Chapter 10: Chris & Lyra
Chapter 10: Chris and Lyra
“This just isn’t right,” Keon grumbled as he stared at the plastic bag, barren of any substance apart from a few stray seeds.
Sighing in mild frustration, he stuffed the bag back into his backpack. If someone had told him a few days ago that he’d be dropping his favorite hobby, he’d have laughed in their face. The sudden sound of someone knocking on his door roused him from those musings.
“Hang on, I’m coming,” Keon said, making his way over to the door.
Opening it up, he was greeted by Spike, who was cradling five large books in one arm while balancing a tray of cupcakes in the other.
“Spike, why are you… Oh yeah, the birds and the bees and all that,” Keon said while stepping aside to let the small dragon in. “What’s with the books anyway?” he added just as Spike dropped the books to the ground, fatigue clear on his face.
“You’re the one that asked for these remember?” Spike grumbled irritably. “Books on local wildlife and floral.”
“That’s right, I did. Funny, I thought I asked Twilight if she could get her hands…er hooves on them for me. I didn’t expect you’d bring them, and right after I asked for them too,” Keon said while bending down to pick up the books.
“Well, I am Twilight’s number one assistant after all,” Spike stated with pride.
“Uh-huh,” Keon responded absentmindedly, as he flipped through a few pages of one of the books he’d picked up. “But I don’t remember asking for anyone to bring cupcakes,” he added.
“The cupcakes were Pinkie’s idea,” Spike said while placing the tray of pastries on a table. “She said something about not having given you your first 'welcome to Equestria' cupcake.”
“That’s thoughtful,” Keon responded with an amused expression on his face. “Well, have a seat if you want. We’ve only got thirty minutes before that tailor pony comes a-knocking.”
“Alright,” Spike said, as he sat in an empty chair next to Keon’s bed.
Keon placed the books down on a nearby table and walked over towards the bed and sat directly in front of Spike.
Spike fidgeted in his seat nervously, as Keon stared at him from his spot on the bed in quiet thought.
“So, Spike,” Keon started, causing the little dragon to jump in surprise. “We haven’t got all day, so let’s cut to the chase… What did you think?” Keon asked bluntly with a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Huh?” Spike replied dumbly, clearly confused with the question. “What did I think about what?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, you know what I mean,” Keon said teasingly.
“Oh, you mean about that video?” Spike replied, sounding unsure of himself. “It was well…uh I don’t…It made me feel funny, okay. Not the laughing kind of funny, some other kind of funny… If that makes any sense,” Spike said before looking away in embarrassment.
“Makes sense to me,” Keon said with a knowing smirk, as he leaned towards Spike. “So, I’m guessing you’re like seven or eight right?”
“Fourteen,” Spike answered with a frown. “Why does everypony think I’m so young?”
“Could be the height,” Keon said with a shrug. “Well, never mind that. Truth is, I had planed to give you a sugar-coated run down of everything for Twilight’s sake, but since you’ve been around for fourteen whole years, I say to hell with it.”
Leaning back in his chair Keon stared at the ceiling in deep contemplation of how he should go about explaining the whole thing. “Alright, Spike, let’s start things off small shall we?”
“Okay then,” Spike said, still fidgeting a bit in his chair.
“Have you ever had a crush on someone before?” Keon asked his student of sorts. “You know like, liked them as more than just a friend?”
Spike’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree at hearing the question.
Keon smirked “I know that look. So, let’s hear about this dragoness you’ve got the hots for.”
“Actually, she’s not a dragon,” Spike said with a deep blush tinting his scales. “She’s a pony.”
Keon raised an eyebrow. ‘A pony, how the hell does that work? What’s his plan for when he gets to be the size of a house, with a schlong bigger than the whole pony?’ he pondered before shrugging the thoughts aside. He decided that if griffins and ponies were okay with knocking booties, then who was to say ponies weren’t fair game for dragons? ‘Hell, that donkey in Shrek had a dragon wife,’ Keon mused, figuring this world was no less ridiculous than that of Shrek’s.
He pressed on. “So…this pony then, tell me about her.”
Spike looked eager. “Well, she has the most beautiful mane and tail I’ve ever seen, and her white coat practically shines in the sunlight. Her blue eyes are prettier than any gem you could ever hope to find.”
“You could’ve just said she was hot, and I would have gotten the point,” Keon said with a shrewd grin. He could damn near see the hearts in Spike's eyes. “Interesting,” he said in a thoughtful tone. “I wagered you’d be similar to reptiles from my world, like crocodiles, but physical attraction isn’t a prerequisite for them when it comes to getting naughty, just the right time of season and who bellows the loudest. Your behavior is more humanlike than anything else.”
“…And what exactly does that mean?” Spike asked curiously.
“It means that I can talk to you like you’re one of my own,” Keon explained. “Now, using this pony as an example, has there ever been a time when you thought about her in a way that you’d be embarrassed to tell someone else?”
“Uh…maybe once or twice,” Spike admitted, lowering his head in shame. “But nothing like what I saw in that video,” He added hastily. “You won’t tell anypony, will you?” Spike asked with a twinge of fear in his voice.
Keon shook his head. “Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me. Besides, your thoughts and feelings are perfectly normal for someone of your age. But I do wonder if you’re even physically ready. I’m told you dragons are pretty long lived and grow accordingly.”
“Well, yeah, we do grow pretty slowly,” Spike confirmed. “My wings probably won’t grow in until I reach about twenty-five.”
“Just a guess, but that’s when I assume you’d reach sexual maturity,” Keon reasoned. “And then you’d be ready.”
“Ready for what?” Spike asked, looking up from the ground and back at Keon.
Keon grinned like an idiot. “For a little bump and grind, like you saw in that video.”
“Whoa, really?” Spike said, already blushing as he recalled the scenes in vivid detail.
“But don’t get it mixed up,” Keon warned Spike. “Being physically ready to reproduce isn’t the same as being mentally ready for it. So, I wouldn’t recommend trying to spread your seed just because you could.”
Spike looked confused. “So, you’re saying you can be ready, but not ready? I don’t get it.”
Keon sighed. “What I mean is, physical maturity usually comes before mental maturity. If someone isn’t mature enough to take on the responsibility of raising a child, then they should think twice before having sex. Because there’s always that chance.”
Spike nodded. “Sex… so that’s what you call it, and that’s how babies are made then?” Spike said with a little more excitement than he meant to. “But why was the male being so mean to his mate?”
“Mean?” Keon repeated the word.
“Well, yeah, he kept slapping her on the flank and saying mean stuff like, 'take this you dirty bitch.' Shouldn’t you love the one you want to make a baby with?” Spike asked curiously.
Keon simply stared at the dragon with his mouth wide open before erupting into laughter. ‘My god, this is too much, you don’t even understand dirty talk. Just how soft is this world anyway? I’m not even a bad guy, and I feel like a drop of ink that just landed on a white sheet of paper.’
Spike watched Keon howl in laughter for a moment before asking, “What’s so funny? Is that just how humans behave when they make babies or something?”
Keon stopped laughing and wiped a tear away from his eye. “I guess I should have explained this earlier. First off, you have to understand that, that video isn’t documenting mating practices, it’s just a form of adult entertainment. Those people were banging for a paycheck, not in the hopes of having a kid.”
Spike’s eyes widened. “You mean those humans were just doing that for the sake of it?”
