side to truly express her sympathy. “It won't be long till we have everything. We just have to be patient with this.”

10. Sentiment

[Chapter 10]

Sentiment

“WOAH!” Alex jumped as soon as he noticed the horn on Andrew's head emitted a wavy green aura.

Andrew himself did the same, and when he did, his horn got brighter. He tried to look up with his eyes, moving his head back further, but could only see the tip of the horn as it made no difference no matter where his head went. Shortly afterward, he felt like a complete fool in front of his friend and his brother, and immediately stopped to find that the light on his horn had dimmed and gradually died out.

Nothing else followed. Not a sound. Not a word. Not even a subtle movement from any of them.

“Okay, I'm only going to say this once. What just happened!?” Alex insisted for an explanation.

“Magic,” nodded Dale.

“Maybe,” Andrew added. “For all we know, it could be just some defense reflex or something, but I doubt it. I hate to say this, but I think you're right.”

“You guys don't know that,” Alex cut in. “There's got to be a scientific explanation behind this.”

“Oh yeah, smart guy, everything can be solved with science,” Dale rolled his eyes and head to show his sarcasm. Alex was taken back by his rudeness and felt like giving a piece of his mind.

“Well gee wiz, what do you think explains, oh I don't know, gravity, the weather, the sun, genetics, airplanes, bombs, computers, medicine, the universe, and like you so easily put it, everything?”

“Okay dude, I get it. You didn't need to tell me that. I was talking about things that science doesn't have an answer for.” Dale was a little annoyed by the boy's stroke of knowledge for someone so young.

“Like what?” This time, Andrew questioned.

Dale shrugged. He looked at his best friend and seemed to fail in getting his message across. He shrugged again with more emphasis by lifting his hands halfway to his head.

“Can we just drop this subject and get this over with?”

Andrew grew irritated at Dale's growing reluctance on their whole dilemma. Even though he shared similar views on the fact that it might have been too much for them to handle, he wasn't going to let Dale leave him behind. The last thing he wanted was to do everything on his own, which he knew was one of the worst feelings in the world when it came down to being alone. This unfortunate event had both brought them closer together and pushed them away at the same time. It completely flipped reality on its side. It wasn't a typical walk in the park and all three of them knew it. Dale's facial expression shifted from highly fascinated, to narrow-minded, to lighthearted. He was basically asking for it.

“Wait a minute, you're not serious about this at all, are you?” Andrew retorted. “You don't even care.”

This caught Dale's attention in full. It occurred to him that having a bad attitude did not make things any better and he was doing a poor job of controlling himself. He wasn't sure what to say, for what seemed like forever, in his mind. He obviously failed at keeping his cool and uttered the wrong words that now stirred his closest friend to rebut.

“No, wait, I didn't say-”

“You think this is just your typical day of the week?” Andrew interrupted. “Nothing more than routine? When I am sitting here his some weird body of a pony- unicorn, whatever, you don't even have the decency to open your eyes and face the real thing.”

“But I-”

“And just when I try to get more help from Alex here,” Andrew gestured a hoof at his brother. “You guys argue over the stupidest things. It's like you don't even want to be here.”

Dale went silent from Andrew's sudden illustrated outburst. Everything he said was true and it appeared to aggravate their situation a bit further. He didn't want to admit it, but Andrew summed it all up quite easily. No amount of effort into concealing his emotions was worth losing a good friend. In order to protect the last person on Earth he could still call a friend, he decided not to argue that would give Andrew a hard time. His friend was right about one thing, all that has happened since the beginning of that day was not considered mundane in the slightest of the term. He remained silent. He looked down with his eyes closed to let the guilt sink in.

“Look, if you have something better to do, than go ahead and do it, but I don't think there is anything more important than right now.” A sliver of sorrow for both himself and his sensitive friend could be detected in his voice as he spoke. “So, please.”

Dale raised his head and took a slow breath to empty his mind of the selfish daily desires that put him in such an aggressive mood. His best friend needed him right now and it wasn't the best time to be demoralizing.

“Sorry. I just wish things weren't so complicated today.”

“I know, but we're strong enough not to give up and smart enough not to lose our minds. At least you came up with something, even if it was totally uncalled for,” Andrew chuckled.

“Hehe, yeah, I thought that if I startled you with that book, the adrenalin rush should have done something. And I was right.” Dale began to warm up a little after having to cope with reassurance.

“What are you guys talking about?” interrupted Alex. He had two fingers from each hand rubbing circles around his temples.

“I'm trying to find a way to use my horn,” replied Andrew.

“For what?”

“Magic.”

“There you go again with your mystical forces that violates the law of conserv-”

“Shut up, Alex. We don't need another physics lesson. We're aware of that and we'd just like you bear with us here.” Andrew made it clear that his horn was something unexplainable. Especially how it caused him and Dale to instantly transport to his backyard with no warning at all.

“How can I just go with the flow if I don't even know how magic works?” Alex asked.

“Neither do we, that's why we're trying to figure out something practical to make something weird happen,” Dale began. “At least I was able to get his horn to respond. Last time, we tried thinking of a strong emotion that can duplicate the same reaction as you saw before, but it didn't work.”

“Why don't you try emptying your mind instead?” Alex bluntly suggested.

“What good is that gonna do?” Dale thought about that idea to himself for a second, but quickly put it aside, regarding it as impractical. He was unconvinced that it would be the least bit helpful.

“Sometimes you just need to let go,” Alex explained.

“Since when did you become the master of all human emotion, huh?” Dale contested.

“I'm not, I just know a few ways that might work. If you want my help, at least consider my idea. Besides, he's not human anymore.”

Andrew gave a his brother a displeased look, only to let it pass as a friendly insult.

“I'm still human, bro. Well, not physically anyway. But I'm a hundred percent sure it's still me.”

“At least give it a try,” Alex lightly demanded.

“Fine,” he paused. “But what am I supposed to think about?”

“Nothing. Just feel, don't think.”

Andrew closed his eyes, having difficulty with believing in his capability of letting all of his thoughts go. It almost seemed like a rudimentary task that anyone could pull off, but he had so many things running through his mind at the time that challenged his chances for success. Like a never ending file cabinet of mixed folders of thoughts that tortured the inner workings of his higher cognitive function. In simple words: organized chaos. However, the temperature of the room and the comfortable spot he found on the floor by the foot of Alex's dresser helped his mindset a little bit. He had doubts this would work, but nevertheless, he'd give it a shot in the dark.

Clearing his mind of both good and uneasy thoughts, Andrew began to drift into an unfamiliar state of mind than what he was used to. There was no sensation of a memorable thought, nor was there any instance where mental agony stirred his focus. His eyes eased their frantic dancing from behind his eyelids. A fast and uneasy heartbeat slowed to a relaxed and steady pace. Before he knew it, Andrew slipped into a strange level of consciousness where the world around him became an illusion. A deep feeling of warmth and freedom ran through each neuron of his brain. It became unimaginably quiet and void of all five senses.

Dale and Alex watched their unicorn friend in complete silence. Andrew just sat in one place with his back against the bed and his forelegs holding up his upper body. They did not want to interrupt him in any way, fearing it could break the link between peace and disorder. Hoping this idea would work, it was the first time Alex had someone try this method with the potential of displaying unproven results. Although, he wasn't sure if his older brother was capable of putting his brain activity on hold and not letting all his thoughts get the best of him, even as a unicorn. Emotion is a difficult part of the human person to fully control. Most everybody are slaves to their own personality and Alex knew it. He was not so sure if it applied to his newly transformed brother. Dale, on the other hand, considered it to be a waste of time. He never heard of someone conjuring up some divine feeling by emptying their mind of all thought. There's no way this is gonna work, Dale thought.

Ever so slightly, Andrew swore he could hear voices, but his brother and his best friend had not said a single word since he began his quiet meditation. He was almost certain that someone, somewhere, knew about all this madness. He felt something other than being at peace with himself like a Buddhist monk. He felt an entity. Another presence of some sort. Yet for the longest time, none of it made sense. How could he sense someone when science had not proven the possibility of sharing a link with another person's subconscious? Whatever it was, Alex was right.

“Andrew! Open your eyes,” said a voice that was too loud to be imagined. Dale spoke up in surprise.

Andrew's focus immediately broke when he did what he was told. He opened his eyes and was pulled back to reality. What he found next was unexpected.

His horn was glowing, and not only that, one of Alex's pillows was floating in the middle of the room. It had the same blue-green aura that flowed from his horn, surrounding the surface of the pillow in a wonderful display of levitation. There was also a distinct high pitched whaling sound that resonated throughout the room. It was faint, but loud enough if you listened for it carefully.

“Am I doing that?” Andrew asked for which he already knew the answer to.

“Yeah man. How are you doing it though?” said Alex. The pillow continued to defy gravity in the center of the room with all three staring at it in awe.

“I don't know, but you were right. I did feel something.”

“What was it?”

“I'm not sure. I think it was-”

Just then, the colorful aura disappeared and the pillow dropped to the floor, laying lifeless at Dale's feet. The dumbfounded 17-year-old looked up to Andrew in amazement.

“That was awesome!” Dale uttered. “Do it again.”

“How?” Andrew replied.

“Do that thing again when you looked dead for a second,” Dale continued.

“How about no.”

“Aw come on bro,” Alex barked. “At least give it another try. Maybe it had something to do with the way you were twitching.”

“I was twitching?” Andrew wasn't physically aware of anything other than his what went on in his mind.

“Yeah, your eyes were twitching like you were having a bad dream. I'm assuming you weren't asleep, so I thought it might have been a bad memory.”

“I wasn't thinking of anything like you said,” Andrew explained. “I just let myself free, but I felt a presence of some kind.”

“A presence?” Alex was not expecting to hear that.

“Yeah, like someone else knows about me, but no one except you two has seen me like this. I also heard voices, were any of you whispering?” The two human pairs of eyes in the room bounced around aimlessly as Andrew looked at his closest companions, as if they were paranoid that someone was watching them.

“Nope,” Dale replied. “We just waited for anything to happen. Like thirty seconds into your little episode, your horn lit up and lifted this pillow off the bed.” Dale picked up the pillow and inspected it for any magnets, fishing wires, or any strange residue. He found none.

“Then, what did I hear?” Andrew became a bit paranoid, as well.

“Beats me.” Dale concluded that the pillow was clean by tossing it over to the boy on the bed. Alex caught the flying pillow with both hands and inspected it himself. “So, you still don't think it's magic?” This time, Dale didn't hesitate to say it.

“Magic? Maybe it was telekinesis.”

Dale was still amazed at Alex's knowledge of such complicated ideas and his lack of consideration for anything that broke the physical law. The boy's level of skepticism was getting to him. But how could he possibly know whether Andrew had supernatural powers? Or if he was just playing with their minds without knowing it?

“Do you seriously think that a horse- … sorry, pony, is smarter than a human being? From what I know, even we're not even capable of telepathy, let alone move things with our minds.”

Alex just shrugged off Dale's logic like it was nothing he hadn't heard of before. He knew for a fact that Andrew looked nothing like a regular pony, and even if he did, he had a horn to go with that. For now, he could only speculate that there was a scientific explanation behind it, even if he was too young to understand in detail.

“Yeah I know. Just sayin'. Magic is the last option I'd explain it with.”

“What's you first option?” Andrew asked.

“Well...” He paused for a moment to find the right word. “Um...”

“Admit it dude, you have nothing.” Dale tried to make Alex reconsider, but this time in a benevolent tone. As much as it would make him feel bad, Dale needed to know if Alex was on the same page, no, the same book.

“Alright man, I have no idea. I just don't think we should jump to the conclusions here.”

All three of them knew that Alex was right. But what else could they do? Get an expert? An expert on what? Certainly there wasn't anyone on Earth who knew how to fix Andrew.

It troubled Andrew to think of how long he'd have to stay... like this. Being a unicorn isn't exactly on his fantasy wish list. Nor is he going to give himself up to the interest of society, letting scientists rip him up and conduct weird experiments on him. It's just not going to happen. All he could do is wait for a miracle or commit- … NO! No matter what you think, taking your own life is never the option. Period. This was not the end. It's crazy to ever think about it. Besides, how would his family take it?

“Andrew?”

He snapped out of his trance. Alex's soft voice pulled him out of the dark river rapids of conception. Somehow he had become unaware that his brother was staring at him again.

“Huh?” he lifted his head.

“What are you thinking of?” Alex became visibly concerned, noticing that something was bothering his older sibling.

“Nothing. It's nothing,” he responded, looking away insincerely.

Dale also took notice in Andrew's dejection. It was as if his friend was starting to lose himself completely, carelessly lying to protect his bemusement. Whatever was going through that guy's mind was clearly not helping to lighten his mood. His facial expressions made it easy to read his thoughts. As much as it pained Dale to argue with his best friend, he had no other choice. No more hiding your feelings from the world, Andrew. Time for him to be the one to concede.

“No, it's not nothing,” Dale began. “I can see it in your eyes.” He couldn't help but be reminded of how large they were, like sparkling glass marbles with golden rings encased with shining oil at the center, surrounded by a sea of paper white ice. They were simply amazing to look at.

Andrew gave his best friend a weary look. From the tone in Dale's voice and the facial expression that came with it, this called for another verbal standoff. He had a habit of getting himself into undesirable situations for the sake of trying to keep his internal struggles to himself. There was no other way to defuse the tension with Dale and Alex but with careful responses.

“Look, I know you're worried about something,” Dale continued. “Something I don't quite understand. I can't bear to watch you do this to yourself.”

“Do what to myself?” Andrew needed to know he meant.

“Beat yourself up inside. None of this is your fault. As far as we know, something or someone is playing with us. Making us lose our sanity by doing this to you and letting others around you to think that they have gone mad. I'm intelligent enough to know that I'm not imagining any of this, and I know Alex, here, feels the same way. Right?” Dale gestured his arm out to the placid youngster sitting crisscrossed on the bed.

“Absolutely,” Alex agreed in a gentle tone.

“So when you sit there and tell yourself that your life might be over, it's not. You were right when you told me that I didn't care as much, but I do now. I'm not going anywhere. I assume Alex won't either.” Alex nodded his head at this. “Why don't we think positive and have ourselves a bite to eat. You guys hungry?”

“We just ate like an hour ago,” Andrew took a few seconds to reply, still trying to take in everything that was said to him in the last sixty seconds by his best friend. “And it's almost 2 o'clock.”

“I know, I think we could use some food to relieve our stress and maybe try your little emotional session again. You look tired.” Dale chuckled and looked back at Andrew after staring off to the side for a moment.

“I am. I've been tired all day. Anyway, yeah, I think I could use-”

Andrew was cut off by a sudden small burst of light right in front of him. All three of them jumped as the sound met their ears, lasting only a fraction of a second.

“What the?” Alex bellowed.

There, laying right in front of Andrew on the blue carpet, was a green apple. At that very same moment, Andrew's phone started to ring.

Friday, February 24
Webster High School
St. Louis, Missouri
2:40PM, 23 hours ago

It was the last class period of the day and it has been one looong day for the majority of the students in Junior level Chemistry class. The lecture had been going on for the past forty-five minutes, but it felt like hours to four guys sitting at a lab station in one corner of the room.

“How much longer do we have to sit through this?” complained the one in the Batman t-shirt.

“Five more minutes, dude,” replied the oldest of the bunch, wearing a pair of aviator sunglasses.

“Ughhh!” All four teenagers groaned with displeasure. one looked up at the clock and the rest laid their heads on the black marble table. In the center of the square table there were a series of plastic canisters that contained various assortments of elements from the Periodic Table. They had already finished their tasks assigned by the teacher and were eagerly waiting for the bell to ring anytime.

“Come on guys, it's not all that bad. I mean, chemistry is cool,” one of them began.

“Shut up Andrew, nobody cares,” retorted the same teen in the Batman shirt.

“I'm just sayin', Peter.” Andrew felt insulted, but didn't take it too far with retaliation and put his head on the table again. “You should consider it.”

There was an awkward silence that followed after they repeatedly sighed and groaned about eleventh grade torture. Andrew gave a little thought into what he wanted to say to stir up a conversation, but didn't really have a plan himself. He had to improvise.

“So... what do you guys wanna do this weekend?” Andrew looked at the three of his friends, one at a time, starting with the impatient one sitting directly in front of him. “Peter?” Then on to the oldest one sitting to the right of Peter. “Steven?” Then looking right beside him to his left, his best friend. “Dale?”

“I just want school to be over,” Dale said, as the rest of them nodded.

“I do to, but we got the weekend. Lets do something, guys.” Andrew crossed his arms, put them on the table, and leaned forward as if he finally stumped someone in a trivia game.

“Like what?” Peter asked.

“I don't know. I'm open to suggestions.” Andrew lightly slammed his right hand on the table, careful not to make to loud of a noise. He scanned the faces of his friends and looked for imperfections in their expressions to detect if they were giving it any thought.

“How 'bout we... … wait, never mind.” For a second, Peter had an idea, but quickly scrapped it for being too lame. As if playing video games couldn't get any worse with them fighting over whose turn it was to take on the next wave of Covenant forces in Halo while the rest of them watched.

“We can go to the mall,” suggested Dale.

“You kidding me dude,” Peter snorted. He put his right elbow on the table and rested his head on his fist. “It's so boring there.”

“Oh yeah genius, you have a better idea?” Dale raised his head and chest at the bored teen to appear intimidating.

“Slow down there man, you know I can kick your a-”

“Why don't we chill at my place?” Steven interrupted.

The three other adolescents looked at his emotionless expression and stared at this aviators for a solid three seconds. As if it they haven't already been over to each others' houses a hundred times over, it was still better than video games, the mall, trolling people on the Internet, or... well, video games. Maybe they'd eventually do all those things during the day anyway. Despite being the farthest away from school, it was obvious to them that it would be worth it to visit Steven's house for the weekend. After all, the last time any of them visited Steven was well before Christmas break.

“Sure, why not?” Andrew agreed. “We can think of something to do there when we come over tomorrow.” The others nodded their heads. They were all so tired and mentally exhausted from a busy week in the prison they call education.

Suddenly, a long high-pitched moan came from the ceiling of the classroom, indicating the end of the period.

“Finally!” Peter threw his arms up and was quick to rise off his stool. Andrew, Steven, and Dale soon followed their outgoing friend out the door.

The sea of Junior and Senior students died down as the four of them walked to the main street that accustomed rows of school buses and a countless amount of cars sitting in traffic on a narrow strip of road for drop-off. They followed Peter to his bus, weaving their way around a group of hyperactive freshman who got in their way one too many times. Peter was the only one who rode the bus to and from school. Steven had his mother pick him up on the third hour of the afternoon every day, dropped him off at home, and headed straight back to work. Andrew and Dale simply walked home because they lived only six blocks away, or about a mile and a half, from the school campus. Neither of them had anything to attend to after school since none of them did any real extracurricular activities that interested them.

“See ya guys later,” Peter said, waving his friends off from his open window seat as the bus took off down the road to make a left turn.

Minutes after walking west, Steven stopped at his usual spot to wait for his mother to arrive in due time. He pulled out his earphones, connected the end to his iPod, and stuck them in his ears. Andrew and Dale each brofisted him as he scrolled to his playlist of BFMV songs and selected his favorite. They left him alone to listen to his music.

It had been another long and miserable day. Andrew was beginning to regret not eating lunch. It was his fault with the foolish mistake of forgetting to turn on the alarm clock by his bed. Walking six blocks in the cold winter weather while hungry was definitely going to suck. Thankfully, he had his best friend by his side for the journey home. Maybe Dale had something left over from his homemade lunch.

“Hey man, do you have anything to eat? I'm starving.”

“I told you to get off Skype last night when it got late. You know better than to stay up after midnight on a school night playing Minecraft,” he replied.

“I know, but that game is so addicting.” Andrew tried to make it sound like a good reason.

“Whatever bro.” Dale reached into one of the pockets of his backpack and dug out a brown paper bag that once held a homemade bagel turkey sandwich and a berry flavored juice pouch. Andrew knew this by sitting with him at lunch time and sitting at the table, feeling like an idiot with no food to fill his stomach with.

“Here.” Dale took out a bar of chocolate. “Let's split this. I was saving it for today.”

“Why?”

“Because it's Friday. I like Fridays.”

“Good point.”

Dale unwrapped the chocolate bar and snapped the candy in half. He gave Andrew the half still inside the wrapper and had the other half for himself. They continued to walk along the right side of the sidewalk. The crowd of other high school kids gradually thinned out around the surrounding neighborhoods until it was just the two of them. They walked up to the last block before their street came into view. The satisfaction of the delicious milk chocolate made Andrew lose track on how close they were to home.

“Oh look at that, were here,” Dale said.

“Hmhmmhm,” Andrew looked up from his sweet candy to notice the familiar, white house at the corner of the street, perpendicular to the one they've been walking down since they left school grounds.

“Oh look, my mom isn't home. Wanna come inside?”

Andrew finished the last piece of his chocolate and licked his fingers. He thought for a moment before remembering something.

“Nah man, I got to do some chores and my homework,” he said, stuffing the empty wrapper in his pocket.

“Oh come on. You need to stop worrying too much about the things you have to do and spend a little more time with us. We really need to hang out more.” Dale knew Andrew was a well rounded fear of getting into trouble when associating with other people. That is what made him a bit anti-social and shy among people, including his friends.

“I can't, I got to-”

“What's gotten into you lately, Andrew?” Dale put his arm on Andrew's left shoulder. “You don't seem like yourself. Well, stranger than usual.”

“Nothing, I just got a lot on my mind right now. I'm fine.” Andrew took a deep breath and hope that Dale would believe his lie. The opposite of that lie was true.

“Okay, whatever you say bro. I still think we need to hang out more. You, me, Peter, and Steven. I think tomorrow is a good day to start.”

“We'll see,” Andrew acknowledged that proposition. As much as he wanted to refuse more interactions with people for the next two days, it couldn't hurt to give it a try. Who knows, it could be fun.

Dale started toward the front door as Andrew began to walk in the direction of his own house down the block.

“Later dude,” he yelled.

Instead of a verbal response, Andrew simply gave Dale a weak wave and continued down the sidewalk. Maybe his friend was right. What if he was not living it up with his friends enough to satisfy a good high school year. They've already had a conversation on where each of them were considering going for college. All three of their plans didn't seem that promising.

Peter was thinking of moving east with his grandparents, more specifically, Massachusetts. Steven said something about having a good chance at UCLA, which seems kinda extreme for a guy like him. Dale considered joining Peter with college hunting on the east coast, maybe finding a place that is close to the beach. That would leave Andrew alone in their hometown of St. Louis, the only place he'd ever known. They've been friends since freshman year when they all met in English class, but it felt he's known them way longer than that. They only had a little over a year left before a point in life when college lingered in the minds of most high school seniors.

If they're bonds in friendship didn't get any stronger, then he'd be without anything worth living for. His friends were the only thing that seemed to keep him motivated. Andrew considered his little brother as more of a friend than a sibling, so maybe he counted. His mom and dad helped a little, but they seemed to be a bit wrapped up in their own busy lives that they barely had time for anything. Andrew knew that wasn't true. His parents have had a lot of free time on their hands for a while since his mother found a better job that required less at a higher income. Which was strange, by the way. There was a lot going on that Andrew wondered how he would cope with it all. Especially since he was undecided on a what he wanted to do for a living. Not a clue. To him, the world felt like a small place with the advantage of the Internet that connected him to everything. Only he wasn't satisfied with its repetitive content and lack of humanity of several social networking websites.

Andrew arrived at his front door after contemplating about his friends. His options for the coming couple days were vastly limited because of his age. Dumb state laws, never letting him do anything fun. Never before had he ever been so uncertain of his future that turned his mind into a thick fog.

“I just hope there's something I can use as a guide,” Andrew said to himself. Seconds later, he looked up to see that the clouds weren't in the same depressing state as they were when class ended, but a display of bright orange, red, and yellow streaking across the sky.

Andrew shrugged off the beautiful blanket of flames above him, which could easily be explained with the absorption of all colors of sunlight in the atmosphere except red. Oddly enough, there were more colors visible than just red in the sky, begging for an even deeper, and maybe reasonable, explanation. He thought he could make out the colors green and purple, but it may have been a hallucination.

He unlocked the front door, let himself in, walked up the stairs in a sloppy fashion, threw his backpack on the floor as he entered his bedroom, and buried his head in his pillow. For hours, Andrew lay in is bed, listening to his most played songs, and occasionally lip sang to his favorites, which always made him feel better. Andrew ignored his dying hunger and told his aching body he was not in the mood for food anymore. All he could think was what Dale had said to him earlier about their friendship. He payed no attention to his cat sleeping on his laptop. Oh would he give to take lessons from the cat and sleep in. Time ticked his life away with every passing minute.

Little did he know that, what lay ahead in the wake of the new day, would completely change his life, and maybe even the lives of others.

11. Recollection

[Chapter 11]

Recollection

Celestia had been conversing with Lyra's parents and her sister Luna for the past half hour. She and her sister spoke about the mysterious magical surge that occurred near Ponyville just thirteen hours prior. They were surprised that no pony had heard of the news the royal sisters had brought before them simply because very few ponies were told that it ever happened. Some may have felt it themselves, but may not have taken it into much consideration. The only mention of an investigation was equivocally expressed that their daughter was one of the ponies making the effort to solve the mystery.

As the residents of the house were brought up to speed with the information Princess Celestia had provided, it became clear that their visit was undeniably enlightening. As Celestia finished on their current standing on the case, Luna finally had an opportunity to voice her side of the story.

“Sister?” she began. “Do you recall the details of a certain point in Equestrian history when our little ponies went through a revolutionary phase?” Luna was sure that it couldn't be that hard to remember, since, by alicorn standards, it wasn't that long ago.

“What point in time are you referring to?” Celestia responded.

“Well, it was no more than sixteen decades ago. Just before the founding of Ponyville.”

“Oh, yes, I do remember it so. Though, why do you ask?”

Luna turned to face Lyra's father, postponing an explanation for her sister.

“Mr. Decimal? What do you know of your grandfather-in-law?”

“Not a whole lot,” he said. “Mostly speculation. The ponies around at the time considered him a stranger to not only Canterlot, but of Equestria. They saw him as somepony who didn't fit in with social customs from the way he presented himself. They thought he was some crazy pony on the streets or just really lost. I know that can't be true, he was a good stallion.”

“Did he have any relatives or family members before him?” Luna asked.

“Not that I know of. He claimed to have come from some place no pony has heard of before.”

“England,” Luna whispered to herself, looking down. She sighed and repeated herself out loud to Celestia, whom sat quietly, absorbing all this new information. “Sister, do you know a place called London?”

“I don't,” she replied, confirming Luna's doubts.

“That has to be it!” Luna said to no pony in general, almost shouting. She took a moment to think while each of them gave her a confused look.

“What are you talking about?” Celestia said, still having her head wrapped in the mist that is Luna's ambiguity and secrecy. This would be a good time for her sister to speak her mind and tell everypony what it was that got her so excited, or at least, more excited than usual.

“I went to Ponyville to meet with a source of information about the magical surge. Apparently, I got more than I bargained for.” Luna paused for a moment. She felt like she was giving a presentation to a panel of business ponies. “Okay, so the source I met up with happened to be the oldest pony alive and the oldest Apple family member, Granny Smith.” Celestia perked her ears up at the mention of a familiar name. “She already knew about the surge because it wasn't the first time she encountered the strange occurrence.” Right then, Celestia knew why she recognized that name. It was the same pony who co-founded Ponyville when she discovered Zap Apples, a very big deal back then.

“She visited Canterlot with a friend back in the day,” Luna continued, turning to Celestia “She told me that your rule had some internal or social conflict, am I right?”

Princess Celestia wasn't expecting that. The reminder made her feel a little more ashamed of her inability to maintain order in the past, seeing how her little sister was now fully aware of it. It wasn't her own fault that Equestria suffered a small depression, it was in the interests of her little ponies. It was a time when some of them were beginning to form unions and social orders. Not a bad thing, but when in large numbers, things can get ugly. Then the protests started. She wasn't sure what to do when some of her not-so-loyal subjects were beginning to see behind her leadership. Not only that, they believed that Equestria could function without her influence, forgetting that she provided the most crucial duty of raising the sun every single day. Without Luna by her side, it was difficult to keep Equestria from falling apart because she had twice the amount of work to do for the longest time, raising both the sun AND moon. Talk about determination. Then, in an unexpected turn of events, a mysterious force rattled the city of Canterlot. Maybe it was-

“Celestia?” Luna spoke, her voice slightly muffled. “Are you alright?”

“Huh?” The Sun Princess was looking off to the side as she reminisced that unforgettable period in history that Luna brought into the discussion. As important as it was, she still didn't understand what it had to do with Lyra and her parents. “Oh, yes. It- … it was a complicated time, so it is hard to forget. I assure you that everything is alright now. I am not sure how that time is relevant.”

“You said it yourself. Everything is alright now,” Luna stated.

“Yes, but I don't see your point.”

“The very same magical anomaly that occurred in the middle of the night near Ponyville, took place in Canterlot around the same time at the height of disorder. I lightly assume that it had somehow influenced social unrest to become more stable. I'm not sure how exactly, but it makes a lot more sense.”

The home owners sitting across from the royal sisters took this history lesson as somewhat surprising and unbelievable. The idea that ponies were able to conduct themselves without the influence of their beloved Princess Celestia was unheard of. The reason no pony today knew about the civil turmoil was because so little was recorded in old texts. Most ponies at the time hardly knew that Equestria was going into a social shock in the first place, since most of it occurred among ponies in the capital of Canterlot. The remaining documents and books that elaborated its very existence were kept in Princess Celestia's private chambers. She feared that if such talk of anarchy and disorder were to venture into the minds of her subjects, and spread to neighboring cities, it risked Equestria's safety and stability.

“Another matter still troubles me,” Celestia began. “We are not in a state of turmoil or on the brink of collapse at this time. Our country is in total harmony, as far as I'm concerned. So why did this recent surge happen at this present time of peace?” she concluded. Celestia wanted to test Luna if she was on the right track for the past ten minutes.

The question seemed to contradict Luna's theories that the specific strange magic they were dealing with was an inter-dimensional response to the threat of chaos. A crazy thought, but a very real idea that both sisters have spent some time in searching for other realities other than their own, with no success. She believed the magic might had divine properties. Maybe even go as far as to say it was... sentient. Though, as far as her sister's logic was concerned, truth triumphed uncertainty.

“I don't know. My only guess is... … random” Luna couldn't find a better word to respond to a question which she didn't have the answer to.

“Oh, well that's reassuring.” Celestia rolled her eyes, unsatisfied with that analysis. “We could investigate a deeper explanation for your hypothesis at a later time.” She held out her right foreleg at Luna. “For now, please continue.”

“Do you remember anything else that might have happened, sister? Any other magical anomalies in Canterlot to speak of following the days of the first surge?”

“Not that I knew at the time. The first burst of energy was the only one. No other occurrences followed since.” It was easy for Celestia to recall how much it wasn't much a big deal back then, seeing how it only happened once with no damage to anypony in the city. Most citizens talked about it for several days, two weeks at the most, before most forgot it ever happened the months that followed.

“Then you probably did not feel the instance when their grandfather made his first appearance. It was probably as weak as any other spell preformed by a unicorn.”

Luna felt like she was on a fire, figuratively speaking, with how well she tried to catch her sister in a complete state of uncertainty. She tried her best to conceal her excitement from a very intriguing discovery. The more she did and said, the closer she was to she was to success. In order to move forward, she'd have to continue collaborating with the parents of Ms. Lyra Heartstrings. She turned to the stallion.

“Your grandfather appeared in Equestria at the very height of the country's social disorder, who I believe has indirectly led the country in a more peaceful state somehow.”

“What do you mean, 'appeared in Equestria'? he asked.

“Oh, I don't think he was from Equestria at all,” Luna replied. Lyra's father and his wife leaned their heads in as she spoke to listen more attentively. Celestia showed interest, but wasn't a stranger to the way her sister put it.

“I believe he originated from a different world,” Luna stated. Right then, Princess Celestia's eyes grew wide.

“You mean, not of this planet?” Celestia questioned with a stronger curiosity form that piece of information.

“Yes. When I visited Granny Smith in Ponyville, she told the most fascinating story of when she first met this strange pony, which happened to be your grandfather,” Luna gestured a hoof at the couple. “She was the first to meet him and she gave details about his unusual behavior. I never thought a pony like Granny Smith was alive at the time, let alone meet the very peculiar pony that I believe indirectly caused Equestria to stabilize.”

“Are you sure it was him that made Equestria come together?” Celestia asked.

“I have reason to believe that, despite being a foreigner in our land, he had knowledge of certain things that no pony at the time had ever thought was possible. Like the railroad, for example, Granny Smith told me he knew how they functioned even before ponies came up with such a mode of transportation. I've done my research and we've only had trains of the last hundred years, and the mysterious surge that brought him here occurred fifty years prior to our first railroad prototype. Many more new things followed years after, having been first described by him, for example, the electric light bulb, the camera, and even an engine powered by steam.”

Celestia was almost shocked that Luna was able to explain the one time in Equestrian history when the country began to revolutionize with a wave of inventions that improved the lifestyles of ponydom. For the last century, most of her scholars couldn't quite figure out the cause of this new pony society. This was new information to her and eagerly wanted to know where the exact location the couple's grandfather came from.

“Where did this foreign unicorn say he was from? You asked me about a place called London, but I am not familiar with such a land.

“I'm not either, he also spoke of another name, England?”

“Is it the name of his world?”

“I don't believe so. It sounds like the name of a country, but surely there isn't such a place, as far as we know. The rest that was spoken of his past was deemed as nonsense by the ponies around him, including the talk about humans.”

Again, Celestia was exposed to new words she had never heard before. It was as if Luna herself was from some other world. Another crazy thought, but only a joke. The word humans definitely sounded alien to all of the ponies in the room listening to Princess Luna's elaboration, including to the subtle pink face hiding in the shadows of the dimly lit staircase.

A minute prior...

The small second-floor bedroom housed a sleeping dragon and two unicorns exchanging friendly stories with each other, but lacked a certain spontaneous pink Earth pony whose informal orders were to stay upstairs until the royals sisters were finished. Apparently, Pinkie Pie had quickly grown bored of having to wait forever for the important talk be over and disappeared out into the hall without anypony noticing. Ever since Pinkie knew what her friends were up to, she had even more reason to help her bestest friend Twilight and her other bestest friend Lyra on their investigation.

It was Pinkie Pie's first visit to Lyra's childhood home and it looked much different from regular modern houses back in Ponyville. This one had an older interior design that was now considered old fashion, a term for which her friend Rarity appreciated as an inspiration for dress designs. She'd like this place for sure, Pinkie thought.

After strolling through the halls in an unusually relaxed state, Pinkie heard the faint voices of the Princesses and of the nice couple she met earlier before her friends arrived. Maybe it was curiosity that compelled her or just in her nature to be omniscient. Pinkie reached the top of the gloomy staircase, poorly lit by insufficient ambient lighting. With half the steps obstructed by a wall, cutting through the second floor at an angle, and the living room directly to the left of the stairs, Pinkie cautiously kept to the shadows. She leaned in a little bit further to maximize audio clarity of the conversation. It was not like it was the first time she eavesdropped on somepony, but secrets were being kept from everypony that were just begging to get out of their candy coated cages.

As Princess Luna spoke, she eyed each one of her companions, including her sister, as if giving a lecture to a class of elementary school fillies.

“He was highly convinced of that he was in a lucid dream during most of his stay in Canterlot. Granny Smith and a friend of hers offered him hospitality till he got his back on his hooves. I can only guess that he stayed for his first few months. Granny Smith mentioned that he joined her to look for a new place to settle after staying with her unicorn friend. I have reason to believe that this is the very residence which he first stayed, previous owned by Granny Smith's friend,” Luna put her hooves in the air, confident that everything she was saying was the truth, or very close to it. “May I ask, how did your family come to own this house?” Luna turned to the couple.

Dewey paused to think for several seconds before answering.

“My- … I mean, my wife's mother, Pearl, was the only offspring of his. She was born in Ponyville and lived there with her father, which you're saying he wasn't from this world to begin with. That is bizarre to me. Hon, did your mother come to back to live in this house?” he asked her.

“No, she stayed with her father for the majority of her days,” she answered. “She was all he had. I don't exactly know the relationship he had with Pearl, but she was by his side most of the time, like he had a strong connection with her. When she had me shortly after he passed away, I grew up in Ponyville, but I came to the capital to begin a city life. I met you here in Canterlot after completing the Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, remember dear?”

“Oh yes, I remember.”

“After school, I searched for a place in the city and one of my classmates recommended the house where my grandfather used to live. Fortunately, she recognized that I was a decedent of his and the house was up for rent. So I decided to take the opportunity.”

Luna and Celestia gave their full attention to the story Lyra's parents were telling, like foals listening to a bedtime story read by a loving mother. As they continued with their story, Princess Luna thought she noticed a pattern in their history, but could quite put her hoof on in.

“What did your mother do for a living?” Luna asked.

“Well, it's hard to say. She didn't really have a special talent.” Celestia tipped her head a little at that statement. Cirrus gave notice, but continued to explain. “You could say she was a pony of many talents, like the Cutie Pox, except not an illness. A prodigy, if you will.”

“She did earn her cutie mark, right? Even being the daughter of a potential... alien.” Celestia almost stuttered at that last word.

“When you put it that way, yes.”

How does that work? Celestia thought to herself. Luna asked herself the very same question. Even as power alicorns, rulers of Equestria, there are still so many unsolved mysteries. It was unclear if Pearl's father had a cutie mark, or special talent, but their only bet was to assume so. Things started to add up. Now all they needed was to fit Lyra into the picture.

“Where does that put Lyra?” Celestia generalized. “Surely she is just as normal as any other pony, correct?”

“We aren't entirely sure,” Dewey began. “The last time she lived with us was several years ago before she went off to study at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.” Princess Celestia smiled at that remark. “Later, she moved to Ponyville. When she was a filly, she seemed as normal as any pony, but from what Pinkie Pie has told us, Lyra has completely changed.”

“She had been very helpful with our investigation, I thank her for that, but I haven't noticed her acting strangely,” Celestia said. “Is there something she does or knows that make you believe she is different?”

Lyra's parents looked at each other for a moment, then back to Celestia and Luna.

“We're convinced there is, but we don't know what it is?”

Princess Luna was rather unsatisfied with that answer. They got so far as to put the puzzle pieces of a family together, but realizing that the finished product was incomplete. She felt eager and nervous to break it to Lyra that her family was not of Equestria. It was probably the first time Luna had ever felt nervous on giving unexpected news to an intelligent pony such as Heartstrings.

“Should we speak to Lyra about it, sister?” Luna turned to Celestia.

“...so when Bon-bon came home, she flipped out and almost fainted.” Lyra started laughing. “I was trying something new, but I never knew that baking could be such a challenge.”

“What happened to the stove?” Twilight asked, trying to calm down after laughing herself.

“Oh it was fine, but the entire room was a mess. The moment Bon-bon walked in the room, I was so embarrassed. I didn't know how she'd take it. My first time making sweets and it became a hilarious disaster. Don't worry, no pony got hurt.”

Lyra and Twilight went silent for a moment, then continued to giggle at Lyra's ridiculous story on trying to bake a batch of muffins for the first time. Before both of them could regain their composure, Pinkie Pie strolled through the bedroom door in her usual bubbly personality, humming a soft tune to her self as if she discovered something new. True enough, she couldn't keep it a secret for too long. Pinkie trotted right up to Lyra, who sunk her head back, hoping the pink pony wasn't presumed hostile.

“Why didn't you tell me?” she squeaked, looking straight into Lyra's golden-yellow eyes at a dangerously close distance.

“Tell you what, Pinkie?” Lyra recoiled.

“That you're an alien thingy.”

At this point, both Lyra and Twilight were lost. Even Spike was awake and curious at Pinkie's creepy grin as she continued to stare at Lyra with intense bewilderment. It scared and confused the mint-green unicorn. She didn't know how to respond. Whether Pinkie was truly crazy, or has concluded that Lyra is somehow this... well, not a pony. Certain that was just be a joke.

“I'm no alien, Pinkie,” Lyra rolled her eyes.

“But you are,” Pinkie said as she bounced around the mint green unicorn with dying excitement. “Your super old grandpa was an alien thingy, too. A creature of some other world in a pony's body. But no pony knew it because he looked like a normal pony. A regular pony. I never heard of anything like this before. Oh, this is a doozie. What did he really look like before. Do you look like that too? Where did he come from? How did he get here? What was his favorite color? If you are part of him and he is a part of you, that makes you-”

“Pinkie Pie!” Twilight stuck a hoof to the hyper pink pony's mouth, stopping her mid-sentence. “Slow down.”

Pinkie froze dead in her tracks, floating precariously in the air until she crashed to the floor.

“Now, what are you talking about? How do you know all this?” Twilight asked with Pinkie's attention.

“Oh, I heard the Princess talk about it.”

“You eavesdropped?” Twilight said, almost shouting in anger at her nosy friend. “But we-”

“I'm sorry Twilight, I couldn't help it. All this waiting and stories and history and secrets and waiting and stories and waiting made me do it,” Pinkie begged. “It's all so tempting, and cool.”

“We were specifically told to stay here until they're done. For what I know, it is very important that we stay out of it unless they tell us themselves. Do you realize what-”

“Let it go, Twilight,” Lyra cut it. “I'm sure the Princess doesn't know, or mind if she does.”

“But-”

Lyra walked up to her lavender friend and put her left foreleg around her neck to comfort her. Twilight went silent to recollect her delineated thoughts into a more optimistic order. She was afraid of being the one to blame for Pinkie running off and allegedly spying on the Princesses, but only needed to support of a friend to help her overcome that fear and use her company as solace. She let out a long sigh.

“I'm fine.”

Twilight and Lyra looked up at Pinkie with disappointment. Whether she was telling the truth or not, her little intrusion got their attention. Pinkie Pie noticed the eyes of both unicorn were staring daggers at her.

“What?”

“You were saying?” Twilight said, eagerly waiting for a response from her party-crazed friend.

“Where was I? Oh yeah. So what are you? A scary looking monster? A slimy squid? A fish creature? A big-”

“What are you talking about?” Lyra interrupted.

“You don't know?”

“Know what?”

“That your old granddaddy was not from here?” Pinkie vaguely declared.

“What do you mean, 'not from here'?” Twilight joined in. “Somewhere far away from Equestria?”

“I think so. The Princess said he was like this super smarty pants that invented trains and pictures and things and stuff. Weird huh? I didn't know somepony could be that smart that didn't come from Equestria. ”

“That was him?” Lyra questioned. She began to think that her intelligence ran in the family. Although, she still had doubts on if any of this was just speculation. “What did the Princess say exactly?”

“Oh there was this one weird word Luna said that I've never heard before. It was 'humans'. Have you guys heard of it before? Do you know what it means? I don't.” Pinkie shrugged.

…

Twilight turned to her green friend to find her with eyes wide open, pupils shrunk into tiny beads, and her body frozen in place. A fearful blank stare was painted all over Lyra's face.

*Zzt... zzt... zzt...*

*Zzt... zzt... zzz...*

Dale grabbed Andrew's duffel bag and started sifting though its contents for the noisy vibrating cellphone. Even for a small device, it was amazing how they were able to hear and feel the buzz it created. After a few seconds, he grabbed the annoying black phone and checked the caller ID.

“It's Peter.” Dale showed the small glowing screen to his friend. “Should I answer it?”

Andrew did not respond. He and Alex were too preoccupied with observing the green apple that appeared on the floor in front of them just moment ago. Alex slowly picked up the piece of fruit and took a bite. He chewed slowly, shrugged, then smiled to confirm it to be a tasty apple, mocking his brother with its delicious flavor. Andrew focused his attention back to Dale and shook his head in denial.

“Just ignore-” Then, he squeezed his eyes shut in realization and put a hoof to his head. “Oh damn! I forgot we were supposed to meet him at Steven's house today. Damn damn!”

Dale took surprise as well, also unmindful of their old plan for the day, but was quick to press the green button just before it went to a missed call and held the phone up to his ear.

“Hellooo?”

There was an awkward silence on the other end before Peter's voice muffled through.

“My man Dale, what's going on? Where you at buddy? Andrew's house?”

“How did you know that?” he tried to joke.

“This ain’t your phone, so I took a wild guess. Ha ha, what do I win?”

“So, what's up?” Dale failed at avoiding conversation.

“Steven and I decided to come to your house instead, but you weren't home.”

Dale made a nervous expression. This was going so well. Why would they go there? Why didn't they say anything earlier, other than just showing up at his vacant house?

“How long ago was this?” he finally managed to say.

“Oh, about two minutes ago actually.”

“Wait. Where are you now?” Dale quickly said, anxiously hoping for a different answer than what he had in mind.

“Down the street. On our way to Andrew's house, yo. We know you're there and I know Andrew rarely leaves his house. We'll be there in-”

*beep*

Before Peter could finish, Dale hung up on him. He looked at Andrew and Alex, then heavily sighed. For a couple seconds, he had his head down and eyes closed.

Suddenly, Dale instantly jumped out of his seat, ran to the bedroom door, violently forced it open, and disappeared out of the room leaving Andrew and his brother with clueless expressions. From listening in on Dale's end of the conversation, they had a vague idea what was going on. Either it was bad news, or really bad news. Andrew stepped back towards Alex's desk on the back side of the room, eyes on the open door. Both of their heart rates elevated in absolute fear.

Seconds later, they heard Dale cry out from somewhere else in the house.

“Andrew!”

The small unicorn hesitated to walk forward. Instead of cautiously taking careful steps, he darted quickly out the door. Alex did the same, following close behind. They stopped at the top of the stairs and peeked around the corner. They found Dale at the foot of the front door, several feet from the base of the stairs. He looked too terrified to move, standing with his back against the large wooden door.

“What is it?” Andrew shouted in whisper, enough to be heard though the silent house.

“Peter and Steven.”

At that moment, Andrew mouth hung open for a moment, then retreated back to his own room. Alex on the other hand, went the other direction and ran down the steps to join Dale, who was slowly hyperventilating.

“Your friends?” he asked.

“Yeah.” Dale struggled to calm down, but the status of their situation was too much.

“What do they want?” Alex whispered.

“We were going to hang out today, but I guess that didn't happen. They came here instead and didn't tell me. We can't just tell them to leave because they won't be willing to go if they came all the way here.” Dale explained.

Alex then realized what that meant and started to panic. He was at a loss of words as he waited at the door with Dale. He put his head up to the peep hole. There wasn't a single person outside, only an empty street and a lone car in the driveway.

“Where are they?” Alex whispered once more.

“They should be here by now,” Dale replied. “They called a minute ago and it doesn't take that long to get here from my house.”

The more Alex found out what was going on, the less he liked the situation. They had almost no time to figure out a way to hide Andrew and hoped that his friends were gullible enough to believe a terrible lie.

As if on cue, they began to hear faint voices coming from around the thick brush of plants that obscured the north end of the sidewalk. Those voices got louder and louder, till Dale and Alex saw two figures appear through the blue-tinted window. It was Peter and Steven. They had their jacket hoods over their heads concealing their identities, but to Dale, the way the conversation went became easily recognizable.

Dale quickly snapped back from looking through the side window as soon as they turned their heads in his direction. Without another second to waste, he took a deep breath and sprinted up the stairs as fast as he could, leaving the perplexed youngster behind.

Alex felt heartlessly abandoned for second, then Dale came running back down the stairs at top speed. He almost lost control at the bottom, but regained his balance and avoiding slamming into the door next to Alex.

“Go- … go upstairs … and hide your brother. I'll take care of this,” Dale panted, pointing up the stairs.

Alex nodded and did what he was told. As Dale watched the boy leave and disappear around the corner of the second floor, all became quiet. Even the chatter of his friends had ceased.

Dale could hear his own heartbeat under the ringing in his ears while holding in his breath. A quick rush of goosebumps enveloped his body, making him cringe as a reflex. The perfect temperature and undisturbed air in the house was almost unreal, as if his sense of touch no longer existed. Everything in his vicinity remained so still, it was like he was looking at a photograph. Dust particles were visible, silently floating around in the rays of sunlight that shined through the windows. No other thought flooded his mind other than how serene the indoor environment appeared to be. Time seemed to stop while space yielded to it.

For what felt like the longest three seconds in history...

*TAP TAP TAP TAP*

Dale flinched, stepping away from the door. His heart rate skyrocketed. The wood and stained glass door was the difference between trouble, and a whole lot more trouble. He only hoped that more trouble wouldn't be so bad on second thought. It all depended on how he could play it cool and hide his anxiety during conversation.

He slowly held out his right hand, placed it on the cold silver knob, and took a deep breath. He hesitated. For the second that he paused, a flash memory in the back of his mind reminded him of another instance in his life when he was this scared. That vague memory soon vanished as quickly as it came. Dale twisted the doorknob and pulled the door wide open, letting in a rush of chilly air collide with his face.

“What's up, guys?” Dale couldn't quite control the shaking in his voice, partly due to the cold air and partly due to fearful nerve.

Peter was dressed in a brown zip-up sweater and a pair of black sweat pants highlighted with two white lines running down the side of each leg. Steven wore a faded black hoodie with a sixties peace symbol on the front and long blue jeans.

“Yo man,” Peter took one hand out of his pockets and held up a fist. Dale had his arms on his elbows for comfort from the cool weather, but sacrificed a hand to brofist his friend in return. “What, you didn't have enough time to change out of your pajamas?” Peter continued.

Dale had completely forgotten that he hadn't changed his clothes since Andrew surprised him this morning. He still had on a comfortable gray pair of plaid dress pants on. Because he didn't know what to say, he needed to improvised his lies.

“Oh, this,” Dale looked down at himself and shrugged. “You know me. I'm just THAT lazy.”

Even with both earphones in his ears, Steven chuckled. Without asking, Peter stepped forward to let himself in, but Dale closed the door in on him halfway, just enough to block anyone from entering. A terrible move on Dale's part.

“You gonna let us in dude?” Peter looked at him annoyed.

“Uh-,” Dale realized his mistake, remembering that who he was trying to protect, was none of their concern yet. So he revoked his action and opened the door wider and stepped out of the way to let his friends in. “Yeah, my bad.”

Peter and Steven casually made their way to the living room to sit down and relax. Dale closed the door and joined them.

“So...” Dale trailed off. “What made you guys want to come here instead.”

“We tried calling you.” Peter said.

“When?”

“Right before we called Andrew.”

Dale head dropped in realization. “Damn, I left it at home when we-” he stopped himself before he could speak any further.

“Before you what?” Peter questioned. “Speaking of which, where is Andrew anyway? Why did you answer his phone for him?”

The way the loquacious teen gave an unadvised demand quickly frightened Dale. His heart began to race again from the uneasy looks from his two friends that seemed to be concerned with not being greeted by Andrew himself.

“He wasn't available at the time,” was the only legitimate excuse Dale could come up with.

“And my first question?” Peter whirled his hand in a circular motion for him to continue. Even Steven took out his earphones, giving Dale a scary look.

“Uhhhhh...” Dale backed away from his friends, inching slowly for the hallway.

“Are you guys playing with us?” Steven said in an ironically sweet tone and followed with a weak snicker.

Dale said nothing. He knew that every time he tried to avoid talking about Andrew, things got worse. He paused as Steven spoke, but resumed backing away while still making eye contact with them. He ran through his options of some way out of his heart pounding situation. Telling the truth would be the least desirable option. Escaping out the front door was just as bad, if not worst. Two ideas seemed promising. Considering he had no time to carefully chose, he went with the one that would take the longest time to preform.

