Just Dropping in By PhucknuckL
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"Well, I'm glad that day's over," Lero announced to his reflection as he finished toweling his hair off and hung the towel on the rack. He checked himself over in the mirror. "Time to grab a drink, flop on the couch and read a book for a while." Lero was struck with how much his body had changed over the recent months. Gone was most of the padding that his formerly sedentary lifestyle had provided him. Only to be replaced with a healthy amount of muscle growth.
All this manual labor is really paying off. He lifted both arms into a bicep flex. Lookin' pretty good there Lero my boy. If only the guys from the chess club could see me now. Lero dropped his arms and tensed his chest. I s'pose having to satisfy three different girls at any one time has had nothing to do with it? His brain may have initially objected to the idea of polygamy on moral grounds, but something a little further south extremely enjoyed the ego boost that came with.
Feeling rather pleased with the ruggedly buff rapscallion grinning back at him, Lero gave the mirror a twin finger gun salute with an accompanying wink and clucked tongue. He slipped into his comfiest sweatpants and T-shirt and headed down stairs. He swung into the kitchen and gave the newest member of his herd, Lyra Heartstrings, a peck on head at the base of her horn. Lyra paused as she stood on her hind legs washing dishes. A noticeable tremor started at the base of Lyra's tail and chased Lero's right hand. A hand that was currently in the process of dragging it's fingernails up her long sinuous back, it ended its journey by slightly tweaking her ear.
"Try as he might, Spike will never get that apron to look as sexy as you can," Lero purred into her opposite ear. Lyra's shoulders shuddered and she turned her head to kiss the lips of her stallion, only to find them missing. The accompanying head buried in the icebox. "I'm sure I had some left... Rainbow if you've drunk them all again I swear to Luna I'm gonna spank your ahh, one left. " Lero dragged a frosty bottle of cider from the box and lifted it to his lips. "Hello beautiful." Lyra mock scowled as Lero kissed the muzzle of the embossed Applejack on label.
"That's my kiss she's getting," Lyra pouted.
"Don't worry my love," Lero chuckled. "I'm sure I've got some more to spare." Lero waggled his eyebrows at her. "Join me in the library when you're done and I'll show you how many I've got, with the rest of the girls out of town, I'm all yours." Lero winked at her and disappeared out into the main room of the Golden Oaks library, he could be heard flopping down on the sofa and twisting the top of the bottle.
Lyra let out an exasperated sigh and returned to the dishes. He's lucky he's cute. With the thought of alone time with Lero, and a few titillating ideas on the best way to utilize that time, Lyra renewed her chore with vigor.
Just as she was finishing up, she was greeted to an odd site from out the window. A grey earth pony mare was trotting towards the library with purpose, she had the case of a cello slung across her back and a small brown paper bag clutched in her mouth. Lyra felt her eye twitch. Of all the times, she picks now for an impromptu practice session. Lyra magically lifted the apron over her head and hung it on the hook. With masked irritation, she trotted out of the kitchen and towards the front door. I finally have him alone, I finally have the chance to find out if he'd be willing to-
~Knock knock knock.
Lyra adopted trademarked enigmatic smile number four™ and opened the door.
"Hello Octavia, how are you this fine day? After a book?" Lyra added a little hastily, hoping this was going to be a quick visit. The grey earth pony lifted an eyebrow and crossed her eyes, using them to point at the bag hanging beneath her muzzle. Lyra's horn glowed as a matching golden aura surrounded the bag and freed it from her mouth.
Octavia Melody ran her tongue across her lips in an effort to replace the lost moisture. "Good afternoon Lyra, please accept my gratitude, and no, I will not be requiring a book at this time." Octavia's usual stoic demeanor cracked a little as she continued. "I was rudely accosted by that... that Pinkie Pie mare on my way through town. She shoved that bag in my mouth and told me I was to proceed here with all haste. Upon arrival I was to pass that to you, for you in turn to present to Master Lero. Although, how she knew it would be you that answered the door is beyond me." Lyra opened the bag and looked inside with a frown. "He's not to consume it, merely retain it. It's purpose will become apparent when the time is right." Lyra waited for clarification but none was forthcoming. "That was all she said. Not... Precisely the way she delivered it of course. I am merely paraphrasing. ” Octavia tapped a hoof on her chin. “Although... she did look off towards nowhere in particular, clutch her tail and mutter something about ‘twitching’ to herself before scampering off. She didn't even allow me the opportunity to refuse."
Lyra gave the slightly disconcerted mare a knowing smile. But then again, she always did. "Thank you for going to all the trouble of bringing it here Octavia. I have always found it sound advice not to ignore anything twitching on Pinkie Pie." Lyra closed the bag and motioned inside. "Can I offer you a cup of tea? It's the least we could do for your troubles," Lyra cheerfully yet reluctantly offered.
