//------------------------------// // One step closer // Story: Able bodied // by The Sumareian //------------------------------// Able cracked his eyes open the light from the sun was just now starting to illuminate the living room. He rolled over not wanting to get up yet even though he knew that he would spend the next hour in and out of sleep, or he would've if not for the pair of big yellow eyes just inches from his own staring at him in awe. "Good morning Able." Lyra said softly. She had been doing this for the last two days since she arrived, she for some odd reason reminded him of a girls he knew back at boarding school. The only difference was other than the eyes and being a miniature horse this girl always called him by his full name. Regardless his response to her and Lyra was always the same. "Uggghhh...." He groaned and then lazily tossed his hand over his face, effectively slapping himself. "Morning." "Oh don't be like that Able," He felt Lyra gently nudging his shoulder. "Today is going to be exciting, I got a surprise for you once Harper leaves." "Gimme like five minutes... no an hour." Able turned his back to her, trying to renter the sweet embrace of sleep. He didn't want to admit it but he was having a dream where all those things he disproved to Lyra and Stormy were true. "Fine, you get five minutes for your beauty sleep." she groaned as she loudly stomped her way into the kitchen and started rattling some pots and pans. The only thought that was able to pierce the cloud of sleepiness in his mind was. 'What is she like four or something?' It seemed however that she was actually making an effort to wake him up seeing as she soon returned with a glass of water levitating above her head. and once again sat down in front of the couch. "Lyra, if you do what I think your about to do I wont show you something awesome." Able was to tired to deliver an actual bluff at this point. From the two days of near none stop questions and requests to see his toes he knew he got her attention for a moment. "I'm listening." Able put up his thumb and bent it forward a couple times. "You watching Lyra?" He then bent it back to a near ninety degree angle from where it should have stopped. "Whoa..." Able though barely awake smiled to himself at hearing the mares astounded exclamation. "It's called hitch hikers thumb, and that should get me thirty more minutes of sleep." All he heard was a somewhat annoyed whinny, before he heard the mare trot over to one of the arm chairs and sit down. Able waited for another minute before Lyra actually left the room. He was now able to sleep, or more accurately think. Namely how he got here, when the subject came up in Lyras series of questions she kept on mentioning magic and how humans were supposed to be some sort of magic vampire that could steal it from everything around them. Able thought about it a bit, after all Harper mentioned that unicorns were for lack of a better word the only ponies who could use magic around them. He then listed of some list of spells that he knew and even demonstrated one, where he teleported a few feet from where he stood. Stormy said that everything in Equestria had magic of some form, she explained how the three kinds of pony all had different forms of magic; and how pegasi like herself could not only fly, but interact with clouds. Lyra even mentioned some of the crazy things she has seen involving magic. But when Able described what brought him here Lyra, unlike Harper seemed to have an idea as to what brought him here, or at least heard of a spell that could have done something like it she called is a 'Grab bag spell.' whatever the hell that was. When he asked if Lyra knew it he wasn't all to surprised that she didn't since from how she described it only a few ponies actually knew how to do it with anything that was alive, and even then there was certain conditions it could be cast in. So Able for lack of a better word was stuck, the three ponies he knew though helpful in getting him somewhat acclimated were a dead end. And since the last time he decided to take a walk he got shot at, he was stuck in this house. He hadn't felt this trapped since his first year at St. Jonahs Academy, all the rules and having to report what you were doing almost every five minutes. He wanted out, or at least to walk around; Able couldn't believe it he was getting stir-crazy. "Morning Lyra," He heard a loud yawn from somewhere in the room. "You still watching Able sleep?" at this point Able knew it was Stormy. "I don't watch him sleep Stormy... I observe him." Lyra said rather defensively. "Yeah and I got my wings from a dodo." From what Able could tell the two were now standing near each other." I'll admit though, he sleeps in a really weird position." "And sleeping on your stomach is weird how?" Able turned his head and looked up tiredly at the two mares. "Oh, nothing its just umm.... How do you not hurt your chest doing that?" Stormy stammered. "I just don't." Able wasting no time sat up and his eyes, before arching his back and waiting for the series of pops to end. "That sounded like it hurt." Harper