“Can you guys hang on a moment?” Dale held up his right index finger as physical representation of his intentions.

“Can you just tell us, bro?” Peter raised both his arms and spread them out.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I just can't.”

“Like I said, are you guys playing with us?” Steven repeated his question, now with a more serious look on his face.

“No.”

“Than what?”

This war of denial began to feel like a verbal Cold War. Dale didn't know how much longer he could keep it up. The more he refused to cooperate, the more it irritated his friends. Every time he tried changing the subject, the more his friends felt challenged.

“You guys really wanna know the truth?”

They nodded.

“Andrew is dead.”

13. Blackout

[Chapter 13]

Blackout

With the formal stuff out of the way, every pony in the fairly sized living room shuffled off their seats to begin their task at hoof. Lyra's parents borrowed their daughter for a private conversation in the kitchen. Twilight motioned towards Princess Luna, whom was waiting patiently for the family reunion to finish. Pinkie Pie, having nothing else to do, went on to bother Spike.

It was about time Twilight got some answers, but it all came to her as waves of surprises. She was also unprepared for many of the things that happened in the past several hours, from discovering Lyra's notes on her theories of humans, to finding out that Lyra apparently exhibits genetic traits from another species. All because of some form of mysterious magic that could not be explained with the level of knowledge available to them. She had other things to attend to back in Ponyville, but thought Lyra could use her help more than ever now. Regardless, she'd have to reschedule the activities she had planned for the following day, if not the next couple days. So far, her day had been one of the most unbelievable and unveiling days of any day in her short list of eventful days since the beginning of days. She just had to keep her cool and go with the flow, as the kids would say.

Twilight stood before Princess Luna.

“Um, Princess? Do you have somewhere to start with uncovering this extremely difficult mystery?”

“I have my doubts, Twilight Sparkle, but I think it depends on how far we want to investigate. I'm especially interested in these human type creatures that Lyra seems to know much about.”

“Do you think we might have a chance to find where they are? Humans, I mean. There is no evidence for them other than her most distant relative and her limited knowledge of them. Besides, most of it is just speculation.”

“I hope so. I worry not about what we do know, and spend a little more time on what we don't know.

“You really think we'll succeed?”

“It depends on how your view success. I'll be satisfied if we can fill only one page of information. Either way, I believe it's worth the time.”

Twilight got a significant confidence boost from how optimistic Princess Luna appeared to be. Their quest was more than just a search for scientific answers and theories in magic, but a road of discovery on things based on family heritage and Equestrian history. As difficult and different as it sounded, Twilight became more confident they would uncover more than that already have. All they had to do was dig a little deeper.

“Theses humans sound like they could be advanced beings,according to what you heard from Granny Smith,” Twilight said. “I'm curious to know just how Lyra knows so much about them if there are no books about them. At least, not that I know of.”

“I am more curious about them than I was a couple hours ago, and I did not know anything about them before that. Now that I'm capable of safely investigating this subject apart from having to worry about my sister's approval, we can expand our range of exploration. What if Lyra-”

…

Luna was cut off by a sudden strong sensation searing in her brain. She became dizzy and lost focus. The delicate waviness in her blue mane went sporadic for a second before returning to its original form. It wasn't painful, but the power of it was undeniably strong. It was powerful enough to cause her to wobble out of balance and stumble, but too weak to cause any psychological damage. Luna temporarily lost consciousness, hit the wall behind her, and fell to the floor with a thud, dodging a sharp wooden table by mere inches.

“Princess!” Twilight was quick to react. Her cry bounced off the walls of the house. She quickly ran to Luna's side, but hesitant to touch her. “Oh no! A-are you okay?”

Luna regained her mindset and was slow to get up when Lyra came running into to living room followed by her parents. They found a shaken up alicorn, moderately struggling to get back to her feet.

“What happened!?” Lyra said, rushing to Luna's aid in the same manner and Twilight.

“I don't know, she- she just collapsed,” Twilight replied.

“I'm alright, my little ponies,” Luna said as she finally got to her feet. “No need to worry, it was just a precaution.”

All the ponies looked at the Princess in horror as if it was a sign that something horrible had happened, or was about to happen. Twilight was the first to ask.

“Is it something terrible, Princess?”

Luna appeared to recover shortly after having a sort of magical breakdown in front of Twilight. A strong discharge of magic had triggered the unique portion of her brain where an acute detection of powerful magic served to notify her of unusual levels of magic. For a Princess, part of her duty was to monitor large quantities of magical energy if and when they occur, typically in the one place and lasting longer than ten seconds. Rare instances have occurred when energy that strong was separated by an enormous distance from the point of origin to the destination. This instance wasn't exactly rare, but was extremely odd for lasting only a couple seconds. Definitely a first for Luna.

“I'm not sure. I felt something really strange. It came so suddenly. I usually feel a gradual increase before a peak in magic, but I did not see this coming.” Luna paused to evaluate the spell that struck her. “I do not know exactly what it was, but I believe it was the result of a unguided teleportation spell that came from Ponyville.”

Pairs of eyes of both Twilight and Lyra widened when Luna was able to name the location of the sharp discharge. They almost immediately recognized that it had to be connected to the powerful magical anomaly the night before. Maybe they were directly related.

“Do you think-” Twilight turned to Lyra, already nodding in agreement with the same idea. “Then that means...” she trailed off to think of the situation more clearly.

“But how will we get there in time?” Lyra asked to no pony in general.

“We teleport,” said Luna.

The Lunar Princess considered her words before she spoke. Since they were all thinking the same thing and Ponyville was quite a distance from Canterlot, Luna suggested the fastest method of travel that could only be used by alicorn magic. She has used it a few times in the past, but never with company.

“You can do that?” Twilight said, puzzled.

“It is a difficult spell to maintain, yes, but my sister and I are the only ones who are capable of such magic. It can only be preformed by an alicorn, however, I've only used it on myself. I have yet to try it with other ponies.”

Luna started to doubt her own idea since it might be too high of a risk. Teleporting that far on her own took a lot out of her in the past. She didn't want to hurt Twilight or Lyra in the process, nor did she want to come up short of their destination or somewhere else entirely.

“I think it might not be such a good idea after all,” Luna continued. “I don't think I have the power to bring us all. We will need a solution to get there as soon as possible. This might be our only chance.”

After waiting for an opportunity, Lyra's parents walked up Princess Luna and bowed.

“Thanks you for you visit, it has been most delightful,” said Dewey.

“You are most welcome,” she replied softly.

They turned to face Lyra and each gave her a hug.

“Be safe, my Heartstrings.” Cirrus nodded.

“I will.”

Right then, the couple turned and headed down a hallway that ran under the staircase and disappeared out of sight, resuming the conversation of how to get to Ponyville in just seconds.

“Floating down
As colors fill the light
We look up from the ground
In fields of paper white.”

With the sun high in the sky and the relaxing warm weather to add to that, it was a perfect day. Down at the Apple farm, however, two hard-working Earth ponies shared intense labor throughout the day with hardly any rest.

Applejack tried to make up for the work that she had lost the previous day while helping her friend Twilight with something, but hadn't heard anything from her all day. It wasn't like Twilight to just disappear without saying where she was going. The only pony that came to Sweet Apple Acres was Princess Luna, oddly enough, to speak with Granny Smith. That was no more than three hours ago.

“Ah wonder what the Princess wanted,” she said to herself in her natural Southern accent.

Big Machintoch didn't seem to have any trouble harvesting his area of apple trees for the day. In fact, he was almost done, compared to Applejack. She could see a dozen barrels full of apples while the daily task of filling fifteen barrels was a day's work, which was a lot of work.

Her little sister, Applebloom, having no school on the weekends, was off with her two little friends, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, for some Cutie Mark Crusading. The last thing Applejack heard from them before they ran off was, “Cutie Mark Crusaders, Costume Makers!” As fun as it sounded, Nightmare Night was still several months away. At least it's safer than skydiving.

It was still treading to be a long day with all the work that needed to be done. Applejack thought she was working too hard like before, but this time it wasn't her stubborn strive for prove her diligence. She could have taken break whenever she wanted, but she felt compelled to get everything all done and over with.

“One more, then ah'll rest.”

As she was about to buck the last tree ripe with apples, a sudden tremor knocked her a little off balance. Thankfully, it wasn't enough to knock her to the ground. Tree leaves and apples shook on the branches above her head for a moment before going still again. Some apples fell off the tree, into the basket Applejack had placed beneath the tree.

“What in tarnation!?” she said, frantically scanning her surroundings for anything out of the ordinary.

A dark sphere of nothingness encased with brief flickers of light lasted for couple seconds, but it felt like a lifetime. The first bright light flashed right before the eyes of a disproportional turquoise unicorn, suddenly thrusting the poor thing backward. Expecting to hit the wall behind him with great force, the time elapsed took far too long. The familiar touch of a soft fabric of bed sheets instantly vanished, visual receptors no longer functioned, and a numbing sensation ran all along the length of his body. As if his body was changing back to his original form or another convenient vanishing act that saved him from yet another dire situation, Andrew had never felt so void of reality, far stranger than what he previously experienced. What-

*ZZZAAP!*

Andrew's body suddenly threw itself horizontally. He impacted the ground, kicking up dirt in a cloud of dust as he violently rolled and began sliding across a rough surface before colliding with something. He came to a stop on his back with his head facing upwards.

Not a second went by after laying beneath whatever it was he hit for his mind to come back online. After a moment to realize what happened, he came back to his senses with pain being the most dominant of all. He was hesitant to move a muscle, afraid to have to endure a world of hurt if it could have been avoided by staying perfectly still for while.

“Uggghhhhhhh...” Andrew groaned as he moved head, and to his surprise, didn't hurt as much as he thought. Except for when the turn of his head slightly tugged the hairs of his disheveled mane.

He tried opening his eyes, but the intense light from the sun, in addition to temporary blindness, caused him to squint very tightly as a reflex. He slowly motioned his head side to side to minimize the flow in sunlight to his eyes, but Andrew still could not see anything. His first thought of appearing in his own backyard again came to mind with no other realistic alternative on where he'd end up. After looking around a couple times, he sighed and rested his head back on the ground, closing his eyes and putting his body to sleep.

Applejack carefully followed a line of trees that significantly displayed more apples knocked off their branches, trying to reach the epicenter of the tremor. She didn't think it had something to do with the earth itself, shaking deep underground from an unknown quake. She did hear a faint, distinct sound that closely resembled unicorn magic, ruling out an earthquake. Besides, earthquakes in Equestria were extremely rare within any part of the country, especially Sweet Apple Acres.

She walked along the tight rows of trees that with each one she passed, the more apples she found on the ground. So much for those apples. They probably weren't good anymore. At least they're useful for seeds, but with another task in mind, apples were the least of her worries.

From the very sight of so many apples, they all seemed to converge into a cloud of dust. She took greater caution in advancing forward while avoiding stepping on any of the apples scattered all over the place. Her only hope was that nopony was hurt.

Oddly enough, the sizzling headache a minute earlier had completely disappeared. Andrew felt so mentally healthy that it almost made him feel smarter. Attempting to verify his location, he opened his eyes to find that his eyesight was returning at a slow rate, only to make out fuzzy shapes and colors. Since he was inverted and staring directly at the sky, he was able to see a dark blotch of green and a hint of red.

“Hm, an apple tree,” he said, sighing in relief. “Perfect.”

Andrew started to worry about the time it took for him to come to a stop under a tree and to finally notice it to be an apple tree. However, too much time had gone by. Certainly Dale would have figured he teleported again and found him in the backyard by now. It was even enough time for his brother and the rest of his friends to follow Dale outside. With unpredictable reactions from Peter and Steven still in mind, he took the time to lay still and enjoy only time he had left for them to show up, enduring the pain of being thrown some fifteen feet across solid ground.

The pain in his back didn't go away, but grew slightly in the position he remained in after coming to a stop. To ease the pain, Andrew slumped down on one side.

“Aahh, much better.” He exaggerated his pleasure when the back pain almost went away.

What was odd about the ground was the fact that it wasn't grass. He started to cough from breathing in particles of floating dirt that entered his mouth. He squeezed his eyes tighter, mentally telling himself that he was in his backyard, but had one or two thoughts that his assumptions weren't false.

Moments later, he could hear subtle footsteps of someone nearby, approaching from the side he was facing away from. They got closer in his direction. Andrew wanted to wait for them to speak first, but couldn't help it but to quickly explain the situation as briefly as he could, assuming his new arrivals were who he was expecting.

A few more trees to the place of origin and she would find the cause. Applejack slowed her pace down as she the dust cloud grew larger, still lingering in the air. Assuming it was disturbed by somepony in the area, she stopped for a minute to let the dirt particles settle.

While waiting, everything immediately became quiet. Applejack could not hear a single chirp from a bird or the ruffling of leaves in the trees above her. Because she was completely still to let the dust go away, any noise from nearby Ponyville could be heard. It wasn't long until a particular sound met her ears. Somepony coughed.

Without another second to wait, Applejack's eyes went wide and sprung into action. She rushed ahead to find the source of the rheumatic coughing. When she arrived at the edge of the light brown cloud, nothing became visible. Hesitant to enter the cloud blind, she waited a couple seconds. Then she heard somepony's voice inside the thick cloud.

“Before you guys ask, it's not my fault,” said a noticeably male voice.

Regardless of Applejack's failure of voice recognition, she took a few steps inside the cloud.

“Hello? Anypony in there?” she called out. Before long, the dust thinned out quickly and faded away. What she found was a completely unexpected.

A blue-green unicorn stallion with a light blue and white mane was laying on the ground, injured by some unknown means. A familiar image of contrasting colors. He was a mess in both the condition of his mane and a face covered in filth. The only odd thing about him was the weird clothing covering his body. He began shuffling to his feet, having a hard time after what he had been through by the mere sight of him.

“Oh mah!” Applejack quickly ran to the his side. “Are ya hurt?”

At that moment, the stallion stopped moving. From lack of body movement and a sudden silence that fell upon them, Applejack thought she might have provoked him in some way, even though he was trespassing on her farm. Forgetting about property invasion, Applejack saw that he was in pain from having to move around, but when she spoke and he stopped abruptly, she sensed a bit of fear from the unicorn.

He jerked back a little in a panic shortly after the female voice just spoke to him. He knew someone was around, but his blurry vision kept him from seeing any detail other than an indistinguishable figure standing before him. It scared him to no end to thinking that he might have teleported somewhere else other than his backyard. He stumbled on some fallen apples and fell to the ground again.

“Whoa!”

“Oh, ah'm sorry, ah didn't mean to scare ya like that,” Applejack said gently, trying desperately not to make it worse. “Ah jus' want to know if yer okay. Y'all don't look so good.”

Applejack advanced toward the frightened stallion. Instead of running away, he sat still and breathed heavily. She got up right beside him and very carefully put a hoof on his shoulder. To her surprise, he didn't resist, nor was he startled. He simply had his head down and eyes closed. For a moment to regain himself, he sighed heavily.

“Are you the only person around?” he said.

“The only what?”

“Are you alone?” he repeated.

“Ya.”

The stallion took a long deep breath, lifting his head and slowly opened his eyelids. An array of colors penetrated his retinas as he was instantly met with an endless field of apples trees as far as the eye can see. Just as he suspected, not the place he was expecting. He looked to his left to see more trees and a wooden-railed fence in short distance, then looked to his right to find something that made him jump.

He jolted off the ground and stepped away limping, kicking some apples back and catching the orange farm pony by surprise again.

“Who- who ARE you!?” he said in between a breath, almost shouting.

“I'm Applejack,” she replied, almost hesitant to answer. “What's yers? Where it is ya came from?”

The stallion kept his eyes looked onto the orange pony with blonde hair and a brown hat. Before that he noticed a mark on the pony's hip area that resembled three red apples in a triangular pattern. Maybe that was just his eyes deceiving him because it was either incredibly fake or just dirt smudges. They both started at each other with mixed feelings: fear, confusion, empathy, worry, and curiosity. With his yellow eyes locked on to her innocent green eyes, Applejack still had high concern for his injuries.

“Y- you look like... well, me,” he finally said, avoiding the question.

“Of course ah look like ya. Ya ain't the only pony 'round these parts.”

“I'm not the only-” His eyes widened and then he shook the crazy thoughts out of his head. “It can't be, I mean you- … and I- … we-… this place, … WHAT!?” His gaze shot all around like an curious cat.

“Whoa, slow down there sugarcube, what are ya blabberin' 'bout?”

“Who are you?” he said again.

“Ah already told ya who ah am. Ya still haven't told me what yer doin' here.”

“How did you get here?”

“Ah live here. This here is the Apple orchard. Ya knocked all them apples down. Somethin' go haywire with yer magic?”

“You... could say that,” he said slowly.

“So where is it ya came from?” Applejack asked.

The unicorn looked less frightened than before and checked his surroundings again to confirm that they were the only ones around. No crowds of people, no mediocre houses, and no one to save him from himself. He hesitated to answer the question, but thought it wouldn't matter if he was admitted insane by the orange pony in front of him.

“Am I, uh, anywhere near the state of Missouri?”

“Yer in a state of misery?” Applejack cocked her hear. “Ya don't look miserable to me, jus' hurt real bad.” Applejack leaned forward, examining him more closely.

“No no no, not-” he lowered his head, snickering at what was a lame joke. “The Midwestern city right smack down in the middle of the United States?”

Applejack simply stared at him without a word to respond.

“So, um, are you... like me? Human in a pony body?”

“What?” Applejack slumped he head back, noticing his legs shaking.

“Oh, never mind. I lost my mind this time,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Oh well, so much for my insanity. So that means I'm communicating with a talking pony in some place I don't know where. I can throw reality out the window now.”

He struggled to walk properly, slogging and limping his way towards the confused pony. Applejack stood still with more confusion than security, realizing that the stallion was not a threat from the sight his injuries, and even if he was, no pony dared mess with a member of the Apple family. On the contrary to that notion, Applejack felt more sorry for this strange unicorn than hostile. He was in bad condition and couldn't just leave anypony to deal with physical pain by themselves.

“As if you can already tell, I'm a... unicorn,” he said, breaking eye contact.

“Ah can see that.”

“Wait, you're not surprised?”

“Why would ah be? Yer not the only unicorn 'round these parts either.”

“I'm not?”

“Nope. Jus' take a gander at Ponyville, ya find lots of 'em. Most ponies are unicorns.” She paused to find him shaking again. “Are ya sure yer okay?”

“I'm great,” she said after he sighed, stopping before Applejack. “I'm just hallucinating, that's all. You're not really a small horse and I'm just imagining things around here, including you. Or I'm dead, in which case, and I'm some afterlife for which I don't believe in.” He gestured a hoof to emphasize his alleged assumptions.

“If ya just tell me what went on here, maybe ah'll see if yer bein' honest.”

“Lying is easy. If I tell you the truth, you probably won't believe me.”

“Test me. Ah can prove that yer not looney. Ah'm the Element of Honesty ya know.”

The clothed stallion blinked rapidly with a confused look in his eyes, then shook his head to drown out whatever thoughts that confused him.

“Okay, here goes.” He took another deep breath and continued. “I'm a human from planet Earth, at least I was human yesterday. I was turned into a unicorn last night after a loud noise scared the hell out of me. Where I come from unicorns don't exist. Just a few minutes ago, I was in my bedroom with my brother when all of a sudden I get thrown here, which now I'm assuming is not on Earth anymore, or at least the United States for the most part. By the way, where am I?”

“Y- yer in, uh, Equestria.” Applejack refrained from asking about everything his just laid out for her.

“Eequueesstria?” he said slowly, making sure he heard it right. “I'm pretty sure there's no such place, and I almost flunked Geography class last year,” he laughed.

Applejack cocked her head yet again. She could not detect a sliver of dishonesty in the stallion's voice, nor from his facial expression. From her strong sense of lie detection, she had a hard time believing herself that the stallion was telling the truth. As crazy as it sounded to her, she had no other choice but to help this pony out by taking him to the hospital in Ponyville, and maybe a therapist.

“Let's get y'all to the nice ponies at the hospital.”

“Wait wait,” he began waving a hoof around. “We're going out in public?”

“Ya had some kind of accident. Ya need the help.”

“I'm not hurt that ba- AHHH!” he screamed as he tried to stretch his shoulder muscles, which turned out to be more sore than the thought. Struggling to regain his balance after wobbling in pain, he began to breath heavily to rid his mind of said pain.

“Can't wait, ya need a doctor. Nurse Redheart will fix ya up.”

Right then, at the corner of the his eye, the unicorn spotted a familiar solid gray bag laying lifeless behind the tree he landed under.

“What is that?” he leaned forward and started to limp towards it. Applejack didn't have time to answer because a second later, he recognized it at once. “My duffel bag!”

“Yer what?”

“Oh, I hope nothing is broken,” he said, plodding right up to it. Since he had no fingers to open it, and was extremely sore on top of that, he'd have to wait to find out if anything survived the same beating he himself endured. The bag was slightly punctured on the back, but not enough to tear the whole thing open. He lifted the bag with care, but had difficulties without any hands. As weird as it was, his hooves felt like solid gloves over where his hands used to be, struggling to break free.

“Apparently it came through with me.”

He put the bag over his shoulder, almost collapsing in the process of getting it around his neck. He stumbled around and accidentally bumped into Applejack.

“Oh, sorry, my bad.”

Thankfully, the orange Earth pony did not retaliate in annoyance. She saw it coming anyway. She merely shrugged it off and continued with her pursuit to help him get him to Nurse Redheart.

“C'mon, ya ain't getting' any better standin' out here.”

Applejack moved closer to him to provide assistance to walk the distance. Fortunately, they were closer to town than to the house back home. Sweet Apple Acres was definitely a large stretch of land that spanned a couple miles in every direction. They just happen to be on the edge closest to Ponyville.

“Here, ah'll help ya. Put yer leg 'round mah neck.” She lifted his left foreleg and her own foreleg around his neck. He had enough strength to hold himself up on only three limbs, but with the help of Applejack, it became much easier to walk.

The clothed stallion hopped a little before they headed off towards the gate he saw earlier, his bag swinging side to side as they walked. He was beginning to believe everything that had happened since teleporting again. Finding out that it was not the place he wanted, discovering another pony with a distinct accent that corresponded with the American South. But how did she know how to speak like that if he wasn't anywhere remotely near the southeastern part of America? Maybe he was.

More questions assaulted his mind as the slowly made it to a white fence. They managed to reach the closest gate and made their way to the other side without too much hassle. They continued along an unpaved, dirt path leading over a hill towards a small village. It reminded him of further west in Missouri and up north to Iowa where farming was huge and city life completely disappeared.

As they pressed on, both of them took some time to think. On occasion, they stopped to rest, but continued the journey shortly afterward. Applejack felt much better for helping the poor unicorn, whereas her companion thought of it to be a little bit awkward. Quite understandably for the most impossible situation he'd been in since discovering he was a unicorn several hours before. Nevertheless, their highest priority was getting to the hospital. Applejack felt that he was in no shape to preform a simple teleportion spell to get them to Ponyville faster, so she didn't ask. Though, because it was quite the distance to the hospital at their pace, she felt compelled to make small talk.

“So, what's with them robes and lil saddle bag ya got there? We don't normally wear clothes.”

“I was already wearing after them when I was turned into a unicorn. Wait, did you believe everything I said?”

“Ah'll admit, ya ain't lying, but ah ain't sure if ah can believe ya.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot. My friend was like that at first, but he finally came to his senses. My brother, well, didn't make a great first impression when he saw me like this. That boy be crazy,” he said, laughing as he spoke, remembering it happening less than an hour earlier.

Applejack, regardless of the very little understanding on what he said, joined him in laughter just to cheer him up. After all, he was enduring a lot of physical pain from being thrown to the ground somehow. Even though he still did not explicitly say how he got hurt, she thought the extent of his wounds had something to do with being hurled at the ground in a violent manner. Not knowing the reason why and not the time to ask, she pushed that aside for another time.

“Ya didn't answer mah first question. Ah didn't quite catch yer name.”

They stopped to rest for a few seconds before pushing forward into town. A short silence followed as Applejack waited patiently for an answer.

“Thanks for helping me, Applejack,” he began. With each intake of breath to compensate for his weak body, every word took some energy to say. “I'm sorry for being weird. I'm not used to any of this and it seems like I'd be a waste of time if I keep telling myself that none of this is real. To tell you the truth, I still don't believe how any of this is possible.”

They finally made it to the edge of town, where they stopped on last time to rest. They sat down a bit longer for him to finish what he was saying without struggling in between breaths. He slowed down his heart rate with controlled breathing, slow enough to let Applejack speak.

“Yer welcome. Ya don't think this place ain't real?” she asked with a confused face.

“No, it's most definitely real. The pain makes it so. I'm probably in the afterlife or something. What I mean is, I just never thought this could happen to me, or anybody really. It just doesn't make any sense.”

He shook his head while staring at the blue sky.

“The name's Andrew Fera. Sometimes my friends call me Drew.”

“A pleasure making yer acquaintance, Drew,” she patted his back. “Now, up and adam, the hospital is jus' 'round the corner.”

They stood up off the dusty path and made their way several more steps until they were greeted with the front of a fairly large, old-style building with pink tinted windows and a dark-brown shingled roof. Off to the side was a white sign painted with a symbol consisting of four pink hearts in each of the corners of a white cross superimposed on a red circle.

“And floating up
You pass us in the night
A future gazing out
A past to overwrite.”

“I have an idea,” Lyra said. “It just might work.”

“What do you have in mind?” Luna asked.

“Twilight and I are unicorns, right? So, I propose both of us contribute to the long distance teleportation spell as it is preformed.”

For once, Lyra felt confident for her idea to be taken into consideration. From Lyra's proposal, it was a wonder how intelligent the little green unicorn really was. Fortunately for Luna, Twilight and Lyra were more powerful than most unicorns and they had a better chance to increasing the energy output for the spell.

“You think you can do it?” Lyra turned to Twilight.

“Yes, it should work. Even though it might be better to do a little more research on this, we won't have enough time. We could try it, but what about Pinkie and Spike?”

“That's okay Twilight,” Pinkie said. “I can join you later. I can bring Spike back to Ponyville on my way there. It'll be fun.”

“I might need him though.”

“Don't worry about me Twi, I'll just go along with Pinkie Pie here. You go ahead, I'm sure you'll survive without me.” Spike crossed his arms as he finished with a smirk on his face.

“Well alright, just don't get into any trouble,” she replied. Then she eyed her pink party friend. “That mean you too, Pinkie.”

Pinkie Pie giggled, then she bounced out the front door into the streets of Canterlot with Spike following close behind, shutting the door on his way out.

“Shall we proceed with the spell?” said Princess Luna. Both Twilight and Lyra nodded simultaneously. “Great, then we must-”

“Wait,” Lyra interrupted. “Let me get some things upstairs, be right back.” Before anypony could reject, she quickly ran up the stairs and out of sight, but her hoofsteps were still audible in muffled thumps. Luna and Twilight looked back at each other after watching the mint green unicorn leave.

“Um, Luna? What about our other things? We left those back in the Mysterious Magic wing of the castle.”

“Hmm, now that you mention it,” Luna closed her eyes as her horn started to glow. “Worry not, Twilight. I will have those sent to Ponyville. Of course they will take a time to get there, but we need to be there faster than the time it takes by chariot or by train. When Lyra returns, we must step outside to give ourselves some space and minimize property damage.”

“Is it that dangerous?” Twilight said with concern.

“Our instantaneous journey won't be subtle, I know that much. With the two of you coming along, I'm assuming the more energy will cause an extra distortion of space that will follow right after the spell is completed.”

“Oh. I haven't considered that out boost of power will be significant enough to warp space that much. I read that it's risky to teleport in large crowds of ponies. The sudden change in pressure can have effects on anypony too close. Where are we going exactly? Surely we can't arrive in spot with ponies around. Do you know the more specific place in near Ponyville where you felt the magic?”

“Fortunately, I do. We are going to Sweet Apple Acres. I never thought I'd have to visit the Apple farm twice in one day. There aren't any ponies around at this time. We should be alright.”

For once, Twilight didn't ask any more questions. She really wanted to continue, but felt the need to conserve her strength when they reach their destination, saving just enough energy to recover from blackout after teleporting the long distance. It was obvious to Twilight that the space between Canterlot and Ponyville was far greater than any other distance she traveled with her own teleportation spells that only brought her from one side of Ponyville to the other. The shorter the distance, the shorter time delay of travel. Twilight expected that they'd experience a loss of consciousness for a little over a second.

She heard low-pitched hoofsteps get louder and louder till finally Lyra came running back down the staircase with a personal saddlebag with a few things.

“Okay, I'm ready. I'm gonna need my other stuff though.” Lyra panted from slight exhaustion.

“There is no time for that,” Twilight stated. “Luna will send them to Ponyville by chariot. While they're on their way, we'll investigate Sweet Apple Acres with ourselves. Besides, I have some books in the library that I didn't bring with me that I want to take a look at.”

“Sweet Apple Acres huh? That's where we're going?” Lyra looked away to rearrange a few things in her saddlebag.

“That's correct,” Luna nodded. “I only hope that somepony was around to witness what happened.”

Lyra and Twilight looked at each other, then back at the Princess.

“Princess? Is there something more we should know about what DID happen?” Twilight asked. The two unicorns felt a little guilty for their sharp awareness of Luna's tone of voice. Luna never lied, she just had trouble explaining everything, leaving the most important information to herself until somepony asked.

“I'm sorry, girls. I'm not entirely sure if what I felt was, well, normal. That is why we must go there immediately in hopes to confirm my suspicions.” Luna ended swiftly, not giving the unicorns time to respond as she started toward the door, directing them outside.

Both mares remained concerned for the amount of internal struggles Princess Luna appeared to be dealing with. It was most evident in the way she spoke and a careless choice of words. Luna was never really good at keeping herself free of stress. Twilight knew this by experience. She also avoided personal conversation with other ponies besides her sister, and Lyra wanted to be the first, waiting for the right opportunity.

They both wanted to help Luna, but first they had to find a way to further their knowledge of mysterious magic. To do that, getting to Ponyville as soon as possible was their first step of their mission. They obeyed Luna's command by proceeding outside to, finally completing a most satisfying visit to Lyra's old home.

Luna called for two pegasi from the Royal Guard to have Princess Celestia retrieve and transport the belongings of Twilight Sparkle and Lyra Heartstrings. The full order only took a minute to explain and the armored pegasi quickly flew off toward the castle. From where they were standing, Luna turned and looked down at to her unicorn companions.

“Shall we proceed then?”

“So come down, far below
We've been waiting to collect the things you know.
Come down, far below
We've been waiting to collect what you've let go.”

- Linkin Park, “Blackout”

14. Atavism

[Chapter 14]

Atavism

The hospital appeared to be deserted for the lack of a single pony when Applejack and Andrew entered through the front doors. For a second, Applejack thought the building might have been closed, but knew that couldn't have been the case because the hospital was always open. They advanced several steps further in the room. The sound of their hoofsteps impacting the floor made their presence known. It started to feel strange for the both of them for finding the hospital unusually empty at first impression.

Seconds later, after standing with their heads looking at the framed pictures around the room, a white Earth pony with a light pink mane and a white bun hat bearing a red cross on her head strolled down the main hall.

“Oh my!”

A soon as Nurse Redheart laid eyes on an injured pony on the shoulders an orange pony, she instantly rushed over to their aid. Her first reaction was to help first, ask later.

“Let's get you checked in,” she said, taking over for Applejack as they walked slowly down the main hall to a nearby room. Applejack trailed closely behind them.

The room contained no other ponies in a similar state as Andrew, nor evidence of any pony recently housed in the beds. The three hospital beds left no sign of medical equipment. It all seemed so empty to Applejack, but she had more to worry about than an eerie feeling about the hospital.

They stopped in the middle of the room when a residual memory seeped into Andrew's mind. He wasn't quite sure if it was real memory, or even his own memory. A brief vision of a hospital room suddenly came to mind. However, throughout his life, not once had he been inside a health facility to be treated with any kind of medical problem. He'd never seen a hospital bed before either. Of course, the last time he had serious injury was treated by his mother at home at the age of ten at the expense of a biking accident, but even that may have been just as minor as his current injuries. It seemed like these ponies were over-concerned with his health. As for the flash memory, it left his mind in a convulsive way, causing his mind to go blank.

His eyelids began to flicker, then he suddenly slumped back in a complete loss in balance. Nurse Redheart and Applejack caught him before he could collapse to the floor. Andrew lost consciousness.

The nurse and farm pony looked at the unconscious stallion, then looked at each other.

“What in the hay jus' happened!?” Applejack asked.

“I'm not sure. Did he hit his head that might have caused a concussion?”

“Ah found him at the farm like this. He was hurt bad. Ah didn't see how.”

“Okay, let's get him on the bed and we'll get to work on him right away.”

Applejack and Nurse Redheart both carried Andrew onto the the nearest undisturbed hospital bed and set him down as gently as possible. As easy as a task it was to lift the fairly light unicorn to a safer and secure place, they had trouble with the clothes that covered most of his injured limbs.

“Wait right here, I'll get Nurse Sweetheart to help with determining his injuries.”

“What about a doctor?” Applejack wondered.

Before Nurse Redheart could respond, she already dashed out of the room, leaving the question unanswered. Applejack was beginning to sense an unnatural vibe in the air as if something didn't feel right about the hospital. She also thought what that meant for Andrew's condition, whether it was worse than they realized. Her gaze met with the sleeping face of Mr. Fera, pondering on what he said to her earlier. At first, she didn't believe a word from his little tale because she had never heard of some of the words that he spoke. She could tell he wasn't lying, but saw that it frightened him when they first made eye contact. Something was different about Andrew from the way he spoke and the items he wore on his body.

A few seconds later, Nurse Redheart strolled through the door. A light-purple Earth pony with purple and white mane followed after her, wearing a similar bun hat bearing the same symbol colors as that of the hospital itself.

“How bad is it?” Nurse Sweetheart said.

“Ah was hopin' y'all could tell me,” said Applejack.

“We'll take a look then,” said Nurse Redheart.

They examined the unconscious turquoise unicorn by attempting to remove the strange attire without adding more damage Andrew's body. They first took the gray bag off around his neck and gave it to Applejack. The farm filly let the nurses work and took the bag off to the side to examine it herself, trying to figure out how to open the darn thing to see what was inside. Next, the nurses slowly removed his pants that didn't quite fit and got tangled with his tail, but were relatively easy to slip off, setting them aside. The most tedious task came last with his garment on the upper torso. It struck both nurses as odd when they noticed equally sized bulges on each side of the stallion's body. They ignored it, thinking it was just excessive wrinkles due to the scale of the cloth draped over his body. They lifted Andrew's head to remove the shirt, but the next thing they saw made them freeze.

…

Applejack was preoccupied with trying to figure out a way to open the bag in front of her without ripping it apart when she heard a small squeal and light gasp behind her, followed by a heart-pounding silence. The thought of discovering some kind of life-threatening injury gave her chills.

She hesitated to turn around, but when she jerked herself a hundred and eighty degrees, she was met with two nurse ponies in complete shock. Applejack's head was below the height of the bed from her position, so she couldn't share the same level of astonishment. She frowned and motioned herself to her feet to get a glimpse of what frightened the nurses so much. Right then, she understood why when her eyes could not believe what they were looking at.

There, attached to the side of the unconscious body of her injured companion, was unmistakeably a feathered pegasus wing.

Applejack slowly stepped forward with her eyes fixed on the wing of a pegasus that seemed to be on the body of what appeared to her as nothing more than a unicorn a minute earlier. It shocked her to have observed the something that made Andrew strange from the very beginning. What made it shocking was the fact that he was a regular sized pony, no larger that herself. An alicorn this whole time? There must be a mistake. She shook her head to see if it was an illusion. It wasn't.

“What-” Applejack stopped herself as she was at a loss of words.

Both nurses were also at a loss of words as they simply stared at each other, then back at the peaceful face of the stallion where a horn was clearly visible. They couldn't believe what they found. Nor did Applejack want to admit what her eyes were looking at. Another feature that they noticed was the lack of a cutie mark. An alicorn with no cutie mark. There's no way.

Moments later, Nurse Redheart and Nurse Sweetheart quickly broke eye contact with the wing and continued to remove the shirt off Andrew completely and carefully began to move him into a more comfortable position. They set his head to rest on the pillow and covered him with the blanket of the hospital bed, deliberately covering his body up to the neck. Once finished, they turned to Applejack.

“Why- why didn't you tell us?” asked Nurse Redheart with a shaky voice.

“Ah didn't know,” Applejack denied. “Ah don't even think to poor fella knows either.”

“No?”

“He told me he was a unicorn when ah asked fer his name. He then told me 'bout what happened to him, but it made no sense. How can he call himself a unicorn when he ain't?”

Nurse Sweetheart and Nurse Redheart looked back at each other, then over to Andrew sleeping soundly on the hospital bed. The expressions on their faces showed empathy and sorrow for the stallion while their hearts pounded from an uncontrolled fearful concern. They didn't quite understand what they were dealing with, other than an injured alicorn with no other ponies to accompany him. If he was related to the royal sisters in any way, surely he'd have some guard pony following him around. None of it made sense to both nurses, and it made less sense to Applejack. It all happened without warning.

“So, what do we do?” Applejack pondered.

“I'm... not sure. Where did you say he came from?” said Nurse Redheart.

Applejack had listened to Andrew while he tried explaining his dilemma earlier, but didn't quite catch a name of a town or city where he came from.

“Ah don't know, he was talkin' so fast, ah didn't understand everythin',” Applejack shrugged.

“Okay. Well, we'll just treat his injuries regardless, and we'll make sure to take extra care.”

“Nothing to worry, dear,” said Nurse Sweetheart. “He'll be better in no time.”

Applejack wanted to stay by Andrew's side a little longer, but understood the nurses' intentions. She fully respected them to help Andrew out the best they can, but was a little cautious with trust. She just didn't want to leave him all alone.

“Alrighty then. Can y'all tell him ah'll be right back when he wakes up? Ah won't be long. Ah gotta see if mah friend Twilight knows anythin' 'bout this.”

“Of course, Miss Applejack,” replied Nurse Redheart.

Applejack left them to tend to Andrew's wounds and walked out of the room and down the hallway to the main lobby. Many thoughts flowed through her head now that a more important matter had presented itself. More important than her work at the farm. She didn't even get to tell her family where she had gone or why.

She paused at the front door and her gaze found a particular pegasus pony whizzing around outside through the round window. Almost instantly, she forgot what made her so concerned and made her way out the door to meet her speedy rival.

“Howdy there, Rainbow Dash,” she said.

The cyan pegasus finished a move she had gotten so good at perfecting and descended down to her orange friend.

“Oh hey, what's up Applejack? What are you doing here at the hospital?” Rainbow Dash cocked her head a bit.

“Ah was gonna ask ya the same thing.”

“Well, my new moves happen to take me here, I guess. Wait, are you here to see somepony? Is somepony hurt!?” Rainbow leaned in to Applejack's face with eyes slightly more open than before.

Applejack retracted in annoyance, stepping back to give herself some space. She was tempted to tell everypony she knew about her new friend Andrew, but had a hard time keeping it a secret. Keeping a secret is different from lying. The only ponies who knew where actually the ones who discovered it, but that was all. For all the times that a surprise like this came along, it wasn't so bad in the end, but she knew Andrew was a completely different kind of surprise.

“Uh.” Applejack looked away for a moment, “Ya, ah took in a hurt alic- … I mean, pony. Ah'm glad I was around to save him.”

“Oh good, you- … wait, save... him? Was it serious? And what do you mean you were 'around'?” Rainbow looked more suspicious than relieved. The thought of somepony in an accident that would have otherwise been worse if Applejack weren't 'around' was unsettling.

“Ah'm on mah way to Twilight's place,” said Applejack as she began to walk in the direction of the library. “Wanna come with?”

“Who is this pony?” Rainbow Dash said without motioning to follow Applejack. Instead she started toward the hospital. “Is he a friend of yours?”

Applejack turned around to notice her daredevil friend walking the opposite direction, then snapped back to block Rainbow's path.

“No no, he's all fine and dandy. Nothin' to worry about here, hehe. Ah'll tell ya 'bout it later. Jus' let the feller rest.” It wasn't exactly a lie, but it attacked her with guilt.

“Are you sure?” Rainbow squinted her eyes at the farm pony. Applejack managed a fake grin, but it was enough to fool her unimpressed friend. They both stared at each other for a moment before Rainbow Dash gave in. “Okay then. Where were you going again?”

“To see Twilight.”

“Oh, yeah, right, I haven't seen her all day. Might as well drop by.”

With that, both ponies headed off towards the center of Ponyville. Applejack couldn't help but think about Andrew and the details of what happened to him. Her belief in his story didn't change and neither did the truth.

*ZZAP!*

A bright light enveloped empty space on a dirt road where an intense magical spell instantaneously appeared out of nowhere. A second prior, there was still air, then as quickly as it came, a bright light flashed and gradually faded, revealing two unicorns and a dark blue alicorn.

Several flocks of bird flew off after the initial sound roared significantly louder than a conventional teleportation spell, but not enough to cause shatter windows. It simply caused temporary deafness. The ground shook and the displacement of air was just was Princess Luna predicted. Twilight Sparkle and Lyra Heartstrings lost some balance as they rematerialized, but maintained enough balance to stay on their hooves.

They took their time adjusting to the fatigue of reentry while Princess appeared unfazed, checking the environment for anything that might have gone wrong.

“Did it work?” said Twilight, keeping her eyes closed as her legs shook.

Lyra regained her composure to see that the spell worked better than she expected.

“Yes,” said Princess Luna.

Twilight slowly opened her eyes to see that everything was normal. Their arrival took them from Canterlot to Ponyville in a matter of seconds with no hiccups. She sighed in relief.

“Wow, Lyra! You were right.”

“It was nothing really,” Lyra blushed.

“Are you two alright?” Luna asked.

“I'm okay,” said Twilight.

“Me too.”

“Perfect,” Luna glanced down the road and found the entrance to the Apple farm. “First order of business is to stop by the Apple family and go on from there. Our priority now is to find exactly where the discharge occurred, with their permission of course.”

“Luna? May I run the library first to get a few things?” Twilight bluntly asked, feeling bad to have come unprepared.

“Request granted,” said Luna, feeling silly to have sounded so formal. “I will carry on with Lyra to Sweet Apple Acres. Join us there when you have what you need.”

“Sure thing, Princess. I won't be long.” Without a moment to lose, Twilight took off in the direction of Ponyville.

Twilight felt bad for leaving Princess Luna and Lyra behind for the investigation, but felt compelled to have a basis of information by her side. She ran down the dirt road that led her directly to Ponyville. It didn't take long for her to get there, but since the teleportation spell took a lot of energy out of her, it slowed her pace down significantly. She became exceedingly exhausted by the time she reached the edge of town where a few ponies wandered around. So exhausted in fact, she was ready to drop dead.

As she came to the first house, she slowed her pace to a trot, then to a walk, then even more so to the speed of a crawling foal. Hunger and dehydration also plagued her body, but only a few houses to go and she'd reach her home away from home. For what it's worth, her hopes on the unofficial case study on Lyra's connection to a non-existent being and the official investigation on an ancient magical mystery amazed her to no end. She had almost forgotten everything she had planned for the weekend and everything that occurred so far that day made sure of it.

Before long, she saw the large tree library ahead of her, just as she left in the morning. As long as-

“Twilight!”

A familiar voice from a distance called out to her before she could make it to the doorstep. She turned to find two of her friends, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, heading in her direction. A previous thought came back to her that caused her to freeze in place, yards from the front door of the library.

“Looks like we caught you just in time,” said Rainbow as she and Applejack stopped before the purple mare.

Twilight tried to hide her displeasure to meet more of her friends for the day, after being told not to tell them of anything about her current assignment. Things kept getting difficult for her at every turn.

“You alright?” Rainbow continued. “You don't look so good.”

Twilight took a deep breath, “I'm fine, I just came to borrow a few things.”

“But you live here. Why do you need to-”

“I'm sorry girls, I can't say anything more than that.”

“More than what?” said Applejack, now concerned. “Ah jus' came to ask ya somethin', but yer actin' stranger than usual. Now ya got me worried.”

“I'll tell you both when I'm done, I just need some things and then I'll be on my way.” Twilight turned around and used what little magic she had left to open the door and stepped inside.

“Where are you going?”

Twilight paused for a moment halfway through the door, then proceeded on inside with both her friends in tow. In Twilight's mind, every word she said made her two friends more suspicious of her actions. Every time she tried to work around a conversation by going off topic, her friends were consistent with bringing it back on topic to what was most important.

Applejack and Rainbow stood in the middle of the library with confused looks on their faces. They simply watched Twilight bounce all over the book shelves with interest. They grew worried that something bothered Twilight, and vice versa when Twilight noticed something bothered Applejack.

“Come on sugarcube, what is more important than yer friends?” Applejack asked as Twilight finished her last sweep of a shelf.

Twilight finished her detailed search by placing three books in her extra saddlebag, having left her main one back in Canterlot. She stopped before her friends to give them an honest answer.

“When you put it that way, nothing, but this is a little complicated at the moment. I'll tell you anyway.” Twilight took a long breath. “I'm here with Princess Luna and Lyra to investigate some weird magic, that's all. You might want to come with me Applejack because the Princess felt the strange anomaly at Sweet Apple Acres.”

This time, Applejack froze with what Twilight just told her. Her eyes locked on to the purple unicorn in realization of the importance of the alicorn stallion named Andrew she rescued from her farm. The purpose of getting to Twilight was to reveal him to her in the first place. It all came together somehow, but at the same time, didn't make her feel any better. Applejack simply began putting the pieces together. Most importantly, the appearance of Andrew with a dual visit from Princess Luna.

“S- so,” she blink profusely. “Ya said weird magic?”

“Yep.”

“Well, ya might wanna see what ah have to show y'all both.” Applejack looked at Rainbow Dash.

“Is this that pony you saved from-”

“Ya ya, ah told ya he's alright. Ah think ya might wanna come take a gander at it.”

“Can it wait?” Twilight said. “Perhaps you should come with me first since we are trying to look for signs of strange magic at your farm.”

“No no, y'all go on ahead, Twilight. Ah'll just stay here with Rainbow.”

“Hold on, can I tag along, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash begged.

“I don't know, I can't-.”

Almost immediately, the fast-flying pegasus darted out the door stirring up a strong gust of wind, blowing Applejack's hat off without letting Twilight finish. Applejack trotted outside in vexation to where her hat landed. Twilight followed and closed the door behind her. Her strength returned to normal after having a quick snack in the kitchen before looking for the books to put in her saddlebag. Even though it wasn't much, it was enough to keep her going for a few more hours.

“Ugh, never mind. So Applejack, can you quickly tell me what it is you wanted the show me?” Twilight asked.

“Oh, uh, maybe later” Applejack contemplated her options, but decided to have her friends complete their work before she'd tell them about Andrew. “Ya look busy, so when yer done, can ya meet me at the hospital?”

“The hospital?”

Andrew's head pounded, like someone took a bat and hit him over the head it. It was similar to the mental agony right before he teleported to the strange place with weird ponies and such, but the pain was bearable. He couldn't quite recall much of what happened before his collapse, only that he'd been aided to a hospital by an orange colored pony.

He slowly opened his heavy eyes. A spray of light caused him to squint just like every other time he blacked out, but this time, his vision was already functioning and the contour of a nurse pony stared back at him. He lay on his right side, facing the window that assaulted his eyes with light.

“Am I dead?”

“Far from it,” The nurse chuckled. “I'd say you're healthier than ever. Your wounds have healed completely. I never seen anything like it. You were... hurt pretty bad.”

“Thanks for reminding me,” he joked, feeling guilty for saying it in a mean way. The pink and white pony slumped back a little.

Andrew moved around in the bed sheet that covered his whole but his head. His form felt just as real as before he dropped unconscious. One thing that kept him from leaping straight off the bed was how cold he felt. Regardless of heat trapped under the sheets, the lack of cotton contacting his body was unnerving and uncomfortable. No clothes meant a cognitive reaction in being naked. Although, he noticed that the ponies he's seen so far did not wear clothes, which is understandable given that horses didn't use them. The only question that came back to mind was: What up with the colors of these ponies?

While helpless either way, he shuffled to his left to find his clothes folded neatly on a small table beside the bed and his gray duffel bag laying lifeless on the floor. To express his relief, he sighed and sat up.

“How are you feeling?” the nurse asked.

“Like hell. How long was I out?”

“Oh, uh, not long,” The nurse began shaking. “About half an hour. Would you, um, like me to get you anything?”

“My clothes would be nice. I don't want out of this bed until I put them back on,” he said.

“Uh, uh...” the white pony stammered, then bowed. “As- as you wish.”

“Why did you take them off anyway? You didn't have to take them all off. The pants could have stayed on.” Andrew looked at her devilishly.

“We- uh, thought you might have been hurt under them.”

The light-pink-maned pony paused for a moment. Andrew noticed her fear of him rose the more he spoke. Since his shirt and pants were just out of reach, the nurse slowly walked to the small table. She grabbed both articles of clothing with her mouth and carefully set them on top of him, holding her head down in a bow as she backed away. It struck Andrew as odd.

“If you don't mind, I like to dress with no one else in the room.”

“Oh! Of course. I'll leave you to it.” She bowed once again, then left the room rather quickly, shutting the door behind her.

Andrew was now alone. For the longest time, everything freaked him out since being transported to this... whatever this place is. He forgot the name already. Equal- ... something. The ponies, the hospital, the clouds in the sky, felt like something from a dream. Even in his earlier state of injury a half hour ago, he swore this place was what messed him up in the first place. After all, his unicorn pony form looks almost exactly like the nurse and the orange pony he met so far. Andrew stared at the door for a few more seconds just to finish up on his contemplation.

He hopped off the bed, sliding out of the sheet that covered his body. He contacted the floor on all four hooves – which he had gotten used to by now – and started to get his clothes back on. With the difficulty having no fingers, disproportionate shape of his body, and tail getting in the way, he decided to only put his shirt on. Unaware of the extra limbs that were attached to his torso, he slid the extra large long-sleeve shirt of with ease and walked over to a nearby mirror to see just how big it really was. It almost felt like a huge blanket on his back, but with leg holes. It was so large that it wrinkled up in several places, hiding the pegasus wings for which Andrew was completely oblivious to.

After looking at himself in the mirror for a while, the reflection staring back at him gave him a reality check. Reason for that was the thought of having to live with it for a few more hours, if not forever, just until someone had the answer as to why this happened to him and hopefully send him back. Andrew walked back to where he left his pants on the floor, which he picked up by mimicking how the nurse held them and placed them on back on the bed. Half clothed still felt weird, but he wasn't sure if he needed to be clothed anymore rightly assuming the society of tiny horses didn't wear anything. Finally he grabbed his bag with his teeth, and without any good way of opening it, wrapped it around his neck. He was ready to find out exactly what was going on.

Andrew pushed the door open and walked down the hall to the front waiting room. He was met by two nurses, one of them he recognized, and another pony. A unicorn with a doctor's outfit on. They were expecting him. Applejack was right, he wasn't the only unicorn.

“Hi,” Andrew began. “Thanks for everything, but I don't know if my mom's medical insurance works here. What do I do to check out?”