“Like I said , they get paid, so yes and no,” Keon said with a shrug. “In truth, some people do it because they love each other, yah know, all that mushy stuff, and want to have children. Here in candy land I’m sure that’s the category the majority of you fall under. Others…well, they’ll do it just because it feels good, or maybe they got too drunk to think straight, then there’s the whole getting paid deal, be it through legal methods and illegal.”
Spike was quiet as he fiddled with his fingers. “Have…you ever…you know?” he stammered out.
“What, had sex?” Keon finished for Spike. “Nope, I’ve had pretty shitty luck when it comes to girls. Why do you think I have those videos in the first place?”
“I don’t know, why do you have them?” Spike returned.
Keon smirked. “To help me get off, you ever try choking the chicken without a visual stimulant? Not nearly as fun.”
“Why would that video help you choke a chicken?” Spike asked, clearly confused by the figure of speech.
“Come on, you know, flogging the mule, beating the bishop, polish the knob, butter the corn, beating your meat!” Spike only looked more confused. “Damn, you’re fourteen and you haven’t touched yourself yet? Shit, I was eleven when I learned about drygasms.”
“Don’t you think you’ve gone far enough, Darling?” a squeaky feminine voice interrupted Keon.
Keon and Spike looked up towards where the voice had come from, only to be greeted by a strangely dressed pink pony standing at the doorway.
The fact that she was even dressed was weird in itself. She was wearing black and white striped leggings on her hind legs, with a red miniature skirt. A large pink bow held together a small red cape on her back. Her dark pink mane was done in two stylized pigtails, with a red king’s crown sitting atop her head. Finally her eyes were caked in an unnecessary amount of eyeliner.
“And just who are you?” Keon demanded bluntly, not particularly happy with being interrupted. “And how long have you been standing there.”
“Kekeke,” the pony chortled, as she trotted into the room. “My, my, the princess warned me that you could be a bit abrasive,” she said, as she came to a stop in front of Keon and scrutinized him with a calculative eye. “So, you’re the human. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Darling. I’m Tailor Made,” she finished with an outstretched hoof.
“No way! You’re the Tailor Made? You’re like a pop-star around Canterlot. Wait until I tell Rarity I was in the same room as you, she’ll freak,” Spike enthused.
Keon looked at Spike before he took Tailor’s hoof in his hand and shook it. “Yeah, a real pleasure.”
“My word, what a marvelous appendage.” Tailor gasped as she observed Keon’s hand on her hoof. “Such elegance, such finesse, and so remarkably soft, how very fragile they must be. I simply must design something for them.”
Keon removed his hand with a feeling of unease in his gut at Tailor’s excitement. “Aren’t you a bit ahead of schedule?” Keon said while looking at a nearby clock.
“Schedules, schedules, who needs them, Darling? Tailor Made works when she so chooses. Besides, I was anxious to meet the being that wishes to be dressed at all times. You’re essentially a tailor’s dream come true,” she said, as she placed her hoof under her chin in a thinking pose. “Now, stand for me, Darling, I must see what I’m working with,” she said in dramatic manner.
Keon obliged to Tailor’s command and stood up.
Tailor nodded, as she paced around Keon a few times. “It’s been awhile since I’ve made clothing for something similar to your body structure,” she commented, while still observing Keon carefully. “Now, let’s have your measurements,” she said as her crown gave off a pinkish glow and transformed into a roll of measuring tape.
“So, you had a horn hidden under that crown?” Keon said as he watched the measuring tape magically travel around him.
Tailor frowned before withdrawing the measuring tape. “This simply will not do, I cannot get your proper measurements with you wearing so much clothing. Please remove those garments at once, Darling.”
“No,” Keon deadpanned. “I’ve shown my ass to enough ponies as it is, I’m done getting naked.”
“Very well, I’ll just have to accommodate for the added lengths from your clothing,” Tailor said as her horn shimmered once again and the measuring tape transformed back into a crown and landed on her head.
“You don’t want to write those measurements down?” Spike chimed in.
“Sweetie, I’m Tailor Made, and Tailor Made never forgets the measurements of any of her customers,” she said with a boisterous attitude. “Now, Darling, I do not know human fashion; however, if you can give me an idea of what you would like to wear, I’m sure I’ll manage.”
“Do you know what a suit looks like?” Keon asked the pink seamstress.
“To whom do you think you’re speaking with? I’m the king of fashion, Tailor Made!” she exclaimed, striking a pose and flourishing her front hoof in the air.
‘Damn, she’s annoying,’ Keon thought.
“King, wouldn’t queen make more sense?” Spike reasoned.
“No, Darling, being the queen would imply that there’s a king whom sits above me in fashion. And that simply will not do,” she explained while sticking her nose in the air.
Spike shrugged. “I guess that makes sense…sorta.”
Turning her attention back to Keon, she stared down at his feet. “Will you also require new footwear?”
“You can make shoes?” Keon asked, sounding somewhat surprised.
“Of course! I’m…”
“Tailor Made,” Keon cut her off. “Yeah, we got that already.”
Tailor quirked her brow. “You’re a cheeky one, but I like that. Normally my clientele are tripping over their own hooves when they speak with me.”
“You’ll have to forgive me for not being star-struck, but frankly you’re just another pony to me,” Keon said as he sat back down on his bed.
“Fair enough, I shall have your clothing finished before it’s time for you to meet with the dignitaries,” she affirmed with a curt nod.
Keon raised an eyebrow. “You can get it done that fast?” he asked, clearly impressed that she could fashion new clothing for a creature she had no prior experience with so swiftly.
Tailor Made grinned. “Darling, we’ve been through this, haven’t we? I’m…”
“Tailor Made!” both Keon and Spike chorused, prompting the self proclaimed king of fashion to beam with pride. “And don’t you forget it,” she finished.
Meanwhile
“And then I got really hungry after that,” Pinkie concluded her story.
“Hm, sounds a lot like happy leaf to me,” a white unicorn with a blue mane replied as she fiddled with some wires on a large turn table. “I’ve DJ’d for a few griffin parties that had that stuff being passed around.”
“Happy leaf, what’s that?” Pinkie asked curiously.
“It’s a leaf picked off of Hau’oli trees,” she said while placing a record on the turn table. “It makes you…well, happy. No pony can eat it without laughing like an idiot. It's fun just seeing how long you can keep a straight face.”
Pinkie placed her hoof under her chin in a thinking pose. “I wonder if Keon would like something like that?”
The pony lifted her dark purple shades and stared at Pinkie. “Who’s this Keon you keep mentioning anyway?”
“He’s the guest of honor silly. Who else did you think this party is for?” Pinkie asked.
“I don’t know,” she replied with a shrug. “I was asked to come DJ, so here I am. I wasn’t told anything about who this party is for.”
“Sorry, Vinyl, it can’t be helped,” Twilight piped up, as she cantered up to the two. “The princesses are trying to keep him a secret until later. Only a few ponies have gotten to see him,” she added.
“He must be a real big shot, with all this secrecy,” Vinyl said as she began to bob her head to the music that had started playing on the turn table. “I’m surprised you asked for this type of music, Pinkie. Not that I’m complaining, this will definitely have the party jumping. Well, if all the stiffs will loosen up anyway.”
“Don’t worry: I’ve already got a plan for that,” Pinkie confirmed with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
“You know, Pinkie, you’ve really got this place looking nice,” Twilight stated as she observed the ballroom where the reception party was to take place.
