Ok guys here's the deal. School happens five days from now and you'll be lucky to receive another chapter by then. I want to say some of the things that went into this chapter are risky and I'm throwing myself out there doing this. I REALLY WANT FEEDBACK. I may change things in the chapter accordingly. I know I'm procrastinating with the OC's but I'm looking for the correct place to introduce them with out detracting from the story. Anyways, I wrote this while being a little burned out creatively so please keep that in mind. To be honest, I'm scared to publish this.
Putting the Pieces in Place
The two racers had set up there terms and were lined up at the starting line. The two were to race around the edge of the city then over the river and back to the tarmack for three laps. The racers grinned at each other and looked ahead again. Somehow they have gained a small crowd and the humans and ponies were placing bets. Most bets were on Rainbow Dash.
A human with two red flags walked out. She held them up and the crowd went silent. It felt like minutes before she brought them down and the two racers took off like lightning. Rainbow Dash had gained an early lead but was being tailed closely by Protrokalos. She stayed in front of him to keep him from passing ahead. Protrokalos jinked right and then performed a barrel roll gaining the lead.
"Oh no you don't!" Rainbow Dash pushed herself faster and the two were tied maneuvering between the buildings. They flew dangerously close to a helicopter but evaded and continued on their way. As the two neared the edge of the inside of the mountain they both veered right at break neck speeds, neither giving the other and inch. They rounded the edge of the mountain and started to fly over the river and went over and under the bridges that lined it. Rainbow looked back at Protrokalos who was still directly behind her. She smirked and speed up even faster. She looked forward and evaded a pole she hadn't been paying attention to. When she looked back again he was gone. She looked in front of her once again and Protrokalos was flying upside down with his arms crossed directly in front of her. He had a smirk on his face.
She was messing with him before but she knew now she needed to up the ante. She gave a powerful flap of her wings and she thrust herself forward and once again gained the lead. They made it to the end of the river and the two jinked left and flew back to the tarmack. The crowd cheered as the flew over leaving a gust of wind in their wake. Once again they were flying over downtown and were swerving between buildings. Protrokalos had been keeping up with her the entire time and she was getting annoyed. She tilted her self slightly upward to gain altitude while maintaining her lead. Protrokalos stayed at a medium height of two thousand feet while Dash was still gaining. When the two went to over the river again she dived at forty-five degrees steadily gaining while a cone was forming around her body. She was getting faster and faster and then suddenly the cone elongated and then broke, exploding in to a brilliant rainbow. She streaked down and leveled herself out over the river. As she flew over the river, water was being kicked up obscuring Protrokalos's vision but he continued to fly through the water following the rainbow the Dash left. Then suddenly she veered left and Protrokalos's reaction time was not fast enough to react before he slammed into the wall. He quickly recovered and shot after her. He started to gain on her, slowly but surely.
Rainbow Dash left a rainbow over the tarmack and it was being closely followed by a furiously determined Protrokalos who vowed not to lose. He started to gain more and more speed and his wings started to glow bright. Then he noticed that he had a cone of his own forming around his body and he smiled. The rainbow trail had since ceased but the pegasus who created it was still flying strong. Protrokalos jinked right to follow the wall of the mountain and lost his speed. He cursed at himself but kept flying as fast as his wings could carry him. He flew over the river again dangerously close to the water and was fifty feet behind Rainbow and was still gaining. He flew up over a bridge when suddenly a white alicorn came out of nowhere and flared her wings in front of him. He immediately stopped to avoid crashing into alicorn. The alicorn which he knew as Princess Celestia.
"You will not hurt my subjects!" she said with anger in her voice. The Princess charged her horn and fired a beam of light at Protrokalos before he could say anything. He had enough time to deflect the beam with his wrists and then he let them down in front of a gobsmacked Princess. "What are you?"
Protrokalos smirked because he had the perfect opportunity to say a line from a classic cartoon. If Discord would have understood the quote he would have clapped at its randomness. "I'm a Super Saiyan."
