Previous Chapters
Close
Misunderstandings4,573 words
Plants vs Ponies3,546 words
Know Thy Enemy2,507 words
UnderStand and Assess4,525 words
We Need Anthers!4,441 words
An Apple a Day...2,929 words
When All Else Fails2,610 words
Deception3,080 words
Hoping for the Best4,105 words

Hoping for the Best

SNAP

Lyra flashed her light in the noise's direction. A large branch was shattered as if it was nothing. Whatever caused that was quick, seeing she couldn't catch it with her flashlight. It was official, Lyra was being hunted.

Naturally fear would've consumed Lyra and she would've gone back home. But she had a goal that stood taller than any anxiety. She was going to see the human no matter what lied before her. Whether it be the Everfree Forest or its inhabitants. Besides, retreating back to Ponyville would only lead her straight into that...thing.

With determination, Lyra swallowed what fear was left and marched forward. "I'll...I'll show them. I'll show them all! Humans do exist...."

But there was one problem: she was completely lost. That's what happens when you ask a drunk pony for directions. "It should be around here somewhere," Lyra mumbled. "Maybe I shouldn't have ventured at night. I can barely see a-"

Suddenly, Lyra froze. From directly ahead of her, she heard a deep, menacing growl. She scanned the area with her flashlight. A large figure dashed behind a tree, dodging the beam of light. But the growl only began to grow louder. It was evident that if she continued, she would be killed.

Maybe I could make my way around it, Lyra thought. It seemed like a good idea, so Lyra put the plan into action. Step by step, she crept around the creature, careful to keep the flashlight on the tree. By how it hid, she assumed it feared the light for some reason.

Suddenly, the dirt below her sunk, causing her to tumble off a nearby cliff. A pathetic scream escaped Lyra's mouth as she fell to the bottom. To her relief, it was a small drop. But unfortunately, she landed right on her flashlight.

Crunch!

Darkness now surrounded Lyra as she scrambled to get up. "Where is it? Where is my knapsack!?" Lyra desperately searched the ground with her hooves. She eventually found the bag, but not the contents. She let out a frustrated groan and searched some more.

It was then when she bumped her camera, setting it off. Lyra shrieked as the flash revealed a row of large teeth staring right at her. She nabbed the camera and ran for her life. Though she left most of her supplies behind, she didn't care. Whatever happened, she had to get away from that monster. As expected from running blind in a forest, she slammed straight into a tree. Lyra staggered a bit before collapsing into a bush.

A great deal of time passed before Lyra finally awoke. Her body ached, more so her head, but something else caught her attention. Something that made her forget all about her worries.

"It's the house!" She cheered.

Immediately, Lyra clamped her mouth shut. The mushrooms guarding the house snapped a look in her direction. Luckily, the cover of the bushes hid her well, and they soon lost interest.

Lyra paused and took a deep breath. "Keep it together, Lyra. You've made it this far, so don't slip up."

She prepared to cast a magic spell. It was a wild card and could result in death, but she was willing to risk it. Her horn lit softly, and before anyone could notice, she teleported.

Lyra sealed her eyes tight praying that she hadn't teleported into something. A sigh of relief followed knowing she arrived in one piece. She did it; she made it inside! Immediately, she whipped out her camera and began snapping photos. It seemed like she was in an ordinary living room. But she didn't come all this way for casual furniture. She attempted to navigate through the room. But without her flashlight, all she could do was stumble around in the dark.

Then it hit her. "How can I be so dumb?" Lyra lit her horn and illuminating the room in a bright light. "There! Much bet-"

Lyra choked on her words as she finally grasped her surroundings. Several plants lay motionless on the shelves. They resembled small street lanterns, and, by the looks of it, they were waking up. Turning off her horn, Lyra dived under what she thought was a table. But this only resulted in more noise.

Suddenly, the whole room lit up. The plant lanterns, radiant with light, were now awake. And they didn't look too pleased by being disturbed. By dumb luck, Lyra managed to slip behind some furniture and out of sight. But the plants weren't buying it.

"I know I heard something..."

In her mind, Lyra screamed. But that did nothing to prevent the plants from investigating further. They hopped off their shelf and hunted for the source of the noise. Her heart raced as she tried to piece together a plan. But the only thing that came to mind was "RUN!"

But the flash of a teleport would only alert them more. Lyra may never have another chance to return. So she did the only thing that seemed sensible at the time. She started meowing.

The plants were not impressed. "Marigold, if you wanted a glass of water, say so. You're not fooling anyone with that lame cat act." With that said the plant lanterns returned to their stations and slept.