Without a word, all three of them simply bowed, to his surprise. An awkward silence filled the room for the fifth time since the start of the day.

“What I say?” Andrew's kept his head still, but his eyes bounced around the room.

“Oh, uh,” spoke the same white nurse with pink hair. “You don't need to check out, you are free to go whenever you like.”

“Just like that? No charge, I mean sure, insurance covers that, but like I said, I don't have any. My mom does, I think. There's gotta be more to it than that.” Andrew shrugged and started toward the door.

“Oh, wait, I almost forgot,” the white nurse stopped him before he could leave. “Applejack said she'd be back shortly. Do you want to wait for her?”

“I just wanna find out where I am first. I'd really like to stick around, but maybe I'll have some luck finding her around somewhere.” Andrew looked around the room one last time. “This place could use a little more... action. You know, for, uh... ponies, to come in with a warm welcome, unlike me.” He hesitated to say the words, but the whole time it was a joke to him and laughed as he finished talking.

Before any of the three medical ponies could stall his visit, Andrew slipped out the door and back outside, feeling totally awkward with that final statement. He was splashed with warm and calming air, as opposed to the chilly indoors of the hospital. It was the opposite of his own cold and wet neighborhood, where he apparently left his brother alone with his immature friends. That thought didn't make him feel any better, but the weather of where he was standing certainly helped a little. He couldn't quite explain the feeling, but everything seemed so peaceful, yet unreal around here, especially with the natives that turned out to be ponies. Reality was completely thrown out the window.

As his eyes scanned the surroundings, he found scattered houses that eventually clustered together in the distance. His only choice was to find someone that can tell him that he wasn't insane and everything was either a some level of dream, a bizarre setting for the afterlife, or both. Without second thoughts, he made his way towards the center of the small town.

As the number of houses grew, Andrew couldn't help but notice how European the exteriors appeared. Most of them looked the same, but a few stood out significantly. The hospital definitely had an old feel to it on the outside, but the interior was slightly more modern looking. The landscape was nice and the atmosphere didn't look like it was plagued with smog or pollutants. The clean smell of the country side in this strange place was noticeably different from that of central Missouri for which Andrew could recall was undoubtedly stale. Here, however, felt like a world untouched by man. There were no paved roads, no cars at all, no airplane trails in the sky, and especially, no people.

Andrew came up to a cylindrical light-purple building, two stories high. It was quite fancy and visually appealing with the amount of decorative ornaments on the outside. It appeared to be some sort of fashion business for its excessive design and architecture. He wondered what the inside looked like. Though, he didn't want to go barging into places in a foreign place demanding for answers. He didn't belong in this world. If there was a way to get back home, he'd do it in a heartbeat, but for now, he was flying blind.

For a few seconds, Andrew observed the structure and assumed the entrance to be on the opposite side. He took more caution, using a large tree for cover. He then quietly hugged to outer wall where he eventually reached the entry point. Just a quick peek, he thought. Before he could push the front door to peek inside, voices came so suddenly that he didn't have any time to react. The purple door swung open and hit him in the head.

*bop*

“Ow!” he complained, holding a hoof to his head and shuffling backwards.

“Oh no, I hit somepony,” said a young squeaky voice from behind the door as it recoiled back closed.

As Andrew backed away from the danger of being struck again, three tiny heads of three different colors slowly poked out from behind the door, one after the other, and started scanning their surroundings. Only one of the heads revealed a horn, but the rest were normal. As soon as the eyes of their small faces met those of a unicorn stallion standing off to their left, just feet from the door, they instantly jolted out of their hiding spots and ran to his side.

“We're so sorry, mister,” started the small white unicorn in an adorably sweet voice. “We didn't know you were there.”

Another staring contest began as the three young ponies waited for forgiveness. Andrew stumbled over words in his mind of what to say to the tiny things standing before him. Unsuspecting to the ponies, he inspected them, top to bottom. They were unmistakeably children that were no older than ten, maybe eleven. Each pony was brightly colored, perfectly groomed, and had different hairstyles. One had a sort of spiky style while another had the complete opposite. The white pony had a small horn on its head, further verifying the older farm pony's claim of more unicorns. Each of them where wearing a sort of cape tied around their necks with a symbol of a yellow pony figure on a solid blue shield. They weren't exactly clothes, but looked pretty neat to Andrew.

“Um, hi,” he said.

“Howdy,” said the yellow one with a red ribbon tied into a bow on her head. She had Southern accent, strikingly familiar to Applejack.

“Are you alright?” continued the orange one, a slightly darker tone than that of Applejack.

“I'm fine,” Andrew forced a smile. “I was just, uh, I was- uh... … never mind.”

“Did you come to see Rarity for advice on your fashion statement?” the white pony giggled, noticing the single piece of clothing Andrew had on.

“Sweetie Belle, don't be rude,” retorted the yellow pony while nudging her slightly with a hoof.

“Sorry, Applebloom, I didn't mean it.”

“Wait, Aaappleblooom? Do you by any chance know someone named Applejack?” said Andrew.

“Well sure, she's mah big sister,” Applebloom said with large grin painted on her face.

“I was kinda looking for her. Do you know where she is?” he asked.

“She should be at Sweet Apple Acres helpin' with the apple harvest.”

“But she brought me to the hospital earlier. I don't remember much, but the nurses said she'd be back soon, she's been gone a while. I thought I'd find her somewhere around here. She couldn't have gone far.”

“Oh, should we go look for her for you?” said Sweetie Belle. “How about it, Cutie Mark Crusaders?”

Andrew's face went from optimistic to downright confused.

“Cutie what?”

15. Fable

[Chapter 15]

Fable

With Rainbow Dash tagging along with Twilight for some secret mission, Applejack was eager to get back to the hospital to check up on Andrew. She trotted in the direction of the medical building at a speedy pace, but was stopped by a shy yellow pegasus heading in the opposite direction.

“Oh, uh, hi Applejack,” said the sensitive pony in a very delicate voice. Applejack couldn't just ignore her shy friend.

“Howdy there, Fluttershy.”

“Have you seen Twilight today?” Fluttershy asked. “I stopped by the library, but she wasn't there.”

“Oh, ah have. She's, uh, busy... with somethin'. What ya wanna see her for?”

“Oh, um, I was going to borrow a book.” Fluttershy paused. “Are you in a hurry? I'm bothering you, am I?”

Applejack didn't know what to say to cut the conversation short without hurting the sensitive pony's feelings.

“Ah- ah'm fine, ah was just on mah way to the hospital.”

Fluttershy gasped. “Oh my. Is somepony hurt? Is it bad? Can I come?” She looked away, embarrassed to have asked so much of her friend. Applejack knew that Fluttershy wasn't the kind of pony that spread rumors like Pinkie Pie and decided to let her tag along the same way Rainbow did with Twilight.

“Of course, sugarcube. Ah have to warn ya, this here pony ain't no normal pony.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Follow me and ah'll show ya.”

Applejack and Fluttershy were relatively close to the hospital with respect to the library, so it was a short walk. As always, Fluttershy refused the use of her wings like that of her energetic friend Rainbow Dash, but for some reason had a strange feeling for what she had gotten herself into. It scared her to think of what Applejack meant by 'not normal' and was afraid to find out just what made the farm pony so persistent to visit the hospital.

They reached the entrance of the large building where they found more medical ponies than usual. It was almost like an epidemic had spread since Applejack was last here, but oddly enough, there were no patients, or very few ponies being treated for health problems at the very least. They slowly entered the front door. A sea of nurses and doctors made the place come to life. Something was definitely up.

Applejack found Nurse Redheart and trotted over to her with Fluttershy close behind, weaving around ponies here and there.

“Nurse Redheart,” she said. “What's with all the commotion?”

“That nice alicorn, Andrew, told us to liven up the place. So we did just that.”

Fluttershy perked her ears up at Nurse Redheart's slip of the tongue with a keen concentration on the word alicorn. Instead of burying herself him her soft pink mane, she stood with an interested stance, but remained silent.

“Where is he?” Applejack asked, concerned.

“He went out looking for you. He was determined to find you. Some pony you found.” Nurse Redheart rolled her eyes. Even though she was afraid of Andrew at the time, she was beginning to believe Applejack's story of not being any regular pony of two reasons, his behavior and appearance. She also perceived a peculiar sense of humor from the young alicorn and let her fears subside.

“Y'all let him leave?” Applejack said, a little annoyed and puzzled on how he managed to get up and walk out so quickly.

“Of course. He said he was feeling fine and all his injuries already healed.”

“Who is this pony you are talking about?” said Fluttershy, slumping back from being so direct, but continued. “You said somepony called Andrew. Who is he?”

“Yes dear,” Nurse Redheart began to say. “Our most recent patient Andrew was surprisingly a-”

“Okay, Nurse,” Applejack interrupted with a nervous smile. “Ah think ah can take it from here. Ah'll tell her mahself. But first, where did ya say he went?”

“He didn't, he just sort of wandered out. He might be in Ponyville.”

Applejack's pupils dilated. She began to realize her mistake seeping through to her mind and take over her emotion of anxiety. The first thing she wanted to do was sprint out the door and search for Andrew, but she didn't want to be disrespectful by ending a conversation so abruptly.

“Alrightly then. Um, thanks fer everythin' and take care of them ponies.” Applejack managed a convincing smile to hide her panic. “Come on, Fluttershy, let's go find a friend.”

“Okay,” she replied, still uncomfortable with the amount of ponies running around the hospital lobby.

As soon as Fluttershy got her act together, she and Applejack left the busy medical building where the noise was substantially reduced that made Fluttershy more mellow. Applejack picked up the pace, but Fluttershy was slow to catch up on her legs. She caught up to her orange friend using her wings, floating mere inches off the ground. Although the pink-maned pegasus was reluctant to use her wings for anything, her motivation was the fact that something bothered Applejack that made her running around Ponyville, looking for some peculiar pony named Andrew.

“Where are we going?” Fluttershy asked in a loud whisper.

“Ah don't know. Anywhere ah guess.” Applejack kept her eyes pealed with every turn she made down every main street, but had no luck of spotting a hard-to-miss alicorn... unicorn... pony. She still had trouble wrapping her head around that fact that her day was becoming something of a burden.

The both of the stopped to take a breath and Fluttershy glanced down the street where Carousel Boutique came into view. They had apparently went in a circle the long way because the boutique was the closest business structure to the hospital.

“Why don't we ask Rarity if she saw this pony?”

“Good idea.” Applejack took another short breath before continuing on with a normal trotting pace. Fluttershy followed.

“What does he look like?”

“He, uh... well, ah'll tell ya when ah ask Rarity.”

They came up to the dress shop and pushed the purple door open. With Fluttershy so close behind Applejack, the door swung back into place and trapped part of her pink tail between the the door and the frame, tripping her up and causing her to fall to the floor.

*thud*

Applejack heard the fall and turned around to find her fragile friend on the ground, face first into the floor.

“Y'alright sugarcube?” she said, walking her side to lend a helping hoof. Fluttershy was in a slight pain, but laughed it off for how clumsy an act it was.

“I'm okay.”

“Applejack? Fluttershy? How lovely of you girls to drop by at this hour.” Rarity's voice echoed through the room as she walked in from another room. She immediately noticed her pegasus friend on the floor. “Fluttershy, darling, what are you doing on the floor?”

Fluttershy giggled. “I tripped, but I'm fine.”

“Howdy do, Rarity. We jus' came by to ask ya somethin',” said Applejack.

“Of course. What do you need?”

“Have ya seen a certain ali-... pony 'round these parts? He's a blue-green feller with some weird clothes on and a gray pack, sound familiar?”

“What sort of uncanny clothes do you speak of?” Rarity's attention was grabbed by the mention of weird clothes. The determination in Applejack's voice also contributed to her response for specifics and increased interest.

“Ah've never seen them kinds of robes of his before, it jus' look like a two-piece dress or somethin'. But a stallion don't wear dresses. Have ya seen anypony with them?”

“Only the most sophisticated and formal of ponies, yes,” Rarity corrected, avoiding the obvious question. “Tell me, where did this pony get these... robust designs?” She twirled her hoof in a circular motion, finding the right word to suit the mental picture of the stallion that Applejack was so eager to find, with large legs and handsome physique.

“Ah don't know, they ain't that stylish, but please, Rarity, have ya seen him or not?” Applejack demanded in a slightly rude and annoyed tone. Rarity noticed the anger and took a step back. “Sorry, Rarity, it's jus' that ah need ta know where he is.”

“I'm sorry, too. I'm afraid I haven't. I've been in here working on a new dress design all day, but I was interrupted by my sister and her two friends not too long ago. They wanted to make some costumes with the use of my fabrics, but I politely refused because I need it all for a monstrous order for next week. They left about, I'd say, ten minutes ago? I overheard them talking to somepony outside. They said they'd search for you for him, Applejack.”

“Me?”

“Oh most certainly. Those girls are always uptight. I could hear them talking to this somepony, but I had to get back to my work and didn't have time to see who it was. I've just completed the finishing touches of my marvelous designs, all I must do is sew them together.”

“That could be him,” said Fluttershy. “We could go look for the girls, if that's alright with you.” She turned to face Applejack.

“Another good idea, Fluttershy.”

Applejack and Fluttershy gave their last words to Rarity – who went back to work on her special order that took her Saturday away – and headed out the door on the hunt for three little fillies with a good chance of finding Andrew tagging along with them.

Shortly after her friends left the Boutique, Rarity's curiosity peaked from Applejack's display of determination in her eager ponyhunt, which by her friend's description, was possibly a stallion from out of town. That gave her an idea.

“Wait up, Rainbow Dash, I can't run that fast.”

“But you said you were in a hurry.”

“I know, but I need a break.” Twilight came to a dead stop, panting.

The high-flying cyan pegasus did a loop around in the sky before touching down next to Twilight for a quick rest. The only pony who didn't seem to mind the journey was Rainbow, having nothing else to accomplish for the day. Twilight, however, had her hooves full and was in the process of disappointing Princess Luna for her lengthy duration to acquire some reference books that she ran all the way the library to get, only to think of more of herself and not of who was most important. Lyra. She also felt uneasy for abandoning Lyra, even for as long as fifteen minutes. Twilight's decisions where getting more complicated by the second.

“Whew, you really had to run to Ponyville for some books?” said Rainbow.

“Yes.” Twilight took a final breath, then returned to a calm state for once. “I thought it would be a waste if we found something and I had nothing to base it on. That way, our investigation will be much easier.”

“So what's with this investigation thingy anyways? Are you spying on somepony?”

“No. It's secret enough that Princess Celestia wanted to keep from ponies.”

“Then how did YOU find out?”

“I didn't. The Princess called me over to Canterlot to talk to me and Lyra about it.”

“You went all the way to Canterlot and back? Today?” Rainbow's eyes grew, impressed. “But it's hardly mid-afternoon.”

“Yeah, I was there about five minutes before you found me. Can you believe it?” Twilight impressed herself with that statement.

“But how did-”

“Teleportation spell.”

“Really!? That far?”

Before Twilight explained, she pressed on along the side of the Apple farm with Rainbow Dash followed suit without flying off. They continued down the dirt path that leads out of Ponyville, but also contains the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight couldn't remember the exact location where she arrived with Luna and Lyra.

“Yes.” Twilight began. “Princess Luna is one of the very few ponies who are powerful enough to use the teleportation spell to make the trip that far. Lyra and I helped contribute to the magic so the spell could work with the three of us.”

“Where's Spike? I didn't see him at the library?” Rainbow Dash noticed the absence of a certain reptilian assistant by Twilight's side when in the library, but didn't think too much of it.

“He's... with Pinkie Pie. They're both still in Canterlot. We-”

“You said no pony else knew about that secret thing that Celestia covered up.”

“She didn't cover it up, she just kept anypony else from finding out by-” Twilight paused. “Okay, maybe she did cover it up, but she did it in the best interest of all ponies. Apparently, it's hard to keep secrets from Pinkie Pie. She found out where I was and followed me there.”

“She asked me where you were and I said I didn't have a clue, but that was early this morning. She said you didn't say where you were going.”

“She's right, I didn't.”

“Why?”

“I was told not to.”

Raindow Dash snickered. “So it comes back to this secret mission again, eh?”

“Yes.”

As soon as Twilight responded with a simple answer by turning her head away from Rainbow Dash, she caught sight of three figures through the thickness of the trees, beyond the white wooden fence that separated the road from the apple orchard. She ran to the fence, cutting off the rainbow pegasus from walking any further, catching her off guard.

“Rainbow Dash,” Twilight called over to her annoyed friend, whom was reluctant to acknowledge the purple unicorn sat first, but let it go. “You're welcome to tag along if you want. You don't have to.”

“Thanks, Twilight, I won't. Even though you told me all about your day, it's kinda boring. I'll see ya later.”

With that, the sonic-flying pony took off with great velocity and disappeared into the sky. Twilight simply shook her head with a smile and turned her head back the to the farm where she saw Princess Luna and Lyra, as well as Big Macintosh. They were apparently heading in the direction of Ponyville, but cutting through the entire orchard wasn't really ideal. Twilight lit up her horn with what little magic she had left and teleported away.

Big Mac led Princess Luna and Lyra Heartstrings through the apple orchard to look for both Applejack and evidence of magical distortions that only Luna could detect. The conversation between the Apple family was rather short because the only pony available was Big Macintosh, but he didn't say much. Granny Smith was taking a nap, Applebloom was in Ponyville, and Applejack was believed to be still working on harvesting apples. They were on their way to find Applejack.

“Are you sure she's out here somewhere?” asked Lyra.

“Eeyup,” said Bic Mac in his usual response.

*zap*

Suddenly, a small burst of energy, followed by an static crackling noise was heard behind the group. They all turned around to find Twilight Sparkle in an extremely exhausted state, like she was ready to drop dead. She wobbled in place for couple seconds from the weight of the saddlebags holding three heavy books, then shook her head, wiping a funny look on her face.

“Ah, Twilight Sparkle,” said Luna. “I see you found what you were looking for.”

“Not really, just a few necessities.”

“Are you sure you're okay, Twilight?” Lyra said with increased concern, trotting her side.

“I'm fine, just a little tired, that's all.” All three ponies knew that the purple unicorn was in more bad shape than she wanted to admit, but remained silent and worry later if it got too serious. “So, where do we go from here.”

“We are in search of dear Applejack and anything else that looks out of place,” Luna stated. “So far, we have not found either.”

“I have.” Twilight took another breath, feeling better to proceed with talking. “Applejack is in Ponyville. She came by the library the same time I got there. Talk about timing.” She rolled her eyes.

Big Mac seemed surprised by this. Applejack always gave him a heads of up if she were to take off somewhere. He did not know where she went or when it was she felt the need to leave her work unfinished. A bunch of the apple trees in their current sector were left unbucked.

“Is she alright?” Bic Mac asked.

“Oh yes, she's fine, but she wanted to show me something important.” Twilight paused in anticipation for a response, but didn't leave time for one. “At the hospital. I thought you might want to know.”

Big Mac's heart sank a little more the moment Twilight finished speaking. The thought that either an Apple family member was housed there, enough to pull Applejack of her work without time to tell her big brother about it and head of to the hospital.

“Do you think we should postpone this for later?” said Lyra. She turned to the midnight blue alicorn standing right next to her. “Luna?”

The Night Princess did not respond, nor did she make any movements for a few moments when the three other ponies stared at her. Twilight figured a light nudge would break her of the apparent trance.

“Huh?”

“What's wrong Luna?” said Twilight.

“Oh, we are close to the origin of the discharge. It is not too far into the orchard, I can felt it,” she explained.

“Are you sure we're allowed to-” Twilight paused mid sentence again. “...never mind.”

“Y'all go on,” said Big Mac in his deep voice. “Find what ya need. Ah'm goin' to have a word with mah sister.”

He ended without allowing for rebuttal and started towards the perimeter fence. Lyra and Twilight watched him leave for bit and began to follow Princess Luna as she continued along the gridlock of apple trees. They came across a few tree where apples had fallen off the branches. It was the first sign of proof they needed to confirm Luna's suspicions of recent magical activity.

The three magic manipulating ponies followed the distinct pattern of trees where more and more apples fell to the floor like some kind of earth tremor shook the landscape, but with limited range. Each of them avoided squishing any of the rotten apples, stepping over and around them, occasionally pushing some out of the way. After a few minutes of hopscotching over apples, they finally came to a clear, fresh patch of dirt surrounding a single tree that appeared violently disturbed recently by some means.

Princess Luna scanned the space for the slightest hint of anypony around, but found none. She and her two assistants made an effort to recreate what the most likely scenario based on the scene. Twilight took out a book from her saddlebag entitled Detective 101, which was the only book she brought that was explicitly helpful, and began scanning the pages while making a few observations. Lyra walked a little bit further towards the white perimeter fence, noticing two sets of tracks leading away to the road. Luna simply stood in place with her eyes closed trying to evaluate the type of magic and hopefully pinpoint the origin of the faint energy field, but came up short of nowhere. The only lead she had had faded. They were too late.

“Do we have anything yet?” Lyra asked as she returned from wandering off the beaten track.

“Well,” Twilight began. “Somepony definitely made an impact in this direction into the tree, but I can't tell how fast the pony was going.”

“Is that really important to know?” Lyra said.

“I guess not. I found these.” Twilight levitated a small ball of white fibers. “That somepony had some kind of clothing on. These are not hairs off a mane if you look close enough.”

“Who do they belong to?”

“How should I know?”

“Okay, well this check this out, I found two sets of hoof prints heading toward the fence over there.” Lyra pointed behind her. “Should we follow them?”

“Not yet.”

“Yes.” said Luna without taking her eyes from staring off into the distance.

“But we just got here,” Twilight argued.

“Lyra's right,” Luna explained. “Whoever was teleported here had some help leaving the orchard. I am assuming our friend Applejack knows where that pony may be and could take us to this pony. I think it's best we finish up here. Besides, we have no leads other than those tracks.”

Twilight was barely getting her head wrapped up in the scene that was presented, but it seemed like the Princess wasn't exactly concerned for the effect of what happened, and rather more focused on the cause. Unsure of how to respond, Twilight remained silent and went ahead with Luna's suggestive orders.

Lyra ran ahead to find exactly where the tracks stopped at the fence while Luna and Twilight took some time to catch up. Since she felt so close to something that excited her, she couldn't help but be the leader. As much as Lyra wanted the same thing as the Princess, the idea that her life was influenced by something similar and just as mysterious had boosted her morale. Her last guess was that they'd find an actual human being with enough knowledge to have a decent conversation with. But it was just a thought that only Lyra desired to be true. It pained her to have to move at such a slow pace in order to find out and the wait started to eat at her patience.

“Where are we?” Andrew broke the silence that started to linger on the group of fillies, leading the way through town. Sweetie Belle slowed her pace and walked beside him to answer.

“You sure are a strange pony,” she said.

“Thanks for telling me that,” Andrew said, implying sarcasm. “I'm getting used to this body, even though I don't really want to. I just want to go home.”

The two other ponies in front stopped walking and turned around to face Andrew, bring the group to a halt.

“Ah thought ya was looking fer mah sister?” Applebloom asked.

“You didn't tell us you wanted to go home,” said Scootaloo.

“That's the thing, I don't know where home is,” Andrew stated.

All three fillies lightly gasped. This whole time, they were helping a lost pony through the streets of Ponyville in search of Applejack. To Andrew, it was a little more complicated than that. Of course, neither of the little fillies were truly aware of the full picture. They were simply on a mission to earn their cutie marks for which they explained to Andrew, but he didn't understand what they were saying.

“Where did you come from?” Sweetie Belle looked up into Andrew's eyes.

“Never mind, I said too much already.” Andrew took a step before being stopped by Scootaloo.

“Aw c'mon, just tell us.” she said. “You said you just wanna go home, but don't know where you are, so maybe we can help you find your way back. What's the name of the place?”

Andrew looked at each of the eager tiny ponies, all nodding simultaneously. Not much disagreement between these colorful ponies, he thought. He gave them a weak smile.

“You probably won't know if I tell you, but it tell you anyways. Does Missouri sound familiar to you?”

Each face of the ponies turned from empathetic to confused.

“So you're here out of misery?” said Sweetie Belle.

Andrew closed his eyes, held his head down, and and laughed under his breath. The joke was getting old.

“Okay, let's try something else. What about America, United States, or Planet Earth? Any of those ring any bells?”

Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo each kept eye contact with Andrew as they quietly shook their heads. They have never heard of those places before and now that they have, it peeked their interest to know more about where Andrew true place of origin.

“Where are those places? One of those names sounds like Equestria,” said Scootaloo.

“Yeah, maybe if we find a pony around here who knows, then we might be able to get you home,” suggested Sweetie Belle. “Come on, let's see if Twilight knows.”

“Twilight? You mean like the book?” Andrew had a smeared look upon his face.

“No silly,” Sweetie Belle giggled. “Twilight is not a book, she's the most powerful and smartest unicorn we know.”

“Oooh. But the name 'Twilight' doesn't sound like a name to me. It's just a word. You know, the time of the day just before dark and just after sunset?”

“You really don't know much, do you?” Scootaloo said.

“Don't be rude, Scoots,” Applebloom poked her pegasus friend. “This pony ain't from 'round here. We're jus' tryin' to help this feller get on home.”

“I know, but there's just something odd about-”

Scootaloo was cut off by another nudge from her yellow companion standing right beside her. She let out a hardly audible sound to voice her displeasure, but gave Applebloom a contempt, yet friendly look.

“I've been thinking the same thing,” Andrew agreed. “Say, let's give this Twilight person, or pony, a visit, eh?”

He nodded and started walking in a direction that made the other ponies stop after several steps. Unaware for a few seconds, he took in the sights of the old-style village. Everything he saw ensured the lack of modern society or any sign of humans to be seen. The only sentient beings that were around were small talking horses with accents, hair dye, and, um, those cutie mark things the little fillies talked about.

Andrew noticed the tiny ponies weren't following him with no sound of hoofsteps but his own. He realized that he was apparently the only one leading the way in a random direction, assuming it wasn't the right direction with they way the ponies stopped walking.

“I'm going the wrong way, aren't I?” he called out as all four of them closed the gap between them.

“The library is this way,” said Sweetie Belle pointing in a completely different direction with a foreleg.

“Oh... right. Lead the way.”

The cobblestone streets were difficult for Andrew to navigate, stumbling over a few uneven surfaces as he and three young ponies walked through the center of Ponyville. In addition to watching his step, Andrew scanned the surrounding centers where several residential houses were founded. As far as he could tell, the town was completely populated by conscious ponies of all colors of the visible light spectrum. As the group passed by each pony, most often a unicorn, they were met with occasional glances of curiosity. Because he was neither pony nor knew how to act like one, he didn't say a word nor made eye contact with any of them. He tried to lay low and not draw to much attention that would lead to heightened suspicion.

The ponies that did stare at Andrew, few of them did so with an intimidated-like gaze that also scared him in the process. He began to feel uneasy and stupid for casually walking through the center full of weird looking miniature horses, living in a peaceful old-style village in an unimaginable fantasy-like world. He felt a little intimidated and threatened the look the inhabitants gave him, but overly accepted by how the medical ponies at the hospital treated him and the nice group of tiny fillies he just met. Before long, a large shadow draped over their heads as they came up an enormous tree.

“We're here,” said Sweetie Belle.

In front of them was an enormous tree. Andrew inspected every aspect of the tall plant, noticing windows and things that unlabeled it as an ordinary tree.

“Where is here?” he asked.

“The Ponyville Public Library of course,” Applebloom answered.

“In a tree?”

“Yeah,” Scootaloo uttered. “Isn't it cool?”

“If you say so.”

Scootaloo simply shrugged, then walked up to the small door.

*knock knock knock*

…

Seconds that passed turned into several. They waited for what took too long to answer the door.

“Maybe she isn't home,” Andrew suggested.

“Hmm...” Applebloom pondered. “She can't be anywhere else. Last ah saw her was yesterday.”

Each of them looked at each other and shrugged. They were out of obvious options and were slow to think of another. Andrew was clueless, regardless of what other ideas the fillies could come up with to help him out. Pretty much nothing in this new world was helpful to Andrew, other than a trip to the hospital. As helpless as he was, every minute that went by made him more curious. His stomach growled.

“You know where a guy can get some food around here?”

“Uh, yeah,” Sweetie Belle began. “Do you want to visit Sugarcube Corner? You can try the best cupcakes in Equestria made by none other than Pinkie Pie.”

“Sure, why not? I could use some sugar.”

“Follow us,” said Scootaloo as all three ponies started walking the opposite direction.

As much as Andrew wanted to deny everything to be a reality, he'd have to make sure if he was truly dreaming or dead if the sweets they served tasted right. If not, then surely enough there would be no there reason to live. If either bacon or chocolate didn't taste right here, he'd prefer to starve to death.

They back tracked the same way they came until a large candy-decorated building came into view, the one building that stood out to Andrew as the most child-like in appearance. The roof looked like that of a ginger bread house with a tall observation room of some sort, shaped like a cupcake with candles on top. However, for something so diverse and complex as candy and cake, the building didn't have much variety on the outside. He wasn't too optimistic for what lay on the inside.

A distinct, strong smell of fresh pastries filled the air as they neared the entrance. Andrew's craving for sugar grew substantially with every whiff of the baked flour to hit his nose. The bakery like doors were the only things standing between him and bliss. The group entered to sugar-coated building and were soon met with an extremely hyper pink pony who was unusually more happy than her normal self.

16. Totem

[Chapter 16]

Totem

With the day approaching mid-afternoon in Ponyville, the slow day should have made it easy for Applejack to find the pony she was looking for. Half past four wasn't exactly a time like the middle of the night, but there were significantly less ponies out and about than a weekday. It was a Saturday after all. Most ponies stayed home. Fluttershy felt determined to stick with her eager friend while they wandered aimlessly around town. So far they had no luck in finding a pony that stood out from the rest, even though Fluttershy didn't know what the pony looked like.

“Maybe somepony else around here can tell us? Why don't we ask them?” Fluttershy suggested.

“Good thinkin', Fluttershy.”

They stood in a fairly active street and scan their immediate vicinity for a familiar face rather than a pony they didn't know so well. Soon enough, Applejack saw a pale-green Earth pony carrying two baskets of flowers strolling down the opposite side of the road, just within earshot.

“Hey Junebug!” Applejack shouted, just enough to get her attention.

The tangerine-maned pony stopped in her tracks and turned her head to see who it was that called her name. Sure enough, she found a certain orange farm pony waving her over and a yellow pegasus standing by her side. She promptly trotted over to the two mares, wondering what the .

“Hello, Applejack, Fluttershy. You called?”

“Howdy, Junebug, how are them flowers bloomin' today?”

“Oh, ya know, the same as usual,” she replied. “You?”

“Same. Listen, ah was wonderin' if y'all seen a strange lookin' feller come through here recently.” Applejack really didn't need to give details of Andrew's appearance because the way he dressed would have definitely gotten him some looks.

Junebug put a hoof to her chin. “Oh yeah! I have actually. The one with the big cape on and gray saddlebag?”

“Yeah, that's him.”

“Bon-bon and I saw him following three fillies by the market not too long ago. I think they were headed to the library. He looked a little intimidating to me, but Bon-bon thought otherwise.”

“Three fillies? Rarity was right,” Applejack said to herself. “You said the library?”

“Yes, that way.” Junebug gestured a hoof towards the center of town.

“Thanks fer everythin', Junebug, y’all been a great help.”

“No problem... Oh wait! Do you mind if I ask who he is?” Junebug's expression turned curious.

“Come again?” Applejack stopped before she was about to take off running.

“I mean, if it's not too much to ask, he just seemed like an unusual pony. Bon-bon told me he looked an awful lot like her other friend. She just wants to know his name, maybe meet him sometime.”

“I, uh... well, he's not what he seems. How 'bout ah tell y’all 'bout him later, okay. Ah gotta run. C'mon Fluttershy.” Applejack and her pegasus friend began walking away. More guilt tugged at Applejack in the form of a dry throat.

“Fair enough. Catch you later, Applejack,” Junebug cried out, waving from behind.

Applejack's persistence to find Andrew and now her sister Applebloom was fuel by doubt. Her mind raced and her legs carried out their orders of reaching her strange friend before anything went wrong. A little after the halfway point to large hollow tree in the distance, she had suddenly remembered that Twilight had unofficially closed the library for the day. She was on their tracks until that very thought slipped up that cased her to halt her speedy trot, with Fluttershy close behind.

“What is it?” Fluttershy asked.

“Hmm.” Applejack looked around, but still no sight of Applebloom and her friends, let alone Andrew. “They ain't there, Twilight done close that place up today and we both know it.” She paused and exhaled a breath that developed after a combination of thinking and running. “Wheeew, ah'm more tired than Bic Mac on a Wednesday afternoon.”

Speaking of which, as soon as Applejack mentioned her brother's name, the pony that came running up to them was, coincidentally, Big Macintosh himself, much to her surprise. He was apparently almost out of breath.

“Big Mac!?”

“There y'ar lil sis,” he said. There was a pause. He noticed the shy pegasus behind Applejack, waving to him. He waved back.

“What are ya doin' here?”

Big Mac looked at her with a serious face. “Ah be the one ta ask y’all that, seein' how y’all take off without no say.”

“Oh, er, sorry brother, ah had ta help a... friend. It was urgent.”

“Everythin' alright?” Big Mac asked.

“Eeyup,” Applejack said a bit nervously.

“Anythin' ah should worry about?”

“Nope.”

A brief pause between the two as they stared each other in the eye. Applejack was unsure of her brother's attitude, seeing how his face was expressionless. Her tension was released when he smiled.

“Hehe, all this lookin' for mah new friend and ah'm starvin'. C'mon Fluttershy, let's head on down to Sugarcube Corner.” She looked at Big Mac who's reaction didn't shift from her change in subject. “Yer welcome to join us.”

“Eh, why not?” he shrugged. “Ya had run mah flank here fer nothin'.”

They weren't very far from the sweet shop. Only a couple rows of houses to Sugarcube corner. Their stroll there was nothing but an awkward silence and no eye contact. A certain sugary, sweet smelling, pastry riddled structure came into view. They trotted up to the front entrance, up the violet steps, and stopped before the front door. Oddly enough, the magenta doors were closed when the shop was usually open at that time.

Applejack raised her hoof to give it a proper knock.

Andrew finally got his duffel bag open after a couple minutes of staring at the darn thing on a circular table while the little fillies chatted non stop to the very hyper, very loquacious pink pony that introduced herself so very rapidly, causing his mind to go blank. While carefully inspecting each of its contents, he thought of the conversation minutes earlier, which went something like this:

Pinkie Pie:
“Hi! My name's Pinkie Pie! I've never seen you before, and if I've never seen you before, then that
means you're new around here. If you're new around here, then that means you need a new friend, and the best way to do that is with a 'super-duper-special-awesome-welcome-to-Ponyville-and-your-new-bestest-best-friend-Pinkie-Pie' PARTY!”

Andrew:

… …

Sweetie Belle:
“Hi Pinkie, we just came by to give our new friend here something sweet to eat.”

Pinkie Pie:
“Oh, that is so nice of you girls. Say, let's see what we have for today. We got cupcakes, cookies, chocolate cake, pie, muffins, more cupcakes. Anything for the new pony.”

Scootaloo:
“Take your pick... uh... hey, we didn't actually ask you your name.”

Andrew:
“Huh? Oh, yeah, it's Andrew. I- uh, I... don't know. I think I'm going mad again.”

Applebloom:
“Why you say that?”

Andrew:
“I don't know, maybe it's just that she *points at Pinkie* pulled a tray of cupcakes out of nowhere. Just... what?”

Sweetie Belle:
“She's just being Pinkie Pie.”

Andrew:
“Okay...?”

Pinkie Pie:
“How about these?”

From what Andrew could tell, his mind was blown a second time when the prancing pony pulled out another batch of blueberry muffins from behind her back. There was clearly nothing there a moment prior, like some kind of magic trick. A good one at that. He leaned to one side to check behind the pony, finding nothing that could conceal a metal tray of that size, or anything for that matter. He did, however, notice a mark on her backside. Balloons? Probably had something to do with parties. Makes sense... kinda sorta. The best part (or worst part) was how the muffins were free of charge. He began thinking why everyone was far too generous in this inter-dimensional place. He didn't belong here. He was a stranger.

He kindly accepted the offer. The best decision he made since running into that tree at the farm. Perhaps the ONLY good decision since landing in this foreign place. They were simply THE most tasty pastries he had ever tasted in his entire life. The flavor was indescribable. No other muffins tasted so blissful. Time seemed to slow down with each bite.

Andrew's mind was on the conversation and the blueberry muffin, so he apparently spaced out when the first item he slid out of bag onto the table was instantly grabbed by the Pinkie Pie and underwent a thorough examination with the other little ponies. They kept staring at the black iPod Touch, wondering it was and what it did. Andrew chuckled and turned to inspect the rest of his bag.

Seconds later, before Andrew could check everything (having already confirmed good condition for his sunglasses, hat, and iPod), three knocks came from the front door. Pinkie Pie sprung into action and greeted the arrivals, opening the door with a hoof (a feat Andrew did not understand).

“Hi Applejack!”

“Howdy Pinkie,” said a familiar voice in a Southern accent. Andrews gaze shot upwards from the table he was standing at and instantly recognized the orange pony with her brown, country style hat. She looked around the room and when her eyes met those of Andrew, her eyes went wide.

“Andrew!” she shouted, grabbing everypony's attention.

Applejack shot herself over to him, very glad to have found the pony she was looking for. Of all places, she found him where she least expected him to be.

“Where have ya been?” she asked.

“I was, uh... I went looking for you,” he managed a nervous smile.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, I couldn't stay cooped up in that place,” he said, referring to the hospital for which only he, Applejack, and Fluttershy were aware of.

Andrew was slow to notice two more colorful ponies follow in after Applejack, but was too distracted by her newest friend, forgetting his previous task of sorting his belongings on the table. For the first time, he's never been so happy to see Applejack after only meeting her an hour ago. Probably because he owed her one for helping him when he needed it. Without much prior thought, he dropped what he was doing and threw his forelegs up in an embrace at the farm pony.

“Whoa, slow down there partner.”

Applejack locked her own forelegs with Andrew in return.

“Awwwwww,” sang the three little filly ponies simultaneously, fluttering their eye lashes.

Andrew saw that the large stallion looking character took keen notice, a sharp stink-eye staring straight at him. He only hoped he wasn't some government guy or something, so he backed off, letting go of Applejack and brushed himself off and cleared his throat. It was conceivable that even regular people (ponies) were enough to get suspicious of him. Strolling through the village earlier was probably a bad idea.

“Ahem, so- uh, who is-”

…

Andrew suddenly paused, eyes shooting wide open.

“Alright there, sugarcube?”

Without answering, Andrew slowly leaned to one side to get a better view around Applejack in his way of caught his attention more that ever. A minute earlier, he did notice a yellow and pink pony behind the big scary red dude, apparently from hiding from him. This time, he caught sight of what looked to him as a pair of folded wings on each side of the pony. His eyes didn't blink a single time.

“What is it?” Applejack looked concerned.

“Uhhhh...” he trailed off, still staring at the light-yellow winged creature across the room. Fluttershy broke eye contact with Andrew, thinking she was to blame for the awkward stare.

“I think you broke him, Applejack,” bounced Pinkie Pie. “Like his brain stopped working and stuff.”

Taking it as a joke, Applejack waved a hoof in front of Andrew's face to get his attention, but as soon as she did that, for the first time in his life, he fainted.

Lyra was a little impatient. The suspense of their slow pace was killing her, but she was respectful enough not to run off too far and leaving Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle behind. She was tempted to give a quick stop by her own place in town to collect a few things that would help her along the way, but was waiting for a chance. She had a feeling that chance had come and gone.

The three of them were at the edge of Ponyville, nearing the hospital that caused a buzz for Applejack. Neither one of them knew what to expect, whether it was good or bad, according to the vague description Applejack gave Twilight.

“What do you think Applejack wanted to show you?” Lyra asked her unicorn counterpart.

“I'm not sure, she didn't exactly say what it was about, but I trust it was important.”

“You think somepony there knows about the strange anomaly earlier? I mean, unicorn feel strong magic, too.”

“I guess we have to find out.”

“We're here,” stated Princess Luna. The group came up to a the hospital doors and entered without stopping for a moment to breathe.

Luna was just as her two unicorn companions were surprised to find the place to be livelier than a party thrown by Pinkie Pie. They watched nurse ponies and doctors, here and there, going to and fro. Once the staff of the hospital caught eye with the Princess, they instantly stopped in their tracks and gave a bow. Luna lowered her head in return, then she continued along the lobby followed by Twilight and Lyra. Past the front desk, they eventually found the Head nurse, Nurse Redheart.

“He- hello, Princess,” said the white pony, with a shaky voice, apparently afraid of something.

“Hello, Miss Redheart, I see your staff is quite active today.”

“Indeed,” she replied. “How may I be of assistance?”

Luna turned to Twilight, then back at the nurse.

“We heard our friend, Applejack, mention a matter that concerned Twilight Sparkle here.”

“Applejack? Oh yes! Well, she came in here with an injured pony about an hour ago. I, uh... she, uh... he, uhh...”

“Something wrong, Nurse?” Luna raised an eyebrow.

“I'm not sure, Princess. I'm still confused. Do you know of any other alicorns other than your sister and your niece?”

Luna shook her head, “Not that I know of. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, umm, the injured unicorn she aided from the her farm was in fact, a unicorn-pegasus.”

The faces of Princess Luna, Twilight Sparkle and Lyra Heartstrings suddenly froze. The ears of Twilight twitched a bit, Lyra was about to call it crazy, and Luna's flowing mane stopped waving for second or two, but Nurse Redheart continued with more explanation.

“I'm sorry if you didn't know, please forgive me. This stallion was-”

“A male?” Luna interrupted, even more in awe as her pupils dilated a little more.

“Y- yes. It is strange because he seemed like a normal pony at the time, but when we began to examine his wounds, he was wearing some weird dress. A formal outfit perhaps. We found out his true nature when we removed his clothing.”

“Where is he now?” said Lyra.

“He left.”

“Where did he go!?” Twilight suddenly hopped into the air.

“He sorta... wandered off. Applejack went looking for him after he went looking for- … well, it's a story for later. I suggest you try Ponyville. He said he wanted to know where he was first.” Nurse Redheart felt slightly better for discussing the situation to somepony, only she wasn't expecting Princess Luna to be the one she'd tell.

“Thank you, Nurse,” Luna turned to Twilight and Lyra. “Let's, uh, find ourselves this... …” Luna trailed off when the word 'alicorn' came to mind once again, staring off to the side.

Lyra leaned forward to hazard a guess, “Alicorn?”

“Correct.”

“You alright, Luna?” said Twilight, concerned.

“Yes yes, I'm fine.”

With that, the three of them headed straight out the front entrance, leaving the hospital with the vague image of a pony they now were on the hunt for.

In the highest room of Sugarcube corner, a long nervous silence fell upon a group of ponies, including Pinkie Pie. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and all three Cutie Mark Crusaders were all waiting anxiously while a particular, oddly dressed, blue-green unicorn stallion lay asleep on Pinkie's bed in Pinkie's room. Big Mac remained right outside the door by the request of his sister for a reason he did not want to argue with.

Fluttershy felt guilty for being the one at fault. Back downstairs, only about five minutes ago, Andrew was staring at her for a good five seconds before falling to the floor. Her first thought was that she'd done something wrong and took it upon herself to take the blame and truly apologize to him for her mistake.

As Andrew lay resting on the bed, Fluttershy sat right next to him, hoping everything was in order. She had her head down and hoof to his head to monitor his health and breathing. An instinct of hers for being an animal caretaker.

The silence was turned over to a shuffling sound of the party-themed bed sheets. Andrew's head pounded as he came through.

“Ughhh...” he groaned, squinting his eyes tighter.

Everypony's eyes shot over to the bed, especially those of Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie bounced over next to her shy pegasus friend.

“Is he okay?” asked the pink pony.

“I don't know,” said Fluttershy.

“Ughhh,” Andrew groaned once more. He opened his eyes to find himself in a different room and a familiar light-yellow... winged pony. He jerked back a little at the sudden sight, startling the poor thing two feet away from the bed. “Whoa!”

Fluttershy reacted slightly, but only out of reflex. Pinkie Pie didn't move a muscle, simply staring at Andrew with her rummy blue eyes. The Crusaders got up from sitting on the floor and advanced closer to the bed.

“How did I get here?” he said, placing a hoof on his head to acknowledge the pain in his skull. Fortunately it subsided quickly enough for him to think.

“Yer not that heavy,” replied Applejack from the other side of the room.

Andrew sighed at that, but expressed with a deep breath when his gaze met those of the pony closest to him, Fluttershy. It was difficult to let it all sink in. Apparently, seeing a living pegasus was more shocking than a unicorn.

“How are you feeling?” asked Fluttershy in a delicate voice.

“Oh, uh, alright I guess.” He paused, examining the folded wings on each side of Fluttershy's back. It took him a while to notice a mark on her lower back. Butterflies. That's three for three on tattoos. Andrew gestured a hoof at her. She was confused by this.

“I'm so sorry,” she said. “I didn't mean to hurt you.”

“No no, please, don't apologize. It's not you. It's me.”

“But you-”

“I'm the one who should be sorry.”

“Why's that?” Fluttershy cocked her head to one side. She felt a bit of relief, but was still unsatisfied with the thought of being a part of it.

“It's just, I was a little surprised, that's all.”

“Surprised by what?”

“Your wings,” he stated. “I mean, you're a... pegasus, right? Wow I feel so stupid, overreacting like that. I mean c'mon, I didn't think I'd see living pegasus in my life.”

Fluttershy glanced over her shoulder towards Applejack, whom returned the same look. Right then, Applejack trotted up right next Andrew.

“Ya really are a strange pony, aren'tcha?” she said.

“Well, I'm not who you think I am.”

“I know.”

“You do?” Andrew said in doubt. He wasn't sure they were on the same page.

“Of course, yer different from everypony else.”

“And what makes you think that?” Andrew raised an eyebrow.

“Yer wings.”

“My...?”

As the Lunar Princess trotted into town with Twilight and Lyra, her thoughts were everywhere. She was so close. All that was left was to go on a pony hunt. A pony that they've recently discovered to be more than just a regular pony with a story to tell. It was both exciting and frightening at the same time.

The two unicorns felt the same way. They were on the verge of something big, if not huge. One for the secret history books, like Project Black Book apparently. That was Twilight's thought. Lyra, on the other hoof, thought this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for her.

They stopped when they reached the very center of Ponyville, with town Town Hall looming several paces in from of them.

“So, any of you know where to go from here?” inquired Luna.

“What about your detection spell?” Twilight suggested.

“I'm afraid I lost its tracks somewhere...” Luna looked around their immediate vicinity. “...over there.” Luna pointed a hoof off to the distance where a hazy silhouette of a large tree was visible.

“The library?” Twilight said in a confounded voice. “But I closed it for the day. Everypony know's that.”

“Remember who we're looking for? Let's check it out,” cried Lyra as she started to make her way for the library.

Twilight didn't follow at once, but turned to look at Luna. The Princess smiled.

“You heard her, no time to waste,” she said, spreading her wings to catch up to the unicorn.

Twilight rolled her eyes and trotted after them.

After unnecessarily galloping to the Ponyville Library, Lyra made it in under ten seconds, followed by Luna, then by Twilight.

“Was it really necessary to run here when we could have just taken our time and not wasted so much energy?” said the purple pony, casually trotting to a stop before the small door of the library.

“I guess I got over excited,” Lyra replied.

Twilight dug out a golden key from her saddlebag and placed in the keyhole, unlocking the door. She pushed the door open, but didn't enter. She turned to acknowledge the Princess and her friend.

“Wait here. I'll put my books away and double check the library for anypony.”

Before either of them could protest, Twilight disappeared into the library. Lyra stood by, staring off into the blue sky. Princess Luna took notice. She felt compelled to bring up some small talk.

“What a day, eh?”

“Huh?” Lyra came back to her senses. “Oh, yeah.” She paused in order for her next sentence to have any effect. “I guess you could say that my life will be different from now on.”

“I hope you aren't discouraged with finding out your true nature.”

“Oh no course not!” Lyra was slightly taken aback. “I find it quite... profound.”

“I'm sure we'll find you some answers. I see a bright future ahead of you.”

Luna's words seemed to get through to Lyra when her meek smile grew ever warmer.

“So, do you know how many times this sort of thing happened in Equestria?”

“Umm... once?”

“Never.”

“Never?” Lyra was confused. “What do you mean? I thought this was the second time this mysterious surge occurred? The first being my grandfather.”

“Not with the emergence of a new alicorn.”

“Oooooooh.”

Lyra didn't account for that major detail to be the point of the question. She was only thinking of the original picture rather than the pony they were after. Now that they were after an alleged pony of untold power from the magical discharge from Sweet Apple Acres, things got more interesting.

“It makes no sense,” Luna stated. “I'm not sure I believe Nurse Redheart because an alicorn does not just appear out of nowhere. She is not one to lie.”

“Who's not one to lie?” Twilight said, trotting out the front door of the library, closing it behind her.

“Nurse Redheart,” responded Lyra.

“Lie about what?”

“That pony were looking for, being an unicorn-pegasus and all.”

“Why would she lie about that?” Twilight's bombardment of questions continued. “How do you explain the way she acted because of him?”

“Maybe, Twilight. But we must make sure for ourselves,” Luna stated. “Then you can ask all the questions you want. We're short on time, girls. We must press on.” Luna made her proposition an order as neither unicorns said anything.

Luna was about to start walking, but the idea that she didn't know where to go next crossed her mind. She put her back towards the library, looking over the rest of the town, moving her head right to left.

“Something wrong, Princess?” asked Twilight.

“Yes. I did lose the trace here, so I'm not sure where to look now. Any suggestions?” she said.

Both Lyra and Twilight knew that searching blind would take forever. They looked at each other, then back at Luna.

“Nope,” they said simultaneously, shaking their heads.

Right then, Luna's optimism simply vanished. She held her head down in sorrow, glum from having make it so far, only to fall short. She was on to something big, but now they were to late. Everything now seemed like a useless effort (one of Luna's most conclusive personality traits when it came to stuff that peaked her interest). She absolutely hated having to come up short on new discoveries. She had a habit of beating herself up inside and blaming nopony but herself for the mistakes that affected others. Not to mention the Nightmare. Chills ran down her spine.

“Well this sucks,” Luna concluded.

“Ponyville may be a small town,” Twilight began with a sigh. “But there are simply too many places one can be. I guess we can ask-” She paused. “Hey, there's an idea!”

Lyra looked at her lavender friend, smiling with delight, while Luna seemed slightly uninterested.

“We can asked some of my friends to help us.” Twilight her gaze at Luna. The majestic dark-blue alicorn appeared defeated with her head facing the ground and her regal eyes shut. The Princess did not look up to acknowledge idea-stricken mare.

“Who knows? We might get lucky,” Twilight continued, trying desperately to cheer Luna up. Her words seemed to comfort the Princess with small signs of acknowledgment. “We can't give up so easily, it would only make things worse. We know so much already, at least that counts for something. We've came this far, I think it's only fair that we keep going. Even if we don't find everything we wanted, it's safe to say it was all worth it. I never expected my day to turn out like this when I woke up today. Whatever we find, it shows us how much we put our mind to it. Let's hope whatever we find, represents something that has never been seen before. I'm here to help. I'll be right beside you till the end, Princess.”