“Thanks, Twilight. Hopefully this will be the biggest bestest party I’ve ever thrown,” Pinkie said as she scanned over her check list. “There’s just a few itty-bitty things left to do and we’ll be all set.”
“Well, I’m sure Keon will love what you’ve set up here and the princesses as well,” Twilight stated as she trotted over to a large bowl of punch and levitated a ladle and cup towards it. “Do you mind?”
“Of course not, there’s plenty, but I’d go easy on that bowl of punch, it’s special after all,” Pinkie warned, as she directed some ponies, that were aiding her in the preparations, to hang a large banner. “Come on everypony, put your backs into it, or, in your case, wings.”
Twilight smiled at her friend before filling the cup with punch and taking a sip. Her eyes widened as the liquid entered her mouth. Setting the cup down, she looked in Pinkie’s direction with a frown. “Pinkie, what did you put into this punch?”
“That’s a secret,” she answered with a coy grin. “But don’t worry, I’ve made non-special punch too.”
“Haha, you spiked the punch?” Vinyl chortled. “I didn’t think you had in you, Pinkie.”
“Pinkie, I don’t know what to say,” Twilight said with a shake of her head. “Just what kind of party are you throwing anyway?”
“The kind where ponies end up on the floor,” Pinkie said as she bounced away, humming a merry tune.
“She seems to have a little more pep in her step than usual,” Vinyl said with an amused smirk. “Sure she doesn’t have the hots for somepony, yah know, a certain guest of honor if you will?”
“I doubt that,” Twilight said, now chuckling at the thought. “Keon’s a bit well…exotic.”
“So, he’s ugly?” Vinyl said nonchalantly. “Too bad, the way Pinkie was going on about him I thought he’d be a real looker.”
“…Well, I’m not trying to say he’s ugly, just different. You’ll know what I mean when you see him for yourself,” Twilight reasoned.
“I’ll take your word for it,” Vinyl replied as she busied herself with one of the speakers connected to her turntable. “So, what brings you down here anyway, just checkin in on Pinkie?”
Twilight rubbed the top of her mane sheepishly. “I almost forgot: There was something I needed to ask Pinkie. Thanks, Vinyl, for reminding me.” She said as she trotted away in the direction Pinkie had gone.
Vinyl merely nodded her head. “Uh, no prob, I guess.”
Elsewhere
Chris felt his heart pounding in a mixture of excitement and apprehension, as the town slowly came into view. Rarity and Rainbow Dash had taken a different path, for they were headed to a different part of town, leaving Chris and Applejack alone. As they got closer, Chris could make out the thatched rooftops of vividly colored shops and homes. From his vantage point it looked as if the town was pulled straight out of a fairytale.
“Stick close to me, Surgarcube,” Applejack said as they were now close enough to town to make out individual ponies going about their daily lives.
“Sure thing,” Chris replied with a bashful grin while observing the ponies that were blissfully unaware of his presence. ‘To think that these ponies have built a society like this, it’s all so surreal.’
Upon entering the town, Chris could have sworn he heard a record player screech to a stop, as a great deal of eyes suddenly landed on him. Looking at the awestruck ponies that had spotted him, he grinned nervously. “How’s it going?” he asked no pony in particular.
“Pretty good,” one blue colored unicorn that had joined the crowd answered, receiving odd looks from some nearby ponies. “Well, it did ask after all,” she defended herself.
Chris was relieved that the ponies hadn’t decided to run, but had opted to simply stare at him and whisper to one another.
“Alright, that’s enough gawkin' from the lot of yah,” Applejack cut in, interrupting the awkward staring. “He’s ah friend of mine, and ah won’t stand for anypony bein' rude, yah hear?”
A few ponies muttered under their breaths, but, never the less, they began to go on about their business. Some still lingered around to watch the strange creature as inconspicuously as they could.
Applejack simply rolled her eyes at their horrible attempts at being subtle with their staring. “Ah’m sorry 'bout all this Chris. Ponyville ain’t ever seen anythin' like you before.”
“It’s cool, I haven’t had this much attention since I tripped on stage getting my diploma at my high school graduation,” Chris said as they continued to walk deeper into town.
Applejack nodded. “So, what yah think of our little town?”
“It’s nice, damn colorful though, and is that a bowling alley?” Chris asked while pointing to a large building that had two bowling pins on either side of its doors. The building was constructed of wood with a large hill top design complete with grass roofing. “You guys have some imaginative architects to come up with something like that.”
“If yah think that’s somethin', wait 'til yah see Sugarcube Corner,” Applejack said, as they continued to walk. “But before that, ah need tah find Lemon Drop. Figure the market is as good as any other place to start ah lookin'.”
“Fine by me,” Chris said just as he noticed a peculiar sight. “You know, Applejack, I’ve been thinking, I’d really like to have a book on pony anatomy.”
“Pony anatomy…what fer?” Applejack asked curiously.
“Well, either that pony sitting on the bench is a contortionist, or you ponies have skeletal structures that are vastly different from normal ponies,” Chris reasoned, as he scrutinized the pony currently lounging on a park bench in the same fashion a human would.
“Oh, that’s Lyra, couldn’t tell yah why she goes about sitting like that,” Applejack said while cringing slightly at the awkward position Lyra was sitting in.
Chris didn’t respond but continued to stare at the pony, whom was now staring back at him. Her eyes were wide and her mouth agape. Chris couldn’t tell if it were out of fear or fascination.
“Uh, is she gonna be okay?” Chris whispered to Applejack, as they passed Lyra, whose eyes never left Chris as they went away.
“Dunno, never seen her look like that,” Applejack admitted with a discerning eye in Lyra’s direction, only to be further confused, as Lyra’s former expression was replaced with a large toothy grin. “Best tah jus' keep movin',” Applejack said while hastily ushering Chris ahead.
“Well, that was weird,” Chris said after they had walked a fair distance. “She looked at me like I was the best thing since sliced bread.”
Applejack looked confused. “The best ah what now?”
“It’s just an expression, don’t worry about it,” Chris explained as they entered the market district. Chris took note of the many stalls and carts that were set up in the area. He could see that most of the stalls were selling produce, only a few vendors here and there selling non-edible items.
Chris whistled. “Now this is old school,” he said, taking note that a merchant and a shopper were actually haggling over the price of some tomatoes.
The two stopped what they were doing upon noticing Chris.
“Whoa, who’s this guy Applejack?” a pegasus with a striped, silver blue mane and a dark grey coat bordering on black asked while looking up at Chris.
“Name's Chris,” Chris said while extending his hand towards the pony.
The pony stared at the offered hand for a moment before looking at Applejack with an unsure expression.
“Well, whatcha waitin' on Thunderlane? Go on,” Applejack said with an amused smirk. “Ah promise he ain’t gonna bite no pony.”
Thunderlane put his hoof in Chris’s hand and shook it. “Uh, Thunderlane, that’s my name,” he said a bit more confidently. “…So, yeah, what brings you two to Ponyville?”
“We’re looking fer Lemon Drop, yah haven’t seen 'im by any chance, have yah?” Applejack inquired.
Thunderlane looked perturbed. “Last I checked, no pony goes looking for Lemon Drop, you avoid him. But if you really need to find that lecher, he’s probably hanging out at the pool hall, with his gang,” Thunderlane said. “Actually, I was planning to head over there myself a bit later.”
“Then yah may as well tag along with us,” Applejack offered.