It worked! Lyra was saved! She made a mental note to celebrate her brilliance later. As for now, Lyra hastily crept away into another room. When she was clear of the plants, she was able to breathe again.

"Human," she said. "Gotta find the human."

Determined, Lyra searched the house in hopes to encounter the human. All the while she tried to be very mindful of her light. She figured since it was midnight, the human must be sleeping in its bed. But yet, upon coming to a bedroom, she found no human. It was then while Lyra was investigating the last room when she stumbled upon something.

"Is this...an equestrian map?" Lyra questioned. While entering the room, she'd stepped on it. Lyra had illuminated her horn to see the large map spread out across the floor. "How did the human get this?"

Lyra shined her horn a little brighter, revealing more of the map. Small metal toys were placed strategically in the center of the map. But one, in particular, caught her eye. Resting on top of Canterlot was a toy shape like a draconequus. Lyra levitated the strange object closer to her face. There was no doubt, this toy was Discord.

As curious as Lyra was, she didn't come here to solve a mystery. She gently returned the toy to its original position and attempted to move on. But that ambition didn't last very long, for she had found something else of interest. Lying on a nearby chair was an open notebook. And by the looks of it, it had been recently used.

Of course, this excited Lyra. What a great opportunity to read some human literature! Though she'd lost her little human translator book, she could still read few of the nouns and verbs. But not soon after picking the notebook up, she wished she'd never touched it.

"Ugh! I really wish I had my translator with me...." Lyra mumbled, burying her face in the pages. She began reading aloud the words she understood. "Tanks...planes...ships...? Aren't these vehicles that humans used for war?"

Lyra pushed the thought aside and continued reading. "Discord...creates...something-something...weapons?"

Lyra was starting to see a theme. It wasn't until she read the next sentence when it hit her.

"Discord...attacks...." Upon reading the next word, Lyra went pale. Her eyes widened in sheer horror as she dropped the book. "Canterlot."

It was all finally making sense. The map, the toys, the vehicles, and the weapons.... It was a massive attack on Canterlot! Lyra picked up the book once again and read, but every word only confirmed her theory further. It wasn't long before she finally felt the gravity of her situation. Chaos, destruction, and death would rain on Equestria like it never had before, and only she knew it.

"But when will this happen?" Lyra asked, flipping through the pages. Suddenly, Lyra gasped. Slowly, she placed a trembling hoof over her mouth. "The attack will take place...this morning."

She shoved the notebook in her bag and turned for the door. "I-I have to warn them. I have to-"

It was then when Lyra heard movement in the room above her. In an instant, everything about the attack on Canterlot was wiped from her memory. Lyra shined her light on the ceiling and saw a string dangling from a trapdoor. A wide smile spread across her face, for only one thought crossed her mind: "Human!"

For a moment, Lyra stood perfectly still. She didn't know to act immediately or wait. That, and it felt as if she was forgetting something. Oh well, whatever it was, it's in the past. Right now, she was bubbling with excitement. The human had to be sleeping in the attic! It made sense!

Lyra took a deep breath, easing her emotions. When she finally composed herself, she reached out and pulled down the trapdoor. After doing so, a ladder unfolded with a long creek. Hoping the noise didn't wake anyone, timidly made her way up the ladder.

The attic was a lot messier than she'd expected. Boxes were scattered everywhere. Ripped up cobwebs dangled from the ceiling. And a thin layer of dust coated the floor. Some of the boxes were torn open, allowing its contents to spill onto the floor. Whoever this human was, it didn't care about tidiness. It was as if a tornado went through here.

At that moment, Lyra spotted it. Lying on a mattress beneath the window, was a human. A tiny squee escaped Lyra's mouth. She could barely restrain herself from leaping out and hugging the creature. "There it is...." She whispered as a tear formed in her eye.

The human seemed to be only resting, considering the lack of sheets and the dirt on his clothes. But the human did seem tired, so Lyra thought it best not to disturb it. But still, Lyra needed a picture, otherwise, how would Bon Bon believe her? So, after preparing her camera, she took a step toward the human. But as soon as her hoof pressed on the floor, it made a loud creak. Lyra swiftly lifted her hoof and check if she'd awakened the human. Still asleep; good. Lyra bit her lip and steadily advanced, braving the noises she made with each step.

Soon Lyra was an arm's length to the human, who was somehow still asleep. It looked so peaceful as it slept. Perhaps it wouldn't mind if she petted it for a bit. It'd only be for a second, and the human probably wouldn't notice anyways. But just when she was but mere inches from the human's face, she heard the sound of shattering glass behind her.