commented as he trotted into the room tiredly waving to them. "Morning everybody." "Your up early Harper, whats the occasion?" Stormy went to hug her friend. "We gotta go and replant the whole west clearing today," He yawned loudly before returning Stormys hug. "And you know how much Tiller loves replanting the west clearing." "About as much as a phoenix loves swimming?" Lyra commented, and all Harper did was nod. "Don't worry about it too much Harper, come on lets get some breakfast," Able stood up and started for the kitchen. ********** After both Harper and Stormy left to go to work Able sat down with the only distraction he could find Lyra. She unlike Stormy wasn't timid at first when it boiled down to talking to him, and giving her riddles was always entertaining. "What rolls down stairs alone or in pairs." Lyra brough her hoof to her chin, Able smiled to himself he figured she wouldn't get this one. "Don't forget Lyra, it fits on your back. You would need it heat your home." Able chuckled slightly at his own pun. Lyra glared at empyiness for a moment, trying to think of the answer, before she sighed. "Alright I give, what was it?" she said in defeated. "It was a log Lyra." Able leaned back into the couch and smiled triumphantly. "You know for the self proclaimed riddle master in college your getting your butt kicked." "Oh yeah," Lyra stared down Able a some what sinister smile growing on her face. "I hide what needs to be unseen, I bring dark into the light anonymity in the public, fear in the private what am I?" "A journal." Able guessed. "No." This time Lyra was standing up and headed behind the couch. "Clothing?" Able leaned up to see the mare magically open a closet door and poke her head inside. "So close, its just a shame you'll never guess it." Lyra flicked her tail at him. " Sunglasses?" Able wacthed as Lyra countinued to dig through the closet. "No you silly filly, do you give up?" She pulled her head out of the closet a rather smug smile on her face. "It relates to that surprise I mentioned earlier." She giggled as she tossed something heavy and dark blue into his lap. Able picked it up and let it unfold itself in his hands, it was simple but from what he could tell it was just about his size, then it hit him like a brick to a window. "A cloak." Able looked at it in utter confusion. "Yep, and you and I are going for a walk so go ahead and slap that puppy on. I would like to be escorted somewhere that you might find particularly helpful." Lyra stuck up her nose and trotted snootily towards the stairs. "Retrieve me when you are ready." And with that she trotted up leaving Able in silence. "Well god, I can take a hint when I get one, though I could go without the snooty unicorn act." Able said aloud as he draped the cloak over his shoulders, and clipped the brooch that looked almost exactly like that weird tattoo on Lyras butt. He reached behind his shoulders and tossed the hood over his head. Every part of Ables mind was calling him an idiot for even thinking about what he was going to do, but he knew if he didn't do this he would go insane, he looked up the stairs where Lyra was leaning against the wall with a cocky smile on her face. "I guess someone decided to throw caution to the wind today." Lyra started down the stairs levitating the spare key she was given into her saddle bag. "More like setting it on fire and trying to put it out with gasoline." Able opened the door and held it open for the mare. "Shall we be going?" "Yes, my faithful man-companion we shall." Lyras facade of a snooty pony shattered as she and Able cracked up. -- Stormy opened the door to Flapstaff town hall, somepony from the weather patrol told her that she needed to talk to her boss, Sky Flurry . Trotting across the lobby and dodging the occasional intern pony who were carrying important documents, or were treating like they were. She made it to the only door that had the Equestrian weather patrol seal taped onto it, Stormy sighed remembering that the real weather patrol office in the upper part of town was being fumigated because of a huge outbreak of wing mites. She wasn't certain who to thank for finding out about the infestation, since the last time she had wing mites and somehow the feather flu at the same time, the doctors plucked out every one of her feathers so they could get at the little buggers. Of course she was half delirious from the fever she had, but that was one of the worst three weeks of her life. She paused for a moment, and rewound to her time at the hospital after her rather unceremonious molting and how Harper was the only pony who visited everyday, for tartarus's sake he even spoon fed her when she couldn't summon the strength to eat. "Stormy...." He even brought a lyre to play for her, even though his ears twitched like crazy when he was playing it, and how he just smiled at her when he was playing. "Equestria to Stormy....... Anypony there?" She was snapped out of her memories, as an off blue hoof whisked up and down in front of her face. She turned her head to see the mare who's baby blue eyes were staring at her in a mix