Lyra and I were at a club in lower Bronklyn. I wasn't much for clubbing and I couldn't say I've actually been to a club. I sat at the bar while the flashing lights constantly reminded me of where I was. I felt out of place like I usually would at a party but this time it was because of the fact that I'm human. I tried a some hard cider. Sure I wasn't twenty-one but who gives a damn? After the past couple of days I think I earned my right to drink. I was going pretty hard on the stuff. I was trying not to be a bummer but hell. I was on my fourth mug of it and I'm surprised that I was feeling the stuff. Fan-fiction dictated that hard cider didn't pack a punch but fan-fiction was so wrong. I wasn't drunk but I was getting there.
The bartender looked over at the sad piece of shit that was me. "You know drinking isn't going to solve your problems."
"Hell I know that but I don't give a damn though. I just want to numb everything."
"Well its not going to help if you try and drink away your problems instead of facing them."
"Ugh. I don't care right now. I need another one." The bartender filled another mug full of cider and slid it across the counter to me. I took a swig and looked at my reflection in the cider.
"I think you should lay off the stuff. Judging by your size you look like you have you'd have a tolerance for it but your not fooling me. I know a light weight when I see one."
"Well I'll be honest with you. Where I'm from the legal drinking age is twenty-one. I happen to be only sixteen but I really don't care. I've earned my right."
"That's the same as it is here but I'm not going to stop you. It may be illegal but I've seen many souls and you look like you've experienced much more in you time than most ponies would in their entire lives. I still think you should stop but who am I to stop you?"
I looked over to the blue earthpony stallion behind the counter and smiled. It was actually pretty irresponsible for him doing that but I had to thank him. I then thought about what he said. "You know what? Maybe your right. I have been going pretty hard on the cider." I then wondered how the hell he managed to change my mind when he said he wouldn't stop me but I dismissed the thought and looked back down at the cider.
"You look like a stallion who has a lot on his mind."
"You can say that again."
"I'll get straight to the point. In all the time I've spent behind the counter I've found the best way to deal with problems is to talk about them rather than drowning them in cider."
"True, but I've been through hell and back. I'd rather not burden anyb-... anypony else with my problems."
"All you have to do is talk. All you have to do is tell a story. I don't think a story can really be a burden. Trust me when I say that I've heard my fair share."
"My story, huh? Well, its a long one. And there is a lot of things that you wouldn't even believe."
"I've got time to spare and I've heard it all. Surely it couldn't be that wacky except for the fact you come from some other planet."
"So you've heard of me?"
"Of course. You are the human who helped win the The Battle of Ponyville."
"I only helped save a baby dragon to send a letter to the Princess. After that I only coordinated a few troop movements here and there. It was really Celestia who is the hero."
"Kid, you selling yourself short. I may not have been there but I can say that you are definitely a hero. Look at us going off topic. Anyways your story couldn't be that wacky."
"You honestly have no idea. Are you sure you want to hear this?"
"Hit me."
"Alright then. It all started with an invasion..."
I told the stallion my story over the next two hours leaving nothing out. It honestly felt a little nice to vent. When I explained MLP to the stallion and for some odd reason he wasn't shocked by it. "...After I had my chat with Luna, I went and took Lyra out to dinner to help keep her mind off Bon-Bon. I seems like I'm helping cheer her up because she seems happy but she could just be hiding her sorrow. The next two days nothing really important happened. We went to a couple of places and did a few things. Anyways, here I am now. A teenage Colonel telling a complete stranger his life story."
He had a hoof to his chin in deep thought. "Hmm, I have a question. What about Lyra? Didn't she come here with you?"
"Yeah she did, but I don't really do much partying. I insisted for her to go enjoy herself and not sit with me because of my problems. Besides she came with and old friend of hers she should be fine."
"It sounds to me like you didn't want her to see you down."