Lyra spun around to see that a glass of water had been dropped. Standing above the shards of glass was a horrified marigold.

"Aaaaaahhhhh!" the marigold shrieked.

Terrified, Lyra slowly looked behind her. The human, who was now fully up and awake, towered over Lyra. It raised a large wooden mallet over its head.

Lyra grinned idiotically as she raised her camera. "Cheese?"

As the camera flashed, the human swung. Lucky for her, the flash caused the human to miss her. But the camera wasn't so fortunate.

Smash!

"My evidence!!" Lyra cried.

Before the human could swing once again, Lyra bolted. It was clear she was no longer welcomed. Lyra leaped over the marigold and down the trapdoor. After recovering from her tumble down the ladder, Lyra rushed to the door. But the human wouldn't give up so easily. It darted down the ladder and pursued its intruder. Lyra was barely able to avoid the thrown globs of butter as she galloped from room to room. As Lyra passed by, the plant lanterns awoke and beamed like security alarms.

Finally, Lyra made it to the front door and swung it open. Immediately, the mushrooms planted outside turned to her, startled. Lyra slammed the door shut as it was bombarded with spores.

"I almost forgot about that," Lyra huffed.

Lyra turned in time to see a wooden mallet almost connect with her face. She let out a yelp and ducked under the flying mallet.

"Rude," Lyra muttered, tossing the mallet aside.

Lyra continued running for what seemed like an eternity. All the while, Lyra charged her teleportation spell. Right before it was complete, Lyra canceled it.

"Wait a sec, I can't leave here without evidence!" she stated. Lyra ran over to a nearby shelf, snatched anything she could carry, and stuffed it into the bag.

At that moment, the human chucked his mallet at her once again. Right before Lyra was hit, she completed her spell and teleported.

"And stay out!" I yelled. What, now these ponies can teleport? This day just keeps getting better. I marched back into the attic, very peeved that I was awakened. Upon reach my destination, I glared at the sunflower.

"You're supposed to keep watch!" I scolded.

The sunflower shook its head and pointed to the marigold. But the marigold only countered by pointing at the shards of glass and spilled water. Who knows what they were saying, and, frankly, I don't care.

I groaned and plopped myself on the mattress. "Great, now I can't sleep."

To think that a single pony could infiltrate so easily. I should probably teleport-proof the house or something. But how to do that was another question. I stared blankly at the ceiling until something occurred to me.

"That pony took something, didn't it? Let's go see what."

I, along with the sunflower and marigold, returned to the place I saw the pony last. I started searching for any missing items, or at least the important ones. It wasn't five minutes before I began to panic. Something wasn't where it was supposed to be. I rushed back to the attic, hoping it might be there instead. It wasn't.

"No, no, NO!" I exclaimed. I began a mad search for the items. I emptied boxes and threw open drawers, but it was nowhere to be found. "Where are the upgrade seed packets!?"

Obviously, the pony had stolen them, but I was unable to accept it. I knocked over my furniture in anger. Suddenly, I felt something tapping at my ankle. I looked down to see the sunflower.

"What?!" I snapped.

The sunflower pointed to a pink seed packet lying face-first on the ground.

My eyes widened. "Yes! The pony didn't take it all! Marigold, is it a gatling pea or a winter melon?"

The marigold lifted up the packet and examined it. Whatever it was, the marigold was excited to give it to me.

I grabbed the packet from her. "Please be a cob cannon...."

I flipped it over and wept. For the plant was a gold magnet.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Lyra sprinted through the Everfree like a lunatic, stopping at nothing. Though she knew not of where she went, she kept going. After constant tripping and branch slapping, she found a familiar path. Taking the direction to Ponyville, Lyra ran even faster. It wasn't until she emerged out from the forest when she finally dropped from exhaustion.

Lyra was now on the ground desperately gasping for air. Never had she ran so fast before...and for so long. Turned over on her back, she began to giggle a little. "I...I did it...." She said between breaths, "I saw...a human! A real life human!!" Her small giggle soon became mad laughter. Yep, she was definitely going to feel it later.

When Lyra finished restoring her lungs, she finished the journey to Ponyville. On arrival, she strolled to her apartment. It was a surprisingly pleasant walk, especially in contrast to the trek in the forest. She could see the sun beginning to rise, yet all Ponyville seemed to be at sleep. It must have been at around six in the morning or so.

Lyra kicked the door of her apartment open and flicked on the lights. "Bon Bon, wake up!!"

Bon Bon threw herself off her bed. Tangled in her sheets, she rose into a fighting position. "You won't take me alive!" She exclaimed, shielding her eyes from the brightness.

