//------------------------------//
// Chapter One: Arrival 
// Story: Among the Elements 
// by David M Coleman 
//------------------------------//




Chapter One






Arrival





❖




Ponyville, Equestria




Lyra Heartstrings was an eccentric mare to say the least. She took interest in things no pony else had interest in, such as her studies in anthropology. Most ponies were unaware of the existence - or lack thereof - of humans. She only learned of them when Professor Trotsky taught a single lesson on the now extinct race. A lesson that left him out of a job, and the subject completely banned from Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.
The mint-colored mare was headed towards Fluttershy’s cottage to pick up the oats she’d ordered when she’d heard a bang in the Everfree Forest to her right.
Lyra wasn’t afraid of the Everfree, in fact she was intrigued by the mystery. So it was no surprise when she decided her beloved oats could wait.
Immediately she felt the tingle of the forest’s magic, but she felt something else as well. A recent disturbance in the magical frequencies was evident to her, and she followed it. It was like a game of hot and cold. The closer she got to the source, the stronger the frequency became.
She’d been trotting in the forest for twenty minutes when she heard barking. She paused, holding her breath.
Timberwolves? She wondered. No, Timberwolves don’t bark you silly mare.
She followed the sound, the frequency becoming ever stronger when she found this… thing. It was brown, and square-ish, and had red squares on the back that glowed, lighting the ground behind it.
The frequency was at it’s strongest, and the barking come from inside.
Some kind of capsule? She thought, analyzing this mysterious object. No, what. It has… are those some type of wheels?
She raised her horn towards the object and analyzed the frequencies when she noticed a familiar feeling.
Back in her days at Celestia’s School, she was taught how to detect magical residue. Almost all spells left some kind of residual energy that could be linked to the pony who cast the original spell. She’d been partnered with Twilight Sparkle at the time, so she was shocked when she linked the residual energy of an extremely powerful spell to her.
“What have you gone and done this time, Twilight?” Lyra said. She paused. The barking had stopped.


❖


Dylan woke up with a major headache. He looked through his windshield to see trees. Lots and lots of trees.
Meanwhile, his dog Dakota stood by the sliding door, sniffing and growling. Then he heard shifting outside.
Dylan quietly reached into his pocket, grabbing his Orbitkey ring, and pulled out a small key. Reaching between the seats, he opened the safe that sat between them. Opening the safe, he reached for his Glock P19, and slowly reached his hand for the door before jumping out.


❖


Lyra stood still, not a sound could be heard around her. After about three minutes of silence she heard a sharp sound, and standing right in front of her, pointing a black thing at her was a… human.


❖


“What the fuck?” Dylan said. He lowered his weapon and stared in awe at this… what was he looking at exactly. It was a very light green, mint even. Its large yellow eyes stared back at him, and he saw not fear, but curiosity. Then he noticed the horn. A unicorn. He thought. The fuck?
“Uhm, hi?” The pony spoke.
Dylan jumped back, raising the gun again.
“Did you just SPEAK?!” He yelled, confused. “Am I losing my mind!”
The mare shy’d away a bit. “No, if anything, I’m losing mind.” She said, chuckling. “So, what’s that thing you’re pointing at me.”
“You’re a unicorn… And you talked… How…”
“You’re a human, and you speak Equish, so we’re in the same situation, I guess.” She reached her hoof out to him, easing closer to him. “My name is Lyra Heartstrings.”
“How are you so calm. I’m losing my mind.” He said, shakily. “And this,” he pointed his left fore-finger at the gun, mentally noting that the safety was on, “is a gun.”
“Aaaand, a gun is?”
“It’s a weapon.”
The pony jumped back hearing that, fear now entering her eyes. Celestia was right, humans are dangerous. The thought. Then again, ponies are dangerous too. Besides, I have a weapon stuck to my head.
Easing a bit, she asked “and what does it do?”
“It fires small projectiles called bullets.”
She gulped at that.
Calm down Lyra, horns can shoot things too.
“What’s your name?” She asked.
The change in subject put Dylan at ease a bit. But he still didn’t really trust this mythological creature. Then again, he didn’t exactly trust his own psyche right then either.
“Hugh. Hugh Jackman,” He lied.
“That’s an odd name.” The pony replied.
“So, uh. Where exactly am I? I don’t think I’m in Kansas anymore.” He said.
“Kansas?” Lyra said. “You must be really far away from home.” She paused. “I think I might know who’s responsible though, I can introduce you two.”
Dylan raised an eyebrow at that. “Oh, pray tell.”


❖


Lyra sat in the passenger seat of the Van, looking around in awe. Dakota sat in the back, glaring at Lyra.
“Good thing I landed on a trail.” Dylan said. “Just wished it was about six inches wider.”
He started the engine, and Lyra jumped.
“What was that?” She asked.
“The engine, put on your seatbelt.”
“My what?”
Dylan put on his, showing her the process.
She activated her TK and clicked the seatbelt, Dylan stared at her. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”
Dylan started to reverse the van when it died.
“Oh come, on! I have nearly a full tank, I literally just refilled in Albuquerque!” He said, exasperated.
“Guess this machine of yours doesn’t work very well does it?” She said in a funny tone.
Dylan glared. “Tell me, can that horn of yours generate electricity?”
“Yes, but not much.” She said. “Why?”
“Damn, never mind.” He removed his seatbelt. “Looks like we’re walking.”
Lyra started to lead Dylan down the trail when she realized. Other pony’s will be afraid of him, and Celestia would have him sent to the dungeon. She thought. No, he has to stay here. He has shelter, after all.
“Actually, it would be best if you stay here.” She said, apologetically.
“I thought-”
“I know, it’s just… other ponies might be afraid of you, and we don’t want to cause a panic, right?”
“I guess,” he agreed.
“I’ll go find Twilight, you just stay here, ok.”
“Ok”


❖


Twilight Sparkle sighed. Her final attempt had failed.
“I guess it’s for the best. Celestia probably wouldn’t have been too happy with it anyway.” She said sadly, her ears flattening.
“That’s what I tried to tell you.” Spike said, annoyed.
Spike sat on the couch, a huge bowl of Neapolitan ice cream in front of him. He licked his lips, then dug in.
“I guess I’ll just reread something I have.”

Roughly an hour of reading, and three bowls of ice cream later, a knock sounded at the door.
“I wonder who that is?” Twilight asked herself.
“Lyra,” Spike said. “Only pony I know who uses that old ‘Shave and a Manecut’ chorus as a knock.”
Twilight opened the door, and Lyra rushed inside, slamming the door behind her.
“Woah, calm down Lyra, what’s wrong.” Twilight said, concerned for her old friend.
“Both of you, promise me you’ll keep this to yourselves.” She said cautiously. “Nopony, can know. Least of all Celestia.”
“I promise,” Twilight answered.
They both glared at Spike, who was currently airplaning a massive spoonful of ice cream to his mouth. “Oh, I promise.”
“Good,” Lyra said before staring blankly at Twilight. “You summoned a human.”