"I thank you for the offer, however I must decline, for I have a prior engagement that I mus-" Lyra felt a slight tingle at the base of her horn as Octavia cut herself off mid speech. She looked up to see the instrument laden mare's face twist into a slight frown.
"You felt it too didn't you?" Lyra knew the answer before she asked.
"Hopefully this shan't take long," Octavia sighed as she stepped into the foyer.
"I'll get my harp," Lyra's sigh was a little more pronounced as she realized what it was costing her.
"Hey Lyra who was at the d- Oh, hello Miss Melody, what brings you- oof," Lero lurched forward, spilling some of his cider as the brown paper bag sailed unnoticed through the air and landed on his stomach.
"This is for you," Lyra muttered as she threw the bag at him.
Lero picked up the bag and studied it. He could tell a bag from Sugar Cube Corner when he saw one as he unfolded the top and peered in. "What's this for? Not that I'm ungrateful Miss Melody, but why would you come all this way to bring me a... Urr, what's wrong with you two?" Lero looked quizzically between the two mares staring at him. Both had their eyes half closed and were gently swaying side to side. Lero reached forward and waved his hand in Lyra's face. "Lyra, hello Lyra?" No response. He clicked his fingers "Anybody home?"
"Don't eat it!" Lyra barked out as she suddenly jerked forward.
"I aah, wasn't going to just yet. Why, what's wrong with it?" Lero cautiously withdrew his hand and sat back on the sofa.
"Nothing at all," Octavia offered. "It's not yours though."
"Okay, now I'm confused. You bring me a gift of free food but it's not mine and I can’t eat it? Why, who's it for?" Lero looked from the bag to Octavia.
"That as yet we do not know. That what we do know is this, The gift is not intended to grant you joy through consumption, however by offering it to another, you shall find a higher joy in their enjoyment," Lyra added cryptically.
"Oh~kaaay, that was out there, even for you." Lyra playfully stuck her tongue out at him. "And I'm pretty sure you were supposed to prefix that with, Grasshoppaaaah," Lero emphasized the long soft vowel from the back of his throat.
Octavia and Lyra exchanged glances and raised an eyebrow each. "It's a human thing," was all Lyra could offer.
"Yes, well, quite," Octavia returned. "Shall we begin? I don't know how much longer I can hold off."
"Begin what?" Lero inquired.
"Sure thing, let me grab my clàrsach and I'll be right back." Lyra ducked down the stairs to the basement to retrieve her beloved instrument, leaving Octavia alone with Lero. Octavia shrugged off the case of her cello and began setting up. The whole time swaying to a rhythm that Lero couldn't hear.
"It's a music of harmony thing isn't it?" Lero laid back and crossed his arms across his chest.
"Does it have anything to do with this?" Lero hooked the thumb of his empty hand towards the bag.
"I honestly don't know, it may well indeed. But as of this moment I'm not privy to that information. I only know that Lyra and I are compelled at this very moment, by forces unseen, to play right here, right now, in this very room." Octavia raised herself up on her back legs and took her place behind her cello. Drawing her bow across the strings to punctuate her sentence.
"Okay, let me get this straight?" Lero pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. "The music of harmony wants both Lyra and yourself to play a duet for me. I'm just to sit here with a present for me from Sugar Cube Corner, which is not actually for me, but I’m just to hold it for somepony else, but we don't know who that is yet?" Lero released his grip and opened his eyes, looking to Octavia for validation.
"Correct," she replied as she dragged the bow across the strings a few more times while gently twiddling with the tuning pegs.
"Okay just checking." Lero sighed and took another sip of his cider.
Lyra reappeared from the stairwell to the basement, trailing her harp in her magic behind her. A chair, encased in the same golden glow, floated in from the dining room and settled itself beside Octavia. Lyra plonked herself down, sitting human style and without preamble, closed her eyes and began plucking strings with both hooves and magic. Octavia, also with eyes closed accompanying her.
Lero took a generous pull from his cider but couldn't swallow, a sense of nostalgia mixing with surprise flashed across his brain... Hey, I know this song, Lero was suddenly struck with a vision in his mind's eye of a young, naked, blonde, human woman. A woman who had no right being naked in the scenario in which she was featured. It wasn't sexual, it was just... Lero found he lacked the understanding and capacity to describe why she was naked. His mind was wrenched from the vision as he swallowed what felt like a solidified and sharp edged lump of cider, helped down with a few fist bumps to the chest. He coughed once and laid back to just enjoy the music being provided by the two beautiful mares in front of him. Slowly his eyes began to close.