“Me too,” Lyra concurred.

Luna took advantage of the warm silence that lingered soon after for moment to herself. She then took a deep breath to wash away all negative thoughts she had and let Twilight's speech sink in.

“You're right, Twilight Sparkle.” She nodded. “No wonder Celestia chose you as her student. You have the power to make anypony feel better with your words. Thank you.”

Twilight grinned.

“Anypony else hungry?” Luna continued.

“Uh, yeah,” said Lyra. “I'm up for some sugar.”

“I was going to suggest a real meal, but that sound wonderful, too.”

“Sugarcube Corner it is, then.”

Twilight snickered. “I guess asking my friends could wait a little.”

As much as Twilight wanted to advise against sweets, she could use some energy herself. Even though Pinkie Pie was away in Canterlot, the Cakes wouldn't say no to Princess Luna. Lyra, however, had a different idea in mind for sweets.

As the trio traveled down the avenues of Ponyville, Lyra stopped before they passed her street.

“Hey, um, Twilight?”

The purple unicorn turned around to acknowledge her friend, noticing the mint-green unicorn's gaze in another direction.

“I was wondering if you mind if I take a quick visit to my house and grab a few things?” she asked. “It won't take long and I think I have some things that might be useful. Besides, our stuff is still in Canterlot.”

“But you promised to stay-”

“It's quite alright, Twilight Sparkle,” said Luna. “She can meet up with us at Sugarcube Corner when she is finished.”

“Okay, Princess.” Twilight turned to Lyra. “Say hi to Bon-bon for me.”

“Will do.” Those were her last words, galloping off into the distance.

“Do you trust her, Luna?”

“As much as Celestia trusts you.” Luna looked down with a friendly smile. “I'm considering making the same proposition that my sister offered to you.”

Twilight suddenly realized the true purpose of that statement. She looked up at the midnight-blue alicorn.

“You're gonna make her YOUR protégé!?”

Andrew made a series of facial expressions. He squinted his eyes at the farm pony. Three things came to mind; she was either (A) lying, (B) telling the truth, or (C) joking. The longer he stared at her eyes, the more the answer was leaning towards (B). The other ponies in the room also gave Applejack a baffled look, including Pinkie.

“Uuhh huuuh.” he mumbled.

“Ah'm bein' totally honest. If y'all don't believe me, take off yer robe there and see fer yerself.”

Applejack gestured a hoof at him.

“I'm not sure I want to,” Andrew refused. “Humans always wear clothes. I don't want to strip in front of all of you. I'd like to keep my dignity thank you very much... not that it matters anymore.” Andrew gave an awkward laugh. The ponies didn't seem to get it, except for Pinkie.

“Wait wait wait wait! Back up a little.” Pinkie bounced right on top of Andrew on the bed. “What was that word you said? Did you day 'humans'?”

“I did.”

“Oh wow! That's so-” Pinkie quickly stopped, remembering what Princess Celestia said to her back in Canterlot. She then hopped off Andrew and onto the floor. “Heh heh, sorry.”

Andrew's eyes were still wide, staring up where Pinkie used to be, never taking those large golden beads from looking at the ceiling. It was oddly enough the first sign of progress towards and answer to his problem. He was surprised to have met a 'pony' this quickly that was familiar with humans (or at least knew what they were). Only problem was that she retreated. He sat up and eyed the pink pony, now acting innocent and quiet.

“What do you know?” he said, giving her a stink eye.

“I- I- I- I- I-,” Pinkie began acting a bit nervous. She stopped stuttering, went quiet, then shrugged.

“You don't know? Or won't tell me?” Andrew's voice was more assertive than relaxed, making Fluttershy cringe and back away from the bed. Andrew hopped off the bedsheets – almost tripping when he landed on the wooded floor – and stepped in Pinkie's direction ever so slightly.

“Both?” Pinkie squeaked, standing her ground.

“That doesn't make any sense.”

“Yes it does.”

“Does not.”

“Does too.”

“Nu uh.”

“Ya hu.”

“Now jus' hold yer horses there the both o' yus,” retorted Applejack, halting the argument between the two ponies. “No need to get all fussy 'bout this.

“He started it.” Pinkie pointing a hoof at Andrew.

“Ah don't care who started it. And here ah thought ya was sorry fer yer actions. Now ya darn go attackin' Pinkie Pie here.”

“I just asked what she knows about my kind.”

“Yer kind of... … what?”

“Mankind.”

Everypony in the room stared blankly at Andrew, including Pinkie.

“Ah've never heard this 'mankind' before. How 'bout the rest o' ya?” she turned to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. All three shook their heads. “Fluttershy?” Applejack looked around for the sensitive pegasus, but she was no where in sight.

“Fluttershy!?” she repeated.

“Yes?” said her delicate voice. Her head was barely visible from hiding behind the foot of Pinkie's bed.

Applejack sighed with relief, “There y'ar sugarcube.”

“I'm sorry, did you want me?”

“Ah think there's somethin' strange with our friend Andrew here,” Applejack stated. “The fact that he's one of them alicorns.”

Once again, everypony in the room showed mixed reactions, including blank expressions or surprised faces. Fluttershy's slumped back out of sight behind the bed.

“What's an alicorn?” Andrew asked.

“You really ARE a strange pony,” said Scootaloo, repeating the statement that everypony had in their heads. This time, Applebloom didn't nudge her pegasus friend. Instead, she stared curiously at Andrew, wondering what why he acted so strange.

“What? I don't know anything,” he justified.

“Like NOTHING nothing?” Pinkie uttered.

“Pretty much.”

“Like REALLY really NOTHING nothing?”

Before Andrew could voice his annoyance, a knock came from the bedroom door. All ponies still had their minds on Andrew, but focused their attention to the door. Pinkie Pie bounced over to answer the visitor.

“Who iiis iiit?” she sang.

“I just thought y’all should know that the Princess is here. She jus' entered the store with Twilight Sparkle.” Big Mac's voice echoed from behind the wooden door. He didn't sound too nervous, but it was news no pony had foreseen.

Pinkie opened the door, “Princess Luna?”

“How'dcha know?” said Big Mac.

“She said she was coming to Ponyville. I don't know what for, but I think she's looking for somepony.”

Everypony's eyes were on the turquoise unicorn. Applejack was convinced HE might have been the reason for Luna to make a trip all the way to Ponyville, but maybe she'd been searching for him all day. After all, he wasn't exactly a normal pony, failing to persuade him that he was creature for which he knew nothing about. A slow flow of fear stirred up inside Applejack.

Andrew heart started pounding. He could feel his legs tense up and drops of sweat drip down from his forehead. His breathing increased, in addition to the rate he blinked his eyes. Chills ran down the length of his body the second he heard the word 'princess'. The last thing he wanted was to interact with royalty, presumably from a system of government that wanted something of him. Probably not a good thing.

He took a few steps back until he contacted the bed behind him.

“Andrew?” said Applejack.

“Y- yeah?” he said, shaking.

“What's really goin' on?”

Suddenly, Andrew's horn began to glow a white aura. Unsuspecting to Andrew himself, the others noticed that the wave of light emanating from his horn get substantially brighter within fractions of a second.

The room got too bright to have their eyes open, but before it got painfully bright, everything suddenly went back to normal followed by a crackling sound that lasted only a brief moment. Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Big Macintosh, Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle were left staring at Pinkie's party-themed bedsheets where Andrew used to be.

17. Blue

[Chapter 17]

Blue

Lyra trotted along the cobblestone path that lead to her house.

Her thoughts and feelings about everything said to her in the past few hours could not account for the things she's done to try and prove it true. A part of her hoped that it was true, but another part of her was scared of the very idea. The idea that, all this time, she's been half... human? There was no way that can be right. However, the more she thought about it, the better she felt. But it came with a price. If it were true, then she'd have to make a choice between ignoring the facts and living her normal life, or face reality and discover her real self. Sooner of later she'd have to tell Bon-bon, she just didn't know how or what reaction would follow.

A couple more houses and Lyra was home. She hoped that Bon-bon would understand after having the honor of talking with Princess Luna about... her. She still wondered why Luna wanted to know more about her. Lyra couldn't hazard a guess as to what was so important that made Luna so curious about her since the moment she stepped hoof in the Mysterious Magic wing of the castle.

Before Lyra could stroll up to her front door, she heard a familiar crackling sound dangerously close that it seemed right in her ear. She whizzed her head around her immediate surroundings, but was too slow to react when a sudden burst of magic shined right in front of her face and she made out a blue blob before being struck by said blob.

“Oof!”

Like a buck to the stomach, Lyra was knocked clean off her hooves and onto the ground. The same occurred with the pony who hit her. They weren't thrown across a distance, but merely knocked over.

Lyra rubbed her head in slight pain, “Ow, what the hay?”

“Ughhhh...”

Lyra shot her head to her left where the other a stallion lay in a similar fashion. His groan sounded more uneasy than a moan in pain. The very sight of him struck her as odd, but could quite put her hoof on it. He wore some kind of strange garment, covering the majority of his body all the way down to his tail. They practically shared the same coat color, but his hair was different with a darker shade of blue. She didn't think too much of his other qualities.

Her next reaction was to demand a sincere apology for running into her like that, but was well enough not to get angry about it. For all she knew, it was accident and both of them weren't expecting it. The stallion stopped voicing his pain of periodic whimpers and averted to loud breathing. He was on his back with his eyes shut, his head towards the sky. He made a series of expressions for which Lyra couldn't read.

Andrew hated everything about the whole teleporting thing without warning, but this time, he expected it to happen. The only thing he was worried about was where he'd end up; inside a wall, in the middle of a desert, or in outer space.

Fortunately, he didn't appear in any of those places, as far as he could tell. It felt like he hit someone square in the face. It didn't sound pretty. He may have already made an enemy. People can get into a nasty fight when stuff like this happens. Way to hurt innocent civilians ya klutz, yelled his conscience.

Once on the ground, Andrew could feel the warmth of the afternoon sun beating down on his face as he laid on his back. However, he felt cold shiver. He felt no time delay or blackout as he teleported, nor was he violently thrown across a distance like last time.

His situation escalated, going from the bad to worse. He was scared out of his mind for two extremely unsettling reasons. First, a very important pony happens to wind up at the same place he was, suspecting that that princess knew of his location. Second, he expected getting a fistful of retaliation from the person he hit.

He lay perfectly still, wondering how much worse can things get. He waited for the other person to make the first move. He didn't have to wait long when two light taps touched his horn.

He cringed. “Please don't kill me!”

“What!?” said a noticeably female voice. “Why in Equestria would I do that?”

Andrew's eyes shot open and, with a sharp focus, found large yellow eyes staring down at him.

“Whoa!” he instinctively shouted, flipping over and crawling away from the prying yellow eyes. Andrew got to his feet, keeping his head down. “My bad!”

“Hey don't worry-”

“It's just that I don't know why that happens. I have no control over it.”

“Please, just-”

“I can't help it, just stupid of me. I just don't know what went-”

“HEY!”

Andrew stopped babbling and angled his head up to find a unicorn looking at him curiously. No hint of anger was found. She appeared calm, collected, and innocent rather than enraged and hostile. She had similar color fur that he did, but the hair was different. Her eyes were almost exactly the same as his. He noticed a miniature golden harp tattooed on her hip, something that every one of these ponies seemed to have, except for the little ones.

She smiled, watching him observe her.

“It's quite alright mister. It happens to me too.”

Andrew hesitated to answer, returning a weak smile.

“Uh, really? Hehe, okay. It's still my fault though, sorry.”

“Apology accepted.”

Andrew's eyes wandered off to one side to scan his surroundings. This part of the town was unfamiliar to him, assuming he was in the same town. He motioned his body three hundred sixty degrees clockwise, twirling around a full circle before returning to face the pony.

“You lost?” she asked.

“Maybe a little.”

“Don't you live around here?”

Andrew wanted to answer, but his situation getting a little out of hand. Everything he does seems to just bring up another problem to add on his towering list of problems. Maybe it was just him, but it was too much for one person. Andrew sighed.

“I-”

*creeeak*

Before Andrew could say another word, the door of the nearest house behind the green unicorn suddenly opened, startling them both. What an excellent way to postpone a confession to a complete stranger.

A beige colored pony with dark blue and pink hair stepped out from inside the house.

“Lyra?” she said. “You back already?”

The mint green unicorn turned around to greet the resident. With her back to his, Andrew took the opportunity to sneak away from them and avoid any more trouble. He began to back away slowly.

“Hey Bon-bon. I was just talking to somepony.”

The homeowner leaned to one side to find a certain strange pony trying to leave. Her eyes widened.

“Him?” Andrew froze before he could step any further when the pony took acknowledgment of his presence.

“Yeah.” Lyra noticed her friend's reaction. “What? You've met him before?”

“No-... it's just I was gonna... I mean I saw him... I mean he's a... and you are...”

“What are you talking about?”

Bon-bon shook her head. “Never mind. Say, why don't you invite him in? He seems like a nice pony, with his outfit and all.”

“I don't know, Bon-bon, I mean he-”

“Sounds great!” Andrew uttered, trotting up to Lyra's side. When the ponies were talking, he wondered what he'd have to do to face the princess figure back at the sweet shop. The moment that thought rolled into his head, he quickly changed his mind. He wasn't ready to give himself up to authority just yet. “Can I chill with you guys for a minute? Maybe even get to know each other, eh?”

Andrew was reluctant to talk to more ponies than he had to, but he'd have to convince them that he is not what he appeared to be. For all he knew, their princess decreed a search for him, getting all the townsfolk eyes out for him. He was afraid that these ponies would report him.

Bon-bon smiled. She was thrilled to finally meet him after sighting him with her friends earlier in town following three fillies with her friend. Junebug seemed fazed by his physical appearance, but Bon-bon was quite the opposite. She tried asking everypony who he was, but were unable to answer, having never seen him before.

“Well then, come on in.” Bon-bon gestured a hoof for him to enter.

“Wha- hey wait a minute,” Lyra contested, stopping Andrew before he could walk through the doorway. “I didn't come here to chat. I just came to get a few things and leave. I'm really short on time.”

“And why is that?” Bon-bon asked with a show of annoyance.

“I... can't say.” Lyra looked away for a second.

“Come on now, you can tell me anything.”

“I really shouldn't.”

“Really? Because I'm sure Princess Luna would love to know.”

Andrew stared nervously at the arguing pair. He slumped his head beneath his shoulders and involuntarily folded his ears. Lyra did the same, but was far less anxious than Andrew. She remembered Pinkie saying something about Princess Luna visiting her own home while in Ponyville earlier that day. At the time, she was caught by surprise the way Pinkie put it, but hearing it a second time only reminded her.

“She knows all about it.”

“She does?”

Lyra nodded.

“Oh... well okay then.” Bon-bon was not expecting her threat to be useless.

“Sorry, Bon-bon, but I really don't have much time. I have to return to Sugarcube Corner. When I get this sorted out, I promise I'll tell you everything.”

Andrew shifted his head to his left.

“Did you say Sugarcube Corner?” he asked.

Lyra faced the stallion, “Yeah. Something wrong?”

“No no, nothing's wrong. Everything's fine. I was on my way there, too, actually. I guess I can wait for you.” As much as Andrew wanted to shy away from that place, his little 'stuck-in-the-body-of-a-small-unicorn-in-a-colorful-dream-like-world-populated-by-strange-sentient-ponies' situation wasn't improving even the slightest. He'd have to stop thinking so negatively and start considering an understanding with these ponies so he can go home. He could care less how long it would take, only the possibility of getting home was good enough for him. Besides, he couldn't trust the foreign ponies with his bag of personal things he left behind. However, that overall trust was slowly degrading.

Lyra rose an eyebrow. “Alright then, I'll go get my things.”

With that, Lyra bolted in the house and ran up the staircase on the opposite side of the main room. Andrew watched her disappear to the second floor. Bon-bon stood silent for a moment and Andrew stood humming to himself to pass the time.

“Would you like to wait for her inside?”

“Yes!” he instantly responded, almost interrupting, and jumped inside. Although it was considered a rude act, Andrew did not think of it that way.

As Andrew set a hoof inside, he eyes were drawn to the features, decorations, and architecture of the room. It was his first good look of the inside one of the houses he's seen all over town. Nothing too fancy nor dull. It seemed just like any normal suburban home, unlike the exterior, which had that old European village look to it. His own family's house was about the same level of sophistication; modern, middle-class, and messy.

The mare shut the door and led the stallion over to a large maroon sofa. Andrew sat down in the position he knew for the majority of his life.

Princess Luna and Twilight Sparkle found it odd to find Sugarcube Corner void of any ponies. Once they entered the shop, neither of the Cakes came to greet their new arrivals. Although, Twilight did recall Pinkie mentioning something about the Cake's frequent errands they ran on the weekend without any particular routine. They sorta just left at random times. She was certain the place was still open, otherwise there would be a CLOSED sign out front and the door locked. The two of them walked up to the front counter and rung the bell.

They stood quietly for several seconds until they heard a pair of hoofsteps echo from the stairway in front of them. Two ponies trotted towards Luna and Twilight. They reached the bottom of the stairs and bowed at the sight of Princess Luna.

“H- howdy Twilight,” said Applejack nervously, then looked at Luna. “Princess.”

“Uh, hi Applejack,” said Twilight. Her eyes leaped back and forth between her orange friend and her brother, Big Mac. “Well this is rather unexpected. We visited the hospital, but the nurse told us you had left.”

“Oh... yeah. Well, I- er... see we-”

“Hi Twilight!”

With a stroke of luck, Pinkie Pie suddenly popped her head up from below the counter, saving Applejack the trouble of explaining herself as honest as possible. The party pony leaped over the counter and landed next to her surprised friend.

“Pinkie!” exclaimed Twilight, dumbfound and confused. “What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Canterlot with Spike. Did you leave him behind!?”

“I was, but I'm here now. Spike is fine, he's with Princess Celestia. OH, but Twilight, you wouldn't believe-”

“Now hold on just a second there Pinkie Pie,” Applejack interrupted. “Y'all went to Canterlot and back? Today!?”

“So did Twilight.”

Applejack blinked her eyes rapidly as her mind was assaulted with a range of confusing related thoughts. Even before Andrew's appearance at the farm, her day has been nothing but stressful. But when Andrew came along and altered her daily deeds, she tried her best to suppress the strain of dealing with what followed that began to build up afterward. So far, she had done a fair job with balancing everything that piled itself around her. Her brain was working overtime.

Applejack took a deep breath.

“Is there anythin' else ah don't know that y'all ain't tellin' me, huh?” she asked softly, staring directly into Pinkie's blue eyes. Her generalized question reached a level of concern within the farm pony.

…

“Celestia's chamber caught fire.”

All four ponies, including Twilight, immediately shot their heads at Luna with eyes wide and mouths hung open. They looked at her with horror from what the Princess just said.

“What!?” Twilight screamed.

Luna glared back at each of them, deviously grinned and then chuckled. Each of the ponies' expressions changed from genuinely shocked to largely confused.

“Hehe, I'm only joking.”

“Luna!” Twilight voiced her disapproval, sighing with relief.

“Sorry, I couldn't resist. But you gotta admit, Twilight, the look on your face was priceless.” Luna paused to elicit a reaction from the purple mare. She found that Twilight's eyes shrunk to tiny dots. Unsuspecting to Luna, Twilight was haunted by a certain draconequus who said something similar to her friends. “Seriously though, my sister's room did not light up, but it almost did. I can save that story for later.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, locked her angry thoughts in the dark part of her mind, and turned to Applejack again.

“I guess finding you here changes everything. Look, we know you helped somepony from Sweet Apple-”

Before Twilight could finish, Applejack quickly bolted out of sight, disappearing up the staircase faster than Rainbow Dash. Big Mac seemed just as nervous as his sister, but froze instead of running away. Twilight and Luna looked at each other.

“What I say?”

“Oh Twilight,” Pinkie laughed. “She's just a little-miss-shy-pants with Princess Luna here.”

“I'm not sure that's the reason,” said Luna. “I believe she's afraid she might be in trouble.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed.

“Well I can assure you, nopony has done anything wrong. Quite the opposite really. We're just wondering where we could find this pony.”

“Who? Andrew?” Pinkie asked. “Oh! Are you here to give him the most super special welcome to Ponyville party!?”

“Not really, Pinkie,” said Twilight. “We just want to meet him.” After a few moments, Twilight finally realized why Applejack ran away so quickly. She leaned her head in at Pinkie, “Wait, is he HERE!? It she hiding him somewhere? Where is he!?”

“Now slow down there, Miss Twilight,” said Big Mac. “Mah sister ain't hidin' nopony. That young feller yer lookin' for ain't here no more. He used one of them spells.”

“When?” Luna said.

“A minute ago.”

As soon as Big Mac replied, Luna looked up and let out a snort of irritation, but didn't want anypony to know. However, she did a poor job of hiding it. Big Mac took notice and felt concerned.

“Y'alright there, Princess?”

Luna took a deep breath to clear anything thoughts she had that made her feel down.

“I'm fine,” she replied. “I've just had a long day, that's all.”

“Right. Well, we can take y’all to mah sister upstairs.” He paused and faced a silent Pinkie. “Lead the way partner.” Big Mac was respectful enough to let Pinkie Pie be the one they follow since she it was her establishment. Without hesitation, the pink pony sprung to action.

“Okie doki! Follow me!”

Princess Luna and Twilight followed Pinkie as she flawlessly bounced her way up the steps, trailed by Big Mac at the rear. Luna had almost completely forgotten their original purpose to snack on the best sweets in all of Equestria, but the fact she found Applejack and Pinkie Pie had changed things significantly. Twilight thought the same, but did so with a barrage of more questions flowing through her mind. No longer were they hungry for sweets, but hungry for answers.

They slowed to a stop as they stood before Pinkie's bedroom door and waited a couple seconds before entering.

Applebloom tried to get her sister to tell her what the matter was, but was ignored. Applejack paced back and forth around Pinkie's room. The yellow filly could only stand by and wonder if it was weariness, distress, fear, or all three. Maybe she was in trouble, maybe she was just scared. Applebloon rarely saw her sister exhibit both.

As for Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, they were busy too looking through the gray bag that was left behind. They found a bunch of objects they have never seen before and couldn't figure out what they were, save for the sunglasses and hat, which Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were wearing respectively. Fluttershy watched the two fillies as they fiddled with a strange silver cylinder, mesmerized by its shininess.

Applejack stopped pacing when a sudden sound from the bedroom door rattled, grabbing each pony's attention as their eyes converged at the door. Pinkie Pie was followed by Twilight Sparkle, Princess Luna, and then Big Mac. The Crusaders learned to bow in respect while Fluttershy and Applejack stayed still and uneasy.

Twilight trotted further in the room in surprise of finding all Cutie Mark Crusaders members present.

“Hi Twilight!” said Sweetie Belle.

“You're all here, too?” Twilight asked, noticing the hat on top of Sweetie Belle's head.

“We was helpin' out a nice pony,” Applebloom replied.

“Yeah, he was really stra- … I mean... an oddly dressed stallion.” Scootaloo managed a small grin after correcting herself. This caught Twilight's attention more than it did Luna's.

“What happened to him?” she asked. “Do you know where he went?”

Twilight couldn't help herself but be impatient. She turned to Applejack, whom had a frightened expression on her face. The farm pony kept an eye on Luna for she was not yet liberated of her fears. Before any of the young fillies could answer Twilight's question, Luna stepped forward to address her position.

“Please, Twilight, let us not get carried away. I understand how close we've come, but this is not the end.” She then faced the apprehensive orange mare. “Miss Applejack, there's no need to be afraid. I promise, you have done nothing wrong, therefore you are not in trouble in any way.” As soon as Luna uttered those words, Applejack voiced an audible sigh of relief. “Finding you here was simply a coincidence, so now we ask you to help us find this... stallion, who I assume you've all met? We could start by knowing more about this fellow.” Luna twirled a hoof in the air as she had a vague idea what she pictured the stallion looked like.

“Well shucks, ah was hopin' y’all could tell me what's goin' on.” Applejack walked over to Pinkie's empty bed. “Ah have been stressin' mah hooves all day. What do ya want to know?”

“Applejack,” Twilight began. “We need you to tell us everything.”

Approaching close to five o'clock in the afternoon, Lyra spent more time away than she promised. She was running around in her room frantically trying to find her second set of notes. She looked everywhere: on her personal desk, in the bookshelf, under the bed, in the closet, and through her personal items scattered across the room. The more places she failed to find it, the more annoyed she got at herself for misplacing her second notebook full of notes and sketches relating to the human subject. She had already gathered the few books, but that notebook was the key piece.

Lyra stopped pacing around her room to give herself time to think. Certainly it couldn't have disappeared and she knew for sure that she left it behind when she went to Canterlot. It was unlikely for Bon-bon to have done something to it because she Bon-bon never really messed with her stuff, not to mention what little Lyra actually owned for her roommate to mess with. She tried to remember the last time she saw it the day before, but after all the things that happened so far had since flushed out her memory of where it was last.

Wherever it was, she didn't have all day. She stopped searching, put her extra saddlebag on her back, and left the room.

“Oh no.”

“What?”

Bon-bon shook her head. “Don't tell me you sit like... … that?”

“Why? What's wrong?”

Bon-bon continued to stare at Andrew's position on the couch as he awkwardly looked off into different places around the room. The staring from those azure eyes crept him out and made him feel uncomfortable. She noticed some similarities between him and her best friend that might have been related, but wasn't about to take that chance.

“Are you friends with Lyra?” she asked.

Andrew fixed his wandering eyes back on the light brown pony. Every time he spoke to the natives in this strange place, he's been far too honest. That honesty seemed to make things worse, or at least lowered his chances of getting back home. For a moment he stared at this pony with three, blue and yellow pieces of candy for a 'cutie mark', he contemplated his options and decided to try a different approach.

“Lyra? Oh yeah, she and I go way back,” he lied, trying hard to keep a straight face. For that lie, he thought of his friend Dale to base his lie on, using Lyra in his place.

“Then how come she never mentioned you before?”

This isn't going so well, he thought.

“She probably forgot. It was... a long time ago when we, uh... went to school together.”

Bon-bon motioned toward Andrew and plotted down on the couch next to him. “You both went to the Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns in Canterlot?”

Canter-what now?

“Uh... yeah, you could say we had some things in common.”

“Like the way you sit? And how much Lyra keeps talking about those...” Bon-bon was reluctant to say it, but forced herself to say the word, “...humans?”

Right then, Andrew's heart skipped a beat (or several) the moment she finished that question. His smile disappeared and was replaced by a blank face. For Bon-bon, it was hard to tell what his reaction was (assuming this was his first time hearing about humans). Andrew blinked rapidly and looked away for a second, then back at the mare. He looked away again, then back at her. As surprising as it was, he was sort of relieved.

“You know about us?” he said intently, shifting his sitting position to the way Bon-bon sat assuming it was normal for these ponies.

“Us?”

“I mean human beings?”

“No. But Lyra does. I thought she was the only one, but I guess I was wrong.” She looked at him and saw that his full attention was on her. “Say? You didn't tell me your name.”

“Andrew. Nice to meet you, Miss...?”

“Bon-bon,” she nodded.

A strange name, but okay, they both thought.

“And your friend, Lyra? You said she was the only one?” Andrew was rather curious about the pony he ran into. “Only one what?”

“Well, for the longest time, I didn't believe a word she said about her... interests. It all just seems like a myth to me and most every pony. Lyra claims they exist, but doesn't exactly have any good evidence to prove it other than an old book she found. But I have to ask, are humans real?”

Andrew saw where this was going. He became suspicious of Bon-bon and her friend Lyra. Although the answer was clear to him, he was skeptical on whether or not she would accept the answer.

“Well, what if I said yes and everything that Lyra says is right, would you believe her then?”

“Hey Bon-bon, have you seen my notebook?”

Andrew and Bon-bon twirled their heads to the staircase as Lyra cautiously reached the base of the stairs and walked over to join them.

“Didn't you bring it with you?”

“My small blue one.”

“Then no, I haven't.”

Lyra simply snorted to voice her displeasure.

“So, what are you guys talking about?” she asked with sharp interest in the conversation she interrupted.

“Oh, I was just talking to your friend here about you.” Andrew said, studying the mint-green unicorn more closely. “She asked me about humans.”

Lyra's ears and eyelids twitched as she suddenly stared daggers into Bon-bon's innocent eyes to express both her displeasure and her excitement. Her smile died down into a light frown.

“What!?” Lyra shouted. “But you hate it when I talk about them. Why now?”

“It's not what you think,” Andrew cut it, thinking she was angry. “If it makes you feel any better, we can stop talking about it. I'll just leave if you want me to.” Andrew shuffled off the sofa.

“No, please don't!” Lyra pleaded, stopping Andrew in his tracks. “I mean, humans are my favorite subject.” She turned to Bon-bon. “I just wanna know why you care about humans now. I'm just a little surprised.”

Lyra felt a little betrayed that Bon-bon ignored her talk about humans ever since the first time she tried to tell her about them, and is now suddenly talking to a stranger about them. That was an arrow to the heart.

“Andrew, here, said you both went to school together, and that you've been friends a long time ago.”

Lyra glared at the aqua stallion for that huge lie. Andrew managed a obviously fake smile.

“But that changes things, Lyra,” Bon-bon continued. “If you would have told me you knew somepony who had the same interests as you, I probably wouldn't have been so hard on you for making it all up. I'm sorry.”

“Is that so?” Lyra doubtfully said. She knew Bon-bon was gullible enough to believe Andrew's lie.

“You're not too mad at me, are you?”

“No.” Lyra turned her back on Bon-bon, eyes on Andrew. “Just disappointed is all.”

With that, she started towards the front door. Andrew followed her as Lyra used her magic to open the door, letting in a small draft that entered the room. She gestured a hoof for Andrew to exit first. Before Lyra left herself, she glanced once more at Bon-bon still on the sofa.

“We can talk about this later.”

Instead of the door slamming shut on her way out, Lyra gently closed it. Bon-bon sat by herself in the living room with her head staring down at her hooves and a defeated look upon her face. Though, as she gazed off into a different direction with her gloomy look, at the corner of her eye she caught glimpse a single line of blue sandwiched between a stack of books.

“What was that about?” Andrew asked as Lyra closer the door.

“Why would you lie to her like that?” She looked him in the eye.

“Hey, I didn't think it was a big deal.”

“I don't understand why you'd say we're friends. You don't know me, and I certainly don't know you. I just met you five minutes ago. I didn't expect anypony to make things more difficult.”

Andrew sensed annoyance in her voice when she spoke. He felt bad for having contributed to her disappointment. It added to his list of paradoxical acts since the very moment he entered this world. Everything he did was another mistake he could not control. Eventually the tower of stress was going to topple.

Lyra swiveled her head away from him and began walking off without another word. Andrew stood in the same place for a few seconds, staring off into the distance where Lyra used to be with the same look as Bon-bon.

“Well hey, wait up for me!” he shouted, catching up to her in a trot. He walked along side her as they made their way through an unfamiliar area of town.

“I prefer that you don't follow me,” she said without turning her head. “I'm short on time as it is.”

“But I'm going to the same place as you.”

“Then why did you wait for me? You could have easily walked to Sugarcube Corner yourself.”

“I- uh, well... I sorta don't remember where it is.”

“You're saying you're not from around here.”

“Something like that.”

“Then where do you live?”

Andrew decided to be as vague as possible, “Far away.”

“That surely doesn't help.”

“I know, but you wouldn't know if I told you.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

Wow, this unicorn is interesting to talk to, he thought. Compared to the other ponies. Her attitude was like that of his friend Peter. Something he can relate to.

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“I don't know every city, town, and village in Equestria, ya know.”

“Good point.”

“So, are you gonna tell me or not?”

“Tell you what?”

“Tell me where you're from.”

“Does it matter?”

“I don't know, does it?”

“Not really.”

“Well, can I at least get an apology?”

“For what?”

“For running into me like that.”

“I thought you accepted it already?”

“I prefer it be more sincere than that.”

“Alright, my bad.”

“That's not good enough.”

“Okay. I'm sorry, alright. I truly am. I'm just not used to teleporting randomly, or at all.” He sighed.

Lyra finally looked at him. Andrew returned a gaze as he noticed she was inspecting him a little more closely. For a few more seconds of staring at each other while walking, they both looked away and the two became quiet. Lyra didn't know what to say and Andrew was waiting for her to say something. Anything at all. Somehow about the way the mint-green pony talked felt comforting and natural to him. For some reason, he felt at peace with himself as opposed to the rest of his day while walking beside a living, breathing unicorn in some joyful filled universe. He was beginning to not care if he was crazy or dead. It became something of a blissful experience. Little did he know, what lay ahead of him would turn that feeling upside down.

Andrew thought for a moment. One of his favorite songs rolled into his mind and he began to sing in a soft, almost whispered voice.

“I'd like to make myself belieeeeeve

That Planet Eeaaaaarth, turns, sloooowly,

It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep,

'Cause everything is never as it seeeeems.”

As Andrew sang every word he memorized from that song, the unicorn next to him listened with interest. His voice wasn't the best, but it was the words that count. Lyra's mood gradually shifted from moderately whimsical to strongly relaxed. The melody sounded very nice, something she had never heard before. Somehow it made her feel a certain way that was different from any other musical experience. She wondered if it was a hint at his occupation, but had no reference from a cutie mark she could not see behind the cloth over his lower back.

“You like music?” she asked after he finished singing.

“Love it.”

“Are you a singer?”

“No.”

“Musician?”

“No.”

“Do you play any instruments?

“No, but it'd be cool to learn how. The piano is nice.”

“Then what?”

“I just love listening to music. You could say that I listen to it a lot. It helps me relax.”

“Me too. I occasionally play my lyre, but I've been a little busy lately and haven't had the time.”

“A lyre? You mean like those small golden harps from ancient times?”

Lyra gave him a confused look.

“But how do you even play them?” he continued.

“I use magic.”

“I knew it,” Andrew whispered to himself.

“What?”

“How do you use, ya know... magic?”

“You don't know how?”

“A little, I've run into a few snags, but I guess it can wait. I just wanna forget it happened.”

“Is that why you ran into me? A teleportation spell gone wrong.”

“Ummm... yeah!”

Magic and spells, is there anything else?

“I try to refrain from using magic.”

“Why is that?”

“Well,” Lyra paused. “Humans don't use magic.”

Got that right!

“And as far as I know,” she continued. “They're more successful without it. It amazes me to no end.”

Andrew looked at her with intense wonder, then took a deep breath.

“So, um, what else do you know about humanity?”

18. One

[Chapter 18]

One

Luna started to get a little anxious. Even though she gained a lot of perspective on Applejack's part, she couldn't help but be confused, not from her lack of understanding, but the way Applejack explained that Andrew (which is a strange name by the way) wasn't even aware of his alicorn qualities. She was intrigued by the attention to detail of his physical description and her observation of his speech.

“How does he not know he's an alicorn?” Twilight asked, still absorbing the mountain of information.

“Ah think it's because he don't even know what alicorns are. He asked us what they are.” Applejack stated. She'd been trying her best to repeat the last few hours, from their first meeting, to the last time she saw him before disappearing. “He refused to take off them dresses he wore so ah could show him ah was bein' honest. He ain't too shabby, but he gone actin' like he crazy. He even tell himself that.”

“That he's crazy?”

“Ya! Ah mean sure, he may be a wee bit strange, but he seem normal to me.”

“Did he say where he came from before he teleported on your farm?” Luna finally asked. It was probably the most important question she's asked all day to anypony and was eager to know the answer.

“Ah don't quite remember. He was scared when he first seen me like I was some kind of monster, sayin' that ah ain't real. Then he started spoutin' a lot of whowey. It made no sense to me.”

“On the contrary, Applejack,” Luna began. “I believe it is what doesn't make sense is most fascinating. You don't remember anything of the things he said. Maybe some things that you've never heard before.”

“Well, ah do remember him askin' if ah was human. Do ya'll know he's talkin' 'bout?” Applejack looked at the expressions of her purple friend and the midnight blue alicorn. It was hard to tell if they were confused or surprised. Twilight and Luna looked at each other.

“You don't remember anything else?” Twilight asked.

Applejack started to get a little annoyed, like the barrage of the same question began to feel like an interrogation.

“Nope.”

As much as Twilight was unsatisfied with the answer, she felt sorry for having to ask Applejack so many things that related to this Andrew character. Luna closed her eyes to think for a bit while Applejack continued the conversation. Pinkie Pie had been digging through Andrew's bag with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo throughout most of the conversation between Applejack and Twilight as if they weren't really interested in anything else but the strange objects. Fluttershy and Applebloom were just curiously focusing her attention on the purple unicorn or farm pony as they spoke and Big Macintosh remained quiet. It continued that way for a while.

“Hey!” Pinkie suddenly blurted out, noticing the lack a of a certain somepony. She stopped examining the little shiny device in her hooves. “Where's Lyra? She's with you guys, right? She might know what this tiny shiny thingy is?”

Luna lost her train of thought and made a curious face. Fortunately, she wasn't getting anywhere with her thoughts. Along with Twilight, they glanced at Pinkie Pie holding a small, rectangular, black object made of some unknown material. It glistened when the sunlight shined through the window at a low angle. Before Pinkie changed the subject, the gray bag the fillies sifted through seemed unimportant to Luna and Twilight. Now it had everypony's attention.

“Good question,” Twilight replied, looking back at Luna. “She should have been here by now.”

“Patience, Twilight, give her some time if she needs it.” Even though she had faith in Lyra to collect whatever necessary, her time was indeed overdue, but only slightly. Nothing to freakout on. Probably not even worth pointing it out the way Pinkie did, but she didn't know any better. Luna was also aware of the lavender unicorn's habit of taking things too seriously, courtesy of her sister's description about it. She hoped Twilight would leave it alone. “It's not like we're on a schedule, strictly speaking.” Luna gave a weak smile.

Fortunately, Twilight decided not to press the issue further and walked over to Pinkie Pie. “What is it?”

“I don't know, maybe a yummy candy bar?” Pinkie proposed.

“It's a personal mirror,” Sweetie Belle suggested. “Rarity has one, but it doesn't look like that.”

“No no, it's a matchbox,” Scootaloo argued.

“Maybe it's one of them new foal toys,” added Applebloom. “Or jewelry of some kind.”

“Do you know what it is, Princess?” said Pinkie after all the suggestions so far.

“Afraid not. I've never seen anything like that before.” Luna began to study it more closely along with all the other things lying on the ground next to the bag.

“Where did you get them, Pinkie?” Twilight asked.

“Well, that pony you guys are talking about, he left this saddlebag here.”

Before Twilight could respond, the black box suddenly lit up and began to vibrate. It startled Pinkie, dropping the device on the ground. All eyes in the room were on the the device that periodically buzzed with a distinct sound and the bright screen emitting a blue light. As if it was a spider, the ponies closest to it backed away quickly. Even Big Mac seemed a little surprised. Luna did the opposite and advanced forward until her head was directly above the object, staring down at the screen.

*Zzt... zzt... zzt*

…

Silence.

'One Missed Call', it read, with the symbol of what Luna recognized as a small white envelope.

Everypony looked at each other. Pinkie Pie seemed to be the most frightened, being terrified of buzzing things and all, but Fluttershy won by default. Luna stared intently at the device as the bright light went away and it lay dormant. Twilight inched forward to the Princess.

“What did it do?” she asked.

“I don't know, but whatever this is, I don't think it was made by ponies.”

Lyra and Andrew finally made it to Sugarcube corner. Neither of them were aware of how long it actually took them to walk several streets because of how occupied they were with a rather interesting conversation. Andrew pretty much asked the questions and Lyra answered him with high spirits. Every answer he received led to more questions, but Lyra was more than happy to respond to every one. The topic on humans was an exciting one, but Andrew grew worried.

“How many other... ponies... know about humans?” he asked as they entered the fuchsia doors of the sweet shop.

“I don't know.” she replied, closing the door behind her. “Everypony I know thinks they are nothing more than myth, but I know that's not true.”

“What about, um, your leaders?”

“Leaders? Oh, you mean the Princesses?”

He nodded.

“They know. In fact, Princess Luna should be here... somewhere.” Lyra scanned the room.

That got Andrew's heart beating faster with the mention of that name. Not knowing any of the authority figures of 'Equestria', the princess probably knew everything there is to know about anyone they want, kinda like the FBI or secret service. Despite his inter-dimensional foreign nature, he thought the chances of this princess character showing up at his exact location shortly after he arrived was slim to none. Maybe she tracked him.

*ping ping*

Lyra tapped on the silver bell that rested on the front counter of the shop. What followed was several seconds of sheer terror; actually more like a heart-pounding silence that lingered on for a short while.

During those seconds of standing behind Lyra, Andrew contemplated his options. He was scared stiff, causing him to freeze instead of flee. Although, fleeing was his first thought, but running away like a coward was probably not a good idea. The largest part of him wanted to go home, but he had no clue how to do that and maybe professional help was the only way out. Plus, he left his stuff behind and wanted them back. Flee or face, his uncertainty made his brain hurt, but one factor remained to stall his decision.

Lyra rang again.

*ping ping*

After another few seconds, they heard a creak echo above the staircase behind the counter and whatever feeling Andrew had stirred up inside began to swirl faster. A certain large red stallion walked down the steps and over to the counter.

Big Mac was about to greet the mint-green unicorn until he caught eye of Andrew trying to hide behind Lyra. She wasn't expecting Big Mac to be the one greeting them at Sugarcube corner, knowing he rarely visited the sweet shop and had supposedly some other matter to attend to.

“Why don't y'all join me upstairs. The Princess is expecting ya.” His green eyes were both intimidating and innocent at the same time. He motioned his head to focus his attention at Andrew.

“Hehe, maybe I should just stay down here.” Andrew nervously chuckled. “I'm in no rush. It can wait.”

Although Big Mac was aware of the whole 'Luna-searching-for-Andrew-ordeal-only-to-be-separated-by-a-staircase-and-a-door' situation that had now presented itself, he didn't particularly want to be involved, so he said nothing to persuade him. He was as patient as Fluttershy on this one.

“Alright then.”

Lyra nodded and followed after Big Macintosh up the stairs, but before they disappeared out of sight, Lyra glanced at Andrew for a moment like she just noticed something. With no time to think about it, Lyra's view was obstructed by a wall and a subtle drop in ambient lighting as they approached the second floor.

Andrew was alone in the middle of the lobby of Sugarcube Corner. Alone again since ditching the confines of the hospital and wandering aimlessly in a strange, yet somewhat serene place, trapped in the body of a unicorn. What scared Andrew the most was it all happened so fast. To think the day before, he was having a normal boring time at school with his friends and then THIS happens. Left with no early warning or other reasonable explanation for both flipping his sense of reality inside out and forcing him make difficult choices. He was beginning to think the nature of this world was to blame and somehow they collided, but modern physics hadn't proved that, let alone tested it.

Thinking about so many things at once gave Andrew a slight headache. Me motioned over to the small elevated sub-room – or whatever you want to call it – where he got a good view of the store. He examined the entire room, observing the spread of colorful treats and sugary foods displayed along the shelves, counters, and mini tables. It looked like the bakery down the street from his house, but with more color and pizzazz. Much like the combination of a bakery and candy store at a shopping mall. The interior definitely reflected the exterior of the building, unsure if the roof was actually edible.

Initially, Andrew had been telling himself that he was in some sort of lucid dream, like the Matrix, but the more he thought about it, the more real it felt. For one thing, the smell inside the shop was too distinct for his brain to artificially recreate and the colors were far too vivid and diverse. He could still feel the pain of his injuries reoccurring occasionally and he could hear the sharp sound of two objects hitting each other when he tapped a hoof on the wooden rail in front of him. The most notable of his senses had to be the super delicious taste of the blueberry muffin he accepted from the pink pony earlier, because the moment he took the first bite, it became very clear to him that he was neither dreaming nor dead, but physically manifested into the body of a pony creature and tossed from his own world into this one... so to speak.

All Andrew could do was think. Think think think think think. He thought of practical reasons for his transformation. He thought of why it had to be him of all people. He thought of his brother Alex and his best friend Dale and how they reacted to him. He also thought of the things he's done and said to get him this far in life. But the most important of all his thoughts was whether of not if he would be able to go home. That's all he really cared about.

The mosquito ringing in his ears that lingered after being lost in his thoughts was a clear indication that it was too quiet. If his equine sense of sound was sharper than that of his former self, then he would have been able to hear even the slightest muffled voice through the ceilings or the walls. However, none came. He just stood there with his attention on the staircase, waiting for the worst.

However, as luck would have it, the next sound Andrew heard came from the front door as a pony strolled through the shop without noticing him at first, trotting up to the front counter with what looked like a blue notepad in her mouth. He recognized her instantly.

“Bon-bon?” he said, almost forgetting her name.

His voice startled her a bit. She turned and found Andrew staring at her from behind the rail of the indoor patio beside her. She spit out the notepad onto the counter.

“Hey there Andrew. Do you know where Lyra is? I found her notebook.”

The instant the name 'Andrew' met the ears of Lyra Heartstrings, she froze. Her golden eyes contracted smaller than raisins and a shiver ran down her spine. To think that whole time she'd been talking to the very pony they were searching for without even knowing it, and did so informally. To her, it was a best foolish mistake she's ever made. Even more so than the first time she tried to bake, resulting in a hilarious failure. How could she be so clueless?

Princess Luna and Twilight noticed the complete mental breakdown as their unicorn companion stared straight ahead with her white filled eyes twitching. Something must have gone wrong.

“What's wrong Lyra?” Twilight asked. “What happened?”

“Uhh I- uhhh...” Lyra cleared her throat and came back to her senses. “Andrew you say?”

Luna nodded.

Lyra closed her eyes and took one long deep breath. She let out a small laugh. “I, uh, hehe, I met him.”

“You did!?” Luna blurted out this time, the volume not quite as loud as the Royal Canterlot Voice though. Luna and Twilight looked at each other. “Where is he now!?”

“In the lobby.”

Right then, Princess Luna surprised everypony in the room by illuminating her horn at once and disappearing in a flash of white light, leaving everypony staring at each other.

*ZAP*

All of a sudden, the sound of electric static and a spherical burst of light manifested in the middle of the lobby of Sugarcube Corner.

“Ahh!” shrieked Bon-bon, falling to the floor as she was pushed aside by the initial pulse of energy.

Andrew was startled as well, but simply reacted through instinct by ducking his head down below the wooden rail to shield his eyes and hide from whatever teleported without warning. That's one way to interrupt a conversation. He remained hidden from view, regardless of who or what had appeared.

As Bon-bon collected herself off the floor, she turned her gaze back to find Princess Luna standing in the center of the store lobby, with her regal, blue mane waving in the nonexistent breeze. At first, Luna's head bounced around her immediate vicinity as if she was looking for something, unaware of the light-brown Earth pony she tripped up.

“Luna?” Bon-bon finally said.

The midnight-blue alicorn jumped at the familiarity of the voice.

“OH!” She snapped her head behind her. “So sorry of me, Bon-bon, I didn't see you there.”

“No no, it's fine. It was just a bit unexpected.” Bon-bon started to get annoyed to all the surprises.

Luna continued to scan the entire lobby by swinging her body a full three hundred and sixty degrees, but found nopony else but Bon-bon.

Not long after her unwarned teleportation, a herd of hoofsteps rushed down the stairs to join the Lunar Princess. Twilight, Lyra, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Big Macintosh, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Applebloom filled the room with as much curiosity as Luna. Fluttershy was the last to enter the room, attending to the scene of perplexed ponies.

“What are you doing here, Bon-bon?” Lyra said, adding a hint of regret from their earlier encounter.

“I found your notebook you were looking for,” she replied, trotting over to the front counter. “I thought I'd bring it to you since you were eager to find it.”

Lyra smiled, levitating the blue pad and slipping it into her saddlebag. “Uh... thanks.”

“What's going on?” her friend asked.

“Where did Andrew go?” With a different mental attitude about him now, Lyra felt weird for saying his name. Again, she couldn't help but feel like a complete sap for not knowing sooner.

“Well sure, he's-” Bon-bon paused, turning her head to Andrew's general location.

Everypony's eyes followed the brown mare's gaze, stopping directly on the sub-room. Out of everyone present, Luna was the most anxious, while Lyra was especially zealous for what would happen next.

The limbs of the turquoise stallion behind the rail shivered in the uncomfortable position he was in. Andrew refused to make a move in any way so he could hear the commotion going on merely a couple meters away. Some familiar voices, others not. He eyes were too afraid to blink and his breathing silenced to maximize sound clarity.

Even with all his effort to stay concealed, they already knew where he was hiding when Bon-bon finished talking. I was only a matter of time before he'd have to come out of his hiding spot. One voice in particular sounded formal in a way that seemed superior over the other, majestic even. If it was the princess, then it was too early, having not enough time to come up with something credible to say for an alibi. Surely a simple 'hello' was easy enough, but anything after that would have to be carefully planned if he were to be asked (or ask) questions regarding their situation.

The voices soon stopped, causing his Andrew's heart to beat faster. He didn't hear any footsteps or any sound indicating movement. Those many seconds of silence was like a dramatic pause before the revealing of something important. Obviously, this was something important. Like a quiet storm, it was rather unsettling. Only when they ask from him to show himself, he would.

Not long after the silence began, a single soft voice called out.

“A- Andrew?”

Luna rose a hoof as a request that nopony move. She didn't want him to see them as a threat. It would be a bad start. She waited for confirmation through nods from each of them and then spoke. Her first word to him would be his name, something that usually worked with starting a conversation. Though, she had no idea what she wanted to say or what his response would be.

“There's nothing to be afraid of,” she reasoned with a voice that sounded like she was talking to a foal. “We just want to talk.”

Shortly, she heard a muffled shuffling noise, then a head of a unicorn slowly rose above the level of the rail. As if the confrontation couldn't get any more dramatic, his head stopped halfway, only showing his mane, horn, and then his eyes.

“Yo,” he said as his eyes studied the room full of colorful ponies. His gaze suddenly coming to a halt at the tall, midnight-blue unicorn... with.... waving hair? ...and... wings!

Princess Luna cocked an eyebrow, unfamiliar with the use of that idiom.

“Hello. We-”

Before Luna could say another word, Andrew's quickly disappeared out of sight to hide again.

“No no no no no no,” Luna begged. “Do not be alarmed! You have nothing to fear from us.”

“Yes I do!” he cried.

“Please, let us explain. I know this must be difficult for you, I can see why you are afraid. We are here to help.”

That last word hit Andrew the most. It was a relief to hear them coming from the tall, blue, magical horse (which Andrew assumed was too tall to be called a pony).

“We want to help,” Luna continued. She tried to sound as professional as possible. “If you allow us to tend to your situation, we may be able to come up with a solution that works for everypony.”

Andrew took a deep breath, and unwillingly poked his head out, rising his head slower than the first time.

“Am I under arrest?” he asked, hoping that wasn't the case.

Luna's eyes showed profound empathy for what he must think of her. She was different from everypony else in the room and appeared the most intimidating to foreigners. This case was no exception.

Luna shook her head. “Quite the opposite.” She took a couple steps forward. “But first, let me formally introduce myself. I am Princess Luna, keeper of the night, younger sister of Princess Celestia, keeper of the day, royal rulers of the peaceful egalitarian nation of Equestria. You can call me Luna. I am pleased to welcome you to our beloved country.”

Somehow, Andrew acquired a boost confidence and rose his head completely above the rail, but wasn't comfortable enough to move from his position. He wasn't sure if the Princess was actually being sincere about welcoming him. With over half a dozen pairs of eyes on Andrew, he was slow to respond after the Princess paused for a moment, assuming she waited for him to speak.