Thunderlane looked to Chris to gauge his reaction. Deciding that the human didn’t mind, he shrugged. “…Sounds good, but give me a moment,” Thunderlane said as he turned back to the vendor. “Alright, five bits, take it or leave it.”
The vendor grinned. “Deal!” he accepted enthusiastically.
Thunderlane nodded as he produced five gold coins and tossed them towards the vendor. Placing the purchased tomatoes in his saddlebags he beamed at Applejack and Chris. “Well, all set.”
Applejack shook her head at Thunderlane’s failed attempt to haggle. “Not everyday a pony swindles them self outta bits.”
“You saying I’ve been had?” Thunderlane asked with a look of surprise. Turning his attention back to the vendor, he glared.
“Hey, it was your offer, and all sells are final,” the vendor pony declared with a triumphant grin on his face.
“Next time, buddy,” Thunderlane said as he turned his attention back to Applejack and Chris. “Let’s get going, I can make up those lost bits playing pool.”
Chris found himself eager to see how the hell a non-unicorn would manage something like pool and just how terrible they would be at it.
Meanwhile, in a nearby alley, Lyra pressed herself against the wall and peered around the corner towards her quarry. Standing next to her was a cream colored earth pony with a dark blue mane with pink highlights.
“Remind me again why we’re sneaking around in a smelly alleyway?” she asked irritably, clearly not amused with the situation.
“Suck it up, Bon Bon, it’s the only way we won’t get spotted,” Lyra reasoned.
“Spotted by who? You still haven’t told me who we’re 'shadowing' as you put it,” Bon Bon complained.
“My soulmate,” Lyra cooed. “When I first laid eyes on him, I knew right away, we were destined for one another.”
“Soulmate? By Celestia, if it isn’t one thing with you it’s another,” Bon Bon said as she simply walked to the mouth of the alley and stared out into town. “Alright, I’ll humor you, what’s he look like?”
“The tall one, you can’t miss him,” Lyra answered like an overzealous child.
Bon Bon eyes observed the area before they landed on the bipedal creature walking next to Applejack and Thunderlane. Her eyes widened in shock. “You can’t be serious? I don’t even know what the hay that thing is. But it's freaky looking, that’s for sure, just look how bald it is.”
“He isn’t freaky looking,” Lyra protested. “He’s just bit different, that’s all. Plus, I love the way he walks upright like that and his hands!”
Bon Bon shook her head. “First there was the obsession you had with cast statues of monkey hands. Then the whole sitting weird thing and those hind leg walking lessons you took from that minotaur and now this!” Bon Bon exclaimed. “As your friend, I feel that I have to tell you that this is starting to become unhealthy. Especially if you think that creature is somehow your soulmate.”
“I’d almost forgotten about my walking lessons,” Lyra said as she lifted herself to her hind legs and took a few clumsy steps. “Whadya think?”
“You know it creeps me out when you do that.” Bon Bon said, looking up at Lyra, who now stood over a head taller than her.
Lyra took a deep breath as she steadied herself. “Okay, I’m gonna go say hello.”
“Just like that? Then what was the point in sneaking around like we were a couple of ninja?” Bon Bon questioned.
Lyra shrugged. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
Bon Bon sighed as she pointed a hoof towards the exit of the alley. “Just get on with it already.”
Chris had just gotten done taking a few pictures, when he noticed the familiar mint unicorn walking towards them, in every sense of the word.
“What the hell?” he muttered to himself as Lyra walked unsteadily towards them.
Lyra’s face was contorted in concentration as she focused on walking upright. ‘One step at a time,’ she coached herself. Raising her front hoof, she attempted to wave only to trip on a lose rock. Her front hooves flailed as she fell backwards.
Expecting to land on the back of her head, she was surprised to find two hands clasped around one of her forelegs.
“I think you’d be better off walking on all fours,” Chris said as he helped her stand back up.
“Whadya doin' Lyra?” Applejack asked. “Walkin' like that ain’t natural for a pony.”
Bon Bon had chosen that moment to come trotting up. “Excuse my silly friend. She just wanted to say hello to, um…the new, uh…well, you,” she said, pointing a hoof at Chris.
“Doesn’t explain the weird walking,” Thunderlane muttered under his breath.
Lyra grinned sheepishly. “Sorry, I was just trying to make an impression,” she said as she wobbled slightly on her hind legs. “You make this look a lot easier than it is.”
Chris was slow to respond as he attempted to make sense of the pony before him. Her abnormal sitting, and the fact that she practiced walking upright sat odd with him. He wondered if she had some type of fascination with bipedal beings. “Well, you definitely made an impression,“ Chris finally said. “I don’t think I’ll have any trouble remembering the pony that walks like that,” Chris finished as he stuck out his hand for Lyra to shake. “Name's Chris.”
Lyra stared at the offered hand with fascination. “…I can touch it?” she asked with hope in her eyes.
Chris quirked his eyebrow. “That’s kind of the idea. It’s how we humans greet each other, I thought you ponies did the same?
Lyra eagerly placed her hoof in Chris’s hand. “I’m Lyra,” she giggled like a foal as Chris’s fingers closed around her hoof.
“So, this is a human’s greeting?” she commented. “We ponies normally hug each other.”
“No, we don’t,” Thunderlane argued, only to receive a kick in the foreleg from Lyra for his troubles. “Ah, what was that for?” he grumbled, now nursing his foreleg.
“Never mind him, so how about we greet like ponies now?” Lyra offered while already stretching out her forelegs.
Chris looked down at Applejack who was wearing a perplexed expression on her face. “Is this really a custom of yours?” he asked.
Applejack shook her head. “Ain’t no custom where ah'm from…well, Pinkie might try 'n hug yah, now that ah think about it.”
Chris sighed. ‘What could it hurt?’ he reasoned, as he allowed Lyra to embrace him.
Bon Bon shook her head as she watched her friend hug the human, who was sporting a satisfied grin on her face.
“I could stay like this forever,” Lyra cooed as she nuzzled her head into Chris’s chest.
Chris’s eyes widened before he gently removed himself from Lyra. “So, um, yeah, shouldn’t we get back to finding this Lemon Drop?” he said, clearly eager to get away from Lyra’s odd behavior.
“Ah reckon we should,” Applejack said with a curt nod towards Lyra and Bon Bon. “Good talkin' with the two of yah.”
“Yeah, nice meeting you Lyra and, well, I didn’t catch your name,” Chris said directing his attention towards Bon Bon.
“Bon Bon,” she answered simply.
Chris nodded. “It was a pleasure,” he said as he, Applejack, and Thunderlane continued on their way.
Lyra’s ears fell as the trio left them where they were. “Why was he in such a hurry to leave?”
“I think you came on a little too strong,” Bon Bon said to Lyra, having noticed Chris’s anxious look after she had hugged him. “I mean, 'greeting like ponies', where you’d come up with that nonsense?”
“Hey, I got him to hug me, didn’t I?” Lyra rebuked. “That sounds like a win to me.”
“If you say so,” Bon Bon said dismissively. “So, what’s your plan now?”
Lyra scratched her chin thoughtfully. “I guess we’ll have to keep shadowing them.”
“You do know that’s just a nicer way of saying 'stalking him'?” Bon Bon reasoned with a shake of her head. “What’s next, do you want to dress in trench coats and wear shades too?”
“You’re right, we should get disguises. That way we won’t look like we’re following them,” Lyra said as she pointed her hoof in a random direction. “To the costume shop!”