"Pretty cool huh?" Came a cheerful voice from right behind his head.
"Aargh! Pinkie what are you doing here!?" Lero sat bolt upright, clutching his chest and spinning to face the intruder.
-No Pinkie Pie.-
Maybe I just imagined it. Lero relaxed a little and turned back to the musicians.
Pinkie Pie inexplicably stepped out of nowhere from behind Octavia. The pink mare carefully picked up the grey mare while she continued to play and moved her about half a body length to the left. Octavia didn't seem to react at all, she didn't even miss a beat.
"Pinkie what are you do-" Pinkie cast him a stink eye, silencing him. She made a swiping motion across her face. It happened so fleetingly that Lero wasn’t 100 percent sure, but later he would swear, he saw the flash of what appeared to be a metal zip close across Pinkie’s muzzle. Lero shook his head in order to clear the vision. Pinkie silently moved behind Lyra, who also appeared to make no reaction as Pinkie dragged her chair backwards a few feet. Lero just stared as Pinkie Pie silently moved to stand in the middle of the room between Lero and the two other seemingly oblivious mares. She spun around slowly on her axis, sniffing at the ground like a dog looking for a place to lay down, various parts of her anatomy jiggling and shuddering. Her mane appeared to move on it's own accord. Her front cow-lick bending back on itself and rummaging around in the rest. It withdrew a piece of white chalk and drew a large X on the floor. It flicked the piece into the air as she stepped forward and caught it in her mane, the rest of the billowing pink curls swallowing it again without a trace. Lero just sat there perplexed as she sat back on her haunches and held up her forehooves. She appeared to be framing an unseen picture, staring at an arbitrary spot high on the wall. Lero turned to follow her line of sight to see what it could be that entranced her so. Nothing at all seemed to stand out. Lyra and Octavia continued to play as a shaky Lero turned back to ask Pinkie what was going on.
Pinkie Pie was gone.
Lero lifted his hand to his face to take another swig of his cider, a very big swig of cider. An empty hand met his face."Dammit Pinkie Pie! That was my last one." Lyra cracked open an eye at him. She found her Stallion with his head buried in his hands muttering something about: Physics, chalk, zippers, and hair just can't do that. She softly closed the eye and continued to play.
The music of harmony giving her no other option.
Lero may not be directly affected by the music of harmony but he can certainly appreciate the soothing effect of two of the most beautiful sounding instruments ever created. Especially when those same instruments are being played in ensemble by two of the most gifted musicians ever to walk on four legs. His mind was calming faster than it usually did after dealing with Pinkie. Lero relaxed his posture, linked his fingers together, rested them on his stomach, and laid back. It's just Pinkie being Pinkie, he thought to himself. She has a special deal with the laws of physics. They turn a blind eye in exchange for a few cupcakes offered up in sacrifice now and again. Lero's mind was clear and his heart rate lowering and he felt truly peaceful.
That's when she arrived.
Not through the door, mind you, because that's not how she did things, but straight through the wall. In precisely that same spot that Pinkie pie was framing earlier. She tumbled end over end, flinging parchments and letters in every direction. Lero curled himself into a protective fetal position, covering his head with his arms, as his once soothed ears were assaulted with a cacophony of smashing and crashing. when the noise stopped all that could be heard was the dulcet tones of a cello and and the accompanying harp.
Lero unfolded himself and stared incredulously at Lyra and Octavia. They hadn’t seemed to have reacted at all. They still had their eyes closed, they were still playing their instruments, still continuing the same song, as if nothing had happened.
"My bad," a familiarly apologetic voice floated up from the floor.
Lero cast his eyes at the figure sprawled on the floor, perfectly obscuring the chalk 'X' Pinkie had drawn. He was greeted with the sight of a blond tail resting between two grey pegasus butt-cheeks adorned with seven white bubbles apiece. The front end turned to face him, golden eyes simultaneously looking at him, and the somewhat large hole she had just created.
"I umm, I have a Letter for Twilight Sparkle," The mail-mare pulled the one remaining letter from her satchel with a wing and passed it to Lero.
Lero sighed for the umpteenth time since leaving the shower. "I guess I know who this is for now." He picked up the bag and upended it's contents onto his other hand. He held the delightful smelling banana and walnut muffin for his new guest to take a bite.
Derpy Hooves lifted herself from the floor, using her wings to brush dust and wood chips from her coat with a well practiced air, she closed the distance to Lero and, with a large smile, took the proffered pastry from his hand. "Thank you very much Mister Lero, I just love making deliveries to this place." her wandering eyes closed in bliss as she mumbled her appreciation around the half masticated treat in her mouth.
Lero turned his head and examined the fresh destruction to the library wall. "And we just love having you drop in."