“That explains a lot.”

“I presume it is a lot to take in.”

“Kinda. So what do you call yourself?”

“What do you mean?”

“You're like a unicorn with wings, and your hair is waving and stuff. That's crazy.”

“I am one of only a handful remaining from the species known as an alicorn, a unicorn-pegasus. The nature of my mane and tail of which you speak is a part of us. We must keep up our appearance to appeal to our little ponies. Oh, and might I introduce to you, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna gestured a hoof at the lavender unicorn. “And Lyra Heartstrings, who you have already met.” She paused and looked at Andrew. “If you don't mind, I'd like you to join the rest of us in the room and introduce yourself in any way you feel comfortable.”

Andrew stared back at Luna with a hint of refusal, but there was no time to argue with the ruler of an entire nation. He was hardly comfortable with anything now. He finally got his legs to move after almost forgetting how to use them. He stepped to the side and down the two steps, catching Luna and Twilight's attention when they caught sight of the shirt that covered most of his body. He stopped directly at the base of the steps. Unsure if pleasing the fifth was going to help him out or if any human law applied to Equestria, it was probably unlikely that these ponies would understand. Andrew had never been more nervous in his life.

He cleared his throat.

“Ahem, right, um, okay, my name is Andrew, but you probably already knew that huh? I'd wanna know why I'm here.”

“Why are you here?” Twilight said, having felt bad to have asked so suddenly.

“I was hoping you could tell me,” he stated. “Please don't tell me this is all a joke.”

“A joke?” Lyra said.

“Yeah. I mean turning me into a unicorn is not cool. It's not funny and my life is bad enough as it is.” His said loudly, almost yelling at them for his misfortune. With so many ponies present, he forgot just how ambivalent and curious they were around him.

“Why would we ever do such a thing?” Luna sincerely said.

Andrew felt like the knot in his mind had finally untangled. “Oh, uh, I don't know. I just thought... you... had something to do with this. Is there somewhere else we can talk, ya know, more private?”

“Of course,” Luna turned to Pinkie. “Pinkie Pie. Would you lead our guest upstairs?”

“Okie dokie.”

Andrew managed a small chuckle, but before he was able to follow the bouncing pony, Lyra interrupted. “Hold on, I have one question that everypony would like to know the answer to. Where did you come from?”

Each of them, especially Applejack, focused their attention on the foreign unicorn. As much as Andrew wanted to tell them, his past experience with giving them the name of his home state was met with the same misunderstanding. His mistake all along was not being more specific.

“Uh, you really want to know?”

They nodded.

“I don't think it exists here.”

Everypony's expressions turned puzzled. How can you say that your home doesn't exist?

“Is it near Equestria?” Twilight asked.

“No.” He paused as none of them had anything else to add. “Does the United States of America sound familiar to any of you?”

Everypony shook their head, except for Lyra, who had heard of the name once before in one of her books.

“Well that's where I'm from,” he declared. Like a heavy payload that has been lifted off his shoulders, he felt better having said that information, oddly enough. He continued without hesitation. “I live in the city of St. Louis in the territory of Missouri. I can say that, where I'm from, Equestria does not exist. None of this should be scientifically possible.”

The moment he said the word scientifically, Twilight's glee grew tenfold. Her mind was jumping with a joy that she tried to control and keep from escaping into a physical action. Not only did she, Lyra, and Luna suspected he was a being from another world, but he was apparently intelligent enough to be aware of the impossibilities were now forced upon him, unfortunately. She could definitely relate and feel sympathy for him, having had similar instances when things didn't seem possible. Her mouth hung half-open.

Luna tried her best to refrain from asking more questions, especially those that involve personal interest, until she was someplace more secluded. The rest of the ponies weren't technically allowed to engage with any supernatural incidents of this magnitude, but it was already too late. Since nothing like this had ever happened before (except for maybe the previous event a century and a half ago), somepony was bound to find out sooner or later. Her little ponies were simply not ready for news of the existence of inter-dimensional beings with untold capabilities. All Luna could do was take the situation out of their hooves before it could get any worse.

“My little ponies,” she began. “In the interest of time and royal measures, I request that you all carry on with your day while I speak with Mr. Andrew. I will see to it that our new friend here receives our full care and hospitality. That is all.” For once, knew what it felt to be Celestia with the royal requesting and stuff. She should do it more often with less soft language.

Every other pony in the room looked at Luna and nodded in agreement. The Cutie Mark Crusaders reluctantly waddled after Fluttershy out the front door. Applejack followed after Big Mac, but paused before Andrew to say her farewell, gave him a gentle pat on the back, and trailed after her brother. Pinkie and Twilight waited at the base of the staircase for Luna and Andrew. Bon-bon was the only pony who refused to comply, but eventually agreed after it took a little convincing from her friend Lyra.

Luna gestured a hoof for Andrew to follow Pinkie and Twilight to the second floor. He obeyed. Andrew had some trouble with the steps, even for a second time, but Lyra stood by his side to assist.

The five ponies strolled into Pinkie's room where he spotted a mess of his personal things on the floor. He rushed ahead of Pinkie and Twilight to collect his things. With the inability to pick things up, he simply slid the items next his bag, noticing that none of them were visibly damaged. Once he finished, he looked up to find one less pony in the room and the door closed. A cold shiver ran down his body and, strangely enough, felt it down the length of his tail.

“Are those your things?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah. What did you do to them?”

“Nothing! We're just curious. It's just that one of them did something.” Twilight kept her eyes on the black device that vibrated earlier.

“Which one?”

“That small black one.” She pointed a hoof at it.

“What it do?”

“It started buzzing like a bee.”

Andrew looked down at his phone, which appeared lifeless. With difficulty, he managed to press the green button and his eyes suddenly went wide.

“Whoa!”

“What happened!?” they mimicked his expression.

An awkward silence hung over them as they stared at him staring down at the black box. He looked at them and smirked.

“I have three bars.”

“Three what?” said Luna.

“And one missed call... from Dale? What the hell?”

“What does that mean?”

“It means my phone works and I can call him back. Hmm...”

“What's a phone? Call who back?” Twilight stepped closer to Andrew as he stared at the device.

He then looked up at her. “You don't know what a telephone is?”

They shook their heads.

“Well it's just a cellphone that instantly lets me talk to people far away.”

Their eyes grew wide with amazement. He expressed his content with a small laugh from their reactions. He had a feeling the didn't have knowledge of high-level technology judging by the town's initial resemblance to old times.

“How is that possible?” Twilight insisted.

“I have no idea, I just know how to use it.”

“How DO you use it?”

“Hold up!” Luna roared, startling each of them. She turned to both mares. “Please, let us focus on a more important question.”

Lyra and Twilight immediately propped their heads up in realization, then gazed back at the oddly dressed stallion with an eagerness level at maximum. Luna cleared her throat.

“We would like to know who you truly are?”

19. Truth

[Chapter 19]

Truth

The fact that it was barely half past five was hard for Andrew to wrap his head around the incredibly short amount of time that has elapsed for going through a lot since waking up that morning. Now that he thought about it, each event that followed had been slightly less of a burden that he'd have to deal with, and now that he was standing in front of a Princess of the magical land of Equestria, it made his situation significantly easier to handle with her willingness to help. However, his mood hardly got any better.

But first, he had to confess.

“Like, what do you want to know?”

“Are you familiar with a creature called humans?”

“Oh, well, yeah, I mean sure we're not all bad, we're just-”

“We?” Twilight interrupted.

“Uh...”

“Please, Andrew,” Luna began. “We will believe you if you confirm it for us. We must know.”

“Confirm what?”

“Are you one of them?”

“A human?”

They nodded.

“Yes, I am. But I woke up today like this and all I want to do is get back.”

“Back to...?” Lyra trailed off, leaning her head closer to him.

“Back to my human form and back home in St. Louis.” Andrew pouted.

The mares looked at him silently and with sympathy. Surely their investigation got them this far, but they realize what they found was more than true, it was right in front of them.

“If you could tell me how I can do that, I'd very much appreciate it,” he continued.

“We'd certainly be more than happy to help you return,” Luna stated. “But in order to do that, we need to know more about what happened.”

“I don't what happened. I was just minding my own business when something scared the living crap outta me last night.”

“Last night you say?” Luna said. All three mares let those words sink in. The more bits of information Andrew gave, the more it connected him to the mysterious surge the night before. Only he was just as confused as they were on what cause it.

“Yeah, and the next thing I know, WHAM! I'm a horse with a horn.”

“Correction, pony.”

“Right, but unicorns don't exist where I come from. Let alone talking ones. They're just mythology and fantasy.”

“How can unicorns not exist?” Lyra asked.

“They just don't, neither do pegasuseses...ses-”

“Pegasi.” Twilight corrected.

“Yeah, magic isn't supposed to be real either. I mean, it's not scientifically possible.”

“Of course it is,” Twilight blurted out.

“No way. How?”

“Magic resides in all ponies,” Luna explained. “Earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns alike each share a specific connection with magic, but unicorns are especially unique in concentrating its power by channeling it through their horns, thus are able the preform different kinds of spells of different magnitudes. But one must first learn to use magic through practice and training to master its great power.”

By now, Andrew was completely lost by her explanation with a cynical look on his face. Not that he didn't understand it, but didn't believe it. It was vague on specifics and something considered impossible to any rational human being. Andrew likes to think he is very rational.

“However,” she continued. “Since you were merely transformed into an alicorn, like myself, I'm still wondering how you managed to teleport yourself from your world to ours.”

“But it wasn't me, it just... happened. I don't know why. And why does everyone keep saying I'm an alicorn. I'm not like you.”

“You know that for a fact?” Twilight cut it.

Andrew looked at her with an annoyed face. “I'm pretty sure my hair isn't all waving by itself and I have no wings. I don't want any of that. I don't want to stay this way.” His voice cracked like he sounded more angry that cooperative. Although each of the mares were all aware of his change in attitude, they didn't want to make it worse. But, it seemed like whatever they tried to say to him didn't go over so well with him.

There was a silence for a few seconds as Luna exchanged glances with Twilight and Lyra. Without a word, Luna stepped closer to Andrew as the others took a step back. The Princess was practically in his personal space. She closed her eyes as her horn started to glow a pale blue, but before she could lower her head close to his, Andrew retreated.

“WHOA whoa, back up! What's going on?”

“Please relax, Andrew. If I may, allow me to use a simple spell so that I can determine the deeper meaning about why you're here.”

He stood his ground, staring at Luna's sincere blue eyes, thinking whether it was a good idea to trust her. The assumption that the spell she was talking about would result in another inconvenience was a factor in his decision, but not nearly enough to stop him from cooperating. Besides, she offered to help and it would be a foolish to refuse it.

“Okay then.”

“Thank you.” Luna illuminated her horn again. “Hold still.”

“Will it hurt?”

“It won't.”

Andrew let out a sigh, nodded, and closed his eyes, too. The Princess angled her head downward once more. The tip of Luna's horn hovered above Andrew's own horn for a second as his horn started to glow as well, involuntarily. As each horn touched at the very tip, both of their magical aura's merged together and began to glow brighter with each passing second.

As this happened, Andrew felt very strange. It was as if someone was tickling the center of his brain. He felt goosebumps resonated all over his skeleton. The bones themselves felt like they were being poked by thousands of tiny invisible needles, at the same time. The tingle in his forehead was not painful, but a sensation unlike anything he's experienced before.

Luna encountered a similar sensation. It was the first time using the spell on her own species. It was more vivid that the other instances using the same spell, like she was literally inside Andrew's mind, yet not in control. However, while connected to his mind through the enchantment, she was able to navigate parts of his consciousness like memory and emotions fairly easily, but had extreme difficulty accessing his subconscious. She was able to mimic the feelings he felt from recent experiences for the few seconds their horns were in contact, but the moment she attempted to fight her way into the deepest part of his mind, everything went dark.

*BAM*

Suddenly, a strong pulse blew onto Luna's face, knocking her back several feet before sliding to a stop, still able to stay on her hooves.

*SMASH!*

As soon as Luna settled back with Twilight and Lyra, she heard the unpleasant sound of shattering glass directly in front of her. She ripped her eyes open to see if Andrew was okay, but witnessed the exact opposite. All three mares were in shock as they hurried over to the devastation.

Andrew flew clear across the room in the opposite direction as Princess Luna. Instead of striking a wall, he was shot back first into the pink-tinted window beside Pinkie Pie's bed, shattering it to pieces. His body was thrown through the window and tumbled uncontrollably to the street below.

As Andrew fell, he was aware of his plight but could do nothing to stop his tumbling descent. During free fall, he braced for what was certainly inescapable pain of slamming into the ground...

...until he something broke his fall.

He landed on something soft and strangely fluffy. His body bounced a couple times before resting on the soft surface. Even though Andrew rested in a fetal position on top a foam substance of some sort, his body was still tense in fear. His eyes remained sealed shut and his blue-green hooves covering face. He heard the sound of glass shards raining down on him while most of them flew right by him and hit the ground, pieces flying in every direction.

Then came an calm silence as the late afternoon sun beat down on him, moving ever so slightly westward.

…

“Hey mister!” intimately squeaked a female voice. “You alright?”

Seconds later, he gathered the courage to open his eyes. He did so carefully. He found a light-blue pegasus with crazy rainbow hair, too close for comfort.

“That was quite the stunt,” she said.

Princess Luna, Twilight, and Lyra rushed to the shattered window pane in search of the turquoise stallion. All they saw was the angled roof of Sugarcube corner directly beneath the window and a bunch of glass fragments sprinkled everywhere. With Andrew was nowhere in sight, they assumed the worst.

“Go down and see if Andrew is okay!” Luna shouted.

Twilight and Lyra immediately complied by simultaneously teleporting to the street below. Luna spread her wings and cautiously flew out the open window, avoiding the sharp blades of broken glass on her way out. She followed the exit point and glided to the where she expected to find Andrew in a critical condition. She was wrong.

Luna found Andrew resting on a white cloud several meters from the ground. He appeared completely unharmed, free of serious injury, but had a few scratches here and there on his forelegs and face. Her mouth was slightly agape in surprise and terrible repent for what had happened. Fortunately, there were no other townsfolk in sight that heard the crash. However, she did find a certain multi-colored pegasus by his side, speaking to him.

She fluttered down to them.

Two unicorns suddenly appeared on the store front of Sugarcube Corner, startling the apples out of an orange farm pony. Applejack jumped when Twilight and Lyra rematerialized next to her without warning.

“Applejack!” Twilight cried.

“What in tarnation is goin' on Twilight?”

“We have a probl-” Twilight looked around. “Where's Andrew?”

“Well, ah was talkin' to Rainbow Dash here,” Applejack pointed to a cloud suspended in the air. “When we seen somepony come crashin' down from that there window.” The farm pony seemed rigorously concerned with what caused it. “Y'all sayin' it was Andrew!? What happened?”

“He landed on that cloud?” Lyra said. All three mares looked up, and sighed in relief. “What's that cloud doing there anyway?”

“Rainbow put it there.” Applejack replied. “She's up there right now.”

“How the hay are you on here?” said Rainbow Dash, looking around him. “You're a unicorn.”

Before Andrew could answer with an uneducated guess on such a vague question, a midnight-blue alicorn floated down and leveled out on the cloud.

“Princess!” Rainbow jumped at the very sight of Luna and bowed. “I- uh... what-”

“Please, Rainbow Dash, be calm,” said Luna. “Did you place this cloud here?”

“Yup, that was me.” Rainbow grinned, unsure if the Princess was gratified or displeased.

Luna looked at Andrew, who returned a trembling look of confusion and contempt. She said it wouldn't hurt, but that was clearly the opposite of is considered safe. It was an act of betrayal.

“I deeply apologize for what happened, Andrew,” Luna began.

“Andrew?” Rainbow uttered, but her words went unheard.

Luna continued, “I did not know that would to occur. This had never happened before and I honestly never thought it could. I am so sorry.”

Andrew gave a weak smile, indicating to the Princess of his acceptance. He felt slight pity as well, easily convinced that Luna was deeply sincere about it through her words. He was also slow to realize what actually broke his fall.

“So how did this foam pit get here?” he asked, shuffling around to find his balance. “It wasn't here before.”

Luna and Rainbow Dash gave each other a funny look.

“Foam pit?” Rainbow said. “You're on a cloud you silly.”

“What? No way-” Andrew looked down and found nothing but a uniform spread of white mist hovering in mid air that appeared to naturally sway in the breeze. His eyes flickered wide and began to panic.

“Wa wa wa what the hell is this!?” he yelled while flailing his limbs aimlessly trying to gain his center of gravity. “Get me down!” His mind was terrified of the impossibility, both for the fact that he was literally being held up by floating water droplets and that the cloud had a no visible surface. It felt frictionless and cold.

“Please calm down, Andrew, a pegasus has the ability to walk on clouds and manipulate them,” Luna reasoned. “You must keep still.”

It didn't do much good. Andrew continued to panic as the very idea was physics defying. He tried to get to his feet, but kept slipping, rolling over, and crawling on the surface of the white cloud. Rainbow Dash attempted to get him to relax, but was bucked in the head and fell off the cloud. She flew back up and landed next to Luna, keeping her distance. The Princess continued to reason with him, and with each word, it slowly got through to Andrew. He eventually came to a full stop, lying one side refusing to move another muscle.

Luna noticed the condition of the single piece of clothing covering his body was in bad shape. There were obscene wrinkles and gaping tears where the glass cut the material (which she assumed was silk, but was actually cotton) it was made out of. When he finally stopped moving, she got a fair peek through one of the tears of the shirt. Confirming her suspicions, several feathers from the tip of a wing were visible, but the rest of the shirt was intact obscuring the entire appendage. Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped.

“Luna? Rainbow? Is Andrew okay?”

Rainbow Dash body was too frozen in surprise to move as her gaze bounced between the unmistakeable features that made up a pegasus wing and the horn on Andrew's forehead. She was unable to comprehend the sight before her. Luna, on the other hoof, leaned to one side to glance down at the group beneath them. Twilight, Lyra, and Applejack were looking up at them with a worried look upon their faces.

“He's fine,” she replied. “I'll bring him down to you.” Luna returned to address Andrew. “I'm going to lower the cloud to the ground, okay? Stay calm.”

With that, Luna leaped into the air and pushed the cloud down to ground level where it finally came in contact with the gravel where the cloud dissipated before them. As it faded away, Andrew was gently placed onto solid ground. He quickly shuffled to his hooves and regained his balance. He reverted to heavy breathing as if he just wrestled a bear while his legs struggled to keep his body in balance. He was a complete mess, but unharmed.

“How is that possible!?” he asked intensely.

Twilight began to explain. “It's simple really-”

“No it's not!” Andrew shouted. He pressed his hooves into his forehead and squeezed his eyes tighter. “Ughh! What did you do to me!?” He glared at Luna with an fierce look. Even the other mares were also eager for an answer.

“I'm not sure. It was a simple mind spell.”

“Mind control!?”

“No! Nothing like that. I was merely observed your thoughts and feelings. In no way did I have any control. It was necessary to truly understand why you are here, but when I tried to peek inside your subconscious...” Luna paused. “All went dark.”

“And you threw me out a window,” Andrew finished her explanation for her with a smile.

“I didn't do it on purpose. That never should have occurred. I'm sorry.”

“Whatever.”

“Are you okay?”

“It was actually kinda fun.”

Everypony looked at Andrew.

“But you could have gotten seriously injured,” said Twilight.

“I know, but still, that was like something out of a movie, but actually being the one to try the stunts. It did hurt a little, but not anymore. Besides, she saved me.” He pointed at Rainbow Dash.

The light-blue pegasus blushed. “I didn't know you were gonna come crashing out a building. Why didn't you just use your wings?”

Andrew's smile turned into a frown. “Because I don't have any. See look I'll show you.” He began to wiggle his way out of his washed-up shirt, which can pass for rags from the way they've been treated recently. Oddly enough, he felt it snag against something halfway off his body, and it definitely wasn't his horn. The shirt would no further, resting over his head. What made it odd was that he could literally feel what snagged it in the first place. Either it was the contour of his body, or something else entirely.

“You need some help getting that off?” Lyra offered.

By this point, Andrew had stopped trying to slip out of the cotton trap himself with his forelegs stretched in front of him. His posture was like that of a cat stretching its front paws.

“Yeah.” He responded in a uneasy voice and an peculiar scrunch look on his face which nopony could see. “Could you pull the rest of this off?”

Lyra gestured to Applejack to help her remove the clothing from his head. They each grabbed a sleeve with their teeth and began to pull.

“OW ow ow!” he shrieked. “Hold up!” The mares immediately ceased tugging to fabric, but by then, they've already taken the shirt off completely. Andrew shook his body like a dog drying itself off, but a tingling sensation ran down the skin under his fur, down the length of his body. He noticed the expressions of each pony had changed dramatically, save for Applejack. Unsuspecting to Andrew, the most unbelievable feature was not his wings, but what lay behind them, or lack thereof. There was no cutie mark on his flank. Twilight and Luna assumed it was side effect of the transformation and that humans don't have cutie marks.

Finally, he turned his head around to view his back.

Andrew found what appeared to be turquoise feathers protruding out the sides of his body. The very moment he laid eyes on his wings, he snapped his head forward again with a very pale color to his face. His breathing became more unstable as he began to hyperventilate in a fright. The rest of his body followed suit by shaking violently.

“We need you to calm yourself, Andrew,” Luna demanded. “We thought you already knew.”

Andrew's unsettled gaze met Luna's eyes. She noticed the gloss in his dilated golden eyes increase and begin to fog up with a coat of fluid that stirred like the shell of a soap bubble. He exhibited no other physical emotion from the lack of expression on his face, but she speculated that he was very unhappy.

Without another word, Andrew quickly looked away closing his eyes, and suddenly broke into a full gallop down the street as fast as he could. With his wings still stretched out, they dragged through the wind that rushed behind him. A single droplet of water ran down his face. Nothing like this has ever made him feel so melancholic. He finally snapped.

“Wait!” Luna cried, holding up a hoof. It did no good. He was too far away.

Andrew vanished around a corner, leaving everypony staring at the empty street where he ran off to. Each of them felt a different level of empathy for Andrew. Lyra took it the most. They continued to stare for a few seconds until Lyra broke the silence.

“What should we do?”

“Should I fly after him?” Rainbow Dash suggested, getting ready to take off after him.

Luna sighed deeply. “No.”

“Where do you think he's going?” Twilight asked.

“I don't know. He believes it was our fault and blames us for bringing him here.”

“Ah reckon he needs our help more than ever,” said Applejack. “Ah seen that look before.”

Luna returned her gaze in the direction where Andrew went. Her heart had gone cold from the intense weight of her actions that afflicted them both, but it wasn't in vain. While spectating the complexity of his mind, she found something unusual, yet remarkable. The moment she saw it, she understood what it meant and was able to feel the complexity that defined Andrew's connection with this world and the human world. It changed her perspective of the world from that moment on, but how to tell the human would be a challenge. Applejack was right, he's been through too much already.

“Girls,” Luna began in a soft voice. “There is something I need you to do.”

“Yes, Princess?” They all said simultaneously, save for Lyra.

“Stay put. I must go after our friend Andrew.”

“But Luna-”

“Twilight please! Just do this for Andrew's sake. I want you all to wait inside Sugarcube Corner until I come back. Understood? This is something I must do alone.”

Each pony looked at each other and then nodded, save for Lyra.

“Thank you,” Luna finished. She inhaled slowly and exhaled loudly, letting all the stale air rush our snout. She flapped her wings and rapidly took off in search of the distressed human/alicorn.

“C'mon y'all,” Applejack addressed her friends. “Let's go.”

Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Applejack headed for the front door of the sweet shop. Lyra, however, did not move a muscle. She stood still, watching Princess Luna fly off as she disappeared behind the roof of a house. Twilight turned to her unicorn friend.

“You okay, Lyra?”

“I can't stand to see him like that.”

“Well, you're not the only one. We all feel the same way, too.”

Lyra slowly faced the lavender mare.

“We should trust Luna to set things right again,” Twilight continued. “Andrew needs a little time.”

“But didn't you hear him? He doesn't want to stay like that. It hurts him to be stuck in that body and since he is human, he cannot accept magic as practical. He is desperate to go home. I'm surprised he made it this far.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Think about it, Twilight, what would you do in his horseshoes? Being put in a position where everything you saw and did was supposed to be impossible.”

“I don't know.” Twilight felt the logic in Lyra's words and her spirits fell to Lyra's level. “I never thought of it that way.”

“Nopony thinks about what he truly feels and just simply neglects his existence. We only want information out of him and never stop to understand his perspective. I don't think that's right. He needs to be treated like a friend, but all we've done is build the fear he has of us.” She turned her gaze away from Twilight towards the barren street. “I have to go talk to him. Be honest with him. He needs a true friend.”

Twilight stood at a loss of words that would make a difference to change her mind. Her mood shifted dramatically from weak empathy to a burning regret for contributing to this mess. After all the exciting things she's learned in the past several hours, it couldn't make up for the sudden feeling of remorse. There was nothing she could to but let Lyra try her best to lecture him. But one thing still remained that Twilight wanted to tell her mint-green friend.

“Lyra?”

“Yes?” She stopped after beginning to walk away.

“Before you go, I just want you to know something.” Twilight pawed at the ground, unsure if what she was about to say was appropriate.

“What is it?”

“You know how I'm Princess Celestia's faithful student? Well, Princess Luna-”

“I know.”

Twilight's expression changed from nervous to confused. “What?”

“She told me about it.”

“When?”

“Right after you ran off to the library at Sweet Apple Acres by yourself. She didn't say much though. It was pretty blunt.”

“Oh. Well what did you say?”

“I told her I'd think about it. I didn't give her a definite answer yet.”

“Why not?” Twilight was secretly eager for her to say accept Luna's offer.

“Look, I'll talk about it later. I gotta go.”

With that, Lyra darted off into the distance, leaving Twilight standing beside herself.

“Aren'tcha comin' Twi?” called Applejack sticking halfway out the front door of Sugarcube Corner.

“Yeah!” Twilight trotted over to the farm filly.

“Where is Lyra goin'?”

“She-” Twilight looked down the street one more time. “She's got a friend to find.”

Through the edge of Ponyville, a turquoise alicorn ran as fast it could and as far as its legs could endure. Few ponies in its path quickly jumped out of its way as it ran by without looking back. A trail of dust stirred up behind it from the loose terrain. Each pony was largely in awe of the unusual alicorn's swift appearance as if they've just seen a ghost. Many seconds later, they saw Princess Luna trailing after the fleeing stallion above their heads.

Andrew was completely broken. His mind, his emotions, and now his legs began to die of sheer fear and exhaustion from betrayal and hurt. His only thought was to keep running until he could run no more. No longer did he care about anything that involved his psychological health or the shape of his physical condition. Everything seemed to be turning against him at every turn, and the ponies where no exception. The moment he witnessed those extra set of limbs, not only did it scare him, but it destroyed the weak trust he shared with the Princess. Never before had he felt so dejected from everything fallen upon him in the last eight hours or so. He thought if he ran fast and long enough, he could outrun the wings on his back.

He'd finally made it as far as the white fence of the Apple orchard. While galloping, his vision was blurry from tears that settled on his eyes. Andrew wasn't about to admit that he was crying, but even that embarrassment wasn't enough to pull him out of the mixed state of anger and repent. The wind was warm, but his heart wasn't.

Andrew kept going along the dirt path until found a familiar white gate. Instead of stopping to properly opening the gate, he leaped over the wooden fence. Upon landing on the farmland, the uneven soil threw him off balance. He tumbled off his hooves onto his stomach in a cloud of dust.

“Oof!”

Sliding only a yard or two, Andrew came to a stop near an Apple tree coughing up dirt particles.

He lay in his impact spot, squeezing his eyelids shut. For the several seconds on the ground, he took the time to pant heavily to let his negative emotions flow out his body. His heart rate slowly began to decline as he waited for the dust to settle. Although his breathing had substantially decreased, it was still fast paced when he rose to his hooves to continue on. His marathon run had ended, but his escape was far from over.

At a slower pace than before, Andrew walked with a limp, advancing further in the farm. He kept a keen eye out for one specific apple tree. To find that particular apple tree, he kept an eye out for stray apples laying of the ground.

After a minute or so, Andrew found the first apple, then followed by more apples scattered across the land ahead of him. Taking one step at a time, the density of the spoiled fruit increased to the point where he had to kick some out of the way just to take a step. He still could not get over the fact that he had hooves instead of feet.

Following the apples, he eventually came to the tree surround by the a red sea of orbs and a large gap void of those orbs. Assuming it was the right place, it was where he teleported no more than three hours ago with his pony body upside down in a mangled mess. Letting the scene sink back into his mind, he took a deep breath and sat down on the soft dirt, directly under the apple tree.

What followed was the longest silence he experienced so far that day.

…

Many seconds pass.

…

Then half a minute.

…

Then a full minute.

The only sound around were leaves rustling in the light breeze of the afternoon and faint chirps from distant birds.

Two minutes go by. It took a over a hundred and twenty seconds for his anger and fear to settle down. He became calm enough to think clearly about why he ran. He thought how immature it was to flee like that, but that's all he really was, immature. Surely he was afraid of himself, but that fear was narrowly based on impossibility and absolute disbelief. Finding out he was a pony with a horn and wings was just the beginning, the thought of living with it would be the hardest part. Andrew hoped he wouldn't have to live with it. Ending this nightmare was his only priority.

Three minutes go by. It felt longer than that really. He had forgotten how much it pained him to have left his own reality so fast, all because some random act of 'magic' thought it would be funny to screw with him. Having this happen to him never, in a trillion years, should have happened. Impossible, was the correct word. Even more upsetting was it affected, not only himself, but his friends and his only sibling back home. The series of events that led to his disappearance made him worry even more. Even though he's only been gone three hours, give or take, that time might be longer than desired. He has no real way of getting back he could think of. But what about his phone. It still works in this world. There must be a way back. There must be a reason why his cellphone worked between realities.

By minute four, Andrew was completely lost in a sea of thoughts he chose to forget, and the ones he wanted to forget, but could not. Other thoughts rolled into his head. Most prominently, the truth behind some of his favorite songs. His favorite example: Leave Out All The Rest. If there's one song that described his entire day, and maybe his entire life, it's that one song. He sang the last verse of the lyrics in his head, over and over and over again.

Forgetting all the hurt inside

you've learned to hide so well.

Pretending someone else can come

and save me from myself.

I can't be who you are.

Those words make him feel better every time. This was the perfect time to let the song play in his head. His eyes were closed, his head angled down, and nothing to do but wait. Wait for time to tick away his life as it turned upside down, one move after another. He wished that this world (his body and these ponies) was just a dream. A wish that had gone unanswered.

There was no denying it. This was not fake. This was real.

Andrew finally looked up as minute five clocked in the outdoor silence. He stared at the bark of the tree for a moment before sighing.

“What now?”

…

“You could tell me what's wrong.”

A voice from behind startled him, but not so much to make him jump. Andrew recognized that voice almost immediately and did exactly what it said.

“How did you find me?” he said.

“I had a feeling you'd come here,” said Princess Luna in a bittersweet tone.

20. Timeless

[Chapter 20]

Timeless

As Lyra ran through the part of town that she assumed was the route Andrew took, many ponies here and there were talking amongst each other in much larger numbers than usual. She thought Andrew's gallop through town would no doubt cause a stir between the townsfolk. It seems the rumors had already spread. Beside the chatter that was going on, she had no other way of knowing where the troubled stallion went. She stopped to eavesdrop on a group of ponies talking to one another, but did so acting as if she was minding her own business.

Unaware that Lyra was within earshot of their conversation, the three ponies of the group were asking each other a series of questions.

“Did you see that stallion run through here recently?” the brown Earth pony said.

“Yeah,” said the navy-blue pegasus. “He had a horn and wings.”

“That can't be right,” argued a gray unicorn filly. “Are you sure he had both?”

“I saw them with my own eyes. I also didn't see cutie mark.”

“No cutie mark?” the brown colt asked. “I don't believe it.”

“It's true. He looked like he was in a hurry, too.”

“Where did he go?” the filly asked.

“I don't know, but he was heading for the edge of town.” The mare gestured a hoof west. The gazes of her companions followed the general direction where she was pointing. Lyra did the same. “I saw Princess Luna flying after him, too.”

Lyra soon remembered what was west of Ponyville.

Instead sticking around to hear the rest of the conversation, Lyra pressed on her quest to seek out Andrew and hopefully not scare him away again. She slowed her pace to a trot, then to a casual stroll. Why would Andrew go to Sweet Apple Ac-

Then it hit her.

Luna stepped closer to Andrew to plop down right in front of him. He wasn't afraid anymore. He didn't move another muscle since turning around the face the Princess. His unfolded wings did twitch occasionally, but other that, he was as still as a statue with his eyes half open. His tentative complexion remained.

“You mind?” she asked.

He shook his head.

“Thanks.” Luna lowered her body to his level and sat down. She took a deep breath. “I know how you feel.”

“I doubt that.”

“No really, I do. I have been through a time when my emotions of anger got the best of me. They threw me in a dark mist from which I could not escape.”

Andrew seemed uninterested. His expression hardly changed. He was skeptical if she really did fell his lament. The Princess didn't look like the kind of individual who would have any problems with a hierarchical life like hers, being a ruler of an egalitarian society and all. Egalitarianism never worked with human societies, and probably never will, but this world was populated by an entirely different species with very different rules. He wasn't sure if the politics were anywhere near perfect. Despite it being a preferable place to live, he was an outsider; an intruder; an alien. Hopefully going back home was still possible, so he kept that hope lingering inside, waiting for a chance to make everything normal again. Living as a pony creature was the last thing he ever thought would happen in forever and a day.

“It all began over one thousand years ago,” Luna stated.

That number suddenly got his attention.

“You're kidding, right?” he inquired.

“Oh I am very serious. My dear sister and I live very long lives. All alicorns do. We are not strictly immortal, but almost. We have ruled Equestria together for thousands of years and will continue doing so for many more to come, but our time is limited.” Luna paused to see if he followed, noticing his face spring to life. She tilted her head a bit. “Lost yet?”

“No no, I got it, it's just that I have a hard time believing you, but anything is possible right?”

“Certainly. I have discovered a number of things in my life that I did not think was possible, like you for instance. I never thought other worlds existed beyond normal space, and I'm sure you thought the same. I enjoy new discoveries, as does my sister. Although when you see something that appears impossible, however, you show a level of fear that rejects those notions. Why is that?”

Andrew sighed. “I guess it's just who I am. The culture I belong to tries to explain everything using science, but there are some people gullible enough that will believe anything. I'm somewhere in between.”

“Interesting.” Luna pondered for a moment to find the appropriate words to say. “Our little ponies follow the wonders of this magical land according to an ancient mentality of mystery. At least I do. So in effect, we attempt to seek beyond our normal understanding where some things may appear impossible, which is the reason why we must accept whatever we find in the event the impossible becomes a reality. Among all the marvels this world offers, it also has its dangers.”

“That... sorta makes sense. If only all humans were like that, unfortunately. Me? I try my best to understand as much as I can, but I fail a lot. The accepting part is not easy.”

“I agree. So are you capable of understanding the story of my banishment from Equestria? Fill free to ask questions as I tell you this true tale.”

Okay, NOW he was curious.

“You were banned from your own country? Talk about harsh.”

“Indeed. This occurred as a result of my anger as I've mentioned. See, my sister and I share our duties by bring forth the day and night.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“We use our powerful magic to raise the sun and moon each day and night.”

“Literally?”

“Yes. It is what give our subjects the warmth of the day and the beauty of the night. My sister, Princess Celestia, controls the sun with her share of magic, while I am in charge of bringing forth the moon at dusk, which will be approaching soon enough.”

Andrew had difficulty understanding the 'control' part of that statement, let alone accept it, but when she said magic, that was it. Whenever the word magic was mentioned, he didn't care if it wasn't possible by practical means. It's freaking magic!

He simply gave her a nod.

“It was my belief that my beloved night was shunned by my little ponies as they slept it away. I was heartbroken. My emotions of resent had greatly overshadowed my judgment. All the bitterness deep inside me had eventually taken over. I was inevitably transformed into the evil Nightmare Moon from the resulting anger.”

“Was it still you inside?”

“Partly. The creature known as Nightmare Moon had consumed me.I tried to break free myself, but I had become too weak to fight back the darkness. Nightmare Moon began its reign over Equestria by shrouding in eternal night. I was trapped inside this form, helpless, as its terror loomed across the land. I watched as its power was too great a match for my elder sister, Princess Celestia. However, there was only one source of power strong enough to contain the Nightmare. The Elements of Harmony. My sister wielded the Elements to defeat Nightmare Moon, banishing it away for good, taking me with it.”

“Where did you go?”

“The moon.”

Andrew couldn't help but laugh. “Seriously?”

Luna, however, didn't think it was remotely funny. In fact, she was slightly insulted by his reaction. However, she should have known he'd find it astounding, comical even. She was incompetent of a human's sense of humor and decided to leave it alone.

“Yes. My banishment as Nightmare Moon lasted a thousand years, until very recently when Twilight Sparkle and her five friends used the Elements of Harmony to break the spell for good, releasing me from the evil I desperately sought to overcome, but could not do so on my own. I owe my life to those six mares.”

“It's a bit much for just going nuts, don't you think? A thousand years is a long ass time.”

Luna looked away for a second. Andrew noticed a single tear form on Luna's eyes. She fluttered her eyelids to shake the teardrop free. He also heard variations in her breathing when she exhaled slowly. It was an indication that Luna genuinely felt the regret come back to her. She quickly collected herself and faced him again, somewhat embarrassed for not keeping her composure together.

Luna sniffled. “I suppose.”

“Oh.”

Luna shuffled to her hooves. Standing nearly three times taller than Andrew in his current position, she turned around, took a few steps, and gazed off into the distance.

“I have never felt so dreadful in all my life. I have no memory of my banishment while trapped within the moon. It went by so quickly, like no time had elapsed at all. A thousand years ago still feels like it was just yesterday.” She paused to hold back a sob. “The worst part is that all of my closest friends, and every pony I knew, are now long gone. I never even got a chance to say goodbye.”

Andrew felt more humble with each word the Princess forced herself to say. As if his problems weren't bad enough, it was nothing compared to what Luna had evidently experienced. Her lament was sincere, and now that it all started to come back to her, she could not help but hide her face from him. If what she felt was true, Andrew had no right to complain.

It was quiet for several seconds before Luna continued.

“I lost every friend I ever loved; ponies, dragons, and gryphons alike. All because I thought I wasn't being treated fairly. All because I hated being the one pony no one cared about. I know now that is not true, but I was too blind to realize that. I did have good friends. I loved them. But now that they're all gone, there is no way of knowing what they felt when I left. I with I had a chance to tell them how much I really missed them.” Luna gained the courage to turn back to Andrew. “My sister is all that I have now. Sure, I've made new friends after the curse was broken, but I can't help but think about what I've done.”

…

Andrew was completely silent. He was not sure what to say. Any response he could come up with wouldn't do much good. She was right. She did feel his pain, if not more so. In fact, she lost everything she cared about and was struggling severely to let it all go. She couldn't. Although moving on was a part of life, this was not the life Luna thought she would have after so long. Everything she said was from her heart. It wasn't just a story, but a painful memory that scarred her from the inside out.

After a few more unsettling moments, Princess Luna was finished. Both with her story and the emotion that followed. She could have planted the memory inside his mind with a spell, but she didn't have to. She saw it his eyes. He was on the verge of crying himself. Rather than worrying about her own life, she wanted to help Andrew fix his with all her heart and soul. Preventing others from experiencing a similar fate allowed Luna to release the overflowing sadness that continued to linger internally. Bit by bit, she'd eventually forgive herself. For now, he needed her help more.

“Can you say the same?” she finally asked.

He slowly nodded, avoiding eye contact with her.

“I know you must think everything around you must be a dream.”

“Not anymore.”

“Good.” She paused. “It can only get better from here. Despite all I've said, I try to live with my mistakes and deal with whatever trouble comes my way. I'm not about to give up on you, and I hope you don't give up on yourself.”

Andrew his head down the whole time, but that statement was enough to fuel his spirit to look up at the distraught Princess. They stared at each other for a moment, then smiled.

“Do you still want to go back home?”

“Yes. But I guess it can wait a little longer.”

Lyra strolled through the Apple orchard as the sun began to set below the horizon. The rays of light sprayed warm air onto her coat. Loose leaves brushed in the wind, dragging along the gravel around her hooves. That, with the addition of singing birds, filtered out all other sounds. She looked up at the growing fruit on the trees of the late winter season as she walked, unmindful of the terrain in front of her. Because of that, one of her hooves kicked something in her path. A single red apple rolled along the dirt and came to a stop to greet more of its fallen friends.

Right then, she heard voices directly ahead of her. They were muffled, but familiar. She picked up the pace.

“How do you use these things anyway?” said Andrew's voice. “They feel so weird.”

“They take some getting used to,” Luna responded. “Are you able to move them?”

Lyra finally found who she was searching for. She came around the final tree, taking cautious steps around fallen apples. She was in plain sight, but neither pony noticed her presence.

“Hi,” she said to get their attention.

They quickly turned.

“Lyra?” Luna said. “What are you doing here?”

“I, uh, just wanted to see if I there was anything I could do.” Lyra paused, wondering if she was interrupting. “Is this a bad time?”

“Not at all.” Luna stood up and walked over to the unicorn. “May I talk to you first? Alone.”

“Okay?”

They didn't go far, just out of earshot and behind an Apple tree. Andrew was left to wait for them to finish, but was in a much brighter mood than before. As the two left to exchange their private conversation, he used the given time to stand up and stretch, and maybe figure out how to use his extra limbs. He attempted to move the muscles that connected the wings to his back and forced them to flap up and down in a sloppy manner. Another pair of limbs felt strangely invigorating.

“Is Andrew alright?” Lyra asked.

“Yes. He is fine now. Listen, I don't mean to disappoint you, but I expected you to follow my demands. This is important and I did not want any distractions.” Personally, Luna was half-expecting Lyra to disregard those orders and try to make things right.

The mint-green unicorn was taken back a little. Luna was hardly this persistent, but she understood why. At least Lyra wasn't as sensitive as her friend Twilight.

“I know, but it hurt me to see him like that. I couldn't just do nothing.”

“Neither could I.”

“I mean, I've been dreaming of meeting a human in person, but I never imagined it like this.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I spared you the trouble of reasoning with him. I assume you came here to do that. He's over it now. He is willing to be more compliant if we find a way to help him return home. Once he is safely back in his own world, then we can close the case, okay?”

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot we were still on our investigation, hehe.”

A smile slowly emerged onto Lyra's face. The Princess smiled back. They were just about to rejoin Andrew when Luna suddenly remember something.

“Oh, one more thing. Have you considered my offer yet?” she asked.

“I'm still thinking about it. Are you sure your sister will allow it?”

“Oh please. Celestia can be a bit bossy, but I get to make my own decisions as Princess of the Night.”

“I guess so. I always liked you more. Don't tell her I said that though.”

The mares chuckled. Luna nodded.

“You have my word.” She placed a hoof on Lyra's head and rubbed her mane. “Come on silly filly. Let's not keep our new friend waiting.”

They strolled back to join Andrew, but when the apple-riddled area came into view, he was gone. They rushed over to the clean patch of dirt under the apple tree and frantically whirled their heads around.

“Up here guys.”

The worried pair snapped their heads directly above them. They found Andrew hanging on for dear life from one of the highest branches of the tree.

“Hi,” he said, smiling anxiously.

“You taught him how to fly, too?” Lyra asked, dumbfounded.

“Not exactly.”

“A little help here,” he called.

Luna immediately flapped her wings and swiftly flew out of sight. A few seconds later, she returned, pushing a sizable white cloud down from the sky. She placed it directly beneath the tree, two meters from the ground.

“Oh nu uh! That stuff is freaky,” he complained, looking down at the cloud. He clutched the branch tighter against his chest.

“It's not that bad. Just try not to overreact this time.”

Andrew was hesitant at first to fall a second time, even when he knew what to expect. He squeezed his eyes shut as he released his grip and fell several yards until he landed directly on his target, bouncing in a similar manner as before. Fun? Yes. Freaky? Definitely. Luna lowered the misty substance to ground level. He quickly started squirming to get on solid ground, but not as fiercely as before. He almost fell over when all four of his hooves contacted the dirt.

Before Luna brushed away the cloud, Andrew studied it. He touched it a few times, even punched it. It felt soft and spongy. His hoof pressed against the mist which resulted in a physical interaction like pressing into a plush foam wall. It was cold and comfortable at the same time. He would never fully understand the physics.

Luna and Lyra watched him examine cloud with glee. Even witnessing the human trying to understand the attributes of something as simple as a cloud was entertaining. Luna didn't even know what a human really looked like in physical form. Lyra had a somewhat undefined idea. As much as it killed Lyra to know more about him, and possibly his culture, there was simply not enough time to cover it all. They were planning to send him back as soon as possible anyway. She has already learned a lot from the short time she's been with Andrew. There was so much she could learn if he stayed a little while longer.

The sky began dimming down as the rays of sunlight were almost horizontal. Luna was aware that the sun would not set until she raised the moon. Luna waited for this particular moment as she thought it would be perfect to show Andrew how it she used her power for the coming night, but had a more credible idea in mind. She had no doubt he'd be more impressed than a simple cloud. Even though it was routine to magically move celestial objects, it continued to amaze even Luna herself. The process seemed almost effortless.

When the curious colt had enough of the floating white ball of water molecules, he pushed it aside where it hit a tree and dissipated. He chuckled.

There was one thing Luna had to do before her demonstration. Keeping Andrew's attention on edge, Luna used her magic to manifest a paper and quill out of thin air. She carefully began writing something down. Half a minute later, she rolled it up and it disappeared the same way it came.

“What was that about?” Andrew asked.

“You wanna see something even more amazing?” Luna said, grinning ear to ear. “Follow me.”

Canterlot Castle
6:46PM
Princess Celestia's Quarters

The Princess of the Day gazed out over her balcony towards the horizon. The sun was waiting to slip below the Smokey Mountains, sitting motionless in the sky. The sun remained in the same position for fifteen minutes, which was not normal. However, it was hardly noticeable to ponies if they weren't paying attention to the movement of the sun. Sundown was usually her favorite time of the day with the vibrant colors of the sunset that were absolutely marvelous to watch. She had always admired her own work, as well as that of her sister's. Beautiful, for the lack of a better word.

Celestia grew worried of her sister. She wondered if Luna was so wrapped up in her responsibilities that she had lost track of time and forgot to raise the moon on schedule. For a pony being awake all night and day, she hoped insomnia and/or fatigue wasn't to blame. It was a quarter to seven, which was far past the normal time for the transition between day and night in the spring. It wasn't like Luna to neglect her responsibilities.

However, Celestia was prepared in the event that Luna did forget. She stood out on the balcony, ready raise the moon for her little sister. She was confident enough to do both jobs, having done so for over a thousand years, but now that her sister was back in her rightful place, it would not be right to steal the task without proper consent. There had to be a good reason for Luna's tardiness.

Celestia couldn't wait any longer. She closed her eyes and lit up her horn.

*zap*

A small burst of light somewhere in the room broke her initial concentration. She turned around to find a scroll laying in the middle of her room with the lunar insignia imprinted on the strap. Perfect timing, little sister. It's about time.

Celestia levitated the parchment to eye level, unwrapped the seal, and read the letter.

Dearest sister,

I apologize for the late report. The investigation is going better than expected and we finally found what we've been looking for. However, matters have gotten more complicated than I have anticipated. I will explain everything later when we are finished. There is one thing I ask of you that will show our new friend of our true potential. I will need you to reverse the direction of the sun at exactly 6:50pm for a few seconds. That way, it will convince him that we have the power to send him back home. It will totally blow his mind! It would mean a lot.

Thanks

- Luna

What? Is she being serious?

P.S. I'm being totally serious.

Oh.

Celestia read the letter a second time. Then a third time. Who's this new friend? Why must she need to show him this extraordinary favor? What would moving the sun backward accomplish? If is was important, it's a bit much, isn't it? She had no major problems with requests in the past, but this was pushing it a bit. This better be important, but then again, her entire day had been nothing but surprises and discovery. The more she thought about it, the less she wanted to waste time arguing to herself. It was only a for a brief time right? There's no harm in that.

The regal white alicorn sighed. She trotted over to her royal desk and gently placed the scroll next to a neat pile of marked scrolls labeled 'Friendship Reports'. The minute ticked at six forty nine on her antique grandfather clock beside her. It would be the first time in a long time Celestia reversed the orbit of the sun.

Trotting back onto the balcony, she gazed back over the horizon.

Sweet Apple Acres
6:49PM

Princess Luna, Lyra Heartstrings, and Andrew Fera cleared the treeline and made is to a small hill on the Apple plantation. They came to a halt on its peak.

“Here we are.”

“Where's here?”

“A vantage point, for what I want to show you,” Luna answered.

“Okay...” Andrew looked around. “What am I looking for?”

Lyra was just as curious. She was wondering if proving to Andrew of an alicorn's extraordinary power was really necessary, yet she wondered even more what that stunt would be. The one thing that the both of them could see was the spectacular view of the sky, post-sundown. From where they were situated (within the valley basin), the sun had already moved below the mountains. But in Canterlot, where the city is elevated some couple thousand feet above the valley floor, the sunset was just about to begin, making way for the night. Maybe Luna wanted to show him how the process of lifting the moon was done? Would it matter though if he was already accepting of this world's abilities of magic?

“Remember I told you that my sister, Princess Celestia, controls the sun?”

“I think so,” Andrew replied. “That's probably the only thing I don't believe you on.”

Luna looked back towards the mountains. It would be any moment now, hoping her sister got the message in time. She counted on her to make it happen.

“You wanna watch the sunset again?”

“Tomorrow? I'm not-”

“No,” Luna interrupted. “Right now.”

Andrew scrunched the muscles in his face to express his confusion. “I don't see-”

All three of their gazes converged at the reddest part of the sky, just above the horizon. For a few seconds, nothing seemed to happen. The everything was the same. Nothing changed.

Then, for a split second, an immense flash of white light flickered beyond the horizon as a visible wave of energy streaked across the sky before their very eyes. Its effects spread rapidly and faded above them as fast as it came, but by then, there were very few words to describe what followed.

Rising higher and higher as it reversed its direction, the glorious orange star that is the sun was lifted out of the dark to reveal the spectacular glowing orb of sheer hot mass and energy. The very thing that made life possible decided to screw physics in all worlds and flip its orbit. The shape and brightness of the enormous object of relentless power radiated into clear view of the trio as rays of sunlight contacted their bodies and the unblinking stares in the eyes of two ponies.

In effect, the atmosphere became more illuminated and the landscape came back to life. The air got a tad bit warmer, but it was mostly felt by direct exposure to sunlight heating up the fur on their faces. It was nothing less than unbelievable for the sun to travel so far backwards in such a small amount to time. Fifteen seconds tops. Andrew wanted to deny it ever happening, yet there is was, resting peacefully above the mountain range as it did just one half hour ago.

It took Andrew and Lyra by complete surprise as they watched in absolute awe of what they had just witnessed. Lyra's predictions were way off, but this was far more convincing and impressive to her. She knew it wasn't impossible, but this was the first time seeing it for herself. Ancient texts in several old books she read in the library of the royal archives briefly mentioned it as event to test the potential of an alicorn's true power. However, she noticed Luna didn't light up her horn during that whole event. One more thing that puzzled her.