“Ugh, it was just a joke,” Bon Bon grumbled.
Canterlot
Keon looked down his nose at the guard pony currently leading him along a quiet hallway. The pegasus was dark gray and was wearing a deep blue armor that was different than that of the guards he had seen previously. He figured that the stallion was more than likely one of Luna’s personal guards.
“So, um, I’m guessing this guard duty is pretty boring, right?” Keon tried sparking a conversation with his escort. “Not like anything dangerous happens in the land of milk and cookies.”
The guard remained silent as he continued to walk.
“Don’t tell me you’re being paid to be quiet. What’s wrong with shooting the shit with me?” Keon prodded.
“First you belittle my occupation and then expect me to indulge in idle chit-chat?” the guard responded in a tight tone. “Your kind sure has a strange way of sparking conversation.”
“Was I wrong in thinking that the Hundred-Acre Wood isn’t known for its crime rate?” Keon said with a smug grin. “But maybe I could’ve started with: What’s your name?”
“I’m known as Nightmane,” the guard answered. Keon bit down on the interior of his mouth to stop himself from laughing at the name. “Why are you under the impression that this place is all kisses and sunshine?” Nightmane continued with a twinge of interest laced in his voice. “You haven’t even stepped hoof outside the palace walls.”
“Could be because one of your princesses treated me to a damn astral light show, just because I was feeling a bit down,” Keon said with a shrug. “I’d be lucky if one of my buddies offered me a beer if I was feeling like shit back where I’m from.”
Nightmane nodded. “I wouldn’t expect the same kindness that you have been treated to within the castle to necessarily carry over to wherever you go. We have some not so friendly ponies and crime just like any of our neighboring countries.”
“So, you mean there’s some actual assholes out there?” Keon asked with a bit of a grin. “Good, I think that’s what I’ve missed most about home so far, the douchebags.”
Nightmane looked perturbed. “Douchebag?”
“Human lingo,” Keon said simply. “Anyway, where is it you’re even taking me to?”
“Princess Luna has requested that you meet with her in her private garden,” Nightmane answered as they began to descend down a flight of stairs.
“The one with the blue roses?” Keon asked having recalled the garden Luna had shown him the previous night.
Nightmane looked at Keon suspiciously. “How did you know?”
“Easy buddy, no need to look at me like that,” Keon reassured. “Luna showed me herself when we went to her balcony last night.”
Nightmane’s eyes slightly widened. “You were with the princess in her private chambers?”
“So, what if I was?” Keon decided to play with the guard. “We weren’t there long though, it was kind of in and out, if you know what I mean.”
Nightmane pursed his lips. “You don’t expect me to believe that Princess Luna…”
“What? Showed me to a good time last night?” Keon cut off Nightmane. “I already told you the princess wanted to cheer me up.”
Nightmane gritted his teeth. “Don’t speak one more word of this.”
“So, you’re telling me you don’t want to hear about the private showing I…” Keon was suddenly pounced on by Nightmane and pinned to the floor.
Nightmane snarled at the human beneath him. “Speak ill of Princess Luna once again and I’ll show you no mercy.”
Keon was quiet as he stared at Nightmane before he flashed a grin befitting an idiot. “Well, well, I guess you’re right, this place isn’t all kisses and sunshine, if you’re willing to kick my ass,” Keon said as he patted Nightmane on the cheek a couple of times.
Nightmane looked confused. “What are you playing at?”
“I just wanted to see what it would take to piss one of you ponies off.” Keon explained. “Sorry it was at Luna’s expense, but I think the look on your face made it completely worth it.”
“To think I’d allow my feathers to be ruffled so easily,” Nightmane said as he made to get off of Keon, but not before a loud voice echoed through the corridor.
“What is the meaning of this Nightmane?” Luna’s voiced boomed.
“I… my sincerest apologies, Princess Luna,” Nightmane said with a deep bow. “I’ll accept any punishment for my transgressions.”
“You don’t need to punish him, I was just being an idiot as usual,” Keon cut in while lifting himself from the ground. “I said some things that pissed him off.”
“Things? And what were these things?” Luna inquired.
“A little of this, a little of that. You know how it goes?” Keon said in an attempt to sweep the whole thing under the rug. The last thing he wanted to do was to tell Luna what he’d been implying to her personal guard.
Luna scrutinized Keon with a calculating stare, causing him to shrink back a little. “Very well,” she finally said. “If nothing that calls for my attention has transpired, then I shall let this go,” she said before turning her attention back to Nightmane. “Thank you for your assistance Nightmane. I will take over from here. Return to your station.”
Nightmane bowed once again. “As you wish, your Majesty,” he said before turning around and excusing himself.
Luna had an unreadable expression as she watched Nightmane leave. “That one has always been obsessively devoted to me. I’d wager that whatever you said pertained to me in some fashion. I can’t imagine anything otherwise that would have set Nightmane off. Am I right Mr. Keon?” Luna asked with a coy smirk.
Keon chuckled nervously. “Would you believe me if I said no?”
Luna merely raised her brow.
“I take that as a no then,” Keon said as he rubbed a sore spot where Nightmane’s hoof had dug into his gut.
“From what I know of you, I’m sure it was in good fun,” Luna said, now starting to walk back down the path from which she had come.
Keon followed after her, choosing not to comment on the situation.
“So, on a lighter note, how did you sleep?” Luna asked.
“Like a baby,” Keon answered truthfully. “Too bad it was accompanied by a long and weird morning.”
“Do tell,” Luna said, using her magic to open a large door they had come to a stop at, the sunlight quickly engulfing the corridor.
Keon winced slightly at the bright light as they continued on into the fresh air of the garden. “Well, first there was the accident in the bathroom.” Keon started. “For some reason Pinkie thought it would be a good idea to hop in the tub with me. If that weren’t enough, she brought her alligator along for the ride.”
“An alligator?” Luna repeated clearly shocked. “That mare can sure prove troublesome at times.”
“True, but I think she’s just innocent to a fault,” Keon reasoned. “I mean, she really looked like she didn’t understand that she was walking all over my privacy. But after that I told her to get out of the tub. That’s when I found the gator.”
“What happened afterwards?” Luna asked, as they had come to a clearing with a lavishly constructed gazebo. Underneath the gazebo a modest assortment of lunch items were waiting for them.
Keon scratched the top of his head in embarrassment as he answered the question. “First I screamed like a little girl and jumped out the bath for all my life was worth. You can probably guess what happened next. Water plus slippery bathroom floor equaled me falling on top of Pinkie, in a pretty suggestive position. It didn’t help that I was buck naked.”
“Oh my,” Luna said as she placed a hoof over her mouth.
“I know what you mean,” Keon said as he took a seat on the opposite side of Luna around the round glass table. “I almost feel like I violated the poor thing. I mean, she bolted out of that bathroom like a bat out of hell.”
“I hope no complications arise from this,” Luna commented thoughtfully.
“Me too, but Twilight was confident that Pinkie will forget the whole thing,” Keon concluded, as he reached for a banana and began to peel it. “But that was just the start of my day, wait until you hear the rest.”
“There’s more?” Luna asked with a smile.
Keon nodded as he told Luna about the incident with Spike and his later man-to-man with him.
Luna found herself nearly breathless after her laughter had ceased. “You truly have no bounds, do you?”
“Nope, if you want restraint, talk to my boy Chris. As for me, I’d like to think being unfiltered adds to my charm, or maybe I’m just an asshole, you decide.”