of worry and confusion. "You okay there Stormy?" Flurry asked as cautiously glanced around the lobby hoping she wouldn't have to drag one of her best fliers to the hospital. "Oh, sorry, I'm fine." Stormy smiled to her, though a part of her was a little annoyed that Flurry had taken her away from the memory of her rather intimate moment with Harper. "Gale, said that you wanted to talk to me though." "Right," Flurry trotted into her office, "Excuse the mess, after all setting up temporary HQ's isn't exactly my special talent." Stormy picked her way, through the cluttered boxes and scattered papers, before stopping in front of the small desk and sitting down in the chair in front of it. "You, actually showed up just in time, I was just about to go looking for you since," She waved her hoof over the pile of papers, most of them weather requests while others had pictures that looked like a series of huge dust clouds " I was going to take a break from my research on haboobs anyway." "Haboobs?" Stormy didn't ever hear anything about them when she went to weather school, but from what it looked like Flurry had amassed a huge amount of information on whatever they were. "Oh, they are these huge dust storms that happen in deserts. I'm doing this research, on them because some of my family lives in Sumareia and well," She piled up the photographs that were scattered on her desk. "Since Sumareia has so few pegasi, I thought that their weather teams could use some help figuring these things out." "I didn't know you had family in Sumareia." Stormy said conversationally. "Indeed I do, after all my mother lived there most of her life." She smiled distantly for a moment, before a stack of papers in the corner toppled over. " But that's a topic for a different day. Stormy we got a request today from a certain pony, and he needs some rain." "Oh you got to be kidding me." Stormy now knew why she was called in. "Can't you send somepony else this time." "Now Stormy, you know that our department is underfunded this year, and we've been trying to keep us out of the red." She leaned in over her desk. " We need this or more specifically we need you to do this." "But, they always only want me." Stormy hated being picked out for this job. "Doesn't your coltfriend work there or something," Flurry leaned back into her chair and rotated it slightly. "What?!... well yes.. but he's not my coltfriend, just a friend who happens to be a colt." Stormy felt her face grow warmer. It was starting to seem like everypony thought they were together, just because she basically lived with him at his house and.... Her thoughts about Harper and her relationship stopped as something dawned on her, they share the same bed. "Well, excuse me for just saying what I heard. But we still need this done Stormy, and they only ask for you because you deliver." Flurry sighed as she stuffed away a bunch of cloud requisition forms into a drawer. "Heck I'll even sweeten the deal for you. How does getting paid while your there sound." "Make it time and a half and you got yourself a deal." Stormy stood from her seat and reached a hoof to her boss, who was now mulling the thought around in her head. "Fine, but just this once we cant afford to do this every time those Woodsong brothers ask for you." She then waved her hoof at her, "You better get going, I got to get cracking on these snowfall projections so we don't end up nose deep in the stuff." "But its May, why would you need to worry about that?" Stormy watched as the blue mare pulled out and abacus and a massive packet of charts. "Because, the last time a weather team didn't get the projections right, we had that massive blizzard up on Gallopery." Flurry smiled as she looked at the calculations she had scribbled on the page. "To think they just forgot to carry the two." Stormy, knowing her boss was now near completely committed to her calculations quietly negotiated the the scattered papers. As she quietly made her way out of the temporary, and yet somewhat neater office of her boss carefully closing the door behind her , she felt somepony bump into her rear. "Oh, sorry about that." Stormy turned to see who she had accidentally backed into. -- Lyra, for the most part was to busy running the scenarios in her head, over and over again. What is somepony found Able in his hiding spot? After all he wasn't really hiding when you think about it, but nopony would actively try searching the last stall of the mares room for a human, or what if she reveled him and the one pony she needed not to panic did. She was snapped out her now paranoid thoughts when she got a face full of someponies tail and the rest of her met with their rear. Lyra realizing that she should have been paying more attention to where she was going, stopped and said. "Oh, sorry about that." before she glanced up to the pony she had walked into only to come face to face with possibly the worst pony to run into at a time like this. "Lyra, what are doing here?" "Hey, Stormy wasn't expecting you to be here," she glanced past her to see the weather patrol emblem, hastily tapped on the door. "I was just