Lyra shook her head free of the mesmerizing sight to get her thoughts straight.

“Luna?” she began. “I'm aware that you're perfectly capable of raising the both the sun and moon. So why weren't you the one to reverse time by moving back the sun yourself?”

“In actuality, dear Lyra, time was not reversed. Anypony in Equestria fortunate enough to watch the event did so in natural time. The sun simply moved counter to its original path across the sky.”

“Simply!?” Andrew shouted, coming back to reality. “Are you crazy? That was... that was...”

“Unbelievable?” Luna said.

“Awesome! I was going to say awesome. Unbelievable works, too.” Andrew too a deep breath and looked back at the sun, which began to move normally again. Lyra was busy forming thoughts and questions in her mind for both ponies, but delayed her speech to admire the sunset.

A minute later, after the sun set for the second time that day, Lyra finally got the chance to voice her concerns.

“Did you ask your sister to do that?” she asked.

“Yes indeed,” Luna replied. “I sent a quick letter directly to her, notifying her of my request. I had some doubts she would do it on such short notice.”

“But why her and not you?”

“Because, I will be needing all the power I have in me to send Andrew home.”

Luna then manifested another parchment in front of her and began writing another note.

Sugarcube Corner
7:01PM

Silence filled the lobby of the pastry shop. Actually, everything's been silent for the last ten minutes or so. Before that, a series of incoherent mumbles and questions bounced off the wall of the room as four mares went ballistic. One moment, Ponyville was preparing for the night as the outside lighting dimmed darker, but the next thing they know, the entire store suddenly lights up from an sudden increase in brightness. They all ran outside to investigate the immediate vicinity the building, hoping it wasn't a sign of impending danger. Among the group, Pinkie Pie was the first to notice the something peculiar about the sun.

As far as Twilight was concerned, she never thought she'd live to see the day when the sun reverses its orbit so unexpectedly. Strangely enough, the star only rose high enough for them to witness a second sunset in the same day. She was desperate for an explanation that she dashed back inside to promptly assault Lyra's Project Black Book for the answer. Her friends were far more perplexed and captivated than Twilight, watching the sun slip beneath the horizon once more.

(Shortly after Lyra left, a chariot pulled by two pegasi of the Royal Guard finally arrived to Ponyville with a small load of items. It took them almost three hours to be precise. The guards explained the issues they had with properly transporting her belongings, having been held back with duties Princess Celestia gave them. Better late than never, but of course, there was really no set deadline to transport the goods other than to ship them to Ponyville whenever possible. Applejack helped Twilight unload four items: two hard cases and two saddlebags. With so little luggage delivered, it took them just one trip back inside. The guards took off immediately with no time to waste. As they got the stuff settled on one of the tables, the orange farm pony wondered why Rainbow Dash was still hanging around. She was examining Andrew's things that she was told to gather from Pinkie Pie's bedroom. It wasn't like the pegasus speedster to wait. She hates waiting. Perhaps this instance was an exception for obvious reasons. At least she found something to occupy her precious time with. It was shortly after when the rise in exterior lighting grabbed their attention.)

Twilight had no luck yet finding a section on time reversal. Probably because she was hardly a quarter the way through it by the time her friends returned indoors. She hoped to find the answer from such a unknown book, researched by some unknown pony from some unknown place, written during an unknown era of era of the past with the most unknown information about the unknown in the history of the unknown. Very intriguing.

It never occurred to Twilight as to where the Mr. and Mrs. Cake had gone. They haven't returned from what she assumed to be a quick errand, but Pinkie Pie told her they took the day off. They trusted Pinkie enough to run Sugarcube Corner for a whole day without setting it of fire.

However, she was often distracted when a more pressing concern came to mind. She kept thinking of three particular ponies. Above all, there was so much she could learn from this whole endeavor, and Andrew was the key component. However, to counteract her avidity, the words Lyra hit her with were taken into strong consideration. She didn't was to admit it, but Lyra was right. It would be wrong to neglect him for their selfish benefit. Twilight felt a reoccurring pity every time she thought about it. She became more concerned for poor Andrew. He'd been through a lot in so little time. She only hoped Luna and/or Lyra were able to gain his friendship if and when they found him.

Another distraction that presented itself was Rainbow Dash. Her fast-flying friend occasionally acted like a immature foal when one of the small black devises buzzed. It was the same object that buzzed before Andrew told them it was harmless. He said it was a 'phone'. Telephone. Cellphone. Is there a difference? Twilight repeated each word to herself in her head. It was definitely not in the Equestrian Dictionary, and she's read the dictionary at least five times. The device seemed highly advanced, made of a material she has never seen before.

Twilight got back to her book. Or at least she tried to. The short conversation with Andrew was fascinating. She didn't know for sure whether he was smarter than her. How could she know? She didn't know how a telephone worked and probably would never get a chance to. Hay, she was even scared of such a small object when it came to life. She thought it was alive for corn sake!

Applejack was helping Pinkie Pie bake some cupcakes in the kitchen for if and when Luna and Lyra return with Andrew. They thought it would be a good idea to cheer him up a bit. The rest of the lobby was silent, except for Rainbow's squeaky giggles. Twilight was on the brink of going nuts.

The phone buzzed once again and, to Twilight's surprise, she heard a different voice in whom she did not recognize. It was followed by a gasp.

“Hello?”

The voice echoed from somewhere in the room, and it definitely wasn't Rainbow Dash talking. Twilight looked up from the pages in front of her and over to Rainbow. They both shared the same face.

“Who was that?” Twilight asked.

“Is anybody there?” the voice said again. It was hard to understand through the choppiness of the words.

“I- I don't know,” Rainbow shrugged, her expression showing a hint of fear.

Twilight got up off the floor and trotted over to the light-blue pegasus.

“Who's there?” it said again.

This time they found the source of the voice. It came from the small black phone sitting of the table. It was talking to them. It was distinguishably a male voice. The two ponies eyed each other, and stared back down at the device, anticipating it to speak again.

“I can hear someone talking.”

“Should we say something?” Rainbow suggested.

“Who is that!?” it immediately said. Rainbow jumped when it responded to her.

“Eeep!” she shrieked.

“Calm down, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight uttered.

“Rainbow Dash? Who the hell is using this phone!?”

Twilight covered her mouth with a hoof to hold back a similar shriek as her friend. The both of them back away slowly.

“It knows we're here,” Rainbow whispered. “Is there somepony using magic to spy on us with that thing?”

“I don't think so,” Twilight replied in the same subdued voice. “But let's not keep it waiting.”

Rainbow Dash lightly nodded. The mares cautiously walked back to the table.

“Answer me! I know someone's there. What have you done to my best friend!?”

Twilight gulped.

“H-hello?”

21. Lifeline

[Chapter 21]

Lifeline

Andrew, Lyra, and Princess Luna casually strolled casually along the dirt road back to town. For Andrew, the sun-changing-direction thingy was one hell of a show and so amazing that it flicked the mental switch in his brain from 'madly depressed' to 'partially crazy' to 'perfectly sane'. From that moment on, he was a different person. Or at least a better person than before. The Princess was able to gain his full respect and began feeling infinitely better for knowing she had the power to send him to Earth and back in his own reality. However, a few things were still unclear.

“What about my body?” he asked. “Can you make me human again?”

Luna didn't have an answer to that.

“Um...” Luna stopped walking, staring straight ahead. The other two did the same.

Andrew noticed the Princess' nervous stare. “Right?”

“I'm not sure. We have a spell for teleportation and a spell for shape shifting, but both together take a significant about of magic to preform. Attempts have been unsuccessful in the past.”

“So no guarantees?” Andrew said.

“Well-”

Andrew sighed and grunted at the same time. He murmured incoherently under his breath and started walking again with his head low. A knot formed in his throat.

“Forgive me for assuming,” Luna explained, trotting to catching up with him. “But I am confident everything will go accordingly.”

“Not good enough,” he mumbled.

Lyra ran up behind them. “Oh come on, Andrew. I'm sure it'll be fine.”

“Easy for you to say, Miss Heart... something,” he argued, making a face at her. Right then, a recurring thought made its way into his mind and begged him to say it out loud. “Hey, I almost forgot, why are everyone's names... like... not names? They're just words, not exactly real names. Your name, Lyra, is pretty much the only real name around here. I mean sure it's a star constellation, but still.”

Luna and Lyra were lost at this point. It's as if he didn't care enough about the issue to stay on topic. Even when that topic involved changing him back to his original human form. However, the question still floated among the two ponies.

“I thought the same, too,” Lyra answered. “Lyra was a name I started calling myself because I wasn't too fond of my actual name, Heartstrings. I like the sound of Lyra.”

“Why doesn't everyone else do that, too?” he questioned.

“I depends on what you like, I guess. I'm sure some ponies are not satisfied with their own names.”

“What about the buildings and houses and stuff? How do you construct them without hands?” Lyra was ready to answer that one, but he interrupted with a different question. “And what about government here? I mean, it's like a monarchy, right? Kings and queens maybe?”

“Please, Andrew,” Luna cut him off. “There is simply not enough time to answer all of your questions in depth. I prefer you ask more important questions.”

“Why am I here?” he mumbled rapidly.

…

There was a silence. Unbeknown to Luna, Andrew was waiting for her to respond, but she seemed completely oblivious that it was directed at her. Luna glanced back at him.

“OH! Pardon me.” She cleared her throat. “What was your question again?”

“Why am I here?” he spoke slowly, as if speaking to an uneducated child. “You didn't actually answer that question the first time we met.”

“I didn't?” Luna made a funny expression.

“No. You used that freaky spell, remember? The one that almost killed me. You said you'd find out the reason I'm here. I know I'm not just here on a whim, and why I'm a freaky hybrid and not a regular... pony?”

“Those questions may take longer to answer. I may need to take a closer look.” Luna thought about the word 'hybrid' he used to describe her species. It was more of a derogatory term rather than an accurate description, but wasn't quick to correct him.

“At what?”

“Your mind.”

“Alright.”

“Wait wait,” Lyra cut in. “Are you sure about this?” she asked him.

“Yep.”

“But what about what happened last time?”

“We can get around that, right? I'm sure we'll figure it out, right? We know what to expect, ...right?”

“You must not underestimate magic,” Luna stated. “It is far more complicated than you can imagine. I myself do not know every mystery behind magic and neither does my sister. Nopony does. It is not a simple spell to forge. Not from the amount of magic needed, but from the intricate complexities of the spell.”

“You guys have to show me how to use magic.” He almost hesitated. “It's really weird for me to say that.”

“Does you species not use magic?” Luna asked.

“From where I come from, magic doesn't exist.”

“Why not?”

“I don't know, it just doesn't. Magic doesn't follow our laws of physics. It's all superstition and hoaxes.”

Princess Luna and Lyra ceased walking again. Andrew didn't look at the ponies with his answers. He thought the ponies would accept everything he said to them judging by how polite and nice they were, but he was wrong.

“Wait halt!” Luna voiced. Andrew obeyed and turned around. “That doesn't make any sense.”

“What do you mean?” he said.

“If magic does not exist in your realm, how were you able to transform into a pony? Your reality must contain magic.”

“Or maybe our universe collided with theirs,” Lyra suggested. “He did teleport by accident.”

“That's what I thought,” Andrew agreed.

“I'm just confused what all this is supposed to mean,” Luna continued. “I do agree that there needs to be a good reason for your presence, but I'm trying to determine whether it was accidental or intentional. I personally don't believe Andrew was unfortunate, but chosen.”

“Chosen!?” Andrew and Lyra yelled simultaneously. “For what?”

Luna was silent. She stared off to Ponyville in the distance. Seconds later, she shook her head.

“I can't say for certain.”

“So you're saying I was brought here?” Andrew said, obviously annoyed. “By who? God?”

“Who's God?” Lyra asked.

Andrew chuckled. He tried to hold back an outburst, but it overcame him. He started laughing harder. Lyra raised an eyebrow.

“What's so funny?”

“Oh nothing. Forget I said that.”

Lyra frowned, but decided not to argue any further.

“There is only one way to see behind the veil,” Luna began. “And that is for me to search through your mind once more.”

“Well what are we waiting for? Let's do it!” Andrew jogged in place as if getting ready to run a marathon.

“Not here,” she denied. Andrew stopped bouncing, mildly heartbroken. “It is much too dangerous without the proper provisions of magical barriers to help secure a successful link, which requires extra help. We must get back to Sugarcube Corner and meet up with Twilight Sparkle.”

“But what about the towns ponies, Princess?” Lyra asked. “There is rumor of an alicorn stallion running. They're getting quite suspicious. I thought we're supposed to keep a low profile.”

Luna glanced at Andrew. He lowered his head with an apologetic smile, but almost immediately, he perked his head up with an idea.

“Hey! Why don't I teleport us there?”

*beep* *beep* *beep*

“What happened?” Rainbow asked her purple friend.

“I don't know,” she replied. They stared down at a lifeless phone on the table as the rectangular protection of light flashed a three times and went dark. All Twilight tried to do was communicate with it, but the voice from the box didn't return a response after the beeps. She only said one word before the beeps startled her. After several seconds of silence, the bookworm pony thought she was to blame.

“I think it broke.” Twilight tapped on some of the buttons with the tip of her hoof, but nothing happened. The device remained in its inanimate state.

Rainbow snorted. “Nice going, Twilight.”

“Hey! It wasn't me.”

“Where did Andrew get this stuff anyway? I never seen these things before.”

“Well... he's not from around here.”

“I've never seen a stallion alicorn before. But I thought-”

“Yes, Rainbow, I though the same,” Twilight huffed. “The Princess' should be the only living alicorns in Equestria. Even they don't have the answers.”

It went silent for a moment. Rainbow proceeded to stare at the device while Twilight started to walk back to her book to continue reading. The lavender unicorn paused when a strange chill ran down her spine.

*ZAP* *Poof*

With barely enough time to react, Twilight leaped from her position from the center of the lobby, diving away from the incoming magical blast that overcame a large portion on the room with a huge amount of energy. She landed on her side, slid across the floor, and impacted a small table topped with cupcakes.

“Oof!” Several delicious treats rained down on the mare's face.

*thud* “Oof!”

Several sharp grunts from a familiar voices resonated around the walls of the pastry shop. Rainbow Dash snapped her head up, watching the event unfold. There she found Princess Luna, Lyra Heartstrings, and Andrew on top of each other in the center of the room. The only pony that appeared disoriented from the apparent teleportation was the stallion at the bottom.

The sky-blue pegasus rushed over to help. Both of the mares that sandwiched Andrew against the floor quickly rolled off of him and regained their bearings. Andrew coughed away the pain. It could have been a lot worse, he thought.

“You're full of surprises, Andrew,” Rainbow said, pulling him to his hooves.

“Huh... … what? Did it work?” he said, wobbling on all fours from the fatigue.

“Not bad, Andrew,” Luna said from behind with warm smile. “I knew you could do it.”

“Do what?” Rainbow asked.

“Andrew has successfully transported the three of us using his magic,” the Princess explained.

“All three of you!?”

“Precisely. All that was needed was a mental image this exact room. Fortunately, Andrew has been here before. The trickiest part was for him to pinpoint this precise location relative to our previous coordinates in space and constitute an intrinsic stabilization variable to reroute the flow of energy to the exterior of our bodies in order to determine a sufficient rift that would allow us to instantaneously travel the space-time bridge connecting both absolute points.” Luna shrugged. “More or less.”

…

“Whaaaaaaaa...” The speedster pony was obviously incapable of understanding the details given to her. It slapped her with a blank expression while her mouth agape. “...oookay?”

“How did it feel?” Luna asked Andrew.

He finally shook his head free of the resulting dizziness and took a deep breath to make sure he was still alive. “It's freaking weeeeird!” He coughed a couple times. “Let's not do that again.”

“Are you hurt?”

“No, I just hate the part when I hit the ground. You squished me.”

“My sincere apologies. I'm glad it was successful. ”

Two more ponies stormed into the lobby from the kitchen.

“What in tarnation!?” Applejack yelled after busting from the western saloon-like door. Pinkie Pie bounced in from behind shortly after. As they examined the room, Applejack sighed her concerns away.

*ping*

“Oh goodie!” Pinkie shouted as her ears twitched. “Right on time.” She disappeared back into the kitchen to attend to the freshly baked batch of cupcakes.

“So, shall we proceed to the task at hoof then?” Luna asked.

“How about we give Andrew some time to recover?” Lyra suggested. “Maybe give ourselves time to prepare?”

“Yes of course.”

Lyra motioned her head up to Andrew's ear. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” she whispered. “Alone.” Andrew gave her a look squinting his eyes. He shrugged.

“Where?” he silently replied.

Without a definite response, the mint-green unicorn began to walk away. She stopped when she spotted her primary saddlebag she had left in Canterlot. Apparently they were delivered while they were gone, so she wasn't surprised to see it. She lifted the saddlebag onto her back, then continued walking until she reached the staircase. She gestured him with her head to follow her up the steps. He did just that, but like Lyra, noticed his own things resting on a table nearby. He quickly slid his stuff back inside the gray duffel bag and joined Lyra.

Luna watched the two exit the room up the stairs and smiled. She thought it would be better to leave her future student alone on this one. Now that the Princess has returned with Andrew with most pressing issues taken care of and nopony was hurt, Applejack joined her pink friend back in the kitchen. Rainbow Dash flew after the farm pony.

It didn't take long for Twilight regain her balance and shuffle to her hooves, her purple mane riddled with pink frosting.

“Oh my,” Luna said, stepping closer to the displeased unicorn. “Did we-”

Twilight nodded with a peeved stare into the Princess's navy-blue eyes.

“Oh.” She tried to hold back a giggle. “My apologies, Twilight.” The purple mare shook the frosting off her face and licked the rest off her face. A portion of it landed on Luna's cheek. Twilight returned the favor with a giggle of her own. Then the both started laughing.

“So how did it go?” Twilight asked.

“Wonderful.”

“Good to hear.”

“There is some matters left for us to fulfill. I will need your help.”

The second floor of Sugarcube Corner was dead quiet until a pair of hoofsteps echoed through the empty hallway. The overall interior illumination was cut in half as Lyra and Andrew reached the last step. Both of them almost tripped up on the last step because of the apparent darkness. Lyra used her magic to bring a single lantern to life hanging above the foot of the staircase and removed her saddlebag, propping it up against the wall next to her. Andrew did the same with his.

“So what's up?” Andrew asked.

Lyra turned around with a melancholic look on her face.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Of cour-”

“I don't want you to go,” she interrupted, rising her voice.

Andrew was taken back. Not in a startling and frightened sort of way, but rather something he didn't want to hear.

“I have to.”

Lyra lowered her head before his response, knowing that would be his answer. She took a moment to think, looking down at her hooves. The cool air made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and goosebumps run along the length of her body.

“Why don't you stay here in Equestria with us?”

Andrew frowned. “What?”

“Please stay. It would mean a lot to me that you did.”

“I can't stay. But there's nothing here for me. This place shouldn't even be real.”

“But it is real. Wake up and smell the apples, Andrew.”

“I have to get back to my own world. I have a life that-”

“You life is what? All important? Perfect?”

“I never said that.”

“Then what's the rush? Is it killing you that bad the longer you stay here? What do you have against us?”

“Well, when you put it that way-”

“No!” she exclaimed, turning away in disbelief. “Don't say it!”

He wanted to be honest and say “I might have one complaint,” but couldn't help but watch Lyra lose it. He didn't want to make it worse, so at that point, Andrew didn't know what to say. He wondered why she wanted him to stay in Equestria so badly. He had no where to start if he did and no family or friends to rely on. He basically didn't exist, as far as documentation and public records were concerned. Even if were to stay, he was considered royalty by its society, according to his brief experiences. It was freak of physics. He wasn't ready to start a new life. Being a ruler was a scary thought.

All was silent for while as Lyra had her tail turn on him. She was broken inside and didn't want to let him go so suddenly. Her life was still a mystery, and even if there was no way to discover her true past, at least she could live better knowing she was different. Andrew was living proof that she was right all along. Since the day she found that book, everything she's done up to this point was for a reason. To finally experience what it's like in the human world. The real human world.

“Uh, Lyra?” Andrew quietly said.

“Hm?” she replied in a disturbed hum without turning around.

“I'm sorry I've been so selfish lately. I have a habit of caring too much about my life, but I have a reason to.” Lyra remained still with her head low. “It's about my best friend, Dale Larsen.”

Lyra finally turned to him. He noticed some condensation on her eyelids, an indication that she cried.

“Your best friend?”

“And my little brother, Alex.”

“You have a brother?”

“Well, up until now, it wasn't important, but now I feel the need to tell you my reason why I can't stay.” He paused and put a hoof on Lyra's shoulder. “See, I left my world so unexpected, and if I never came back, I don't know what my family would do without me. I can't imagine how much they'd have to live through knowing I went missing forever. The Princess told me what she went through about her struggles with controlling her feelings. It reminded me of what was most important.”

“Is that what Princess Luna told you? When she became Nightmare Moon?”

“How do you know that about Luna?”

“Everypony in Equestria knows, but very few know the full details of her story.”

“Really?”

“Positive.”

“Do you know it?”

“No.” She shook her head. “And maybe it's best if I didn't know. I'm glad you listened to reason.”

Andrew smirked. “Hey, I didn't believe her at first, but there was no doubt she meant every word. There's no way that rewinding the sunset thing was normal.”

They both chuckled. Lyra cleared her throat. She wanted to tell him something only he would understand, unlike her friend Bon-bon. She really needed the acceptance of someone who wouldn't laugh at what truly fascinated her. Humans. Although, she wanted him to finish what he was going to say.

“So what important thing were you reminded of.”

“Alex and Dale.”

“Your brother and … your best friend?”

“Yes. It took all that happened to me today to set me straight. Before yesterday, my life was just normal and boring, but I have a problem with enjoying it. People tell me I have to live life to the fullest, but what the hell does that even mean? It doesn't make sense to be happy everyday, all the time. I'm usually down most of the time, but every time I see their faces, I feel happy. In return, the are happy to see me. This made me realize the friendships I still have with the people I care about the most.”

“So you're afraid of destroying not only your life, but theirs too?”

“Exactly!”

Lyra thought about what that meant. She felt like a level of hypocrisy sinking into to her behavior. The very thing she explained to Twilight before running off to find Andrew was the very thing that described her own selfish desires. She wanted him to stay for her own sake. A simple stupid mistake like that made her feel so degraded.

“Oh.”

“You would think I've made mistakes in my life that I regret. I do, but the fact is, if I had another chance to for another try, I wouldn't change a thing. Everything I've done has made me who I am inside, including today. I would wouldn't be me without Alex and Dale. I live because of them. I try to be a great friend and a good sibling, but no matter how many times I try, I still felt lonely. I've known Dale for years, but it takes something like this for us to really talk to each other.”

“Wait, he saw you like this?” Lyra kept in mind that humans believe unicorns and pegasus are just stuff of fiction. It was unclear what ponies were like in the human world. Did they speak to humans?

“Alex, too.”

“How did they take it?”

“It was the weirdest experience I've had with both of them, ever. We tried to figure a way to change me human again, but none of us had a clue how. Magic doesn't exist, after all.” Andrew smiled. “Now you know why I have to leave.”

Lyra had no idea how she'd convince him to stay now. She simply nodded in acknowledgment. It was hurting him so much just to get back home so he could tell Alex and Dale how much he really cares for them. She still had one more thing to say that could have some effect on his perspective. To do this, she needed a place to start.

“So how does it feel like?” she asked in a curious voice.

“To...?”

“To be human.”

“Why do you want to know?” he questioned.

“Because I've been trying to find all I can about humans since I was a little filly, but everypony keeps telling me to stop making stuff up and start doing something better with my time. Investigating all I could about humans was all I ever wanted to do. I even had dreams of being human. They don't last though. Every time I tried to make friends, there came a time when opened up and told them about interests, but that backfired far too many times and every pony I tried talking to, walked away a stranger.”

“What about your friend Bon-bon? She knows about-”

“She's different.” That wasn't entirely true. Lyra knew Bon-bon was no exception to the other ponies. “I mean, I haven't known her that long. Sure, I told her about my interest in humans, but she was the most accepting.”

“That's gotta count for something.”

“I don't know.” Lyra broke eye contact and lowered her head. “We've been drifting apart lately. It's only a matter of time before-”

“Hey, come on, you don't know that. For all you know, she's just needs time to think. I know from my friend Dale when we had times when we spent weeks apart from each other. Like this one time when I was in a really bad mood for failing history class last year. I thought we were no longer friends until I tried to talk to him again. It never occurred to that he was worried about me and wanted to leave me to myself until I felt better. He spent every day thinking of ways to cheer me up. In your case, she's probably wants you to be happy, even if she disagrees with your interests. Besides, Luna and Twilight are your friends, too, right?”

Lyra stopped the think about Andrew's point. It wasn't so much of the literal experiences he illustrated to have pertained to her own relations with Bon-bon, but rather what it really meant to her. He proved how closed minded and ignorant she could be when it came to talking about the ponies that cared about her. She had more friends than she realized. Lyra sighed.

“Your right. I'm sorry.”

“Don't sweat it, it's the least I can do.” He then remembered what he initially wanted to ask her. “Hey, I'm still confused on how you know about humans anyway if they don't exist here?”

The new topic seemed to push aside Lyra's new set of feelings for a brief moment.

“I found out in an old book my great grandfather had kept at my parent's house in Canterlot. The book has records of all mysterious forces and unexplainable phenomena that happened over a hundred years ago.”

“Are humans one of them?”

“Not exactly. I've only just discovered this today, that the book was written by a human.”

Andrew's heart skipped a beat and his expression showed surprise. If that book was written by a human in this world, why do ponies say they are a myth? Speaking of not making sense, that was another thing that really begged for an explanation. A mystery in itself.

“No way! How's that possible?”

“My great grandfather was human, just like you, but was turned into a unicorn when he came to Equestria a long time ago.”

“How did he get here?” Andrew's surprise was reflected by the enthusiasm in his voice.

“Luna suspects he teleported in the same way you did. We have reason to believe he was pulled from his world and brought here. He nopony believed him at the time when he tried to convince ponies that he was human, because nopony knew what a human was. Fortunately, he was able to write down all he could about his race to prove it.” Lyra took out a thick, black book from her bag and levitated in front of him. “This is the book I was talking about.” She held it up to him with her magic. “I read a few times, but other than that, I don't know anything more about who he really was.”

Unable to grab the book with his hooves, he knelt down, opened the blank cover, and flipped through the pages. For such a large book, the words were in large text and easy to understand. Some of the subject matter was eerily familiar to that of similar human mysteries, only with slight changes that directly related to the mystery of the next section in the book. Andrew wasn't a fast reader, but he didn't have read everything to notice something about why the author would start every chapter with information from previous chapters. It was like this man was trying to connect it all, ultimately searching for something. He came to the conclusion that Lyra's great grandfather was put into a similar situation, but was never able to go home. According to the final entry of of the book on the very last page, it read:

Day by day, I gaze upon the stars from Equestria. They are a great reminder the past before this unexpected beginning was cast upon me. Unlike my old home in London, this rich and strange world has given me the gift of renewal, but raided the life I have built. In consequence, my very presence had altered the course of the rhythm of this land. The future of its inhabitants will never be the same. I hope no other soul of my kind is struck with this unfortunate curse. After twenty years of searching for the answer, and a chance to finally hug my beloved in the warmth of her arms, I have learned one thing: No matter how hard you try to hold on to something, we always lose it in the end. The moment one realizes that life is an unforgivable storm, the ability to move beyond the fear and flaws of the past is a step in the sea of life to relieve the burden of tragedy. Look no further, the road ahead is waiting.

My journey ends here.

James Cohen

1876 AD (2517 AC)

Andrew took another minute to read it to himself again. He was not sure what to make of it. Whether to rethink his decision on leaving Equestria, or a strong motivator for his desires. At the end of the day, they were nothing more than words on a page.

“He wrote this?” he finally asked without taking his eyes off the last page.

“He probably had some help with it,” Lyra added. “Why? What's wrong?”

“Nothing.” Andrew wanted to tell her about the book, but decided it wasn't enough to concern himself with. He was especially worried with how her grandfather wasn't able to get home after transporting to a world full of talking ponies after so long. He wondered if, for some reason, the guy decided to stay, but since it was only speculation, he will never know.

Lyra closed the book for him and placed it back in her saddlebag. Andrew kept his contemplative composure at a minumum.

“Well, if you can't stay...” Lyra said, pawing the floor. “Can I come with you?”

“What?”

“Can I come with you to the human world? It would be a dream come true.”

“What about your life here? You family? Your friends? Did you forget that?”

“No, but I hope they don't mind me lea-”

Andrew put a hoof to her mouth to stop her from saying another word.

“Snap out of it, Lyra. You're not thinking straight. I thought you'd learn from me that leaving your life behind is not a good idea. You're just going to throw it all away? Were you even listening to me?”

“Yeah, but-”

“Stop!” He paused to make sure she was listening. “Look at what you have here. In Equestria. Your life is not over. Stop saying it is. You have enough to keep you going, just like me. Sure, humans are fascinating and such, but trust me, you do NOT want to come with me. Earth is a very dangerous place and you'll be lucky to make it through one day, even with my help. So do yourself a favor and live your life here where you belong. Don't leave it all behind.”

Lyra looked at Andrew with a sorrowful face. Somehow, she could not get herself to believe him about Earth being a dangerous place. Throughout her life, she was under the impression that humans were just like ponies, but Andrew proved her ignorance once more. She imagined all humans were friendly beings, but her assumptions were far off. A tear started to form under her left eye, but managed to stop it from falling down her face.

“Okay,” she timidly agreed with a voice that rivaled Fluttershy.

Andrew inhaled slowly to clear his head. He glanced at his duffel bag for a second, then back at Lyra. A simple thought rolled into his head and looked back at his bag again. His face lit up.

“Oh wait!”

Andrew grabbed his bag with his teeth and dumped its content onto the floor. He spotted his phone and carefully pressed the green button with his nose, but nothing happened. He tried again, but got the same result. He tried pressing any of the buttons and held down the red button for a couple seconds with the tip of his hoof. Nothing. He snorted in irritation.

“Dammit. The battery is dead.”

“Your phone?”

“Yeah. Apparently it works here, but I don't have my charger with me to power up the battery.”

“It uses electricity?”

“You guys don't use electricity?”

“We do, but only for certain things. What do you mean it works here?”

“It can receive calls, from Earth. Anyone with this number can dial this one and it will connect, which doesn't make any sense.” Andrew thought about what he said for a moment. A weak cellphone signal is not powerful enough to warp into this reality. Magic was the only thing that could explain it at that point. It was one thing to think of the idea that his phone was able to transmit a signal to another universe, it was another say it out loud as if it was no big deal. But it was a big deal.

“You can talk to humans with that? From here!?” Lyra's eyes were transfixed on the small black cellphone. “Cool!”

Andrew looked at Lyra, then anxiously took a deep breath. He gave his intentions one last thought, but was slow to come to a conclusion. It was just a phone. He wasn't attached to the thing like a kid and their teddy bear. He could always get another one, but in order to keep the signal connected, he needed to pay the phone bill himself so no one would suspect it had gone missing. However, he wasn't sure if it would be able to work again without power if he left it behind. He sighed and pushed the device in Lyra's direction.

“Here,” he said. “Take it.”

“Oh no no no no, that's yours.” Lyra pushed it back.

“It's yours now. I'm giving it to you. It's the only way can to talk to you again when I'm gone, hopefully. I don't know how it's possible, but it doesn't matter as long as can to reach this world again. So I want you to have it.”

“But you said the battery is dead.”

“I'm sure you'll figure it out.” He smiled. “You're a smart unicorn.”

Lyra smiled back. “Thanks.”

“Ya know what?” Andrew looked back at the rest of his items. “Since you've been so kind to me since we've met, take this, too.” He slid his old iPod next to the phone resting below her hooves.

“What's this?”

“It's a music player. I'm assuming you know what music is?”

Did you really just ask that? Lyra glared at him. Andrew immediately regretted ever saying that.

“All you have to do is press that button there and pick a song. I don't have many songs, just the ones I like the most.”

Lyra did exactly as he instructed. She nearly jumped when she heard the immediate jolt of sound surprise her. She wasn't anticipating her song selection to begin so suddenly. Andrew was somewhat surprised that the volume level was so high. The music was nothing Lyra had ever heard before.

“Wow!” she widely grinned. “Amazing!”

She continued to stare at the rectangular projection. She was indeed amazed at how the such a little device had the energy to produce so much light and sound without magic. This human technology was far more advanced that she previously imagined.

“Nice song choice, too.”

Lyra levitated the iPod closer to her face. “Plus forty four? Chapter Thirteen?”

“Yup.”

Lyra looked back at the bright screen. She paused the song by pressing the screen with her nose and the music ceased. She gently set the music player back on the floor. Andrew gave her a warm smile.

Suddenly, Lyra lunged her body forward with her forearms in the air and wrapped them around him, taking Andrew by surprise. Her embrace was followed closely by a muffled sniffle. She buried her face in his neck. He returned the favor and completed the hug.

“I don't know what to say,” she said, trying hard to conceal her sobbing. “Other than thank you.”

“It's- uh, the least I can do.” Andrew felt his heart dance with a soothing feeling he could not explain.

Lyra ended the embrace and stepped away embarrassed. “Sorry.” She wiped the only tear shed from her left eye. “It's just that this is the nicest thing anypony has done for me.”

“You're welcome.” He pulled out his earbuds from his bag. “Take these, too. They go with that music player. You plug it in, put these ends in your ears, and you can listen to the music privately. With the phone, we can try to contact each other from both out worlds, if you are able to charge the battery somehow.”

“It's like you said, I'll figure it out.”

Andrew chuckled through the grin on his face.

“Come on. Let's not keep the others waiting. I think we've been up here long enough.” Andrew took his bag and filled it with the rest of his things: his silver LED flashlight, his deck of cards, his keys, his wallet, his hat, and, unfortunately, his damaged sunglasses. One thing was still unaccounted for. Andrew frantically scanned the floor around him.

“Wait, where's my camera?”

Lyra began looking, too.

“Was it in you bag before?”

“I swear I had-” he paused. “Ah! There it is!” He shot his head up, leaning to one side.

Lyra glanced behind her, following his gaze, to find a black pouch with a silver string attached to one of its corners. She magically levitated it in front of her, examining the small case that held the tiny machine. Andrew stared at her for a second with a worried expression.

“It is broken?” he asked.

“This little thing, is a camera?” Lyra removed the woven polyester case and took out the metal box, looking at it from all angles.

“Well, yeah. Can you see if it still works for me?”

“How do you do that?” Lyra stared at the camera with confusion.

“Press that button right... there.” He point to the top of the camera.

Lyra did just that and the instrument suddenly came to life. The bright screen lit up and displayed a peculiar image of a human in frame with another smaller human. It was the first time she'd ever seen a photo of a human.

“Who's this?” Lyra turned the camera around and showed him the image on the screen.

“That's me! And my friend, Dale.”

“That's... you?” Lyra was awestruck at the image of Andrew as his human self. He looked happy. She stared at the image longer as she began to wonder more about what Andrew was yearning for. If his friend really meant that much to him, he would do anything to hold on to that friendship. This photo was proof that he wasn't lying. As soon as she pressed another button, the picture went away and instead, the field of view directly in front of her was in display. She moved the camera side to side, and the environment on the screen did the same. Her eyes went wide.

“Wow!”

“Neat huh? It's just a camera though, and it's not even the good kind. I just don't use it that much.”

“Can I take a picture?”

“Yeah, just press the other button next to it.”

Lyra pointed the lens at Andrew and used her magic to force down the larger of the two buttons on the top. She heard a faint sound that didn't sound like a typical shutter of a film camera she recognized. The screen reacted by displaying the picture she took for a few seconds, then it went away.

“Did it work?” she said.

“Uh hu,” he hummed.

Lyra thought for a second. Looked at the camera floating in the air, then back at Andrew. She then, motioned the camera a little further away from her face, turned the camera on herself, and snapped a photo.

“There you go.” She placed the camera back in its slick case and levitated it into Andrew's duffel bag.

“What was that for?”

“So you'll remember me.”

“You didn't need to do that,” he argued “I won't ever forget what happened today. I know I won't forget what you said to me.”

“I know.” Lyra broke eye contact, and smiled. Lyra accepted the cellphone and iPod Andrew gave to her and put them in her saddlebag. As much as she wanted to ask about the rest of his things, there was simply not enough time. Someday, I'll get another chance, she wished.

Someday

AC = After Celestia

22. Remedy

[Chapter 22]

Remedy

Lyra and Andrew returned to the lobby of Sugarcube Corner after what they were able to accomplish with their private conversation, but it came time for Andrew to depart this world. He was confident Princess Luna had the power to get him there, but was skeptical if she knew where to send him. The difference between ending up in the right place and somewhere else entirely was one mistake he was willing to accept. Lyra was now aware of the hardships that humans and ponies alike share. To her, it seemed like any two intelligent species across worlds, dimensions, realities, and universes can have things in common when exploring emotional constructs. She was glad that Andrew saw this experience as a wake up call and found a probable way for her to connect to the human world. Things will get better. Hopefully.

“Everything alright, you two?” Luna asked as the pair strolled into the room.

“Solid,” Andrew replied with enthusiasm. He noticed the entire room was filled with streamers, balloons, and an excess amount of cake. He and Lyra stopped just beside the front counter as they took in the change atmosphere.

A predetermined concern hovered above every mare in the room. Applejack, Twilight, and Rainbow Dash paused their cupcake-eating session and focused their attention to the new arrivals.

“SURPRISE!” screamed a high pitched voiced as a pink blur whizzed by Lyra and Andrew. A shower of confetti rained down on them from above. Several colorful pieces landed on their heads.

“Pinkie Pie!” shouted Applejack.

“But it's a party!” the party pony exclaimed. “We're supposed to have FUN!”

“A party for what?” Andrew asked.

“A going away party, for you, silly!” Pinkie bounced towards them. “What games you wanna play first? How about-”

Pinkie was suddenly engulfed in a blue aura as she was pulled away from the two surprised ponies.

“Hey!” she cried.

“Pinkie Pie, please,” Luna remarked. “I appreciate the party you have set up for Andrew here, but the shouting is a bit unnecessary.”

“Not necessary?” Pinkie gasped in shock. “But it's the best way to say goodbye to anypony!” Pinkie looked at Andrew. “You want a surprise party, don't you?”

“Um, not really,” he said. “I'm not the party type.”

Pinkie's expression increased in shock. She never thought she'd hear somepony say they didn't like parties. It hurt her little heart. Andrew noticed a bleak expression overcome Pinkie's face to match her feelings.

“But I would love to try some of the cupcakes,” Andrew smiled, licking his lips. The pink pony's face immediately lit up with happiness.

“YAY!” Pinkie zipped from her spot next to Luna and appeared in front of Andrew with a tray of chocolate frosted cupcakes with vanilla filling.

Andrew was caught off guard for a moment as the earth pony appeared in front of him as if she teleported without magic. He shook his mind free of the question on how she was able to do that. He lifted a hoof to grab a cupcake, but stopped just before touching the treat. Remembering he didn't have any fingers to grab it with, he retracted his hoof away from the tray.

“What's wrong?” Pinkie asked cocking her head.

“Oh, it's just that I can't grab a cupcake properly. I don't have hands.”

“Use your magic silly nilly,” Pinkie grinned with the tray still held up to his face.

“I... don't know how.”

Pinkie's smile faded significantly and was replaced by a hanging grimace. Twilight took the opportunity to walk over to the three ponies while Pinkie Pie looked at Andrew and Lyra with a curious face. The timing couldn't have been more perfect.

“You want me to teach you how?” Twilight inclined her delight with a wide grin. “I have some books on basic spells to help you out.”

“Yeah! And I can teach you how to fly,” Rainbow Dash added, darting over to them.

“No no it's fine. Thanks for the offers though.”

“Oh come on, just try it,” Rainbow begged, flying a full circle around the turquoise alicorn.

“What about the cupcakes?” Pinkie reminded. She then pouted with a gleam of puppy dog eyes to add to that. It was enough to convince Andrew to invert his original reluctant decision into a more trusting one. He shrugged and the girls led him over to the table where Applejack stood munching on a slice of specially-made apple pie.

Leaving Andrew to converse with the three talented ponies of their expertise, Lyra trotted over to Luna.

“You let Pinkie Pie throw a party?” she asked in a voice only Luna could hear. The two of them were far enough from the other group to engage in a conversation of their own.

“Pinkie strongly insisted she make Andrew feel better with a party. It was not my place to refuse. This is Sugarcube Corner after all.”

Lyra nodded. “Fair enough.”

“So, what was it you two talked about?” Luna leaned in closer to Lyra. “You two have been gone a while.”

“Stuff.” Lyra rolled her eyes, pretending to be nervous. “Wait, how long were we up there?”

“I'd say... about a twenty minutes.”

“Really?” Lyra put a hoof to her chin and pondered for a moment. “I guess we lost track of the time,” she chuckled. “Were we supposed to be back down here already?”

“Don't worry yourself, Lyra,” Luna hushed in a calm tone. “I'm glad you took your time.”

Both mares smiled at each other and they glanced back at the table were Andrew was at, chatting with four ponies eating vanilla filled chocolate cupcakes. A silence fell upon Princess Luna and Lyra for few seconds.

“So, what kind of stuff did you two share?” Luna had a playful smug on her face.

“Um, I'd rather keep it between me and him,” Lyra whispered.

“Fair enough.” Luna giggled.

“So how do we send him home?” Lyra asked. “We don't have a proper spell to do the job. What is it you want us to help you with?”

“I was hoping to attempt the same mind spell I used on him earlier, but since you know how that turned out, I will need you and Twilight to counter any negative outputs of magic that may occur. I want to avoid a potentially fatal mistake. That would not be good for anypony. Are you sure you can manage?”

“You can count on me, my mentor.” Lyra made sure they maintained eye contact before winking.

Luna's ears twitched a bit at the weight of the unicorn's words. After all the Princess has been through, past and present, it was nice to hear those words enter her mind and receive agreement from her new – and possibly official – student. Luna knew she would have to tell her sister about it, eventually, but for now, it was a harmless secret. Instead of friendship reports, they would look into the the mysteries of magic. The alicorn sealed the deal with a warm, sincere smile.

“You ready to get started?”

Lyra remembered what Andrew told her about his intentions before returning to the lobby and took a deep breath.

“Yes.”

The both of them stood together and quietly watched the group of ponies, but before Luna was about to address the ponies of her plan, the room went silent when she noticed a single cupcake floating high above the table in a teal aura.

“YAY!” Pinkie shrieked. She leaped into the air and snatched the cupcake with her mouth, swallowing it a second later. “Mmm... Delicious!”

“Well done, Andrew!” Twilight said with a big smile on her face. “I'm impressed!”

“Yer a natural!” said Applejack, patting him on the back.

“Actually, it wasn't even that hard,” he responded.

“Come on, big guy,” Rainbow Dash looped in place and threw her hooves in the air. “Let's see those wings in action!”

“Ahem!” Luna loudly cleared her throat to get their attention after waiting for the right opportunity. Even though the Princess shared the same enthusiasm as Twilight Sparkle, she thought more of the matter at hoof. Each pony shot their gaze at Luna. “Let's give Andrew some room to breathe.”

“Did you see that, Princess?” Twilight asked.

“I sure did, Twilight.” Luna nodded. “However, we must focus on what is most important.” She took a few steps towards the center of the room. “Shall we begin the spell?”

“Which one?” he asked.

“The same spell I cast on you before...” Luna trailed off, reluctant to finish that sentence and reminding everypony of that unpleasant event.

Andrew looked directly into eyes of the Lunar Princess. Each of the ponies were waiting for his confirmation, but he had a different idea in mind. The movement of his muzzle to one side indicated he was in thought, though was subtle and nopony really noticed.

“Umm...” his gaze drifted around aimlessly for a moment, then he looked back at the midnight-blue alicorn. “You know what? Let's not.”

“No?” Luna grimaced. The faces of each pony around him showed mixed expressions, namely that of confusion.

“I don't care why I was brought here anymore.”

“But Andrew!” Twilight jumped in front of him, apparently upset by his answer. “It's important to know exactly happened to you and what kind of magic was involved. It will give us a greater understanding on the mysteries of magic. Aren't you at least a bit curious?”

Andrew sighed. “I am, but I feel it's better if it stays a mystery.”

“But this can be the most important discov-”

“Twilight, please.” Luna cut her off. Even though she agreed with Twilight, she refused to argue about it. She could not ask Andrew to volunteer for such a dangerous spell that may put his life at risk. “Let's respect Andrew's decision. We cannot force him to submit to the spell if he wishes not to, even for our own self-interest.”

The lavender mare stared off in another direction, trying to hide her discontent, and then sighed, letting her ill-conceived thoughts wash away. The lobby went quiet for a while, before Pinkie Pie broke the silence.

“Oh come on Twilight, let's turn that frown upside down.” The pink pony bounced right next to Andrew and brought a foreleg around his shoulders and pulled him against her side. Her body brushed against his wing and Andrew winced from the discomfort. “As long as our new friend can get home with your help, you'll feel better knowing you helped somepony in need.”

Andrew agreed, but was too incapacitated by Pinkie's tight grip to voice his agreement. He simply smiled, which made Pinkie's smile even more. Twilight looked at her outgoing and happy friend. The smiles of their faces made the rest of her solicitous feelings disappear.

“You're right. I guess I just over-reacted.” Twilight laughed away her embarrassment.

Pinkie released her tight brace with Andrew.

“So how do I get home from here?” he bluntly asked to everypony in general.

“Why don't we do it at the library?” Twilight suggested. “I'm gonna need to reread some of the books to brush up on my rusty spellcasting abilities. The books I have with me don't account for advanced teleportation.” She looked at Pinkie. “Plus, if anything goes wrong, we don't want Sugarcube Corner to burn down, do we?”

Pinkie returned an awkward smile this time, remembering her sole responsibility as caretaker of the pastry shop while Mr. and Mrs. Cake were out.

“It's settled then,” Luna nodded in agreement. “We shall prepare the final spell at the library. Lead the way for us, Miss Sparkle.”

Twilight returned a nod and murmured something among her friends while Luna turned to Lyra. However, before the Princess could form a sentence, Andrew voiced a concern of his.

“What about my clothes?” he uttered, looking at Luna.

“Your clothes?”

“Yeah, what happened to my shirt?”

“Ya mean this ol' thing?” Applejack said, holding a wrinkled mess of woven cotton in her hoof. The large t-shirt was torn down the center about halfway and was covered in a layer of loose dirt when it came in contact with the ground.

Andrew whistled in certain two-tone tune, indicating his smooth acknowledgment of its poor condition. It was in worse shape than he thought.

“Wow,” he mumbled.

“Ah reckon we get Rarity to fix it up for ya,” the farm pony advised.

“Rarity?”

“The best fashion designer and dress maker in all of Equestria that unicorn. There's nopony better.”

“Alright, um...” He paused to think if he forgot something. “What about my pants? I left those back at the hospital, remember?”

Applejack pondered for a moment, then perked her ears up when the scene suddenly came back to her. “Oh ya! Ah remember.”

“Applejack, dear,” Luna said. “Why don't you do the honors and visit the boutique and the hospital. Tell Miss Rarity to bring the necessary materials with her and meet us at the library as soon as possible.”

Once the Princess finished her orders, Applejack nodded and quickly trotted out the front door.

“As for the rest of us,” she continued, addressing every individual in the room. “We must get going as well. We will resume matters at the library. Twilight, will you lead us there?”

“Of course, Princess.”

Twilight levitated both her original and secondary saddlebags and laid them on each side of her back and began walking towards the entrance. Andrew and Lyra followed after the librarian and Rainbow Dash flew after them in a flash. Luna waited a little longer as Pinkie Pie ran around the room, making sure everything was in perfect order before locking up the building for the night. Sugarcube Corner was already closed for business for the past hour or so. Pinkie Pie smiled as she finished going through her mental checklist. She was glad nothing went horribly wrong, other than the broken window in her own room. She could fix that later.

Luna received confirmation from Pinkie Pie once her routine sweep of the lobby was complete and left the shop. Pinkie locked the door behind her and swiftly picked up her bouncing pace to catch up with the the rest of the party.

As the six ponies strolled through the chilly night of Ponyville, the vacant streets was a sign of relief while the darkness provided extra cover from wandering eyes of the villagers who would get suspicious if they sighted Andrew. Lyra deliberately fell to the back of the group to talk with her new, unofficial mentor. With Twilight in front, Andrew walked next to an attentive pegasus who kept leaping in the air and landing beside him, apparently examining his graceful features.

“Why don't you try flying? I'll can help you with the basics.”

Andrew looked at Rainbow Dash as she hovered mere inches off the ground, her wings flapping rapidly.

“I'm not sure if I-”

“Sure you can!” she interrupted. “All you gotta do is take each wing and stretch them out like this.”

Rainbow leveled both her blue wings perpendicular to her own body. Andrew brought his gaze back in front of him, reluctant to do as she instructed. The simple thought of having wings was still unsettling, but his judgment was soon overshadowed by curiosity. It would be foolish to ignore something so cool. He finally glanced at his own body, staring at the feathered wings attached to his back. Even though the darkness made it hard to see anything, light from the full moon helped illuminate the environment sufficiently enough. After a few tries, he ultimately got his wings to obey his brain's commands to move. He then mimicked the rainbow pegasus' actions. A dash of euphoria filled his mind.

“There you go!” she said with increased excitement. “Now, put your wings up first, then push down with the right amount of force. You can give yourself a boost by jumping, just don't push down too hard. Remember to sync each wing so they move together. You want to keep your center of gravity in your chest. Like this.”

With every word Rainbow Dash spoke, Andrew did his best to follow them as closely as he could. His only fear was the lack of a tree to save him from falling. With just one flap cycle, Andrew was able to lift off the ground a foot or so before landing back on the street. He almost lost his balance once his hooves hit the uneven gravel and wobbled in place. The low amount of outside light made it difficult to see where the ground was relative to his height in the air.

“You got it!” Rainbow squeaked as Andrew flapped a second time, catching more air and anticipating contact with the ground. “Try it again, but instead of letting yourself fall, flap your wings again while you're still in the air to counter your fall.”

Andrew took a deep breath and flapped his wings once more with more force than the previous two tries, but as he was about to fall, he quickly flapped his wings again. Forgetting to coordinate each wing with one another, he began to tumble to his right, descending quickly. A couple panic-stricken seconds later, Andrew flapped again, adjusting his trajectory to his left, sparing himself from hitting the cobblestone in an ugly fashion and landed safely on all four hooves. His increased heart rate reverberated in his ears.

“Whew, that was a close one dude,” said Rainbow, landing directly in front of him, neglecting to ask him if he was alright. Throughout her days of being a daredevil, she had a history with disregarding safety. It hardly crossed her mind if she didn't think a certain stunt was worth worrying about. “Next time, try to focus more on balance. With more practice, you'll be able to fly like me someday.”

“Have you forgotten why we're going to the library, Rainbow?” Twilight joined in, trotting up to her athletic friend. The rest of the group converged. “There won't be time for practice.”