“I don’t think you’re an…” Luna stopped herself.
“Go on and say it,” Keon offered with a grin on his face.
“It’s not proper etiquette befitting a princess,” Luna protested.
“Fair enough, I know you have an image to uphold, being a princess and all,” Keon said, taking a swig from a glass of tea he had poured himself. “So, now that we’ve shot the breeze, I guess we can get on with what you really called me for.”
Luna placed her own cup of tea down. “Yes, we will discuss in detail how the summit will commence. But before that, there’s the matter of your escort.”
“Twilight told me as much,” Keon confirmed. “I don’t really see the point in it, but if it’s customary or the like, I’m fine with it.”
“That’s good, I’ve arranged you some suitable candidates from my guard, and you’ve already met one in Nightmane,” Luna explained to Keon who had a bewildered expression on his face.
“You mean that dark gray stallion that brought me to you?” Keon asked, obviously taken aback by the implications of such a thing.
Luna chuckled. “I can understand your confusion; however, I assure you, Nightmane is a mare. All of my guard utilize a voice and appearance concealing spell. Tia is very adamant that our guards have the appearance of conformity.”
“You’re saying they all look alike for aesthetic purposes?” Keon asked before shaking his head. “Well, if it’s all the same, I think I’ll just take Twilight up on her offer. It’s not like Nightmane liked me in the slightest, anyway.
“If you’re sure then,” Luna conceded. “Then let’s move on, shall we?”
Ponyville Pool Hall
Chris stared around the pool hall, carefully taking it all in. It appeared pretty standard as far as establishments for billiards went. About ten pool tables were available for use, along with a good number of lounging couches that were present. The atmosphere, however, was strikingly different than that of what he had seen so far of the town.
The inside just wasn’t as colorful. Even a good amount of the ponies appeared more rough around the edges than the overly cheerful looking ones currently bustling around outside. He reasoned that this was probably a hangout spot for Ponyville’s equivalent of delinquents.
Looking down at Applejack, he could tell that she wasn’t thrilled about being there either.
“Where in tarnation is that Lemon Drop?” Applejack grumbled.
“Do I hear the voice of a Honey looking for me?” A voice brimming with conceit sounded from the right of the trio.
Chris looked over to where the voice had come from. Sitting in the middle of a large semicircular couch was a bright yellow pegasus. His dark yellow mane was slicked back, held together with a gross amount of gel. A cutie mark depicting two lemons with dust trails behind them was stamped on his flanks. His look was completed with a large pair of dark orange aviators covering his eyes. Surprisingly enough, he had two mares wrapped under both his forelegs, the remainder of the seats were taken up by four young stallions.
Applejack huffed as she made her way towards the area Lemon Drop and his crew were occupying. Chris and Thunderlane quickly followed her, flanking her on either side.
“So, what brings my Sweet Apple to this neck of the woods?” Lemon Drop started with a cocky grin. “Let me guess, you woke up and realized you just couldn’t live without me, right?”
“Don’t flatter yerself,” Applejack countered, a frown now on her face. “I came to talk business, nothin' more.”
“Come on, my Candy Apple, you know what they say about all work and no play?” Lemon Drop goaded with a chuckle, prompting his goon squad to laugh along with him.
Chris narrowed his eyes at the pony. He was completely thrown off by how Lemon Drop went about talking to Applejack. Balling his hand into a fist, he loudly cracked his knuckles.
“That was gross,” Lemon Drop said as he looked up over his shades towards Chris. “What is that thing anyway? Some pet of yours?” Lemon Drop asked Applejack.
“I’m not her pet,” Chris responded crossly with no attempt to hide his anger.
“Chill bro, you look like you’ve got a case of hemroids or something. Or maybe you’ve had your eyes set on Candy Apple here too. She does have a flank you could bounce a bit off of, am I right?” Lemon Drop preached. The two mares next to Lemon Drop giggled, like the bimbos they were.
“Dude, why do you always act like a complete sleezball?” Thunderlane interjected.
Lemon Drop pretended to think hard on the matter. “Hmm, let’s see, maybe because I don’t want to end up like you: A mareless loser with nothing but a pig headed little brother to keep me company. Seriously, how long have you been throwing hints towards that wall flower Blossomforth, aye? I mean, grow some backbone.”
Thunderlane gritted his teeth and stepped forward. “Get off the couch and we’ll find out if I don’t have any backbone.”
“Nah, I think I like where I am,” Lemon Drop responded with a smug grin. “But I’m sure my buddy Stoutwing would love to go a few rounds with you,” Lemon Drop gestured to the largest of the stallions sitting on the far edge. “He’s been a bit irate lately and pounding you might just be the therapy he needs.”
Chris placed a hand on Thunderlane’s shoulder, who seemed ready to accept the challenge. “He just proved he’s spineless, just let it go.”
Lemon Drop stuck his nose far in the air. “Who are you calling spineless, Pal? This is my turf and I have half a mind to send my boys on you right now.”
“And I have half a mind to put my foot up your ass,” Chris responded to the threat, as he turned to Applejack. “Is he really the only guy you can get? This jerk hardly seems worth the trouble.”
“Everypony ah could think of would be too busy,” Applejack said before turning her attention back to Lemon Drop. “Ah was jus wonderin' if you’d be interested in some work. We ain’t here lookin' for trouble.”
“Some work, huh?” Lemon Drop said with feigned interest. “I don’t know, I think I might need some incentive, if you catch my drift,” Lemon Drop said while blatantly staring at Applejack’s flank.
By that time Chris had already cocked back his fist, entirely ready to slug the pony. Applejack, however, was quicker and bucked the table they were sitting around with tremendous force, sending it sailing over their heads and crashing into the far wall behind them.
The crash of the table had caused the pool hall to become deathly quite, with all eyes now glued to where the disturbance had come from.
Lemon Drop swallowed the lump in his throat nervously, while his goons looked equally as frightened as he did.
“S-so, yeah, you wanted to talk about some work?” Lemon Drop asked as he removed himself from the couch.
Applejack smiled. “Now that’s a mite better, let’s have us a little chat outside.”
Chris stared at the splintered table for a moment in silence. He guessed the heavy wood would have easily been over one hundred and fifty pounds. Yet, Applejack had sent it flying as though it weighed no more than a pillow.
“Hey, Chris, come along will yah?” Applejack said as she and Lemon Drop exited out of the door.
“Are you going to be staying here?” Chris asked Thunderlane.
Thunderlane shook his head. “Nah, I’m not really feeling the mood in here after what just happened. May as well get back home, I’ll have to make up those bits later.”
Chris nodded as he and Thunderlane followed Applejack and Lemon Drop out the door. When they got there Applejack was in the process of giving Lemon Drop a verbal lashing.
“What in tarnation was that all about in there?” Applejack shouted. “You’ve always been ah bit stiff-necked, but never that mean.”
“Alright, I’m sorry” Lemon Drop said with his head cast low. “I’ve got to protect my rep when I’m around the guys, yah know?”
“Yer rep? That’s the type ah image yah want?” Applejack said with a shake of her head. “I know yer better than that. Yer lucky I don’t tell Big Mac bout how yah were goin' about treatin' us in there.”
Lemon Drop looked pale as a ghost. “Anything but that, he’ll flatten me.”
“No, ah won’t tell, ah need yah in good health tah work the farm, after all,” Applejack said with a smug grin of her own. “And that table in there is comin' out of yer pay.”