"Yeah basically."
"You don't like having to be the strong one but you seem doing it for her. Is she that special to you?"
My mind shut down for a brief moment in time. "Well yeah sure she is. I'm just being a good friend by being there for her. I can't stand to see somepony else hurt when I can hurt for them." I say. My mind was currently at war with itself. I never had thought about Lyra being more than a friend but a lot of my recent actions started to make sense.
The bartender smiled knowingly. "Don't lie to yourself."
"Nonononono. I mean sure I care for her but as a friend. She's probably a couple of years older than me and besides I'm a human, she's a pony. It could never work."
"Love has a funny way of finding ways to work."
"Whoa hold on now. I think its a little early to be calling it love."
"I could see it in your eyes when you talked about her."
"Look it couldn't possibly be love. I only met her about a week ago."
"I can't argue with the facts. I've been doing this for years now and I can see it. You my friend, are in love."
I sighed and mulled over the possibility. "So, maybe I am... but I couldn't. It would be too soon. She lost Bon-Bon not even two weeks ago."
"My friend, I'll tell you from experience that sometimes when a pony has lost someone dear to them, all they want is for somepony to hold them. Lyra is no exception. She may not look like it but she is probably feeling lonely at night wishing for somepony to be there. I know it'll take time for her to truly get over it but at least she'd have somepony to be there for her. Somepony like you would fit the bill perfectly."
"Are you telling me I should ask her out now?"
"Not now but soon. Maybe not even that. Just confess your feelings to her. At least if she initially rejects you she knows she has the option to come back."
"No. I couldn't do it. I wouldn't want to hurt her."
"I can respect that. I do think you should give it a shot though. Telling from your story, you both have be through tartarus and back. You said yourself she won't leave your side in public. You make her feel safe. Isn't that what you want?"
"You are being a very successful word magician you know?" I say shaking my head.
The pony shrugged. "I try."
"Tell me, I know you're pulling the wise bartender gag but why are you giving me of all peo-... ponies advice?"
"Simple. You needed it so I gave it."
I sighed and looked at the ponies on the dance floor. "Huh, I underestimated the kindness of this world."
"It has nothing to do with kindness. Its just what friends do."
"Friendship is magic." I said with a light laugh.
"You know you should probably go find her."
"Naw I'm sure she's enjoying herself. Coming to the club was her idea anyways." I look back to see if I can spot Lyra over the crowd. I had no such luck though. "You seriously do the bartender gag too well."
The bartender smiled. "Years of practice. I've been doing this for a long time so I've made it into a form of science." Meanwhile in Ponyville, Twilight raised her head.
"Eh, I guess I'll look for her to make sure she's ok."
The bartender looked past me and frowned. "No, I don't think you need to go find her." I look back and sure enough Lyra was making her was trough the crowd towards the bar. I was going to look away but I noticed there were tears streaming down her face. I looked back to the bartender who nodded once in the affirmative. I got up and rushed to Lyra.
I knelt in front of her to get to he eye level. "Lyra, what's wrong?" Lyra didn't say anything and had instead hugged me tight and cried into my chest. I hugged her back and puled her close. She hasn't wept like this since the funeral for as far as I know. "It's ok Lyra, I'm here. I'm here." I say softly into her ear as she continued to cry her heart out.
The Royalist forces had decided it best to take refuge in the middle of the country rather that near its borders. The threat of being attacked by the Rebels was too great. Gilda had suggested Ponyville which was basically in the center of Equestria. The Rebels wouldn't dare attack them this far into the country... yet. The flight to Ponyville was slowed because they had to carry there weapons and supplies by talon. There was a total of two thousand griffons in the particular group that were nearing the town of Ponyville. They as flew, they were met by an unfamiliar sight. Flying machines and strange creatures working with the ponies.
Celestia was starring directly at Protrokalos with genuine shock. "AAWWW YEAH!! I broke the royal poker face of Princess Celestia! Huzzah, how many points do I receive?!"