“Oh yeah... … right.” Rainbow snorted. Her plans on teaching a unicorn pegasus for the first time were foiled with that reminder. Just like the rest of her friends, she didn't want him to go just yet. Rainbow was always a reliable coach and it would amend her list of achievements with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Do you ponies by any chance have air travel besides pegasi?” Andrew asked, trying for an interesting conversation. Even though they were impressed with his improvements on flying, the question at hoof begged for an answer.

“There are royal chariots pulled by pegasi and hot air balloons of sorts, but other than that, transportation is very limited for us unicorns and Earth ponies,” Lyra explained. Luna smiled at her new pupil for taking initiative.

“I was thinking more like airplanes, jets, rockets, helicopters, and-”

“Did somepony say helicopters!?” Pinkie shouted, but before any of them could look at the pink pony, she zipped away and returned a second later on a strange looking, wooden contraption hovering above the ground. Andrew looked at her in surprise, as did the rest of the group. The rotor blades pushed air downward, keeping the occupant (Pinkie) suspended in mid air with amazing accuracy.

“I stand corrected,” Andrew said to himself, staring intensely at the flying Earth pony.

“It's one of my many inventions that help me do what Earth ponies can't,” Pinkie stated with a huge grin. Oddly enough, her white teeth reflected enough moonlight downward, making her smile evidently more lively than normal. “The more the merrier!”

“Okay Pinkie Pie, I think Andrew gets the point,” Twilight giggled. Almost instantly, the makeshift wooden helicopter with working pulleys and gears whizzed out of sight and the lone form of the bubbly pink equine returned just as quickly.

Andrew wanted to ask exactly what happened, but shook his head to break his train of thought regarding the improbability. He didn't want to know at that point. Unknown to Andrew, everypony else knew it was just the unexplainable personality of Pinkie Pie.

“Now that this little diversion is over,” Luna began, her tone sounding more serious than before. “Time is short and we must press forward.”

The group came to the silhouette of a large tree several houses down the road. Without any more questions, comments, or complaints, they continued through the dark path following closely behind Twilight Sparkle. Shortly before reaching the library, Rainbow Dash swooped down next to Andrew.

“What's a rocket?” she whispered in his ear.

“A giant metal tube that shoots things high up in the sky really fast,” he whispered back. “It can even go into outer space. Then it's called a spaceship.”

Rainbow's eyes went wide with genuine astonishment. Before she could express her amazement with a considerably loud outburst, the entrance to the library opened, letting a yellow light pour out into the cool night. Twilight quickly entered; trailed by Pinkie Pie, Andrew, Lyra, and Luna. Rainbow Dash stood in awe after Andrew's description of rockets for a brief moment before dashing inside after the others, closing the door behind her.

Andrew was amazed at what he found inside.

A particular short figure paced back and forth in the main room of Ponyville's only library. The small purple dragon spent his time trying to recall the things he's done that day and worrying about Twilight. It has definitely been one of those unusual days that were special under its own merits. With the library organized and the evening chores taken care of, all he could do was wait.

Before long, the front door to library swung open and a certain lavender unicorn strolled in.

“Twilight!” shouted Spike, rushing over to her.

“Spike?”

The young reptile jumped to embrace Twilight with a tight hug.

“I've been so worried, Twilight. You've been gone all day.”

“It's okay, Spike, I'm here now.”

As soon as he let go of Twilight, he noticed multiple ponies had followed her friend inside the room; including Lyra Heartstrings, Princess Luna, and-

“Um, who's he?” he asked.

Spike had never seen that stallion before. He was about to introduce himself, but as he got closer from a different angle, he noticed certain characteristics that stopped him in his tracks. A horn AND wings. He back away slowly.

“No need to worry, Spike,” Twilight hushed. “He's a... friend. His name is Andrew Fera.” She gestured a hoof for Andrew to advance further. “Come say hello to my dragon assistant, Spike.”

The turquoise alicorn stallion stared at the short bipedal figure with just as much surprise as the dragon stared back. Spike then sighed in relief, but was still skeptical about the new guy. He tried to overcome his initial intimidation in an attempt to build his maturity.

“Did you say, dragon?” Andrew said in awe, keeping his eyes on the short lizard, at least, that what he thought it was before Twilight said otherwise.

“What? Never seen a dragon before?” Spike teased, crossing his arms.

“Nnnope.” Andrew faked a smile and laughed nervously, noticing the dragon's attitude against him.

“How did you get back here from Canterlot?” Twilight asked Spike.

“Oh, uh, Princess Celestia sent a second chariot after the one filled with your stuff. I rode it straight here.”

“That was nice of her.” Twilight removed her heavy saddlebags and set them gently on a nearby desk. Lyra did the same while Andrew simply set down his duffel bag where he stood. “Wait here. I needed to search for the right book,” she continued, trotting up the staircase at the far end of the room. “Be nice, Spike!” she shouted before disappearing out of sight.

As much as Spike didn't trust the alicorn, it didn't help to stay overly cautious. He grunted his dislike away and forced himself to look on the bright side. His suspicions were based on ignorance, unaware of Andrew's situation.

“Loosen up a little, short stuff,” said a familiar voice from close behind, startling the poor dragon.

“When are you gonna stop sneaking up on me?” he hissed as he tried poking a claw at Rainbow Dash.

“As soon as you lay off the poking.” The light-blue pegasus laughed at their ongoing friendly game.

With perfect timing, a knock came from the library door before the silence among the ponies became arid. Spike slipped away from Rainbow Dash to answer their newer arrivals.

“Howdy there Spike!” greeted a worn out orange pony as she casually let herself in with a subtle pant in her breath. She was shortly followed by an enthusiastic paper-white unicorn mare with a purple saddlebag on her back and a pink striped scarf around her neck. A reddening blush suddenly slapped itself on the cheeks on the affectionate dragon.

“There's my Spikey wikey,” Rarity sang in her usual elegant voice. “Is the unique colt in question present?”

Spike's blush went away. “Who? Andrew?”

“Is that his name?” Rarity cooed. “What a lovely foreign name if I must say so myself.” Rarity took his uncertainty as a yes and trotted inside the library. Spike's dislike for Andrew doubled as he slammed the door shut while steams of jealousy sizzled off his scales. That guy is getting all the attention, he grumbled in his thoughts.

Rarity skipped further in the library with her eyes closed, humming to herself. When she opened her eyes, she caught sight of a rather unfamiliar turquoise pony with a dark-blue and white mane standing next to Applejack. He was no ordinary stallion.

“Oh my!” she gasped. The white mare reacted by bowing where she stood.

“Miss Rarity?” said Princess Luna, starling Rarity from her respectful gesture. “It's quite alright, dear. This is our friend Andrew Fera.” Rarity rose from her stance and bowed to the Princess of the Night.

Andrew stood beside Applejack with a confused look.

“Why did she do that?” he whispered to Applejack.

“Ah reckon ah forgot to tell her 'bout y'all bein' an alicorn and all.” Applejack laughed. “She assumed you was royalty. Ah admit, ah did too when ah brought ya to the hospital.”

So that's why those nurse ponies at the hospital bowed to him before he left. They were unusually nice to him compared to all other ponies he's met.

“Make's sense.” He shrugged.

Rarity slowly stepped towards Andrew. He was no larger than the farm pony standing next to him. His golden eyes glistened in the light of the room. It took her a few seconds more of her initial examination on every attribute of the stallion. Both his wings and horn were a sight to see on a male pony. However, even more surprising was the absence of a cutie mark.

“I have to say, Prince Andrew,” she began. “You have an extraordinary taste in dresses.”

Andrew leaned closely into Applejack's ear. “Did she just call me Prince?”

Applejack couldn't help but giggle at Rarity's misunderstanding. Rarity lifted two different articles of wrinkled clothing with her delicate magic from her saddlebag, one of which was given to her by Applejack, and suspended them in front of her.

“Oh yeah. Those old things.” Andrew snickered. “It's just a shirt and pants, and not even the good kind.”

“I've never seen such simplicity and shape. They are simply divine, darling. With a little help Rarity,” Rarity lifted a hoof to point to herself. “They will be as good as new.”

“Thank you.” Andrew wasn't sure how he would be able to repay her for her generosity. “If I had something to give-”

“Please, Prince Andrew,” Rarity held up another hoof. “It will be my pleasure.”

Andrew wanted to tell the neatly styled unicorn that he was no prince, or any royal figure for that matter, but he wasn't going to be around long enough to befriend the pony. He also didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable, as it happened often to people concerned with their self-image in the presence of others of higher class.

Rarity wasted no time in fixing the torso portion of his dresses. She went right to work, taking out a variety of sewing material from her saddlebag; threads, needles, a tape measure, a pair of purple reading glasses, and even a mini notepad and a brown feather. The pony was on the tips of her hooves with this one. She calmly – yet frantically – began to sew up his shirt back together while jotting down something down on her notepad. Every stitch was recorded, every thread was inserted perfectly, and every needle secured each hole with the finest yarn Rarity brought with her.

Every other pony (secluding Princess Luna, Rainbow Dash, and Spike) oversaw the delicate work of the pristine fashion pony as she patched up the fabric of the t-shirt. Moments later, Twilight entered the room from the stairs with a brown book floating beside her.

“Hi Rarity,” she said as the pony worked.

Rarity looked up and returned the greeting, but then refocused her concentration back to her current task. Twilight trotted past the group surrounding Rarity and towards the Princess.

“Here we are.” Twilight placed a large brown book on top a short podium she moved in front of her, entitled Quantum Incantations. A book of highly intricate spells that only the most powerful unicorns would be able to preform. “I just want to make sure I know the spell we will be attempting. I don't want anything to go wrong.”

Lyra walked to Twilight's side and looked through the book with her friend. After a few page searches though numerous sections, they found the advanced teleportation spell they were looking for. It was the spell already tried earlier that day to get to Ponyville from Canterlot, but Luna was the only one to conjure up the spell's complexities. All Twilight and Lyra did was provide the necessary amount of energy to successfully transport all three of them. This time, they would need to know how to preform the spell themselves. The spell in the book, however, emphasized the procedures of morphological normality. It explained several steps on bypassing standard quantum integrity and use the teleporation itself to rearrange the atoms of the subject as it travels through the event horizon. Basically teleporting Andrew back home without any hiccups while reverting to his original form on the other side. Nothing two powerful unicorns and an alicorn can't handle.

After several minutes of scanning the most important details from the multiple pages of the spell, Twilight turned to her mint-green counterpart.

“Have you got it?” she asked.

“Yep,” Lyra replied.

“Remember, this is an extremely difficult-”

“Relax, Twilight.” Lyra put a hoof around Twilight's neck. “It will be alright. No pressure.”

“Okay.” Both mares looked towards Princess Luna who took the time to meditate in peace a certain distance away from them while floating on a dark-gray cloud, inches from the floor. It appeared to them she was asleep. They didn't blame her, the Princess had been awake for over twenty four hours after all. They waited for the right moment to interrupt the monarch's mused state. Right before Twilight was about to say her name, Luna shot her eyes open.

“Are we ready?” she said.

“Just finished,” said Lyra.

“Marvelous.” Luna let the cloud dissipate and gently dropped to the floor. “Let's begin.”

Rarity was almost done patching up the final piece, the strange pair of pants, which suffered far less damage than the shirt. All she had to do was close a few tiny holes that ripped through both legs. Before she patched up the last hole, she decided to add a little something extra. She was glad to have brought a precious red stone in her saddlebag before leaving the boutique. Rarity searched for an ideal spot. She picked the top left where the hip would be and attached the precious ruby with aesthetic accuracy. A token of my generosity, she confidently thought to herself.

With her final touches in place, she smiled.

“Voila!” she squealed. “Here you go, dearie.”

Rarity straightened out his pants, folded them neatly, and levitated them to Andrew. He turned around after having an interesting chat with Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash about airplanes and movies. They left Rarity to work her magic, quite literally, and start a conversation. It was actually more of a Q&A, but they were intrigued when he told them about the SR-71 Blackbird (his favorite aircraft) and the newest Star Trek movie (which was irrelevant, but fun to discuss). The ponies took turns telling him about some things they enjoyed doing. Pinkie Pie wanted to throw him another party. Applejack prided herself on the family tradition of Zap Apple Jam. Rainbow Dash gloated on her trademark that is the sonic rainboom while complaining about her efforts to get into the Wonderbolts. Interesting insight from both cultures.

Andrew had already slipped into his newly stitched shirt (with some help). It covered most of his body, including his wings. Rainbow was a little bummed out that he was not up for another flying lesson. Andrew made an effort to grab the folded jeans with his own aura of magic and lay them on his back, unaware of the hidden ruby attached to it.

“Thanks. You're really fast at sewing ya know,” he praised.

“Likewise, Sir Andrew,” Rarity giggled. “It is part of my special talent after all.”

“How is everypony settling in?” said Twilight's voice as she trotted to the group.

“Fabulous, Twilight. All done.” Rarity stepped aside as Lyra and Princess Luna walked up behind the purple pony. Luna turned to the partially clothed alicorn stallion.

“Are you prepared to go home?” she asked.

Andrew took on last deep breath.

“I am.”

Final chapter to be uploaded 2.24.13.

23. Sunday

[Chapter 23]

Sunday

Canterlot Castle
9:42 PM

“Princess Celestia?”

“Captain.”

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

“My sister was in Canterlot earlier today. Why wasn't I notified?”

“I apologize, Shining Armor. Her visit was strictly confidential.”

“What? Is something wrong? Is it something I should be worried about?”

“Negative, Captain. Everything is quite alright. I don't mean to worry you. Matters have been safely fulfilled between myself, my sister, Twilight Sparkle, and Lyra Heartstrings.”

“Does it have something to do with what happened at sunset, Princess? Ponies around the city and some of my associates are asking questions. Some believe it is a sign of danger, some believe it is a sign of change. Some are just downright confused.”

“I was expecting it would create a public disturbance.”

“Wait, is that why you called me here?”

“Indeed. It was I who caused the temporary solar orbit reversal.”

“YOU made the sun move backwards!”

“Precisely. It was an act of trust for a special matter that concerned my sister. Because it was a large event, I will need you to announce an assembly for all citizens to gather in Canterlot Square tomorrow morning where I will address the full issue before speculation get's out of hoof. I want to avoid a panic. There is no need to be alarmed for we-”

…

The regal flowing mane of Princess Celestia quickly went into a brief shock and ceased it's waving motion, while at the same time her facial expression showed a blank-stricken stare directly ahead of her. The sudden spike in magical energy violently flowed throughout her body and dissipated as quickly as it came. She squeezed her eyes shut and collapsed to the floor.

“PRINCESS!” Shining yelled, but his cry went unheard from deep within the Royal Archives. They were located between two tall library-like bookshelves near the back wall displaying a large portrait of a happy Princess Luna before her banishment. He rushed to her aid as the white alicorn began shuffling to her hooves.

“Humph?” she grumbled.

Celestia soon got back to her feet in seconds time and regained her stature. The sudden attack on her instinctual detection of magic was much stronger than any other another surge that day.

“Are you alright, your Highness?”

“Yes yes, I'm fine.”

“What just happened?”

Princess Celestia stared down at her front hooves for a second, then up to a nearby chandelier while eight small flames danced on white candles hanging from the ceiling.

“It can't be,” she quietly mumbled to herself.

“What?”

Celestia took one long breath. She refused to lie to Shining Armor about that seizure-like episode he unfortunately witnessed, but didn't want to tell him the truth either. She needed some time to process the event in her mind. Her best option so far was to give him a general explanation.

“I'm sorry you had to see that, Captain. This level of magic rarely happens with a surge of powerful energy my sister and I are able to detect. They most often come without warning.”

She hoped her her sister didn't go through the same embarrassing experience. To her relief, Shining Armor accepted the explanation. He still had some concern.

“But what about you, your majesty? You took a rough hit with that magic.”

“I'm fine, Captain. Please don't worry yourself. I am unharmed.” As if she didn't already tell him many times that she was alright, he kept his guard up. He dedicated a keen eye on her condition, observing any imperfections in her mane or tail, hoping to be ready a second time.

“What if it happens again? Should I-”

“NO!” Celestia's deep voice echoed throughout the Archives, startling the white unicorn. “I mean, that won't be necessary.”

Shining couldn't tell if the Princess was upset, anxious, afraid, or all three. Her tone sounded more curious than upset.

“I wish to be alone now, Captain.” Celestia stared calmly at the high-ranking stallion.

Shining took one last moment to second guess himself, then finally agreed to leave respectfully. As Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor was trained to carry out a responsibility with flexible obedience that gave him royal honor. He had earned Celestia's trust. This wasn't the first time he tried to adapt to a situation under the best interest of the crown. He finally bowed before the Princess and left peacefully.

Celestia stared down the row of books as Shining Armor disappeared around the corner. She felt awful for having to send him away, but it was the only way to ease the tension of a growing anxiety if he were to defended his tentativeness. Despite being the ruler of Equestria, she was embarrassed for what happened. She honestly wasn't expecting a surge to come so quickly, and with a high concentration of magic. However, she needed leisure far more than a complete answer. She remembered reading reports from Twilight about the effects of stress and fatigue, and how it affects a pony's mood and behavior. Consequently, Twilight herself had experienced its effects firsthoof shortly before writing her letter. It was upsetting to read how her friends reacted during a 60-hour study to develop a new spell. Celestia thought is was best to take advice from her student than from herself, regardless of her unwavering wisdom.

After a few more minutes of silence alone in the dimly-lit section of the Royal Archives of Canterlot Castle, she stretched all four of her legs and began to trek to her personal quarters where the warmth and comfort of a pillow was waiting for her.

10 minutes ago
Ponyville Public Library

“Do you have everything you need?” Luna asked.

“Yup.”

Andrew threw his duffel bag around his neck, letting it dangle at the foot on his right foreleg. He wanted to dress in his spruced up pants, but since they grew uncomfortable throughout the time he wore them considering how his tail brushed up against the hole it had made, they were left folded on his back. Plus they didn't fit him well enough.

“I must inform you that this spell involves a decent amount of concentration that requires a peaceful setting.” Luna looked at the line of ponies. “I ask each of you to remain silent throughout the spell, understood?”

Each of them nodded in agreement.

“Alright everypony. Let's give Andrew some space.”

Luna's crystal clear voice carried over to each mare in the room and Spike. Each pony complied and stepped back a few paces. Lyra and Twilight, however, positioned themselves side by side, opposite of Princess Luna. Andrew moved towards the center of the hollowed out room of the library, to the point where the tree rings converged in a small, disfigured circle. He sat down and curled his tail to hug his body.

“Ready?”

“Waitwaitwait!” squeaked Pinkie Pie as she threw herself at Andrew.

“Wha-UMPH!”

Before Andrew had any idea where that voice came from, he was met with the crushing force of a hug from the happy pony. She pressed her head against his chest to feel the thumps of his heartbeat.

“Easy there, partner,” Applejack trotted to them. “Ah think he's had enough.”

The farm pony speedily pried Pinkie from her grip on the poor stallion and pulled her by the tail with her mouth. The rest of the ponies saw the friendly embrace as nothing more than, well, a friendly goodbye hug. They resisted the urge hug him as well.

“BYE!” Pinkie squealed as her friend dragged her away.

“Bye,” he said, coughing once.

“Are we ready now?”

“Fire away.”

Without any more distractions; Princess Luna, Twilight Sparkle, and Lyra Heartstrings simultaneously illuminated their horns. As they closed their eyes to focus more power into a single point on the tip of their horns, the lighting in the room gradually rose to conditions like that of a sunny day. A distinct – almost deafening – high-pitched sound scratched the eardrums of everypony pony in the room, including Spike. The intense combination of blue, purple, and teal tinted light pulsed with beams of magical energy flickered to create a heatless spectacle that eventually consumed the entire library to a point where each pony squinted their eyes just to get a glimpse of the event.

Every pony present shielded their eyes from the bombardment of photons. Unseen from within in the veil of white, Luna cried out to her two benefactors.

“NOW!”

With seemingly perfect coordination, all three mares quickly lowered their heads and aimed their horns towards the center of the room, directly at Andrew. For a moment, the bearable shower of magical light dissipated, then, in a fraction of a second, the three bolts of magic overwhelmed the library with microscopic shock waves.

*zzzztzzztzztzt*

Precisely on target, the strong blots of energy impacted head on, onto a single point on the tip of Andrew's own horn. As a result, a quiet thunder blasted into his ears and the intense pulses became almost unbearably painful. He felt a neural surge rush through him far quicker than the red blood cells circulating through his bloodstream, making every hair on his thin coat stand on end and causing his eye to flicker as if having a seizure. The constant stream of magic entering his physical body was unlike any feeling he has ever experienced in his entire life. Ten times greater than that of his use of magic to teleport to Sugarcube Corner just ninety minutes earlier. He could almost feel his body suspend itself off the ground.

*SSSsssss*

Suddenly, the extreme brisk rush of magic ceased almost immediately, allowing Andrew to breath out a huge buildup of air that coalesced his lungs. His panted loudly from that exhausting spell.

…

Andrew shook away a terrified shiver shortly after the strong enchantment came to an abrupt stop. He slowly opened his eyes as they naturally adjusted back to normal.

…

He looked around to a familiar sight. Shelves of books carved in wood, a sliver of blue hair hanging down from his mane blurred in front of his eyes, and... … a vivid pink pony, staring intimately at him with eyes wide in curious observance. He groaned.

“Ughghh...”

“Hey you!” she squeaked.

“Pinkie Pie?”

“That's me.”

“Umm...” He licked his lips. “What happened?”

“You're still here.” She started giggling. “You make a good silly face.”

She then made a face that mimicked his, which was indeed silly. He shook his head to wipe it off, which in turn, his sight became clear again.

“What?”

“Ughh,” groaned other voices in the room. Andrew pivoted his head to both side where three ponies appeared just as disoriented.

“Did it work?” said Twilight while keeping her eyes closed. She was shivering, naturally regaining muscle functions in her legs as she tried to rise from her slumped posture.

“Apparently not,” Lyra replied in her friend's ear. A number of thoughts began flowing back into the mint-green unicorn's mind after the spell's ingredients started to fade away. She sat staring at Andrew's unscathed figure. He looked back just as confused.

“It seems our magic had no effect,” Luna bluntly stated, also recovering from the lost of magical integrity. “I don't understand.”

“What do ya reckon we do now, Princess?” Applejack asked as everypony looked at each other, wondering the same. They aware that the spell didn't go as planned. If it did, Andrew would be gone. The problem demanded a solution.

“I'm not sure what happened. It should have worked.” Luna looked over to her assistants. “Are you two alright?”

“Yes, Princess,” they both said.

“I don't understand either,” Twilight began to form an evaluation. “With the output of magic formulated onto a single point, it should have been more than enough to take the all physical matter closest to it and send it through a portal where they would rearrange on the other side. Unless one of us did it wrong.” She glanced at the unicorn next to her.

“Hey, it wasn't me,” Lyra denied.

Twilight was unsure whether to believe her. She had a feeling that whatever she and Andrew shared in their private conversation back at Sugarcube Corner had temped her to sabotage the entire spell. Detecting lies was not her skill set. That was Applejack's job. Evidently, Applejack herself didn't seem to smell a sliver of dishonesty while overhearing the two of them talk. Twilight sighed.

“Then I'm plain out of ideas,” Twilight concluded.

“What now?” Andrew asked.

“Why don't you have Rarity help you?” Pinkie jumped next to her cloud white friend.

“Me?” Rarity responded, pointing a hoof at herself. “Heavens no! I am simply incapable of such magic as superior as Princess Luna.”

Twilight trotted over to the podium where she left her spell book open. She thoroughly scanned for anything she might have missed. Lyra joined her. Spike and Rainbow Dash proceeded to act bored about the whole ordeal in their usual ways while the rest of the ponies gathered in a circle around Twilight. Luna glanced over shoulder where the four mares searched for an explanation, then back Andrew in the center of the room. For some reason, something felt... off... about him. She couldn't quite put a hoof on it. Maybe it was the saturation of color on his coat. Maybe it was his height. Maybe it was both. One thing was clear, his horn appeared longer than before.

“Prosperity dwells upon the discretion of the soul.” Twilight read, quoting the last line of the text for the spell. It provoked a puzzled face on her face. “What does that mean?”

Luna took interest in the line Twilight read aloud. She turned around to join the group.

“Perhaps it suggests another factor in the equation,” she said.

“What factor?” Lyra asked.

The entire group glanced over to Andrew as he sat oblivious to anything else but his own business, then back at each other.

“Does anypony else notice something peculiar about Sir Andrew?” inquired Rarity.

All went silent among them. As they took one last look at Andrew (who innocently looked up at the ceiling and back at the floor), they each noticed something different about him. They looked back at each other whispered among each other, excluding Luna. Unknown to all present in the room, a subtle change in lighting grew ever so slightly.

Andrew looked up at his horn, which was strange, considering it was easier to see than before. It was noticeably sharper in detail, which could only mean one thing.

*zzzt* *zzzt*

The extend horn began to make faint static screeches in short bursts that only Andrew could hear. He panicked inside and his heart rate elevated.

*ZZT*

Andrew's heart stopped. The sound came out of the blue that was almost deafening to his ears. He snapped his head over to his left where he found every pony staring at him. Their eyes darted all around his vicinity. Rainbow and Spike were also stirred up by what they heard.

“What was that!?” cried Pinkie Pie.

Andrew opened his mouth to speak, but was too afraid to say anything. He slowly raised his shoulder to shrug.

“I-”

An intense pulse suddenly resonated within him, cutting him off. Half a second later, his horn quickly gleamed with a passion from the tip of his horn in a glorious light, blinding everypony watching and engulfing the entire room with said light.

*ZZZZT*

…

*BANG!*

A loud thunder echoed across the room with howling, causing everypony to cover their ears and several items fall to the floor. The shock wave lasted only a second, but had each pony struggling to keep their balance, with exception of Rainbow Dash flying in the air. The pegasus still felt a displacement of air pressure around her, making an effort to stay in control. Spike fell backwards.

…

The room went silent again and the lighting returned to normal.

“Is everypony okay?” Luna cried.

All ponies she looked at nodded in response.

“What happened!?” Applejack asked with high concern.

“Isn't it obvious?” Luna focused her gaze at the center of the room. She clued in for each pair of eyes to follow her line of sight. There, in the center of the library, was nothing.

“Andrew!” Twilight shouted. “He's gone!”

“Was it one of you girls?” asked Rarity.

“I didn't do anything,” Lyra negated.

“Me neither,” Twilight seconded. “Princess?”

“I had not part in it,” Luna affirmed.

“Then what happened?”

“I believe the spell is complete. It was exactly as the last line of the spell described,” Luna confidently explained. “Its meaning was that, in order for the spell to finish, Andrew needed to forge the spell using his own supply of magic.”

“But he barely knows how to lift a cupcake off the ground,” Twilight argued. “How can he even do that?”

“Think of what we have already done, Twilight. We provided the information about the precise workings of the spell and transferred the magic to him, allowing an innate reaction that only he was capable of. Besides, have you forgotten that Andrew was the one who teleported us to Sugarcube Corner?”

“Ooooohh.” Lyra and Twilight sang simultaneously. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity said nothing, having not understood a word Luna said.

“Now that our mission is complete, it is time to close this investigation as a success.”

Without a word of rebuttal, each pony scrambled around to go their separate ways.

“Aaaaah need get back to the farm,” Applejack yawned. “Mah family is waiting for me.” With that, she staggered out the front door, letting in a draft of cool evening air.

“I better go finish up my lovely new designs at the boutique,” Rarity followed. “This has been a wonderful experience. I must put Sir Andrew's fashion statement to the test.” The elegant unicorn trotted out in to the dark with her saddlebag in tow.

“Bummer, dude,” Rainbow uttered to herself. She was disappointed in letting an extremely rare opportunity slip away: a chance to teach an alicorn to fly, ironically. She quickly flew out the door without any formal farewells.

Pinkie Pie bounced out of the library without a sound. She didn't need to say anything, she had already said bye to Andrew. That was enough for now. She only wished she could meet his brother and his best friend. They seem nice.

Twilight yawned and closed the spell book in front of her. She was satisfied with how the day turned out since receiving Princess Celestia's vague letter that morning.

“Well, I had fun,” she said, half asleep. “I definitely learned something that I think Princess Celestia would want to know. I'll send her a letter.” She turned to walk over to her desk where she kept blank parchments.

“That's won't be necessary, Twilight.” Luna softly said. “I will tell her everything myself.”

“Oh. Well in that case, time for bed Spike!”

“Finally,” he agreed, wandering after Twilight as they sluggishly walked up the stairs. With the sound of a door slamming shut, Luna and Lyra were the last ponies in the room.

“Had enough for today?” Luna asked.

“mmmm... yeah.”

“When would you prefer to start our partnership?”

“First thing tomorrow.”

“Very persistent are we?”

“I don't mind. I don't have much to do anyways.”

“Well then, we shall discuss a few terms at a time and place of your choosing.”

“Sounds good. At least our first investigation went well. We did gain one thing out of all of this.”

“What's that?”

“A new friend.”

Princess Luna smiled at Lyra's comment. Lyra smiled back.

“Time to go.”

The majestic dark-blue alicorn turned and departed out the front door. The musical mint-green unicorn lifted her saddlebag onto her back and trailed close behind her new mentor. As soon as Lyra made it to the doorway, she paused and took one last look back at the empty library. She took out the flexible white wires from a bag pocket and placed each bell-shaped end into the innards of her ears. They fit perfectly snug. She levitated the sleek black music player out of the same pocket and plugged in the wire in the round hole. Unsure of anything other function, she pressed the only button visible and then touched the screen with a hoof. Moments later, a soothing piano tune began playing in her ears, followed by a beautiful female voice that began singing a soft melody.

“I know there's something in the wake of your smiiile...”

Lyra widened her own smile. The song was so entrancing that she listened to it for longer than she planned. She lowered her head and looked at the ground. When the voice sang a particular lyric, it peaked her admiration building up inside. She waited a few seconds before taking advice from the singing woman, deriving it to be a love song.

“Goodbye, Andrew.”

She took a deep breath, turned out the lights, and gently closed the door.

*ZZZAP!*

The sudden shock of flickering white light startled every last bird in the vicinity of a dark and quiet urban neighborhood. However, the distinct static sound could only be heard no more than a few feet away. The bright flash of light came faster that the blink of an eye. The resulting energy from the blast completely dissipated in a matter of seconds, returning everything back to normal.

“Humph!” uttered the newly formed being onto the soft cold ground.

The human figure was knocked slightly off balance, but his arrival was as stable as ever before. For the first time, the teleportation came without any major side effects upon entry despite the fact that it was an outstanding feat across two different realms with unfathomable distance. The teen merely fell on his back, breathing heavily.

“Ouch,” Andrew exaggerated loudly to himself. The subsequent feeling was possibly the strangest feeling one could endure.

The ground was cold and damp. Andrew could not see a thing but faint white dots in the darkness. The points of light twinkled every now and again, indicating a clear night sky painted with distant stars, mocking Andrew with their splendor. The rustling of leaves and faint sound of brown noise flowed into each of his ear drums. Other than that, it was completely silent. He could hear his own heartbeat.

For a few more seconds, he laid perfectly still on his back with his head to the sky and knees bent, pointing upwards. The full moon was barely visible in his peripherals. He wondered what time it was, but had no device on him with a working clock. It was probably a couple hours before midnight. Maybe later. He didn't know. He decided to be patient before moving any body parts yet, giving himself time to think some more. He wasn't sure if he even human yet. The muscles and skin of his body were numb.

Andrew took a deep breath and stretched his facial muscles out of a cramp. He opened his mouth as wide as he could a few times to shake off crystallizing ice molecules that formed on the surface of his skin. He raised his arms, twirled the palms of his hands, and flexed his fingers to see if they were still working. He wiggled the toes on his feet, but fount it to be challenge. They were awfully cold, like they were ready to break off his legs. He touched his face, rubbing his eyes, and eventually placing a hand on his forehead. No horn. That's good. He checked the end of his spine. No tail. Swell. He then ran his fingers further up the length of his back beneath his long-sleeve shirt. No wings. Well, it was good while it lasted.

Human body parts... check. Nighttime... check. Freezing air... … oooh yeah. Damn it's cold, he complained.

Using his elbows to lift his upper body off the moist bed of prickly grass, he balanced his weight on a hand to push himself to a seated position. He rubbed his eyes again with his cold hands and let his gaze wander around the immediate surroundings. It was dark, no doubt, but he managed to let out a sigh of relief as the silhouette of a large house met his gaze. He instantly recognized it.

Andrew still wondered how he ended up back home with pinpoint accuracy with the teleportation spell that he supposedly forged. Even more mysterious was it being the same location within his backyard, a couple meters from the apple tree next to him. The back out the house was partially lit by the moonlight. The remaining light originated from the second floor window. His room.

Andrew carefully got his feet, struggling to find his balance. Noticing how freezing his legs were, he realized he had no pants on. His stitched-up pale blue jeans were laying next to him, still folded as they were when he placed them by his side in the library. He grabbed the pants and shivered while he stuck each leg into their respective slots. Strangely enough, they felt a little heavier than he remembered. A warm sensation slowly came back to his legs as he blindly searched for his duffel bag in the dark. His small silver flashlight would have been helpful if they weren't in the bag he was looking for. Taking one step back, he finally found the bag by a distinct crunching sound.

He let out a burst of hot air rush out his nose in an angered snort.

“Great,” Andrew sarcastically grunted to himself. There's only one sound that could make him cringe with displeasure. It didn't matter, his sunglasses were useless and dumb anyways.

Gathering his composure, he wrapped the pack around his back and because the ground was so cold, he quickly jogged to the yard patio. On his way there, his kicked something soft. A stuffed bunny went flying towards the patio and landed next to the glass door. As that happened, the orange floodlight above the patio turned on, lighting most of the backyard. He wound up sprinting in a futile panic and pressed his back against the cement wall of the house. His breathing eased back to normal and the shivers that plagues his body faded from that childish panic.

Calming down a bit to move on, he turned to the side where the reflective surface of glass shot back a symmetrical image of the patio. As it was that afternoon, the sliding glass door was halfway open when he chased down Alex earlier that day. Ignoring the plush toy animal, he tried to be as quiet as possible while entering the house. Squeezing his way through the door frame, he noticed that the temperature inside was just as cold as the outside. It was probably left open all day.

Once inside, Andrew took one cautious step at a time through an eerily quiet and dim-lit hallway. Each step produced a small creaking noise. The freezing hardwood floor eventually turned into an equally cold carpet. Every second felt like minutes. Every step got him closer to the stairs at the other end that paralleled the hallway. For a moment, he thought how ridiculous his horrified stance actually was. This was his house after all. Creeping around was just pointless. So he changed his approach and casually strolled up the staircase.

Before he got to the top, he paused. He found a single ray of light streaking across the floor when his eyes met the upstairs hallway at eye level. The yellowish glow came at an angle, originating from around the corner. Curious, Andrew followed the bar of light on the carpet as he trekked the last few steps. He suspiciously advanced further until he found where the light came from.

Off to the side, two doors down, was his room. Makes perfect sense. His room was lit through the window from the outside. The light pointed like an arrow through a crack in the doorway. The door was inched open very slightly. The stillness of the air and a faint sniffle slipped through the opening of the door and bounced in his ears. It stopped him dead in his tracks, but continued on with a spike in heart rate. Standing tall with his hands to his side and his eyes directly on the entrance to his own room, he advanced slower than before.

One last step. He took a long and quiet breath, then extended an arm to push the door open.

To Andrew's surprise, door did not creak with an obnoxious sound. The light was far more intense than he anticipated. He was hit by a shower of fluorescent light for no more than a second, but he squinted his eyes to a point where they were almost closed. The exposure of light in his retinas finally adjusted to normal, but by then, his general idea of what his room would look like was nothing like he pictured it to be.

Scattered everywhere on the floor, Andrew found several pencils, paper, and a whole lot of books spread in disarray. The wooden bookshelf had been emptied of its contents as it appeared to have spilled everything in front of it. The most disturbing sight was a large crimson stain by the foot of the bookcase bearing an strong odor that almost made him cough. Either it was soy sauce, or something far more alarming.

Not long after discovering the mess, his eyes met the first person in the real world he wanted to see. There, sitting on the desk chair, was his best friend with his elbows on his knees and his palms covering his forehead. The teen sat facing Andrew's bed and sniffled once more. He had his back towards Andrew and seemed oblivious of his friend's presence.

“Dale?” Andrew said softly, trying not to startle him.

To Andrew's failure, the teen suddenly flinched at the voice and whirled his head around. His eyes met those of his unmistakeably human friend. His best friend. Staring at each other with a mix of strong relief, Dale's face displayed a number of dry tears that fell down his face. His mouth opened in shock. Dale slowly rose to his feet, wiped away the tears with a sleeve, and smiled sadly. Andrew smiled back.

Dale ran forward and widely wrapped his long arms around Andrew in a tight embrace, pushing the teen back a few feet. It was the first time he hugged the person he cared about the most in a very long time. He buried his face in Andrew's shoulders, squeezing eyes shut and letting out another sniffle. Dale just couldn't keep it together. Andrew completed the hug with his own arms.

Several seconds into their reunion, Dale let go and took a step back, then punched him in the gut. Andrew flinched and winced in pain.

“What happened to you!?” he asked in a upset tone. “Where did you go?”

Andrew paused to recover from blow from Dale's fist. He didn't let it bother him because he was more focused on his questions. “I- uh... you won't believe where I ended up.”

Dale finally got over his sobbing voice that made it hard for him to speak without feeling embarrassed.

“Tell me anyways.”

“I landed in Equestria.”

“Where the hell is Equestria?”

“That's what I said.”

“So where is it?”

“I have no idea.”

“Is it somewhere in the Europe.”

“No.”

“Asia?”

“No.”

“Then where?”

“It's- uh, not on Earth.”

Dale blankly stared at his friend.

“You're crazy.”

“Fine, don't believe me.”

Dale decided to throw Andrew's lies away and change the subject.

“Why didn't you answer my phone? I called you twice.”

“Twice?”

“Yeah, the first time it went to voice mail, and the second time someone picked up and then I heard weird voices.”

“When?”

“I don't know, like five hours ago. Where the hell were you?” Dale sounded more agitated than usual.

“Like I said, I was in Equestria. A country populated by very nice ponies.”

“Ponies? Like what you turned into?”

“Yeah! You also will not believe what I found there. Unicorns, Pegasuseses-es, even a dragon!”

“Well,” Dale looked off to the side. He made a quick distinction in his head on how that sounded to him. “You're crazier than I thought!”

Andrew glared at him and let an awkward silence attack his friend. Dale became uncomfortable with the stare Andrew gave him.

“What?”

“Never mind. I'm not gonna even bother.”

“No seriously. What happened to you?”

“Did you forget that I was a unicorn all day? Alicorn actually. Turns out I had w-” Andrew stopped before he could make his story any worse. It was too late. “Never mind. It doesn't matter anymore.”

“Yeah it does,” Dale objected.

“No it doesn't. As long as nothing bad happened to me, everything's fine. Don't worry about me, I'm still in one piece.”

“Fine.” Dale's mood shifted from sorrow to strong relief since hugging his best friend. Maybe Andrew's logic wasn't lame after all. He exited the into the hallway behind him, leaving his friend staring at the mess that was his bedroom.

Andrew scanned the room and the scene suddenly came back to him. It hit his brain like a soccer ball to the face, metaphorically speaking.

“Where's Alex!?” he shouted, turning to face friend in the hall.

Dale didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked to the ceiling, then off to the side. He took a deep breath.

“He- uh... he-” Dale had a hard time delivering such news, knowing Andrew was unaware of what happened after his disappearance. He gulped. “He's hurt bad.”

Andrew's heart dropped. “What?”

“When you, um, teleported again, you kinda... almost killed your brother.”

“What!?” His heart dropped a little further.

“You threw him into the bookshelf and gave him a concussion.”

“WHAT!?” Andrew's heart finally hit the floor and he violently grabbed Dale by the shoulders.

“Dude calm down!” Dale tried pulling away, but the grip too tight. “He's fine. He's in the hospital now. The paramedics got here just in time. Steven and Peter helped stop the bleeding.”

Although Andrew was relieved that his brother was alive, he still couldn't help the fact that it was all his fault. Unacceptable! He now had a more important reason to see Alex, along side his brotherly love. Andrew let go of his friend and sprinted down the stairs.

“Where are you going!?” Dale yelled after him.

Andrew stopped dead in his tracks.

“Where's my mom?”

“She's at the hospital with Alex. Why?”

“I have to get to the hospital, but it's too far.”

“Okay.” Dale paused to think. “Well, there's a cop outside. We can ask him to drive us.”

“Are you crazy? What if he thinks I-”

“He won't.” Dale jumped the next few steps to the base of the staircase, right next to Andrew. “Let's go.”

“Hold on.” Andrew spotted his cheap sandals by the rug below the front door. He slipped each foot into the correct slot. “Now let's go.”

“Aren't you cold?” Dale asked as Andrew opened the front door, letting in a rush of air of slightly lower temperature than the inside.

“Screw it, dude. My brother needs me.”

Dale simply shrugged and followed his friend out the door, slamming it behind him. Just as Dale vaguely described, a ST.LPD squad car was parked in the closest spot on the street to the house with the officer sitting inside. When they got halfway, the policeman opened his door and casually walked in clear view of the approaching teens, leaning over the hood of the car. Dale did not recognize the man. He was younger, had more hair, and a lighter skin tone illuminated from a yellow street light above the sidewalk.

“What are you fellas doing here?” he asked in a subtle Japanese accent with a suspicious tone.

“Hi officer, I need to get to the hospital,” said the boy with a summer clothes, sandals, and a gray pack hanging by his side. “But I have no way of getting there. Can you drive us?”

“I'm with him,” said the other teen dressed in a similar attire, minus the bag.

“Who are you?” the man said. “You shouldn't be here.”

“My name is Andrew Fera. I just found out about my brother, Alex. He was hurt and taken to the hospital. I need to see him.”

“And who are you?” The man looked at the other teen.

“I'm his best friend, Dale Larsen.” He thought that saying his name wouldn't mean anything, but it was worth a try. He remembered what a different policeman told him earlier that day. “Um, Officer Ramsey said if I- we, needed any help, he'd be waiting outside.”

“Chief William Ramsey?” the policeman said.

“Yes sir,” Dale replied, a bit nervous.

“Please, officer,” Andrew begged. “It's really important.”

“Alright boys.” He waved Andrew and Dale to the car. “Hop in!”

Andrew quickly flung himself into the front seat. Dale got in the back where criminals would sit, but he didn't mind. The cop put the key in the ignition and brought the car to life, revving up the engine a couple times. Digital numbers of a clock lit up, telling Andrew it was 11:48 PM. He could have sworn it was much earlier than that before vanishing from the Ponyville Library. How long did that teleportation spell last? There's no way he jumped forward in time. Soon after, red and blue lights flashed onto the environment outside the squad car. Andrew was nervous. It was the first time he'd ever been inside a police car.

“Hold tight.”

The man smiled at the passenger next him, put the car in drive, and pressed down on the gas pedal.

*VVVVVVRR*

They quickly accelerated forward, giving both teens a heart-pounding jolt. The loud noise of the siren heightened the thrilling ride and they sped down their neighborhood at fifty miles per hour. When they approached the first intersection, the car slowed to turn down the main boulevard and picked up to max speeds down the street at over seventy miles per hour. It was almost surreal for Andrew and Dale to be in a police car while it blazed right through stop signs and red lights. The hospital was over six miles away, but at the speed the vehicle was going, they were halfway there in just a couple minutes. Not many cars were out on the road at that hour, but it was still a nerve-racking experience.

Quickly passing a sign for St. Louis General Hospital ahead a few more crossroads, the officer slowed their speed from almost eighty, down to a safe twenty. The policeman finally turned into the parking lot of a large white building with cylindrical pillars supporting a concrete awning roof above the emergency drop-off. The car's lights stopped flashing and they parked directly behind an ambulance near the curb. At first glance, the building appeared closed for business, if not abandoned.

“Here we are, boys,” said the cop. Andrew wasted no time in getting out of the racing deathtrap of a law enforcement vehicle, and neither did his best friend. Before they could run off too far, the officer rolled down the passenger side window and leaned over.

“If you see Lieutenant Ramsey, tell him that Officer Ian Wray did you the favor of drivin' you over.”

“Will do!” Dale responded as he chased after Andrew who ran ahead to the entrance. The cop car pulled out of the lot and drove away.

Andrew cold feet were no match for his motivation to be by his brother's side. He opened the modern glass door and rushed inside. He stopped just before running down some random hallway. Nobody but a lone clerk at the front desk was walking the halls. You gotta be kidding me, he thought. He stood in place until Dale entered the lobby and walked up behind him.

“What's wrong?” Dale asked.

“Huh?” Andrew snapped out of a memory. “Oh nothing.”

Andrew stepped towards the front desk that joined two hallways at a corner.

“Hi.”

“Hello.” The woman looked up. “Can I help you locate someone this evening?” she asked. Her curly brown hair hid most of the left side of her face, but she brushed it away with the flick of the head.

“Yes. Which room is Alex Fera in?” Andrew asked in a very anxious voice. He hated the way he spoke, like he didn't know what he was doing.

“Are you here for a family visit?”

“Yes, I'm his older brother, Andrew. This is my friend, Dale.”

The young woman searched through some manifests. She didn't have to check long before giving him the necessary information like the room number and directions.

“Here we are. Patient #46, Alex Samuel Fera, Male, Age 12. Correct?”

“Yeah, that's him.”

“He is being treated in Room 115 by Dr. Fischer and Nurse Claiborne.” She then pointed behind them. “Take the stairs to the second level. Down the hall to the right, you'll find room one fifteen.”

“Thank you, ma'am,” Andrew nodded and headed straight for the stairs. Dale trailed after the persistent kid as he lunged every other step to the second floor.

“Take care!” the lady cried after them.

Without a proper reply, the first floor disappeared below the teenagers' feet as they ran to where the she directed. Before getting back to her work, she viewed the mental image in her photographic memory of a sizable red stone she saw clipped onto the jeans of the first teen, Andrew. It kinda looked like a ruby. It looked nice on him.

Andrew counted the numbers on each door he passed by each one.

Room 110.

111.

112.

113.

114.

As soon as Andrew got to his final destination, he slowed to a stop, nearly making Dale run into him. They stared at the door for a few seconds as a silence flooded the hallway with a tense atmosphere surrounding both teens. Andrew inhaled, then exhaled very slowly. Dale was just as nervous and did the same. Andrew extended an arm out in front of him, firmly grabbed the cold silver doorknob, and twisted it.

*creeeak*

The white door force itself open with an obnoxious sound, grabbing the attention of the two women inside: one standing at a counter and another sitting on the other side of the hospital bed.

“Hello there,” greeted the lady at the counter. She wore none other than a white coat and round glasses.

“Hi, is- uh, my brother-” Andrew's eyes fell upon the sleeping face of his brother on the hospital bed, answering his own question. The woman sitting beside the bed rose to her feet, taking in the sight of her oldest son for the first time that day. She sniffled.

“Andrew!”

“Mom!”

His mother rushed over to give Andrew a hug. So much hugging today. He tried to keep the embrace short so he could walk over to the one person he was there for.

“I'll leave you three alone then,” Nurse Claiborne said, then left the room.

Over his mother's shoulder, the body of a young boy laid perfectly still on the hospital bed with a tan colored bandage wrapped around the top his head. His arms lay flat above the sheets while the rest of the body slid under the aqua green covers. His head laid resting on a white pillow with his eyes closed. The boy didn't seem to acknowledge anything occurring in the room at that point. Alex appeared in pretty bad shape.

Andrew's mother let him go and stepped away to hug Dale. She was taking this event very emotionally. After her hugging spree, she left the room to converse with the nurse waiting outside. Andrew quietly stepped forward and knelt down to eye level with Alex's ear as he quietly snored in his sleep.

“Hey buddy,” he said.

Seconds later, Alex woke and carefully inhaled the sterile air around him. The boy tilted his head to one side to find where the familiar voice came from.

“Hm?” he hummed with a noticeable deep pitch to it. The boy managed to open his sleepy eyes halfway, and then made the best surprised face he could.

“Yeah, it's me, Andrew.” He paused, unable to keep himself from crying. “Listen, I- uh, I- I'm really sorry this happened. I hate myself for doing this to you. I can't stand to see you like this.”

Alex continued to stare into Andrew's human eyes. He was no doubt back to normal. A sight for sore eyes, quite literally. Another silence lingered on as Dale sat in a chair next to the door.

With barely enough strength, Alex shuffled in his bedsheets and attempted to sit up. Although, he couldn't have succeeded without the assistance of his older brother lending a hand. The very sight of Andrew as his normal human self was enough to give Alex a boost in energy to pull himself up.

“Are you alright?” Andrew asked, genuinely concerned. “I hope it's not too serious. I took a hit, too.”

Alex looked at him with confusion and wonder.

“Whe- where, d-did you... go?” he softly stuttered in between his painful breathing.

“It's kinda long short story. You already know the half of it.”

“He told me he went to some place called Equestrio or something,” Dale finally said, walking over to the reunited brothers. “I still think he's making it up.”

“Equestria.” Andrew corrected. “I'm not joking.”

“Wh- where's that?” whispered Alex.

“I'll tell you when you're better, man. You need to rest.”

Andrew looked at the digital clock on the far wall. Saturday, Feb. 24th, 11:57 PM. Andrew suddenly remembered an important thought that surfaced above all other thoughts at that moment. He turned to his best friend and held out a hand.

“Let me see your phone.”

“What about yours?”

“Just give it to me.” Andrew rose his voice higher than he intended.

“Fine.” Dale grunted. “You don't have to yell at me.”

Dale reached into his right pants pocket and took out his dark-blue cellphone and handed it to his eager friend. Andrew carefully began dialing his own number. He hit the call button and held the device up to his ear, impatiently tapping his fingers on his knee.

*brrrring*

…

*brrrring*

Several long seconds later, the ringing was cut off and replaced by whining background noise.

“Hellooo?” said a female voice through the earpiece.

“Hello Lyra?” Andrew replied. “It's me.”

“Andrew!?” the female voice cracked with excitement when it recognized the familiar voice. Andrew shared a similar level of enthusiasm.

“Awesome, you figured it out.” He paused for a moment. “Why don't you introduce yourself,” Andrew spoke to the recipient at the other end of the line.

“Okay!”

“W-Who, i-is that?” Alex asked his brother in a delicate tone between more careful breaths.

Andrew pressed another button, setting it to speaker, and cautiously placed the phone in Alex's right hand. Alex grasped it as firmly as he could and looked at Dale with disbelief. The silence was broken by a noticeably teenage female voice originating from the small blue cellphone and the tune of the clock on the wall as it struck midnight.

“Hello humans! Greetings from Equestria!”

Author's Regards:

I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to read Gifts and Curses here on FiMFiction. I know it's far from original and it's just another Human in Equestria story. I had my faults in being as accurate as possible with the settings and location from the show. This was my first fan fiction of any kind and I tried to make it as appealing as I could for those who enjoy this type of story. I might have gotten a little carried away with its characters. The character of Lyra is interpreted in so many different ways among the fandom, so this is my rendition of her persona with added traits set by other people. I tried a realistic and soft approach that explored specific human behaviors for such a situation. It was all set around a basic idea within the extremely jaded genre of Humans in Equestria. Love it or hate it, I enjoyed writing it.

I'm curious to know how many of you who liked the story would like to see a sequel. If not, then I'm okay with that too.