“Aww, that table looked expensive,” Lemon Drop moaned.
“Tough apples, and ah think yah owe Chris and Thunderlane an apology,” Applejack added.
Lemon Drop looked to Chris and Thunderlane and sighed. “I’m sorry I treated you guys like scum, and Thunderlane, if you ever need any help with the mares, all you need to do is ask,” Lemon Drop said the last part with a self-righteous smirk.
“Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind,” Thunderlane replied while rolling his eyes.
“I guess you’re not all bad,” Chris reasoned, “but maybe you should try being a little less overbearing.”
Lemon Drop snorted. “Yeah, I’ll consider it.”
Chris sighed. At least it was a start.
Canterlot
Keon stared at himself in a mirror. He had to admit that Tailor Made had done one hell of a job with his suit. It was rather simple, all black with a white undershirt made from an incredibly comfortable material. She’d even thrown in a tie; although, he didn’t ask for one, for the simple reason that he wouldn’t know how to tie the damn thing. He’d simply opted to drape it around his neck rather than deal with it.
Even the shoes she’d made were right for the occasion. Looking down at the shoes on his feet, he realized just how stupid he would have looked wearing his I-paths with dress pants.
Tying his dreadlocks into a ponytail, he beamed at his reflection. “Who’s that sexy ass lookin' nigga right there? Oops, that’s me, my bad,” Keon joked, as he picked up a spraycan labeled "sensual musk". Spraying a bit into the air to get a whiff of it, he gagged.
“Dafuq is that? Stallion ball sweat?” Keon said while tossing the can at a nearby trash bin, missing it of course. “They got another thing coming if they think I’m spraying myself with that shit. I’ll stick with my tried and true cheap cologne.”
The sound of knocking on his door sent his neck turning in that direction. Taking a deep breath he gave himself one last look in the mirror. “Show time,” He said as he exited the bathroom and made his way to the door.
Opening the door, he was surprised to find that it wasn’t Twilight waiting for him, but Pinkie and a guard instead. More surprising than that was that Pinkie had actually knocked. She was dressed in a simple yet elegant dark pink evening gown. Her mane looked like someone had tried to brush it, with little success, however.
“Hiyah!” Pinkie greeted exuberantly. “Ready to meet with all the fancy pants?”
Keon nodded. “I take it this was Twilight’s idea?”
“Yep, you don’t mind do yah?” Pinkie asked hopefully.
“Of course not, I couldn’t ask for a better partner in crime,” Keon said while offering his arm to Pinkie, as a gentlemen would. Pinkie beamed, as she awkwardly laced her foreleg with Keon’s arm. “Now let’s go raise a little hell out there.”
“Alrighty!” Pinkie exclaimed.
Ponyville Train Station
“Now be sure tah come back 'n visit,” Apple Bloom said, as Chris released her, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo from a group hug.
“I can’t make any promises, but I’ll do my damndest,” Chris said as he stood up from his knees. “But if this really is goodbye…well, you girls just take care of yourselves, and try not to get into too much trouble.”
“We won’t,” the three crusaders chorused.
“Good,” Chris said, giving the three fillies a final scratch behind their ears.
“Think I’ll miss the ear scratching the most,” Scootaloo said under her breath.
“Chris, are you ready to depart?” Rarity cut in. “The train will be leaving soon.”
“Yeah, I’m ready,” Chris said as he stepped onto the train compartment after Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. “See yah, girls,” Chris gave one final goodbye.
“You’ll bring him back won’t you?” Sweetie Belle asked Rarity. “He was a lot of fun.”
“Well, girls, as of now Chris’s future here is uncertain,” Rarity explained. “He could very well be sent back to his own world, once we’ve spoken with the princess. Or perhaps he’ll be asked to stay in Canterlot for his own protection.”
“Then we’ll jus have tah come 'n see him fer ourselves,” Apple Bloom reasoned.
“If it comes tah that I’ll bring yah tah Canterlot mah self,” Applejack reassured them, tilting her hat. “Now, you three scamper along.”
The three crusaders did what they were told and took off, back towards town. No one noticed the two trench coat clad figures sneaking onto the next train compartment.
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Well whadya know I'm not dead. Sorry for the long wait, but between RE6, and learning to use my new drawing tablet, and other life obligations, I've been pretty busy.
First off, wow I can't believe this story has passed four hundred up votes.
A huge thank you to everyone that pressed that little thumb button. Hopefully I can have the next chapter out a lot sooner.Well that's all I have for now, enjoy your day everyone. 
This sounds interesting. I will track and read when I can.
Very interesting i'll make sure to read it later xD
You've caught my eye, Mr.Writer.
Will read later.
1170147
t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSD5MbDPyYc8FrzWDygFWNe3TnjbbfaW-tGRxNG-j9APm7-UYb0Nw
I sense impending shit storm.
Awesome
very interesting i read it
Yes all of my yes
Good chapter, I really misguess who tailormade was
I was legitimately like "wow pinkie looks great in pigtails"
YAYYY YOU'RE NOT DEAD!!!!
Oh yay =D an update ^.^
Made my day to see it update, because the longer the update the happier I become when it comes out. Of course the gap of time between updates adds enough sullen depression to negate all the positive aspects of the update actually being released.....
Ah well. It's an update, so why would I complain?
1528646 Hurray for Living!
Shoot the Zombies!
Jerrry-rig Technology!
And write the best story from two different perspectives EVAR!!!
dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Lyra_dealwithit.png Target in sight. Our disguises are working flawlessly.
dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Bonbon_gaze.png Yeah, yeah. I'm just here to watch the explosions.
Just when I think that you've hit your groove and you're at your best, you prove me wrong. That whole scene with Lyra and Bon Bon, genious! Nightmane and Luna, brilliant! Don't even get me started with Pinkie and Keon - I'm nearing critical levels of Pinkie in my bloodstream right now and lovin' every second of it!
Here, have some French Pinkie!
Woo, update. I enjoy this.
imageshack.us/a/img33/5764/likethischapter.jpg
Ya know... why DON'T you put a Romance tag on your story? I would love to see our awesome young humans find some special ponies that will up and grab their hearts away in romantic bliss.
I kinda hope nopony like Tailor Made shows up in the show. She'd give poor Rarity a run for her bits! And that parting scene with the CMC made my heart go d'aww.
Thanks for the awesome update! Hope to see another soon. There just aren't enough updates around here anymore. Stupid real life getting in the way of everyone...
Raise hell like its going out of style!!!!
1528646
Okay, so, recap:
This is my favorite story on the site as of now.
Your art style is adorable.
Why are you not getting more recognition?! :U
Moar. All that is required is moar.
Yes! Finally! I've been anticipating this chapter for a LONG. TIME.
Well, finally we seem to be getting the party together. Will.Keon and Pinkie cause a major international incident? Will Lyra and Chris ever get together? Will I think of another worthwhile question to ask?
Eh, I dunno, ask the author, honestly, why would I know?
Good god its a update!
Its nice to know your not dead.....
Oh man, Nothing is worse than a lyra stalker!
Vinyl is white.
wow...nice cris is kinda ignoring the fact he's supposed to keep seecret
I really love your story, but I feel that updates are spread too thin and far. I found myself rereading the last chapter, before I really understood most of the stuff in this one. I suppose drawing the pictures slowed you down, so I guess it's worth it. I await more chapters in the future.
Oh Lyra, why are your shenanigans so amusing?