on my way to see Filibuster, since its been like forever and a half since I've seen her." Lyra felt her ear twitch, since now they could apparently tell when she wasn't telling the whole truth. "Okay then," Stormy smiled as she started trotting away. " Oh Lyra before I forget I'm going to be coming home a bit later today so try to get back to Able and tell him not to worry about making lunch." "Sure I'll tell him." Lyras ear twitched once again, only this time Lyra put her hoof up to stop it. She sighed knowing that Stormy would be late, that bought her time in case this plan of hers didn't work out. Taking her hoof of her ear, it had apparently decided to stop moving on its own now. She really hated that nervous tick she had at times, though her mother and uncle kept on telling her it was a Heartstrings thing and she would get used to it. But every time she tried bending the truth at all her ear would start flapping like a startled chicken. She kept on going into the maze of offices and storerooms.Until she got to a sitting area with an empty desk, Lyra rolled her eyes Filibuster was a lot like the mayor in Ponyville leaving the door to her office wide open. Stealing a glance over her shoulder, to the empty hallway which she hoped would stay that way. She trotted up to the large oak doors and knocked on them. "Come in." As Lyra opened the door to the near spotless office, her eyes fell on the ivory colored mare who was reclining in the huge red office chair and squeezing a stress ball that was grasped in her violet aura. "For Celestias sake if this is about that new proposition for a community garden in the square, I will tell you again. We are currently still trying to see what money we can divert for construction, and it won't be started until the schools let out." She calmly put the stress ball down on her desk and turned. "Hey, Buster long time no see." Lyra waved shyly. "Lyra?" Filibuster sat up in her chair and rubbed her eyes. "Is that you?" "In the flesh," She smiled and shook her hips slightly. "That is the sexy flesh." A slight blush grew on the white mares face, which she quickly raised a hoof to hide. Lyra on the other hoof was holding back a predatory grin. "What brings, you back to town," She gulped nervously "Lyra?" "Oh, nothing really. Just Harper being a recluse and not showing up to any family events." Lyra trotted behind the office chair and playfully flicked her tail at her. "Really now, I always thought Stormy got him out of that phase." Filibuster smiled nervously as Lyra leaned in to whisper into her ear. "I want to show you something, but you have to trust me. This is big I mean really big." Lyra seductively whispered into her ear, seconds later the white mares face was beet red and a nervous sweat was starting to form on her brow. "Wh..... what is it?" She felt a gentle hoof touch her lips, as Lyra shushed her. "Come on I'll show you." Lyra winked Lyra mentally cringed saying that, she hated flirting or more accurately she hated flirting to get her way, especially with Filibuster who seem to melt in her hooves like putty every time she did it. Even when they were little, it seemed like she had always had a soft spot for Lyras flirting. -- Able sat in the stall, wishing he was somewhere else. After all this was for lack of a better term the ladies room, the one room that had he been in the first grade would have been a point of pride. But now it was by far one of the most awkward moments in his life, since apparently these ponies just love going to the bathroom as much as they love talking. He tried to pretend he was anywhere but here, and that sadly failed, when he accidentally flushed the toilet he was siting on. He heard the door open again, he was to focused on trying to distance himself from the situation to notice the slide lock on the stall door glow yellow. "Now, you have to promise me something. No matter what you see, you don't scream, and you won't run away." Able looked up, recognizing Lyras voice. Thank god he was saved. As the lock slide to the left, and the stall door slowly slide open, Able sat up now, this was his moment to shine or more literally introduce himself to a pony he didn't see on a daily basis. "Now, why would I....." Able looked at the white mare next to Lyra, she was starring at him in complete and utter shock. "That's why, we kinda need a favor from you. Oh and." Lyra pinched the mare who eeped slightly but never took her eyes of Able. "Hi there, I'm Able." for the most part Able couldn't tell if the pony was getting pale or not, but he knew sheer paralyzing terror when he saw it. "I need to write, the princess." The white mare said flatly. "I need to..." she then collapsed to the ground in a heap. "Well that was going to be the favor." Lyra propped the unconscious pony up. "Able, I'll be back in a few minutes, I got to get her back to her office before somepony decides to go looking for her." "Do you think she'll write the letter?" Able looked at the Lyra and back to the pony spread across her back. "She will, and then were one step closer." Lyra winked as she trotted out of the restroom.