A short disclaimer:
All human characters and names are fictional and are not based on real people. The main character does not reflect my personal life, nor do I strive to be him. Reference to real world settings and events are completely fictional. I have never been to Missouri. The only connections I have with the human characters are small depictions of social status and the like. I do not own any of the pony characters portrayed throughout this fan fiction, official and unofficial. I honor and credit JasonTheHuman with the characters Lyra's parents. They could be changed upon request.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic was created by Lauren Faust and belongs to Hasbro, Inc. and their respective owners. No copyright infringement was intended. This story was created purely for pleasure and was never distributed for commercial benefit or other methods of profit whatsoever.

There are a number of irrelevant plot elements that you may have noticed throughout many chapters that weren't given an explanation and left you wondering what and why. For instance; Alex's favorite TV show, Lyra's unmarked CD, the empty hospital, the color of the sky outside Andrew's house, the ruby. Just to name a few. They imply a sense of mystery is the basic principle of the story.

I thank my good friend and fellow brony, 1childish1, for revising a few of the chapters.

Thanks again,
~flamevulture17

Andrew Fera. Photo taken by Lyra Heartstrings at Sugarcube Corner, Ponyville, Equestria. Saturday, Feb. 24. 7:33 PM

One Year Later

The silence of the night seemed to grow quieter as the darkness appeared to grow darker. But, that all depends on who you ask. All around the quiet town of Ponyville, every resident was either asleep or preparing to sleep. Lights emanating from candles, lanterns, and the newest invention of the incandescent light bulb faded to black one by one behind the curtains of residential window panes. The full moon hovered high in the sky as it approached its peak point directly above the town.

It was a peaceful night like any other.

Three giggling mares strolled side by side down a wide cobblestone path that ran from Ponyville square all the way to the edge of town and beyond. The moonlight illuminated their surroundings just enough for them to see where they were going. The night was still young, but they had enough fun to satisfy.

“So Bon-bon,” said the pony in the middle, flicking her maroon hair upwards and out of her eyes. “Why did you come to the party alone?”

“What do you mean?” Bon-bon replied.

“Didn't you ask your friend to come?” asked the orange Earth pony furthest from Bon-bon.

“Who?”

“Your roommate, of course.”

“Lyra?”

“Who else?”

“Oh yeah,” Bon-bon lowered her voice for she wanted to drop the subject faster than in was brought up, hoping she'd succeed. With herself on the rightmost side, it wasn't easy keeping up with her two companions who had more energy left from the party Pinkie Pie threw at Sugarcube Corner. Her pace was slowed and sloppy. “She's got a lot of work to do. I didn't want to bother her.” That was both a lie and the truth. She shied off into another subject. “So, uh, did you like my new vanilla candies I brought, Rose?”

“Say...” Rose ignored Bon-bon's tangent in the conversation and turned her head. “We haven't seen Lyra in a while, have we Junebug?”

Junebug wondered the same thing while trotting alongside Rose. Ever since Princess Luna's frequent visits to Ponyville, they had seen less of Bon-bon's roommate recently.

“Does it have something to do with her social anxiety?” Junebug inquired.

As soon as Bon-bon heard those words, she fought to control her anger silently. She hated when ponies talked about her friend like that, even though it was sorta true to some extent. Though Rose and Junebug were her friends and she didn't want to give them a piece of her mind as she would a mean bully. Her friends weren't bullies. They just didn't know any better.

Bon-bon refused to answer that question, rhetorical or otherwise.

“She should get out more.” Rose suggested without actually giving an answer either. “Ya know, hang out more with us. Make some more friends.”

“I don't know,” Bon-bon finally said. “I can't force her to do anything.”

“Who said anything about force?” Rose cocked her head at the statement. “I was simply saying that somepony should encourage her to loosen up a little. It's like she's a stranger all over again.”

Rose, Bon-bon, and Junebug continued to jump around topics of interest as they made their way through town in the moonlight. Eventually the conversation went so far as to ponder about their respective childhoods in Ponyville. It wasn't until their small talk circled around to a specific topic that Bon-bon had not expected, one that she could remember quite vividly.

“What ever happened to the rumors of that one stallion that made a scene through here last year?” Rose asked without hesitation. Bon-bon half-expected that any pony who asked that would hesitate. “I wonder if they were true.”

Bon-bon was quiet for a few seconds, when Junebug added her own speculation.

“Yeah, I heard ponies saying it was a ghost of an old alicorn legend,” she said. “I don't remember what the details were, but I think they were all just hallucinating.”

“Isn't it strange that over a dozen different ponies hallucinated the same thing? That doesn't make any sense. I wish I was there to see it myself. If you ask me, I think Princess Luna is hiding something from us. So far we haven't been given an clear explanation. Everypony is so vague about what happened or just doesn't wanna talk about it. She's up to something.”

Bon-bon continued to listen to her friends' speculations about an alicorn stallion running around Ponyville and disappearing without a trace. She wondered if that one turquoise stallion she met had something to with it. He certainly had something to do with those mythical creatures called humans after Princess Luna's surprise visit. She would never forget that face, but she sure forgot his name. If her memory served her right, she only talked to him twice and the last time she saw him was in Sugarcube Corner to be questioned said Princess. After that, it was like he vanished without a trace. Lyra refrained from talking about it the days and weeks that followed and would not disclose any information regarding the matter. It was like Lyra changed into a completely different mare since that day.

Bon-bon still had trouble adjusting to the new Lyra.

“So, Bon-bon?”

The tan Earth pony snapped out of her train of through. Rose and Junebug gave her a look.

“Huh?”

“So do you think about all of it?” Rose repeated.

“All of what?” Bon-bon lied.

“Were you listening?” Junebug added.

“I know nothing about it.”

“We know that's not true. You've talked to Princess Luna, she must have said something.” Rose clearly knew something was bothering Bon-bon, but was not intrude on personal matters. Junebug, on the other hoof, knew Bon-bon was holding something back.

“I'm surprised you two remembered to care about what happened that day,” Bon-bon finally answered.

Right then, the trio came to a stop at Rose's house. They wished the maroon-maned pony good night and the remaining two ponies continued down the same road the were previously trekking. Just before they came to a crossroad where they would go their separate ways, Junebug stopped.

“Are you hiding something from us?” she bluntly asked while staring unblinking at Bon-bon. The near complete stillness of the air added to the unease Bon-bon swam in, sending a brief chill crawling down her spine. Junebug narrowed her eyes at the light-brown Earth pony. “You've been acting weird lately.”

“Um...” she tried coming up with something convincing to stall Junebug, but failed. She thought of something better. “OH! Well look at the time. I'd better be going.”

Just like that, Bon-bon trotted away before Junebug could protest. She felt bad for doing that to her, but she couldn't let ponies get too suspicions of her behavior lately.

It didn't take long for Bon-bon to reach her house. Before she could run straight in and relax in the safety of her own home, the lights were still on on the second floor. Lyra must still be awake. For some reason, that worried Bon-bon even more. She knew Lyra hadn't been getting any sleep lately.

She would find Lyra a total mess in the morning with her head drooling on the desk. It was a adorable sight, but because it started to become a regular thing recently, it began to annoy her. Bon-bon used to pity her roommate often for her troubles, but after that event of running after humans and stuff, empathy had lost its meaning. Every day she'd put some effort into caring for Lyra, but it seemed she was losing her best friend bit by bit.

Bon-bon shook her head of her pondering and slowly made her way inside. The only source of light on the first floor was white moonlight shining through the windows. She carefully shut the door and walked silently up the stairs. With every step that brought her closer to the second floor, it started to feel like one of those horror stories where a mare tiptoes through a creepy house at night while being haunted by ghosts.

She stopped to realize how ridiculous that sounded. One, her house was not creepy, and two, there's so such thing as ghosts. She took a beep breath and continued on with less fear. She walked up to Lyra's bedroom door to find a rectangular ring of light seeping through the cracks.

Before she raised a hoof to knock on the door, she could hear something that distinctly sounded like music. She took a moment to listen a little closer. It was definitely some form of music, but none she had ever heard before.

“Lyra?”

She knocked three times.

“Are you in there?” she repeated and knocked harder.

After several seconds without a response, Bon-bon couldn't wait any longer. She pushed the door open and let herself in. She found a huge mess all over the room. It was riddled with papers and books, here and there, everywhere. Not a single corner of the room was spared. However, it was as expected, but the messes seemed to get worse every day.

Bon-bon spotted Lyra sitting down at her desk with a small lantern off to the side. It flickered a dim speck of yellow light onto the chaotic environment, just enough so she could see where she was going. Bon-bon waddled up to Lyra and tapped her on the shoulder.

“Are you feeling alright, Lyra?”

Bon-bon could barely hear slow breathing from the mare over the sound of the music like she was in a dreamless sleep. It was too late to walk away and let her rest when the mint-green unicorn began to roll her head on the desk. She then pulled out of her slumped position and let out a loud yawn.

“Hnnh?”

Lyra fought to keep her eyes opened, and looked down at the mass of parchments on her desk and continued to work, unaware of the pony behind her.

“Lyra?” Bon-bon mumbled.

“AH!” Lyra jumped at the voice, jolting an inch or two off her chair. She immediately snapped her head behind her to see who snuck up on her. “Don't do that, Bon-bon. You scared the magic out of me.”

“Sorry, I didn't mean to.” She paused and searched around. “Where is that music coming from?”

After asking, Lyra lazily lifted a hoof and touched a small metal box. The music suddenly stopped. She would ask later what the box was, but for now a pep talk.

“Have you been working all night? What is so important that you have to submit to this kind of torture.”

Lyra quietly yawned once more.

“It's just some stuff I've been researching, it's the last of it and then I'm done. I've only been at it for almost twelve months.”

“Only? You're getting too invested in something that isn't necessarily useful to your life. I still don't even know what you're up to.” As soon as Bon-bon finished that thought, she finally made the connection in her head. “Wait, twelve months? Almost?”

Lyra's heartbeat started to wake up after regretting her slip of the tongue. The expression on her face became fearful of the possible ways this conversation would go with Bon-bon the moment she realized why she's been working herself to death lately.

“Um... yes.”

“Since last February?”

“Mm hm,” Lyra hummed.

“Exactly how long since?”

Lyra looked away for a second. “One day short of a year,” she mumbled.

Bon-bon cocked her head a little while a smug smile was molded out of her lips.

“Don't tell me this has something to do with what happened on...” Bon-bon paused, creating a fill-in-the-blank scenario which both mares knew the answer to.

Lyra stared at Bon-bon half asleep, hoping the conversation wouldn't transform into an argument. She reluctantly sighed and nodded in confirmation.

“Come on, Lyra, you have to let that go.”

“I know, but I've been dreaming of what a human would actually look like, but they always come up weird looking and not what I picture it to be.”

“I hope you're not trying to do what you're trying to do.”

“No, I'm not,” Lyra said, firmly.

“That's good to hear. I thought you might have gotten too far this time.”

Bon-bon felt a wave of relief wash her fears. She wanted to leave the unicorn be, but since this was the perfect opportunity to talk to Lyra—because she hadn't in a while—she stayed a couple more minutes. A few questions remained unanswered.

“So what's the last of your research that you're working on here?” Bon-bon leaned in to see the paper on the desk.

Lyra immediately sat up and covered her papers with her forelegs.

“I just want to know if what you're doing is...you know...legal,” Bon-bon clarified.

Lyra naturally assumed Bon-bon wouldn't understand the complexity of unicorn spell books and her horrible hoofwritting, so she slowly retracted her forelegs and slumped back in her chair. This night would never end with these kind of distractions.

After watching the beige Earth pony struggle to understand a single phrase on the parchment in front of her that contained confusing spells and old incantations, Lyra leaned forward.

“Are you gonna let me work?” she snorted. “Or are you gonna stand there all night making sure I don't blow up Ponyville?”

“Okay, no need to get all fussy about it. I was just worried this was getting to your head, which it might already have.” Bon-bon furrowed a brow at the implications of Lyra's last question. “Wait, you're no gonna blow up Ponyville, are you?”

Lyra frowned. “Of course not! Don't be absurd. Why would you suggest such a thing?”

“But you said—“ Bon-bon grunted and facehoofed. “Come on, Lyra, you need to sleep.”

“No!” Lyra grumbled with a drooping face, still half asleep. “I'm fine. I just need to finish this spell. I'm so close!”

“Listen to yourself,” Bon-bon argued. “You're throwing away your life with this ridiculous work schedule that has you staying up all night doing Luna knows what.” She spun Lyra around in her chair and pulled her over her shoulders, dragging the exhausted unicorn to her bed. Lyra simply whined without resisting.

“But Bonnie-”

“No buts, young lady.” A hoof was raised up to the mint mare's lips. “You can do your work tomorrow.” Bon-bon glanced over to the analog clock that poked its face from Lyra's nightstand, reading ten minutes past midnight. “Or later today.” She caressed Lyra's messy mane and throwing the bedsheets over her body, tucking her in good and tight. “Now get some rest. I don't want you waking up at three in the morning to work.”

“Okay mom,” Lyra yawned and then smiled. She laid her head on the pillow and left reality for the dream world. Hopefully a visit from Luna would take her mind off magic for the night, unless she was in on it, too. Bon-bon shuddered at that last thought.

With such an adorable sight in front of her, Bon-bon stayed a few more minutes. In spite of Lyra's frequent late night study sessions, this worked out rather well. She wanted nothing more than for her anxious companion to go to bed and take it easy.

Although far from understanding Lyra's recent endeavor to investigate mysterious and dark magic assigned by Princess Luna, Bon-bon was convinced there was something she wasn't telling her. Lyra never worked this hard on anything before, even for the Princess. Why now? What is so important that she needs to drop sleep in exchange for late night research? Where did she get all these books and paperwork anyway?

Bon-bon set those questions aside for later, she could use some bedrest herself. It had been a long night and she needed to wake up early for a few housekeeping chores and then open her newly founded candy confectionery, Candy Castle. Working at Sugarcube Corner for the last few years has given her the confidence and experience to start her own business in Ponyville. The candy industry was thriving on the rising demand and popularity of anything with high doses of sugar.

That meant she needed to be prepared for a new day in making and selling candies to the good ponies in town, and in order to do that, she needed to look her brightest and act professional. Sleep deprivation was her mortal enemy.

Bon-bon kissed Lyra on the cheek, eliciting a small smile from the peaceful unicorn snuggling her pillow. She got up and walked over to Lyra's desk to douse the lantern. Before she did that, she took one last look at her friend's “secret” work. She searched for the one word that caught her eye the first time she skimmed over words on the pages.

Teleportation.

That sent a new series of oddly structured questions swirling in her mind. She wondered why that word resonated with more meaning than any other next to it. It made her forget about the chaotic mess that surrounded the desk and more on the strange placement of items strewn along the desk. The practice of personal teleportation by individual unicorns was hardly mysterious. Maybe it was to find out how unicorns used magic in general. Magic itself was a subject ponies knew little about, according to Lyra, and it would make sense to study it for the sake of knowledge.

Bon-bon realized that all she was reading was nonsense to her. When complex words and strong vocabulary littered the pages that only intellectuals would understand, she wasted no more time trying to decipher the passages and finally extinguished the flickering candle flame dancing inside the glass lantern. How can Lyra read with so little light? She'll damage her eyes or impair her vision.

“Okay, I really need to sleep,” Bon-bon told herself out loud, causing Lyra to stir in her bed. She covered her mouth with a hoof to keep herself from uttering another sound. Fortunately, the mint-green mare ceased all movements and fell silent again.

Bon-bon quietly breathed a sigh of relief. She carefully weaved around the mess on the floor in the dark, feeling for each step along the way. When she reached the door, she turned to glance at her roommate in bed, illuminated only by the light streaming from the window beside her.

“Goodnight, Lyra.”

She smiled and closed the door.

Not ten minutes later, Lyra slowly opened her eyes. She had hoped her fake sleeping noises would be sufficient enough to fool Bon-bon that she was asleep.

Quietly lifting the covers off her body, she slowly got out of bed and walked quietly to her desk. It was dark, but the reflection of moonlight on her window provided enough light for her to traverse the mess of her room.

On her desk were the papers she had laid out to fool Bon-bon yet again into thinking that she was working on something other than her work regarding humans. Thankfully, Bon-bon did not ask any further than that or she would have discovered the lies she kept hidden away.

Lyra opened the bottom drawer located by the left leg of the wooden desk and took out the short letter on the top. She read it over once more before both smiling and frowning simultaneously. She folded it twice across the middle and slipped it into a white envelope with only one thing written in the center; Bon-bon.

Putting the letter aside, she sifted through her other drawers to find a blue gem she borrowed (stole) from Princess Luna straight from the Lunar Artifacts room in Canterlot Castle on her last visit. She hoped Luna would understand and not hold the crime against her. I was the final piece she needed to stabilize her magic and provide enough power to begin her spell.

To conserve her magic, she picked up the gem with her hoof and walked to the center of her room, kicking away all the papers and books to reveal a white, 5-pointed star painted on the maple wood floor. A messy room was the perfect disguise.

Lyra placed the gem at the very center of the star and returned to her desk to search for the right parchment that would complete the spell. Once she had that, she put on her packed saddlebag of everything she needed and her lyre for good measure. She placed the parchment on the ground next to the sapphire.

Looking it over twice, Lyra closed her eyes tight and concentrated her magic on the gem. As her horn lit up, so did the gem. Within seconds, the gem began to vibrate, but only slightly. Lyra opened her eyes when the first phase of the spell was complete.

Now came the hard part.

With every ounce of energy Lyra had in her, the magic poured from her horn in massive pulses. It was an effort long overdue, having underestimated her own potential since she was a filly. It just took this long to put her raw power to the test.

Phase two of the spell took no more than a minute to preform, and when the final stage commenced, her eyes started to glow.

Lyra could feel every bone, every hair, every nerve in her body succumbing to an intense barrage of countermagic that shot back at her from the the dark blue gem that was spinning a few inches off the ground now. If she wanted the spell to succeed, she needed both a stabilizing agent and an amplifier to mirror her magic and loop the energy on herself, doubling the output of the spell. ThT was the purpose of the gem.

The sensation overtook the mint-green unicorn. With enough energy to light all of Ponyville for fifteen seconds, she nearly blacked out. Of course, this wasn't her first attempt. She learned to control the flow by the time she reached the point of no return, and in this case, everything was going more smoothly than she expected.

Everything was white, and she could barely hear the sound of the swirling vortex that had erupted in the room. Lyra had not been this far before.

This was it.

This was point of no return.

All of her work would pay off.

Months of planning and a year of research.

She'd finally get to experience her dreams.

She'd finally get to see another world.

She'd finally get to meet-

CRASH!

Lyra heard a loud noise coming from behind. The spell was at near full capacity, but that didn't limit her movement.

She spun her head towards the window to see what the loud sound was, but because her vision was impaired by white, she saw nothing but a blank void of light.

“LYRA STOP!” shouted a voice so loud that it shook the entire house.

That voice. She recognized that voice. Regal and pure. Elegant and ancient.

Lyra could not think straight, the spell draining her cognitive ability to form a single thought.

Right then, something hit her. Rather, something tackled her. Strangely enough, she felt the spell intensify rather than break down. The unicorn could feel pain ripping through her body as she and the perpetrator fell away into brief abyss before she and Princess Luna both disappeared through the portal Lyra had created to transport her to a world unknown.

Author's Note

Epilogue to the story. Prologue to the sequel.

12. Secrets

[Chapter 12]

Secrets

Before long, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna agreed to tell Lyra about her grandfather simply because she had a right to know. They assumed she knew anything beyond the ordinary about him rather than an old rumor of his unnatural nature. The decision was for all four of them, including her parents, to fill in the necessary details to avoid giving the wrong impression. Even though it wasn't exactly bad news, more over the kind of information only five other ponies in Equestria knew.

Lyra's mother volunteered to summon her daughter from her room and was asked to have Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and Pinkie Pie join them. She made her way up the staircase and down the hallway to Lyra's old bedroom. Once she stood before the closed door, she didn't hear any voices from inside. If they were simply having some sort of conversation, surely the old wooden door wasn't capable of absorbing even a whisper. She waited for several seconds for any sign if the room was indeed occupied by the ponies that tagged along with the Princesses, especially the pink one.

Cirrus gently knocked on the door three times.

She heard a frightened squeal from behind the door. A few seconds later she heard hoofsteps get louder and eventually reached its peak. The door opened with a purple aura surrounding the doorknob and she was welcomed by Twilight Sparkle, the famous pony who defeated Nightmare Moon and Discord from taking over Equestria with the Elements of Harmony along with her five friends. It was the first time she got the met her, even after she'd been friends with her daughter, Heartstrings, for the investigation. She felt humble in her presence.

“Greetings, Ms. Sparkle,” she said nervously. “Princess Celestia has requested my daughter to join us downstairs for an important matter we'd like to discuss.”

Right then, she heard another, very faint squeal, from somewhere in the room. From her vantage point, more than half the room was obscured by the door and the rest by Twilight. The purple unicorn didn't say a word.

“Is Heartstrings here?”

The lavender unicorn simply nodded, but didn't move another muscle.

“Is something wrong?” Lyra's mother leaned in a bit. Her small smile turned into a frown.

For a couple of seconds, Twilight just stared at her, almost like she was scared. It was noticeable in the emergence of sweat running down the left side of her face. She came to her senses when she finally stepped out of the way and opened the door further to let her in. A strange first impression, Cirrus thought.

She stopped in the middle of the room, but saw no sign of her daughter. The only other soul in the room was a small baby dragon snoozing peacefully on the bed. Twilight remained by the door, but seemed to be more calm and collected than at first sight. Her first guess was that she was hiding somewhere.

2 minutes earlier...

“Humans?” Lyra finally managed to say after being caught by surprise when Pinkie Pie said the same word.

“Yeah. There were other weird words like London and England, like names of super secret places I never heard before, but humans is a biggie. Everypony I know doesn't know those words, and I know a lot of ponies. I mean, I know a lot of ponies in Ponyville, not so much in Canterlot, or anywhere else really, just Ponyville. Do you know what they mean?” Pinkie's eyes bounced all over the place until her question had her stare back at Lyra.

“Did you say anything to Luna?” Lyra asked Twilight with great concern.

“No, I didn't, I couldn't have anyway, you were with me the whole time. I barely said anything to her.”

“Then how does she know?”

“Oh, oh,” Pinkie bounced once more. “She went to see Granny Smith.”

“The Apples knows about them too?” Lyra cocked her head a little. “How many other ponies should I know that knew about humans all along?”

“I don't know. Maybe Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash, oh, I think Rarity-”

“It was a rhetorical question, Pinkie,” Lyra cut her off.

“Oh, right,” Pinkie giggled. “Silly me.”

“Well, we can't just go on asking everypony we know about them. That would defeat the purpose of keeping it a secret.” Twilight pointed out. “So, Pinkie...”

“Yes, Twi?” Pinkie Pie fluttered her eyelashes at her purple friend.

“We need you to keep it between us, okay?”

“Okie dokie loki.”

“Though, it appears to me that we've already failed, now that the Princess and Granny Smith know.”

“It might not be that bad,” Lyra said. “I mean, we didn't tell them. They probably don't know more about them than we do and I know enough to give a lecture on them.” Twilight gazed at her, slightly offended. Lyra took notice. “Sorry. What I'm trying to say is, we shouldn't worry too much. We still have a job to focus on.”

Lyra felt confident that she was right. She'd hate for her personal life to get mixed up with their mission in gathering information about the energy surge the night before. Or rather, things would get too complicated to deal with if it turned out that it had something to do with her. All she needed was to not let her fear in personal involvement get the best of her. She looked back at Twilight after having her head down in silence, whom was taking too long acknowledge her statement. Then Twilight's head shot up.

“But if Princess Luna went all the way to Ponyville to talk to Granny Smith for this valuable information, only to figure out that the information she needed was not in a book, but rather the history that began with your great grandfather, wouldn't that link you to this investigation?”

“Oh.” Lyra wasn't expecting to be brought down by logic again. Somehow, she felt like she always knew, but didn't want to admit it to herself. “What about the surge of magic last night near Ponyville?”

“So, what really happened with this scary magic?” Pinkie gasped. “Who did it? Did it go kaboom? Did it gobble up anypony?”

“We don't know much about it, Pinkie,” said Twilight. “We're just as puzzled as Princess Celestia.”

“But I didn't hear anything last night. I was sleeping.”

“We all were,” Twilight stated. She didn't hesitate to explain the details to Pinkie Pie, whom already knew too much anyway. “All we know is, the pony who first detected it was Princess Luna. She told Princess Celestia about it and they tried finding what happened. When they realized they had too much to search through, they called for our help and told us to not tell anypony. That's how we ended up here. Well, here in Canterlot anyway.”

“Until we find all that we can find about this phenomenon, the Princesses still need our help,” Lyra concluded.

Suddenly, the sound of faint, muffled hoofsteps echoed. It came from the other side of the door and got progressively louder with each step. Even Pinkie remained silent for the long seconds they stood to listen in on the hoofsteps. Lyra's chest grew cold in fear. It meant one of two things; the long conversation was finished, or they weren't quite done yet, but found out that Pinkie spied on them. Hopefully it wasn't bad news, but she couldn't help to think it was.

Lyra's heart dropped when the clanks of the hoofsteps on the hardwood floor in the hall had stopped directly at the door, eagerly awaiting-

*Thud thud thud*

“Eeep!” Lyra cried. She quickly zipped into her closet without without a sound, closing the door enough to leave a small opening. Little did she know, Pinkie disappeared after her in a completely opposite mood, leaving Twilight to handle whatever the startled the mint-green pony. So much for not worrying so much. A failure of dignity on Lyra's part to Twilight's amusement as she simply sighed and headed for the door.

In the dark and gloomy closet, Lyra's limbs were shaking and her mind racing. She thought she might have been overreacting. Still, when she heard Pinkie say the word 'human', the first thought that came to her was that her little secret was being passed around in such a way that it reached Princess Luna in one day. She might have been over thinking the situation a bit. The soft breeze in the closet was unsettling and.... wait.

“Pinkie Pie!” she flinched at the sight of the pink face closely behind hers. Lyra managed to voice her fright in a loud whisper. “What are you doing in here?”

Pinkie giggled.

“Can I hide with you? Are playing hide and seek? Who's IT? Is it-”

“Shhh!”

“Oh yeah, too noisy, got it!”

“Shhh!”

The hiding ponies anxiously waited to see who was at the door. It could only be one of four ponies, two of which she assumed brought troubling news. Lyra placed her ear closer to the open crack of the closet door. She heard nothing for a few seconds.

“Lyra?”

The voice of her mother cried out from inside of the room. Right then, Lyra no longer felt discomfort, but relief of unguided fear.

“Mom?” She pushed her head out of the stuffy closet to find a familiar pony in the center of the room.

“There you are, dear. Why are you hiding in the closet?”

As a show of embarrassment, Lyra stepped out of the closet with her head down and eyes closed.

“We're playing hide and seek,” said a bubbly voice as Pinkie Pie bounced out the closet after Lyra. Cirrus gave them a confused look, but before she could ask, Twilight trotted up to her energetic friend.

“Pinkie? Why don't we let these two be alone for a while?” she suggested, leading her away.

“That won't be necessary, Ms. Sparkle. The Princess wishes for you all to join us.”

“All of us?” Twilight asked.

“Yay!” Pinkie suddenly jumped into the air, grinning ear to ear. “We're having a party!” She began bouncing around the room, and out of nowhere, a shower of confetti rained down on their heads. All ponies, including Spike, looked up in astonishment as thousands of tiny pieces of colored paper fell from the ceiling to the floor. Lasting only for a couple seconds, all eyes turned to Pinkie Pie with blank expressions. The whole room went completely silent as if the most awkward thing just happened.

“I'm sorry to disappoint you, Miss Pie, but this isn't a party,” said Cirrus.

Pinkie gazed closer at the other pairs of eyes staring at her and saw that no pony was having fun. Lyra and Twilight shook their heads and Spike had his claws on his hips. The stillness of the air and lack of a party had drowned out the smile on Pinkie's face, to a less happy, yet more understanding complexion.

Without a word of confirmation from Pinkie, Twilight swiftly started toward the door.

“Well, we better not keep the Princesses waiting,” she said.

“Come on, dear,” Cirrus said to Lyra. “Everything will be explained more clearly.”

Each pony, and Spike, headed out the door and down the hallway to the stairs. Lyra hesitated at the foot of top step when a second thought rolled into her mind, before being deliberately poked by one of Spike's claws. She eyed to little dragon standing by her side. He stepped back a little, intimidated.

“Sorry, I thought you might still be a... a... … whatever Pinkie said before. Do you believe her?”

“I guess we'll find out soon enough.”

With that, she reluctantly continued down the stairs after her mother, with Twilight in the lead, and behind all of them was Pinkie Pie. For the time it took all them walk from one room to the main room where the royal sisters and her father had been patiently waiting, it felt to Lyra like the first day of school. All who were around her were familiar faces, but somehow the thought of something completely new to be learned made her both nervous and happy.

When they finally reached the living room and caught sight of Princess Luna and Princess Celestia casually sitting on the large couch, it surprised her that she felt like it was her first meeting with royalty. Even after spending a good number of hours in a secret part of the castle with Princess Celestia, it was amazing how mixed emotions could affect a pony's mind. Her heart rate elevated and her fur coat stood on end. However, she consciously regulated her breathing and controlled the flow of thoughts in her mind instead of letting them bounce all over the place. One by one, each pony found a comfortable spot to sit for what would potentially be the most interesting conversation they would ever have. Celestia and Luna sat next to each other on the sofa, Lyra's parents across from them, Twilight and Pinkie on the only remaining couch for two.

Lyra simply stood in place right next to Twilight, with Spike closely beside her.

“You don't want to sit, Ms. Heartstrings?” Luna asked.

“I think I'll just stand.”

“Would you like to hear how your family is the most interesting thing we've come across in a very long time?” Princess Celestia delicately said.

“Really?” Lyra's gaze shot towards Celestia.

“Most certainly. We just want to share it with you since you are a part of it and have a right to know,” Celestia added. “It's your choice to be comfortable, we'll do the talking.”

The questions were inviting, but Lyra didn't think she'd be surprised of the news they were willing to give ever since Pinkie Pie's exaggerated story. Also due to the fact that her sense of reality was more open to crazy ideas than most every pony she had met, and each one of them had been highly educated to a degree that put them as the smartest minds in Equestria. Her knowledge might even rival that of Princess Luna, or push it as far as Princess Celestia herself. For Lyra, being smart wasn't as great as it seemed. Usually it was crudely seen as being stuck with a life of study and a lack of social life. However, her intelligence might have been caused by what the royal sisters where suggesting they'd talk about themselves with many ponies to witness.

The only seat left was the small couch for a single pony, to the left of where her parents sat. Lyra looked at everypony in the room who were all looking back at her. It made her nervous for everypony to observe her every move to get herself comfortable, but it also gave her an idea to provoke a response with a very simple sitting position that she was used to. It was the perfect opportunity, with the perfect sets of eyes to sit down like a human would. She felt very confident in the process and put on a meek smile as two royal alicorns, her own parents, and her closest friends watched her position herself onto the chair with her body upright, hind legs in front, and forelegs resting by her side.

…

An eerie silence filled the room, enough to hear chatter of outdoor passing ponies.

“Why do you sit like that?” Her mother was the first to react, breaking that silence.

“It's how humans sit,” Lyra responded. She thought I'd be a good idea have their focus on her knowledge of her hobby rather than a boring talk on her family heritage for which she decided to push aside. That moment, she wanted to demonstrate just how interested she really was in humans. “It's comfortable.”

“Humans? What do you know about them?” Luna shot her attention closer to the the unicorn's posture. To Lyra, it was surprising when the Princess didn't ask 'how', but rather more interested in 'cool, tell us more'.

“So you DO know?” she said.

“But why you?” her father stepped in.

Lyra shrugged. “I guess it was in my nature. Does that make one of them?” she tried joking.

“That's quite an interesting conclusion, Ms. Heartstrings,” Celestia nodded, but then shook her head. “But I don't believe you are. You see, we have come to learn that your family tree may not have been entirely equine due to the sudden manifestation of your great grandfather. From what my sister has been able to gather and a little bit of history research, you are not completely equestrian.”

Lyra's expression almost vanished, but the emotion she carried internally was strong with fearful joy. Perhaps what scared her the most was it to be true, but didn't know why it made her feel a certain way. Twilight's face also showed signs of surprise.

“We apologize if it shocks you, Ms. Heartstrings,” Celestia continued. “But it is clear to us that you and your mother,” she glanced at Cirrus, then back at the blue-green unicorn. “Are partly of that different race.”

The eyes of Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, and Spike lay fixed on Lyra while she remained sitting in her chair in an abnormal way. For Twilight, it was a secret she never thought she'd hear about her most unusual friend. Spike simply observed the way she sat and compared it to his own posture for when he sat the same way. Pinkie Pie, on the other hoof, was not surprised to have heard the same news and kept still in her seat, avoiding being disrespectful to every other pony if she went bouncing around the room, showing everypony how thrilled she was that Lyra was, in fact, half alien.

“Somehow, I always knew,” said Lyra with her head lowered, while kicking the air with her short hind legs back and forth that didn't quite touch the floor. “But how does that help with what I was here for in the first place?” she stated, wondering what her family had to do with anything.

“Well,” Luna spoke up. “I previously thought that the mysterious surge the night before near Ponyville exhibited similar properties as that of the first mysterious surge over a century and a half ago that occurred here in Canterlot. Our current state of harmony proved that to be untrue. We know that each of these events were different and possibly unrelated, especially the one in Canterlot. Let just say that things weren't going so well the first time,” she turned to Celestia.

Princess Luna hinted a time in history that sounded important to ears of Twilight Sparkle, whom wasn't familiar with anything bad that happened around that specific time in any book she read. Since it would have taken too long to explain everything, Luna left no room for questions.

“It was then that I figured, with the help of my sister here, that this event is different. I'm not certain what kind of magic it was or if we'll ever have a chance of knowing if it changes every time it happens, assuming it might sometime in the future.”

“I agree,” Celestia nodded. “I know most ponies believe that our magic is the most powerful in all of Equestria, but in truth, we only posses a small fraction of the whole spectrum and are able to control an even smaller portion. There is so much more to magic that just us ponies. There is such magic that seem to violate the most physical laws of space-time, and we have no idea how or why. So, I must say that, because this is such a difficult task for us handle and I do not want to spend too much time on what could be a futile effort, so our work on this case is too insufficient to continue.”

“What!?” Luna retorted. “We're just gonna give up? But we can still find a way to explain this?”

“How do you suppose we do that, Luna?” Celestia argued, slightly taken back by her little sister's defense.

“We, uh... we-” Luna stammered, then paused to think about her sisters words. However, she didn't want to let such an interesting subject slip through her hooves. “I'm not sure yet, but I can gain more knowledge on what young Lyra knows on these other worldly creatures we mentioned.”

“Humans?” Lyra responded in place of Celestia.

“Yes, them,” Luna smiled at Lyra for being so passionate when she spoke. “I'm sure it won't be a waste of time. Please, sister?”

Princess Celestia took a few moments to think while the rest of the ponies sat quietly, waiting for a reply. It had always occurred to her that, whatever made her sister happy, she was happy. For her to take away that interest in knowledge would be like taking away a toy from a foal that has become so emotionally attached to said toy. The Solar Princess sighed.

“If you wish, sister. I apologize if I was being to direct. I realize it is not my sole choice to cancel this endeavor unless we both agree, nor was it my intention to force you to conform. For that, I am sorry. However, because I must attend to some important duties as Princess of the Day, so I will leave the investigation to you. Fair enough?”

As if it was the most power apology she ever made to anypony, Luna grinned from ear to ear and, without warning, lunged over to embrace her only sibling with a hug.

“Thank you, sister. I forgive you.”

With that, they smiled at each other then finally turned their little ponies. Celestia stood up from her seat on the sofa.

“Now, I must get back to my own work,” she stated. Celestia then put her attention on the oddly seated unicorn. “Ms. Heartstrings, would you care to help my sister by continuing the investigation?”

“I'd love to.”

“Wonderful. You may both collaborate with one another when you are ready. It will be an off-the-record case from now on. With that said, I trust everypony in this room with confidentiality, including you Ms. Pie.” Princess Celestia made sure each pony understood with the way she spoke in a friendly, yet active tone.

Pinkie Pie angled her head back, raising her chin, and raised a hoof to her forehead. “Yes ma’am!”

Celestia giggled, accomplishing the pink pony's mission of making at least one pony smile before the end of the day. Apparently it took a simple gesture of a salute to succeed. Plus one for a smile, and plus one for it being the leader of Equestria.

Princess Celestia began walking toward the front door to leave, but came to a halt and stood before her personal protégé.

“Would you like for me to arrange a formal transport to take you to Ponyville?” she asked.

Twilight looked up at her mentor. The purple unicorn felt tiny compared to the Princess, but didn't let in belittle her too much to give a polite refusal.

“That's alright Princess, but I think I want to stay with Lyra and Luna and help them out to the best of my abilities.”

“I thought you'd might,” Celestia giggled.

“You're not mad at me, are you Princess?” Twilight added.

“For what?”

“Oh, um...” Twilight felt embarrassed for letting Pinkie Pie spy on them and looked away blushing. “Uh, I just thought you were aware that-”

The white alicorn put a hoof to Twilight's shoulder, cutting her off. They looked at each other for a brief moment, then Princess Celestia winked at the concerned purple unicorn. Twilight had a feeling that the Princess knew about it all along, but the simple subtle gesture was her way of saying 'don't worry about it'.

“Very well, little ponies. I will be in the royal castle if I am needed.” Celestia opened the door with her magic, stopped halfway out the door, and turned her head back inside one last time to say one final thing to the resident owners. “And thank you for a most pleasant conversation. I'm glad that we've been able to help you with uncovering the mystery that continues to surround your family.”

“Thank you, Princess,” replied Lyra's father.

Without a moment to soon, Celestia formally nodded, exited the residence, and quickly flew off towards the castle.

Andrew paced around his room in a slow panic. Even though his mind raced and his abnormal breathing overwhelmed him, his horn did not respond to his actions. For the first time, he wanted his horn to glow again and take him somewhere other than his room. More eyes in the house were at risk of being exposed to a non-existent creature that turned out to be their naïve high school friend. He also hoped Dale was doing a decent job of stalling them so he would have more time to escape. The more Andrew thought about it, the more he wished to be normal at that very instant.

Seconds later, the sound of bare footsteps came running up the stairs and disappeared at the the top when met with the carpet. A young figure whizzed past his half open door in a blur and the Doppler shifted sound of loose jeans rubbing against each other with each step made it clear who it was. He heard his little brother cry out for him in the room down the hall. Andrew stopped pacing and stared at his door, waiting for his only sibling to figure out the only place left for him to be and peek in the room.

Alex didn't find the blue unicorn in his bedroom. His next thought was almost obvious. He left his room and cautiously walked down the hallway up to Andrew bedroom door and stuck his head around the corner.

“There you are.” Alex entered and closed the door behind him. “So, what do we do now?”

“I don't know,” Andrew sighed. “I, just, don't, know.”

“Well, there isn't much time to get outta here. Might as well think of some way to ditch this place,” suggested the youngster.

“You have any ideas, smart guy?” Andrew chuckled. The look his little brother's face was ready to rage. Fortunately, Andrew would be keeping his head for now when Alex simply gave him a stink eye and sat down on the bed. Andrew giggled once more, then continued to pace in circles back in a paranoid state.

For less than a half a minute, they remained quiet to allow each other think and to listen to the progress down at the front door. When what felt like an unusually long silence was broken by the start the sudden start of a conversation, time seemed to flow again with relief. Andrew began to think if Dale wasn't capable of keeping the attention of his other two friends from realizing that he was keeping a secret. A very bizarre secret. After listening to the faint voices from the other part of the house for a good twenty seconds or so, maybe his best friend was doing better than expected.

“I got it!” Alex said, bringing Andrew's attention back to their own problems.

“You got what?”

“A way out.”

“And what is it?”

Alex stood up from the bed and suspiciously stepped toward the only shelf of books that Andrew owned, facing the wall.

“I do THIS...”

Right then, Alex swiftly turned around, lunging a hardcover Star Wars novel at the anxious unicorn.

Without a word, Andrew quickly dodged the incoming projectile with ease, barely missing his head. Thankfully, it hit something soft and landed on the floor, suppressing a loud noise that otherwise would have been heard throughout the house. He retracted back to his previous position and gave his brother an unconcerned look. Alex still had arm extended from throwing the book and a fake smile on his face to express his innocent mistake.

“For a moment there, I really thought that you had a brilliant idea,” Andrew jived in an unaffected earnest face.

Alex's head dropped after watching his plan fail and comforting words from a magical creature. A weak attempt at Dale's idea was sure to suck anyway. He sighed and collected himself from his pose.

“Well, I don't know what to tell you other than jumping out the window. Unless you want to do that thing where you-”

“There's not enough time for that,” Andrew interrupted.

“I know, just saying,” Alex shrugged. They went silent for a few seconds.

“So there is nowhere to run, huh?”

“Looks like.” Alex scanned the room for more options. “You could hide, but when your friends find out that you're avoiding them, they'll tear this place apart to find you.”

“I know.”Andrew took a moment to double check the weight of his only decision. “I- uh, I guess you know what that means.”

The youngster let out a sigh, followed by a turn of the head, followed by a nod. Alex didn't think their situation would escalate this high, even after contributing to making a bad impression with the way he acted at first. It scared him the second he laid eyes on a pony his size, standing just outside the glass door in front of Dale. His first thought was that it was a trick and couldn't control his fear by using violence. Now that Alex and his transformed brother were facing an even greater danger, that encounter seemed like child's play. Neither of them had any idea how these other kids would react when they see what happened to Andrew.

“I should be scared,” Alex said. “But I don't know why I'm not. I think it's because I'm more curious than afraid. I mean, I'm sure nobody else has had a person they know turn into a unicorn. To me, it's kinda cool, even though it is very hard to believe.”

“Maybe for you, but I just want to change back, like right now. Seeing how I can't do that, and every time something happens, my life gets worse. I have a feeling that something supernatural is playing with me. I swear, if I find who did this, I- … I… I… I don't know.” Andrew couldn't think of a good way to settle a feud, nor was willing to announce weak threats considering how much of a coward he was towards people who had strength and power over him. “Right now, I am of risk of a few things. I might lose half of the only friends I have, or I might lose my life in two ways. So I have no other choice but to take those chances.”

“What are you gonna do?”

“Nothing. We just wait. You don't have to be here when it goes down.”

“Nah man,” Alex smiled, walking over to Andrew's desk. He sat down in the chair to show his intentions. “I'm ain't going nowhere. You might need me to punch your friends in the face if it goes that far.”

“IF it comes down that,” Andrew stated.

Alex proceeded to violate his brother's privacy by opening up the gray laptop that was asleep on the desk in front of him. The screen start-up menu was not password protected and a short jingle went off when it logged on.

“Hey!” Andrew rebelled.

“Don't worry bro, I'm just peeking. Hey, what's this?”

Peter and Steven broke into laughter.

Dale remained quiet. Of course his friends wouldn't believe him. He expected them to laugh, but was off with his predictions when both of them suddenly stood up to approach him.

“Okay dude,” Peter said, lightly hitting his hand on Dale's shoulder. “You need to work on your jokes, and we'll just join Andrew in his room, sound good?”

At that moment, Dale blocked their path as they started up the stairs.

“What gives? You can't be serious,” Steven reacted. “Tell me you're joking.”

“I wish I was.” Dale swallowed what little saliva he had left in his mouth from nervousness.

“Whether you're telling the truth or not, another reason why we're going up there to make sure you're not full of crap.”

“No.” Dale stood his ground, which was mistake from the start. However, he tried to make his facial expression as lamented and serious as possible. Either he was going at it the wrong way, or it was the perfect order of business to keep his friends busy. Whatever the case, it was a matter time until they went at it the hard way.

“Come on, just be honest with us, what is going on between you two today? Did you two plan this? Did you both forget of purpose that we were gonna hang out today, only to come up with a lame joke? What is so important that you can't tell us what's going on?” Steven handed out his suspicions all at once. Peter crossed his arms in agreement.

“Okay fine, I'll go get him.” Dale started to walk up the stairs, but when he got halfway, he heard the footsteps of both his friends follow him.

“Oh no no no, it's fine, I'll do it myself,” Dale waved his hand and motioned back down a few steps to stand in their way.

“No you won't. We're not that stupid,” Peter refuted. “Look, we're coming whether you like it not. Just don't make us do anything we'll regret.”

Steven and Peter knew it wouldn't be right to go ahead and fight their way through to get someone in their own house, unless they were the cops. This also didn't appear to be anything more than a game, than something that needed law enforcement.

Dale paused for second, then shook his head and whispered, “I can't believe I'm doing this.”

The three teenagers walked the rest of the way up the stairs at an unusually slow pace. Since Dale was the lead and wanted to stall as long as possible, he cleared one step every two seconds. Twelve steps to the top and all that differed between reality and insanity was ten feet and a door.

Andrew's heart raced when his ears were met with the sound of shoes colliding with the squeaky wood of the staircase. If the next minute was to be his last before at the mercy of more company, all he wanted to do was feel calm during that time. He lifted himself off the uncomfortable position on the floor and jumped on his bed next to his duffel bag still filled with all his personal things. He felt strange having to stand on all fours instead of laying on his back as usual. Also, the size of his clothes rubbed ill-fittingly all over his fuzzy greenish coat and tail as they covered most of his body. He turned around to face the closed door to anxiously await the chaos of revealing a great secret to rain down in the place where it all began.

Alex, however, did not move from the chair. He did not turn around, nor did he seem to aware of anything but the chess game he started playing on his brother's laptop. On a side note, Alex almost deleted an unsaved document that caught Andrew by surprise for completely forgetting about his chemistry homework, but realized that he could no longer finish it in his current state, nor was he willing to. He swore under his breath and turned away to forget about it again, pushing it out of his mind for being of very little concern compared to what he was waiting for. Alex thought that if having a unicorn for a brother wasn't a big deal, maybe the same kind of thinking could be applied among other people, if those other people were willing to accept anything.

The sound of footsteps stopped at the top of the stairs for the reason when someone reached the carpet covered hallway that suppressed noise.

At that instant, Andrew's mind went into a mist. His focus became stirred, blinking furiously to ease a discomfort that developed in his large, yellow eyes. A sizzling pain suddenly arose in his head with a soaring ache that was unbearable for a few seconds, then immediately went away as quickly as it came. Andrew felt odd when his hearing began to muffle out ambient noise as if he was going deaf in mere seconds. The strangest sensation of weightlessness followed as his head began to hurt again. With so much pain being thrust upon his body, he couldn't keep his eyes open and squeezed them shut. He heard a voice from in the room, but could not make any sense out of it. He put his hooves to his face to try and cope with the pain. His heart pounded furiously.

Alex found Andrew to be struggling with something mentally. His brother looked like he was in so much agony all of a sudden. It wasn't a good sign.

“Andrew! Hey you alright?” he said.

No response. The distressed unicorn appeared to be having a seizure, but one that did not involve the body to uncontrollably flail. There was nothing he could do to help Andrew out because he had no idea what was wrong.

As Andrew was at the mercy of sudden cranial torture, his horn began to hiss, glowing brighter and brighter. Alex became nervous and stepped back in panic as the blinding light radiated from his brother's horn.

Dale, Peter, and Steven stopped halfway to their friend's room when they heard the voice a young kid from behind the door. Right away, Dale realized that something didn't seem right.

“Is that Andrew's little brother?” Peter asked. “It came from-”

“Andrew's room.” Steven finished the sentence. “I know, I heard it too.”

They stood in silence, waiting for another voice to sound off. Instead, a peculiar stream of white light poured through the bottom of the door. It quickly got brighter than the natural daylight. So bright in fact, they had to squint their eyes. It was almost too bright to have their eyes open.

“What's going on Dale!?” said Steven within in the blanket of while.

“Oh no.”

Dale's heart sank. He immediately sprinted to the door with both his friends followed closely behind, fearing the worst.

Alex could see nothing but white. Even with his eyes tightly shut, the intense light penetrated his eyelids, attacking his pupils. He didn't know where he was in relation to anything else in the room. An extremely high-pitched ring deafened his ears, but not loud enough silence the racket of a doorknob rattling.

*BANG!*

As the bedroom door swung open, an extremely loud thunder roared rattled every wall of the room, including the floor and the ceiling. Vibrations resonated throughout the house as if it was about to collapse. The floor shook in the wake of the burst.

A small pulse threw Alex backward as a direct result of the loud blast. He was lifted into the air a couple of feet and violently slammed into the fragile structure of a bookcase behind him, crashing to the ground face first along with several books hitting him on their way down. The three who were standing at the door also felt a slight shock wave that pushed them backward as well, causing them to loose their balance, knocking them off their feet. Not quite as fierce as that of Alex.

…

Just as everything was engulfed in a heatless fire that lasted several seconds, everything suddenly went still.

No light. No noise. Silence.

Realizing what had just happened, Dale quickly got to his feet and ran inside to find Alex laying lifeless on the ground. The entire situation that plagued every part of the room shocked him. Ignoring the mess, he knelt down next to Alex and carefully flipped the unconscious child over, checking for a pulse. A spot of dark red developed on the left side of Alex's head. He turned his head at his friends, barely collecting themselves off the floor.

“Guys, get over here now!” he shouted. “We have a problem!”

Peter was enormously confused on what exactly occurred to him. A loud voice was calling for him inside the room they were thrown from and when he saw Dale standing over the body of young Alex, he instinctively snapped to his feet and hurried to his side.

“What happened!?” Peter started panicking.

“What does it look like, Alex is dying over here,” he yelled. “But go down to the basement and alert his mother. Ask her where the first aid kit is. Tell her it's urgent, tell her everything if you have to.”

Without any more questions, Peter darted back out the room and out of sight. Steven finally came to, realized what happened and ran to Dale's side without a word. He quickly pulled out his cellphone and dialed for emergency services.

Dale was unprepared with his basic aid to care for Alex as he waited for emergency paramedics to arrive with the right equipment to further assess the extent of the injuries. All they could do was to stop the bleeding of the open wound right above Alex's left ear that may have caused a concussion. When Peter was gone, Dale held Alex's head up with both hands as Steven preformed a rudimentary method of CPR, having only basic training through high school level health class.

Dale almost shed a tear for the small boy. He was more concerned with Alex's life than with what happened to Andrew. He motioned his head around the room and found the bed to be in the only undisturbed state. A frown and overwhelming fear infested his judgment for his next move.

“Steven, can you hold up for a moment?” he asked.

“What?” Steven ceased with pressing down on Alex's chest.

“I need to check something.”

“There is no time for that.” No matter how aware of the situation he was, Steven had no idea what to do and sat still regardless, staring down at Alex's body. However, despite lack of proper training and emotional composure to slow his slight panic, his CPR performance had worked and Alex began breathing again, but still in comatose.

Ignoring Steven, Dale grabbed a pillow that was conveniently right next to him and slid it under Alex's head in place of his hands. He stood up and took a deep breath. Dale stepped toward the window, careful not to touch anything with his crimson painted hands. The very sight of blood trickling down his fingers made him extremely apprehensive. His eyes scanned the area of the backyard, including the surrounding neighborhood yards for anything out of the ordinary. He tried looking for a distinct blue-green figure that he rightly assumed would have ended up in the backyard again.

Nothing.