//------------------------------// // A week's reprieve: The Survivors part 1 // Story: Equestrian Throwdown // by Hex Mark //------------------------------// Back in her home, Lyra and her human were getting ready for bed, the unicorn placing some bits in a lock-box. The human, on the other hand, was sitting on a chair and looking out the window. It was a clear night, with many stars and a waxing crescent moon. The human simply stared at the moon, slightly tense, but keeping quiet. “...Skylark? Is something wrong?” Lyra asked, trotting over. ”I...” He caught himself quickly, but chose not to look to Lyra as his heart sank a little. “It’s nothing...” ”Please, look at me..” Lyra requested, her words laced with concern, and Skylark felt a very strange sensation. It was new, a little unpleasant...like something twisting in his chest. It bothered him. It frightened him As moments passed, it got more and more intense, and he didn’t like it one bit. The human turned his attention to the unicorn, and the feeling instantly vanished when his eyes met hers. He didn’t know whether it was because he was with a friend, or some outside force, but the wave of relief came instantly. “Come on, tell me...” the sensation returned. “I want to help...” she assured him, but the sensation didn't fade. Relenting, the human sighed softly. “I’m worried...I don’t want to get Erubetie or Caressa killed.” he admitted, the sensation vanishing once more. “You saw it happen, I couldn’t stand up to Rajah on my own, and when I took a chance to flee, and the tiger demolished Taurus. I don't even know what happened to him...” he tensed a little more, the unicorn’s ears drooping. “You did what you could at the time...” her assurance was half effective, but she patted him on the back with a smile. “But hey, you know that for next time, you just have to do your best to protect your new partners.” her tone was uplifted, be it an attempt to uplift her human or herself was unknown to her. “You’re right...You’re right.” he nodded, only to feel her teeth press down on his wrist, the mare lightly tugging him towards the bed. In a few moments, the two were laying on the bed, Lyra pulling the covers over them save for their necks up. She made a point to have Skylark facing her. ”Hey Miles...be honest with me..” the unicorn took a breath, inching a little closer.. “How do you feel about all of this? Not the competition...I mean just being here...living in Equestria?” the mare asked, and the human tried to piece the words together. The feeling that came twice before didn’t come back this time. It was odd...two out of three? “It was strange at first...It feels a bit like Athelina...but so much different at the same time...Ponyville itself feels so peaceful...I’m willing to bet that before Balrog showed up, it was all peaceful.” he resisted the urge to fall asleep for a bit longer. “Meeting you, Twilight, Applejack..Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and everyone else...feels right...” the desire to sleep was starting to overpower him as he spoke between yawns. Lyra could see that, and she couldn’t help but giggle silently, she didn’t press any further as she embraced the human, letting him sink into slumber before she smiled and joined him in the realm of dreams. --- Morning would come quickly, Skylark finding himself being the second to wake up, Lyra having already left the room. He stretched and yawned, climbing out the bed and making it. He took a breath and shut his eyes tight for a moment, managing a smile as they opened once more. Making his way out of the room, the human stopped as his ears picked up a soft tune. It was a soft, comforting melody...one that could only be played on a lyre. The human followed the sound, getting closer until stopping just at the foot of the stairs as he watched Lyra playing her instrument, a small smile on his face. He dared not make a sound, the mare was so focused on her song that it would be a sin to interrupt her. Indeed, the mare was out of touch with the world around her so long as she played the lyre, the melody much like a lullaby for the world around her. Much like the human, the mood of the room was under Lyra's command. The mare slowly opened her eyes as the song ended, looking to see that Skylark had been listening. Her eyes shimmered with excitement as she beamed. "How lo-" her question was as natural as can be. "Long enough to become enthralled by it." his response was automatic, as natural as his summoner's question. Knock! Knock! Knock! The two turned their attention to Lyra's front door, and the human offered a smile, a silent 'I'll get it.' since he was closer to the door. The moment he opened the door, however, he got a face-full of pink slime as Erubetie jumped for a hug. "HIYA!" the slime pony greeted Skylark, changing her shape to get herself off his face with a smile. "Erubetie! Behave yourself!" Emerald Warbler ordered the slime, who slipped off the human. "Huh? Emerald, what brings you here?" Lyra asked, brushing past Skylark to greet a fellow summoner. "I figured, since you, Iridescent Charmer, and myself are all in this together, we could gather up and get to know each-other more. Our monsters would certainly benefit from learning to cooperate, don't you agree?" the emerald green unicorn questioned her. "They worked together perfectly last round, how hard can that be?" "That was a matter of circumstance, your monster was desperate and worked with the snake. I still don't know what mine gained from sneaking into your monster's body, nor do I know why she felt the need to kiss him." she glanced over at Erubetie, who's pink face turned a darker shade of pink, Skylark's face turning as red as an apple, with quite possibly the greatest 'What the hell' face Equestria would ever see. Lyra, on the other hoof, had to restrain her frustration with Emerald's use of the word 'monster'. "He's a human." She corrected her. "What's the difference? You summoned it from another world to participate, right?" Skylark tensed a bit at these words, putting a hand to his head as memories flashed. For a brief instant...he was back in Athelina...slumped up against a tree desperate to catch his breath. However, this brief reprieve was followed by a swift punch to the face. "Why are you doing this?! Neither of us have attacked anyone in the village! You know it...I know it...even The Village knows it!" he barked, one eye closed, some blood running down his face. The one he was speaking to was clad in a makeshift armor, gloves stained with blood dripping from steel-stud knuckles. "A monster is a monster...If it hasn't attacked a human, it is only waiting for a chance." The words made Skylark's chest burn inside. "You're just as blood thirsty as the rest of them...you and your sister..." the man's voice filled with venom. "Shut up...Fergus..." Skylark nearly growled, forgetting he was within earshot as Emerald Warbler took offense to the random comment. "What was that?!" Emerald snapped, glaring at the human, who blinked in surprise. "What? Oh..not you...My apologies." he sighed as the green mare disregarded him once more, looking at Lyra while Erubetie sighed silently. Although his summoner smiled, he could sense the disdain she had for Emerald. "Milady, if I may speak..." he earned himself a strange smile from the unicorn. "You don't need to ask, you know." Lyra's smile never left, but the human could see the smug satisfaction in her eyes as she defied Emerald's opinions. "Right...well...I think it would be for the best. After all; even though Erubetie slipped into my body and we worked together against Rajah, I know almost nothing about her. Same with Caressa; other than she is a pacifist." "There you are, Emerald, Lyra!" an enthusiastic white-coated mare with a three-toned mane called, galloping over to the scene. Slithering behind her was Caressa, who seemed reluctant, but relaxed at the sight of Erubetie and the human. Lyra and Skylark could only assume it was Iridescent Charmer, so they didn't bother to ask. "Well, speak of Celena." Skylark chuckled a bit, looking over to the naga-pony. "Do you both live in Ponyville aswell?" he asked, and despite the daggers glared at him by Emerald, he faced Iridescent with a gentle smile. "Yeah. It's a shame that there weren't more Ponyville participants. It'd be nice to have others to talk about it with." I doubt that. the human thought before rubbing his neck as Caressa tried to coil her tail around Erubetie's right foreleg, only for the slime pony to slip out of her grasp, Caressa settling for grabbing his wrist instead. "So..." Lyra started off with an awkward tone, rubbing her leg as she looked towards the other summoners. "...wanna go get breakfast?" (tbc)