A Strange New Land

I read some of Lyra's books for a while before I heard a mare call her. I looked around frantically for a place to hide and looked up at the open rafters that ran across the low ceiling. I sighed, I cannot believe I'm about to do this. I jumped up grabbed the raters and yanked my legs up wrapping them around the rafters I was hanging on. Just as I did so the door began to open.

A mare with a cream colored coat walked up to Lyra's bed. I strained my neck to turn my head and watch.

"Oh Lyra did you stay up reading all night again?" The mare sighed and began putting the books away. One of the rafters I was hanging on creaked and the mare looked up. I smiled sheepishly at her then my hands slipped and I fell to the floor. The mare just watched me as I sat up and rubbed my head.

"Ow..." I groaned rubbing my head,"Hi, I'm Arvac.

The mare wobbled and fainted.

"Well... that went better than I expected."

I picked up the mare and brought her downstairs. I laid her on the couch and covered her with a blanket. I started going upstairs when I heard a knock on the front door. What now..? I sprinted up the stairs and shook Lyra awake.

"Lyra someone's at the door," I said to her.

She shook herself awake then the pony outside knocked again. Lyra jumped out of bed and looked at me, "Wait here."

I nodded and watched as she walked downstairs. I noticed that she had a nice flank and smiled to myself. I walked downstairs and stood on the last stair so I could hear what was said yet not be seen.

"Hello? Oh Zecora!" I heard Lyra say.

"Hello Lyra, how are you today? I am looking for someone who ran away," I heard Zecora say.

"Really? What did they look like?"

"He is a human, a man. Much like the books you read, can you help me with this need?"

I heard Lyra's hoofs stepping nervously on the floor, "A human really? Wow thats amazing, but I'm afraid I'm busy with... uh... practicing my lyre!"

"Ok I understand, I will take you to meet him if the princess allows him to stay under her command."

I put my hand on my head as I feel a headache starting. Ok to much rhyming, I think. I started walking back upstairs and sat on Lyra's little bed. After several minutes the mare walked back up.

"They're looking for me aren't they?" I asked the mint colored mare.

"Who?" Lyra asked me.

"Zecora and that white stallion."

Lyra nodded, "Oh, yes they are."

"I need to leave then, do you have any food I can eat before I leave?" I said as I stood up.

"Wait your leaving already!?" Lyra exclaimed shocked, "But why!?"

"Because I need to get back to my tribe in the zebra lands, your books may have shed some light on what I really am, but I am still a zebra at heart," I said.

Lyra looked at me for a minute, "C-can I come with you?"

I looked at her confused, "What? You want to come? What about here? This is your home."

"Its always been my dream to see a human, now that I have I don't want to let you go that easy," She said to me, "Please let me come."

I sighed, "Fine, I cannot tell you what to do, it is your choice." I put a hand on my head, then heard my stomach growling. "So... about that food..."

"Oh right!" Lyra said to me, "I'll go get you some."

"Thank you," I said sitting back down.

Lyra walked downstairs and returned with the cream colored mare I had seen earlier and a daisy sandwhich floating in her magic.

The cream colored one looked at me then said, "H-hello..." I barely heard it because she was so quiet. Her ears were flat against her head, and her tail was between her legs.

"Hello, I think we got off on the wrong hoof earlier. My name is Arvac," I said to her.

"M-my name is B-BonBon..." She stuttered obviously terrified.

"Why are you being so scared and shy?" Lyra asked BonBon as she floated the sandwich to me.

BonBon shrugged and staid silent. I took the sandwich and took a bite. It wasn't as good as the soups my mother would make, but it was ok.

We sat there in awkward silence before Lyra said, "I'm leaving with him today."

BonBon looked at Lyra in shock, "What!?"

Lyra nodded.

"It was her decision, not mine," I say choosing not to take responsibility for her actions. I watched as BonBon wobbled then fainted again.

"Well... at least we spoke this time," I said looking at Lyra.

Lyra looked at BonBon then sighed, "I'll leave her a note explaining everything," Then she left.

I finished eating the sandwich and stood up. I looked around the room then out the window. What I saw was a town full of techni colored ponies like Lyra walking around. I watched for a minute before a rainbow streak zoomed pass me. I jumped at the suddenness reaching to my back for a spear that was no longer there. I put my hand down and just before I turned away from the window a cyan mare with a rainbow mane flew up to the window and stared at me. After a minute she spoke something that I didn't hear through the window.

I opened the window, "what?"

"What the hay are you?" She said to me.

"A ze- I mean human..." I say unused to the foreign word.

"A HUMAN!? SO LYRA'S NOT CRAZY!?" The pegasus yelled loudly getting almost half a dozen ponies to look up at me.

I looked around, well thats not good...