Celestia then adopted another face, this one being of utter confusion. Celestia looked at the winged human before her trying to figure out what to make of it. Protrokalos noticed and decided to enjoys the heck out of this. "I'm sorry Princess that was a joke. Now with all seriousness, you are trespassing on sovereign lands and I will ask you once to leave with that blasted pegasus who blew past my guards." Celestia face contorted with many too many feelings to single one out at this point. Protrokalos tried his best to not laugh at the Princess's facial expression but couldn't resist and doubled over in fit of laughter. "OH MY GOD!!! You should have seen the look on your face! It was priceless!"
Celestia then raised an unamused brow. "You will stop your laughter at once. I want to know whether you are joking or not because I don't have the luxury of time at the moment."
Protrokalos took about ten seconds to recover but then had a friendly expression on his face. "I'm Protrokalos Morrow, it is an honor to met you Princess Celestia. Now you seem to be lost. What brings you here to Valhalla?"
"Valhalla?"
"The city were in."
"I've gathered as much. Now I'm here for the pegasus you were chasing."
"Rainbow Dash? Yeah, sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. I was actually racing he-... sonuvabitch!" the winged human yelled and suddenly shot off leaving a confused Princess behind.
The princess flew after him but the sun goddess was nowhere near as fast. Protrokalos flew towards the tall building that had been Celestia's original destination in the first place. She needed to get back to Equestria quickly but first she needed to figure out what's going on in this strange place and who this place even came to be.
Lyra held me sobbing like a foal. I wondered what could have caused her to go from one extreme to the other. From being so happy, so full of life, to being reduced to this. I hated it when she cried. "Lyra you need to tell me why you're upset." I say as softly as I can. The music was starting to get louder and would soon drown out. I look over to the bar and again the bartender nodded. I was stroking Lyra's mane and she looked up to me with tear filled eyes. I smiled at her. "Come on, lets go outside."
We walk outside and across the street to a horribly placed park which was between to brick buildings and was bordered by a major street on both sides. Lyra had stopped crying and we sat at a bench and she hugged me again.
"Lyra, listen to me. I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong." I say softly. "Now what's the matter?"
"I.. I was with Octavia and we had a few drinks. She apparently had a mare friend that worked as the DJ. I mean I sound like a foal saying this but when I saw them together, they just looked so happy and I felt so alone- "
I hugged her and whispered into her ear. "Listen, I'm going to tell you once. As long as I'm here, you will never be alone, ever." I broke the hug and looked at her only to freeze up in fear at what I would her next.
I looked around confusedly until I realized what the sound was. I gripped the pistol at my side and I looked down to Lyra and gave her a sad smile realizing the hell that was going to come.
Star Swirl the Bearded clutched his chest as he felt what could only be described as a disturbance in the force. He had always been able to tell when Equestria was in great peril. He hadn't felt this way since the return of Discord. The old pony then noticed his vision began to swim and waited for the images to flash before his eyes. When they came he was absolutely horrified. New Yoke was burning, screams of the citizens playing over and over in his head. He came out of the premonition in a cold sweat and was gasping for air. He then thought about what he just saw.
Wait, that's impossible! The first battle was supposed to happen until five days from now... unless... something changed the future! No matter! I need to find a way to aid them quickly because they are going to need it.
"Sir, are you ok?!" asked a concerned human.
"I'm fine." he said while getting up. "I'm just concerned that Equestria is in dire need of assistance." Star Swirl then saw none other than Princess Celestia flying onto the tarmack. He then had an idea and smiled. "And assistance I might be able to give after all."
Celestia walked up and looked at Star Swirl. His eyes met her piercing gaze and he smiled. "I can honestly say I've missed that look, Celestia."
Celestia's eyes widened. "Wait... you couldn't be..."
"My, my, it has been a while hasn't it old friend?"