Lyra chuckled. "Bon Bon, calm down, it's only me."

Bon Bon blinked several times before identifying her friend. She sighed in relief. "It's only you...."

"Only me," Lyra assured.

A tired yawn escaped Bon Bon's mouth as she sat back down on her bed. "Why in Equestria are you up so late?"

"I went to the Everfree Forest!!"

All the drowsiness seemed to vanish from Bon Bon's face. "You did what!?"

"Didn't I tell you I would? And I had your full permission too, remember?"

"No, I specifically told you not to go!"

Lyra paused. "Oh...that's right."

"Then you remember why too?"

"Because there's no such thing as a human, so there's no reason risking my life," Lyra drawled, rolling her eyes. "But humans do exist! Because I saw one."

Bon Bon groaned and fell back on her bed. "Why do you always do this to me, Lyra? We've been over this many times. I've been a monster hunter for most of my life and never seen anything called or even looked like a human."

"Well this time, I have proof!" Lyra lifted her knapsack and dumped the contents on the bed.

Bon Bon glanced at the items. "How does a bunch of seed packets prove anything?"

It occurred to Lyra that she didn't even check what she picked up. Seven pink seed packets laid spread out on the bed. "I... don't know. Look, you just gotta-"

Cut off by her own gasp, Lyra beheld the human's notebook on the bed. She was consumed by absolute dread as she remembered its grim words.

Bon Bon sat upright. "Lyra?"

"The human...Discord...Canterlot. Oh no. Oh no-no-no-no! How could I've forgotten?"

"Lyra, calm down and tell me what's up!"

Lyra, in all seriousness, stared right into the eyes of her friend. When Bon Bon was thoroughly freaked out, Lyra began, "Bon Bon, listen to me, we don't have much time. The human and its plants are planning to assault Canterlot at this very moment. I don't know how, but it has some kind of alliance with Discord. That's how it's getting the resources to support the attack! They must have all their tanks, planes, and ships by now. If we don't act immediately, millions will be slaughtered!!"

"This is ridiculous...." Bon Bon mumbled. "How did you happen to come across this knowledge."

"Through this book!" Lyra proclaimed, levitating the notebook.

"Can I read it?"

"It's written in human! Of course, you can't read it!"

Bon Bon smirked. "Well isn't that convenient."

Lyra was starting to get frustrated. "This is very serious! Ponies are going to die!! Why don't you believe me?!"

"When it comes to humans, you're not always truthful, Lyra. How am I supposed to know when to trust you?"

Lyra sighed. "Maybe I haven't been honest in the past, and you have every right not to believe me. But now, you're just gonna have to swallow any doubts you got left and have faith in your best friend. Don't do because you believe me, do it because this is important to me! Same as how I'm important to you and vice versa. Have faith in me because we are best friends!"

Bon Bon was silent, trying to spot any hints of weakness in her friend. But Lyra stood confident, determined to convince her. Never before has Lyra felt so strongly about something. "You're...you're right. I'm sorry for not trusting you earlier. Will you-"

Bon Bon was interrupted by the warm embrace of her best friend.

"Thank you," Lyra said.

"Don't mention it," Bon Bon said, returning the hug. "But shouldn't we worry about the human's attack?"

Lyra jumped back. "Oh my gosh! I almost forgot! Quick Bon Bon, we gotta tell Twilight what we know!"

"No good. Princess Twilight went to Canterlot for some kind of meeting," Bon Bon explained. "She also brought her friends along, I'm afraid."

"Darn it! So we’re on our own now. What are we going to do?"

"If the attack is as soon as you say, then trying to prevent it would be impossible. But if we can get a message out to warn Canterlot, they could evacuate before it starts."

At that moment, an idea flew over Lyra's head. "Spike! We can use Spike to send a letter!"

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go to the castle!"

The two raced out the door and toward Twilight's castle. "Let's just hope Twilight didn't bring her dragon with her...."

Within Twilight's castle, Starlight Glimmer was sleeping peacefully. That is until there was a furious knocking on the front door. Starlight angrily turned in her bed.

Maybe whoever is knocking will realize it's 6 AM and no pony should be awake..., Starlight thought.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The banging only continued to grow louder. And the visitors finding the doorbell didn't help either. There was a point where "burying your head in a pillow" no longer worked. With a loud, frustrated groan, Starlight threw off her sheets and rose to her hooves. It was only then when the door stop knocking.

"Oh, now you leave!" Starlight yelled, collapsing back on her bed.