I am very much looking forwards to seeing what kind of trouble she gets herself into in Canterlot, and that goes double for when she realizes there are two humans in town.
Also, I really liked the scene with Keon taunting Nightmane and the CMC were adorable as always.
be careful pinkie once you go black there's no going back
Needs moar Chris, and less Keon in my opinion.
So is there any particular reason as to why Tailor Made is an anime character?
It was absolutely worth the wait and all those drawings are magnificé.
A couple of errors:
You do this a couple of times. The word "ah" only means "I". It doesn't work as a substitute for "a". I won't point out each time this happened, but I recall counting something like five or six.
And you don't always have "ah" where you should.
Unnecessary quotation mark.
The word is "mite". And this is another spot where you used "ah" instead of "a".
Misplaced comma.
"The" shouldn't be capitalized.
Still, a good read, as always.
Despite initially being chased down and beaten by a small regiment of guards, all while being stark naked, and then the whole business with the tub and THEN having to give "the talk" to Spike, I still think Keon had it easier than Chris. Because Chris is now being stalked by Lyra, the one pony whose behavior defies everything Chris has observed about equestrians, and will probably try to kidnap him and throw him in a basement so she can keep him all to herself.
1531999
Actually, she is an extremely pale yellow, as stated by animators and the extracted flash assets from the Wedding promotional website (also when we learned her eyes are the same color as RD's.)
1530741 A shit storm, I wonder.
1530752 Thanks
1530823 You thought she looked like Pinkie, I suppose somewhat.
1530892 Yup still breathing.
1530904 Trust me I know the feeling. Damn you "Article 2", would it update already!?
1530930 You're telling me you didn't know all the ponies go to Celestia and Luna for the good stuff?
1531023 Uh thanks
1531024 That about summons it up, in a nutshell.
1531030 I appreciate the comment. And nice 'Smile' sung in french hilarious
1531339 Romance? I can't really comment on this without giving things away. I'll just say wait and see what happens. Yeah Rarity is my favorite, I wouldn't be too thrilled about some pony coming in and upstaging her in the show.
Yeah and real life can be such an annoyance.
is...is that a ponyfied picture of Perona from one-piece?
if so...
DAYUM! i actually noticed it
1531381 That's the goal.
1531389 Thanks your comment makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside
1531814 You don't won't Lyra stalking you?
1532050 The ponies he had met were kind enough to him. He figured it was time to throw caution to the wind.
1532077 No my drawings don't slow down updates. I draw the pictures after I send my chapter to my editor. It usually takes around a week before I get the chapter back from him. I've never taken longer then a day to get the drawings done.
1532207 More shenanigans to come from her in the future.
1532219 Haha, oh wow.
1532237 Word for word, they have nearly equal screen time. Maybe you don't notice, because you like Chris more. But I digress, their separation is drawing to a close anyway. But I will warn you, the next will be mostly Keon centric for obvious reasons.
1532377 I'm a huge anime fan, and get inspiration from it. I take it you recognized where her look came from?
1532613 Thank you very much
1532972 I'll fix those up.
1533426 Yep it is, good eye. I even considered giving Tailor Made, Perona's ridiculous laugh. But only one piece fans would get it.
1533525
No, you see the WORST thing about a stalking lyra is that you cant hide!
Blend in with the crowd? Impossible.
Hide in the bushes? First place she would look.
Move to a new country? Unicorns have tracking magic.
So it looks like he's crap outtta luck. But secretly I'm rooting for her. XD GO LYRA!
1533555
Yeah get those hands.
Well, this story has drastically improved in quality. The first few chapters had me seriously considering if I wanted to read the next one, but I kept going for the plot and I'm glad I did.
The pictures are a nice addition to the story, btw, but they never seem to show up when I want them to. Like Keon's mad dash from the bath.
Also, I don't know how long you were planning on making this, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that if people are enjoying your work there's no harm in stretching it out a bit. Especially if it's so you can slip ome romance in it, because I think I see Pinkie crushing on Keon and that's adorable. I also get the feeling Fluttershy is getting attached to Chris. Or maybe she jut wants another look at his anatomy.
1531030
Oooooh! French Pinkie!
**Hugs his Pinkie-Pie plushie** x3
deviantart.com/download/330039216/pinkie_pie_commission_for_captricosakara_by_caashley-d5ghvw0.jpg
...And yes! I own this plush.
After reading this story so far, I must say I'm impressed with the characterization of Chris and Keon - especially Keon! He one of the most interesting black human character's I've seen in a HiE story so far, as his character is not only funny at times, but has a personality that is well balanced between funny and noble and charmed. The character of Chris, while he does too have a personality, he doesn't seem to show much of it in terms of going the distance. But since this is still pretty much the beginning of an adventure story, I'll wait to see how the character develops further. Also, I'm surprised you haven't invited a third human character into the story, as a third, female zoologist character in Equestria would be a great addition to this to balance out the team from a duo to a trio. But, this is your story, I can't make the decisions - I can only give you suggestions. And my suggestion is have a third female zoologist join in on the fun in later chapters as the story progresses. Because for some reason or the another, what I've read so far would sounds exactly like an animated film, and I think it would be much in that category if a third female human zoologist character joins in by encountering the EON back in Brazil, and finding her way to Equestria as well. That way, we have a female human presence in the story.
Other than that, I believe that this story deserves 5 out of 5 stars. Amazingly well written. And I'm looking forward to seeing where you go with this.
1533819 Well I'm glad you stuck around. As for the length of the story, well after the next chapter it will be at its half way mark. I don't want to drag this story through the trenches forever. That usually results in an unfinished story. Actually I'm speaking from personal experience. I've got a story on fanfiction that's over three hundred thousand words. But I never finished writing it, because I became bored with it.
I don' t want the same thing to happen with this story, so I'm going for a manageable length this time around. Also I'm surprised people seem to actually want some romance in this.
That Tailor Made reminds me of someone from One Piece...I just can't remember her name.
very good like always, just one thing, Vinyl Scratch is as much as i know not yellow
Wait, Tailor Made provided both a belt and suspenders to Keon? What a fashion faux pas!
1534224
Ah. So plenty of story left. That's good. And hopefully you'll keep improving.
As for what I was saying about extending stories...well, I meant by a few chapters, just to fit in a side plot, or just play with the characters a bit more. I have a fic that I didn't expect to reach one hundred chapters, but now I'm on ch140 and I see a few hundred more ahead at the rate I'm going.
1534097 I never really considered adding a third. Truthfully when I first sat down and started writing this, I only had Chris ending up in Equestria. But then I thought something was missing, and sent Keon along as well. It would kind of be out of left field to throw in a third at this point.
As for Chris' keep in mind that he's cautious and has a lot more tact then his friend. But I will be fleshing out his character in the coming chapters. There's still a good half a story left to tell after all. Well anyway thanks for the comment, and I'm glad your enjoying the story.
1534735 Perona is her name. Nice to see some fellow One Piece heads in here.
1534912 No she actually is a very pale yellow. Have a look at her wiki page it's explained that a layout artist for the show noted that's she's pale yellow and not white.
1534919
1534951 I'll try my best to keep improving. And maybe I'll throw in some 'side plots' as well, wink, wink.
1533420
That goth chick with the ghost powers from the Thriller Bark arc in One Piece. Then again, goth chicks with stockings and a crown thingy are pretty much a stock character in manga these days, so I could be wrong.