//------------------------------//
// Whoopsies... pilot part 2 
// Story: Reluctant hero 
// by MidnightFMare 
//------------------------------//

	I stare at the wall "Does anyone else see the flying armored bird pony outside, but is it just me?"

Luna rolls her eyes "That's a royal guard. They tend to patrol the skies around the castle."

I cock my head "Huh, how can they fly with the armor? I can barely figure out how they can fly without it!"

"Magic. Pegasus magic to be precise, they displace the air via their wings. The magic allows them to magnify the displacement, thus allowing them to fly."

I shrug "Makes sense but how can they displace the air without completely removing the air from around their wings and create a vacuum?"

She groans "Stop asking questions... it makes my head hurt..."

"They are valid questions!"

Luna sighs "Go bother my sister... it's time to retire."

"You have a sister?"

"Of course I have a- right... amnesia. Just go out of the door and continue down it and it's the white door with the giant sun on it." She instructs, facedown in her pillow.

I half salute and walk out, taking in the interior decoration "Hmmm... too many day colors... I don't think I like bright ones either... I'll have to see if it's cool if I paint this to fit Luna's coat..."

As I walk through the hallway, several statues glare impassively at me "My, if these aren't statues, someone must have a very large house to pop out this many identical ponies..."

As I ponder the odds of such a thing, I bump into another pony "Oh, sorry about that, lost in thought."

The pony shakes her head "It's fine... I know what that feels like..."

I offer my hoof to her and pull her up "I'm Midnight Mare."

She bows "Lyra Heartstrings."

She shakes her mane, a messy white with a single teal strip down it, golden eyes glittering like... well, gold. And a horn in the center of her forehead.

She blinks and snorts "You look funny."

"I could say the same green horse." I reply, poking her horn "Huh, I guess having a horn means royalty?"

She rolls her eyes "No, but some of the snobs would say so. I'm not royalty, just an anthropologist. An anthro-"

"Is someone who studies ancient humans, their culture, and artifacts. An odd career for an equine but that's your prerogative." I say, walking past her "Have a nice day Ms. Heartstrings."

She gasps and grabs my face "You. Know. About. Humans?"

I pull myself out of her grip and rub my face "Yes, a particularly destructive species if my damaged memory serves. Wars, famines, Justin Bieber, democracy, atomic weapons, the USSR... Okay, I know about humans. Maybe I was an anthropologist?"

She squeals in excitement and starts prancing "Finally! Someone else who knows about humans! I'm not alone!"

I cock my head "Why? If there are anthropologists, there must be humans, yeah?"

She shakes her head "No, I'm the only anthropologist I know of. Everyone else thinks it's old and fake mythology. But there is proof! Very small and far between, but proof nonetheless! I will prove to the world I'm not crazy..."

I shrug "Well maybe the princess knows about humans. I'll go ask her."

"Yeah, maybe- wait, you know the princess?!"

I nod "I crashed through her wall a bit of time ago. She's probably reading so she might not mind."





After opening the tall, dark doors to Luna's room, I look around and find her facedown on her pillow "Princess?"

"Mmmnnph..."

"I didn't know Princess Luna was nocturnal." Lyra says from behind me.

"Princess? Are you awake princess?"

She groans and blinks at me sleepily "What?"

"What do you know about Anthropology?"

She blinks and stares at me for a second "Why are your eyes glowing?"

I blink "They're glowing? Huh, apparently I have glowing eyes. Maybe I have laser vision!" I stare at a vase and imagine beams hitting it but to no avail "Okay, no on the laser vision..."

She sighs "What were you asking about?"

"Anthropology."

She rolls her eyes "Ah, the study of humans. Nasty things, hairless bipedial monkeys but make good, if particularly destructive friends... why do you ask?"

Lyra clears her throat "That would be my fault Princess Luna. I am an anthropologist by hobby and education. I was wondering if it is true that the crown is hiding texts, documents, and artefacts proving the existence of Homo sapiens sapiens."

I snort "So audacious and prideful they called themselves smart twice."

Luna yawns "I know possibly as little as you do. My sister had a fascination with them when we were fillies, possibly from Starswirl's stories."

The space around me glows gold as a small pad and pen float in the air, writing "Interesting. I have scoured the archives several times and I have yet to find a single definite answer to much aside from the fact that most reports about findings are redacted by the crown. I wanted to scream conspiracy but after I successfully reenacted Frankenstallion and created a half-minotaur, half-satyr 'Human .5', I've been blocked at every turn to find anything else on the subject."

Luna stares at Lyra "You what?"

"I had sewn together the upper portion of several un-autopsied minotaurs and a few key parts from a troupe of dead satyrs I happened upon in my search for changelings." Lyra replies

I poke the floating pencil "How is it doing that?"

She stares at me "Levitation magic. Any unicorn can do it."

"'Magic is just science that we don't understand yet.' Arthur C. Clarke. Okay... I know quotes too... I must be a big reader."

Lyra rolls her eyes "Science and magic are the same thing. 'Any significantly advanced technology is indiscernible from magic.' same person. I don't need to understand why it works, thus it is 'Magic' if I understand it, it is 'Science'."

I stare at her, mouth agape "I... you have me there Ms. Heartstrings. I concede the point to you."

She snorts in triumph "Thanks. So, under your supervision, would you allow me to enter the restricted sections of the archives in order to study further?"

Luna yawns "Even if I could, I wouldn't. Not only are several books of malicious creation and purpose housed there, but several protocols must be gone through and by the time they were out of the way, you'd be two meters under the ground."

Lyra deflates "Is there any way around the protocols?"

Luna rubs her chin in thought "Successfully break in and live within it undetected by the magical wards, Twilight Sparkle, my sister and myself. And even then, the books and materials are protected by several complex barrier spells... so no, I'm afraid not."

Lyra shrugs "Thanks for the ideas. I just needed a recording of your voice." she levitates out a small recorder and smiles "Bye~!"

I cock my head, watching her run away "Uhh... I may be wrong, but I think I just made a big mistake..."

Luna groans "I'll get my sister... come with me so you don't attract more cunning ponies."

I salute to her and she sighs "A truly unique experience indeed..."