After that big interruption, Starlight was finally drifting back to sleep. But then another strange noise awoke her. That is, a strange voice.

"Hello? Are you awake?"

"AAH!" Starlight screamed, nearly jumping out of her skin. Instinctively, she fired a laser at the intruder.

"Lyra move!" said yet another intruder. She tackled the first to the floor, both narrowly evading the blast.

"Wait, did you say Lyra...?" Starlight said as she stood on top of her bed. "Bon Bon? Lyra? Is that you?"

"Yep!" Lyra replied.

"Sorry for disturbing you," Bon Bon said.

Starlight seemed to be even more confused. "How did you get in here?"

"We teleported in," Lyra answered. "Y'know, your doorbell isn't working."

"Thanks, I'll make note of that in the future," Starlight muttered. She lit one of the candles on the counter with her magic and picked it up. "Now what is it that can't wait until this afternoon?"

"We were kind of looking for Spike. You see, we need to send a letter to Princess Celestia."

"It's urgent, so we'd appreciate the lack of questions," Bon Bon added.

Starlight yawned and nodded. "Whatever you say…. Follow me and I'll take you to him."

Later, the trio found themselves in Spike's room. Without delay, Lyra levitated Spike by the tail.

"Wake up, Spike!!!" Lyra yelled while shaking the dragon relentlessly.

"Snnrk! Whoa! Who's doing that!?" Spike cried, scared out of his wits.

"Please don't shake the baby dragon," Starlight yawned.

"Yes, the baby dragon doesn't like being shaken," Spike agreed.

Lyra dropped Spike on the floor and shoved a paper and quill in his face. "Take a note, Spike! This is an emergency!"

Spike looked at Starlight, waiting for some kind of explanation.

"Do what they ask," Starlight sighed. "It's the only way to have peace and quiet. You can go to bed after."

Spike shrugged. "If you say so…. Just make it quick. I’m missing out on a great dream."

Lyra nodded and cleared her throat. "Dear Princess Celestia, CANTERLOT IS UNDER ATTACK!! The human in the house has recruited Discord and there coming for you right now! Sincerely, Lyra."

Spike was beginning to write it all down but then paused. "Wut."

Bon Bon face-hoofed. "I thought we agreed I was giving the message."

"Well," Lyra said, "you weren't saying anything so I assumed-"

"Hold on," Starlight interrupted. "Did you say 'under attack'? And what did you say about Discord? Can somepony please explain?"

"Please, bear with us for second," Bon Bon pleaded. She turned back to Spike. "Spike, finish the letter and send it."

Spike, too tired to argue, did what he was told. After rolling up the paper, Spike engulfed it in his flames. The script was on its way to Princess Celestia. "Just so you know, when Celestia writes back and scolds you, I had nothing to do with this."

"In the meantime, do you mind fill me in on what's going on?" Starlight said.

Bon Bon had barely begun the story when suddenly, Spike burped out a letter. Surprised, he opened it and read.

It is too late, Lyra. The attack has already begun...

Author's Note:

Well what do you know, this isn’t dead.

5,562 views

571

Previous Chapters

Comments ( 35 )

Viewing 1 - 50 of 35
- Newest First
- Oldest First

msgunner501

msgunner501 #1 · Jun 9th, 2017 · · ·

It lives! Glad to have you back.

Regreme

Regreme #2 · Jun 9th, 2017 · 1 · ·

Good to see you back.^^

TheDisplacerOfEquestrias

TheDisplacerOfEquestrias #3 · Jun 9th, 2017 · · 2 ·

I am waiting for Dr. Edgar George Zomboss himself to come into play.

After all, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”, so it only makes sense for the ponies to team up with Dr. Zomboss himself!

Brandenburg

Brandenburg #4 · Jun 9th, 2017 · · ·

Fuck yeah
Thanks for the chapter

JohnIsOffline

JohnIsOffline #5 · Jun 9th, 2017 · 1 · ·

To think that all of this tragedy started with an alien whos just passing by...

He just want to go home.

josue

josue #6 · Jun 9th, 2017 · · ·

8221678 just for fun

draco the flamewing

draco the flamewing #7 · Jun 10th, 2017 · 5 · ·

the time for ponies being the master race has ended, and the war, the war has now begun.

Vaalintine

Vaalintine #8 · Jun 10th, 2017 · 5 · 2 ·

Technically, the human would be making a counter-attack seeing as how RD decided the first thing to do when seeing somwthing new is "Beat it up". In fact, i'm rather dissapointed that none of the mane 6 have brought up that RD literally did/said just that when they first found the house.

Totally Not Good